144 research outputs found
Momentum reconstruction of particles in the forward muon trigger system of the ATLAS detector
No full textWe devise a feed forward neural network which identifies the charge and momentum of muons in the forward trigger system of the ATLAS detector. We use second order learning methods to train the network on a set comprising a few thousand simulated events over a wide range of energies and transverse momenta. The network produces an unbiased estimate of the particles' momentum and charge. On a test set, the charge is correctly identified in 94% of the events, and the mean relative error in transverse momentum is about 1:9%. [email protected] y [email protected] z [email protected] 1 Introduction The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is an accelerator which will bring proton beams into head-on collisions at energies of 14 TeV and luminosity L = 10 34 cm \Gamma2 s \Gamma1 , higher than ever before. The high luminosity produces an event flux of about 1 GHz. In such an environment there is a unique importance to an efficient triggering system operating within the short bun..
Delta-type senior civil service for the 21st century
No full textO artigo estuda um aspecto da reforma do Estado que, segundo o autor, tem sido
sistematicamente negligenciado pelas atuais propostas que focalizam o modelo da administração
gerencial. Trata-se das funções vitais do governo de tomar decisões críticas e
adotar políticas diante das mudanças provocadas pela revolução global. Segundo Dror, as
tarefas de alto comando (high-order tasks) de definir trajetórias e as novas formas de
governança exigem um ajuste significativo do governo central. Este ajuste refere-se, principalmente,
à concepção e ao desenvolvimento de um novo padrão de funcionários do
primeiro escalão público, o qual contribuiria com conhecimento e perspectivas para
enfrentar as tarefas de alto comando.
O autor estabelece uma tipologia para caraterizar a evolução do perfil do serviço
público, marcando suas fases históricas: a) tipo alpha (status atribuído, fusão de papéis
políticos e administrativos); b) tipo beta (compra de cargos governamentais) e c) tipo
gamma (quase profissionalismo). O novo funcionário sênior, do tipo delta, se concentraria
nas questões de ordem estratégica, deixando as funções gerenciais para servidores do
tipo gamma e para os serviços técnicos.
Após uma breve análise, Dror conclui que o funcionalismo público de primeiro
escalão, na maioria dos países (com exceção de alguns países do Sudeste Asiático),
encontra-se obsoleto, com base profissional inadequada e capacidade insuficiente para
lidar com escolhas críticas.El artículo estudia un aspecto de la reforma del Estado que, según el autor, ha sido
sistematicamente negligenciado por las actuales propuestas que enfocan el modelo de la
administración gerencial. Se trata de las funciones vitales del gobierno de tomar decisiones
críticas y adoptar políticas delante de los cambios provocados por la revolución global.
Según Dror, las tareas de alto comando (high-order tasks) de definir trayectorias y las
nuevas formas de governanza exigen un ajuste significativo del gobierno central. Este
ajuste se refiere, principalmente, a la concepción y al desarollo de un nuevo padrón de
funcionarios de primera jerarquía, lo que contribuiria con conocimiento y perspectivas
para afrontar las tareas de alto comando.
El autor establece una tipologia para caracterizar la evolución del perfil del servicio
público, marcando sus fases historicas: a) tipo alpha: (status atribuido, fusión de papeles
políticos y administrativos); b) tipo beta: (compra de cargos gubernamentales) y c) tipo
gamma: (casi profesionalismo). El nuevo funcionario senior, del tipo delta, se concentraria
en las cuestiones de orden estratégica, quedándose las funciones gerenciales para los
servidores del tipo gamma y para los servicios técnicos.
Tras un breve análisis, Dror concluye que el funcionarismo público de primera jerarquía,
en la mayoria de los países (excepto algunos países del Sudeste Asiático), se encuentra
obsoleto, con bases professionales inadecuadas y capacidad insuficiente para lidar con
opciones críticas.The article alludes to one aspect of the State reform that, according to the author, has
been systematically neglected by present proposals focused on the management
administration model. Government’s vital functions are to make critical decisions and to
adopt policies when facing changes brought about by the global revolution. According to
Dror, the high-order tasks of defining trajectories and new forms of governance demand
a significant adjustment of central governments. This adjustment refers mainly to the
creation and development of a new profile of senior civil servants, who would present
their contribution to high-order tasks with more knowledge and perspective.
The author establishes a categorization to illustrate the evolution of the civil servant
profile, highlighting its historical phases: a) alpha type (attributed status, fusion of
political and administrative roles); b) beta type (purchase of governmental positions);
and c) gamma type (quasi-professionalism). The new delta-type senior civil servant
should concentrate on strategical issues, leaving managerial functions to gamma-type
civil servants and to technical services.
After a brief analysis, Dror declares that the senior civil service in most countries
(exceptions to be made to some East-Asian countries) is obsolete, lacking adequate
professional basis and capacity to deal with critical decisions.Número padronizado: v. 48, n. 2 (1997)
Revista do Serviço Público - RSP, ano 48, n. 2, p. 5-26Administração PúblicaISSN impresso: 0034-9240ISSN eletrônico: 2357-801
Physiological synergy between IL-1β and insulin on glucose disposal and macrophage activity
No full textType 2 diabetes (T2D) is an inflammatory disease associated with infiltration of immune cells into various tissues and increased levels of inflammatory factors including Interleukin-1 β (IL-1β). In pancreatic islets elevated glucose levels stimulate IL-1β production resulting in impaired function and survival of β cells.
Blockade of IL-1β improves T2D, pointing on a major role for IL-1β in the
development and T2D. While the deleterious role of chronic activation of the IL-1 system in T2D is well documented, little is known about its potential physiological role(s).
The aim of the present study is to reveal the physiological role of inflammation
and specifically of IL-1β in metabolism.
In vivo acutely administered IL-1β dose dependently induced insulin secretion even at IL-1β concentrations in the circulation that are below the detection limit.
Together with glucose IL-1β promotes insulin secretion via parasympathetic nerve stimulation. In vitro IL-1β had a dual effect on glucose stimulated insulin secretion: it was beneficial at low doses and deleterious at high doses. The endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) strongly induced IL-1β, stimulated insulin secretion and improved glucose tolerance. Interestingly, the improvement of glucose tolerance was not only a consequence of increased insulin levels but was also due to direct IL-1β mediated glucose uptake into various tissues. One of the compartments responding to IL-1β with elevated glucose uptake was the cells of the immune system, mainly macrophages. We further show that macrophages significantly contribute to IL-1β mediated glucose disposal from the circulation. In addition, this work provides evidence for a role of insulin in mounting an immune response. Indeed, insulin increased the secretion of IL-1β via the NACHT, LRR and PYD domains-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome preferentially in inflammatory M1 macrophages but not from alternatively activated M2 macrophages. In line with this response, M1 macrophages expressed higher levels of insulin receptors than naïve or M2. Further, insulin had an overall pro inflammatory effect in naïve and inflammatory macrophages, which could be attributed to increased glucose uptake via the GLUT1 glucose transporter
Prognostic role of endocarditis in isolated tricuspid valve surgery. A propensity-weighted study
No full textObjectives
The role of the underlying etiology in isolated tricuspid valve surgery has not been investigated extensively in current literature. Aim of this study was to analyse outcomes of patients undergoing surgery due to endocarditis compared to other pathologies.
Methods
The SURTRI study is a multicenter study enrolling adult patients who underwent isolated tricuspid valve surgery (n = 406, 55 ± 16 y.o.; 56% female) at 13 international sites. Propensity weighted analysis was performed to compare groups (IE group n = 107 vs Not-IE group n = 299).
Results
No difference was found regarding the 30-day mortality (Group IE: 2.8% vs Group Not-IE = 6.8%; OR = 0.45) and major adverse events. Weighted cumulative incidence of cardiac death was significantly higher for patients with endocarditis (p = 0.01). The composite endpoint of cardiac death and reoperation at 6 years was reduced in the Group IE (63.2 ± 6.8% vs 78.9 ± 3.1%; p = 0.022). Repair strategy resulted in an increased late survival even in IE cases.
Conclusions
Data from SURTRI study report acceptable 30-day results but significantly reduced late survival in the setting of endocarditis of the tricuspid valve. Multi-disciplinary approach, repair strategy and earlier treatment may improve outcomes.
© 2022 The Author
Open Access to Research: Changing Researcher Behavior Through University and Funder Mandates
No full textThe primary target of the worldwide Open Access initiative is the 2.5 million articles published every year in the planet's 25,000 peer-reviewed research journals across all scholarly and scientific fields. Without exception, every one of these articles is an author give-away, written, not for royalty income, but solely to be used, applied and built upon by other researchers. The optimal and inevitable solution for this give-away research is that it should be made freely accessible to all its would-be users online and not only to those whose institutions can afford subscription access to the journal in which it happens to be published. Yet this optimal and inevitable solution, already fully within the reach of the global research community for at least two decades now, has been taking a remarkably long time to be grasped. The problem is not particularly an instance of "eDemocracy" one way or the other; it is an instance of inaction because of widespread misconceptions (reminiscent of Zeno's Paradox). The solution is for the world's research institutions and funders to (1) extend their existing "publish or perish" mandates so as to (2) require their employees and fundees to maximize the usage and impact of the research they are employed and funded to conduct and publish by (3) depositing their final drafts in their Open Access (OA) Institutional Repositories immediately upon acceptance for publication in order to (4) make their findings freely accessible to all their potential users webwide. OA metrics can then be used to measure and reward research progress and impact; and multiple layers of links, tags, commentary and discussion can be built upon and integrated with the primary research
Over-expression of a retinol dehydrogenase (SRP35/DHRS7C) in skeletal muscle activates mTORC2, enhances glucose metabolism and muscle performance
No full textSRP-35 is a short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase belonging to the DHRS7C dehydrogenase/ reductase family 7. Here we show that its over-expression in mouse skeletal muscles induces enhanced muscle performance in vivo, which is not related to alterations in excitation-contraction coupling but rather linked to enhanced glucose metabolism. Over-expression of SRP-35 causes increased phosphorylation of AktS473, triggering plasmalemmal targeting of GLUT4 and higher glucose uptake into muscles. SRP-35 signaling involves RARα and RARγ (non-genomic effect), PI3K and mTORC2. We also demonstrate that all-trans retinoic acid, a downstream product of the enzymatic activity of SRP-35, mimics the effect of SRP-35 in skeletal muscle, inducing a synergistic effect with insulin on AKTS473 phosphorylation. These results indicate that SRP-35 affects skeletal muscle metabolism and may represent an important target for the treatment of metabolic diseases
Patterns in knot cohomology I
No full textCohomology theory of links, introduced by the author, is combinatorial. Dror
Bar-Natan recently wrote a program that found ranks of cohomology groups of all prime knots
with up to 11 crossings. His surprising experimental data is discussed in this note
Governance: A Garbage Can Perspective. IHS Political Science Series: 2002, No. 84
No full textAs I worked through the revisions of this paper I realized that I was to a great extent returning to the dominant themes from one of the first books I ever published. This was Can Government Go Bankrupt?, written with Richard Rose and published in 1978. That book and this paper both deal with the authority of governments and their capacity to govern. Dror (2001) provides a very detailed analysis of governance capacity, but much of that analysis will actually come down to the presence of legitimacy for the governing system, and the capacity to use steering instruments effectively to reach desired collective goals. The issues to be raised in this paper are concentrated primarily on governance questions at the level of central governments and multi-level interactions, rather than of the international system, but much of the same logic of sovereignty/authority is in operation
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