The AliEn (ALICE Environment) file catalogue is a global unique namespace providing mapping between a UNIX-like logical name structure and the corresponding physical files distributed over 80 storage ...elements worldwide. Powerful search tools and hierarchical metadata information are integral parts of the system and are used by the Grid jobs as well as local users to store and access all files on the Grid storage elements. The catalogue has been in production since 2005 and over the past 11 years has grown to more than 2 billion logical file names. The backend is a set of distributed relational databases, ensuring smooth growth and fast access. Due to the anticipated fast future growth, we are looking for ways to enhance the performance and scalability by simplifying the catalogue schema while keeping the functionality intact. We investigated different backend solutions, such as distributed key value stores, as replacement for the relational database. This contribution covers the architectural changes in the system, together with the technology evaluation, benchmark results and conclusions.
The ALICE experiment will undergo extensive hardware and software upgrades for the LHC Run3. This translates in significant increase of the CPU and storage resources required for data processing, and ...at the same time the data access rates will grow linearly with the amount of resources. JAliEn (Java ALICE Environment) is the new Grid middleware designed to scale-out horizontally to fulfil the computing needs of the upgrade, and at the same time to modernize all parts of the distributed system software. This paper will present the architecture of the JAliEn framework, the technologies used and performance measurements. This work will also describe the next generation solution that will replace our main database backend, the AliEn File Catalogue. The catalogue is an integral part of the system, containing the metadata of all files written to the distributed Grid storage and also provides powerful search and data manipulation tools. As for JAliEn, the focus has been put onto horizontal scalability, with the aim to handle near exascale data volumes and order of magnitude more workload than the currently used Grid middleware. Lastly, this contribution will present how JAliEn manages the increased complexity of the tasks associated with the new ALICE data processing and analysis framework (ALFA) and multi-core environments.
High Energy Physics (HEP) distributed computing infrastructures require automatic tools to monitor, analyze and react to potential security incidents. These tools should collect and inspect data such ...as resource consumption, logs and sequence of system calls for detecting anomalies that indicate the presence of a malicious agent. They should also be able to perform automated reactions to attacks without administrator intervention. We describe a novel framework that accomplishes these requirements, with a proof of concept implementation for the ALICE experiment at CERN. We show how we achieve a fully virtualized environment that improves the security by isolating services and Jobs without a significant performance impact. We also describe a collected dataset for Machine Learning based Intrusion Prevention and Detection Systems on Grid computing. This dataset is composed of resource consumption measurements (such as CPU, RAM and network traffic), logfiles from operating system services, and system call data collected from production Jobs running in an ALICE Grid test site and a big set of malware samples. This malware set was collected from security research sites. Based on this dataset, we will proceed to develop Machine Learning algorithms able to detect malicious Jobs.
Situs inversus is a rare congenital disorder where the reversal of some of the major thoracic or abdominal organs is present. In this disorder, alterations in the fetus's organ lateralization lead to ...a complete reversal in the arrangement of the internal organs. Most of the time, they are found incidentally when having a procedure or imaging modality. Little has been written regarding the challenges encountered while providing critical care to these patients. Here we present the case of a 68-year-old male patient admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with hypoxemic respiratory failure secondary to pneumonia who underwent diagnostic bronchoscopy for organism identification and was confirmed to have situs inversus totalis. Situs inversus totalis represents a challenge at different levels of care to these patients, including in the ICU. Limitations in critical care can be seen upon imaging identification, and during routine procedures performed at the ICU. Confusion might appear while performing bedside point of care ultrasound, obtaining vascular access, performing electrocardiogram, and sample identification, among others. The case brings the relevance of being able to recognize this rare disorder, which can be diagnosed even in advanced age since it might present the clinician with challenges at the time of providing care to patients.
Abstract
The new European Society of Cardiology guideline for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction recommends that left and right bundle branch block should be considered equal for recommending ...urgent angiography in patients with suspected myocardial infarction. This consideration is not taken into account in the management of patients with coronary syndrome without ST elevation (NSTEMI). We evaluate the evolution of patients with acute coronary syndrome and long-term bundle branch block.
Patients and methods
We included 8771 patients admitted to two tertiary hospitals between 2003 and 2017 with an acute coronary syndrome, 5673 NSTEMI (64.3%) and 3098 STEMI (35.7%). All patients had an ECG recorded immediately upon admission. Patients were classified as having right bundle branch block (RBBB), left bundle branch block (LBBB). Long-term follow-up was performed (median 55 months) to assess mortality.
Results
A total of 8771 patients were included with a mean age of 66.1 years, 72.5% males, 4.1% (362) with LBBB and 5% (440) with RBBB. Patients with BBB were older, with more previous history of myocardial infarction and coronary revascularization and higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors. Medical treatment was similar but they were less often submitted to angioplasty. During the acute phase, patients with RBBB and LBBB presented a higher rate of heart failure than those without branch block (4.8% vs 9.1% vs 3.5%, p=0.0001); higher mortality (8.4% vs 10.5% vs 3.0%, p=0.0001); higher stroke rate (2.5% vs 1.4% vs 0.8%, p=0.001); higher rate of renal failure (8.2% vs 9.7% vs 3.9%, p=0.0001) and higher rate of reinfarction (3.0% vs 4.1% vs 1.7%, p=0.001). Patients who had a RBBB or an LBBB had a worse prognosis throughout the follow-up. Heart failure was present in 17.7% of the group with RBBB, 29.6% of LBBB and 11% in the group without branch block (p=0.0001). Mortality during follow-up was 31% in RBBB, 40.6% in LBBB and 18.7% without branch block (p=0.0001). In multivariate analysis of Cox, both RBBB (HR 1.55, 95% CI 1.23–1.98, p=0.0001) and LBBB (HR 1.48, 95% CI 1.22–1.53, p=0.001) were an independent predictors of all-cause mortality (adjustment for GRACE score, gender, treatment with betablockers, angiotensin conversor enzym inhibitors, statin and coronary revascularization).
Cox regression model multivariate
Conclusions
The presence of RBBB or LBBB in the ECG of patients with an ACS is associated with a worse prognosis both during the hospital phase and in the long term. In addition, both bundle branch blocks are independent predictors of long-term mortality in patients with ACS.
The AliEn (ALICE Environment) file catalogue is a global unique namespace providing mapping between a UNIX-like logical name structure and the corresponding physical files distributed over 80 storage ...elements worldwide. Powerful search tools and hierarchical metadata information are integral parts of the system and are used by the Grid jobs as well as local users to store and access all files on the Grid storage elements. The catalogue has been in production since 2005 and over the past 11 years has grown to more than 2 billion logical file names. The backend is a set of distributed relational databases, ensuring smooth growth and fast access. Due to the anticipated fast future growth, we are looking for ways to enhance the performance and scalability by simplifying the catalogue schema while keeping the functionality intact. We investigated different backend solutions, such as distributed key value stores, as replacement for the relational database. This contribution covers the architectural changes in the system, together with the technology evaluation, benchmark results and conclusions.
High Energy Physics (HEP) distributed computing infrastructures require automatic tools to monitor, analyze and react to potential security incidents. These tools should collect and inspect data such ...as resource consumption, logs and sequence of system calls for detecting anomalies that indicate the presence of a malicious agent. They should also be able to perform automated reactions to attacks without administrator intervention. We describe a novel framework that accomplishes these requirements, with a proof of concept implementation for the ALICE experiment at CERN. We show how we achieve a fully virtualized environment that improves the security by isolating services and Jobs without a significant performance impact. We also describe a collected dataset for Machine Learning based Intrusion Prevention and Detection Systems on Grid computing. This dataset is composed of resource consumption measurements (such as CPU, RAM and network traffic), logfiles from operating system services, and system call data collected from production Jobs running in an ALICE Grid test site and a big set of malware. This malware was collected from security research sites. Based on this dataset, we will proceed to develop Machine Learning algorithms able to detect malicious Jobs.
Aims: To study the effects of early use of enalapril on left ventricular function and exercise capacity after a first acute myocardial infarction, 356 patients without overt signs of congestive heart ...failure were randomly allocated to receive placebo or enalapril between days 7 and 14 after a first myocardial infarction. The study was conducted double-blind in 40 hospitals throughout Spain.
Methods and results: At baseline and after 26 weeks of follow-up exercise stress tests, Doppler-echocardiograms and isotopic ventriculography were performed in study participants. At the end of follow-up, patients in the enalapril group had lower end-systolic volume compared to those in the placebo group (55 vs. 62 ml;
P=0.05). No difference in exercise capacity was evident between both groups.
Conclusion: The present study shows that enalapril therapy administered between 7 and 14 days after a first acute myocardial infarction decreases end-systolic volume and may inhibit the remodeling process of the left ventricle.
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