LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Comparative study of levofloxacin in the treatment of children with community-acquired pneumonia.

BACKGROUND
Levofloxacin has established efficacy and safety in the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in adults, and its use as an alternative therapy for children with CAP has been proposed.


OBJECTIVE
Assess the clinical efficacy and safety of levofloxacin compared with standard of care antibiotic therapy in the treatment of CAP in children aged 6 months to 16 years.


METHODS
In an open-label, multicenter, noninferiority trial, children with CAP were randomized 3:1 to receive levofloxacin or comparator antimicrobial therapy (0.5 to <5 years: amoxicillin/clavulanate or ceftriaxone; > or =5 years: clarithromycin or ceftriaxone with clarithromycin or erythromycin lactobinate) for 10 days. The primary outcome was cure rates at the test-of-cure visit (10-17 days after completing treatment) as determined by symptoms, physical examination, and chest radiography.


RESULTS
Seven hundred and thirty-eight children were enrolled and 539 (405 levofloxacin-treated, 134 comparator-treated) were clinically evaluable at test-of-cure visit. Clinical cure rates were 94.3% (382 of 405) in levofloxacin-treated and 94.0% (126 of 134) in comparator-treated children. Cure rates were also similar for levofloxacin and comparator for each age group (<5 years, 92.2% versus 90.8%; > or =5 years, 96.5% versus 97.1%; respectively) and for children categorized as being at higher risk for severe disease. Mycoplasma pneumoniae was the most frequently identified cause of pneumonia (230 children). Levofloxacin was as well tolerated as comparators, with similar type and incidence of adverse events.


CONCLUSIONS
Levofloxacin was as well tolerated and effective as standard-of-care antibiotics for the treatment of CAP in infants and children.
A modified Covariance Matrix Adaptation Evolution Strategy with adaptive penalty function and restart for constrained optimization

In the last decades, a number of novel meta-heuristics and hybrid algorithms have been proposed to solve a great variety of optimization problems. Among these, constrained optimization problems are considered of particular interest in applications from many different domains. The presence of multiple constraints can make optimization problems particularly hard to solve, thus imposing the use of specific techniques to handle fitness landscapes which generally show complex properties. In this paper, we introduce a modified Covariance Matrix Adaptation Evolution Strategy (CMA-ES) specifically designed for solving constrained optimization problems. The proposed method makes use of the restart mechanism typical of most modern variants of CMA-ES, and handles constraints by means of an adaptive penalty function. This novel CMA-ES scheme presents competitive results on a broad set of benchmark functions and engineering problems, outperforming most state-of-the-art algorithms as for both efficiency and constraint handling. 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The halo sign: HRCT findings in 85 patients

Objective:
The halo sign consists of an area of ground-glass opacity surrounding pulmonary lesions on chest CT scans. We compared immunocompetent and immunosuppressed patients in terms of halo sign features and sought to identify those of greatest diagnostic value.


Methods:
This was a retrospective study of CT scans performed at any of seven centers between January of 2011 and May of 2015. Patients were classified according to their immune status. Two thoracic radiologists reviewed the scans in order to determine the number of lesions, as well as their distribution, size, and contour, together with halo thickness and any other associated findings.


Results:
Of the 85 patients evaluated, 53 were immunocompetent and 32 were immunosuppressed. Of the 53 immunocompetent patients, 34 (64%) were diagnosed with primary neoplasm. Of the 32 immunosuppressed patients, 25 (78%) were diagnosed with aspergillosis. Multiple and randomly distributed lesions were more common in the immunosuppressed patients than in the immunocompetent patients (p < 0.001 for both). Halo thickness was found to be greater in the immunosuppressed patients (p < 0.05).


Conclusions:
Etiologies of the halo sign differ markedly between immunocompetent and immunosuppressed patients. Although thicker halos are more likely to occur in patients with infectious diseases, the number and distribution of lesions should also be taken into account when evaluating patients presenting with the halo sign.


Objetivo:
O sinal do halo consiste em uma área de opacidade em vidro fosco ao redor de lesões pulmonares em imagens de TC de tórax. Pacientes imunocompetentes e imunodeprimidos foram comparados quanto a características do sinal do halo a fim de identificar as de maior valor diagnóstico.


Métodos:
Estudo retrospectivo de tomografias realizadas em sete centros entre janeiro de 2011 e maio de 2015. Os pacientes foram classificados de acordo com seu estado imunológico. Dois radiologistas torácicos analisaram os exames a fim de determinar o número de lesões e sua distribuição, tamanho e contorno, bem como a espessura do halo e quaisquer outros achados associados.


Resultados:
Dos 85 pacientes avaliados, 53 eram imunocompetentes e 32 eram imunodeprimidos. Dos 53 pacientes imunocompetentes, 34 (64%) receberam diagnóstico de neoplasia primária. Dos 32 pacientes imunodeprimidos, 25 (78%) receberam diagnóstico de aspergilose. Lesões múltiplas e distribuídas aleatoriamente foram mais comuns nos imunodeprimidos do que nos imunocompetentes (p < 0,001 para ambas). A espessura do halo foi maior nos imunodeprimidos (p < 0,05).


Conclusões:
As etiologias do sinal do halo em pacientes imunocompetentes são bastante diferentes das observadas em pacientes imunodeprimidos. Embora halos mais espessos ocorram mais provavelmente em pacientes com doenças infecciosas, o número e a distribuição das lesões também devem ser levados em conta na avaliação de pacientes que apresentem o sinal do halo.
Business intelligence: an analysis of the literature

This publication contains reprint articles for which IEEE does not hold copyright. Full text is not available on IEEE Xplore for these articles.
Continuous renal replacement therapy may increase the risk of catheter infection.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Little is known about the risks of catheter-related infections in patients undergoing intermittent hemodialysis (IHD) as compared with continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) techniques. We compared the two modalities among critically ill adults requiring acute renal replacement therapy (RRT).


DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS
We used the multicenter Cathedia study cohort of 736 critically ill adults requiring RRT. Cox marginal structural models were used to compare time to catheter-tip colonization at removal (intent-to-treat, primary endpoint) among patients who started IHD (n = 470) versus CRRT (n = 266). On-treatment analysis was also conducted to take into account changes in prescription of RRT modality.


RESULTS
Hazard rate of catheter-tip colonization did not increase within the first 10 days of catheter use. Predictors of catheter-tip colonization were higher lactate levels and hypertension, while systemic antibiotics, antiseptics-impregnated catheters, and mechanical ventilation were associated with decreased risk. The incidence of catheter-tip colonization per 1000 catheter-days was 42.7 in the IHD group and 27.7 in the CRRT group (P < 0.01). This association was no longer significant after correction for channeling bias (weighted HR, 0.96; 95% CI: 0.77 to 1.20, P = 0.73). On-treatment analysis revealed an increased risk of primary endpoint during CRRT exposure as compared with IHD exposure (weighted HR, 0.71; 95% CI: 0.56 to 0.92, P < 0.009).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results do not support the use of CRRT when IHD could be an alternative to reduce the risk of catheter-related infection.
Characterization, Stability and Convergence of Hierarchical Clustering Methods

Editor: Ulrike von Luxburg Abstract We study hierarchical clustering schemes under an axiomatic view. We show that within this framework, one can prove a theorem analogous to one of J. Kleinberg (Kleinberg, 2002), in which one obtains an existence and uniqueness theorem instead of a non-existence result. We explore further properties of this unique scheme: stability and convergence are established. We represent dendrograms as ultrametric spaces and use tools from metric geometry, namely the Gromov-Hausdor↵ distance, to quantify the degree to which perturbations in the input metric space a↵ect the result of hierarchical methods.
Behçet's disease: A comprehensive review with a focus on epidemiology, etiology and clinical features, and management of mucocutaneous lesions.

Behçet's disease (BD) is a chronic, relapsing, inflammatory multisystem disease of unknown etiology. Oral ulcers, genital ulcers, cutaneous lesions, and ocular and articular involvement are the most frequent features of the disease. Mucocutaneous lesions are considered hallmarks of the disease, and often precede other manifestations. Therefore, their recognition may permit earlier diagnosis and treatment with beneficial results for prognosis. BD is particularly prevalent in "Silk Route" populations but has a global distribution. The disease usually starts around the third or fourth decade of life. Sex distribution is roughly equal. The diagnosis is based on clinical criteria, as there is no pathognomonic test. Genetic factors have been investigated extensively, and association with human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B51 is still known as the strongest genetic susceptibility factor. The T-helper 17 and interleukin (IL)-17 pathways are active, and play an important role, particularly in acute attacks of BD. Neutrophil activity is increased in BD, and the affected organs show a significant neutrophil and lymphocyte infiltration. HLA-B51 association and increased IL-17 response are thought to play a role in neutrophil activation. Treatment is mainly based on the suppression of inflammatory attacks of the disease using immunomodulatory and immunosuppressive agents. Although treatment has become much more effective in recent years with the introduction of newer drugs, BD is still associated with considerable morbidity and increased mortality. Male sex, younger age of onset and increased number of organs involved at the diagnosis are associated with a more severe disease and, therefore, require more aggressive treatment.
No evidence for impairment of venous hemodynamics in children or young adults with pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency is a postulated etiologic factor for multiple sclerosis, but the higher frequency with longer disease duration and progressive disability suggests that chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency is secondary to chronic disease. We evaluated the presence of chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency in pediatric-onset MS.


MATERIALS AND METHODS
Twenty-six pediatric patients with MS (18 years of age or younger), 26 age-matched healthy controls, and 13 young adults with pediatric-onset MS underwent sonography of the internal jugular, vertebral, and deep cerebral veins. Five venous hemodynamic criteria were assessed, with 2 criteria required for chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency. MR imaging studies, performed in the pediatric patients with MS and healthy control groups, included intracranial 2D time-of-flight MR venography and velocity-sensitive phase-contrast sequences. Contrast-enhanced brain MR images were obtained in pediatric patients with MS to further evaluate venous patency. We used paired t tests, Wilcoxon matched pairs, McNemar tests, and exact conditional logistic regression to estimate the association of chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency with MS.


RESULTS
Fifty participants (73.5%) had normal ultrasound findings, 15 (23.1%) met 1 venous hemodynamic criterion, and 2 pediatric patients with MS and 1 young adult with pediatric-onset MS met chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency criteria. Chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency was not associated with MS (odds ratio, 2.41; 95% CI, 0.19-infinity). Demographic and disease characteristics did not differ between the patients with MS meeting chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency criteria (n = 3) and those who did not (n = 36; all, P > .05). The mean (SD) MR imaging measures of intracerebral flow did not differ between the 2 pediatric patients with MS meeting chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency criteria (0.85 ± 0.11) and healthy controls (0.87 ± 0.16, P = .50); no child demonstrated venous obstruction.


CONCLUSIONS
Chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency is rarely observed in children or young adults with pediatric-onset MS. Venous anatomy and flow rates indicate that venous outflow is intact in pediatric patients with MS. Our findings argue against chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency as a component of MS etiology.
Publication Venue Recommendation Based on Paper Abstract

We consider the problem of matching the topics of a scientific paper with those of possible publication venues for that paper. While every researcher knows the few top-level venues for his specific fields of interest, a venue recommendation system may be a significant aid when starting to explore a new research field. We propose a venue recommendation system which requires only title and abstract, differently from previous works which require full-text and reference list: hence, our system can be used even in the early stages of the authoring process and greatly simplifies the building and maintenance of the knowledge base necessary for generating meaningful recommendations. We assessed our proposal using a standard metric on a dataset of more than 58000 papers: the results show that our method provides recommendations whose quality is aligned with previous works, while requiring much less information from both the paper and the knowledge base.
Simultaneous three-dimensional myocardial T1 and T2 mapping in one breath hold with 3D-QALAS

BACKGROUND
Quantification of the longitudinal- and transverse relaxation time in the myocardium has shown to provide important information in cardiac diagnostics. Methods for cardiac relaxation time mapping generally demand a long breath hold to measure either T1 or T2 in a single 2D slice. In this paper we present and evaluate a novel method for 3D interleaved T1 and T2 mapping of the whole left ventricular myocardium within a single breath hold of 15 heartbeats.


METHODS
The 3D-QALAS (3D-quantification using an interleaved Look-Locker acquisition sequence with T2 preparation pulse) is based on a 3D spoiled Turbo Field Echo sequence using inversion recovery with interleaved T2 preparation. Quantification of both T1 and T2 in a volume of 13 slices with a resolution of 2.0x2.0x6.0 mm is obtained from five measurements by using simulations of the longitudinal magnetizations Mz. This acquisition scheme is repeated three times to sample k-space. The method was evaluated both in-vitro (validated against Inversion Recovery and Multi Echo) and in-vivo (validated against MOLLI and Dual Echo).


RESULTS
In-vitro, a strong relation was found between 3D-QALAS and Inversion Recovery (R = 0.998; N = 10; p < 0.01) and between 3D-QALAS and Multi Echo (R = 0.996; N = 10; p < 0.01). The 3D-QALAS method showed no dependence on e.g. heart rate in the interval of 40-120 bpm. In healthy myocardium, the mean T1 value was 1083 ± 43 ms (mean ± SD) for 3D-QALAS and 1089 ± 54 ms for MOLLI, while the mean T2 value was 50.4 ± 3.6 ms 3D-QALAS and 50.3 ± 3.5 ms for Dual Echo. No significant difference in in-vivo relaxation times was found between 3D-QALAS and MOLLI (N = 10; p = 0.65) respectively 3D-QALAS and Dual Echo (N = 10; p = 0.925) for the ten healthy volunteers.


CONCLUSIONS
The 3D-QALAS method has demonstrated good accuracy and intra-scan variability both in-vitro and in-vivo. It allows rapid acquisition and provides quantitative information of both T1 and T2 relaxation times in the same scan with full coverage of the left ventricle, enabling clinical application in a broader spectrum of cardiac disorders.
A second-order learning algorithm for multilayer networks based on block Hessian matrix

This article proposes a new second-order learning algorithm for training the multilayer perceptron (MLP) networks. The proposed algorithm is a revised Newton's method. A forward-backward propagation scheme is first proposed for network computation of the Hessian matrix, H, of the output error function of the MLP. A block Hessian matrix, H(b), is then defined to approximate and simplify H. Several lemmas and theorems are proved to uncover the important properties of H and H(b), and verify the good approximation of H(b) to H; H(b) preserves the major properties of H. The theoretic analysis leads to the development of an efficient way for computing the inverse of H(b) recursively. In the proposed second-order learning algorithm, the least squares estimation technique is adopted to further lessen the local minimum problems. The proposed algorithm overcomes not only the drawbacks of the standard backpropagation algorithm (i.e. slow asymptotic convergence rate, bad controllability of convergence accuracy, local minimum problems, and high sensitivity to learning constant), but also the shortcomings of normal Newton's method used on the MLP, such as the lack of network implementation of H, ill representability of the diagonal terms of H, the heavy computation load of the inverse of H, and the requirement of a good initial estimate of the solution (weights). Several example problems are used to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed learning algorithm. Extensive performance (convergence rate and accuracy) comparisons of the proposed algorithm with other learning schemes (including the standard backpropagation algorithm) are also made.
IR photoresponse characteristics of Mg2Ge pn-junction photodiodes fabricated by rapid thermal annealing

Abstract In this study, high purity n-type Mg 2 Ge single crystals are grown in graphite crucibles under nitrogen atmosphere using a facile growth process. X-ray diffraction proves that the grown crystal consists of only Mg 2 Ge single phase without any other additional impurity peaks. The clear symmetrical Laue diffraction pattern of the cleaved substrate demonstrates the single crystalline nature of the grown Mg 2 Ge crystal ingot. The Hall Effect measurement of the polished Mg 2 Ge wafer shows that the latter had a moderate carrier density (5.66 * 10 16  cm −3 ), mobility (253 cm 2 /V) and electrical resistivity (0.5 Ω. cm) at room temperature. Detailed analysis of the temperature dependence of the carrier density demonstrates that the shallow donor level, which gives rise to the n-type conduction of grown Mg 2 Ge crystals is due to the unintentional Al impurities from Mg source material. Mg 2 Ge pn-junction photodiodes are also manufactured for the first time by thermal diffusion of silver thin layer into n-Mg 2 Ge at 550 °C for 5 min in an argon atmosphere. The results reveal that the fabricated p-n photodiodes had a clear rectifying behavior and a remarkable spectral response in the wavelength range from 0.8 to 1.7 μm with a maximum room temperature zero-biased photoresponse of 7 mA/W at 1.2 μm. These outcomes indicate that the fabricated Mg 2 Ge photodiodes are promising to detect short-wavelength infrared (SWIR) light in the above-mentioned wavelength domain.
Midcheek Lift Using Facial Soft-Tissue Spaces of the Midcheek.

BACKGROUND
This article describes a preperiosteal midcheek lift technique performed by means of the midcheek soft-tissue spaces by precise release of the retaining ligaments that separate the spaces.


METHODS
From November of 2009 to June of 2014, 184 patients underwent this procedure. A transcutaneous lower eyelid blepharoplasty incision was used to access the preseptal space. Medially, the orbicularis oculi origins and tear trough ligament are released sharply, connecting the dissection with the premaxillary space. More laterally, the orbicularis retaining ligament is released, connecting the dissection with the prezygomatic space. With this release, the entire midcheek can be effectively lifted. The fat pads were managed by transposition, excision, or with septal resets as indicated. Canthopexy is performed routinely to provide lower eyelid support. Superolateral traction on the orbicularis oculi elevates the entire midcheek, and this was secured to the lateral orbital rim periosteum. In patients with significant volume loss in the midcheek, structural fat grafting is performed.


RESULTS
All patients demonstrated a significant rejuvenation of the midcheek with elimination of the eye bags and elevation of the lid-cheek junction and the cheek prominence and improvement of the nasolabial folds. The majority of the patients (96 percent) were satisfied with the procedure. Complication rates were low. Ectropion occurred in 1 percent of patients, and lower lid retraction occurred in 1 percent of patients.


CONCLUSION
The midcheek lift by means of the facial soft-tissue spaces is safe, effective, and long lasting. As the dissection is atraumatic, recovery is quick and complications are minimized.
Clinical characteristics, course and prognosis of spinal multiple sclerosis

Study design:Retrospective examination.Objective:To define the clinical characteristics and response to therapy of spinal multiple sclerosis (MS).Setting:Italy.Methods:Retrospective review was performed on 563 patients with clinical definite MS. Selection criteria were two or more spinal cord lesions in the presence of normal magnetic resonance imaging of the brain.Results:Spinal MS was diagnosed in 13 patients (2.3%) out of 563 with clinical definite MS. There were seven female and six male patients; nine had a relapsing–remitting (RR) and four, a primary progressive (PP) course. All patients were treated with immunosoppressive or immunomodulatory therapy. Mean disease duration in patients with RR–MS was 13.1±10.1 years with a mean age at onset of 29.5±14.3 years; the mean Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) at the time of the study was 3.5±2.5 with a progression index of 0.28. Mean disease duration in patients with PP course was 7±6.2 years with a mean age at onset of 56.7±10.4 years; the mean EDSS at the time of the study was 6.2±2.0 with a progression index of 1.48.Conclusions:Patients with spinal RR–MS are characterised by an early disease onset with minimal or moderate disability progression; patients with spinal PP–MS show a late disease onset and more rapid disability progression. In our series of spinal MS patients, disability progression seems to be mainly due to the disease course and age at onset rather than to the site of lesion.