LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Aerobic Interval Training Reduces the Burden of Atrial Fibrillation in the Short Term: A Randomized Trial.

BACKGROUND
Exercise training is an effective treatment for important atrial fibrillation (AF) comorbidities. However, a high level of endurance exercise is associated with an increased AF prevalence. We assessed the effects of aerobic interval training (AIT) on time in AF, AF symptoms, cardiovascular health, and quality of life in AF patients.


METHODS AND RESULTS
Fifty-one patients with nonpermanent AF were randomized to AIT (n=26) consisting of four 4-minute intervals at 85% to 95% of peak heart rate 3 times a week for 12 weeks or to a control group (n=25) continuing their regular exercise habits. An implanted loop recorder measured time in AF continuously from 4 weeks before to 4 weeks after the intervention period. Cardiac function, peak oxygen uptake (o2peak), lipid status, quality of life, and AF symptoms were evaluated before and after the 12-week intervention period. Mean time in AF increased from 10.4% to 14.6% in the control group and was reduced from 8.1% to 4.8% in the exercise group (P=0.001 between groups). AF symptom frequency (P=0.006) and AF symptom severity (P=0.009) were reduced after AIT. AIT improved o2peak, left atrial and ventricular ejection fraction, quality-of-life measures of general health and vitality, and lipid values compared with the control group. There was a trend toward fewer cardioversions and hospital admissions after AIT.


CONCLUSIONS
AIT for 12 weeks reduces the time in AF in patients with nonpermanent AF. This is followed by a significant improvement in AF symptoms, o2peak, left atrial and ventricular function, lipid levels, and QoL.


CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION
URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01325675.
Systematic review of clinical trials on dietary interventions to prevent excessive weight gain during pregnancy among normal weight, overweight and obese women

BACKGROUND
Excessive weight gain during pregnancy and subsequent postpartum weight retention may contribute to the epidemic of obesity among women of childbearing age. Preventing excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) to optimize maternal, fetal and infant wellbeing is therefore of great importance. A number of dietary interventions in this area has been conducted with inconsistent results, which has made it difficult to identify effective strategies to prevent excessive weight gain during pregnancy among normal weight, overweight and obese women. The primary objective of this review was to evaluate the effect of dietary interventions for reducing GWG. The secondary objective was to examine the impact of these interventions on different child and maternal health outcomes.


METHOD
The PUBMED, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) and the LILACS databases were searched for relevant articles. All published randomized controlled trials (RCT) and quasi-randomized controlled trials (QCT), with concurrent controls, on dietary interventions during pregnancy were considered. Results were presented using relative risk (RR) for categorical data and weighted mean difference (WMD) for continuous data. Data were primarily analyzed with a fixed-effect model and a random-effects model was used in the presence of heterogeneity. No date and language restrictions were applied.


RESULTS
In total, 13 studies were included in this review and 10 trials contributed data on total GWG. Dietary intervention significantly reduced total GWG (n = 1434; WMD = -1.92 kg; 95% CI = -3.65/-0.19; p = 0.03), weight retention at six months postpartum (n = 443; WMD = -1.90 kg; 95% CI = -2.69/-1.12; p < 0.0001) and incidence of cesarean section (n = 609; RR = 0.75; 95% CI = 0.60/0.94; p = 0.013). However, dietary intervention had no significant effect on weight retention at six weeks postpartum, birth weight, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes and preterm birth.


CONCLUSION
Dietary advice during pregnancy appears effective in decreasing total GWG and long-term postpartum weight retention, but so far there is limited evidence for further benefits on infant and maternal health.
Internet Traffic Engineering by Optimizing OSPF Weights

Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) is the most commonly used intra-domain internet routing protocol. Traffic flow is routed along shortest paths, sptitting flow at nodes where several outgoing tinks are on shortest paths to the destination. The weights of the tinks, and thereby the shortest path routes, can be changed by the network operator. The weights could be set proportional to their physical distances, but often the main goal is to avoid congestion, i.e. overloading of links, and the standard heuristic rec. ommended by Cisco is to make the weight of a link inversely proportional to its capacity. Our starting point was a proposed AT&T WorldNet backbone with demands projected from previous measurements. The desire was to optimize the weight setting based on the projected demands. We showed that optimiz@ the weight settings for a given set of demands is NP-hard, so we resorted to a local search heuristic. Surprisingly it turned out that for the proposed AT&T WorldNet backbone, we found weight settiis that performed within a few percent from that of the optimal general routing where the flow for each demand is optimalty distributed over all paths between source and destination. This contrasts the common belief that OSPF routing leads to congestion and it shows that for the network and demand matrix studied we cannot get a substantially better load balancing by switching to the proposed more flexible Multi-protocol Label Switching (MPLS) technologies. Our techniques were atso tested on synthetic internetworks, based on a model of Zegura et al. (INFOCOM’96), for which we dld not always get quite as close to the optimal general routing. However, we compared witIs standard heuristics, such as weights inversely proportional to the capac.. ity or proportioml to the physical distances, and found that, for the same network and capacities, we could support a 50 Yo-1 10% increase in the demands. Our assumed demand matrix can also be seen as modeling service level agreements (SLAS) with customers, with demands representing guarantees of throughput for virtnal leased lines. Keywords— OSPF, MPLS, traffic engineering, local search, hashing ta. bles, dynamic shortest paths, mntti-cosnmodity network flows.
Comparison of the effect of hydrogel and a solution of sodium ascorbate on dentin-composite bond strength after bleaching.

AIM
The aim of this study was to compare the effects of solution and different sodium ascorbate hydrogels on dentin-resin composite shear bond strength subsequent to a bleaching procedure with 10% carbamide peroxide.


METHODS AND MATERIALS
Sixty buccal dentin surfaces obtained from intact human third molars were randomly divided into five groups (n=12). Dentin surfaces received different treatments: (1) no treatment; (2) bleaching (10% carbamide peroxide gel); (3) bleaching + 10% sodium ascorbate solution; (4) bleaching + 10% sodium ascorbate hydrogel, and (5) bleaching + 20% sodium ascorbate hydrogel. Dentin surfaces were bonded with Single Bond and restored with a composite (Z100). The samples were tested for shear bond strengths. Data was analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey tests.


RESULTS
Significantly higher bond strengths were observed subsequent to treatment with hydrogel and solution forms of sodium ascorbate (p<0.05). No significant differences were demonstrated between different forms of sodium ascorbate preparations. In addition, no significant differences were observed among groups with antioxidant treatment (Groups 3, 4, and 5) and Group 1 (no treatment).


CONCLUSION
Reduced bond strength to bleached dentin can be amended by the use of sodium ascorbate as an antioxidant.


CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE
Both hydrogel and solution forms of sodium ascorbate can significantly improve the reduced bond strength of resin composite to dentin subsequent to a bleaching procedure with 10% carbamide peroxide.
Enhanced model predictive voltage control of four-leg inverters with switching frequency reduction for standalone power systems

This paper presents a model predictive voltage control strategy with a prediction horizon of two samples for enhanced output voltage control of three-phase four-leg inverters used for standalone power systems. The four-leg inverter is developed to deliver symmetrical sinusoidal three-phase voltages, irrespective of the arbitrary consumer load profiles. The proposed controller uses the discrete-time model of the inverter and RLC filter for two-step prediction of output voltage with fewer commutations so as to reduce the switching frequency. The control method chooses a switching state that minimizes the error between the output voltage and its reference. The proposed controller offers an excellent tracking reference with less harmonic distortion voltage for balanced, unbalanced and nonlinear loading conditions. The feasibility of the proposed control scheme has been verified by MATLAB/Simulink.
Crowdsourcing geographic information for disaster response: a research frontier

This article may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution , reselling , loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material. Geographic data and tools are essential in all aspects of emergency management: preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation. Geographic information created by amateur citizens, often known as volunteered geographic information, has recently provided an interesting alternative to traditional authoritative information from mapping agencies and corporations, and several recent papers have provided the beginnings of a literature on the more fundamental issues raised by this new source. Data quality is a major concern, since volunteered information is asserted and carries none of the assurances that lead to trust in officially created data. During emergencies time is the essence, and the risks associated with volunteered information are often outweighed by the benefits of its use. An example is discussed using the four wildfires that impacted the Santa Barbara area in 2007Á2009, and lessons are drawn. 1. Introduction Recent disasters have drawn attention to the vulnerability of human populations and infrastructure, and the extremely high cost of recovering from the damage they have caused. In all of these cases impacts were severe, in damage, injury, and loss of life, and were spread over large areas. In all of these cases modern technology has brought reports and images to the almost immediate attention of much of the world's population, and in the Katrina case it was possible for millions around the world to watch the events as they unfolded in near-real time. Images captured from satellites have been used to create damage assessments, and digital maps have been used to direct supplies and to guide the recovery effort, in an increasingly important application of Digital Earth. Nevertheless it has been clear in all of these cases that the potential of such data, and of geospatial data and tools more generally, …
A Survey on Deep Learning Toolkits and Libraries for Intelligent User Interfaces

This paper provides an overview of prominent deep learning toolkits and, in particular, reports on recent publications that contributed open source software for implementing tasks that are common in intelligent user interfaces (IUI). We provide a scientific reference for researchers and software engineers who plan to utilise deep learning techniques within their IUI research and development projects. ACM Classification
A Power Electronics Equalizer Application for Partially Shaded Photovoltaic Modules

This paper studies a photovoltaic (PV)-module-embedded power-electronics topology derived from a battery equalizer. The proposed topology eliminates the multiple maximum power point peaks common to partial shading in PV modules. The topology does so by equalizing the overall energy of the PV module through the use of only one inductive storage element. A theoretical study is carried out to describe the physical equations of the topology. Based on it, a prototype is designed and built. It is tested with a partially shaded PV module, raising its power output by nearly 40% at best. The results are compared to similar topologies dedicated to mitigate partial shading in PV applications.
Cemented versus uncemented hemiarthroplasty for displaced femoral neck fractures

BACKGROUND
The purpose of this meta-analysis was to compare the effectiveness and safety of cemented versus uncemented hemiarthroplasty for displaced femoral neck fractures.


METHODS
We searched PUBMED, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar from their inception to February 2016. All RCTs comparing cemented with uncemented hemiarthroplasty for displaced femoral neck fractures were eligible. The participants who underwent primary hemiarthroplasty for unilateral femoral neck fracture were older than 55 and the mean age of more than 75 years old. For the trials before 2006 used old designed prostheses, so we excluded trails before 2006 which used old designed prostheses. Outcomes of interest include postoperative hip function, Harris hip score (HHS), mortality, reoperation rate, complications, operation time, intraoperative blood loss. Two reviewers independently evaluated the included studies and extracted data into RevMan. Quality Assessments were classified by agreement of 2 authors based on the Cochrane tool.


RESULTS
Seven trials were eligible. Postoperative hip function at 12 months cemented hemiarthroplasty was better than that in uncemented hemiarthroplasty (OR = 0.52, 95% CI, 0.31-0.88; P = .01). Postoperative fractures rates in cemented hemiarthroplasty were lower than that in uncemented hemiarthroplasty (OR = 0.09, 95% CI, 0.02-0.38; P = .001). Also, the interoperative fracture rates in cemented hemiarthroplasty were lower than that in uncemented hemiarthroplasty (OR = 0.29, 95% CI, 0.13-0.68; P = .004). Shorter operation time was achieved in uncemented hemiarthroplasty than that in cemented hemiarthroplasty (WMD = 8.22 min, 95% CI, 5.57-10.86 min; P<.00001). There was no significant difference between the 2 groups with HHS, mortality, wound infection, dislocation, general complications, reoperation rate, and intraoperative blood loss.


CONCLUSION
The available evidence indicates that compared with uncemented hemiarthroplasty cemented hemiarthroplasty achieved better postoperative hip function, less postoperative, and interoperative fractures in displaced femoral neck fracture. Uncemented hemiarthroplasty achieved shorter operation time. There was no difference between the 2 groups with HHS at 1 year, mortality, and complications.
Clinical outcomes of synchronous head and neck and esophageal cancer

PURPOSE
To investigate clinical outcomes of synchronous head and neck and esophageal cancer (SHNEC).


MATERIALS AND METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed 27 SHNEC patients treated with curative intent at a single institution. The treatment modality for individual cases was usually determined on a case by case basis.


RESULTS
The median follow-up duration for the surviving patients was 28.2 months. The most common site of head and neck cancer was hypopharyngeal carcinoma (n = 21, 77.7%). The lower esophagus was the most common location of esophageal carcinoma (n = 16, 59.3%). The 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were 57.5% and 39.6%. Major pattern of failure was locoregional recurrence in the study patients. Esophageal cancer stage, the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status, and pretreatment weight loss were significant prognostic factors for OS in univariate analysis. Treatment-related death was observed in two patients, and one patient developed a grade 4 late treatment-related complication.


CONCLUSION
Although the survival outcome for SHNEC is poor, long-term survival might be achievable with aggressive treatment with stage I-II esophageal cancer and good performance.
Activity-based costs of blood transfusions in surgical patients at four hospitals.

BACKGROUND
Blood utilization has long been suspected to consume more health care resources than previously reported. Incomplete accounting for blood costs has the potential to misdirect programmatic decision making by health care systems. Determining the cost of supplying patients with blood transfusions requires an in-depth examination of the complex array of activities surrounding the decision to transfuse.


STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS
To accurately determine the cost of blood in a surgical population from a health system perspective, an activity-based costing (ABC) model was constructed. Tasks and resource consumption (materials, labor, third-party services, capital) related to blood administration were identified prospectively at two US and two European hospitals. Process frequency (i.e., usage) data were captured retrospectively from each hospital and used to populate the ABC model.


RESULTS
All major process steps, staff, and consumables to provide red blood cell (RBC) transfusions to surgical patients, including usage frequencies, and direct and indirect overhead costs contributed to per-RBC-unit costs between $522 and $1183 (mean, $761 +/- $294). These exceed previously reported estimates and were 3.2- to 4.8-fold higher than blood product acquisition costs. Annual expenditures on blood and transfusion-related activities, limited to surgical patients, ranged from $1.62 to $6.03 million per hospital and were largely related to the transfusion rate.


CONCLUSION
Applicable to various hospital practices, the ABC model confirms that blood costs have been underestimated and that they are geographically variable and identifies opportunities for cost containment. Studies to determine whether more stringent control of blood utilization improves health care utilization and quality, and further reduces costs, are warranted.
Gamma motor neurons express distinct genetic markers at birth and require muscle spindle-derived GDNF for postnatal survival

Gamma motor neurons (γ-MNs) selectively innervate muscle spindle intrafusal fibers and regulate their sensitivity to stretch. They constitute a distinct subpopulation that differs in morphology, physiology and connectivity from α-MNs, which innervate extrafusal muscle fibers and exert force. The mechanisms that control the differentiation of functionally distinct fusimotor neurons are unknown. Progress on this question has been limited by the absence of molecular markers to specifically distinguish and manipulate γ-MNs. Recently, it was reported that early embryonic γ-MN precursors are dependent on GDNF. Using this knowledge we characterized genetic strategies to label developing γ-MNs based on GDNF receptor expression, showed their strict dependence for survival on muscle spindle-derived GDNF and generated an animal model in which γ-MNs are selectively lost. In mice heterozygous for both the Hb9::GFP transgene and a tau-lacZ-labeled (TLZ) allele of the GDNF receptor Gfrα1, we demonstrated that small motor neurons with high Gfrα1-TLZ expression and lacking Hb9::GFP display structural and synaptic features of γ-MNs and are selectively lost in mutants lacking target muscle spindles. Loss of muscle spindles also results in the downregulation of Gfrα1 expression in some large diameter MNs, suggesting that spindle-derived factors may also influence populations of α-MNs with β-skeletofusimotor collaterals. These molecular markers can be used to identify γ-MNs from birth to the adult and to distinguish γ- from β-motor axons in the periphery. We also found that postnatal γ-MNs are also distinguished by low expression of the neuronal nuclear protein (NeuN). With these markers of γ-MN identity, we show after conditional elimination of GDNF from muscle spindles that the survival of γ-MNs is selectively dependent on spindle-derived GDNF during the first 2 weeks of postnatal development. Neonatal γ-MNs display a unique molecular profile characterized by the differential expression of a series of markers - Gfrα1, Hb9::GFP and NeuN - and the selective dependence on muscle spindle-derived GDNF. Deletion of GDNF expression from muscle spindles results in the selective elimination of γ-MNs with preservation of the spindle and its sensory innervation. This provides a mouse model with which to explore the specific role of γ-fusimotor activity in motor behaviors.
Threebranes in Twelve Dimensions

Recently we have seen great increases in the understanding of non-perturbative string theory in terms of the eleven dimensional M-theory structure [1, 2]. This understanding has been greatly enhanced by the realisation that many problems may be solved by the introduction of a signature (10,2) ‘F-theory’ [3]. To investigate this proposal further we discuss the formulation of a Green-Schwarz threebrane in twelve dimensions [4].
Remarks on central extensions of the Galilei group in 2+1 dimensions

Some properties of central extensions of 2+1 dimensional Galilei group are discussed. It is shown that certain families of extensions are isomorphic. An interpretation of new nontrivial cocycle is offered. A few bibliographical remarks are included.
The dynamics of consumer behavior : A goal systemic perspective

Like most behavior, consumer behavior too is goal driven. In turn, goals constitute cognitive constructs that can be chronically active as well as primed by features of the environment. Goal systems theory outlines the principles that characterize the dynamics of goal pursuit and explores their implications for consumer behavior. In this vein, we discuss from a common, goal systemic, perspective a variety of well known phenomena in the realm of consumer behavior including brand loyalty, variety seeking, impulsive buying, preferences, choices and regret. The goal systemic perspective affords guidelines for subsequent research on the dynamic aspects of consummatory behavior as well as offering insights into practical matters in the area of marketing. © 2011 Society for Consumer Psychology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.