Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Morbidity and mortality predictivity of nutritional assessment tools in the postoperative care unit

AbstractThe aim was to evaluate the nutritional situation of patients admitted to the Postoperative Acute Care Unit using classic methods of objective anthropometry, systemic evaluation methods, and Nutrition Risk in Critically Ill (NUTRIC) score, and to compare them as a predictor of morbidity and mortality.At admission to the postoperative care unit, patients undergoing various surgeries were assessed for the following items: Subjective Global Assessment (SGA), Nutritional Risk Index (NRI), Nutritional Risk Screening (NRS)-2002, Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), and NUTRIC score, anthropometric measurements, serum total protein, serum albumin, and lymphocyte count. Patients were monitored for postoperative complications until death or discharge. Correlation of complications with these parameters was also analyzed.A total of 152 patients were included in the study. In this study a positive correlation was determined between mortality and NRS-2002, SGA, CCI, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation , Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment, and NUTRIC score, whereas a negative correlation was determined between mortality and NRI. There was a correlation between NUTRIC score and pneumonia, development of atrial fibrillation, delirium, renal failure, inotrope use, and duration of mechanical ventilation. In our study group of postoperative patients, MNA had no predictive properties for any complication, whereas SGA had no predictive properties for any complications other than duration of hospital stay and mortality.The NUTRIC score is an important indicator of mortality and morbidity in postoperative surgical patients. NRI correlated with many postoperative complications, and though SGA and NRS were correlated with mortality, they were not correlated with the majority of complications. MNA was determined not to have any correlation with any complication, mortality, and duration of hospital stay in our patient group.
Efficient 1-Out-of-n Oblivious Transfer Schemes with Universally Usable Parameters

We propose efficient and secure (string) oblivious transfer (OT/sup 1//sub n/) schemes for any n/spl ges/2. We build our OT/sup 1//sub n/ scheme from fundamental cryptographic techniques directly. The receiver's choice is unconditionally secure and the secrecy of the unchosen secrets is based on the hardness of the decisional Diffie-Hellman problem. Some schemes achieve optimal efficiency in terms of the number of rounds and the total number of exchanged messages for the case that the receiver's choice is unconditionally secure. The distinct feature of our scheme is that the system-wide parameters are independent of n and universally usable, that is, all possible receivers and senders use the same parameters and need no trapdoors specific to each of them. We extend our OT/sup 1//sub n/ schemes to distributed oblivious transfer schemes. Our distributed OT/sup 1//sub n/ schemes take full advantage of the research results of secret sharing. For applications, we present a method of transforming any (single-database) PIR protocol into a symmetric PIR protocol by slightly increasing the communication cost only.
Impact of energy deficit calculated by a predictive method on outcome in medical patients requiring prolonged acute mechanical ventilation

To assess energy balance in very sick medical patients requiring prolonged acute mechanical ventilation and its possible impact on outcome, we conducted an observational study of the first 14 d of intensive care unit (ICU) stay in thirty-eight consecutive adult patients intubated at least 7 d. Exclusive enteral nutrition (EN) was started within 24 h of ICU admission and progressively increased, in absence of gastrointestinal intolerance, to the recommended energy of 125·5 kJ/kg per d. Calculated energy balance was defined as energy delivered − resting energy expenditure estimated by a predictive method based on static and dynamic biometric parameters. Mean energy balance was − 5439 (sem 222) kJ per d. EN was interrupted 23 % of the time and situations limiting feeding administration reached 64 % of survey time. ICU mortality was 72 %. Non-survivors had higher mean energy deficit than ICU survivors (P = 0·004). Multivariate analysis identified mean energy deficit as independently associated with ICU death (P = 0·02). Higher ICU mortality was observed with higher energy deficit (P = 0·003 comparing quartiles). Using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the best deficit threshold for predicting ICU mortality was 5021 kJ per d. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that patients with mean energy deficit ≧5021 kJ per d had a higher ICU mortality rate than patients with lower mean energy deficit after the 14th ICU day (P = 0·01). The study suggests that large negative energy balance seems to be an independent determinant of ICU mortality in a very sick medical population requiring prolonged acute mechanical ventilation, especially when energy deficit exceeds 5021 kJ per d.
Plasma metabolomics reveals membrane lipids, aspartate/asparagine and nucleotide metabolism pathway differences associated with chloroquine resistance in Plasmodium vivax malaria

Background Chloroquine (CQ) is the main anti-schizontocidal drug used in the treatment of uncomplicated malaria caused by Plasmodium vivax. Chloroquine resistant P. vivax (PvCR) malaria in the Western Pacific region, Asia and in the Americas indicates a need for biomarkers of resistance to improve therapy and enhance understanding of the mechanisms associated with PvCR. In this study, we compared plasma metabolic profiles of P. vivax malaria patients with PvCR and chloroquine sensitive parasites before treatment to identify potential molecular markers of chloroquine resistance. Methods An untargeted high-resolution metabolomics analysis was performed on plasma samples collected in a malaria clinic in Manaus, Brazil. Male and female patients with Plasmodium vivax were included (n = 46); samples were collected before CQ treatment and followed for 28 days to determine PvCR, defined as the recurrence of parasitemia with detectable plasma concentrations of CQ ≥100 ng/dL. Differentially expressed metabolic features between CQ-Resistant (CQ-R) and CQ-Sensitive (CQ-S) patients were identified using partial least squares discriminant analysis and linear regression after adjusting for covariates and multiple testing correction. Pathway enrichment analysis was performed using Mummichog. Results Linear regression and PLS-DA methods yielded 69 discriminatory features between CQ-R and CQ-S groups, with 10-fold cross-validation classification accuracy of 89.6% using a SVM classifier. Pathway enrichment analysis showed significant enrichment (p<0.05) of glycerophospholipid metabolism, glycosphingolipid metabolism, aspartate and asparagine metabolism, purine and pyrimidine metabolism, and xenobiotics metabolism. Glycerophosphocholines levels were significantly lower in the CQ-R group as compared to CQ-S patients and also to independent control samples. Conclusions The results show differences in lipid, amino acids, and nucleotide metabolism pathways in the plasma of CQ-R versus CQ-S patients prior to antimalarial treatment. Metabolomics phenotyping of P. vivax samples from patients with well-defined clinical CQ-resistance is promising for the development of new tools to understand the biological process and to identify potential biomarkers of PvCR.
Rheokinetic evaluation of self-healing agents polymerized by Grubbs catalyst embedded in various thermosetting systems

In self-healing polymers and composites, the activity of the embedded chemical catalyst within the thermosetting matrix is critical to healing efficiency. Rheological behavior of ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP)-based healing agents, triggered by 1st or 2nd generation Grubbs catalysts that have been suspended in various thermosetting resins, was investigated using an oscillatory parallel plate rheometer. Gel times for various healing agents were determined from the crossover of storage and loss moduli vs. time curves to indicate the activity of the ROMP reaction. Gelation of healing agents initiated by 1st generation Grubbs catalyst occurred faster than those triggered by 2nd generation catalyst. It is suggested that the dissolution rate of the catalyst by the healing agent is an important factor in determining the overall ROMP reaction rate in situ. Optical and scanning electron microscopic observations showed that the finer, rod-like solid particles of the 1st generation catalyst were distributed more homogeneously throughout the cured matrix, which contributed to the faster reaction. Also discussed were effects of different healing agents and thermosetting matrix systems on the ROMP reaction. These results indicate that the self-healing methodology can be expanded to other high performance polymer matrices.
The transcriptional regulation of Podocin (NPHS2) by Lmx1b and a promoter single nucleotide polymorphism

Podocin (NPHS2) is a component of the glomerular slit membrane with major regulatory functions in the renal permeability of proteins. A loss of podocin and a decrease in its resynthesis can influence the outcome of renal diseases with nephrotic syndrome, such as minimal change glomerulonephritis, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and membranous nephropathy. The transcriptional regulation of podocin may play a major role in these processes. We defined the transcriptional regulation of the human podocin gene and the influence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within its promoter region in the podocytes using reporter gene constructs and gel shift analysis. In addition, we took genomic DNA from healthy Caucasian blood donors and from biopsies of kidneys with defined renal diseases and screened it for podocin promoter SNPs. Our data shows that the transcription of podocin is mainly regulated by the transcription factor Lmx1b, which binds to a FLAT-F element and displays enhancer function. With the SNP variant −116T, there was a significant reduction in luciferase activity, and nuclear protein binding was observed, while the SNP −670C/T did not display functionality. The allelic distribution of −116C/T in patients with kidney diseases leading to nephrotic syndrome was not significantly different from that in the control group. Our data indicates that among other factors, podocin is specifically regulated by the transcription factor Lmx1b and by the functional polymorphism -116C/T. However, there is no association between −116C/T and susceptibility to minimal change glomerulonephritis, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis or membranous nephropathy.
Quantification of eggshell microstructure using X-ray micro computed tomography

Abstract 1. X-ray microcomputed tomography can be used to produce rapid, fully analysable, three-dimensional images of biological and other materials without the need for complex or tedious sample preparation and sectioning. We describe the use of this technique to visualise and analyse the microstructure of fragments of shell taken from three regions of chicken eggs (sharp pole, blunt pole and equatorial region). 2. Two- and three-dimensional images and data were obtained at a resolution of 1.5 microns. The images were analysed to provide measurements of shell thickness, the spacial density of mammillary bodies, the frequency, shape, volume and effective diameter of individual pore spaces, and the intrinsic sponginess (proportion of non-X-ray dense material formed by vesicles) of the shell matrix. Measurements of these parameters were comparable with those derived by traditional methods and reported in the literature. 3. The advantages of using this technology for the quantification of eggshell microstructural parameters and its potential application for commercial, research and other purposes are discussed.
Renal Nerve Stimulation–Induced Blood Pressure Changes Predict Ambulatory Blood Pressure Response After Renal Denervation

Blood pressure (BP) response to renal denervation (RDN) is highly variable and its effectiveness debated. A procedural end point for RDN may improve consistency of response. The objective of the current analysis was to look for the association between renal nerve stimulation (RNS)–induced BP increase before and after RDN and changes in ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) after RDN. Fourteen patients with drug-resistant hypertension referred for RDN were included. RNS was performed under general anesthesia at 4 sites in the right and left renal arteries, both before and immediately after RDN. RNS-induced BP changes were monitored and correlated to changes in ambulatory BP at a follow-up of 3 to 6 months after RDN. RNS resulted in a systolic BP increase of 50±27 mm Hg before RDN and systolic BP increase of 13±16 mm Hg after RDN (P<0.001). Average systolic ABPM was 153±11 mm Hg before RDN and decreased to 137±10 mm Hg at 3- to 6-month follow-up (P=0.003). Changes in RNS-induced BP increase before versus immediately after RDN and changes in ABPM before versus 3 to 6 months after RDN were correlated, both for systolic BP (R=0.77, P=0.001) and diastolic BP (R=0.79, P=0.001). RNS-induced maximum BP increase before RDN had a correlation of R=0.61 (P=0.020) for systolic and R=0.71 (P=0.004) for diastolic ABPM changes. RNS-induced BP changes before versus after RDN were correlated with changes in 24-hour ABPM 3 to 6 months after RDN. RNS should be tested as an acute end point to assess the efficacy of RDN and predict BP response to RDN.
Kordiimonas lacus sp. nov., isolated from a ballast water tank, and emended description of the genus Kordiimonas.

A Gram-negative, motile, rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated S3-22(T), was isolated from a sediment sample collected from a ballast water tank of a commercial ship and subjected to a polyphasic taxonomic characterization. The isolate formed small, light-yellow, semi-translucent and circular colonies on solid complex media. The strain was oxidase- and catalase-positive and metabolized a large number of carbon sources. Chemotaxonomic analysis showed ubiquinone Q-10 as predominant respiratory quinone, phosphatidylglycerol and an unidentified glycolipid as major polar lipids and iso-C(17 : 1)ω9c, iso-C(15 : 0), C(16 : 1)ω7c and/or iso-C(15 : 0) 2-OH, C(16 : 0), iso-C(17 : 0) and C(18 : 1)ω7c as major fatty acids and the hydroxy fatty acids iso-C(17 : 0) 3-OH and C(16 : 0) 3-OH. The genomic DNA G+C content was 54.9 mol%. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that the isolate has 96.1 % similarity to the type strain of Kordiimonas gwangyangensis, the sole described species within the order Kordiimonadales, and less than 91.0 % similarity to other recognized species. On the basis of phenotypic and genotypic data, strain S3-22(T) represents a novel species of the genus Kordiimonas, for which the name Kordiimonas lacus sp. nov. is proposed, with the type strain S3-22(T) (=CGMCC 1.9109(T) =JCM 16261(T)). An emended description of the genus Kordiimonas is also presented.
Taming the Noise in Reinforcement Learning via Soft Updates

Model-free reinforcement learning algorithms, such as Q-learning, perform poorly in the early stages of learning in noisy environments, because much effort is spent unlearning biased estimates of the state-action value function. The bias results from selecting, among several noisy estimates, the apparent optimum, which may actually be suboptimal. We propose G-learning, a new off-policy learning algorithm that regularizes the value estimates by penalizing deterministic policies in the beginning of the learning process. We show that this method reduces the bias of the value-function estimation, leading to faster convergence to the optimal value and the optimal policy. Moreover, G-learning enables the natural incorporation of prior domain knowledge, when available. The stochastic nature of G-learning also makes it avoid some exploration costs, a property usually attributed only to on-policy algorithms. We illustrate these ideas in several examples, where G-learning results in significant improvements of the convergence rate and the cost of the learning process.
Reliable Control of Nonlinear Systems via Variable Structure Scheme

This study proposes a class of variable structure stabilizing laws which make the closed-loop system be capable of tolerating the abnormal operation of actuators within a pre-specified subset of actuators. The ranges of acceptable change in control gain magnitude that preserves system's stability are estimated for the whole set of actuators. These ranges are shown to be able to be made larger than those obtained by linear quadratic regulator (LQR) reliable design (Veillette, 1995, and Liang, 2000) by the choice of control parameters. Besides, this approach does not need the solution of Hamilton-Jacobi (HJ) equation or inequality, which is essential for optimal approaches such as LQR and H infin reliable designs. As a matter of fact, this approach can also relax the computational burden for solving the HJ equation or inequality
Zinc finger gene clusters and tandem gene duplication

Zinc finger genes in mammalian genomes are frequently found to occur in clusters with cluster members appearing in a tandem array on the chromosome. It has been suggested that in situ gene duplication events are primarily responsible for the evolution of such clusters. The problem of inferring the series of duplication events responsible for producing clustered families is different from the standard phylogeny problem. In this paper we study this inference problem using a graph called Duplication Model that captures the series of duplication events while taking into account the observed order of the genes on the chromosome. We provide algorithms to reconstruct a duplication model for a given data set. We use our method to hypothesise the series of duplication events that may have produced the ZNF45 family that appears on human chromosome 19.
Ankle syndesmosis repair and rehabilitation in professional rugby league players: a case series report

Background/aim The distal tibiofibular joint is described as a syndesmosis. Traditionally, severe syndesmotic injuries with diastasis have been treated surgically with screw fixation. This case series details an ankle syndesmosis tightrope repair and an accelerated rehabilitation protocol that reduces the amount of time to return to professional rugby league in the UK. The aim of this study was to describe players’ journey from injury, through diagnosis to surgery, rehabilitation and return to participation, detailing time scales and methods used at each stage to highlight the change in current practice. Methods Players were identified via a single orthopaedic surgeon in the UK who specialises in ankle syndesmosis repair. Between January 2010 and September 2015, adult men playing full-time professional rugby league in the UK Super League with ankle syndesmosis injuries were identified. Results Eighteen players from six different clubs were included. The most common mechanism of injury was forced dorsiflexion/eversion. The average return to participation was 64 days (SD 17.2, range 38–108). This compares favourably to reports of between 120 and 180 days following screw fixation. Conclusion Ankle syndesmosis tightrope repair and an accelerated rehabilitation protocol is as safe as traditional methods. The accelerated rehabilitation protocol promotes early weight-bearing and has shown to expedite the return to sport for professional Rugby League players. It is possible to return to sport 2 months after a tightrope repair and accelerated rehabilitation, compared with 3–6 months post screw fixation. This is extremely encouraging for the professional sporting population.
Interference channels

An interference channel is a communication medium shared by M sender-receiver pairs. Transmission of information from each sender to its corresponding receiver interferes with the communications between the other senders and their receivers. This corresponds to a frequent situation in communications, and defines an M -dimensional capacity region. In this paper, we obtain general bounds on the capacity region for discrete memoryless interference channels and for linear-superposition interference channels with additive white Gaussian noise. The capacity region is determined in special cases.
TESTING FOR UNIT ROOTS IN AUTOREGRESSIONS WITH MULTIPLE LEVEL SHIFTS

The asymptotic distributions of augmented Dickey–Fuller (ADF) unit root tests for autoregressive processes with a unit or near-unit root are discussed in the presence of multiple stochastic level shifts of large size occurring independently in time. The distributions depend on a Brownian motion and a Poisson-type jump process. Due to the latter, tests based on standard critical values experience power losses increasing rapidly with the number and the magnitude of the shifts. A new approach to unit root testing is suggested which requires no knowledge of either the location or the number of level shifts, and which dispenses with the assumption of independent shift occurrence. It is proposed to remove possible shifts from a time series by weighting its increments according to how likely it is, with respect to an ad hoc postulated distribution, a shift to have occurred in each period. If the number of level shifts is bounded in probability, the limiting distributions of the proposed test statistics coincide with those of ADF statistics under standard conditions. A Monte Carlo experiment shows that, despite their generality, the new tests perform well in finite samples.We are grateful to Pentti Saikkonen (the co-editor) and two referees for their helpful and constructive comments on earlier versions of this paper. We also thank Søren Johansen, Helmut Lütkepohl, Anders Rahbek, Robert Taylor, and seminar participants at the European University Institute, the University of Copenhagen, and the URCT Conference held in Faro, Portugal, September 29 to October 1, 2005, for useful comments. Both authors are grateful to the Danish Social Sciences Research Council, project 2114-04-001, for financial support.
On Low-Complexity Full-diversity Detection In Multi-User MIMO Multiple-Access Channels

Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) techniques are becoming commonplace in recent wireless communication standards. This added dimension (i.e., space) can be efficiently used to mitigate the interference in the multi-user MIMO context. In this paper, we focus on the uplink of a MIMO multiple access channel (MAC) where perfect channel state information (CSI) is only available at the destination. We provide a new set of sufficient conditions for a wide range of space-time block codes (STBC)s to achieve full-diversity under \emph{partial interference cancellation group decoding} (PICGD) with or without successive interference cancellation (SIC) for completely blind users. Explicit interference cancellation (IC) schemes for two and three users are then provided and shown to satisfy the derived full-diversity criteria. Besides the complexity reduction due to the fact that the proposed IC schemes enable separate decoding of distinct users without sacrificing the diversity gain, further reduction of the decoding complexity may be obtained. In fact, thanks to the structure of the proposed schemes, the real and imaginary parts of each user's symbols may be decoupled without any loss of performance. Finally, our theoretical claims are corroborated by simulation results and the new IC scheme for two-user MIMO MAC is shown to outperform the recently proposed two-user IC scheme especially for high spectral efficiency while requiring significantly less decoding complexity.