Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mealtime problems predict outcome in clinical trial to improve nutrition in children with CF

Better growth and nutritional status is strongly associated with better pulmonary function and survival in children with CF. Behavioral intervention is an efficacious treatment approach for improving calorie intake and weight gain in children with CF; and recently has been shown to facilitate maintenance of daily energy intake at 120% of the healthy population over a 2‐year period. However, no study to date has examined factors that predict outcome with behavior intervention to promote weight gain in CF. The objectives of this study were to examine the influence of nutritional status, mealtime behavior problems, and maternal depressive symptoms on calorie intake and weight gain following participation in a randomized trial to improve nutritional status in cystic fibrosis. Sixty‐seven children, aged 4–12 years with cystic fibrosis participated in a clinical trial targeting calorie and weight increases. Participants completed baseline measures of mealtime behavior problems, maternal depression, and fat absorption, and baseline and post‐treatment caloric intake and weight. Assignment to behavioral group (R2 change = 0.17), lower frequency of mealtime behavior problems (R2 change = 0.11), and higher maternal depression (R2 change = 0.06) predicted greater calorie increase baseline to post‐treatment. Assignment to behavioral group (R2 change = 0.09), higher baseline weight (R2 change = 0.10), fat absorption (R2 change = 0.02), and lower frequency of mealtime behavior problems (R2 change = 0.06) predicted greater weight gain baseline to post‐treatment. Less frequent mealtime behavior problems led to better calorie intake and weight gain in a 9‐week clinical trial of behavior intervention and nutrition education to improve nutritional status in cystic fibrosis. The key implication from these findings is that early referral to behavioral intervention as soon as growth deficits become a concern will likely yield the best nutritional outcomes. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2010; 45:78–82. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Metabolomics and Incidence of Atrial Fibrillation in African Americans: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study

Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common arrhythmia. Application of metabolomic approaches, which may identify novel pathways and biomarkers of disease risk, to a longitudinal epidemiologic study of AF has been limited. Methods We determined the prospective association of 118 serum metabolites identified through untargeted metabolomics profiling with the incidence of newly-diagnosed AF in 1919 African-American men and women from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study without AF at baseline (1987–1989). Incident AF cases through 2011 were ascertained from study electrocardiograms, hospital discharge codes, and death certificates. Results During a median follow-up of 22 years, we identified 183 incident AF cases. In Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for age, sex, smoking, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, use of antihypertensive medication, diabetes, prevalent heart failure, prevalent coronary heart disease, and kidney function, two conjugated bile acids (glycolithocholate sulfate and glycocholenate sulfate) were significantly associated with AF risk after correcting for multiple comparisons (p<0.0004). Multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) of AF were 1.22 (1.12–1.32) for glycolithocholate sulfate and 1.22 (1.10–1.35) for glycocholenate sulfate per 1-standard deviation higher levels. Associations were not appreciably different after additional adjustment for alcohol consumption or concentrations of circulating albumin and liver enzymes. Conclusion We found an association of higher levels of two bile acids with an increased risk of AF, pointing to a potential novel pathway in AF pathogenesis. Replication of results in independent studies is warranted.
Maximum Throughput in Multiple-Antenna Systems

The point-to-point multiple-antenna channel is investigated in uncorrelated block fading environment with Rayleigh distribution. The maximum throughput and maximum expected-rate of this channel are derived under the assumption that the transmitter is oblivious to the channel state information (CSI), however, the receiver has perfect CSI. First, we prove that in multiple-input single-output (MISO) channels, the optimum transmission strategy maximizing the throughput is to use all available antennas and perform equal power allocation with uncorrelated signals. Furthermore, to increase the expected-rate, multi-layer coding is applied. Analogously, we establish that sending uncorrelated signals and performing equal power allocation across all available antennas at each layer is optimum. A closed form expression for the maximum continuous-layer expected-rate of MISO channels is also obtained. Moreover, we investigate multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channels, and formulate the maximum throughput in the asymptotically low and high SNR regimes and also asymptotically large number of transmit or receive antennas by obtaining the optimum transmit covariance matrix. Finally, a distributed antenna system, wherein two single-antenna transmitters want to transmit a common message to a single-antenna receiver, is considered. It is shown that this system has the same outage probability and hence, throughput and expected-rate, as a point-to-point $2\times 1$ MISO channel.
Influence of memory hierarchies on predictability for time constrained embedded software

Safety-critical embedded systems having to meet real-time constraints are expected to be highly predictable in order to guarantee at design time that certain timing deadlines will always be met. This requirement usually prevents designers from utilizing caches due to their highly dynamic, thus hardly predictable, behavior. The integration of scratchpad memories represents an alternative approach which allows the system to benefit from a performance gain comparable to that of caches, while at the same time maintaining predictability. We compare the impact of scratchpad memories and caches on worst case execution time (WCET) analysis results. We show that caches, despite requiring complex techniques, can have a negative impact on the predicted WCET while the estimated WCET for scratchpad memories scales with the achieved performance gain at no extra analysis cost.
Overturn of Ilmenite‐Bearing Cumulates in a Rheologically Weak Lunar Mantle

The crystallization of the lunar magma ocean (LMO) determines the initial structure of the solid Moon. Near the end of the LMO crystallization, ilmenite‐bearing cumulates (IBC) form beneath the plagioclase crust. Being denser than the underlying mantle, IBC are prone to overturn, a hypothesis that explains several aspects of the Moon's evolution. Yet the formation of stagnant lid due to the temperature dependence of viscosity can easily prevent IBC from sinking. To infer the rheological conditions allowing IBC to sink, we calculated the LMO crystallization sequence and performed high‐resolution numerical simulations of the overturn dynamics. We assumed a diffusion creep rheology and tested the effects of reference viscosity, activation energy, and compositional viscosity contrast between IBC and mantle. The overturn strongly depends on reference viscosity and activation energy and is facilitated by a low IBC viscosity. For a reference viscosity of 1021 Pa s, characteristic of a dry rheology, IBC overturn cannot take place. For a reference viscosity of 1020 Pa s, the overturn is possible if the activation energy is a factor of 2–3 lower than the values typically assumed for dry olivine. These low activation energies suggest a role for dislocation creep. For lower‐reference viscosities associated with the presence of water or trapped melt, more than 95% IBC can sink regardless of the activation energy. Scaling laws for Rayleigh‐Taylor instability confirmed these results but also showed the need of numerical simulations to accurately quantify the overturn dynamics. Whenever IBC sink, the overturn occurs via small‐scale diapirs.
A least-squares approach to joint Schur decomposition

We address the problem of joint Schur decomposition (JSD) of several matrices. This problem is of great importance for many signal processing applications such as sonar, biomedicine, and mobile communications. We first present a least-squares (LS) approach for computing the JSD. The LS approach is shown to coincide with that proposed intuitively by Haardt et al. (1996), thus establishing the optimality of their criterion in the least-squares sense. Following the LS criterion, we then propose new Jacobi-like algorithms that extend and improve the existing JSD algorithms. An application of the new JSD algorithm to multidimensional harmonic retrieval is also presented.
DETERMINATION OF FACADE ATTRIBUTES FOR FACADE RECONSTRUCTION

In the last years more and more applications make use of 3d building models. Automatic reconstruction is essential for the acquisition and updating of the huge amount of data. For many applications it is useful to be able to transform the object representation automatically in order to generalize the geometry. For this task a structurally rich description of the object is needed. We presented a reconstruction procedure which models the structure of facades. This method is based on a facade grammar and a reversible jump Markov Chain Monte Carlo process. For the stochastic process we need prior knowledge about facades. The distribution of facade elements can influence the proposal of rules. Until now we made general assumptions about these distributions. In this paper we analyze facades from a set of facade images and derive prior facade information which support the modelling process.
Inflammation and CYP3A4-mediated drug metabolism in advanced cancer: impact and implications for chemotherapeutic drug dosing

Background: The inability to accurately predict treatment outcomes for cancer patients in terms of tumour response and anticancer drug toxicity is a severe limitation inherent in current approaches to chemotherapy. Many anticancer drugs are metabolically cleared by cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4), the predominant CYP expressed in liver. CYP3A4 expression exhibits marked interindividual variation and is repressed in acute inflammatory states. Objectives: (1) To review the relevance of CYP3A4 variability to drug metabolism in the setting of cancer and to understand how inflammation associated with malignancy contributes to both this variability and to adverse treatment outcomes. (2) To examine the relationship between tumour-induced inflammation and repression of CYP3A4 and to explore methods of dosing of anticancer drugs in the setting of advanced cancer. Methods: Review of relevant literature covering both human and animal studies as well as in vitro mechanistic studies. Results/conclusions: Interindividual variability in CYP3A4 expression is a major confounding factor for effective cancer treatment and methods to predict CYP3A4-mediated drug clearance may have clinical utility in this setting. Although acute inflammation has long been recognised to repress drug metabolism, it is now becoming apparent that cancer patients exhibiting clinical and laboratory features of an inflammatory response have reduced expression of CYP3A4 and possibly other genes relevant to anticancer drug disposition.
Solving the Interaction Problem of Timing Synchronization and Equalization

In a digital receiver the adaptation processes of the adaptive equalizer and the decision-directed timing synchronizer are coupled. As a consequence these circuits interact and the sampling phase and the equalizer coefficients are drifting slowly. This interaction can give rise to a performance degradation of the receiver. In this paper the adaptive circuits of the equalizer and of the synchronizer are described as control loops and the coupling mechanisms are explained by means of loop-equivalent models. We propose a new solution to the interaction problem that can be implemented as a simple circuit. Timing-phase information that is contained in the equalizer coefficients is fed into the timing-control circuit. In this way the synchronization and the equalization processes can be coordinated.
Sleep architecture measurement based on cardiorespiratory parameters

This paper presents a method for the detection of wakeful state, rapid eye movement sleep (REM), light sleep (N1&N2) and deep sleep (N3&N4) based on cardiorespiratory parameters. Experiments were conducted with data of 625 subjects without sleep-disordered breathing selected from the SHHS dataset. Compared to previous studies, our method considers results of neighboring epochs classification and epoch position over record time. The method demonstrates Cohen's kappa of 0.57 ± 0.13 and the accuracy of 71.4 ± 8.6 %. The results might contribute to the development of screening tools for diagnostics, prevention, and management of sleep disorders.
Daptomycin: A Review 4 Years after First Approval

Daptomycin is the first approved member of a new class of antibiotics, namely the cyclic lipopeptides. Daptomycin has rapid bactericidal activity against Gram-positive pathogens. It acts by penetrating into the bacterial cell wall with consecutive formation of pores, loss of electrical membrane potential and inhibition of peptidoglycan synthesis. As the mode of action of daptomycin is ‘concentration-dependent’, the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic indices that correlate best with its activity are the ratios of the peak concentration (Cmax) to minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) or the area under the curve (24-hour AUC) to MIC. Daptomycin should be administered intravenously once daily, because adverse effects on skeletal muscle associated with an increase in plasma levels of creatine phosphokinase and myopathy were observed more frequently at shorter dosing intervals. Overall, the rate of adverse events during daptomycin therapy is comparable to that of other standard regimens. Daptomycin was shown to be not inferior to antimicrobial standard therapy and therefore was approved for complicated skin and skin structure infections at a dose of 4 mg/kg, for Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia and right-sided endocarditis at a dose of 6 mg/kg. Dosage regimens remain a matter of discussion, and an increase in the currently approved doses from 4–6 to 6–8 mg/kg per day for severe infections seems promising. Though not approved up to now, daptomycin appears to be a treatment alternative for Gram-positive bone and joint infections based on clinical observations. Large international studies showed high susceptibility of relevant Gram-positive pathogens to daptomycin, even in multidrug-resistant strains. Thus, treatment of infections caused by Gram-positive cocci resistant to other antimicrobial drugs is a potential indication of daptomycin. Since glycopeptides and daptomycin have the same target site, there appears to be a risk of reduced susceptibility to both drugs after consecutive use. Therefore, daptomycin should be used with caution for treatment of vancomycin-resistant isolates or after prior vancomycin (glycopeptide) therapy. This review describes the history, mechanism of action, susceptibility, recent discoveries and clinical experience regarding daptomycin, discussing its current role in the field of infectious diseases.
Timing of Antibiotic Prophylaxis in Elective Caesarean Delivery: A Multi-Center Randomized Controlled Trial and Meta-Analysis

Objective To compare the effectiveness of antibiotic prophylaxis before skin incision with that after umbilical cord clamping in elective caesarean delivery. Methods We conducted a randomized open-label controlled trial with two parallel arms at three hospitals in western China. Participants meeting the inclusion criteria received antibiotics 30-60 minutes before skin incision while others received antibiotics after umbilical cords clamping. For the meta-analysis, studies were identified from the database of PUBMED, Cochrane Library and EMbase and assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Results Four hundred and ten patients were randomized to receive antibiotics before skin incision (n = 205) or after umbilical cords clamping (n = 205). There was no difference in the incidence of postpartum endometritis (RR = 0.34, 95% CI 0.04 to 3.24), wound infection (RR = 3.06, 95% CI 0.13 to 74.69) and total puerperal morbidity (RR = 1.02, 95% CI 0.47 to 2.22). No increase in the incidence of neonatal sepsis (RR = 0.34, 95% CI 0.04 to 3.24), septic workup (RR = 0.41, 95% CI 0.08 to 2.07), or intermediate NICU admission (RR = 0.73, 95% CI 0.24 to 2.26) was observed. The meta-analysis involving nine RCTs showed that no statistically significant difference was found in terms of the risk of postpartum endometritis (RR = 0.73, 95% CI 0.39, 1.36), wound infection (RR = 0.80, 95%CI 0.55, 1.17), or puerperal morbidity (RR = 0.89, 95% CI 0.70, 1.13). No increase in the incidence of neonatal sepsis (RR = 0.65, 95% CI 0.35 to 1.20), septic workup (RR = 0.88, 95% CI 0.50 to 1.54), or intermediate NICU admission (RR = 0.91, 95% CI 0.70 to 1.18) was observed. Conclusion For elective caesarean delivery, the effects of antibiotic prophylaxis before skin incision and after umbilical cord clamping were equal. Both antibiotic prophylaxis before skin incision and that after umbilical cord clamping were recommended for elective caesarean delivery. The outcome of further studies should address both maternal and neonatal infectious morbidity as well as long-term neonatal follow up. Trial Registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR-TRC-11001853
Discriminating between Different Pathways of Memory CD8+ T Cell Differentiation1

Despite the rapid accumulation of quantitative data on the dynamics of CD8+ T cell responses following acute viral or bacterial infections of mice, the pathways of differentiation of naive CD8+ T cells into memory during an immune response remain controversial. Currently, three models have been proposed. In the “stem cell-associated differentiation” model, following activation, naive T cells differentiate into stem cell-like memory cells, which then convert into terminally differentiated short-lived effector cells. In the “linear differentiation” model, following activation, naive T cells first differentiate into effectors, and after Ag clearance, effectors convert into memory cells. Finally, in the “progressive differentiation” model, naive T cells differentiate into memory or effector cells depending on the amount of specific stimulation received, with weaker stimulation resulting in formation of memory cells. This study investigates whether the mathematical models formulated from these hypotheses are consistent with the data on the dynamics of the CD8+ T cell response to lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus during acute infection of mice. Findings indicate that two models, the stem cell-associated differentiation model and the progressive differentiation model, in which differentiation of cells is strongly linked to the number of cell divisions, fail to describe the data at biologically reasonable parameter values. This work suggests additional experimental tests that may allow for further discrimination between different models of CD8+ T cell differentiation in acute infections.
A study on the health literacy of the elderly in rural area

The purpose of this study is to determine the impact factors of health literacy target the elderly in rural areas. From February 1, 2013 to March 31, 2014, IRB approval was given to the elderly in rural areas and the survey was conducted. 172 participants were used in the final analysis. The questionnaire consisted of demographic characteristics, family support, self-efficacy, and health literacy. The collected data were analysed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation and multiple regression using SPSS 18.0 statistical program. As a result of this study, it was found that most of the variables except for gender were influential on health literacy in addition to educational literacy, literacy, occupation, subjective health status, frequency of drug use and recent hospitalization. The level of family support, self-efficacy, and health literacy were higher than average, showing a positive correlation with each other. The factors affecting health literacy were subjective health status, selfefficacy, and reading and writing disability negatively.
Cholesteryl Ester Transfer Protein Inhibitor Torcetrapib and Off-Target Toxicity: A Pooled Analysis of the Rating Atherosclerotic Disease Change by Imaging With a New CETP Inhibitor (RADIANCE) Trials

Background— Torcetrapib, an inhibitor of cholesteryl ester transfer protein, has been shown to increase the cardiovascular event rate despite conferring a significant high-density lipoprotein cholesterol increase. Using data from the Rating Atherosclerotic Disease Change by Imaging with a New CETP Inhibitor (RADIANCE) trials, which assessed the impact of torcetrapib on carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), we sought to explore potential mechanisms underlying this adverse outcome. Methods and Results— Data from the RADIANCE 1 and 2 studies, which examined cIMT in 904 subjects with familial hypercholesterolemia and in 752 subjects with mixed dyslipidemia, were pooled. Subjects were randomized to either atorvastatin or torcetrapib combined with atorvastatin. Mean common cIMT progression was increased in subjects receiving torcetrapib plus atorvastatin compared with subjects receiving atorvastatin alone (0.0076±0.0011 versus 0.0025±0.0011 mm/y; P=0.0014). Subjects treated with torcetrapib plus atorvastatin displayed higher postrandomization systolic blood pressure and plasma sodium and bicarbonate levels in conjunction with lower potassium levels. The decrease in potassium levels was associated with the blood pressure increase. Markedly, the use of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors tended to aggravate the blood pressure increase. Subjects receiving torcetrapib plus atorvastatin with the strongest low-density lipoprotein cholesterol reduction showed the smallest cIMT progression, whereas subjects with the highest systolic blood pressure increase showed the largest cIMT progression. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol increase was not associated with cIMT change. Conclusions— These analyses support mineralocorticoid-mediated off-target toxicity in patients receiving torcetrapib as a contributing factor to an adverse outcome. The absence of an inverse relationship between high-density lipoprotein cholesterol change and cIMT progression suggests that torcetrapib-induced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol increase does not mediate atheroprotection. Future studies with cholesteryl ester transfer protein inhibitors without off-target toxicity are needed to settle this issue.
Secure Localization in Wireless Sensor Networks: A Survey (Invited Paper)

Secure localization of unknown nodes in a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) is an important research subject. When WSNs are deployed in hostile environments, many attacks happen, e.g., wormhole, sinkhole and sybil attacks. Two issues about unknown nodes’ secure localization need to be considered. First, the attackers may disguise as or attack the unknown and anchor nodes to interfere with localization process. Second, the attackers may forge, modify or replay localization information to make the estimated positions incorrect. Currently, researchers have proposed many techniques, e.g., SeRLoc, HiRLoc and ROPE, to solve the two issues. In this paper we describe the common attacks against localization, and survey research state of secure localization.