Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prediction of Cardiovascular Disease by the Framingham‐REGICOR Equation in the High‐Risk PREDIMED Cohort: Impact of the Mediterranean Diet Across Different Risk Strata

Background The usefulness of cardiovascular disease (CVD) predictive equations in different populations is debatable. We assessed the efficacy of the Framingham‐REGICOR scale, validated for the Spanish population, to identify future CVD in participants, who were predefined as being at high‐risk in the PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea (PREDIMED) study—a nutrition‐intervention primary prevention trial—and the impact of adherence to the Mediterranean diet on CVD across risk categories. Methods and Results In a post hoc analysis, we assessed the CVD predictive value of baseline estimated risk in 5966 PREDIMED participants (aged 55–74 years, 57% women; 48% with type 2 diabetes mellitus). Major CVD events, the primary PREDIMED end point, were an aggregate of myocardial infarction, stroke, and cardiovascular death. Multivariate‐adjusted Cox regression was used to calculate hazard ratios for major CVD events and effect modification from the Mediterranean diet intervention across risk strata (low, moderate, high, very high). The Framingham‐REGICOR classification of PREDIMED participants was 25.1% low risk, 44.5% moderate risk, and 30.4% high or very high risk. During 6‐year follow‐up, 188 major CVD events occurred. Hazard ratios for major CVD events increased in parallel with estimated risk (2.68, 4.24, and 6.60 for moderate, high, and very high risk), particularly in men (7.60, 13.16, and 15.85, respectively, versus 2.16, 2.28, and 3.51, respectively, in women). Yet among those with low or moderate risk, 32.2% and 74.3% of major CVD events occurred in men and women, respectively. Mediterranean diet adherence was associated with CVD risk reduction regardless of risk strata (P>0.4 for interaction). Conclusions Incident CVD increased in parallel with estimated risk in the PREDIMED cohort, but most events occurred in non–high‐risk categories, particularly in women. Until predictive tools are improved, promotion of the Mediterranean diet might be useful to reduce CVD independent of baseline risk. Clinical Trial Registration URL: http://www.Controlled-trials.com. Unique identifier: ISRCTN35739639.
STEREOLOGICAL ESTIMATION OF TUBULAR LENGTH FROM THIN VERTICAL SECTIONS

In this study tubular structures are represented by stem villous arteries of the human placenta. The architecture of the vascular tree in the human placenta makes it appropriate to use vertical histological sections. Describing tubules, estimates of total length and diameter are informative. The aim of the study was to derive a new stereological estimator of the total length of circular tubules observed in thin vertical sections. Design: Dual perfusion fixed human placentas. Systematic, uniformly random sampling of vertical sections. Five-µm-sections were stained by haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and the vertical axis was identified in all sections. A test system with cycloid test lines was used. Since tubular surface area is proportional to length and diameter, S ∝ πdL, surface-weightening is equivalent to diameter × lengthweightening. As each diameter (extra weight) is known, one may eliminate the diameter-weightening by computing the harmonic mean diameter, which is thus the correct, length-weighted mean tubular diameter, h LS dd . = Surface area is estimated in the ordinary way from vertical sections, and with unbiased and robust estimates of S andd L, respectively, total length may be estimated h S S L. d π = Conclusion: A new
The interaction between embodiment and empathy in facial expression recognition

Abstract Previous research has demonstrated that the Action-Observation Network (AON) is involved in both emotional-embodiment (empathy) and action-embodiment mechanisms. In this study, we hypothesized that interfering with the AON will impair action recognition and that this impairment will be modulated by empathy levels. In Experiment 1 (n = 90), participants were asked to recognize facial expressions while their facial motion was restricted. In Experiment 2 (n = 50), we interfered with the AON by applying transcranial Direct Current Stimulation to the motor cortex. In both experiments, we found that interfering with the AON impaired the performance of participants with high empathy levels; however, for the first time, we demonstrated that the interference enhanced the performance of participants with low empathy. This novel finding suggests that the embodiment module may be flexible, and that it can be enhanced in individuals with low empathy by simple manipulation of motor activation.
No time to train the surgeons

More and more reforms result in less and less time for training Surgical training in the United Kingdom is beset by fundamental problems raising what has been described as “considerable disquiet amongst trainees and trainers. ”1 Basic and higher surgical trainees progress through a system comprehensively reformed five years ago to emphasise structured training, supervision, and regular assessment. So why are senior house officers' skill levels regarded by trainees and trainers as “very shallow”? 2 Why is there insufficient capacity in the system to train surgeons in the way that their trainers want? 3 And why is it that, in a recent poll of consultant surgeons, two thirds would not wish to be operated on by a Calman trained consultant colleague? 4 In 1993 Sir Kenneth Calman proposed reforms of the registrar grades to bring the United Kingdominto line with a European Union directive on medical training. It was hoped that encouraging structured learning and supervision would compensate for reducing training time. The European Working Time …
Adaptive repetitive control systems for fast rejection of periodic disturbances with uncertain multiple periods

Abstract In this paper, a discrete-time repetitive control problem is considered for the cases where the disturbance consists of periodic signals with several different periods but the periods are uncertain. A new adaptive repetitive control system for such cases is proposed and consists of three elements; a stabilizing controller, a period estimator and an adaptive reduced order periodic signal generator. The controller not only assures the stability of the overall adaptive repetitive control system including the time-varying generator but also assigns all poles of the closed-loop system on the disk with a given radius. The design problem is reduced to a simple and feasible l 1 norm minimization problem. The estimator estimates multiple periods of disturbance from the input/output data of the plant. The algorithm consists of the well-known recursive least squares method. In order to reject periodic disturbances with uncertain multiple periods, the adaptive generator is adjusted on-line by using the period estimated. The repetitive controller with the generator is implemented with much less memory elements than the previous ones. As a result, the degree of the controller is significantly reduced and much faster convergence of the controlled error to zero is provided. The effectiveness is demonstrated by simulations.
A new time-series methodology for estimating relationships between elderly frailty, remaining life expectancy, and ambient air quality

Background: Many publications estimate short-term air pollution-mortality risks, but few estimate the associated changes in life-expectancies. Objective and methods: We present a new methodology for analyzing time series of health effects, in which prior frailty is assumed to precede short-term elderly nontraumatic mortality. The model is based on a subpopulation of frail individuals whose entries and exits (deaths) are functions of daily and lagged environmental conditions: ambient temperature/season, airborne particles, and ozone. This frail susceptible population is unknown; its fluctuations cannot be observed but are estimated using maximum-likelihood methods with the Kalman filter. We used an existing 14-y set of daily data to illustrate the model and then tested the assumption of prior frailty with a new generalized model that estimates the portion of the daily death count allocated to nonfrail individuals. Results: In this demonstration dataset, new entries into the high-risk pool are associated with lower ambient temperatures and higher concentrations of particulate matter and ozone. Accounting for these effects on antecedent frailty reduces this at-risk population, yielding frail life expectancies of 5–7 days. Associations between environmental factors and entries to the at-risk pool are about twice as strong as for mortality. Nonfrail elderly deaths are seen to make only small contributions. Conclusions: This new model predicts a small short-lived frail population-at-risk that is stable over a wide range of environmental conditions. The predicted effects of pollution on new entries and deaths are robust and consistent with conventional morbidity/mortality times-series studies. We recommend model verification using other suitable datasets.
Diffusive tomography methods : special boundary conditions and characterization of inclusions

This thesis presents mathematical analysis of optical and electrical impedance tomography. We introduce papers [I–III], which study these diffusive tomography methods in the situation where the examined object is contaminated with inclusions that have physical properties differing from the background. AMS subject classifications: 35R30, 35Q60, 35J25, 31A25, 31B20, 35R05, 78A70
Trichobaris weevils distinguish amongst toxic host plants by sensing volatiles that do not affect larval performance

Herbivorous insects use plant metabolites to inform their host plant selection for oviposition. These host‐selection behaviours are often consistent with the preference–performance hypothesis; females oviposit on hosts that maximize the performance of their offspring. However, the metabolites used for these oviposition choices and those responsible for differences in offspring performance remain unknown for ecologically relevant interactions. Here, we examined the host‐selection behaviours of two sympatric weevils, the Datura (Trichobaris compacta) and tobacco (T. mucorea) weevils in field and glasshouse experiments with transgenic host plants specifically altered in different components of their secondary metabolism. Adult females of both species strongly preferred to feed on D. wrightii rather than on N. attenuata leaves, but T. mucorea preferred to oviposit on N. attenuata, while T. compacta oviposited only on D. wrightii. These oviposition behaviours increased offspring performance: T. compacta larvae only survived in D. wrightii stems and T. mucorea larvae survived better in N. attenuata than in D. wrightii stems. Choice assays with nicotine‐free, JA‐impaired, and sesquiterpene‐over‐produced isogenic N. attenuata plants revealed that although half of the T. compacta larvae survived in nicotine‐free N. attenuata lines, nicotine did not influence the oviposition behaviours of both the nicotine‐adapted and nicotine‐sensitive species. JA‐induced sesquiterpene volatiles are key compounds influencing T. mucorea females’ oviposition choices, but these sesquiterpenes had no effect on larval performance. We conclude that adult females are able to choose the best host plant for their offspring and use chemicals different from those that influence larval performance to inform their oviposition decisions.
Seasonality and geographical spread of respiratory syncytial virus epidemics in 15 European countries, 2010 to 2016

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is considered the most common pathogen causing severe lower respiratory tract infections among infants and young children. We describe the seasonality and geographical spread of RSV infection in 15 countries of the European Union and European Economic Area. We performed a retrospective descriptive study of weekly laboratory-confirmed RSV detections between weeks 40/2010 and 20/2016, in patients investigated for influenza-like illness, acute respiratory infection or following the clinician’s judgment. Six countries reported 4,230 sentinel RSV laboratory diagnoses from primary care and 14 countries reported 156,188 non-sentinel laboratory diagnoses from primary care or hospitals. The median length of the RSV season based on sentinel and non-sentinel surveillance was 16 (range: 9–24) and 18 (range: 8–24) weeks, respectively. The median peak weeks for sentinel and non-sentinel detections were week 4 (range: 48 to 11) and week 4.5 (range: 49 to 17), respectively. RSV detections peaked later (r = 0.56; p = 0.0360) and seasons lasted longer with increasing latitude (r = 0.57; p = 0.0329). Our data demonstrated regular seasonality with moderate correlation between timing of the epidemic and increasing latitude of the country. This study supports the use of RSV diagnostics within influenza or other surveillance systems to monitor RSV seasonality and geographical spread.
Formulation, Evaluation and Comparison of Sustained Release Matrix Tablet of Diclofenac Sodium Using Natural Polymer

In the present investigation an attempt has been made to study the formulation and evaluation of matrix tablets of diclofenac sodium using natural mucilage of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis and Abelmoschus esculentus as a release retardant. The mucilage was extracted from the leaves of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis and Abelmoschus esculentus using acetone. The mucilage was characterized for physiochemical and powder characteristics. The matrix tablets were formulated using different drug polymer ratio (1:0.25, 1:0.5, 1:0.75, 1:1) of Hibiscus mucilage and Abelmoschus esculentus mucilage. The developed formulations of tablets were evaluated for pre-compression and post-compression parameters. The results of pre-compression parameters likebulk density, tapped density, Carr’s index and Hausner’s ratio were found to be within the limits indicating good flow properties of the granules. Swelling index reveals that with increasing mucilage concentration there is increased swelling showing 51.34% for F4 at the end of 5 h where as for F1 and F2 it was around 43.43 % and 44.47 % respectively. In-vitro drug release for F4 formulation was found to be 98.97% at the end of 10 h. With increase in mucilage concentration the drug release from the matrix tablets got retarded. In-vitro drug release data obtained were fitted to various release models access the possible mechanism of drug release. All the formulations showed matrix (exponential model) as a best fit model and the release mechanism was found to be anomalous (non Fickian) transport mechanism. Therefore both diffusion and erosion mechanism was play role release from natural gum. Matrix tablets of diclofenac sodium using natural mucilage of Hibiscus rosasinensis and Abelmoschus esculentus as a release retardant could be employed for retardant drug release. The matrix tablet prepared by Abelmoschus esculentus mucilage as drug polymer ratio of 1:1(F4 formulation) provide better zero order release kinetics compared to marketed tablet Voveran SR 50mg.
Optimizing Hierarchical Storage Management For Database System

Caching is a classical but effective way to improve system performance. To improve system performance, servers, such as database servers and storage servers, contain significant amounts of memory that act as a fast cache. Meanwhile, as new storage devices such as flash-based solid state drives (SSDs) are added to storage systems over time, using the memory cache is not the only way to improve system performance. In this thesis, we address the problems of how to manage the cache of a storage server and how to utilize the SSD in a hybrid storage system. Traditional caching policies are known to perform poorly for storage server caches. One promising approach to solving this problem is to use hints from the storage clients to manage the storage server cache. Previous hinting approaches are ad hoc, in that a predefined reaction to specific types of hints is hard-coded into the caching policy. With ad hoc approaches, it is difficult to ensure that the best hints are being used, and it is difficult to accommodate multiple types of hints and multiple client applications. In this thesis, we propose CLient-Informed Caching (CLIC), a generic hint-based technique for managing storage server caches. CLIC automatically interprets hints generated by storage clients and translates them into a server caching policy. It does this without explicit knowledge of the application-specific hint semantics. We demonstrate using trace-based simulation of database workloads that CLIC outperforms hint-oblivious and state-of-theart hint-aware caching policies. We also demonstrate that the space required to track and interpret hints is small. SSDs are becoming a part of the storage system. Adding SSD to a storage system not only raises the question of how to manage the SSD, but also raises the question of whether current buffer pool algorithms will still work effectively. We are interested in the use of hybrid storage systems, consisting of SSDs and hard disk drives (HDD), for database management. We present cost-aware replacement algorithms for both the DBMS buffer pool and the SSD. These algorithms are aware of the different I/O performance of HDD and SSD. In such a hybrid storage system, the physical access pattern to the SSD depends on the management of the DBMS buffer pool. We studied the impact of the buffer pool caching policies on the access patterns of the SSD. Based on these studies, we designed a caching policy to effectively manage the SSD. We implemented these algorithms in MySQL’s InnoDB storage engine and used the TPC-C workload to demonstrate that these cost-aware algorithms outperform previous algorithms.
Implications of Blood Pressure Measurement Technique for Implementation of Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT)

Background Cardiovascular morbidity and mortality was reduced by 25% when blood pressure (BP) was targeted to 120 mm Hg systolic compared with 140 mm Hg systolic in Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT); however, BP was measured using a research technique. SPRINT specified 5 minutes of seated rest in a quiet room followed by 3 oscillometric measurements without an observer in the room. The relationship of this research‐grade methodology to routine BP measurements is not known. Methods and Results Among 275 people with chronic kidney disease who had BP <140/90 mm Hg when they came to the clinic, we measured BP as in SPRINT and recorded BP on the same day without specification of seated rest. Compared with routine measurement, the research‐grade systolic BP was 12.7 mm Hg lower with wide limits of agreement (−46.1 to 20.7 mm Hg). Research grade systolic BP was 7.9 mm Hg lower than daytime ambulatory systolic BP and had wide agreement limits (−33.2 to 17.4 mm Hg). Whereas the routine, research‐grade, and daytime ambulatory systolic BP were all related to echocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy, the strength of the relationship between research‐grade and daytime ambulatory systolic BP to left ventricular hypertrophy was similar and stronger than the strength of the relationship between routine systolic BP and left ventricular hypertrophy. Conclusions Taken together, these results suggest that translation of the SPRINT results will require measurement of BP as performed in that trial. Instead of an algebraic manipulation of routine clinic measurements, the SPRINT methodology of BP measurement would be needed at minimum if implementation of the SPRINT results were to be deployed in the population at large.
Recent Advances on In Situ SEM Mechanical and Electrical Characterization of Low-Dimensional Nanomaterials

In the past decades, in situ scanning electron microscopy (SEM) has become a powerful technique for the experimental study of low-dimensional (1D/2D) nanomaterials, since it can provide unprecedented details for individual nanostructures upon mechanical and electrical stimulus and thus uncover the fundamental deformation and failure mechanisms for their device applications. In this overview, we summarized recent developments on in situ SEM-based mechanical and electrical characterization techniques including tensile, compression, bending, and electrical property probing on individual nanostructures, as well as the state-of-the-art electromechanical coupling analysis. In addition, the advantages and disadvantages of in situ SEM tests were also discussed with some possible solutions to address the challenges. Furthermore, critical challenges were also discussed for the development and design of robust in situ SEM characterization platform with higher resolution and wider range of samples. These experimental efforts have offered in-depth understanding on the mechanical and electrical properties of low-dimensional nanomaterial components and given guidelines for their further structural and functional applications.
Adaptive Fastest Path Computation on a Road Network: A Traffic Mining Approach

Efficient fastest path computation in the presence of varying speed conditions on a large scale road network is an essential problem in modern navigation systems. Factors affecting road speed, such as weather, time of day, and vehicle type, need to be considered in order to select fast routes that match current driving conditions. Most existing systems compute fastest paths based on road Euclidean distance and a small set of predefined road speeds. However, "History is often the best teacher". Historical traffic data or driving patterns are often more useful than the simple Euclidean distance-based computation because people must have good reasons to choose these routes, e.g., they may want to avoid those that pass through high crime areas at night or that likely encounter accidents, road construction, or traffic jams. In this paper, we present an adaptive fastest path algorithm capable of efficiently accounting for important driving and speed patterns mined from a large set of traffic data. The algorithm is based on the following observations: (1) The hierarchy of roads can be used to partition the road network into areas, and different path pre-computation strategies can be used at the area level, (2) we can limit our route search strategy to edges and path segments that are actually frequently traveled in the data, and (3) drivers usually traverse the road network through the largest roads available given the distance of the trip, except if there are small roads with a significant speed advantage over the large ones. Through an extensive experimental evaluation on real road networks we show that our algorithm provides desirable (short and well-supported) routes, and that it is significantly faster than competing methods.