Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Oxygen therapy for lower respiratory tract infections in children between 3 months and 15 years of age.

BACKGROUND Usual practice in lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) includes administering complementary oxygen. The effectiveness of oxygen therapy and different methods of delivery is unknown. This review contributes to the rational use of oxygen in the treatment of LRTIs. OBJECTIVES To determine in the treatment of LRTIs: the effectiveness of oxygen therapy and oxygen delivery methods; the safety of these methods; and indications for oxygen therapy. SEARCH STRATEGY We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library, 2008, issue 2); MEDLINE (January 1966 to March 2008); EMBASE (1990 to December 2007); and LILACS (January 1982 to March 2008). SELECTION CRITERIA Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing oxygen versus no oxygen therapy or methods of oxygen delivery for hypoxaemic LRTIs in children (3 months to 15 years of age). To determine indications for oxygen therapy, observational studies were included. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS We assessed 551 titles. No studies comparing oxygen versus no oxygen were found. Four RCTs comparing delivery methods and 12 observational studies assessing the accuracy of clinical signs indicating hypoxaemia were eligible. A meta-analysis of the RCTs comparing oxygen delivery methods was performed. MAIN RESULTS Three studies assessed the effectiveness of nasal prongs (NP) versus nasopharyngeal catheters (NPC). The pooled estimate effect showed no differences (OR 0.96; 95% CI 0.48 to 1.93) in treatment failure (number of children failing to achieve adequate SaO2). One study compared the effectiveness of NP versus nasal catheter (NC). No differences were found in treatment failure (the mean number of episodes of desaturation/child: NC group 2.75, SD +/- 2.18 episodes/child; NP group 3, SD +/- 2.5 episodes/child, p = 0.64). Another study compared face mask (FM) and head box (HB) versus NPC. Use of FM showed lower risk of treatment failure (failure to achieve PaO2 > 60 mmHg) than the NPC (OR 0.20; 95% CI 0.55 to 0.88). As did the use of HB compared with NPC (OR 0.40; 95% CI 0.13 to 1.12). Studies assessing the accuracy of signs and/or symptoms indicating hypoxaemia showed that cyanosis, grunting, difficulty in feeding and mental alertness have better specificity in predicting hypoxaemia and its results were consistent among studies. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS NP and NPC seem to be similar in effectiveness and safety when used in patients with LRTI. There is no single clinical sign or symptom that accurately identifies hypoxaemia. Studies identifying the most effective and safe oxygen delivery method are needed.
CASES keynote: Automatic generation of hardware/software interfaces

Specialized hardware is necessary to reduce power consumption in mobile devices. Current design methodologies require an early partitioning of the application, allowing the hardware and software to be developed simultaneously, each adhering to a rigid interface contract. Early specification of detailed interface contracts is difficult and prevents the later migration of functionality across the interface. We address this problem using the Bluespec Codesign Language∼(BCL) which permits the designer to specify the hardware-software partition in the source code, allowing the compiler to synthesize efficient software and hardware along with transactors for communication between the partitions. We will present preliminary results generated using our compiler for various hardware-software decompositions of several applications. Categories and Subject Descriptors
The relationship between illness perceptions and cardiac misconceptions after Myocardial Infarction

Research about cardiac misconceptions has focused on identifying the most common erroneous beliefs and understanding their impact on patients’ outcomes. However, less is known about the underlying structure of cardiac misconceptions and how they relate to other belief dimensions. The aims of the present study were: (a) to characterize illness perceptions and cardiac misconceptions in a sample of Myocardial Infarction (MI) patients; (b) to analyse the structure of an experimental Portuguese version of the York Cardiac Beliefs Questionnaire (YCBQ); and (c) to examine whether illness perceptions are likely to influence cardiac misconceptions. This cross-sectional study included 127 first-MI patients from both sexes, aged up to 70 years old. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling were performed with AMOS. The main results showed that a two-dimension (stress avoidance and exercise avoidance) version of the YCBQ offered the best fit to the data. A significant impact of psychological attributions was observed on cardiac misconceptions, as well as a moderate impact of emotional response explaining 26% of the variance. Although exploratory, this study gives a significant contribution to research in this field, as clarification on the different concepts and the way they relate is needed. Our findings suggest that further investigation into the concepts of cardiac knowledge and cardiac misconceptions may have an important role in understanding health behaviours in the context of heart disease.
Forecasting wind power generation by a new type of radial basis function-based neural network

The importance of short-term wind power forecasting is significantly increased because of the demand of green energy and large-scale integration of the wind power plants in the electric network. In this paper, a Gaussian mixture model (GMM)-based radial basis function neural network is proposed to forecast the short-term wind power generation. Actual measured wind power output data are adopted to implement the proposed model. Test results of wind power obtained by autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA), back propagation neural network (BPNN), radial basis function neural network (RBFNN), support vector regression (SVR), and the proposed method are then under comparisons. Simulated results show that the presented method leads to more accurate wind power forecasting.
Multi-User Sum-Rate Optimization for Visible Light Communications With Lighting Constraints

In visible light communication (VLC) systems, white light emitting diodes (LEDs) are used as illumination sources and transmitters simultaneously. Compared to the phosphor-converted LEDs, multi-chip LEDs have higher modulation bandwidth. Consequently, the multi-chip based VLC systems have great potential for high data rate transmission. Since each chip of the multi-chip LEDs can be modulated independently, parallel communication channels are viable for information transmission. In this paper, in order to maximize the multi-user sum-rate for the multi-chip based multi-input single-output VLC systems, an electrical and optical power allocation scheme is proposed in consideration of the luminance, chromaticity, amplitude and bit error rate constraints. From the perspective of human color vision, the chromaticity constraint is defined within a MacAdam ellipse. As a result, the degree of freedom can be achieved by relaxing the chromaticity constraint from a fixed color point to an elliptic region. Numerical results demonstrate that with the increase of the total luminous flux, the maximum sum-rates present an open-down parabolic tendency due to the limited dynamic range of LEDs. Higher data rate can be achieved under higher correlated color temperature (CCT) for the variation of light components. In addition, the simulation results indicate that the shapes of the chromaticity constrained region (either ellipse or quadrangle) have little impact on the multi-user sum-rate at the same CCT.
Yeast molecular identification and typing

Clone: group of genetically related isolates which are derived from a common parental ancestor being not distinguishible among them by different biochemical, morfological and molecular typing techniques. Strain: isolate or group of isolates that can be differentiated from other belonging to the same species when considering phenotypic and/or genotypic characteristics. Colonization: first stage of microbial infection. Establishment of the pathogen at the appropriate portal of entry. Pathogens usually colonize host tissues that are in contact with the external environment. Sites of entry in human hosts include the urogenital tract, the digestive tract, the respiratory tract and the conjunctiva. Infection: invasion and multiplication of an infectious agent in body tissues, which may be clinically unapparent or result in local cellular injury due to competitive metabolism, toxins, intracellular replication or antigen antibody response. The infection may remain localised, subclinical and temporary if the body defensive mechanisms are effective. A local infection might persist and spread by extension to become an acute, subacute or chronic clinical infection or disease state. A local infection may also become systemic when the microorganisms gain access to the lymphatic or vascular system. PCR: Polymerase Chain Reaction. Technique for amplifying DNA sequences in vitro by separating the DNA into its two strands and incubating it with oligonucleotide primers and DNA polymerase. It can amplify a specific sequence of DNA by as many as one billion times That is important in biotechnology, forensics, medicine, and genetic research. Sensitivity: The sensitivity of a diagnostic method is the proportion of cases analyzed that are positive and are detected as positive. Specificity: The efficiency of a diagnostic method is the proportion of cases analyzed that are negative and are detected as negative.
Genetic diversity and population structure of Mongolian domestic Bactrian camels (Camelus bactrianus)

The tradition of animal husbandry in the context of a nomadic lifestyle has been of great significance in the Mongolian society. Both Bactrian camels and horses have been invaluable for the survival and development of human activities in the harsh arid environment of the Mongolian steppe. As camels offer unique and sustainable opportunities for livestock production in marginal agro-ecological zones, we investigated the current genetic diversity of three local Mongolian camel breeds and compared their levels of variation with common native Mongolian camels distributed throughout the country. Based on mitochondrial and nuclear markers, we found levels of genetic diversity in Mongolian populations similar to that reported for Chinese Bactrian camels and for dromedaries. Little differentiation was detected between single breeds, except for a small group originating from the northwestern Mongolian Altai. We found neither high inbreeding levels in the different breeds nor evidence for a population decline. Although the Mongolian camel census size has severely declined over the past 20 years, our analyses suggest that there still exists a stable population with adequate genetic variation for continued sustainable utilization.
Invasive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections among patients on chronic dialysis in the United States, 2005-2011.

BACKGROUND Approximately 15 700 invasive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections occurred in US dialysis patients in 2010. Frequent hospital visits and prolonged bloodstream access, especially via central venous catheters (CVCs), are risk factors among hemodialysis patients. We describe the epidemiology of and recent trends in invasive MRSA infections among dialysis patients. METHODS We analyzed population-based data from 9 US metropolitan areas from 2005 to 2011. Cases were defined as MRSA isolated from a normally sterile body site in a surveillance area resident who received dialysis, and were classified as hospital-onset (HO; culture collected >3 days after hospital admission) or healthcare-associated community-onset (HACO; all others). Incidence was calculated using denominators from the US Renal Data System. Temporal trends in incidence and national estimates were calculated controlling for age, sex, and race. RESULTS From 2005 to 2011, 7489 cases were identified; 85.7% were HACO infections, and 93.2% were bloodstream infections. Incidence of invasive MRSA infections decreased from 6.5 to 4.2 per 100 dialysis patients (annual decrease, 7.3%) with annual decreases of 6.7% for HACO and 10.5% for HO cases. Among cases identified during 2009-2011, 70% of patients were hospitalized in the year prior to infection. Among hemodialysis cases, 60.4% of patients were dialyzed through a CVC. The 2011 national estimated number of MRSA infections was 15 169. CONCLUSIONS There has been a substantial decrease in invasive MRSA infection incidence among dialysis patients. Most cases had previous hospitalizations, suggesting that efforts to control MRSA in hospitals might have contributed to the declines. Infection prevention measures should include improved vascular access and CVC care.
Stability index tracing for determining FACTS devices placement locations

Locating the suitable locations in power system for the purpose of Flexible Alternating Current Transmission System (FACTS) devices installation can be realized via wide variety of techniques, and commonly applied by many researchers are sensitivity analysis and optimization approach. On the other hand, there are also various power tracing techniques have been invented by researchers, but their application is only for transmission service pricing. To try a new method for locating the most suitable locations for FACTS devices placement, this paper has invented a new method for ranking the priority of buses, namely Fast Voltage Stability Index Load Tracing (FVSI-LT) via a new hybrid algorithm, Blended Crossover Continuous Ant Colony Optimization (BX-CACO). The method reflects reliable ranking results after comparison with other methods.
A Study on Performance Analysis Tools for Applications Running on Large Distributed Systems

The evolution of distributed architectures and programming paradigms for performance-oriented program development, challenge the state-of-the-art technology for performance tools. The area of high performance computing is rapidly expanding from single parallel systems to clusters and grids of heterogeneous sequential and parallel systems. Performance analysis and tuning applications is becoming crucial because it is hardly possible to otherwise achieve the optimum performance of any application. The objective of this paper is to study the state-of-the-art technology of the existing performance tools for distributed systems. The paper surveys some representative tools from different aspects in order to highlight the approaches and technologies used by them.
Effects upon Anxiety, Depression, and Hostility of Postponement of an Examination

This study investigated the effects upon affective responses of students when a course examination was postponed twice. 44 students in a college English class were given the Multiple Affect Adjective Check List (MAACL) two days before the scheduled examination and were asked to fill it out every day for 2 wk. as a study of moods. Results indicated a rise in anxiety, depression, hostility for each exam day but a decline in intensity over the 3 exam days. Compared to students who did well on the exam, poor students were generally more hostile, were made more hostile by the imminent examination, and remained more hostile on the day following the exam.
Equine laminitis: loss of hemidesmosomes in hoof secondary epidermal lamellae correlates to dose in an oligofructose induction model: an ultrastructural study.

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY Light microscopical studies show that the key lesion of laminitis is separation at the hoof lamellar dermal-epidermal interface. More precise knowledge of the damage occurring in the lamellar basement membrane zone may result if laminitis affected tissue is examined with the transmission electron microscope. This could lead to better understanding of the pathogenesis of lesions and the means of treatment or prevention. OBJECTIVES To investigate the ultrastructure of acute laminitis as disease of greater severity is induced by increasing oligofructose (OF) dosage. METHODS Three pairs of normal horses, dosed with OF at 7.5, 10 and 12.5 g/kg bwt via nasogastric intubation, developed laminitis 48 h later. Following euthanasia, their forefeet were processed for transmission electron microscopy. Lamellar basal cell hemidesmosome (HD) numbers and the distance between the basal cell plasmalemma and the lamina densa of the basement membrane were estimated and compared to control tissue. RESULTS Increasing OF dosage caused greater HD loss and more severe laminitis. The characteristic separation of the basement membrane, cytoskeleton failure and rounded basal cell nuclei results from combined HD dysassembly and anchoring filament failure. CONCLUSIONS Without properly assembled HDs, dysadhesion between the lamina densa of the basement membrane (BM) and epidermal basal cells occurs, emphasising the fundamental importance of HDs in maintaining attachment at the lamellar interface. Medical conditions that trigger lamellar matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activation and/or compromise entry of glucose into lamellar basal cells appear to promote loss and failure of HDs and, therefore, laminitis development. POTENTIAL RELEVANCE A correlation between lameness severity and escalating loss of lamellar HDs now exists. Therapy aimed at protecting the lamellar environment from haematogenous delivery of MMP activators or from glucose deprivation may control laminitis development.
Reconstruction algorithm for novel ultrafast magnetic resonance imaging

We introduce a new magnetic field geometry, Bx(x, y) = gyy cos(qxx), to spatially encode magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The field is called the PERL field since it is PERiodic in x and Linear in y. A technique is proposed to acquire two‐dimensional (2D) data without switching the encoding fields. The time‐domain PERL signal and image are not related by a two‐dimensional Fourier transform (2DFT). They are related by a 1DFT in the x‐dimension and a new Bessel function integral transform, called the PERL transform, in the y‐dimension. We numerically solve this equation and develop a reconstruction algorithm. The algorithm is evaluated by assuming a known spin density which is then used to calculate the PERL signal. This signal is the input for the algorithm. We show the reconstructed image matches the convolution of the initial assumed spin density and a point spread function (PSF). We identify the PSF and describe the conditions under which it approaches δ. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol 10, 209–215, 1999
Sparse 3D reconstruction on a mobile phone with stereo camera for close-range optical tracking

We present a prototype of optical tracking system running on unmodified HTC Evo 3D mobile phone with stereo camera. The system uses checkerboard markers for 3D metric reconstruction of the captured scene. We present the results of camera calibration and we assess the accuracy of tracking, by comparing the 3D point sets obtained from the system with a reference geometry. The accuracy of the prototype turns out to be strongly dependent on the distance from the cameras. The RMS error of 3-dimensional reconstruction of the set of 912 points computed within the distance range of 0.35-1.15 m is 7.4 mm.
Coronary computed tomographic angiography in the emergency room: state of the art

Chest pain is a common complaint in the emergency department often necessitating testing to exclude underlying obstructive coronary artery disease. While the traditional evaluation of patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome often consists of serial electrocardiograms and cardiac biomarkers, followed by selective use of stress testing for further risk stratification, this approach is costly and inefficient. Recently, coronary computed tomographic angiography (CTA) has offered an alternative approach with a high sensitivity and negative predictive value to exclude obstructive coronary artery disease that can rapidly identify patients with low rates of downstream major adverse cardiac events. In this review, the authors provide an overview of available data on the use of CTA for evaluating acute chest pain, while emphasizing its advantages and disadvantages compared to existing strategies. In addition, we provide a suggested algorithm to identify how CTA can be incorporated into the evaluation of acute chest pain and discuss tips for successful implementation of CTA in the emergency department.
Clinical characteristics of keratitis due to Colletotrichum gloeosporioides.

PURPOSE To determine the characteristics of the keratitis due to Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. METHODS The medical records of 3 cases of fungal keratitis caused by C. gloeosporioides were reviewed to determine the clinical characteristics. The minimal inhibitory concentrations of different antifungal drugs for all 3 isolates were determined. All 3 isolates were grown on Sabouraud dextrose agar at 25°C, 35°C, and 37°C to determine the temperature-sensitive growth. RESULTS All 3 patients lived in the southwestern part of Japan and had an ocular trauma involving organic materials. The infectious foci were localized in the anterior stroma, and they did not extend deep into the stroma in all cases. The keratitis was treated with antifungal medications including topical voriconazole and natamycin eye ointment, and was resolved in 2-3 weeks. All of the isolated strains grew well at 25°C but poorly at 35°C and 37°C. All isolated strains had similar drug-sensitivity profiles; they were sensitive to amphotericin B, itraconazole, miconazole, micafungin, and voriconazole, and relatively resistant to flucytosine, fluconazole, and natamycin. CONCLUSIONS All 3 cases of C. gloeosporioides keratitis had similar clinical features. The similarities in the drug-sensitivity profiles should be helpful in treating C. gloeosporioides keratitis.
Back from the future: towards sustainable glasshouse horticulture in The Netherlands

The sustainability of the glasshouse horticulture industry in The Netherlands is determined by a number of different stakeholders, like government, society and consumers. Producers and representatives from these stakeholder groups may have different opinions about desirable development of production systems. The methodology of Sustainable Technology Development provides opportunities to bring stakeholders with different views together. This is done by identifying strategic problem perceptions among stakeholders, the creation of desirable and inspiring future visions, and backcasting from future visions to present day, which will clarify necessary actions. Several future visions were made for protected cultivation systems. Common elements are high-tech, high-output production systems in small scale multifunctional regions, like urban areas. Backcasting resulted in a number of promising research proposals. Stakeholders selected six promising projects, which will be carried out in 2004 and 2005. The results will contribute to more sustainable glasshouse production systems in The Netherlands. Another advantage of process oriented projects like this is the contribution to multiple stakeholder dialogue and social learning.