Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of a transitional palliative care model on patients with end-stage heart failure: a randomised controlled trial

Objective To examine the effects of home-based transitional palliative care for patients with end-stage heart failure (ESHF) after hospital discharge. Methods This was a randomised controlled trial conducted in three hospitals in Hong Kong. The recruited subjects were patients with ESHF who had been discharged home from hospitals and referred for palliative service, and who met the specified inclusion criteria. The interventions consisted of weekly home visits/telephone calls in the first 4 weeks then monthly follow-up, provided by a nurse case manager supported by a multidisciplinary team. The primary outcome measures were any readmission and count of readmissions within 4 and 12 weeks after index discharge, compared using χ2 tests and Poisson regression, respectively. Secondarily, change in symptoms over time between control and intervention groups were evaluated using generalised estimating equation analyses of data collected using the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS). Results The intervention group (n=43) had a significantly lower readmission rate than the control group (n=41) at 12 weeks (intervention 33.6% vs control 61.0% χ2=6.8, p=0.009). The mean number (SE) of readmissions for the intervention and control groups was, respectively, 0.42 (0.10) and 1.10 (0.16) and the difference was significant (p=0.001). The relative risk (CI) for 12-week readmissions for the intervention group was 0.55 (0.35 to 0.88). There was no significant difference in readmissions between groups at 4 weeks. However, when compared with the control group, the intervention group experienced significantly higher clinical improvement in depression (45.9% vs 16.1%, p<0.05), dyspnoea (62.2% vs 29.0%, p<0.05) and total ESAS score (73.0% vs 41.4%, p<0.05) at 4 weeks. There were significant differences between groups in changes over time in quality of life (QOL) measured by McGill QOL (p<0.05) and chronic HF (p<0.01) questionnaires. Conclusions This study provides evidence of the effectiveness of a postdischarge transitional care palliative programme in reducing readmissions and improving symptom control among patients with ESHF. Trial registration number HKCTR-1562; Results.
Maximal oxygen uptake: "old" and "new" arguments for a cardiovascular limitation.

The research performed over the last 100 yr in regard to oxygen transport during exercise is reviewed. Special focus is on major shifts in views held on which link may limit maximal oxygen uptake of an individual exercising with a large fraction of the muscle mass. Initially the pump capacity of the heart was proposed as the critical factor, a view basically unchallenged until results on the plasticity of muscle came about in the 1960-70s. The capillary bed of the muscle and its mitochondrial volumes can be enhanced with training. These adaptations were then suggested to be prerequisites for maximal oxygen uptake to become elevated. The pendulum is slowly swinging back again toward heart and lungs setting the upper limit for the oxygen transport. It appears to be in the range of 80-90 ml.kg-1.min-1 or 150-200 ml.kg-1 muscle.min-1, which can easily be consumed by a fraction of the muscle mass intensely contracting.
Methodologic considerations for measuring energy expenditure differences between diets varying in carbohydrate using the doubly labeled water method.

BACKGROUND Low-carbohydrate diets have been reported to significantly increase human energy expenditure when measured using doubly labeled water (DLW) but not by respiratory chambers. Although DLW may reveal true physiological differences undetected by respiratory chambers, an alternative possibility is that the expenditure differences resulted from failure to correctly estimate the respiratory quotient (RQ) used in the DLW calculations. OBJECTIVE To examine energy expenditure differences between isocaloric diets varying widely in carbohydrate and to quantitatively compare DLW data with respiratory chamber and body composition measurements within an energy balance framework. DESIGN DLW measurements were obtained during the final 2 wk of month-long baseline (BD; 50% carbohydrate, 35% fat, 15% protein) and isocaloric ketogenic diets (KD; 5% carbohydrate, 80% fat, 15% protein) in 17 men with a BMI of 25-35 kg/m2. Subjects resided 2 d/wk in respiratory chambers to measure energy expenditure (EEchamber). DLW expenditure was calculated using chamber-determined RQ either unadjusted (EEDLW) or adjusted (EEDLWΔRQ) for net energy imbalance using diet-specific coefficients. Accelerometers measured physical activity. Body composition changes were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) which were combined with energy intake measurements to calculate energy expenditure by balance (EEbal). RESULTS After transitioning from BD to KD, neither EEchamber nor EEbal were significantly changed (∆EEchamber = 24 ± 30 kcal/d; P = 0.43 and ∆EEbal = -141 ± 118 kcal/d; P = 0.25). Similarly, physical activity (-5.1 ± 4.8%; P = 0.3) and exercise efficiency (-1.6 ± 2.4%; P = 0.52) were not significantly changed. However, EEDLW was 209 ± 83 kcal/d higher during the KD (P = 0.023) but was not significantly increased when adjusted for energy balance (EEDLWΔRQ = 139 ± 89 kcal/d; P = 0.14). After removing 2 outliers whose EEDLW were incompatible with other data, EEDLW was marginally increased during the KD by 126 ± 62 kcal/d (P = 0.063) and EEDLW∆RQ was only 46 ± 65 kcal/d higher (P = 0.49). CONCLUSIONS DLW calculations failing to account for diet-specific energy imbalance effects on RQ erroneously suggest that low-carbohydrate diets substantially increase energy expenditure. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01967563.
Profiling Antibodies to Mycobacterium tuberculosis by Multiplex Microbead Suspension Arrays for Serodiagnosis of Tuberculosis

ABSTRACT Tuberculosis (TB) is a serious global disease. The fatality rate attributed to TB is among the highest of infectious diseases, with approximately 2 million deaths occurring per year worldwide. Identification of individuals infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis and screening of their immediate contacts is crucial for controlling the spread of TB. Current methods for detection of M. tuberculosis infection are not efficient, in particular, for testing large numbers of samples. We report a novel and efficient multiplex microbead immunoassay (MMIA), based on Luminex technology, for profiling antibodies to M. tuberculosis. Microbead sets identifiable by unique fluorescence were individually coated with each of several M. tuberculosis antigens and tested in multiplex format for antibody detection in the experimental nonhuman primate model of TB. Certain M. tuberculosis antigens, e.g., ESAT-6, CFP-10, and HspX, were included to enhance the specificity of the MMIA, because these antigens are absent in nontuberculous mycobacteria and the vaccine strain Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin. The MMIA enabled simultaneous detection of multiple M. tuberculosis plasma antibodies in several cohorts of macaques representing different stages of infection and/or disease. Antibody profiles were defined in early and latent/chronic infection. These proof-of-concept findings demonstrate the potential clinical use of the MMIA. In addition, the MMIA serodetection system has a potential for mining M. tuberculosis open reading frames (about 4,000) to discover novel target proteins for the development of more-comprehensive TB serodiagnostic tests.
Post‐natal development of ganglia in the lower lumbar sympathetic chain of the rat.

The initial stages in the development of functional synapses have been examined in ganglia of the lower lumbar sympathetic chain of the rat using intracellular recording techniques. In animals of age up to 7 days post‐natal, many impaled cells were inexcitable and possessed no synaptic input. The proportion of excitable cells impaled increased with the age of the animal. Two types of action potential could be identified. Initially the synaptic input consisted of one or a few subthreshold synaptic potentials. The number of preganglionic inputs to each cell increased over the first 1‐2 weeks after birth. The quantal content of each input was initially very low. At least some inputs showed an increase in quantal content during development; eventually one or occasionally two inputs became suprathreshold. Voltage‐clamp studies indicated that the time course of excitatory synaptic currents did not change during development. The amplitudes of miniature excitatory synaptic currents in animals aged less than 10 days were some three to five times the size of those recorded from mature animals.
Management practices impact vine carbohydrate status to a greater extent than vine productivity

Light pruning and deficit irrigation regimes are practices which are widely used in high yielding commercial vineyards in the warm climate regions of Australia. Little information is available on their impacts on carbohydrate dynamics in vegetative organs within and between seasons, and on the resulting plant capacity to maintain productivity and ripen fruits. This study was conducted to address this gap in knowledge over five vintages on Vitis vinifera L. cv. Cabernet Franc, Shiraz, and Cabernet Sauvignon in the Sunraysia region of Victoria, Australia. Lighter pruning did not change the total carbohydrates concentration and composition in wood and roots within seasons in Cabernet Franc and Shiraz. However, the total carbohydrate pool (starch and soluble sugars) at the end of dormancy increased under lighter pruning, due to higher vine size, associated with retention and growth of old-wood (trunk and cordons). Water deficit negatively impacted trunk and leaf starch concentrations, over the day and within seasons in Cabernet Sauvignon. Soluble sugars concentrations in these tissues tended to be higher under limited water supply, possibly due to higher sugar mobilization as photosynthesis decreased. Trunk carbohydrate concentrations markedly varied within and between seasons, highlighting the importance of interactive factors such as crop load and climate on carbon status. The period between fruit-set and véraison was shown to be critical for its impact on the balance between carbon accretion and depletion, especially under water deficit. The lower leaf and trunk starch concentration under water deficit resulted in a decrease of yield components at harvest, while similar yields were reached for all pruning systems. The sugar allocated to berries at harvest remained remarkably stable for all practices and seasons, irrespective of vine yield and carbohydrate status in vegetative organs in Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Repurposing Miltefosine for the Treatment of Immune-Mediated Disease?

Miltefosine is an ether lipid that was initially developed for cancer treatment in the early 1980s. Miltefosine largely failed development for oncology, although it was approved for the topical treatment of breast cancer metastasis. It was subsequently discovered that miltefosine is a highly effective treatment of visceral Leishmaniasis, a parasitic disease that affects millions worldwide and causes an estimated 30,000 fatalities each year. Oral treatment with miltefosine is generally well tolerated and has relatively few adverse effects. The exact mechanism of action of miltefosine treatment is still under investigation. Its close resemblance to phospholipids allows it to be quickly taken up by cell membranes and affect related processes, such as lipid metabolism and signaling through lipid rafts. These processes play an important role in the immune response and it comes as no surprise that miltefosine has been successfully tested for the treatment of a number of immune-mediated diseases in preclinical models of disease. Drug repurposing of miltefosine for immune-mediated diseases may provide an opportunity to expand the limited number of drugs that are currently available for therapeutic use.
Do All Age Groups Benefit From Organized Inpatient Stroke Care?

Background and Purpose— Organized inpatient stroke care consists of a multidisciplinary approach aimed at improving stroke outcomes. It is unclear whether elderly individuals benefit from these interventions to the same extent as younger patients. We sought to determine whether the reduction in mortality or institutionalization seen with organized stroke care was similar across all age groups. Methods— This was a case–cohort study of patients with acute ischemic stroke seen between July 2003 and March 2005 and captured in the Registry of the Canadian Stroke Network. After stratifying by age category, we assessed for evidence of effect modification by age on the reduction in stroke fatality associated with stroke unit/organized care. Results— Among 3631 patients with ischemic stroke, stroke case-fatality at 30 days was lower for patients admitted to a stroke unit compared with those admitted to general medical wards (10.2% versus 14.8%; P<0.0001 with an absolute risk reduction=4.6%, number needed to treat=22). All age groups achieved a similar benefit of stroke unit care versus general medical ward care (absolute risk reduction for 30-day stroke fatality was 4.5% for <60 years; 3.4% for 60 to 69 years; 5.3% for 70 to 79 years; and 5.5% for those >80 years). Increasing levels of organized care were associated with lower stroke fatality or institutionalization. The beneficial effect of stroke units/organized care on survival was seen even after adjustment for multiple prognostic factors and after excluding patients on palliative approach. There was no evidence of effect modification by age in any analyses. Conclusions— Stroke units and organized inpatient care reduce death or institutionalization with the same magnitude of effect across all age groups.
IDA-based redundant arrays of inexpensive disks

The paper introduces the idea of using the Information Dispersal Algorithm (IDA) of M.O. Rabin (1989) to distribute data and redundancy information uniformly among multiple disks and compares the performance and reliability characteristics of shadowing, parity, and IDA. It discusses some ways to take advantage of the uniformity of data placement and argues that IDA is the algorithm of choice for achieving reliability and performance in parallel disk systems. <<ETX>>
Water and Coal-Transforming and Redefining 'Natural' Resources in Australia's Latrobe Region

Victoria's Latrobe Region is typically defined by its brown coal used for electricity production, but this focus obscures the complex histories and ecologies that underpin it. In this paper, assemblage theory is used to analyse the region's transformations and the core role played by not just coal but water and climate in shaping the region. A century of state sponsored coal development has resulted in the region's current economic reliance on fossil resources, but the recent closure of Hazelwood Power Station signals mounting pressures for decarbonising. In a climate of increasing constraints on coal use and uncertainties about water abundance, regional identities and resources are being redefined, highlighting the social co-construction of resources and regions. Analysis of the co-evolution and transformations of the region's carbon, water and society assemblages supports the idea of new assemblages emerging with altered carbon-water dynamics.
Impact of Medicare coverage on basic clinical services for previously uninsured adults.

CONTEXT Uninsured adults receive less appropriate care and have more adverse health consequences than insured adults. Longitudinal studies would help to more clearly define the effects of health insurance on health care and health. OBJECTIVE To assess the differential effects of gaining Medicare coverage on use of basic clinical services and medications by previously insured and uninsured adults. DESIGN AND SETTING Household survey data from the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study were used to analyze differences in receipt of basic clinical services by adults in 1996 and 2000, before and after becoming eligible for Medicare at age 65 years. PARTICIPANTS A total of 2203 adults aged 60 to 64 years in 1996 who were classified as continuously uninsured (n = 167), intermittently uninsured (n = 216), or continuously insured (n = 1820) in 1994 and 1996, prior to Medicare eligibility. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Individuals' reports of receiving cholesterol testing, mammography (in women), prostate examination (in men), and treatment of arthritis and hypertension in the prior 2 years. RESULTS The difference in cholesterol testing between continuously insured and continuously uninsured adults was significantly reduced after Medicare eligibility (35.4% vs 17.7%; change of -17.7% [95% CI, -29.3% to -6.2%]; P =.003), and the reduction was substantially greater among those with hypertension or diabetes than among other adults (29.2% vs 7.7%; difference of 21.5% [95% CI, 0.2% to 42.9%]; P =.048). Differences in use were similarly reduced after Medicare eligibility for mammography in women (30.3% vs 15.0%; change of -15.3% [95% CI, -29.9% to -0.7%]; P =.04) and prostate examination in men (45.2% vs 20.0%; change of -25.2% [95% CI, -45.4% to -5.1%]; P =.01). Continuously uninsured adults with arthritis reported significantly greater increases in arthritis-related medical visits and limitations of activity than continuously insured adults after Medicare eligibility, but not greater increases in arthritis treatments. Among adults with hypertension, differences in use of antihypertensive medications between continuously uninsured and insured adults were essentially unchanged after Medicare coverage. CONCLUSIONS Previously uninsured adults substantially increased their use of covered basic clinical services but not medications after gaining Medicare coverage. An affordable option through which near-elderly uninsured adults could purchase Medicare coverage might have similar effects.
Concept based Ranking of Results using an Ontology and Fuzzy Network for a Personalized Web Search Engine

a given end user query, a personalized search engine returns an enormous set of related results. The results pertinent to a user are not regularly put on the top. The most fretting issue for the user would be to quickly find the related information in the first few. An efficient personalized search engine should be able to rank the search results and display more relevant ones as first few on the top. It is much more convenient for any user to find their required related result with lesser effort to search for it in the wide and huge list of information produced from the search results. The ranking of personalized web search results is a process of finding small number of highly relevant documents from large number of search results. The relevance is dependent on the user query and context of the subject. Ranking reflects the most relevant results to the user. These are very few and to be placed on top. In this paper, we proposed a method for ranking of search results using fuzzy networks that have been developed using enriched extended user profile. Our approach learns the user profile and constructs fuzzy net by calculating togetherness between concepts, documents or both. This can be done in two phases. In the first phase, we construct the fuzzy nets with enriched extended user profile. In second phase, we evaluate the rank of each document by using clustering algorithm.
The Badenian Salinity Crisis in the palynological record : vegetation during the evaporative event (Carpathian Foredeep, southern Poland)

The Badenian Salinity Crisis took place at the early/late Badenian boundary and resulted in massive chemical sedimentation in the central Paratethys. The evaporating basin of the northern Carpathian Foredeep left behind gypsum and halite deposits tens of meters thick. As a very good medium for preservation, these evaporites are a fine source of diversified terrestrial palynomorphs. Plant communities reconstructed on the basis of both palynological analysis of sediments from the Bochnia and Wieliczka salt mines, as well as previously published studies from different localities within the evaporite basin, reveal the presence of wetland and mesic environments along the coasts of the northern part of the central Paratethys during the evaporative event. Among the most important taxa are Engelhardia , Ericaceae, Fagus , Liquidambar , Quercus , Taxodium / Glyptostrobus , Tricolporopollenites pseudocingulum , and Ulmus . The most characteristic feature of the palynofloras studied is the large amount (up to even 50%) of Ericaceae pollen in the spectra. Taxa representing a warm-temperate climate predominate in the palynofloras examined; however, representatives of a tropical/subtropical climate (i.a. Mastixiaceae) are also present. The presence of plant communities associated with wetland areas shows that the climate remained humid.
Envelope Algebras of Partial Actions as Groupoid C*-Algebras

We describe the envelope C*-algebra associated to a partial action of a countable discrete group on a locally compact space as a groupoid C*-algebra (more precisely as a C*-algebra from an equivalence relation) and we use our approach to show that, for a large class of partial actions of Z on the Cantor set, the envelope C*-algebra is an AF-algebra. We also completely characterize partial actions of a countable discrete group on a compact space such that the envelope action acts in a Hausdorff space.
The More You Know, the Less You Learn: From Knowledge Transfer to One-shot Learning of Object Categories

Learning a category from few examples is a challenging task for vision algorithms, while psychological studies have shown that humans are able to generalise correctly even from a single instance (one-shot learning). The most accredited hypothesis is that humans are able to exploit prior knowledge when learning a new related category. This paper presents an SVM-based model adaptation algorithm able to perform knowledge transfer for a new category when very limited examples are available. Using a leave- one-out estimate of the weighted error-rate the algorithm automatically decides from where to transfer (on which known category to rely), how much to transfer (the degree of adaptation) and if it is worth transferring something at all. Moreover a weighted least-squares loss function takes optimally care of data unbalance between negative and positive examples. Experiments presented on two different object category databases show that the proposed method is able to exploit previous knowledge avoiding negative transfer. The overall classification performance is increased compared to what would be achieved by starting from scratch. Furthermore as the number of already learned categories grows, the algorithm is able to learn a new category from one sample with increasing precision, i.e. it is able to perform one-shot learning.