Two semi-Lagrangian fast methods for Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equations

In this paper we apply the Fast Iterative Method (FIM) for solving general Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) equations and we compare the results with an accelerated version of the Fast Sweeping Method (FSM). We find that FIM can be indeed used to solve HJB equations with no relevant modifications with respect to the original algorithm proposed for the eikonal equation, and that it overcomes FSM in many cases. Observing the evolution of the active list of nodes for FIM, we recover another numerical validation of the arguments recently discussed in [Cacace et al., SISC 36 (2014), A570-A587] about the impossibility of creating local single-pass methods for HJB equations

Effects of Anglo-Mandarin translation upon the deviation of semantic structures in HK written Chinese - the keyword "chance" as a case

2002-2003 > Academic research: refereed > Publication in refereed journalVersion of RecordPublishe

Professional breastfeeding support for first-time mothers: a multicentre cluster randomised controlled trial

Objective To evaluate the effect of two postnatal professional support interventions on the duration of any and exclusive breastfeeding. Design Multicentre, three-arm, cluster randomised controlled trial. Population A cohort of 722 primiparous breastfeeding mothers with uncomplicated, full-term pregnancies. Methods The three study interventions were: (1) standard postnatal maternity care; (2) standard care plus three in-hospital professional breastfeeding support sessions, of 30–45 minutes in duration; or (2) standard care plus weekly post-discharge breastfeeding telephone support, of 20–30 minutes in duration, for 4 weeks. The interventions were delivered by four trained research nurses, who were either highly experienced registered midwives or certified lactation consultants. Main outcome measures Prevalence of any and exclusive breastfeeding at 1, 2, and 3 months postpartum. Results Rates of any and exclusive breastfeeding were higher among participants in the two intervention groups at all follow-up points, when compared with those who received standard care. Participants receiving telephone support were significantly more likely to continue any breastfeeding at 1 month (76.2 versus 67.3%; odds ratio, OR 1.63, 95% confidence interval, 95% CI 1.10–2.41) and at 2 months (58.6 versus 48.9%; OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.04–2.10), and to be exclusively breastfeeding at 1 month (28.4 versus 16.9%; OR 1.89, 95% CI 1.24–2.90). Participants in the in-hospital support group were also more likely to be breastfeeding at all time points, but the effect was not statistically significant. Conclusions Professional breastfeeding telephone support provided early in the postnatal period, and continued for the first month postpartum, improves breastfeeding duration among first-time mothers. It is also possible that it was the continuing nature of the support that increased the effectiveness of the intervention, rather than the delivery of the support by telephone specifically.postprin

Professional breastfeeding support for first-time mothers: a multicentre cluster randomised controlled trial

Conference Theme: Translating Health Research into Policy and Practice for Health of the PopulationPoster Presentations: Delivery of Health Servicespublished_or_final_versio

Scalp acupuncture for acute ischemic stroke: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Scalp acupuncture (SA) is a commonly used therapeutic approach for stroke throughout China and elsewhere in the world. The objective of this study was to assess clinical efficacy and safety of SA for acute ischemic stroke. A systematical literature search of 6 databases was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of SA for acute ischemic stroke compared with western conventional medicines (WCMs). All statistical analyses were performed by the Rev Man Version 5.0. Eight studies with 538 participants were included in the studies. The studies were deemed to have an unclear risk of bias based on the Cochrane Back Review Group. Compared with the WCM, 6 RCTs showed significant effects of SA for improving neurological deficit scores (P < 0.01); 4 RCTs showed significant effects of SA for favoring the clinical effective rate (P < 0.01) However, the adverse events have not been documented. In conclusion, SA appears to be able to improve neurological deficit score and the clinical effective rate when compared with WCM, though the beneficial effect from SA is possibly overvalued because of generally low methodology of the included trials. No evidence is available for adverse effects. Rigorous well-designed clinical trials are needed.published_or_final_versio

Knocking down 10-formyltetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase increased oxidative stress and impeded zebrafish embryogenesis by obstructing morphogenetic movement

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Demographics and Medication Use of Patients with Late-Onset Alzheimer's Disease in Hong Kong

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly population. However, epidemiological studies on the demographics of AD in Hong Kong population are lacking. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the demographics, comorbidities, mortality rates, and medication use of patients with AD in Hong Kong to understand how the disease has been managed locally. METHODS: This was a collaborative study of The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and the Hospital Authority Data Collaboration Lab. We analyzed the demographic data, clinical records, diagnoses, and medication records of patients with AD under the care of the Hospital Authority between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2017. RESULTS: We identified 23,467 patients diagnosed with AD. The median age at diagnosis was 84 years old, and 71% of patients were female. The most common comorbidity was hypertension (52.6%). 39.9% of patients received medications for dementia; of those, 68.4% had taken those medications for >  1 year. Compared to nonusers, long-term AD medication users had a significantly younger age of AD onset and were taking more lipid-regulating medication, diabetes medication, or antidepressants. Surprisingly, the use of antipsychotics in patients with AD was quite common; 50.7% of patients had received any type of antipsychotic during disease progression. CONCLUSION: This study provides detailed information on the demographics and medication use of patients with AD in Hong Kong. The data from this AD cohort will aid our future research aiming to identify potential AD risk factors and associations between AD and other diseases

Meet the Royal Meteorological Society's Student Ambassadors

This is the final version. Available from Wiley via the DOI in this record. Data availability statement: Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no new data were created or analyzed in this study.The Royal Meteorological Society’s Student Ambassador scheme links the Society with universities across the UK. Ambassadors support the Society by increasing awareness about membership, activities and initiatives within their networks, as well as helping to engage with students who have an interest in weather and climate as a science, profession or hobby. The Society relaunched the scheme in autumn 2023, and there are now over 30 Student Ambassadors, comprising a mix of postgraduates and undergraduates from around 20 UK institutions (see Figure 1). Here, we introduce a handful of the Society’s excellent Ambassadors

Identification of mycolic acid forms using surface-enhanced Raman scattering as a fast detection method for tuberculosis

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is the ninth leading cause of death worldwide and the leading cause from a single infectious agent, based on the WHO Global Tuberculosis Report in 2017. TB causes massive health care burdens in many parts of the world, specifically in the resource constrained developing world. Most deaths from TB could be prevented with cost effective early diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Purpose: Conventional TB detection methods are either too slow as it takes a few weeks for diagnosis or they lack the specificity and accuracy. Thus the objective of this study was to develop a fast and efficient detection for TB using surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technique. Methods: SERS spectra for different forms of mycolic acids (MAs) that are both synthetic origin and actual extracts from the mycobacteria species were obtained by label-free direct detection mode. Similarly, we collected SERS spectra for γ-irradiated whole bacteria (WB). Measurements were done using silver (Ag) coated silicon nanopillar (Ag SNP) as SERS substrate. Results: We report the SERS based detection of MA, which is a biomarker for mycobacteria species including Mycobacterium tuberculosis. For the first time, we also establish the SERS spectral characterization of the three major forms of MA – αMA, methoxy-MA, and keto-MA, in bacterial extracts and also in γ-irradiated WB. We validated our findings by mass spectrometry. SERS detection of these three forms of MA could be useful in differentiating pathogenic and nonpathogenic Mycobacterium spp. Conclusions: We have demonstrated the direct detection of three major forms of MA – αMA, methoxy-MA, and keto-MA, in two different types of MA extracts from MTB bacteria, namely delipidated MA and undelipidated MA and finally in γ-irradiated WB. In the near future, this study could pave the way for a fast and efficient detection method for TB, which is of high clinical significance