Self-advising SVM for sleep apnea classification

In this paper Self-Advising SVM, a new proposed version of SVM, is investigated for sleep apnea classification. Self-Advising SVM tries to trans-fer more information from training phase to the test phase in compare to the traditional SVM. In this paper Sleep apnea events are classified to central, ob-structive or mixed, by using just three signals, airflow, abdominal and thoracic movement, as inputs. Statistical tests show that self-advising SVM performs better than traditional SVM in sleep apnea classification

Metal-insulator transition in EuO

It is shown that the spectacular metal-insulator transition in Eu-rich EuO can be simulated within an extended Kondo lattice model. The different orders of magnitude of the jump in resistivity in dependence on the concentration of oxygen vacancies as well as the low-temperature resistance minimum in high-resistivity samples are reproduced quantitatively. The huge colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) is calculated and discussed

Comparison of quantification methods for the condensed tannin content of extracts of Pinus pinaster bark

Bark from Pinus Pinaster is an interesting source of polyphenolic natural compounds, that can be used successful1y as total or partial replacement of conventional phenolic resins. These compounds, among other applications, are used as adhesives in the wood agglomerate industry. In this kind of application some problems remain to be solved in order to obtain a Pine extract of commercial value. It is necessary to optimise tije extraction procedure and select a suitable method for the quantification of the tannin content of the bark. In order to study these problems, the tannin extraction from the Pine bark was tested with an alkaline solution (NaOH), and with a fractionation procedure based on a sequence of an organic (ethanol) and aqueous extraction. The phenolic content of each extract or fraction was evaluated by the FolinCiocalteu colorimetric assay for total phenols and two procedures using the Stiasny reaction: the gravimetric Stiasny method and the indirect colorimetric procedure that uses the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent to evaluate the total phenols present in the extract solution before and after it condenses with formaldehyde. The yield value when the alkaline extraction is used is substantially higher than the values obtained with organic or aqueous solutions. However, the selectivity of the process is low. In fact, it was found that the alkaline extract Formaldehyde Condensable Phenolic Material (FCPM) content represents 9596 % of the total phenols content of the extract but this fraction is only ~ 40 % of the total mass of extract. So, the alkaline extract is relatively poor in phenolic material, exhibiting a large variety of non-phenolic extractives. On the other end, ethanol provides a very rich phenolic extract, in which 96 % of total phenols are condensable with formaldehyde, but exhibits a relatively low extraction yield. The aqueous extract presents the lowest extraction yield with low content either in phenolic material as in FCPM, but, as most of the phenolics had already been extracted by the previous organic extraction, especially the low molecular weight fractions, this result was predictable

Decreasing survival benefit from cardiac transplantation for outpatients as the waiting list lengthens

AbstractMany patients are accepted for cardiac transplantation during a period of clinical instability associated with a high risk of death, even though most can be discharged home to await transplantation. As the waiting lists lengthen, priority is awarded solely on the basis of the waiting time of outpatients, who now usually undergo transplantation after they have already survived a major period of jeopardy. To determine the impact of the current waiting times and priority system on the previously expected benefit offered by transplantation, 1-year actuarial survival without transplantation was recalculated after each month without transplantation for 214 potential candidates with an ejection fraction of 0.17 ± 0.05 discharged on tailored medical therapy after evaluation. These data were compared with the 1-year survival data of 88 outpatients who underwent transplantation.Actuarial survival after 1 year was 67% on tailored therapy compared with 88% after transplantation (p = 0.009). Death without transplantation was sudden in 43 of 51 patients, resulting from hemodynamic decompensation in 8. For outpatients already surviving 6 months without transplantation, actuarial survival over the next 12 months was 83% without transplantation. Thus, the expected improvement in survival after transplantation would be only 5% over the subsequent year for patients waiting 6 months, which is the waiting time for many outpatients. Such patients should be reevaluated to determine whether transplantation remains indicated during the next year

Emerging Role of Immune Checkpoint Blockade in Pancreatic Cancer

Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) with programmed cell death protein-1(PD-1)/programmed death ligand -1(PD-L1) antibodies has revolutionized the management of several cancers, especially non-small cell lung cancer, melanoma, urothelial, and renal cancer. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most aggressive cancers associated with high morbidity and mortality. Based on available data, it’s obvious that ICB has limited success in PDACs, which can be explained by the low immunogenicity and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment of these tumors. In this review article, we focus on PD-L1 expression and microsatellite instability (MSI) in PDAC, and their roles as prognostic and predictive markers. We also discuss data supporting combination therapies to augment cancer immunity cycle. Combining anti-PD-1/PD-L1 agents with other modalities such as vaccines, chemotherapy, and radiation could potentially overcome resistance patterns and increase immune responsiveness in PDA

Relative concentration and structure of native defects in GaP

The native defects in the compound semiconductor GaP have been studied using a pseudopotential density functional theory method in order to determine their relative concentrations and the most stable charge states. The electronic and atomic structures are presented and the defect concentrations are estimated using calculated formation energies. Relaxation effects are taken into account fully and produce negative-U charge transfer levels for VP and PGa. The concentration of VGa is in good agreement with the results of positron annihilation experiments. The charge transfer levels presented compare qualitatively well with experiments where available. The effect of stoichiometry on the defect concentrations is also described and is shown to be considerable. The lowest formation energies are found for PGa +2 in p-type and VGa −3 in n-type GaP under P-rich conditions, and for GaP −2 in n-type GaP under Ga-rich conditions. Finally, the finite size errors arising from the use of supercells with periodic boundary conditions are examined

Does clinical management improve outcomes following self-Harm? Results from the multicentre study of self-harm in England

Background Evidence to guide clinical management of self-harm is sparse, trials have recruited selected samples, and psychological treatments that are suggested in guidelines may not be available in routine practice. Aims To examine how the management that patients receive in hospital relates to subsequent outcome. Methods We identified episodes of self-harm presenting to three UK centres (Derby, Manchester, Oxford) over a 10 year period (2000 to 2009). We used established data collection systems to investigate the relationship between four aspects of management (psychosocial assessment, medical admission, psychiatric admission, referral for specialist mental health follow up) and repetition of self-harm within 12 months, adjusted for differences in baseline demographic and clinical characteristics. Results 35,938 individuals presented with self-harm during the study period. In two of the three centres, receiving a psychosocial assessment was associated with a 40% lower risk of repetition, Hazard Ratios (95% CIs): Centre A 0.99 (0.90–1.09); Centre B 0.59 (0.48–0.74); Centre C 0.59 (0.52–0.68). There was little indication that the apparent protective effects were mediated through referral and follow up arrangements. The association between psychosocial assessment and a reduced risk of repetition appeared to be least evident in those from the most deprived areas. Conclusion These findings add to the growing body of evidence that thorough assessment is central to the management of self-harm, but further work is needed to elucidate the possible mechanisms and explore the effects in different clinical subgroups

Non infective severe aortic paravalvular leakage 7 years after surgery: the role of suture technique

We report a case of redo aortic prosthesis replacement for a severe paravalvular leak (PVL) in a man operated with continuous suture technique 7 years earlier. The severe aortic regurgitation was due to the rupture of the suture. In spite of operations to replace malfunctioning heart valves are common procedures and performed all over the world from more than 50 years, there is still an open debate about the most suitable suture technique. In this case report, we'll discuss if the suture technique has a role in preventing or leading complications as severe PVL