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In people with non-small cell lung cancer, what is the effect of condensing 15 prehabilitation sessions into a 3-week regimen compared with a 5-week regimen? Randomised controlled trial with concealed allocation, intention-to-treat analysis and blinded assessment of the primary outcome. People with diagnosed or suspected non-small cell lung cancer and moderate-to-high risk of postoperative complications. Fifteen supervised prehabilitation sessions delivered with either a dense regimen of five sessions/week for 3 weeks (experimental group) or a non-dense regimen of three sessions/week for 5 weeks (control group). The primary outcome was the change in cardiorespiratory fitness measured by the V̇O 2peak in ml/kg/min. The secondary outcomes were the change in other variables of interest measured during cardiopulmonary exercise testing, non-invasive nutritional markers, quadriceps maximal voluntary isometric contractions, maximal inspiratory pressure, quality of life, adherence and postoperative complications. Changes with the experimental regimen were similar to or better than changes with the control regimen for: V̇O 2peak (MD 1.2 ml/kg/min, 95% CI −0.1 to 2.6); V̇E/V̇CO 2 slope (MD −3.6 points, 95% CI −8.7 to 1.5); and work rate at ventilatory threshold (MD 3.7 W, 95% CI −5.6 to 13.0). The two regimens had similar effects on: peak work rate (MD 1.3 W, 95% CI −6.4 to 9.0), V̇O 2 at ventilatory threshold (MD 0.0 ml/kg/min, 95% CI −1.4 to 1.4); body mass index (MD −0.2 kg/m2, 95% CI −0.5 to 0.1); and maximal inspiratory pressure (MD −0.7 cmH 2 O, 95% CI −9.8 to 8.4). The relative effect was uncertain for quadriceps maximal voluntary isometric contractions, quality of life and complications. Condensing prehabilitation sessions led to similar or better improvement in cardiorespiratory fitness and did not decrease adherence or increase adverse events. This could increase the number of patients who can be referred for prehabilitation, despite short presurgical periods. NCT03936764. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of type specimens is a specific field of diachronic knowledge regarding print culture, book history, publishing design, and graphic technology. It has a long history in Europe and North America, including classic studies that have laid the foundations for the correct cataloguing and custody of typographic materials, the production of revivals, and the generation of important type libraries. However, this field has been explored very little in Latin America. To date, we do not have a clear idea of the characteristics and quantities of type specimens produced there. In this article, I point out the main work that has been carried out to date on this subject. Second, I offer a broad list of the documents I have located and analyze four specific cases. These findings will allow the public to appreciate the challenges involved in the systematic study of such documents and discover the richness, variety, and complexity offered by them when approaching the history of graphic culture in Latin America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The (a,b)-monochromatic transversal game is an avoider-enforcer combinatorial game in which two players, Alice and Bob, alternately take turns colouring respectively a vertices in red and b vertices in blue of a hypergraph. She wins the game by obtaining a red transversal while he wins by obtaining a monochromatic blue hyperedge. Also, both players are enabled to start the game and they play optimally. In this paper, we analyze the game played on biclique-hypergraphs of powers of paths and of powers of cycles showing strategies that, depending on the choice of the parameters a and b, allow a specific player to win the game. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gradual migration of television from broadcast diffusion to Internet diffusion offers countless possibilities for the generation of rich navigable contents. However, it also raises numerous scientific issues regarding delinearization of TV streams and content enrichment. In this paper, we study how speech can be used at different levels of the delinearization process, using automatic speech transcription and natural language processing (NLP) for the segmentation and characterization of TV programs and for the generation of semantic hyperlinks in videos. Transcript-based video delinearization requires natural language processing techniques robust to transcription peculiarities, such as transcription errors, and to domain and genre differences. We therefore propose to modify classical NLP techniques, initially designed for regular texts, to improve their robustness in the context of TV delinearization. We demonstrate that the modified NLP techniques can efficiently handle various types of TV material and be exploited for program description, for topic segmentation, and for the generation of semantic hyperlinks between multimedia contents. We illustrate the concept of cross-media semantic navigation with a description of our news navigation demonstrator presented during the NEM Summit 2009.

Abstract Background The increasing number of methodologies and tools currently available to analyse gene expression microarray data can be confusing for non specialist users. Findings Based on the experience of biostatisticians of Institut Curie, we propose both a clear analysis strategy and a selection of tools to investigate microarray gene expression data. The most usual and relevant existing R functions were discussed, validated and gathered in an easy-to-use R package (EMA) devoted to gene expression microarray analysis. These functions were improved for ease of use, enhanced visualisation and better interpretation of results. Conclusions Strategy and tools proposed in the EMA R package could provide a useful starting point for many microarrays users. EMA is part of Comprehensive R Archive Network and is freely available at http://bioinfo.curie.fr/projects/ema/.

How effective is home-based exercise therapy delivered using advanced telehealth technology (ATT-ET) for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) compared with: no exercise therapy (ET), in/outpatient ET, and home-based ET without ATT? Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised trials. People with stable COPD referred for ET. ATT-ET. Exercise capacity, quality of life, functional dyspnoea, cost-effectiveness and various secondary outcomes. Fifteen eligible trials involved 1,522 participants. Compared with no ET, ATT-ET improved exercise capacity (four studies, 6-minute walk test MD 15 m, 95% CI 5 to 24) and probably improved quality of life (four studies, SMD 0.22, 95% CI 0.00 to 0.43) and functional dyspnoea (two studies, Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire-Dyspnoea MD 2, 95% CI 0 to 4). ATT-ET had a similar effect as in/outpatient ET on functional dyspnoea (two studies, SMD –0.05, 95% CI –0.39 to 0.29) and a similar or better effect on quality of life (two studies, SMD 0.23, 95% CI –0.04 to 0.50) but its relative effect on exercise capacity was very uncertain (three studies, 6-minute walk test MD 6 m, 95% CI –26 to 37). ATT-ET had a similar effect as home-based ET without ATT on exercise capacity (three studies, 6-minute walk test MD 2 m, 95% CI –16 to 19) and similar or better effects on quality of life (three studies, SMD 0.79, 95% CI –0.04 to 1.62) and functional dyspnoea (two studies, Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire-Dyspnoea MD 2, 95% CI 0 to 4). ATT-ET had effects on most secondary outcomes that were similar to or better than each comparator. ATT-ET improves exercise capacity, functional dyspnoea and quality of life compared with no ET, although some benefits may be small. Its benefits are generally similar to in/outpatient ET and similar to or better than home-based ET without ATT. PROSPERO CRD42020165773. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundGlycosidases are involved in several metabolic pathways and the development of inhibitors is an important challenge towards the treatment of diseases, such as diabetes, cancer and viral infections including AIDS. Thus, inhibition of intestinal α-glucosidases can be used to treat diabetes through the lowering of blood glucose levels, and α-glucosidase inhibitors are being marketed against type 2 (non-insulinodependent mellitus) diabetes (i.e.: Glyset® or Diastabol®, Basen® and Glucor® or Precose®).ResultsIn that context, new C8-carbasugars and related aminocyclitols have been targeted in order to study the effect of the enhanced flexibility and of the new spatial distribution displayed by these structures on their adaptability in the active site of the enzymes. The synthesis of these new C8-glycomimetics is described from enantiomerically pure C2-symmetrical polyhydroxylated cyclooctenes. Their obtention notably involved a syn-dihydroxylation, and more extended functionalization through formation of a cis-cyclic sulfate followed by amination and subsequent reductive amination. This strategy involving the nucleophilic opening of a cis-cyclic sulfate by sodium azide is to our knowledge the first example in C8-series. It revealead to be an efficient alternative to the nucleoplilic opening of an epoxide moiety which proved unsuccessful in this particular case, due to the hindered conformation of such epoxides as demonstrated by X-ray cristallographic analysis.ConclusionThe biological activity of the synthesized glycomimetics has been evaluated towards 24 commercially available glycosidases. The weak observed activities can probably be related to the spatial disposition of the hydroxy and amino groups which depart too much from that realized in glycomimetics such as valiolamine, voglibose and valienamine. Nevertheless, the synthetic strategy described here is efficient and general, and could be extended to increase the diversity of the glycosidase inhibitors obtained since this diversity is introduced in an ultimate step of the synthesis.

The article reports on Latin American printed culture with reference to letters by Manuel Antonio Valdes. The author says that although the search for documentary sources for the studies of Latin American printed culture is a subject that has been occupying her for years, the places for its location have not always been the usual ones for historical research.

INTRODUCTION Approximately 73% of persons with HIV who receive antiretroviral therapy in Cuba are in viral suppression. The non-response of the remaining 27% could be due to several factors including adverse drug reactions and HIV resistance to antiretroviral drugs, as well as social factors and idiosyncratic characteristics of each patient. Genetic information explains from 20% to 95% of a drug's effects and variations in response. Considering optimization of therapeutic efficacy in our country, genetic factors of the host should be identified. OBJECTIVE Identify polymorphisms affecting genetic variability of responses to antiretroviral drugs. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION A literature review was conducted (of original articles, published theses, clinical reports and bibliographic review studies, from 2000 to 2018, in Spanish and English listed in MEDLINE/ PubMed, SciELO, LILACS, PharmGKB and Google Scholar) with the following key words: pharmacogenetics, human immunodeficiency virus, anti-retroviral agents, genetic polymorphism, genetic techniques, pharmacogenomic variants. DEVELOPMENT The review identified 77 relevant publications meeting specific quality criteria. A summary table was built with data collected on antiretroviral drugs, genes and proteins involved in polymorphic variations, their associated effects and relevant scientific references. Information was included on polymorphisms related to 12 antiretroviral drugs used in HIV therapy. Polymorphisms determine variations in proteins involved in drug transport and metabolism and in elements of immunity. Relevant pharmacogenetic biomarkers recognized by drug regulatory agencies were identified. CONCLUSIONS The study identified genetic variations (single-nucleotide polymorphisms) associated with 12 antiretroviral drugs. In most cases, no statistically significant causal association was found. Identifying polymorphic variations is a medium- and long-term objective that requires statistical support and adoption of strategies to optimize antiretroviral therapy. An approach combining plasma-level monitoring and pharmacogenetic analysis is recommended to optimize therapy for HIV patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Questions Can people referred to pulmonary rehabilitation easily learn to use a system for remote transmission of oximetry data? Do they consider remote transmission of oximetry data to be satisfactory? Are the transmitted data valid compared with locally stored data? Design Multicentre, prospective, observational study. Participants One hundred and five adults with chronic respiratory disease who were referred to pulmonary rehabilitation. Intervention At an initial session, participants were taught to record and transmit their oximetry data to a remote server. At subsequent testing session(s), participants were requested to independently activate and use the oximetry monitoring system for a period of exercise on a cycle ergometer, until autonomy with the system was demonstrated. A subgroup of five participants undertook five 45-minute training sessions to generate a dataset to assess whether the transmitted data were valid compared with the locally stored data. Outcome measures Outcome measures included the number of sessions needed to become autonomous, participant satisfaction with the system, and measures of the validity of the transmitted data. Results Participants became autonomous quickly: 86% at the first testing session and 100% within three testing sessions. At least 98% of participants agreed that the system was easy to use and they would be willing to use it throughout pulmonary rehabilitation. The system transmitted usable data from 98% (95% CI 96 to 100) of sessions and introduced minimal artefact. Mean absolute differences were 0.365 beats/minute for heart rate and 0.133% for oxyhaemoglobin saturation. For heart rate, exact agreement was 72% (SD 9) and similar agreement (within 3 beats/minute) was 99% (SD 1). For oxyhaemoglobin saturation, exact agreement was 87% (SD 3) and similar agreement (within 3%) was 100% (SD 0). Conclusion The telemonitoring system used in this study was sufficiently valid and acceptable for use in at-home pulmonary rehabilitation by people with chronic respiratory disease. Study registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03295474 and NCT03004716 (subgroup study). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study which investigated the reflectance of stoichiometric ZrN from 0.22 to 5.50 electronvolt as a function of temperature between 20 and 700 °C. Optical properties of stoichiometric ZrN; Experimental details; Results and discussion; Conclusions.

Abstract Most people need textual or visual interfaces in order to make sense of Semantic Web data. In this paper, we investigate the problem of generating natural language summaries for Semantic Web data using neural networks. Our end-to-end trainable architecture encodes the information from a set of triples into a vector of fixed dimensionality and generates a textual summary by conditioning the output on the encoded vector. We explore a set of different approaches that enable our models to verbalise entities from the input set of triples in the generated text. Our systems are trained and evaluated on two corpora of loosely aligned Wikipedia snippets with triples from DBpedia and Wikidata, with promising results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To assess the additional effect of a home-based neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) program as an add-on to pulmonary rehabilitation (PR), on functional capacity in subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Design Single-blind, multicenter randomized trial. Setting Three PR centers. Participants Subjects with severe to very severe COPD (N=73; median forced expiratory volume in 1 second, 1L (25th–75th percentile, 0.8–1.4L) referred for PR. Twenty-two subjects discontinued the study, but only 1 dropout was related to the intervention (leg discomfort). Intervention Subjects were randomly assigned to either PR plus quadricipital home-based NMES (35Hz, 30min, 5 time per week) or PR without NMES for 8 weeks. Main Outcome Measure The 6-minute walk test (6MWT) was used to assess functional capacity. Results Eighty-two percent of the scheduled NMES sessions were performed. In the whole sample, there were significant increases in the distance walked during the 6MWT ( P <.01), peak oxygen consumption ( P =.02), maximal workload ( P <.01), modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale ( P <.01), and Saint George’s Respiratory Questionnaire total score ( P =.01). There was no significant difference in the magnitude of change for any outcome between groups. Conclusions Home-based NMES as an add-on to PR did not result in further improvements in subjects with severe to very severe COPD; moreover, it may have been a burden for some patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To evaluate the effect of quadriceps functional electrical stimulation (FES)-cycling on exertional oxygen uptake ( V ˙ o 2 ) compared with placebo FES-cycling in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Design A randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial. Setting Pulmonary rehabilitation department. Participants Consecutive patients (N=23) with COPD Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease stage 2, 3, or 4 (mean forced expiratory volume during the first second, 1.4±0.4L [50.3% predicted]) who had recently begun a respiratory rehabilitation program. Intervention Two consecutive 30-minute sessions were carried out at a constant load with active and placebo FES-cycling. Main Outcome Measures The primary outcome was mean V ˙ o 2 during the 30-minute exercise session. The secondary outcomes were respiratory gas exchange and hemodynamic parameters averaged over the 30-minute endurance session. Lactate values, dyspnea, and perceived muscle fatigue were evaluated at the end of the sessions. Results FES-cycling increased the physiological response more than the placebo, with a greater V ˙ o 2 achieved of 36.6mL/min (95% confidence interval [CI], 8.9–64.3mL/min) ( P =.01). There was also a greater increase in lactate after FES-cycling (+1.5mmol/L [95% CI, .05–2.9mmol/L]; P =.01). FES-cycling did not change dyspnea or muscle fatigue compared with the placebo condition. Conclusions FES-cycling effectively increased exercise intensity in patients with COPD. Further studies should evaluate longer-term FES-cycling rehabilitation programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we consider the graph sandwich problem for a property Π, a decision problem proposed by Golumbic, Kaplan, and Shamir as follows: given two graphs G 1 = ( V , E 1 ) and G 2 = ( V , E 2 ), the question is whether there exists a graph G = ( V , E ) such that E 1 ⊆ E ⊆ E 2 and G satisfies Π. For many graph classes, this problem was settled to be NP -complete. For this reason, a different kind of approach has been proposed: instead of focusing only on property Π, we can also require special properties Π i for the input graphs G i , i = 1, 2, resulting in a problem that generalizes graph sandwich problems, called graph sandwich problems with boundary conditions. This problem is denoted by a triple ( Π 1 , Π, Π 2 )-sp. We deal with the property Π of being a chordal-(2,1)-graph when it is given that G 2 is a graph of a class for which there is a polynomial bound on the number of cliques, say pnc. chordal-(2,1)-sp is known to be NP-complete but, when requiring G 2 to be of a class in pnc, we prove that (*, chordal-(2,1), pnc)-sp is polynomially time solvable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors express their interest in a study comparing the 1-minute sit-to-stand test (1minSTS) with the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) and argue that the conclusion regarding the assessment of exertional desaturation may be limited. It suggest that evaluating the oxygen saturation (SpO2) nadir should include the recovery period and recommend further investigation to strengthen the conclusion by analyzing individuals with and without supplemental oxygen.