McMaster University

About: McMaster University is a education organization based out in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Health care. The organization has 41361 authors who have published 101269 publications receiving 4251422 citations.

Anidulafungin versus Fluconazole for Invasive Candidiasis

Abstract: Eighty-nine percent of the 245 patients in the primary analysis had candidemia only. Candida albicans was isolated in 62% of the 245 patients. In vitro fluconazole resistance was infrequent. Most of the patients (97%) did not have neutropenia. At the end of intravenous therapy, treatment was successful in 75.6% of patients treated with anidulafungin, as compared with 60.2% of those treated with fluconazole (difference, 15.4 percentage points; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.9 to 27.0). The results were similar for other efficacy end points. The statistical analyses failed to show a “center effect”; when data from the site enrolling the largest number of patients were removed, success rates at the end of intravenous therapy were 73.2% in the anidulafungin group and 61.1% in the fluconazole group (difference, 12.1 percentage points; 95% CI, −1.1 to 25.3). The frequency and types of adverse events were similar in the two groups. The rate of death from all causes was 31% in the fluconazole group and 23% in the anidulafungin group (P = 0.13). CONCLUSIONS Anidulafungin was shown to be noninferior to fluconazole in the treatment of invasive candidiasis. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00056368).

Immunological considerations for COVID-19 vaccine strategies.

Abstract: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the most formidable challenge to humanity in a century. It is widely believed that prepandemic normalcy will never return until a safe and effective vaccine strategy becomes available and a global vaccination programme is implemented successfully. Here, we discuss the immunological principles that need to be taken into consideration in the development of COVID-19 vaccine strategies. On the basis of these principles, we examine the current COVID-19 vaccine candidates, their strengths and potential shortfalls, and make inferences about their chances of success. Finally, we discuss the scientific and practical challenges that will be faced in the process of developing a successful vaccine and the ways in which COVID-19 vaccine strategies may evolve over the next few years.

Process monitoring and diagnosis by multiblock PLS methods

Abstract: Schemes for monitoring the operating performance of large continuous processes using multivariate statistical projection methods such as principal component analysis (PCA ) and projection to latent structures (PLS) are extended to situations where the processes can be naturally blocked into subsections. The multiblock projection methods allow one to establish monitoring charts for the individual process subsections as well as for the entire process. When a special event or fault occurs in a subsection of the process, these multiblock methods can generally detect the event earlier and reveal the subsection within which the event has occurred. More detailed diagnostic methods based on interrogating the underlying PCA /PLS models are also developed. These methods show those process variables which are the main contributors to any deviations that have occurred, thereby allowing one to diagnose the cause of the event more easily. These ideas are demonstrated using detailed simulation studies on a multisection tubular reactor for the production of lowdensity polyethylene.

Spectrum Sensing for Cognitive Radio

Abstract: Spectrum sensing is the very task upon which the entire operation of cognitive radio rests. For cognitive radio to fulfill the potential it offers to solve the spectrum underutilization problem and do so in a reliable and computationally feasible manner, we require a spectrum sensor that detects spectrum holes (i.e., underutilized subbands of the radio spectrum), provides high spectral-resolution capability, estimates the average power in each subband of the spectrum, and identifies the unknown directions of interfering signals. Cyclostationarity is another desirable property that could be used for signal detection and classification. The multitaper method (MTM) for nonparametric spectral estimation accomplishes these tasks accurately, effectively, robustly, and in a computationally feasible manner. The objectives of this paper are to present: 1) tutorial exposition of the MTM, which is expandable to perform space-time processing and time-frequency analysis; 2) cyclostationarity, viewed from the Loeve and Fourier perspectives; and 3) experimental results, using Advanced Television Systems Committee digital television and generic land mobile radio signals, followed by a discussion of the effects of Rayleigh fading.