LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Piecewise linear spine for speed-energy efficiency trade-off in quadruped robots

We compare the effects of linear and piecewise linear compliant spines on locomotion performance of quadruped robots in terms of energy efficiency and locomotion speed through a set of simulations and experiments. We first present a simple locomotion system that behaviorally resembles a bounding quadruped with flexible spine. Then, we show that robots with linear compliant spines have higher locomotion speed and lower cost of transportation in comparison with those with rigid spine. However, in linear case, optimal speed and minimum cost of transportation are attained at very different spine compliance values. Moreover, it is verified that fast and energy efficient locomotion can be achieved together when the spine flexibility is piecewise linear. Furthermore, it is shown that the robot with piecewise linear spine is more robust against changes in the load it carries. Superiority of piecewise linear spines over linear and rigid ones is additionally confirmed by simulating a quadruped robot in Webots and experiments on a crawling two-parts robot with flexible connection. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Youth tobacco product use in the United States.

BACKGROUND
Noncigarette tobacco products are increasingly popular among youth, especially cigarette smokers. Understanding multiple tobacco product use is necessary to assess the effects of tobacco products on population health. This study examines multiple tobacco product use and associated risk factors among US youth.


METHODS
Estimates of current use were calculated for cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, hookah, e-cigarettes, pipes, bidis, kreteks, snus, and dissolvable tobacco by using data from the 2012 National Youth Tobacco Survey (n = 24 658), a nationally representative sample of US middle and high school students. Associations between use patterns and demographic characteristics were examined by using multinomial logistic regression.


RESULTS
Among youth, 14.7% currently use 1 or more tobacco products. Of these, 2.8% use cigarettes exclusively, and 4% use 1 noncigarette product exclusively; 2.7% use cigarettes with another product (dual use), and 4.3% use 3 or more products (polytobacco use). Twice as many youth use e-cigarettes alone than dual use with cigarettes. Among smokers, polytobacco use was significantly associated with male gender (adjusted relative risk ratio [aRRR] = 3.71), by using flavored products (aRRR = 6.09), nicotine dependence (aRRR = 1.91), tobacco marketing receptivity (aRRR = 2.52), and perceived prevalence of peer use of tobacco products (aRRR = 3.61, 5.73).


CONCLUSIONS
More than twice as many youth in the United States currently use 2 or more tobacco products than cigarettes alone. Continued monitoring of tobacco use patterns is warranted, especially for e-cigarettes. Youth rates of multiple product use involving combustible products underscore needs for research assessing potential harms associated with these patterns.
Relationship of lipoproteins to cardiovascular events: the AIM-HIGH Trial (Atherothrombosis Intervention in Metabolic Syndrome With Low HDL/High Triglycerides and Impact on Global Health Outcomes).

OBJECTIVES
This study sought to examine the relationship between niacin treatment, lipoproteins, and cardiovascular (CV) outcomes in this secondary analysis of the AIM-HIGH (Atherothrombosis Intervention in Metabolic Syndrome With Low HDL/High Triglycerides and Impact on Global Health Outcomes) trial.


BACKGROUND
During a 3-year follow-up in 3,414 patients with established CV disease and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels, combined niacin + low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)-lowering therapy did not reduce CV events compared with LDL-C-lowering therapy alone.


METHODS
Subjects taking simvastatin and/or ezetimibe were randomized to receive extended-release (ER) niacin 1,500 to 2,000 mg or minimal immediate-release niacin (≤ 150 mg) as placebo at bedtime. LDL-C levels in both groups were maintained from 40 to 80 mg/dl. Hazard ratios were estimated by using Cox proportional hazards models for relationships between lipoproteins and the composite endpoint of CV death, myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome, ischemic stroke, or symptom-driven revascularization.


RESULTS
CV outcomes were not associated with ER niacin in any baseline lipoprotein tertile. In a subset of patients in both the highest triglyceride (≥ 198 mg/dl) and lowest HDL-C (<33 mg/dl) tertiles, ER niacin showed a trend toward benefit (hazard ratio: 0.74, p = 0.073). In-trial LDL-C levels, non-HDL-C levels, and the total cholesterol/HDL-C ratio were positively associated with CV events in the control group, but these relationships were absent in the ER niacin group.


CONCLUSIONS
Baseline lipoprotein tertiles did not predict differential benefit or harm with ER niacin added to LDL-C-lowering therapy, but a small dyslipidemic subgroup may benefit. ER niacin attenuated expected relationships of lipoprotein risk factors with CV events, raising the possibility that nonlipoprotein actions of niacin could affect risk. (Niacin Plus Statin to Prevent Vascular Events [AIM-HIGH]; NCT00120289).
Alcohol use and negative consequences among active duty military personnel.

AIMS
An examination of alcohol use patterns in the active duty military to determine the relations of drinking levels and self-reported negative outcomes.


DESIGN
A population-based cross-sectional study design using two-stage complex sampling methodology.


SETTING
Paper and pencil surveys were administered anonymously in groups at 64 U.S. military installations worldwide.


PARTICIPANTS
Randomly selected active duty members (28,546) at major military installations representing the total active force, with the exception of recruits, cadets, and incarcerated personnel.


MEASURES
Personnel were classified into five drinking levels ranging from abstainer to heavy drinker based on quantity and frequency of alcohol intake. Negative outcomes were measured as self-reported serious consequences of alcohol use and alcohol-related productivity loss. Risk for other alcohol related problems was assessed by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT).


FINDINGS
Alcohol negative outcomes showed a curvilinear dose-response relationship with drinking levels. Higher levels of drinking were associated with higher rates of alcohol problems, but problem rates were notably higher for heavy drinkers. Heavy alcohol users showed nearly three times the rate of self-reported serious consequences and over twice the rate of self-reported productivity loss than moderate/heavy drinkers. Heavy drinkers also had the highest risk for alcohol problems on the AUDIT. One fifth of military personnel were heavy drinkers and were most likely aged 18 to 35.


CONCLUSIONS
Prevention and clinical interventions should include a major focus on heavy drinkers. Commanders and peers should be trained in recognizing signs of heavy alcohol use and in approaching heavy alcohol users in a way that will foster positive attitudes as opposed to defensiveness and stigma.
Heavy metal removal from wastewater using various adsorbents : a review

Heavy metals are discharged into water from various industries. They can be toxic or carcinogenic in nature and can cause severe problems for humans and aquatic ecosystems. Thus, the removal of heavy metals fromwastewater is a serious problem. The adsorption process is widely used for the removal of heavy metals from wastewater because of its low cost, availability and eco-friendly nature. Both commercial adsorbents and bioadsorbents are used for the removal of heavy metals fromwastewater, with high removal capacity. This review article aims to compile scattered information on the different adsorbents that are used for heavy metal removal and to provide information on the commercially available and natural bioadsorbents used for removal of chromium, cadmium and copper, in particular. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licence (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which permits copying and redistribution for non-commercial purposes with no derivatives, provided the original work is properly cited (http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). doi: 10.2166/wrd.2016.104 Renu Madhu Agarwal (corresponding author) K. Singh Department of Chemical Engineering, Malaviya National Institute of Technology, JLN Marg, Jaipur 302017, India E-mail: madhunaresh@gmail.com
The Mythos of Model Interpretability

In machine learning, the concept of interpretability is both important and slippery.
Phase-coherent , injection-seeded , table-top soft-X-ray lasers at 18 . 9 nm and 13 . 9 nm

Y. WANG, E. GRANADOS, F. PEDACI, D. ALESSI, B. LUTHER, M. BERRILL AND J. J. ROCCA* National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center for Extreme Ultraviolet Science and Technology and Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA Department of Physics, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA *e-mail: rocca@engr.colostate.edu
Clinical observation on the treatment of male neoplastic anemia with Yixuesheng capsule combined with recombination human erythropoietin.

OBJECTIVE
To explore the efficacy and mechanism of Yixuesheng capsule (, YXS) combined with recombination human erythropoietin (RHE) in treating male neoplastic anemia (NA).


METHODS
Sixty-five patients were randomized into two groups, the 33 patients in the treated group treated with a combined therapy of YXS and RHE, and the 32 in the control group treated with RHE alone, all for 12 weeks. Related clinical indexes, including hemoglobin (Hgb), red blood cell (RBC), hematocrit (HMC), testosterone (T), estradiol (E(2)) and prolactin (PRL), were measured before and after treatment.)


RESULTS
After treatment, Hgb in the treated group and the control group was 108+/-5 g/L and 104+/-8 g/L respectively, showing marked improvement as compared with that before treatment (P<0.01), and the improvement in the former was more significant than that in the latter (P<0.05). Further, the level of T was also increased in the treated group after treatment (P<0.05), and showed a significant difference from that of the control group (P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
YXS capsule combined with RHE shows a better therapeutic effect in treating NA than that of RHE alone, and the effect might be through stimulation by YXS of erythropoiesis which could promote the secretion of testosterone.
Access to catheterisation facilities in patients admitted with acute coronary syndrome: multinational registry study.

OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relation between access to a cardiac catheterisation laboratory and clinical outcomes in patients admitted to hospital with suspected acute coronary syndrome.


DESIGN
Prospective, multinational, observational registry.


SETTING
Patients enrolled in 106 hospitals in 14 countries between April 1999 and March 2003.


PARTICIPANTS
28,825 patients aged > or = 18 years.


MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Use of percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass graft surgery, death, infarction after discharge, stroke, or major bleeding.


RESULTS
Most patients (77%) across all regions (United States, Europe, Argentina and Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada) were admitted to hospitals with catheterisation facilities. As expected, the availability of a catheterisation laboratory was associated with more frequent use of percutaneous coronary intervention (41% v 3.9%, P < 0.001) and coronary artery bypass graft (7.1% v 0.7%, P < 0.001). After adjustment for baseline characteristics, medical history, and geographical region there were no significant differences in the risk of early death between patients in hospitals with or without catheterisation facilities (odds ratio 1.13, 95% confidence interval 0.98 to 1.30, for death in hospital; hazard ratio 1.05, 0.93 to 1.18, for death at 30 days). The risk of death at six months was significantly higher in patients first admitted to hospitals with catheterisation facilities (hazard ratio 1.14, 1.03 to 1.26), as was the risk of bleeding complications in hospital (odds ratio 1.94, 1.57 to 2.39) and stroke (odds ratio 1.53, 1.10 to 2.14).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings support the current strategy of directing patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome to the nearest hospital with acute care facilities, irrespective of the availability of a catheterisation laboratory, and argue against early routine transfer of these patients to tertiary care hospitals with interventional facilities.
A Literature Overview of Fuzzy Database Models

Fuzzy set theory has been extensively applied to extend various database models and resulted in numerous contributions, mainly with respect to the popular relational model or to some related form of it. To satisfy the need of modeling complex objects with imprecision and uncertainty, recently many researches have been concentrated on fuzzy object-oriented database models. This paper reviews fuzzy database models, in which fuzzy relational and object-oriented databases are discussed.
Developing thai economic model to study cost-effectiveness of switching to bupropion compared to combination with bupropion after the failure of an SSRI for major depressive disorder.

OBJECTIVE
To present an economic model and cost-effectiveness estimates of switching to bupropion compared to combination with bupropion after failure of an SSRI for major depressive disorder (MDD).


MATERIAL AND METHOD
An economic model was developed to simulate the transitions of Thai outpatients with nonpsychotic MDD who had no remission or could not tolerate the SSRI citalopram and received either sustained-release bupropion monotherapy as switching strategy or sustained-release bupropion plus citalopram as combination strategy. Clinical data were obtained form 2 trials of the Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression (STAR*D) study. The four event probabilities: remission rates, rates of non-remission, discontinuation rates due to intolerance, and incidence of serious adverse events were estimated. Direct costs included drug cost, hospitalizations, and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). The primary outcome considered in the model was a remission of symptoms. Outputs were measured in terms of costs per remission and costs per quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs).


RESULTS
In the base-case analysis, the total direct costs with a bupropion switch were 22,937 THB per remission and 29,346 THB per remission with a bupropion combination. Compared with combination option, switching to bupropion also had lower total cost per QALY (28,672 THB vs. 36,682 THB) and had cost saving of 21.8%. The incremental cost-effectiveness of the combination regimen compared with the switching regimen was 6,409 THB per remission gained and 8,011 THB per QALY gained. In a sensitivity analysis, combination strategy dominated switching strategy if the value of the transitional probability of remission changed to a value of greater than 0.547.


CONCLUSION
The economic model indicated that treatment of MDD patients who fail to achieve remission from an SSRI with a switch to bupropion is a cost-effectiveness treatment option compared with a combination of SSRI with bupropion.
Teaching handover of care to medical students.

BACKGROUND
Handover is a key activity in acute health care, with patient safety implications if it is not performed well. This is becoming more important with shorter working hours and therefore a greater number of handovers. Despite this there is a paucity of evidence to guide education to enhance practice. A teaching session for senior medical students on handover of care was devised, delivered and evaluated, with the aim of producing a theoretically sound intervention that is acceptable to students and can be delivered with limited resources.


CONTEXT
Teaching sessions to improve the handover of care have been described before, but the descriptions lacked the detail to allow a reader to deliver the session as intended.


INNOVATION
We designed and delivered a 1-hour session on handover for senior medical students. This was based on models of handover practice and education, and was based on broader patient safety education principles. Student satisfaction was high and students rated their knowledge as having improved. No funding and minimal resources were used to develop and deliver the teaching session.


IMPLICATIONS
A pedagogically sound teaching session, based on best-evidence theories for modelling handover practice, is presented. The perceived ability to handover has also been extremely high after the intervention. Other educators can use this intervention as a starting point for designing interventions within their own setting, and to allow future research to investigate the effectiveness of such interventions.
Health at hand: A systematic review of smart watch uses for health and wellness

INTRODUCTION
Smart watches have the potential to support health in everyday living by: enabling self-monitoring of personal activity; obtaining feedback based on activity measures; allowing for in-situ surveys to identify patterns of behavior; and supporting bi-directional communication with health care providers and family members. However, smart watches are an emerging technology and research with these devices is at a nascent stage.


METHODS
We conducted a systematic review of smart watch studies that engaged people in their use by searching PubMed, Embase, IEEE XPlore and ACM Digital libraries. Participant demographics, device features, watch applications and methods, and technical challenges were abstracted from included studies.


RESULTS
Seventy-three studies were returned in the search. Seventeen studies published were included. Included studies were published from 2014 to 2016, with the exception of one published in 2011. Most studies employed the use of consumer-grade smart watches (14/17, 82%). Patient-related studies focused on activity monitoring, heart rate monitoring, speech therapy adherence, diabetes self-management, and detection of seizures, tremors, scratching, eating, and medication-taking behaviors. Most patient-related studies enrolled participants with few exclusion criteria to validate smart watch function (10/17, 58%). Only studies that focused on Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, and diabetes management enrolled persons living with targeted conditions. One study focused on nursing work in the ICU and one focused on CPR training for laypeople.


CONCLUSION
Consumer-grade smart watches have penetrated the health research space rapidly since 2014. Smart watch technical function, acceptability, and effectiveness in supporting health must be validated in larger field studies that enroll actual participants living with the conditions these devices target.
Improved edge-coloring with three colors

We show an O(1.344) = O(2) algorithm for edge-coloring an n-vertex graph using three colors. Our algorithm uses polynomial space. This improves over the previous, O(2) algorithm of Beigel and Eppstein [1]. We apply a very natural approach of generating inclusion-maximal matchings of the graph. The time complexity of our algorithm is estimated using the “measure and con-
A Compact Hall-Effect-Sensing 6-DOF Precision Positioner

This paper presents the design, control, and implementation of a compact high-precision multidimensional positioner. A 1.52-kg single levitated moving part, named as the platen, generates all six-axis fine and coarse motions, resulting in a reliable and effective positioning system. Three laser distance sensors are used to measure its vertical translational motion and x- and y-axis rotational motion. Three two-axis Hall-effect sensors are used to determine its lateral motions and rotational motion about the z -axis by measuring the magnetic flux density generated by a magnet matrix. Real-time control is implemented on a Linux-based operating system, Real-Time Application Interface (RTAI) with COntrol and MEasurement Device Interface (Comedi) and Comedi libraries. A maximum travel of 220 mm in the x -direction and 200 mm in the y-direction, and a rotation angle of 18.6° about the z-axis were achieved experimentally. A maximum velocity of 0.3 m/s with an acceleration of 3.6 m/s2 was obtained in the y-direction. Step responses the demonstrated a 10- μm resolution and 6-μm rms noise in the translational mode. This compact single-moving-part positioner is suitable for use in precision-positioning systems, e.g., in semiconductor manufacturing.
The relationship of motor skills and adaptive behavior skills in young children with autism spectrum disorders.

OBJECTIVE
To determine the relationship of motor skills and the core behaviors of young children with autism, social affective skills and repetitive behaviors, as indicated through the calibrated autism severity scores.


DESIGN
The univariate GLM tested the relationship of gross and fine motor skills measured by the gross motor scale and the fine motor scale of the MSEL with autism symptomology as measured by calibrated autism severity scores.


SETTING
Majority of the data collected took place in an autism clinic.


PARTICIPANTS
A cohort of 159 young children with ASD (n=110), PDD-NOS (n=26) and non-ASD (developmental delay, n=23) between the ages of 12-33 months were recruited from early intervention studies and clinical referrals. Children with non-ASD (developmental delay) were included in this study to provide a range of scores indicted through calibrated autism severity.


INTERVENTIONS
Not applicable.


MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
The primary outcome measures in this study were calibrated autism severity scores.


RESULTS
Fine motor skills and gross motor skills significantly predicted calibrated autism severity (p < 0.01). Children with weaker motor skills displayed higher levels of calibrated autism severity.


CONCLUSIONS
The fine and gross motor skills are significantly related to autism symptomology. There is more to focus on and new avenues to explore in the realm of discovering how to implement early intervention and rehabilitation for young children with autism and motor skills need to be a part of the discussion.
Competitive EM algorithm for finite mixture models

In this paper, we present a novel competitive EM (CEM) algorithm for "nite mixture models to overcome the two main drawbacks of the EM algorithm: often getting trapped at local maxima and sometimes converging to the boundary of the parameter space. The proposed algorithm is capable of automatically choosing the clustering number and selecting the “split” or “merge” operations e7ciently based on the new competitive mechanism we propose. It is insensitive to the initial con"guration of the mixture component number and model parameters. Experiments on synthetic data show that our algorithm has very promising performance for the parameter estimation of mixture models. The algorithm is also applied to the structure analysis of complicated Chinese characters. The results show that the proposed algorithm performs much better than previous methods with slightly heavier computation burden. ? 2003 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of Pattern Recognition Society.