LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
A meta-analysis of mortality and major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events following transcatheter aortic valve implantation versus surgical aortic valve replacement for severe aortic stenosis.

The purpose of this meta-analysis was to compare postprocedural mortality and major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events between transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) for severe aortic stenosis. Seventeen studies (n = 4,659) comparing TAVI (n = 2,267) and SAVR (n = 2,392) were included. End points were baseline logistic European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation score, all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke, transient ischemic attack, and major bleeding events. Mean differences or risk ratios with 95% confidence intervals were computed, and p values <0.05 were considered significant. The population was matched for risk between the 2 groups on the basis of logistic European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation score for all outcomes except 30-day all-cause mortality, which had a high-risk population in the TAVI group (p = 0.02). There was no significant difference found in all-cause mortality at 30 days (p = 0.97) and at an average of 85 weeks (p = 0.07). There was no significant difference in cardiovascular mortality (p = 0.54) as well as the incidence of myocardial infarction (p = 0.59), stroke (p = 0.36), and transient ischemic attack (p = 0.85) at averages of 86, 72, 66, and 89 weeks, respectively. Compared with patients who underwent TAVI, those who underwent SAVR had a significantly higher frequency of major bleeding events (p <0.0001) at mean follow-up of 66 weeks. In conclusion, TAVI has similar cardiovascular and all-cause mortality to SAVR at early and long-term follow-up. TAVI is superior to SAVR for major bleeding complications and noninferior to SAVR for postprocedural myocardial infarctions and cerebrovascular events. TAVI is a safe alternative to SAVR in selected high-risk elderly patients with severe aortic stenosis.
Clinical investigation of the protective effects of palm vitamin E tocotrienols on brain white matter.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Previous cell-based and animal studies showed mixed tocotrienols are neuroprotective, but the effect is yet to be proven in humans. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the protective activity of mixed tocotrienols in humans with white matter lesions (WMLs). WMLs are regarded as manifestations of cerebral small vessel disease, reflecting varying degrees of neurodegeneration and tissue damage with potential as a surrogate end point in clinical trials.


METHODS
A total of 121 volunteers aged ≥35 years with cardiovascular risk factors and MRI-confirmed WMLs were randomized to receive 200 mg mixed tocotrienols or placebo twice a day for 2 years. The WML volumes were measured from MRI images taken at baseline, 1 year, and 2 years using a validated software and were compared. Fasting blood samples were collected for full blood chemistry investigation.


RESULTS
According to per-protocol (88 volunteers) and intention-to-treat (121 volunteers) analyses, the mean WML volume of the placebo group increased after 2 years, whereas that of the tocotrienol-supplemented group remained essentially unchanged. The mean WML volume change between the 2 groups was not significantly different (P=0.150) at the end of 1 year but was significant at the end of 2 years for both per-protocol and intention-to-treat analyses (P=0.019 and P=0.018). No significant difference was observed in the blood chemistry parameters between the 2 groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Mixed tocotrienols were found to attenuate the progression of WMLs.


CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION URL
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00753532.
Watermarking Using Decimal Sequences

This paper introduces the use of decimal sequences in a code division multiple access (CDMA) based watermarking system to hide information for authentication in black and white images. Matlab version 6.5 was used to implement the algorithms discussed in this paper. The advantage of using d-sequences over PN sequences is that one can choose from a variety of prime numbers which provides a more flexible system.
How Reliable Are ATP Bioluminescence Meters in Assessing Decontamination of Environmental Surfaces in Healthcare Settings?

BACKGROUND
Meters based on adenosine triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence measurements in relative light units (RLU) are often used to rapidly assess the level of cleanliness of environmental surfaces in healthcare and other settings. Can such ATP measurements be adversely affected by factors such as soil and cleaner-disinfectant chemistry?


OBJECTIVE
This study tested a number of leading ATP meters for their sensitivity, linearity of the measurements, correlation of the readings to the actual microbial contamination, and the potential disinfectant chemicals' interference in their readings.


METHODS
First, solutions of pure ATP in various concentrations were used to construct a standard curve and determine linearity and sensitivity. Serial dilutions of a broth culture of Staphylococcus aureus, as a representative nosocomial pathogen, were then used to determine if a given meter's ATP readings correlated with the actual CFUs. Next, various types of disinfectant chemistries were tested for their potential to interfere with the standard ATP readings.


RESULTS
All four ATP meters tested herein demonstrated acceptable linearity and repeatability in their readings. However, there were significant differences in their sensitivity to detect the levels of viable microorganisms on experimentally contaminated surfaces. Further, most disinfectant chemistries tested here quenched the ATP readings variably in different ATP meters evaluated.


CONCLUSIONS
Apart from their limited sensitivity in detecting low levels of microbial contamination, the ATP meters tested were also prone to interference by different disinfectant chemistries.
A Practical Relay Attack on ISO 14443 Proximity Cards

Contactless smart cards are used in access control and payment systems. This paper illustrates an attack which effectively allows an attacker to ‘borrow’ the victim’s card for a short period without requiring physical access to the victim’s card. As a result the legitimate owner will remain unaware of the attack. We show that our hardware successfully executed a relay attack against an ISO 14443A contactless smart card, up to a distance of 50 m. Simply relaying information between the card and reader over a longer distance does not require the same technical resources from the attacker as hardware tampering or cryptanalysis. This attack is therefore a feasible method for circumventing current security protocols with little effort. Since application-level measures fail to protect against relay attacks, we discuss possible solutions involving characteristics of the physical communication medium.
A tutorial on verification and validation of simulation models (1984)

In this tutorial paper we give a general introduction to verification and validation of simulation models, define the various validation techniques, and present a recommended model validation procedure.
Co-administration of human papillomavirus-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine with hepatitis B vaccine: randomized study in healthy girls.

BACKGROUND
To evaluate co-administration of GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals' human papillomavirus-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine (HPV) and hepatitis B vaccine (HepB).


METHODS
This was a randomized, controlled, open, multicenter study. Healthy girls, aged 9-15 years, were randomized to receive HPV (n=247), HepB (n=247) or HPV co-administered with HepB (HPV+HepB; n=247) at Months 0, 1 and 6. Antibodies against hepatitis B surface antigen (HBs), HPV-16 and HPV-18 were measured, and reactogenicity and safety monitored. Co-primary objectives were to demonstrate non-inferiority of hepatitis B and HPV-16/18 immune responses at Month 7 for co-administered vaccines, compared with vaccines administered alone, in the according-to-protocol cohort.


RESULTS
The pre-defined criteria for non-inferiority were met for all co-primary immunogenicity endpoints at Month 7. Anti-HBs seroprotection rates ≥10mIU/mL were achieved by 97.9% and 100% of girls, respectively, following co-administration or HepB alone. Anti-HBs geometric mean titers (GMTs) (95% confidence interval) were 1280.9 (973.3-1685.7) and 3107.7 (2473.1-3905.1) milli-international units/mL, respectively. Anti-HPV-16 and -18 seroconversion rates were achieved by ≥99% of girls following co-administration or HPV alone. Anti-HPV-16 GMTs were 19819.8 (16856.9-23303.6) and 21712.6 (19460.2-24225.6) ELISA units (ELU)/mL, respectively. Anti-HPV-18 GMTs were 8835.1 (7636.3-10222.1) and 8838.6 (7948.5-9828.4) ELU/mL, respectively. Co-administration was generally well tolerated.


CONCLUSIONS
The study results support the co-administration of HPV-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine with hepatitis B vaccine in adolescent girls aged 9-15 years.


CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION
ClinicalTrials.gov registration number NCT00652938.
Evaluation of the neurovascular bundle position at the palate with cone beam computed tomography: an observational study

BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to investigate the neurovascular bundle (NVB) position with cone-beam computerized tomography (CBCT).


METHODS
CBCT images of 345 patients were evaluated. The distance from the neurovascular bundle to the cemento-enamel junction (CEJ) was measured (DNB). The distance from mid-palatal suture to the alveolar crest was used to determine the palatal depth. Palatal junction angle (PA) was measured using the junction angle between the hard palate and alveolar crest. The relationships between the DNB and the palatal depth and between these two parameters and the PA were evaluated. Student's t-test was used to analyze the differences in DNB related to gender, and the correlation between the DNB while Pearson correlation analysis was used to determine the correlation between the DNB and age (p = 0.05). The relationship between the DNB and the palatal depth, and the relationship between these two parameters and the PA were also evaluated using Pearson correlation analysis.


RESULTS
Except at the canine and first premolar areas the DNB was positively correlated with the palatal depth. No significant relationship between the PA and DNB or with PVD was observed. The highest DNB was 14 mm at the first molar, and the lowest was 10.8 mm at the canine.


CONCLUSIONS
Care is needed while rotating flap and harvesting the subepithelial connective tissue graft at the canine area because the neurovascular bundle passes approximately 11 mm apically to CEJ at the canine region.
Genius: negotiation environment for heterogeneous agents

In this demo, we present GENIUS, a tool that facilitates research in the area of bilateral multi-issue negotiation. It implements an open architecture allowing easy development and integration of existing negotiating agents. GENIUS can be used to simulate individual negotiation sessions as well as tournaments between negotiating agents in various negotiation scenarios. It allows the specification of negotiation domains and preference profiles by means of a graphical user interface. A number of negotiating agent implementations as well as negotiation scenarios have been collected in GENIUS. GENIUS can be used in experiments with human negotiators that negotiate against automated agents or other humans. An analytical toolbox integrated in GENIUS calculates optimal solutions, such as the Pareto efficient frontier, Nash product and others. This toolbox may be used to visualize a negotiation process and creates an extensive log.
The economics of immigration: An Austrian contribution

Any managed migration system will fail to achieve the optimal quantity or mix of immigrants because centrally planning the international labor market suffers from the same epistemic problems that make it impossible to optimally plan any market. In response to the artificial relative price structure, imposed by managed migration systems, the domestic stock of human and physical capital becomes distorted. Managed migration systems also set in motion the dynamics of intervention that lead to further interventions into the economy.
Subjectivity and sentiment analysis of Arabic: Trends and challenges

Recently, subjectivity and sentiment analysis of Arabic has received much attention from the research community. In the past two years, an enormous number of references in the field have emerged compared to what has been published in previous years. In this paper, we present an updated survey of the emerging research on subjectivity and sentiment analysis of Arabic. We also highlight the challenges and future research directions in this field.
A critical assessment of imbalanced class distribution problem: The case of predicting freshmen student attrition

Predicting student attrition is an intriguing yet challenging problem for any academic institution. Classimbalanced data is a common in the field of student retention, mainly because a lot of students register but fewer students drop out. Classification techniques for imbalanced dataset can yield deceivingly high prediction accuracy where the overall predictive accuracy is usually driven by the majority class at the expense of having very poor performance on the crucial minority class. In this study, we compared different data balancing techniques to improve the predictive accuracy in minority class while maintaining satisfactory overall classification performance. Specifically, we tested three balancing techniques—oversampling, under-sampling and synthetic minority over-sampling (SMOTE)—along with four popular classification methods—logistic regression, decision trees, neuron networks and support vector machines. We used a large and feature rich institutional student data (between the years 2005 and 2011) to assess the efficacy of both balancing techniques as well as prediction methods. The results indicated that the support vector machine combined with SMOTE data-balancing technique achieved the best classification performance with a 90.24% overall accuracy on the 10-fold holdout sample. All three data-balancing techniques improved the prediction accuracy for the minority class. Applying sensitivity analyses on developed models, we also identified the most important variables for accurate prediction of student attrition. Application of these models has the potential to accurately predict at-risk students and help reduce student dropout rates. 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Data Mining in the Dark : Darknet Intelligence Automation

Open-source intelligence offers value in information security decision making through knowledge of threats and malicious activities that potentially impact business. Open-source intelligence using the internet is common, however, using the darknet is less common for the typical cybersecurity analyst. The challenges to using the darknet for open-source intelligence includes using specialized collection, processing, and analysis tools. While researchers share techniques, there are few publicly shared tools; therefore, this paper explores an open-source intelligence automation toolset that scans across the darknet connecting, collecting, processing, and analyzing. It describes and shares the tools and processes to build a secure darknet connection, and then how to collect, process, store, and analyze data. Providing tools and processes serves as an on-ramp for cybersecurity intelligence analysts to search for threats. Future studies may refine, expand, and deepen this paper's toolset framework. © 2 01 7 T he SA NS In sti tut e, Au tho r R eta ins Fu ll R igh ts © 2017 The SANS Institute Author retains full rights. Data Mining in the Dark 2 Nafziger, Brian
Using Twitter to Collect a Multi-Dialectal Corpus of Arabic

This paper describes the collection and classification of a multi-dialectal corpus of Arabic based on the geographical information of tweets. We mapped information of user locations to one of the Arab countries, and extracted tweets that have dialectal word(s). Manual evaluation of the extracted corpus shows that the accuracy of assignment of tweets to some countries (like Saudi Arabia and Egypt) is above 93% while the accuracy for other countries, such Algeria and Syria is below 70%.
A meta-analysis of the efficacy of acupuncture in treating dysphagia in patients with a stroke.

BACKGROUND
Dysphagia, or deglutition difficulty, is a common manifestation in patients with a stroke and its management is an important aspect of rehabilitation. Acupuncture, a complementary and alternative therapy, is the subject of growing public interest for treatment of stroke.


OBJECTIVE
A meta-analysis was performed to study the effect of acupuncture for treatment of dysphagia in patients affected by a stroke.


METHODS
Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing acupuncture treatment with non-acupuncture treatment of dysphagia in patients with a stroke were identified from the databases of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and CBM disc (China Biological Medicine Database). Eligible investigations were included and data on the effectiveness of acupuncture were extracted and synthesised by meta-analysis using RevMan 5.1.4. Results were expressed as OR for dichotomous data; 95% CIs were also calculated.


RESULTS
Seventy-two RCTs (3208 patients in the treatment group and 2926 patients in the control group) were identified. Details of randomisation and blinding were not reported and information on withdrawals and dropouts was missing in most of included reports. Meta-analysis showed that the effectiveness of treatment in the group receiving acupuncture was higher than that in the non-acupuncture group (OR=5.17, 95% CI 4.18 to 6.38; p<0.00001). However, the study quality was generally low and of insufficient quality to make recommendations about using acupuncture in the rehabilitation of patients with dysphagia due to stroke.


CONCLUSIONS
Acupuncture might be beneficial in the rehabilitation of patients with dysphagia caused by stroke, and the evidence justifies future high-quality studies.
The Sixth-Finger: A modular extra-finger to enhance human hand capabilities

Robotic prosthesis are usually intended as artificial device extensions replacing a missing part of a human body. A new approach regarding robotic limbs is presented here. A modular robot is used not only for replacing a missing part of the body but also as an extra-limb in order to enhance manipulation dexterity and enlarge the workspace of human beings. In this work, the model and control of an additional finger, the Sixth-Finger, is presented as a case study of this type of robotic limbs. The robotic finger has been placed on the wrist opposite to the hand palm. This solution allows to enlarge the hand workspace, increasing the grasp capability of the user. An object-based mapping algorithm is proposed to control the robotic extra-finger by interpreting the whole hand motion in grasping action. A four DoFs modular prototype is presented along with numerical simulations and real experiments. The proposed Sixth-Finger can lead to a wide range of applications in the direction of augmenting human capabilities through wearable robotics.
A Virtual Reprise of the Stanley Milgram Obedience Experiments

BACKGROUND
Stanley Milgram's 1960s experimental findings that people would administer apparently lethal electric shocks to a stranger at the behest of an authority figure remain critical for understanding obedience. Yet, due to the ethical controversy that his experiments ignited, it is nowadays impossible to carry out direct experimental studies in this area. In the study reported in this paper, we have used a similar paradigm to the one used by Milgram within an immersive virtual environment. Our objective has not been the study of obedience in itself, but of the extent to which participants would respond to such an extreme social situation as if it were real in spite of their knowledge that no real events were taking place.


METHODOLOGY
Following the style of the original experiments, the participants were invited to administer a series of word association memory tests to the (female) virtual human representing the stranger. When she gave an incorrect answer, the participants were instructed to administer an 'electric shock' to her, increasing the voltage each time. She responded with increasing discomfort and protests, eventually demanding termination of the experiment. Of the 34 participants, 23 saw and heard the virtual human, and 11 communicated with her only through a text interface.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results show that in spite of the fact that all participants knew for sure that neither the stranger nor the shocks were real, the participants who saw and heard her tended to respond to the situation at the subjective, behavioural and physiological levels as if it were real. This result reopens the door to direct empirical studies of obedience and related extreme social situations, an area of research that is otherwise not open to experimental study for ethical reasons, through the employment of virtual environments.
Multiple sclerosis risk after optic neuritis: final optic neuritis treatment trial follow-up.

OBJECTIVE
To assess the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) after optic neuritis and the factors predictive of high and low risk.


DESIGN
Subjects in the Optic Neuritis Treatment Trial, who were enrolled between July 1, 1988, and June 30, 1991, were followed up prospectively for 15 years, with the final examination in 2006.


SETTING
Neurologic and ophthalmologic examinations at 13 clinical sites.


PARTICIPANTS
Three hundred eighty-nine subjects with acute optic neuritis.


MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Development of MS and neurologic disability assessment.


RESULTS
The cumulative probability of developing MS by 15 years after onset of optic neuritis was 50% (95% confidence interval, 44%-56%) and strongly related to presence of lesions on a baseline non-contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain. Twenty-five percent of patients with no lesions on baseline brain MRI developed MS during follow-up compared with 72% of patients with 1 or more lesions. After 10 years, the risk of developing MS was very low for patients without baseline lesions but remained substantial for those with lesions. Among patients without lesions on MRI, baseline factors associated with a substantially lower risk for MS included male sex, optic disc swelling, and certain atypical features of optic neuritis.


CONCLUSIONS
The presence of brain MRI abnormalities at the time of an optic neuritis attack is a strong predictor of the 15-year risk of MS. In the absence of MRI-detected lesions, male sex, optic disc swelling, and atypical clinical features of optic neuritis are associated with a low likelihood of developing MS. This natural history information is important when considering prophylactic treatment for MS at the time of a first acute onset of optic neuritis.