LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
A multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind phase II trial evaluating the optimal dose, efficacy and safety of LC 15-0444 in patients with type 2 diabetes.

AIM
The objective of this study was to evaluate the optimal dose, efficacy and safety of a novel dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-IV) inhibitor, LC15-0444, in Korean subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus treated by diet and exercise.


METHODS
This study was a double-blind, randomized, multicenter and parallel-group, dose-range finding study. We enrolled 145 patients (91 men and 54 women) with a median age of 53 years and a median body mass index of 25.1 kg/m(2) . The median baseline fasting plasma glucose (FPG) was 8.1 mmol/l, the median HbA1c was 7.9% and the median time since the diagnosis of diabetes was 3 years. After 2 weeks of an exercise/diet programme followed by 2 weeks of a placebo period, the subjects were randomized to one of the four following groups for a 12-week active treatment period: placebo and 50, 100 or 200 mg of LC15-0444.


RESULTS
All three doses of LC15-0444 significantly reduced the HbA1c from baseline compared to the placebo group (-0.06 vs. -0.98, -0.74 and -0.78% in the placebo and 50, 100 and 200 mg groups, respectively), without a significant difference between the doses. Subjects with a higher baseline HbA1c (≥8.5%) had a greater reduction in HbA1c. Insulin secretory function, as assessed using homeostasis model assessment-beta cell, C-peptide and the insulinogenic index, improved significantly with LC15-0444 treatment. Insulin sensitivity, as assessed using homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance, also improved significantly after 12 weeks of treatment. The 50 and 200 mg groups had significantly reduced total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels at 12 weeks compared to the placebo group. No dosage of LC15-0444 affected weight or waist circumference. The incidences of adverse events were similar in all study subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
LC15-0444 monotherapy (50 mg for 12 weeks) improved the HbA1c, FPG level, oral glucose tolerance test results, β-cell function and insulin sensitivity measures, and was well tolerated in Korean subjects with type 2 diabetes.
From structure from motion to historical building information modeling: populating a semantic-aware library of architectural elements

In recent years, we have witnessed a huge diffusion of building information modeling (BIM) approaches in the field of architectural design, although very little research has been undertaken to explore the value, criticalities, and advantages attributable to the application of these methodologies in the cultural heritage domain. Furthermore, the last developments in digital photogrammetry lead to the easy generation of reliable low-cost three-dimensional textured models that could be used in BIM platforms to create semanticaware objects that could compose a specific library of historical architectural elements. In this case, the transfer between the point cloud and its corresponding parametric model is not so trivial and the level of geometrical abstraction could not be suitable with the scope of the BIM. The aim of this paper is to explore and retrace the milestone works on this crucial topic in order to identify the unsolved issues and to propose and test a unique and simple workflow practitioner centered and based on the use of the latest available solutions for point cloud managing into commercial BIM platforms. © 2016 SPIE and IS&T [DOI: 10.1117/1.JEI.26.1.011007]
The importance of posture on the isokinetic assessment of spasticity

Objective: To measure spasticity of the knee flexors and extensor muscles in two different hip positions.Setting: Swiss Paraplegic Center Nottwil, Switzerland.Methods: Twenty spinal cord injured (SCI) patients with complete lesions were tested with a torque-velocity dynamometer in the following positions: (1) supine with a hip angle of 0°; (2) sitting with a hip angle of 90°. The excursion of the knee was measured for both positions using a goniometer. Two flexion/extension movements of the knee were performed at a speed of 10° per sec. A further four flexion/extension movements over the same trajectory were made at a speed of 120° per sec. Eccentric peak torques were measured continuously during movement of both legs for both speeds.Results: At a speed of 120° per second, there was a significant difference in stretch reflex of the hamstrings and quadriceps femoris muscles for the two positions (Wilcoxon's paired t-test, P<0.05). Excitability was higher for the quadriceps femoris muscles in supine than in sitting position. For the hamstrings, the effect was reversed. Significant differences between sitting and supine position were not found for the speed of 10° per sec. Test–retest reliability was high for the movements of 120° per sec but low for 10° per sec.Conclusions: Our findings indicate that for a reliable and comparable measurement of spasticity, an exact description of test position and procedure is essential.
Validation of a questionnaire in Spanish on asthma knowledge in teachers.

OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the reliability and validity of the Spanish version of the NewCastle Asthma Knowledge Questionnaire (NAKQ) for determining asthma knowledge in teachers.


METHODS



DESIGN AND SAMPLE
A cross-sectional observational study in educational centers of A Coruña providing preschool, primary school and/or compulsory secondary education. Centers were selected by random sampling, stratified by ownership and educational level (24centers, 864teachers). A total of 537 (62.1%) teachers responded (precision, ±4%, confidence, 95%).


MEASUREMENTS
Age, sex, academic training, teaching experience, personal/family history of asthma, NAKQ.


ANALYSIS
Evaluation of internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha). Concurrent validity was determined by comparing scores of asthmatic teachers or with asthmatic relatives with teachers with no contact with asthma. Test-retest reliability was evaluated in two randomly selected centers by the kappa index, Bland-Altman method and intraclass correlation coefficient.


RESULTS
Mean score on the NAKQ was 15.7±5.3 (median 17), correctly answering 50.6% of items. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.824 (95%CI: 0.802-0.845). NAKQ score was higher in asthmatic teachers or with close asthmatic relatives (17.7±3.3) than in teachers with distant asthmatic relatives (16.1±5.4) and teachers without close contact with asthma (15.1±5.6; P<0.001). In the test-retest analysis (kappa 0.33-1), there were no differences in NAKQ score between the first and second completion (mean difference, 0.3±2.3; intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.863).


CONCLUSIONS
Scores obtained with the Spanish version of the NAKQ in teachers of Spanish school centers are reliable and valid to measure their degree of asthma knowledge.
Diabetes and progression of carotid atherosclerosis: the insulin resistance atherosclerosis study.

OBJECTIVE
We sought to determine the rate of progression of carotid atherosclerosis in persons with normal glucose tolerance, impaired glucose tolerance, and undiagnosed and diagnosed type 2 diabetes.


METHODS AND RESULTS
The Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Study (IRAS) is an observational cohort study in which 1192 men and women were examined at a 5-year interval. Participants of 3 ethnic groups (non-Hispanic white, African American, and Hispanic) were selected from the general population to represent a range of glucose tolerance. Baseline and follow-up ultrasound studies were obtained to estimate progression of common carotid artery (CCA) and internal carotid artery (ICA) intimal-medial thickness (IMT). Baseline glucose tolerance status was defined by an oral glucose tolerance test and World Health Organization criteria. In persons with normal glucose tolerance, progression of CCA IMT was 3.8 microm/y, and ICA IMT, 17.7 microm/y. In both CCA and ICA, progression of IMT, unadjusted for cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, was approximately twice the rate in persons with diabetes than in those with normal or impaired glucose tolerance. Adjustment for CVD risk factors attenuated these differences somewhat in both sites of the carotid artery. Persons with undiagnosed diabetes had a greater ICA IMT progression rate than did persons with diagnosed diabetes (33.9 microm/y vs 26.6 microm/y, P=NS). Progression rates did not differ between persons with normal and impaired glucose tolerance.


CONCLUSIONS
Progression of carotid atherosclerosis is accelerated in persons with diabetes. Progression of ICA IMT is most pronounced in persons with undiagnosed diabetes. Early identification of diabetes and CVD risk factor control might reduce its atherosclerotic complications.
Embodied Conversational Agents in Clinical Psychology: A Scoping Review

BACKGROUND
Embodied conversational agents (ECAs) are computer-generated characters that simulate key properties of human face-to-face conversation, such as verbal and nonverbal behavior. In Internet-based eHealth interventions, ECAs may be used for the delivery of automated human support factors.


OBJECTIVE
We aim to provide an overview of the technological and clinical possibilities, as well as the evidence base for ECA applications in clinical psychology, to inform health professionals about the activity in this field of research.


METHODS
Given the large variety of applied methodologies, types of applications, and scientific disciplines involved in ECA research, we conducted a systematic scoping review. Scoping reviews aim to map key concepts and types of evidence underlying an area of research, and answer less-specific questions than traditional systematic reviews. Systematic searches for ECA applications in the treatment of mood, anxiety, psychotic, autism spectrum, and substance use disorders were conducted in databases in the fields of psychology and computer science, as well as in interdisciplinary databases. Studies were included if they conveyed primary research findings on an ECA application that targeted one of the disorders. We mapped each study's background information, how the different disorders were addressed, how ECAs and users could interact with one another, methodological aspects, and the study's aims and outcomes.


RESULTS
This study included N=54 publications (N=49 studies). More than half of the studies (n=26) focused on autism treatment, and ECAs were used most often for social skills training (n=23). Applications ranged from simple reinforcement of social behaviors through emotional expressions to sophisticated multimodal conversational systems. Most applications (n=43) were still in the development and piloting phase, that is, not yet ready for routine practice evaluation or application. Few studies conducted controlled research into clinical effects of ECAs, such as a reduction in symptom severity.


CONCLUSIONS
ECAs for mental disorders are emerging. State-of-the-art techniques, involving, for example, communication through natural language or nonverbal behavior, are increasingly being considered and adopted for psychotherapeutic interventions in ECA research with promising results. However, evidence on their clinical application remains scarce. At present, their value to clinical practice lies mostly in the experimental determination of critical human support factors. In the context of using ECAs as an adjunct to existing interventions with the aim of supporting users, important questions remain with regard to the personalization of ECAs' interaction with users, and the optimal timing and manner of providing support. To increase the evidence base with regard to Internet interventions, we propose an additional focus on low-tech ECA solutions that can be rapidly developed, tested, and applied in routine practice.
Multispectral Detection of Commercial Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

The fight against unmanned vehicles is nothing new; however, especially with the arrival of new technologies that are easily accessible for the wider population, new problems are arising. The deployment of small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by paramilitary organizations during conflicts around the world has become a reality, non-lethal "paparazzi" actions have become a common practice, and it is only a matter of time until the population faces lethal attacks. The basic prerequisite for direct defense against attacking UAVs is their detection. The authors of this paper analysed the possibility of detecting flying aircraft in several different electro-magnetic spectrum bands. Firstly, methods based on calculations and simulations were chosen, and experiments in laboratories and measurements of the exterior were subsequently performed. As a result, values of the radar cross section (RCS), the noise level, the surface temperature, and optical as well as acoustic traces of tested devices were quantified. The outputs obtained from calculated, simulated, and experimentally detected values were found via UAV detection distances using specific sensors working in corresponding parts of the frequency spectrum.
Effect of a platelet activating factor antagonist, WEB 2086, on allergen induced asthmatic responses.

BACKGROUND
Platelet activating factor (PAF) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of airway hyperresponsiveness in asthma. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a selective PAF antagonist (WEB 2086), given in doses known to antagonise the effects of inhaled PAF in human subjects, on allergen induced early and late asthmatic responses and on airway hyperresponsiveness.


METHODS
Eight atopic, mildly asthmatic subjects were studied during a screening period and two treatment periods. During the screening period subjects inhaled an allergen to which they were known to be sensitised and the response was measured as the fall in the forced expired volume in one second (FEV1) to show the presence of early (0-1 h) and late (3-7 h) asthmatic responses. On another day the subjects inhaled allergen diluent. During the treatment periods subjects inhaled allergen after one week's pretreatment with WEB 2086 (100 mg three times a day) or placebo administered in a randomised, double blind, crossover fashion. Histamine airway responsiveness was measured 24 hours before and 24 hours after allergen and the results were expressed as the provocative concentration causing a 20% fall in FEV1 (PC20).


RESULTS
The maximal early asthmatic response after allergen with placebo treatment was 18.4% (SE 4.4%) and with WEB 2086 18.9% (4.4%). The maximal late response with placebo treatment was 21.7% (5.3%) and with WEB 2086 21.2% (3.0%). The log difference (before and after allergen) in histamine PC20 was 0.35 (0.06) after placebo treatment and 0.30 (0.1) after WEB 2086.


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate that one week of treatment with an orally administered PAF antagonist (WEB 2086) does not attenuate allergen induced early or late responses or airway hyperresponsiveness.
An Ontology-Supported Case-Based Reasoning Technique for FAQ Proxy Service

This paper discusses how ontology helps case-based reasoning to provide better FAQ services. The proposed CBR technique works as a FAQ proxy service between the users and the backend process of a FAQ system. It can reason about adapted answers for given user queries, with the help of domain ontology, from past query cases stored in the case library, which is then fine-tuned according to the user feedback. The technique employs the semantics of PC ontology, in particular, the VRelationships semantic, to determine similar cases, perform case adaptation, and maintain cases. It also self-improves itself by tuning the survival value of each case in the case library in accord with user satisfaction and case similarity, which in turn are both user-oriented and ontology-supported. Our experiment shows the ontology-supported CBR takes up around 40% queries, leaving about 60% of the queries for the backend process to take care, which can effectively alleviate the overloading problem usually associated with a backend server.
Effect of ionized serum calcium on outcomes in acute kidney injury needing renal replacement therapy: secondary analysis of the acute renal failure trial network study.

BACKGROUND
Hypocalcemia is very common in critically ill patients. While the effect of ionized calcium (iCa) on outcome is not well understood, manipulation of iCa in critically ill patients is a common practice. We analyzed all-cause mortality and several secondary outcomes in patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) by categories of serum iCa among participants in the Acute Renal Failure Trial Network (ATN) Study.


METHODS
This is a post hoc secondary analysis of the ATN Study which was not preplanned in the original trial. Risk of mortality and renal recovery by categories of iCa were compared using multiple fixed and adjusted time-varying Cox regression models. Multiple linear regression models were used to explore the impact of baseline iCa on days free from ICU and hospital.


RESULTS
A total of 685 patients were included in the analysis. Mean age was 60 (SD=15) years. There were 502 male patients (73.3%). Sixty-day all-cause mortality was 57.0%, 54.8%, and 54.4%, in patients with an iCa<1, 1-1.14, and ≥1.15 mmol/L, respectively (p=0.87). Mean of days free from ICU or hospital in all patients and the 28-day renal recovery in survivors to Day 28 were not significantly different by categories of iCa. The hazard for death in a fully adjusted time-varying Cox regression survival model was 1.7 (95% CI: 1.3-2.4) comparing iCa<1 to iCa≥1.15 mmol/L. No outcome was different for levels of iCa>1 mmol/L.


CONCLUSION
Severe hypocalcemia with iCa<1 mmol/L independently predicted mortality in patients with AKI needing renal replacement therapy.
Pregnancy complicating systemic lupus erythematosus: a series of 86 cases

To investigate the timing of pregnancy and pregnancy termination and its management in women with pregnancy complicating systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). A series of 86 cases of pregnancy complicating SLE treated in our hospital from January 2005 to June 2010 were retrospectively reviewed, including 54 cases of planned pregnancy and 32 cases of unplanned pregnancy. The pregnancy courses and clinical outcomes were analyzed. While 12 patients in planned pregnancy group showed active SLE during pregnancy, all 32 patients in the unplanned pregnancy group presented severe SLE complications. The incidences of pregnancy loss, preterm delivery and neonatal asphyxia in the unplanned pregnancy group were significantly higher than planned pregnancy group (P < 0.05), and the infant body weight was lower in the unplanned pregnancy group (P < 0.05). A total of 78 live infants were born and no mortality was reported, including 15 preterm infants and one neonatal SLE. Planned pregnancy during stable stage, appropriate treatment in pregnancy and close monitoring can improve the security of pregnancy complicating SLE. In situations that the drug treatment is ineffective and the mother and infant are threatened, or the fetus is mature, the pregnancy should be terminated promptly, thereby reducing the complications, and increasing the success rate of pregnancy and perinatal survival rate.
Effect of robotic-assisted three-dimensional repetitive motion to improve hand motor function and control in children with handwriting deficits: a nonrandomized phase 2 device trial.

OBJECTIVE
We explored the efficacy of robotic technology in improving handwriting in children with impaired motor skills.


METHOD
Eighteen participants had impairments arising from cerebral palsy (CP), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or other disorders. The intervention was robotic-guided three-dimensional repetitive motion in 15-20 daily sessions of 25-30 min each over 4-8 wk.


RESULTS
Fine motor control improved for the children with learning disabilities and those ages 9 or older but not for those with CP or under age 9. All children with ASD or ADHD referred for slow writing speed were able to increase speed while maintaining legibility.


CONCLUSION
Three-dimensional, robot-assisted, repetitive motion training improved handwriting fluidity in children with mild to moderate fine motor deficits associated with ASD or ADHD within 10 hr of training. This dosage may not be sufficient for children with CP.
An Overview of the ONIONS Project: Applying Ontologies to the Integration of Medical Terminologies

Objects Topics
Update to ASCE/SEI 41 Concrete Provisions

A proposed supplement to ASCE/SEI 41 Seismic Rehabilitation of Existing Buildings has been developed for the purpose of updating provisions related to existing reinforced concrete buildings. Based on experimental evidence and empirical models, the proposed supplement includes revisions to modeling parameters and acceptance criteria for reinforced concrete beams, columns, structural walls, beam-column joints, and slab-column frames. The revisions are expected to result in substantially more accurate and, in most cases, more liberal assessments of the structural capacity of concrete components in seismic retrofit projects. DOI: 10.1193/1.2757714
Syndesmotic Stabilization in Pronation External Rotation Ankle Fractures

UNLABELLED
Boden et al. suggested syndesmosis fixation was not necessary in distal pronation external rotation (PER) ankle fractures if rigid bimalleolar fracture fixation is achieved and was not necessary with deltoid ligament injury if the fibular fracture is no higher than 4.5 cm of the tibiotalar joint. We asked whether height of the fibular fracture with or without medial stability predicted syndesmotic instability as compared with intraoperative hook testing in these fractures. We reviewed 62 patients (35 male, 27 female) with a mean age of 45.6 years (range, 19-80 years). Using a bone hook applied to the distal fibula with lateral force to the distal fibula in the coronal plane, we fluoroscopically assessed the degree of syndesmosis diastasis in all patients. The mean height of the fibular fracture in patients with a positive hook test was higher than in patients with a negative hook test (54.2 mm; standard deviation [SD], 29.3 versus 34.8 mm; SD, 21.4, respectively). The height of the fibular fracture showed a positive predictive value of 0.93 and a negative predictive value of 0.53 in predicting syndesmotic instability; specificity of the criteria of Boden et al. was high (0.96). However, sensitivity was low (0.39) using the hook test as the gold standard. The criteria of Boden et al. may be helpful in planning, but may have some limitations as a predictor of syndesmotic instability in distal PER ankle fractures.


LEVEL OF EVIDENCE
Level III, diagnostic study. See Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
INFORMATION SYSTEMS MODELLING USING LOOPN++, AN OBJECT PETRI NET SCHEME

There have been significant recent developments in high level specification schemes for modelling information systems using formalisms based on petri nets. In particular, the application of object-based design principles have produced high level petri nets which can be used to model large complex systems. This paper discusses a new language and modelling scheme, known as LOOPN++, which fully integrates the concepts of object-oriented language design and model building into a coloured petri net system. The completeness and clarity of LOOPN++ are discussed with respect to its use in the dynamic modelling of information systems.