LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Boosting Recurrent Neural Networks for Time Series Prediction

We adapt a boosting algorithm to the problem of predicting future values of time series, using recurrent neural networks as base learners. The experiments we performed show that boosting actually provides improved results and that the weighted median is better for combining the learners than the weighted mean.
Long-term Trends from Ecosystem Research at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest

Summarizes 52 years of collaborative, long-term research conducted at the Hubbard Brook (NH) Experimental Forest on ecosystem response to disturbances such as air pollution, climate change, forest disturbance, and forest management practices. Also provides explanations of some of the trends and lists references from scientific literature for further reading.
Cardiac dysfunction associated with a nucleotide polymerase inhibitor for treatment of hepatitis C.

UNLABELLED
Treatment for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is evolving from interferon (IFN)-based therapy to direct-acting antiviral (DAA) agents, yet some safety concerns have arisen involving cardiac toxicity. In this study, we sought to better understand the potential off-target toxicities of new DAAs. We retrospectively evaluated the clinical and pathological findings of the sentinel case in a phase II study that led to clinical development discontinuation for BMS-986094, an HCV nucleotide polymerase (nonstructural 5B) inhibitor. We also report on outcomes from other patients in the same study, including electrocardiogram changes, cardiovascular biomarkers, and transthoracic echocardiograms. Thirty-four patients received IFN-free BMS-986094 regimens. Six patients had left ventricular ejection fractions (LVEFs) <30%, 8 had LVEFs 30%-50%, and 11 required hospitalization for suspected cardiotoxicity. Of the patients with LVEF <50%, 6 had normalization of systolic function after a median of 20 days. T-wave inversions were the most sensitive predictor of LVEF dysfunction. B-type natriuretic peptide levels increased over time and correlated with the degree of LVEF dysfunction. Pathological analysis of cardiac tissue revealed severe myocyte damage with elongated myofibrils without gross necrosis. These findings were consistent with some results of recent primate studies that were conducted to further investigate the potential mechanisms of BMS-986094 toxicity.


CONCLUSION
A novel nucleotide analog polymerase inhibitor developed for HCV treatment may cause a toxic cardiomyopathy. Ongoing surveillance of DAAs for cardiotoxicities may be beneficial, especially among patients at higher risk for cardiovascular disease.
Effect of royal jelly ingestion for six months on healthy volunteers

BACKGROUND
Royal jelly is a widely ingested supplement for health, but its effects on humans are not well known. The objective was to evaluate the effects of long-term royal jelly ingestion on humans.


METHODS
We conducted a randomized placebo-controlled, double-blind trial. A total of 61 healthy volunteers aged 42-83 years were enrolled and were randomly divided into a royal jelly group (n = 31) and a control group (n = 30). Three thousand mg of royal jelly (RJ) or a placebo in 100 ml liquid/day were ingested for 6 months. The primary outcomes were changes in anthropometric measurements and biochemical indexes from baseline to 6 months after intervention.


RESULTS
Thirty subjects in the RJ group and 26 in the control group were included in the analysis of endpoints. In an adjusted mean change of the variables from the baseline, significant differences between the two groups could be found in red blood cell counts (+0.16x10⁶/μL for the RJ group vs. -0.01x10⁶/μL for the control group, P = 0.0134), hematocrit (+0.9% vs. -0.8%, P = 0.0251), log (fasting plasma glucose) (+0.01 ± 0.01 log mg/dL vs. +0.05 ± 0.01 log mg/dL, P = 0.0297), log (insulinogenic index) (+0.25 vs. -0.13, P = 0.0319), log dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) (+0.08 log μg/dL vs. +0.20 log μg/dL, P = 0.0483), log testosterone (T) (+0.12 ± 0.04 log ng/mL vs. -0.02 ± 0.05 log ng/mL, P = 0.0416), log T/DHEA-S ratio (+0.05 ± 0.05 vs. -0.23 ± 0.59, P = 0.0015), and in one of the SF-36 subscale scores, mental health (MH) (+4 vs. -7, P = 0.0276).


CONCLUSIONS
Six-month ingestion of RJ in humans improved erythropoiesis, glucose tolerance and mental health. Acceleration of conversion from DHEA-S to T by RJ may have been observed among these favorable effects.
Brief review: piriformis syndrome: etiology, diagnosis, and management.

PURPOSE
In this narrative review, we aim to provide the pathophysiology and diagnostic criteria of the piriformis syndrome (PS), an underdiagnosed cause of buttock and leg pain that can be difficult to treat. Based on existing evidence, frequencies of clinical features are estimated in patients reported to have PS. In view of the increasing popularity of ultrasound for intervention, the ultrasound-guided technique in the treatment of PS is described in detail.


SOURCE
A literature search of the MEDLINE® database was performed from January 1980 to December 2012 using the search terms e.g., " piriformis injection", " ultrasound guided piriformis injection", " botulinum toxin", "pain management", and different structures relevant in this review. There was no restriction on language.


PRINCIPAL FINDINGS
A review of the medical literature pertaining to PS revealed that the existence of this entity remains controversial. There is no definitive proof of its existence despite reported series with large numbers of patients.


CONCLUSION
Piriformis syndrome continues to be a controversial diagnosis for sciatic pain. Electrophysiological testing and nerve blocks play important roles when the diagnosis is uncertain. Injection of local anesthetics, steroids, and botulinum toxin into the piriformis muscle can serve both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. An ultrasound-guided injection technique offers improved accuracy in locating the piriformis muscle. Optimizing the therapeutic approach requires an interdisciplinary evaluation of treatment.
μ-Limit Sets of Cellular Automata from a Computational Complexity Perspective

This paper concerns $\mu$-limit sets of cellular automata: sets of configurations made of words whose probability to appear does not vanish with time, starting from an initial $\mu$-random configuration. More precisely, we investigate the computational complexity of these sets and of related decision problems. Main results: first, $\mu$-limit sets can have a $\Sigma\_3^0$-hard language, second, they can contain only $\alpha$-complex configurations, third, any non-trivial property concerning them is at least $\Pi\_3^0$-hard. We prove complexity upper bounds, study restrictions of these questions to particular classes of CA, and different types of (non-)convergence of the measure of a word during the evolution.
Developmental neurocircuitry of motivation in adolescence: a critical period of addiction vulnerability.

OBJECTIVE
Epidemiological studies indicate that experimentation with addictive drugs and onset of addictive disorders is primarily concentrated in adolescence and young adulthood. The authors describe basic and clinical data supporting adolescent neurodevelopment as a biologically critical period of greater vulnerability for experimentation with substances and acquisition of substance use disorders.


METHOD
The authors reviewed recent literature regarding neurocircuitry underlying motivation, impulsivity, and addiction, with a focus on studies investigating adolescent neurodevelopment.


RESULTS
Adolescent neurodevelopment occurs in brain regions associated with motivation, impulsivity, and addiction. Adolescent impulsivity and/or novelty seeking as a transitional trait behavior can be explained in part by maturational changes in frontal cortical and subcortical monoaminergic systems. These developmental processes may advantageously promote learning drives for adaptation to adult roles but may also confer greater vulnerability to the addictive actions of drugs.


CONCLUSIONS
An exploration of developmental changes in neurocircuitry involved in impulse control has significant implications for understanding adolescent behavior, addiction vulnerability, and the prevention of addiction in adolescence and adulthood.
Computation of electric field of 100kV FGM spacer for gas insulated bus duct applications

In this paper application of functionally gradient material (FGM) for optimized design of single phase gas insulated bus duct. Modeling of cone spacer in SF6 gas insulated substation (GIS) bus duct and extensive electrostatic field stress distribution analyses using Finite Element Method (FEM) is illustrated in this paper. A unique feature of this design is the simulation of electric field distribution on cone insulator with varying relative permittivity εr for supporting high voltage bus duct. The electric field distribution over homogeneous insulator and FGM insulator with optimized relative permittivity distribution is explored with analyses results.
Effect of combined metformin and oral contraceptive therapy on metabolic factors and endothelial function in overweight and obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 19 overweight women with polycystic ovary syndrome were randomized to a 3-month course of either metformin plus combined hormonal oral contraceptive (OC) (n = 9) or OC plus matched placebo (n = 10). After 3 months, both treatments had similar effects on androgen levels, lipid profile, insulin sensitivity, and serum inflammatory markers, but flow-mediated dilatation increased by 69.0% in the metformin plus OC group while it remained unchanged in the OC group. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NO: NCT00682890.
Solving differential equations in terms of bessel functions

For differential operators of order 2, this paper presents a new method that combines generalized exponents to find those solutions that can be represented in terms of Bessel functions.
Newborn tongue-tie: prevalence and effect on breast-feeding.

OBJECTIVE
The purposes of this study were: (1) to determine whether breast-fed infants with tongue-tie have decreased rates of breast-feeding at 1 week and 1 month of age, (2) to determine the prevalence of tongue-tie, and (3) to test the usefulness of the Assessment Tool for Lingual Frenulum Function (ATLFF) in assessing the severity of tongue-tie in breast-feeding newborns.


METHODS
A case-control design was used. All infants in the Regions Hospital newborn nursery were examined for tongue-tie. Tongue-tied babies were examined using the ATLFF. Two breast-feeding babies with normal tongues were identified and matched for each case. Mothers were interviewed when the babies were 1 week and 1 month old.


RESULTS
The prevalence of tongue-tie was 4.2%. Forty-nine tongue-tied and 98 control infants were enrolled. Tongue-tied babies were 3 times as likely as control babies to be bottle fed only at 1 week [risk ratio (RR), 3.11; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.21, 8.03) By 1 month, tongue-tied babies were as likely as controls to be bottle fed only. (RR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.55, 1.82) Twelve of the tongue-tied infants had ATLFF scores of "Perfect," none had scores of "Acceptable," and 6 had scores of "Function Impaired." The remaining 31 infants had scores that fell into none of these categories.


CONCLUSIONS
Tongue-tie is a relatively common condition in newborns. Affected infants are significantly more likely to be exclusively bottle-fed by 1 week of age. The ATLFF was not a useful tool to identify which tongue-tied infants are at risk for breast-feeding problems.
Evaluating Security of Voting Schemes in the Universal Composability Framework

In the literature, voting protocols are considered secure if they satisfy requirements such as privacy, accuracy, robustness, etc. It can be time consuming to evaluate a voting protocol with respect to all these requirements and it is not clear that the list of known requirements is complete. Perhaps because of this many papers on electronic voting do not offer any security proof at all.
Retrospective analysis of a concurrent series of microscopic versus endoscopic transsphenoidal surgeries for Knosp Grades 0-2 nonfunctioning pituitary macroadenomas at a single institution.

OBJECT
The object of this study was to compare surgical outcomes and complications in a contemporaneous series of patients undergoing either microscopic or endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery for nonfunctioning pituitary macroadenomas without imaging evidence of cavernous sinus invasion.


METHODS
This is a retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected database from a single institution. Data were collected from patients whose surgery had occurred in the period from June 2010 to January 2013. Patients who underwent microscopic or endoscopic surgery for Knosp Grade 0, 1, or 2 nonfunctioning pituitary macroadenomas were included in the study. Patients who had clinically secreting or Knosp Grade 3 or 4 tumors and patients who were undergoing revision surgery were excluded from analysis. Eligible patient records were analyzed for outcomes and complications. Statistical analyses were performed on tumor volume, intraoperative factors, postoperative complications, and degree of resection on 1-year postoperative MRI. The results were used to compare the outcomes after microscopic and endoscopic approaches.


RESULTS
Forty-three patients underwent microscopic transsphenoidal surgery, and 56 underwent endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery. There were no statistical differences in the intraoperative extent of resection or endocrinological complications. There were significantly more intraoperative CSF leaks in the endoscopic group (58% vs 16%); however, there was no difference in the incidence of postoperative CSF rhinorrhea (12% microscopic vs 7% endoscopic). Length of hospitalization was significantly shorter in patients undergoing an endoscopic approach (3.0 days vs 2.4 days). Two-month follow-up imaging was available in 95% of patients, and 75% of patients had 1-year follow-up imaging. At 2 months postprocedure, there was no evidence of residual tumor in 79% (31 of 39) and 85% (47 of 55) of patients in the microscopic and endoscopic groups, respectively. At 1 year postprocedure, 83% (25 of 30) of patients in the microscopic group had no evidence of residual tumor and 82% (36 of 44) of those in the endoscopic group had no evidence of residual tumor.


CONCLUSIONS
The microscopic and endoscopic techniques provide similar outcomes in the surgical treatment of Knosp Grades 0-2 nonfunctioning pituitary macroadenomas.
Digital nature and digital nurture: libraries, learning and the digital native

The so-called “digital native” – the first generation of students and learners who have been born and raised in a world of digital technologies – is now in our universities and, we hope, using our library services. While academic libraries have begun to recognize this phenomenon, have our services changed significantly in response to this “digital” generation of students and their approach to learning? What role should academic librarians have in equipping tertiary students to function in the digital information environment? Do academic librarians continue to have a role in this, or are we in fact lagging behind the students’ understanding of information technology, and their adoption of new technologies to acquire and use information? This paper will survey recent debate about the delivery of information services to the “digital native”, using Hong Kong academic libraries as a case study to reflect on the appropriateness of the services offered.
Immune modulation in Pompe disease treated with enzyme replacement therapy.

Pompe disease is a lysosomal storage disease characterized by massive glycogen deposition in skeletal, cardiac and smooth muscle secondary to the deficiency of acid α-glucosidase (GAA) [1]. Once rapidly fatal, it has become a treatable condition since the development of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with alglucosidase α (recombinant human GAA [rhGAA], Myozyme/Lumizyme Genzyme Corp. Cambridge, MA, USA) [1]. However, while this treatment has proven to be efficacious in both infantile and late-onset Pompe patients [2,3], many challenges remain. The development of an immune response with resultant loss of therapeutic efficacy of ERT remains a significant issue in Pompe disease, most notably in the infantile form. Similar obstacles have been faced in other conditions treated with therapeutic proteins, including hemophilia, diabetes and multiple sclerosis, as well as lysosomal storage diseases like Fabry disease, Gaucher disease and the mucopolysaccharidoses [4,5]. In addition to the human burden, hundreds of millions of dollars are wasted in the use of therapeutic proteins in patients who are not responding to the treatment because of antibodies developed against them [6]. Therefore, the identification of patients at risk of developing an immune response and the investigation of novel immuno modulatory strategies to preclude or reverse immune responses and to induce immune tolerance is of paramount importance, not only for improving the functional status of individual patients, but also for minimizing wasteful financial expenditures. The development of high, sustained antirhGAA IgG antibody titers is associated with decreased overall and ventilator-free survival and diminished cardiac and motor outcomes in infantile Pompe disease (IPD) treated with ERT [7–9]. Earlier studies in Pompe disease treated with ERT have demonstrated that the cross-reactive immunologic material (CRIM) status can be used to predict treatment response, with CRIM-negative status portending the development of high, sustained antibody titers and poor treatment outcomes [7,8]. However, later work in IPD revealed that a subset of CRIM-positive patients may also develop high, sustained antibody titers and correspondingly poor treatment outcomes [9]. Recently, the development of high antibody titers that adversely impact treatment outcomes has been noted in late-onset Pompe disease as well [10,11]. Similar challenges have been faced in the murine Pompe model, in which ERT administration is complicated by antibody formation and infusion-associated reactions. This murine Pompe model is analogous to the CRIM-negative patients in that there is a complete absence of endogenous GAA, prompting the immune system to mount a robust immune response to exogenous enzyme. Preclinical work in this model prevented an increase in antirhGAA antibody titers in the ERT-naive setting with the use of methotrexate, while response to mycophenolate and cyclosporin A/azathioprine was variable. This protocol Immune modulation in Pompe disease treated with enzyme replacement therapy
Nanoscale thermal transport. II. 2003–2012

Nanoscale thermal transport. II. 2003–2012 David G. Cahill, Paul V. Braun, Gang Chen, David R. Clarke, Shanhui Fan, Kenneth E. Goodson, Pawel Keblinski, William P. King, Gerald D. Mahan, Arun Majumdar, Humphrey J. Maris, Simon R. Phillpot, Eric Pop, and Li Shi Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA Department of Mechanical Engineering, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York 12180, USA Department of Mechanical Sciences and Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA Department of Physics, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA Department of Physics, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Florida, Gainseville, Florida 32611, USA Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas, Autin, Texas 78712, USA
Flea-Inspired Catapult Mechanism for Miniature Jumping Robots

Fleas can jump more than 200 times their body length. They do so by employing a unique catapult mechanism: storing a large amount of elastic energy and releasing it quickly by torque reversal triggering. This paper presents a flea-inspired catapult mechanism for miniature jumping robots. A robotic design was created to realize the mechanism for the biological catapult with shape memory alloy (SMA) spring actuators and a smart composite microstructure. SMA spring actuators replace conventional actuators, transmissions, and the elastic element to reduce the size. The body uses a four-bar mechanism that simulates a flea's leg kinematics with reduced degrees of freedom. Dynamic modeling was derived, and theoretical jumping was simulated to optimize the leg design for increased takeoff speed. A robotic prototype was fabricated with 1.1-g weight and 2-cm body size that can jump a distance of up to 30 times its body size.
Mindfulness, perceived stress, and subjective well-being: a correlational study in primary care health professionals

BACKGROUND
Primary health care professionals (PHPs) usually report high levels of distress and burnout symptoms related to job strain. Mindfulness, defined as non-judgmental-present-moment awareness, seems to be a moderator in the causal association between life stressors and well-being. This study aimed to verify correlations among self-reported mindfulness, perceived stress (PS), and subjective well-being (SW) in Brazilian PHPs.


METHODS
We performed a correlational cross-sectional study in a purposive sample of Brazilian PHPs (physicians, nurses, nursing assistants, and community health workers), working in community-oriented primary care programs (known locally as "Family Health Programs"). We used validated self-reporting instruments: the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and the Subjective Well-being Scale (SWS). We performed a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), through regression coefficients (beta) in relation to the professional category (nursing assistant), in addition to the length of time in the same job (under than 6 months) that had indicated the lowest level of PS.


RESULTS
Participants (n=450) comprised community health workers (65.8%), nursing assistants (18%), registered nurses (10.0%), and doctors (family physicians) (6.0%); 94% were female and 83.1% had worked in the same position for more than one year. MANOVA regression analysis showed differences across professional categories and length of time in the same job position in relation to mindfulness, PS, and SW. Nurses demonstrated lower levels of mindfulness, higher PS, and SW negative affect, as well as lower SW positive affect. Being at work for 1 year or longer showed a clear association with higher PS and lower SW positive affect, and no significance with mindfulness levels. Pearson's coefficient values indicated strong negative correlations between mindfulness and PS, and medium correlations between mindfulness and SW.


CONCLUSION
In this study, there were clear correlations between mindfulness, PS, and SW across different primary care professional categories and time in the same job position, suggesting specific vulnerabilities that should be addressed through the development of staff awareness, stress prevention, and well-being interventions.