LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial and open-label extension study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of pregabalin in the treatment of neuropathic pain associated with human immunodeficiency virus neuropathy

The objective of these studies was to assess the efficacy and safety of pregabalin in the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated neuropathic pain. Patients with HIV-associated distal sensory polyneuropathy (DSP) were randomized to treatment with flexible-dose pregabalin (150-600 mg/day) or placebo for 17 weeks in a single-blind, placebo lead-in, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled multinational trial. The primary efficacy outcome was the change in mean pain score on an 11-point numeric rating scale (NRS) from baseline to study endpoint. Participants who completed this trial were invited to participate in a 6-month open-label extension study with pregabalin. Of the 377 patients enrolled in the randomized controlled trial (pregabalin, n=183; placebo, n=194), 68.4% completed treatment. In the open-label extension, 217 patients were treated and 59.4% completed treatment. Both studies were terminated by the sponsor after a preplanned interim analysis indicated trial futility. At endpoint, the change from baseline in least-squares mean NRS pain scores in the intent-to-treat population was -2.04 for pregabalin versus -2.11 for placebo (P=.709). There were no significant differences between the pregabalin and placebo groups in the secondary efficacy measures. Incidence of adverse events was lower than seen in previous pregabalin studies. Overall, this trial did not show pregabalin to be more efficacious than placebo in treating HIV-associated DSP. Studies such as these, which fail to support their primary hypotheses, may be important in informing the methodology of future trials, especially when novel approaches to limit variability in the control group are included. ClinicalTrials.gov identifiers: NCT01049217 and NCT01145417.
Focusing of magma in the upper mantle through dike interaction: DIKE INTERACTION AND MAGMA FOCUSING

[1] We use laboratory experiments and numerical models to quantify the effects of dike interaction on the focusing of magma as it ascends in the upper mantle. Laboratory experiments involve injecting buoyant fluid into the base of a tank filled with solidified gelatin. When we initiate two dikes parallel to each other, but separated by a horizontal distance x, they tend to merge as they ascend. This behavior is also predicted by numerical models of two-dimensional dikes. The key parameters that control the maximum horizontal separation xc over which dikes will intersect are dike driving pressures, dike head lengths L (i.e., the length over which driving pressure is large), and the difference between the principal stresses of the remote stress field. When the remote differential stress is small compared to the dike driving pressure, two dikes of equal driving pressure and length will intersect over distances of xc ∼ L. This distance decreases with increasing remote differential stress. We quantify the effects on magma transport from a broad lateral distribution of magma using numerical simulations of multiple-dike interaction. When the average dike spacing prior to interaction is within ∼3L and remote differential stresses are insignificant, dike interaction can focus magma over horizontal distances many times L but at least ∼6L. Dike interaction can focus magma in the asthenosphere beneath mid-ocean ridges for low mantle viscosities (≤1019 Pa s) and if dikes initiate with average separations of a few hundred meters, or less. Such focusing is predicted to grow dikes of increasing magma flux approaching lateral separations of a kilometer.
Cannabis for Pain and Headaches: Primer.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW
Marijuana has been used both medicinally and recreationally since ancient times and interest in its compounds for pain relief has increased in recent years. The identification of our own intrinsic, endocannabinoid system has laid the foundation for further research.


RECENT FINDINGS
Synthetic cannabinoids are being developed and synthesized from the marijuana plant such as dronabinol and nabilone. The US Food and Drug Administration approved the use of dronabinol and nabilone for chemotherapy-associated nausea and vomiting and HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) wasting. Nabiximols is a cannabis extract that is approved for the treatment of spasticity and intractable pain in Canada and the UK. Further clinical trials are studying the effect of marijuana extracts for seizure disorders. Phytocannabinoids have been identified as key compounds involved in analgesia and anti-inflammatory effects. Other compounds found in cannabis such as flavonoids and terpenes are also being investigated as to their individual or synergistic effects. This article will review relevant literature regarding medical use of marijuana and cannabinoid pharmaceuticals with an emphasis on pain and headaches.
The Political Economy of the Peace Process in a Changing Middle East

UNU World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU/WIDER) was established by the United Nations University as its first research and training centre and started work in Helsinki, Finland, in 1985. The principal purpose of the Institute is policy-oriented research on the main strategic issues of development and international cooperation, as well as on the interaction between domestic and global changes. Its work is carried out by staff researchers and visiting scholars in Helsinki and through networks of collaborating institutions and scholars around the world. The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s). Publication does not imply endorsement by the Institute or the United Nations University of any of the views expressed. 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 A historical overview 3 1.3 Regionalism and disintegration; ideology and politics of the last 50 years 9 1.4 The peace process in the Middle East 16 II REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION: THE INFLUENCE OF PEACE 29 2.1 The hopes, realities and prospects of economic cooperation-integration 29 2.2 Israel, its modern economy, and the Palestinians 31 2.3 Cooperation and Palestinian self-rule (self-government) arrangements 33 2.4 A peace dividend for the region 44 III WATER-THE CRITICAL ECO-POLITICAL ISSUE 49 3.1 Water-a key for the future 49 3.2 The international nature of Middle East water 50 3.3 Water resources of Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip 54 3.4 Jordan's water resources 59 IV INSTEAD OF A CONCLUSION 63 4.1 Efforts made-efforts needed 63 4.2 The role and response of the UN, international and regional organizations to the changing Middle East 66 4.3 Limitations of studies and research 66 BIBLIOGRAPHY 68 iii IV FOREWORD The character and consequences of the interconnectedness and interaction between international political and economic processes in the post-cold war era has changed in many respects, as compared to the previous decades. During the cold war years, economic factors played of course important roles in shaping the global power structure, and influencing international politics but in many respects, the political agenda of the two global powers dominated the global system. In the post-cold war world, the influence of the economic factors became much stronger in shaping global changes. Capital flows, technology and international entrepreneurship are the key components of the globalization process. The relative economic power of countries, international economic competitiveness and competition has a much greater impact on interstate relations than in the past. The pressure of the domestic socioeconomic problems …
Surviving or Flourishing ? Integrating Business Resilience and Sustainability

Purpose Businesses are always seeking resilient strategies so they can weather unpredictable competitive environments. One source of unpredictability is the unsustainability of commerce’s environmental, economic or social impacts and the limitations this places on businesses. Another is poor resilience causing erroneous and unexpected outputs. Companies prospering long-term must have both resilience and sustainability, existing in a symbiotic state. This paper explores the two concepts and their relationship, their combined benefits and proposes an approach for supporting decision-makers to proactively build both characteristics. Design/methodology/approach The paper looks at businesses as complex adaptive systems, how their resilience and sustainability can be defined and how these might be exhibited. It then explores how they can be combined in practice. Findings The two qualities are related but have different purposes, moreover resilience has two major forms related to timescales. Both kinds of resilience are identified as key for delivering sustainability, yet the reverse is also found to be true. Both are needed to deliver either and to let businesses flourish. Practical implications Although the ideal state of resilient sustainability is difficult to define or achieve, pragmatic ways exist to deliver the right direction of change in organisational decisions. A novel approach to this is explored based on Transition Engineering and Robustness Engineering. Originality/value This paper links resilience and sustainability explicitly and develops a holistic pragmatic approach for working through their implications in strategic decision-making.
Transmitter chipset for 24/77-GHz automotive radar sensors

This paper presents a SiGe BiCMOS transmitter chipset for 24/77-GHz automotive radar sensors. The chipset adopts a dual-band architecture consisting of a 24-GHz section for ultra-wideband short-range radar operation, which is able to drive the 77-GHz long-range radar transmitter front-end. The proposed solution allows using a single 24-GHz frequency synthesizer to implement both operation modes. The 77-GHz transmitter demonstrates an output power of 12 dBm, a power gain of 20 dB and an output-referred 1-dB compression point of 11 dBm, while drawing 155 mA from a 2.5-V supply voltage.
The Relation between Elementary Students' Recreational and Academic Reading Motivation, Reading Frequency, Engagement, and Comprehension: A Self-Determination Theory Perspective.

Research indicates the need to further examine the dimensions of reading motivation. A clear theoretical basis is necessary for conceptualizing reading motivation and considering contextual differences therein. The present study develops and validates the SRQ-Reading Motivation, a questionnaire measuring recreational and academic reading motivation based on self-determination theory. The study clarifies the relation among reading motivation, reading self-concept, reading behavior (i.e., engagement and frequency), and reading performance (i.e., comprehension). Participants included 1,260 Flemish fifth-grade students and their 67 teachers. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses indicated that both recreational and academic reading motivation comprise 2 factors: autonomous and controlled motivation. This factor structure was found to be invariant across boys and girls. Comparisons of the SRQ-Reading Motivation with subscales of the Motivation for Reading Questionnaire provide evidence for the construct validity of the instrument. Structural equation modeling confirmed that recreational autonomous reading motivation is associated with more positive reading behavior and better performance. In the academic setting, only the equivalent relationship between autonomous reading motivation and leisuretime reading frequency could be corroborated. In this respect, the results confirm the independent contribution of recreational autonomous reading motivation and reading self-concept to reading behavior and performance. No significant indirect relationship between reading motivation and reading comprehension through reading frequency or reading engagement was found. The theoretical and practical significance of the present study is discussed.
Pyroomacoustics: A Python Package for Audio Room Simulation and Array Processing Algorithms

We present pyroomacoustics, a software package aimed at the rapid development and testing of audio array processing algorithms. The content of the package can be divided into three main components: an intuitive Python object-oriented interface to quickly construct different simulation scenarios involving multiple sound sources and microphones in 2D and 3D rooms; a fast C implementation of the image source model for general polyhedral rooms to efficiently generate room impulse responses and simulate the propagation between sources and receivers; and finally, reference implementations of popular algorithms for beamforming, direction finding, and adaptive filtering. Together, they form a package with the potential to speed up the time to market of new algorithms by significantly reducing the implementation overhead in the performance evaluation step.
Loughborough University Institutional Repository The potential use of BIM to aid construction waste minimalisation

It is widely acknowledged that the construction industry has a major impact on the environment, both in terms of resource consumption and waste production. The construction industry is responsible for producing a whole variety of different onsite wastes; the amount and type of which depends on factors such as the stage of construction, type of construction work, direct or indirect stakeholders’ design change contribution, and practices throughout the project lifecycle. A number of construction waste minimisation (CWM) techniques and tools are currently available to assist contractors to divert waste away from landfill. However, literature reveals that there are insufficient techniques and tools for reducing construction waste during the design and procurement stages. The last few years saw the emergence of Building Information Modelling (BIM) techniques, which can be adopted to improve sustainable construction performance. BIM is a maturing modelling philosophy, which has been applied to several building-related functions such as visualising designs, automating quantity takeoffs, checking compliance with regulations, and scheduling construction processes. Furthermore, BIM, as a real-time interactive and collaborative communication system, has the potential to help project stakeholders to collaboratively attain waste minimisation for sustainable construction and building throughout design, construction and throughout the lifecycle by improving building construction performance. Hence, this paper, which is part of an ongoing doctoral study, explores the potential application of BIM to design out waste. An in-depth literature review was conducted to provide a foundation for the doctoral study that aims to investigate the use of BIM as a potential platform for building design waste minimisation. The paper explores construction waste origins and causes, current waste reduction practices; examines current industry BIM practices and investigates BIM tools for sustainable project construction and management; and identifies the knowledge gaps in existing literature that pave the way for the subsequent data collection stages.
End-stage renal failure due to amyloidosis: outcomes in 490 ANZDATA registry cases.

BACKGROUND
There are few reports regarding the long-term renal replacement therapy (RRT) outcomes of amyloidosis.


METHODS
In this retrospective, multi-centre, multi-country registry analysis, all patients with and without amyloidosis who commenced RRT for end-stage renal failure (ESRF) in Australia and New Zealand between 1963 and 2010 were included.


RESULTS
Of 58 422 patients who underwent RRT during the study period, 490 (0.8%) had ESRF secondary to amyloidosis. The median survival of amyloidosis patients on dialysis (2.09 years, 95% CI 1.85-2.32 years) was significantly inferior to that of patients with other causes of ESRF (4.45 years, 95% CI 4.39-4.51 years) (log-rank score 242, P < 0.001). The survival of amyloidosis patients receiving peritoneal dialysis (1.9 years, 95% CI 1.58-2.22) was comparable with those receiving haemodialysis (2.17 years, 95% CI 1.89-2.45) (P = 0.18). Fifty-three (13.8%) amyloidosis patients died of amyloidosis complications. Forty-six patients underwent renal transplantation with first graft survival rates of 45% at 5 years and 26% at 10 years. Nine (16.4%) patients experienced amyloidosis recurrence in their allografts, which led to graft failure in six patients. ESRF patients with amyloidosis experienced inferior median first renal allograft survival (4.55 years, 95% CI 1.96-7.15 versus 10.7 years, 95% CI 10.5-11.0, P = 0.001) and transplant patient survival (6.03 years, 95% CI 2.71-9.36 versus 16.8 years, 95% CI 16.4-17.1, P < 0.001) compared with patients with other causes of ESRF. Respective 10-year patient survival rates were 37 and 69%.


CONCLUSIONS
Amyloidosis was associated with poor patient survival following dialysis and/or renal transplantation, poor renal allograft survival and a significant incidence of disease recurrence in the allograft. An appreciable proportion of amyloid ESRF patients died of amyloidosis-related complications.
Assessment of arterial stiffness, a translational medicine biomarker system for evaluation of vascular risk.

AIMS
Stiffening of the large arteries is a common feature of aging and is exacerbated by a number of disorders such as hypertension, diabetes, and renal disease. Arterial stiffening is recognized as an important and independent risk factor for cardiovascular events. This article will provide a comprehensive review of the recent advance on assessment of arterial stiffness as a translational medicine biomarker for cardiovascular risk.


DISCUSSIONS
The key topics related to the mechanisms of arterial stiffness, the methodologies commonly used to measure arterial stiffness, and the potential therapeutic strategies are discussed. A number of factors are associated with arterial stiffness and may even contribute to it, including endothelial dysfunction, altered vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) function, vascular inflammation, and genetic determinants, which overlap in a large degree with atherosclerosis. Arterial stiffness is represented by biomarkers that can be measured noninvasively in large populations. The most commonly used methodologies include pulse wave velocity (PWV), relating change in vessel diameter (or area) to distending pressure, arterial pulse waveform analysis, and ambulatory arterial stiffness index (AASI). The advantages and limitations of these key methodologies for monitoring arterial stiffness are reviewed in this article. In addition, the potential utility of arterial stiffness as a translational medicine surrogate biomarker for evaluation of new potentially vascular protective drugs is evaluated.


CONCLUSIONS
Assessment of arterial stiffness is a sensitive and useful biomarker of cardiovascular risk because of its underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. PWV is an emerging biomarker useful for reflecting risk stratification of patients and for assessing pharmacodynamic effects and efficacy in clinical studies.
Discussion Paper No . 2003 / 69 Measurement of a Multidimentional Index of Globalization and its Impact on Income Inequality

In this paper we present two composite indices of globalization. The first is based on the Kearney/Foreign Policy magazine and the second is obtained from principal component analysis. They indicate which countries have become most globalized and show how globalization has developed over time. The indices are composed of four components: economic integration, personal contact, technology and political engagement, each generated from a number of variables. A breakdown of the index into major components provides possibilities to identify sources of globalization and associate it with economic policy measures. The empirical results show that a low rank in the globalization process is due to political and personal factors with limited possibility for the developing countries to affect. The high ranked developed countries share similar patterns in distribution of various components. The indices were also used in a regression analysis to study the causal relationship between income inequality and globalization. Globalization indices explain only 7 to 11 per cent of the variations in income inequality among countries.
Implementation of Web Crawler

The World Wide Web is an interlinked collection of billions of documents formatted using HTML. Ironically the very size of this collection has become an obstacle for information retrieval. The user has to shift through scores of pages to come upon the information he/she desires. Web crawlers are the heart of search engines. Web crawlers continuously keep on crawling the web and find any new web pages that have been added to the web, pages that have been removed from the web. Due to growing and dynamic nature of the web; it has become a challenge to traverse all URLs in the web documents and to handle these URLs. A focused crawler is an agent that targets a particular topic and visits and gathers only relevant web pages. In this dissertation I had worked on design and working of web crawler that can be used for copyright infringement. We will take one seed URL as input and search with a keyword, the searching result is based on keyword and it will fetch the web pages where it will find that keyword. This focused based crawler approach retrieve documents that contain particular keyword from the user's query; we are implementing this using breadth-first search. Now, when we retrieved the web pages we will apply pattern recognition over text. We will give one file as input and apply the pattern recognition algorithms. Here, pattern symbolizes text only and check how much text is available on the web page. The algorithms that I had used for pattern search are Knutt-Morri-Pratt, Boyer-Moore, Finite Automata algorithm.
[Measuring positive behaviour and experience in inpatients with mental disorders--the Hamburg Self-Care Questionnaire (HamSCQ)].

OBJECTIVES
Treatments of patients with chronic mental disorders are increasingly focusing on salutogenetic aims to support human health and well-being. Up to now, standardized instruments to evaluate these treatment goals are still missing. We present results of analyses of the psychometric properties of the Hamburg Self-Care Questionnaire (HamSCQ). Besides reliability we are focusing on different aspects of validity: factor structure, concurrent validity, and sensitivity to change.


METHODS
A total sample of 7 478 inpatients with mental disorders from four different psychotherapeutic clinics participated in the study. Patients completed self-rating questionnaires at admission and discharge: Besides the HamSCQ we used the Symptom Checklist SCL-14, the Short Form SF-8, the CES-D depression scale, the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems IIP-25 and the AVEM.


RESULTS
The two-dimensional structure of the HamSCQ with the two subscales PACING and POSITIVE EXPERIENCE could be replicated by means of both principal component and confirmatory factor analysis. The two scales correlate with r=0.56. Both scales show a high internal consistency (alpha >or=0.90), they correlate with the selected measures of concurrent validity (except the AVEM scales) with medium (Pacing) or high (Positive Experience) effect sizes, and their mean scores differ significantly from admission to discharge with large effect sizes.


CONCLUSIONS
The HamSCQ proves to be a reliable questionnaire, which is also sensitive to change. The two-dimensional factor structure could be replicated, and some aspects of concurrent validity could be demonstrated, but concerning criterion validity further research is still necessary. Thus we recommend the use of the HamSCQ for inpatients with mental disorders treated in psychotherapeutic/rehabilitative clinics.