LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Ezetimibe beneficially influences fasting and postprandial triglyceride-rich lipoproteins in type 2 diabetes.

INTRODUCTION
Type 2 diabetes is associated with atherogenic abnormalities of postprandial triglyceride-rich lipoproteins. This study evaluated whether ezetimibe, by inhibiting intestinal cholesterol absorption, influences chylomicrons and VLDL particles at fasting and after a standard meal.


METHODS
By a double blind cross-over design 15 subjects with type 2 diabetes and hypercholesterolaemia followed in random order a 6-week treatment with ezetimibe 10mg+simvastatin 20 mg (EZE+S) or placebo+simvastatin 20 mg (P+S) and, after a 6-week wash-out period, crossed over to the other treatment (NCT00699023). At the end of each period lipids, apoB-48, and apoB-100 concentrations in plasma and lipoprotein fractions (separated by discontinuous density gradient ultracentrifugation) were determined before and over 6h following a high-fat test meal.


RESULTS
Compared with P+S, EZE+S induced, (a) beside a greater decrease in LDL cholesterol, (b) a significant decrease in chylomicron lipid content both at fasting and postprandially (4.4 ± 2.7 vs. 8.3 ± 8.7 mg/dl × 6 h total AUC for cholesterol, p < 0.05; 18 ± 12 vs. 29 ± 24 mg/dl triglyceride concentrations at 6h, p < 0.05), (c) a significant decrease in chylomicron postprandial apoB-48 (0.03 ± 0.03 vs. 0.09 ± 0.08 mg/l at 4 h, p < 0.05), and (d) significant fasting and postprandial decreases in the cholesterol content of VLDL, IDL, and LDL, as shown by the significant reduction of the cholesterol/triglyceride ratio in these lipoproteins.


CONCLUSIONS
A 6-week treatment with ezetimibe and simvastatin, compared to simvastatin alone, positively influences lipoprotein profile both at fasting and postprandially in type 2 diabetic patients by favouring the production of cholesterol-poor chylomicrons and VLDL particles that have less atherogenic potential.
Disease-specific survival of men with prostate cancer detected during the screening interval: results of the European randomized study of screening for prostate cancer-Rotterdam after 11 years of follow-up.

BACKGROUND
In a screening program, interval cancers are cancers diagnosed between two screening visits.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the disease-specific survival (DSS) of men with prostate cancer (PCa) detected during the screening interval.


DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
Within the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer section Rotterdam, 42 376 men identified from population registries (55-74 yr of age) were randomized to a screening or control arm. The median follow-up was 11 yr.


INTERVENTION
Men with prostate-specific antigen ≥ 3.0 ng/ml were recommended to undergo lateralized sextant biopsy. The screening interval was 4 yr.


MEASUREMENTS
The disease-specific mortality of men with interval cancers was compared with that of men with PCa in the control arm; the secondary end point was overall mortality. An independent committee determined the causes of death.


RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS
In the screening arm, 139 men were diagnosed with interval cancer of whom 8 died of the disease. In the control arm, the corresponding numbers were 1149 and 128, respectively. When comparing men with interval cancer to men with PCa in the control arm, no statistically significant difference in disease-specific mortality (hazard ratio [HR]:1.12; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.53-2.36; p = 0.77) and overall mortality (HR: 0.98; 95% CI, 0.68-1.38; p = 0.90) was found, adjusted for age, prognostic factors, and treatment modality. The follow-up is too limited to address the difference in DSS stratified for screening interval.


CONCLUSIONS
In the setting of population-based PCa screening at 4-yr intervals, the DSS of men with interval cancer seems to be similar to that of men with PCa in the control arm. Given that interval cancers contribute significantly to PCa mortality, further benefit in DSS in the screening arm may be achieved by decreasing the occurrence of interval cancer. However, the balance between mortality reduction and overdiagnosis should be preserved.


TRIAL REGISTRATION
ISRCTN49127736.
International Political Economy Meets Historical Sociology Problems and Promises

Mainstream International Political Economy (IPE) and Historical Sociology share a number of concerns. This has not, however, resulted in a significant body of historical IPE literature. It is argued that Historical Sociology poses two challenges for IPE, and that these must be accommodated before the field can become historically sensitive. The first concerns the ontology of historical IPE. Whereas mainstream IPE generally recognizes that states are not the only "units" in the international system, the challenge of Historical Sociology revolves around whether there are any relevant differentiations to be made in the concepts of "state" and "international system". The second challenge concerns the question of continuity and change, an issue that has not been the object of extensive conceptual analysis in mainstream IPE. While this article does not offer any specific way of historicizing mainstream IPE, it does suggest a few guidelines for such an enterprise. (Less)
Chromatin segmentation based on a probabilistic model for read counts explains a large portion of the epigenome

Chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (ChIP-seq) is an increasingly common experimental approach to generate genome-wide maps of histone modifications and to dissect the complexity of the epigenome. Here, we propose EpiCSeg: a novel algorithm that combines several histone modification maps for the segmentation and characterization of cell-type specific epigenomic landscapes. By using an accurate probabilistic model for the read counts, EpiCSeg provides a useful annotation for a considerably larger portion of the genome, shows a stronger association with validation data, and yields more consistent predictions across replicate experiments when compared to existing methods. The software is available at http://github.com/lamortenera/epicseg
Students’ views on audio visual aids used during didactic lectures in a medical college

methods to educate medical students previously dominated by blackboard and slide projectors. Now day’s audiovisual aids such as power point have been used. The optimum use of audiovisual aids is essential forderiving their benefits. This study was done to know the students’ preference regarding the various audiovisual aids, with an aim to improve their use in didactic lectures. Material &Methods: Two hundred and eighty six from first, second and third professional medical students were invited to participate in a questionnaire based study. Two hundred and thirteen (74.4%) students completed the questionnaire and their responses were analyzed. The first part of the questionnaire included demographic and educational details. The second part consisted of 12 statements regarding the preference of audiovisual aids for various aspects of learning. Results: In this study, 90.1% of the respondents (first, second & third professional) were stimulated for further reading if they attended a lecture which was augmented by the use of visual aids. The respondents preferred a combination of audiovisual aids during a didactic lecture. The perception of diagrams, flow charts and note taking was best accepted with a power point presentation by first and second professional students, whereas OHP preferred by third professional students . In understanding a particular topic, a combination of aids scored over the use of a particular visual aid alone. In listening and understanding a particular topic, power point presentation was the most preferred aid, with the blackboard being preferred by third professional students. About 62.4% of the respondents were interested in taking notes during class compare to handouts. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that lectures delivered by using a combination of audio visual aids are more appreciated by the students. Furthermore, the lecture should be constructed in a fashion so as to enable the students to gather factual information easily and in a concise manner. Teachers should note that the students preferred a combination of visual aids and were interested in taking notes during lectures.
Bone Mineral Density Changes Among Young, Healthy African Women Receiving Oral Tenofovir for HIV Preexposure Prophylaxis

BACKGROUND
Limited data exist on effect of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) when used for preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) on bone mineral density (BMD) in HIV-negative women. We evaluated the effect of daily oral TDF and emtricitabine/TDF compared with placebo on BMD among women enrolled in an HIV-1 PrEP trial.


METHODS
HIV-uninfected women in Uganda and Zimbabwe had BMD measurements of lumbar spine (LS) and total hip (TH) by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry at baseline and every 24 weeks for 48 weeks of active treatment and for 48 weeks after discontinuation of study medication. Plasma tenofovir levels were assessed every 12 weeks for the first 48 weeks.


RESULTS
Of 518 women enrolled, 432 had dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry results at baseline and week 48. In the primary analysis, no significant differences in percent BMD change in hip or spine between arms observed, likely because of low product adherence. Among the subset with tenofovir detection in 75%-100% of plasma samples, the mean percent BMD change from baseline to week 48 in the LS was 1.4% lower for TDF or emtricitabine/TDF recipients than for placebo (P = 0.002) and TH BMD was 0.9% lower (P = 0.018). BMD changes from end of active treatment to 48 weeks were significantly greater in the active arm participants compared with placebo participants with a net difference of approximately +0.9% at the LS (P = 0.007) and +0.7% (P = 0.003) at the TH.


CONCLUSIONS
TDF-containing oral PrEP resulted in small but significant reversible decreases in hip and spine BMD among young African women.
Current use of implantable electrical devices in Sweden: data from the Swedish pacemaker and implantable cardioverter-defibrillator registry.

AIMS
The National Swedish Pacemaker and Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD) Registry collects prospective data on all pacemaker and ICD implants in Sweden. We aimed to report the 2012 findings of the Registry concerning electrical devices implantation rates and changes over time, 1 year complications, long-term device longevity and patient survival.


METHODS AND RESULTS
Forty-four Swedish implanting centres continuously contribute implantation of pacemakers and ICDs to the Registry by direct data entry on a specific website. Clinical and technical information on 2012 first implants and postoperative complications were analysed and compared with previous years. Patient survival data were obtained from the Swedish population register database. In 2012, the mean pacemaker and ICD first implantation rates were 697 and 136 per million inhabitants, respectively. The number of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) first implantations/million capita was 41 (CRT pacemakers) and 55 (CRT defibrillators), with only a slight increase in CRT-ICD rate compared with 2011. Most device implantations were performed in men. Complication rates for pacemaker and ICD procedures were 5.3 and 10.1% at 1 year, respectively. Device and lead longevity differed among manufacturers. Pacemaker patients were older at the time of first implant and had generally worse survival rate than ICD patients (63 vs. 82% after 5 years).


CONCLUSION
Pacemaker and ICD implantation rates seem to have reached a level phase in Sweden. Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator and CRT implantation rates are very low and do not reflect guideline indications. Gender differences in CRT and ICD implantations are pronounced. Device and patient survival rates are variable, and should be considered when deciding device type.
Different cut-off values of the insulin tolerance test, the high-dose short Synacthen test (250 μg) and the low-dose short Synacthen test (1 μg) in assessing central adrenal insufficiency.

OBJECTIVE
The short Synacthen test (SST) is widely used as alternative test to the insulin tolerance test (ITT) to investigate central adrenal insufficiency (CAI), but the methodology and cut-off values of the SST are controversial. Our aim was to evaluate the cut-off value of the ITT in normal subjects and to assess the different cut-off values of the high-dose SST (250 μg, HDT) and the low-dose SST (1 μg, LDT) in subjects with suspected CAI.


SUBJECTS AND METHODS
We conducted ITTs in 208 normal subjects to establish the cut-off value for the ITT, and 28 of those subjects underwent the HDT and LDT. From 1999 to 2007, 182 patients with suspected CAI were recruited and underwent ITTs, LDTs and HDTs to establish cut-off values and compare the diagnostic accuracy between the LDT and HDT.


RESULTS
The 95th percentile of the peak cortisol level during the ITT in the normal control subjects was 14·8 μg/dl. Receiver operator characteristics (ROC) analysis revealed that the optimal cut-off values of peak cortisol in the LDT and HDT in patients with suspected CAI were 15·8 and 17·4 μg/dl, respectively. However, the cut-off values from normative data (mean - 2 SD) were 18·3 μg/dl for the LDT and 20·5 μg/dl for the HDT in normal control.


CONCLUSIONS
The optimal cut-off values of SSTs needed to be individualized according to the type of SST and tested patient population.
Low-profile circularly polarized rectifying antenna for wireless power transmission at 5.8 GHz

Portable devices operating without batteries are sometimes desired in wireless applications such as RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) and telemetry. A novel circularly polarized shorted annular ring-slot rectenna (rectifying antenna) on a 0.5 mm thick flexible microwave laminate is proposed for the powering of these devices. Output dc voltage of 1.3 V and axial ratio of 1.5 dB were measured when 32 dBm microwave power was transmitted at 5.8 GHz over a distance of 2 m. Comparing the results with a rectenna designed on a thick rigid laminate, similar performance was observed.
IoT system for monitoring vital signs of elderly population

The leading cause of death of elderly Europeans (over 65 years) is heart diseases [1]. Adding up to that, there is also the fact that 30% of elderly people encounter unintentional falls each year, and most of them are fatal [2]. Our paper describes the concept and architecture of a system which is able to monitor the body's vital signs, pre-process the data, generate emergency alerts and use the power of cloud machine learning to predict medical states.
Decrease in androgen binding and effect of androgen treatment in a case of X-linked bulbospinal neuronopathy

X-linked recessive bulbospinal neuronopathy is a motoneuron disorder to be distinguished from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Effective treatment is not known. Patients with X-linked recessive bulbospinal neuronopathy may show gynecomastia and testicular atrophy, and a mutation in the androgen receptor gene has been found associated with the disease. Intermediate steps leading from the androgen receptor abnormality to the clinical syndrome have not yet been elucidated. Therefore, binding of androgen ([3H]dihydrotestosterone) to its specific receptor by genital skin fibroblasts cultured from a patient with X-linked recessive bulbospinal neuronopathy and confirmed androgen receptor mutation was studied. Markedly decreased binding capacity was found. We treated the patient for 6 months with nandrolone-decanoate. No effect on his neuromuscular status was observed during 2 years of follow-up.
Large-signal MOSFET modeling using frequency-domain nonlinear system identification

Traditional BSIM MOSFET model extraction considers I-V/C-V curve fitting to capture DC non-linearity and S-parameter fitting to capture high-frequency small-signal behavior. This leads to poor accuracy when modeling MOSFETs in large-signal RF circuits such as power amplifiers, which require to model high-frequency large-signal behavior of MOSFETs. In this paper, we proposed an automatic method for automatically modeling high-frequency large-signal behavior for MOSFETs. The input is a pre-characterized MOSFET model and large-signal measurement data. The output is an enhanced model that model not only DC and S-parameter characteristics but also large-signal behavior. Experiments show that the proposed method can accurately capture both the nonlinear and dynamic behavior of RF MOSFET.
18F-FDOPA kinetics in brain tumors.

UNLABELLED
L-3,4-Dihydroxy-6-(18)F-fluoro-phenyl-alanine ((18)F-FDOPA) is an amino acid analog used to evaluate presynaptic dopaminergic neuronal function. Evaluation of tumor recurrence in neurooncology is another application. Here, the kinetics of (18)F-FDOPA in brain tumors were investigated.


METHODS
A total of 37 patients underwent 45 studies; 10 had grade IV, 10 had grade III, and 13 had grade II brain tumors; 2 had metastases; and 2 had benign lesions. After (18)F-DOPA was administered at 1.5-5 MBq/kg, dynamic PET images were acquired for 75 min. Images were reconstructed with iterative algorithms, and corrections for attenuation and scatter were applied. Images representing venous structures, the striatum, and tumors were generated with factor analysis, and from these, input and output functions were derived with simple threshold techniques. Compartmental modeling was applied to estimate rate constants.


RESULTS
A 2-compartment model was able to describe (18)F-FDOPA kinetics in tumors and the cerebellum but not the striatum. A 3-compartment model with corrections for tissue blood volume, metabolites, and partial volume appeared to be superior for describing (18)F-FDOPA kinetics in tumors and the striatum. A significant correlation was found between influx rate constant K and late uptake (standardized uptake value from 65 to 75 min), whereas the correlation of K with early uptake was weak. High-grade tumors had significantly higher transport rate constant k(1), equilibrium distribution volumes, and influx rate constant K than did low-grade tumors (P < 0.01). Tumor uptake showed a maximum at about 15 min, whereas the striatum typically showed a plateau-shaped curve. Patlak graphical analysis did not provide accurate parameter estimates. Logan graphical analysis yielded reliable estimates of the distribution volume and could separate newly diagnosed high-grade tumors from low-grade tumors.


CONCLUSION
A 2-compartment model was able to describe (18)F-FDOPA kinetics in tumors in a first approximation. A 3-compartment model with corrections for metabolites and partial volume could adequately describe (18)F-FDOPA kinetics in tumors, the striatum, and the cerebellum. This model suggests that (18)F-FDOPA was transported but not trapped in tumors, unlike in the striatum. The shape of the uptake curve appeared to be related to tumor grade. After an early maximum, high-grade tumors had a steep descending branch, whereas low-grade tumors had a slowly declining curve, like that for the cerebellum but on a higher scale.
Do HDR displays support LDR content?: a psychophysical evaluation

The development of high dynamic range (HDR) imagery has brought us to the verge of arguably the largest change in image display technologies since the transition from black-and-white to color television. Novel capture and display hardware will soon enable consumers to enjoy the HDR experience in their own homes. The question remains, however, of what to do with existing images and movies, which are intrinsically low dynamic range (LDR). Can this enormous volume of legacy content also be displayed effectively on HDR displays? We have carried out a series of rigorous psychophysical investigations to determine how LDR images are best displayed on a state-of-the-art HDR monitor, and to identify which stages of the HDR imaging pipeline are perceptually most critical. Our main findings are: (1) As expected, HDR displays outperform LDR ones. (2) Surprisingly, HDR images that are tone-mapped for display on standard monitors are often no better than the best single LDR exposure from a bracketed sequence. (3) Most importantly of all, LDR data does not necessarily require sophisticated treatment to produce a compelling HDR experience. Simply boosting the range of an LDR image linearly to fit the HDR display can equal or even surpass the appearance of a true HDR image. Thus the potentially tricky process of inverse tone mapping can be largely circumvented.
The Insider Threat to Information Systems

In the information age, as we have become increasingly dependent upon complex information systems, there has been a focus on the vulnerability of these systems to computer crime and security attacks, exemplified by the work of the President's Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection. Because of the high-tech nature of these systems and the technological expertise required to develop and maintain them, it is not surprising that overwhelming attention has been devoted by computer security experts to technological vulnerabilities and solutions. Yet, as captured in the title of a 1993 conference sponsored by the Defense Personnel Security Research Center, 2 Computer Crime: A Peopleware Problem, it is people who designed the systems, people who attack the systems, and understanding the psychology of information systems criminals is crucial to protecting those systems. s A Management Information Systems (MIS) professional at a military facility learns she is going to be downsized. She decides to encrypt large parts of the organization's database and hold it hostage. She contacts the systems administrator responsible for the database and offers to decode the data for $10,000 in " severance pay " and a promise of no prosecution. He agrees to her terms before consulting with proper authorities. Prosecutors reviewing the case determine that the administrator's deal precludes them from pursuing charges. s A postcard written by an enlisted man is discovered during the arrest of several members of a well-known hacker organization by the FBI. Writing from his military base where he serves as a computer specialist, he has inquired about establishing a relationship with the group. Investigation reveals the enlisted man to be a convicted hacker and former group member who had been offered a choice between prison and enlistment. While performing computer duties for the military, he is caught breaking into local phone systems. s An engineer at an energy processing plant becomes angry with his new supervisor, a non-technical administrator. The engineer's wife is terminally ill, and he is on probation after a series of angry and disruptive episodes at work. After he is sent home, the engineering staff discovers that he has made a series of idiosyncratic modifications to plant controls and safety systems. In response to being confronted about these changes, the engineer decides to withhold the password, threatening the productivity and safety of the plant. s At the regional headquarters of an international energy company, an MIS contractor effectively " captures …