LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Fluid retention and vascular effects of rosiglitazone in obese, insulin-resistant, nondiabetic subjects.

OBJECTIVE
The use of thiazolidinedione (TZD) derivatives is associated with fluid retention, especially when combined with insulin. Because TZDs improve the metabolic effect of insulin, they may also reverse the blunted vascular response to insulin. We hypothesize that improvement of the action of insulin on vascular tone or permeability is the key mechanism of TZD-related fluid retention.


RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study in 18 obese, nondiabetic subjects with features of the metabolic syndrome, we investigated the effects of a 12-week treatment with 4 mg rosiglitazone twice a day on glucose disposal, hemodynamics (including forearm vasoconstrictor response to nitric oxide [NO]), synthase inhibition by N-monomethyl-L-arginine-acetate (L-NMMA), vascular permeability (transcapillary escape rate of albumin), and plasma volume during a hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp (120 min, 120 mU/m(2) per min).


RESULTS
As expected, rosiglitazone increased the glucose infusion rate during clamping. However, neither vascular permeability nor forearm blood flow response to hyperinsulinemia or L-NMMA was affected by rosiglitazone. Compared with placebo, rosiglitazone decreased diastolic blood pressure by 5 mmHg (95% CI 2.35-6.87, P = 0.0005) and increased plasma volume by 255 ml/1.73 m(2) (80-430, P = 0.007). Interestingly, the positive effect of rosiglitazone on glucose disposal correlated with change in foot volume (R(2) = 0.53, P = 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Rosiglitazone improved insulin sensitivity but had no effect on NO-dependent vasodilatation in the forearm or vascular permeability in obese, insulin-resistant, nondiabetic subjects. As such, TZD-related fluid retention was not caused by improvement of the vascular actions of insulin. Nonetheless, rosiglitazone-induced improvement in insulin sensitivity appears to be correlated to edema formation.
Anomaly Detection for Skin Disease Images Using Variational Autoencoder

In this paper, we demonstrate the potential of applying Variational Autoencoder (VAE) [9] for anomaly detection in skin disease images. VAE is a class of deep generative models which is trained by maximizing the evidence lower bound of data distribution [9]. When trained on only normal data, the resulting model is able to perform efficient inference and to determine if a test image is normal or not. We perform experiments on ISIC2018 Challenge Disease Classification dataset (Task 3)[4, 13] and compare different methods to use VAE to detect anomaly. The model is able to detect all diseases with 0.779 AUCROC. If we focus on specific diseases, the model is able to detect melanoma with 0.864 AUCROC and detect actinic keratosis with 0.872 AUCROC, even if it only sees the images of nevus. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first applied work of deep generative models for anomaly detection in dermatology.
Different patterns of HIV-1 DNA after therapy discontinuation

BACKGROUND
By persisting in infected cells for a long period of time, proviral HIV-1 DNA can represent an alternative viral marker to RNA viral load during the follow-up of HIV-1 infected individuals. In the present study sequential blood samples of 10 patients under antiretroviral treatment from 1997 with two NRTIs, who refused to continue any antiviral regimen, were analyzed for 16-24 weeks to study the possible relationship between DNA and RNA viral load.


METHODS
The amount of proviral DNA was quantified by SYBR green real-time PCR in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from a selected group of ten patients with different levels of plasmatic viremia (RNA viral load).


RESULTS
Variable levels of proviral DNA were found without any significant correlation between proviral load and plasma HIV-1 RNA levels. Results obtained showed an increase or a rebound in viral DNA in most patients, suggesting that the absence of therapy reflects an increase and/or a persistence of cells containing viral DNA.


CONCLUSION
Even though plasma HIV RNA levels remain the basic parameter to monitor the intensity of viral replication, the results obtained seem to indicate that DNA levels could represent an adjunct prognostic marker in monitoring HIV-1 infected subjects.
RNN based MIMO channel prediction

A new hybrid PSO-EA-DEPSO algorithm based on particle swarm optimization (PSO), evolutionary algorithm (EA), and differential evolution (DE) is presented for training a recurrent neural network (RNN) for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channel prediction. This algorithm is shown to outperform RNN predictors trained off-line by PSO, EA, and DEPSO as well as a linear predictor trained by the Levinson–Durbin algorithm. To explore the effects of channel prediction error at the receiver, new expressions for the received SNR, array gain, and average probability of error are derived and analyzed. These expressions differ from previous results which assume the prediction error is Gaussian and/or independent of the true CSI. The array gain decays with increasing signal-to-noise ratio and is slightly larger for spatially correlated systems. As the prediction error increases in the non-saturation region, the coding gain decreases and the diversity gain remains unaffected. & 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
An Optical Character Recognition

Arabic optical character recognition (OCR) is the process of converting images that contain Arabic text to a format that can be edited. In this work, a simple approach for Arabic OCR is presented, the proposed method deployed correlation and dynamic-size windowing to segment and to recognize Arabic characters. The proposed coherent template recognition process is characterized by the ability of recognizing Arabic characters with different sizes. Recognition results reveal the robustness of the proposed method.
All-Optical Interrogation of Neural Circuits.

UNLABELLED
There have been two recent revolutionary advances in neuroscience: First, genetically encoded activity sensors have brought the goal of optical detection of single action potentials in vivo within reach. Second, optogenetic actuators now allow the activity of neurons to be controlled with millisecond precision. These revolutions have now been combined, together with advanced microscopies, to allow "all-optical" readout and manipulation of activity in neural circuits with single-spike and single-neuron precision. This is a transformational advance that will open new frontiers in neuroscience research. Harnessing the power of light in the all-optical approach requires coexpression of genetically encoded activity sensors and optogenetic probes in the same neurons, as well as the ability to simultaneously target and record the light from the selected neurons. It has recently become possible to combine sensors and optical strategies that are sufficiently sensitive and cross talk free to enable single-action-potential sensitivity and precision for both readout and manipulation in the intact brain. The combination of simultaneous readout and manipulation from the same genetically defined cells will enable a wide range of new experiments as well as inspire new technologies for interacting with the brain. The advances described in this review herald a future where the traditional tools used for generations by physiologists to study and interact with the brain-stimulation and recording electrodes-can largely be replaced by light. We outline potential future developments in this field and discuss how the all-optical strategy can be applied to solve fundamental problems in neuroscience.


SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT
This review describes the nexus of dramatic recent developments in optogenetic probes, genetically encoded activity sensors, and novel microscopies, which together allow the activity of neural circuits to be recorded and manipulated entirely using light. The optical and protein engineering strategies that form the basis of this "all-optical" approach are now sufficiently advanced to enable single-neuron and single-action potential precision for simultaneous readout and manipulation from the same functionally defined neurons in the intact brain. These advances promise to illuminate many fundamental challenges in neuroscience, including transforming our search for the neural code and the links between neural circuit activity and behavior.
Mentoring as professional development: ‘growth for both’ mentor and mentee

Teachers need professional development to keep current with teaching practices; although costs for extensive professional development can be prohibitive across an education system. Mentoring provides one way for embedding cost-effective professional development. This mixed method study includes surveying mentor teachers (n=101) on a five part Likert scale and interviews with experienced mentors (n=10) to investigate professional development for mentors as a result of the mentoring process. Quantitative data were analysed through a pedagogical knowledge framework and qualitative data were collated into themes. Survey data showed that although mentoring of pedagogical knowledge was variable, mentoring pedagogical knowledge practices occurs with the majority of mentors, which requires mentors to evaluate and articulate teaching practices. Qualitative data showed that mentoring acted as professional development and lead towards enhancing communication skills, developing leadership roles (problem solving and building capacity), and advancing pedagogical knowledge. Providing professional development to teachers on mentoring can help to build capacity in two ways: (1) quality mentoring of preservice teachers through explicit mentoring practices, and (2) reflecting and deconstructing teaching practices for mentors’ own pedagogical advancements.
History and principles of Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensing.

developed out of a need to solve a problem. The problem was posed, in the late 1960s, to the Optical Sciences Center (OSC) at the University of Arizona by the US Air Force. They wanted to improve the images of satellites taken from earth. The earth's atmosphere limits the image quality and exposure time of stars and satellites taken with telescopes over 5 inches in diameter at low altitudes and 10 to 12 inches in diameter at high altitudes. Dr. Aden Mienel was director of the OSC at that time. He came up with the idea of enhancing images of satellites by measuring the Optical Transfer Function (OTF) of the atmosphere and dividing the OTF of the image by the OTF of the atmosphere. The trick was to measure the OTF of the atmosphere at the same time the image was taken and to control the exposure time so as to capture a snapshot of the atmospheric aberrations rather than to average over time. The measured wavefront error in the atmosphere should not change more than ␭/10 over the exposure time. The exposure time for a low earth orbit satellite imaged from a mountaintop was determined to be about 1/60 second. Mienel was an astronomer and had used the standard Hartmann test (Fig 1), where large wooden or cardboard panels were placed over the aperture of a large telescope. The panels had an array of holes that would allow pencils of rays from stars to be traced through the telescope system. A photographic plate was placed inside and outside of focus, with a sufficient separation, so the pencil of rays would be separated from each other. Each hole in the panel would produce its own blurry image of the star. By taking two images a known distance apart and measuring the centroid of the images, one can trace the rays through the focal plane. Hartmann used these ray traces to calculate figures of merit for large telescopes. The data can also be used to make ray intercept curves (H'-tan U'). When Mienel could not cover the aperture while taking an image of the satellite, he came up with the idea of inserting a beam splitter in collimated space behind the eyepiece and placing a plate with holes in it at the image of the pupil. Each hole would pass a pencil of rays to a vidicon tube (this was before …
A Theory of Destructive Entrepreneurship October 2007

Policy interest since the early 1980s has focused in different ways on the creation of a large, productive, taxable economy – in which entrepreneurship plays a role for employment, income growth and innovation. The current understanding of various forms of entrepreneurship remains incomplete, focusing largely on productive and unproductive entrepreneurship. However, destructive entrepreneurship plays an important role in many, if not most, economies. This paper addresses the conceptual gap in the allocation of entrepreneurship by proposing a theory of destructive entrepreneurship. JEL-classification: O17, O20, P00
Intermediate and advanced topics in multilevel logistic regression analysis

Multilevel data occur frequently in health services, population and public health, and epidemiologic research. In such research, binary outcomes are common. Multilevel logistic regression models allow one to account for the clustering of subjects within clusters of higher-level units when estimating the effect of subject and cluster characteristics on subject outcomes. A search of the PubMed database demonstrated that the use of multilevel or hierarchical regression models is increasing rapidly. However, our impression is that many analysts simply use multilevel regression models to account for the nuisance of within-cluster homogeneity that is induced by clustering. In this article, we describe a suite of analyses that can complement the fitting of multilevel logistic regression models. These ancillary analyses permit analysts to estimate the marginal or population-average effect of covariates measured at the subject and cluster level, in contrast to the within-cluster or cluster-specific effects arising from the original multilevel logistic regression model. We describe the interval odds ratio and the proportion of opposed odds ratios, which are summary measures of effect for cluster-level covariates. We describe the variance partition coefficient and the median odds ratio which are measures of components of variance and heterogeneity in outcomes. These measures allow one to quantify the magnitude of the general contextual effect. We describe an R2 measure that allows analysts to quantify the proportion of variation explained by different multilevel logistic regression models. We illustrate the application and interpretation of these measures by analyzing mortality in patients hospitalized with a diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction. © 2017 The Authors. Statistics in Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Towards the improvement of Cuckoo search algorithm

Cuckoo search algorithm via L'evy flights by Xin-She Yang and Saush Deb [1] for optimizing a nonlinear function uses generation of random numbers with symmetric L'evy distribution obtained by Mantegna's algorithm. However, instead of using the original algorithm, they have used a simplified version to generate L'evy flights during the Cuckoo search algorithm [2]. Also, apaper by MatteoLeccardi [3] describes three algorithms to generate such random numbers and claims that McCulloch's algorithm is outperforming the other two, namely, Mantegna's algorithm and rejection algorithm. The idea in this paper is to compare and see if the Cuckoo Search algorithm shows any improvement in the performance in three cases when the simplified version algorithm, Mantegna's algorithm and McCulloch's algorithm each of them is included in Cuckoo Search algorithm to generate L'evy flights.
The Fallacy of Tongue Thrust and Non-Surgical Treatment of a Severe Anterior Open Bite

Introduction: The causal relation between tongue thrust swallowing or habit and development of anterior open bite continues to be made in clinical orthodontics yet studies suggest a lack of evidence to support a cause and effect. Treatment continues to be directed towards closing the anterior open bite frequently with surgical intervention to reposition the maxilla and mandible. This case report illustrates a highly successful non-surgical orthodontic treatment without extractions.
Efficacy of sodium hyaluronate and carboxymethylcellulose in treating mild to moderate dry eye disease.

PURPOSE
We compared the efficacy and safety of sodium hyaluronate (SH) and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) in treating mild to moderate dry eye.


METHODS
Sixty-seven patients with mild to moderate dry eye were enrolled in this prospective, randomized, blinded study. They were treated 6 times a day with preservative-free unit dose formula eyedrops containing 0.1% SH or 0.5% CMC for 8 weeks. Corneal and conjunctival staining with fluorescein, tear film breakup time, subjective symptoms, and adverse reactions were assessed at baseline, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks after treatment initiation.


RESULTS
Thirty-two patients were randomly assigned to the SH group and 33 were randomly assigned to the CMC group. Both the SH and CMC groups showed statistically significant improvements in corneal and conjunctival staining sum scores, tear film breakup time, and dry eye symptom score at 4 and 8 weeks after treatment initiation. However, there were no statistically significant differences in any of the indices between the 2 treatment groups. There were no significant adverse reactions observed during follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
The efficacies of SH and CMC were equivalent in treating mild to moderate dry eye. SH and CMC preservative-free artificial tear formulations appropriately manage dry eye sign and symptoms and show safety and efficacy when frequently administered in a unit dose formula.
Mixed Convection in a Vertical Porous Channel

Abstract. A numerical study of mixed convection in a vertical channel filled with a porous medium including the effect of inertial forces is studied by taking into account the effect of viscous and Darcy dissipations. The flow is modeled using the Brinkman– Forchheimer-extended Darcy equations. The two boundaries are considered as isothermal– isothermal, isoflux–isothermal and isothermal–isoflux for the left and right walls of the channel and kept either at equal or at different temperatures. The governing equations are solved numerically by finite difference method with Southwell–Over–Relaxation technique for extended Darcy model and analytically using perturbation series method for Darcian model. The velocity and temperature fields are obtained for various porous parameter, inertia effect, product of Brinkman number and Grashof number and the ratio of Grashof number and Reynolds number for equal and different wall temperatures. Nusselt number at the walls is also determined for three types of thermal boundary conditions. The viscous dissipation enhances the flow reversal in the case of downward flow while it counters the flow in the case of upward flow. The Darcy and inertial drag terms suppress the flow. It is found that analytical and numerical solutions agree very well for the Darcian model.
Regulatory Arbitrage and International Bank Flows

We study whether cross-country differences in regulations have affected international bank flows. We find strong evidence that banks have transferred funds to markets with fewer regulations. This form of regulatory arbitrage suggests there may be a destructive “race to the bottom” in global regulations which restricts domestic regulators’ ability to limit bank risk-taking. However, we also find that the links between regulation differences and bank flows are significantly stronger if the recipient country is a developed country with strong property rights and creditor rights. This suggests that while differences in regulations have important influences, that without a strong institutional environment, lax regulations are not enough to encourage massive capital flows. ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ * Houston is with University of Florida, Lin is with Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Ma is with Lingnan University. We thank Campbell Harvey (the editor), an associate editor, and the referee for their very constructive and helpful comments. We thank Thorsten Beck, Daniel Berkowitz, David Brown, Charles Calomiris, Murillo Campello, Olivier De Jonghe, Avinash Dixit, Andrew Filardo, Mark Flannery, Borja Larrain, Micah Officer, Frank Packer, Eswar Prasad, Jun Qian, Mike Ryngaert, Frank Song, Yihui Wang, Yuhai Xuan, Bernard Yeung, Haibin Zhu, participants of the 2009 ICCFFI conference in Hong Kong, 2010 Asian Development Bank Institute-China Banking Regulatory Commission-IMF conference on Banking Regulation and Financial Stability in Beijing, and seminar participants at Chinese University of Hong Kong, National University of Singapore, Peking University, Tsinghua University, and Tulane University for helpful comments. We also thank Philip Wooldridge from the BIS for clarifying some important conceptual issues of the BIS data and offering useful comments on our research.
Intramucosal nevus in the oral cavity.

AIM
The aim of this study is to report a clinical case of oral nevus.


BACKGROUND
Nevus is a congenital or acquired benign neoplasia that can be observed in the skin or mucous membranes. It is an uncommon condition in the oral mucosa. When it does occur, the preferred location is on the palate, followed by the cheek mucosa, lip and tongue.


CASE REPORT
In this case study, we relate the diagnosis and treatment of a 23-year-old female patient with an irregular, pigmented lesion of the oral mucosa that underwent excisional biopsy resulting in a diagnosis of intramucosal nevus.


CONCLUSION
Nevus can appear in the oral mucosa and should be removed.


CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE
It is important for dental professionals to adequately categorize and treat pigmented lesions in the mouth.
A review of outcome following valve surgery for rheumatic heart disease in Australia

BACKGROUND
Globally, rheumatic heart disease (RHD) remains an important cause of heart disease. In Australia it particularly affects younger Indigenous and older non-Indigenous Australians. Despite its impact there is limited understanding of the factors influencing outcome following surgery for RHD.


METHODS
The Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons Cardiac Surgery Database was analysed to assess outcomes following surgical procedures for RHD and non-RHD valvular disease. The association with demographics, co-morbidities, pre-operative status, valve(s) affected and operative procedure was evaluated.


RESULTS
Outcome of 1384 RHD and 15843 non-RHD valve procedures was analysed. RHD patients had longer ventilation, experienced fewer strokes and had more readmissions to hospital and anticoagulant complications. Mortality following RHD surgery at 30 days was 3.1% (95% CI 2.2 - 4.3), 5 years 15.3% (11.7 - 19.5) and 10 years 25.0% (10.7 - 44.9). Mortality following non-RHD surgery at 30 days was 4.3% (95% CI 3.9 - 4.6), 5 years 17.6% (16.4 - 18.9) and 10 years 39.4% (33.0 - 46.1). Factors independently associated with poorer longer term survival following RHD surgery included older age (OR1.03/additional year, 95% CI 1.01 - 1.05), concomitant diabetes (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.1 - 2.5) and chronic kidney disease (1.9, 1.2 - 2.9), longer invasive ventilation time (OR 1.7 if greater than median value, 1.1- 2.9) and prolonged stay in hospital (1.02/additional day, 1.01 - 1.03). Survival in Indigenous Australians was comparable to that seen in non-Indigenous Australians.


CONCLUSION
In a large prospective cohort study we have demonstrated survival following RHD valve surgery in Australia is comparable to earlier studies. Patients with diabetes and chronic kidney disease, were at particular risk of poorer long-term survival. Unlike earlier studies we did not find pre-existing atrial fibrillation, being an Indigenous Australian or the nature of the underlying valve lesion were independent predictors of survival.