LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Aortic annulus sizing: echocardiographic versus computed tomography derived measurements in comparison with direct surgical sizing.

OBJECTIVES
The precise sizing of the aortic annulus is crucial in order to select the most appropriate valve size for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Owing to the closed heart situation in TAVI, sizing has to be performed based on preoperative imaging when compared with direct sizing during conventional procedures. The aim of the study was to evaluate valve sizing performed either by CT-scan or by echocardiography by comparing these imaging-based measurements with direct intraoperative sizing.


METHODS
Prior to the standard conventional aortic valve replacement, 26 patients underwent cardiac CT-scan and echocardiographic examination. Maximal annular diameter was measured by echocardiography at end-diastole and end-systole, including the leaflet calcifications. The CT-scan maximal, minimal and mean diameters were measured as well as the 'effective' diameter (CT(eff)). CT(eff) represents the diameter of a circle with the exact same area as the measured area of the annular circumference reconstructed from the CT-data set. Direct intraoperative diameters were measured after decalcification using metric sizers.


RESULTS
CT(eff) and end-systolic echocardiographic diameters showed best agreement with intraoperative direct sizing (intraop) in the Bland-Altman analysis [mean difference for transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE) vs intraop 0.5 mm (limits of agreement -2.5-3.5); mean difference for transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) vs intraop 0.38 mm (limits of agreement -3.28-4.03) and CT(eff) vs intraop -0.56 (limits of agreement -3.16-2.05)]. In patients with an oval-shaped annulus, CT(eff) demonstrated the best agreement with intraop [mean difference -0.32 (limits of agreement -2.29 to 1.66)].


CONCLUSIONS
Both the 'effective' CT diameter and end-systolic TEE values are the most reliable approaches for preoperative aortic annulus sizing. In patients with a pronounced oval-shaped annulus, the 'effective' CT diameter seems to be the method of choice. Therefore, aortic annulus measurement using 'effective' CT diameters should be included into current recommendations for TAVI sizing.
Sustainable agriculture and eradication of rural poverty in Pakistan

Poverty is rampant in the rural areas of Pakistan, where people are in a state of deprivation with regard to incomes, clothing, housing, healthcare, education, sanitary facilities and human rights. Agriculture generates nearly 20.9 percent of the country’s GDP and provides employment for 43.4 percent of its workforce. Most importantly, 65.9 percent of the population living in rural areas is directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture for their livelihood. Rising population, shrinking agricultural land, increasing demand for water resources, widespread land degradation and inadequate infrastructure appear to be major concerns of the agriculture sector in Pakistan. An attempt has been made to examine the population growth–agriculture growth–poverty alleviation linkage. It is argued that agriculture will continue to be one of the most important sectors of Pakistan’s economy for years to come. To alleviate poverty, it is suggested that Pakistan enhance the productivity of the agriculture sector through the provision of a series of inputs including provision of easy credit to the small farmer, availability of quality fertilizers and pesticides, tractor and harvester services, improvement in the effectiveness of the vast irrigation system and, finally, farmer education. It is concluded that the high rate of population growth needs to be curbed for increased agricultural productivity to have any significant effect on poverty in rural areas of Pakistan.
System design issues for 3D system-in-package (SiP)

Development in electronics is driven by device and market needs. This paper focuses on system design issues for three-dimensional packaging technology and discusses interconnection density, material compatibility, thermal management, electrical requirements, related to delay and noise. Microelectronics packaging has to provide all future devices, such as electronics, actuators, sensors, antennas, optical/photonic, MEMS, and biological solutions. However, a 3D package is a cost effective solution to save placement and routing area on board using several IC processes in the same module. System-in-package (SiP) can combine all the electronic requirements of a functional system or a subsystem in one package. The driving force is integration without compromising individual chip technologies. In this work, a stacked system-in-package structure has been studied. The thermo-mechanical behavior of packages has been analyzed by finite element analysis (FEA) and the correlation between the experimental test results and the modeling was analyzed. A stacked 3D package can contain multiple heat sources that produce high power density. Therefore, thermal management needs extra attention to ensure safe operating temperatures under all conditions. The thermal behavior of the package was modeled using FEA and a boundary condition independent (BCI) compact thermal model (CTM) was built based on simulation results. In addition, high-speed signal and interfering environment set quite stringent requirements for 3D devices. Crosstalk between vertical connections was simulated and measured. Measurements of S-parameters were done using a network analyzer. The frequency range was 45 MHz to 20 GHz.
The development of malaria parasites in the mosquito midgut

The mosquito midgut stages of malaria parasites are crucial for establishing an infection in the insect vector and to thus ensure further spread of the pathogen. Parasite development in the midgut starts with the activation of the intraerythrocytic gametocytes immediately after take-up and ends with traversal of the midgut epithelium by the invasive ookinetes less than 24 h later. During this time period, the plasmodia undergo two processes of stage conversion, from gametocytes to gametes and from zygotes to ookinetes, both accompanied by dramatic morphological changes. Further, gamete formation requires parasite egress from the enveloping erythrocytes, rendering them vulnerable to the aggressive factors of the insect gut, like components of the human blood meal. The mosquito midgut stages of malaria parasites are unprecedented objects to study a variety of cell biological aspects, including signal perception, cell conversion, parasite/host co-adaptation and immune evasion. This review highlights recent insights into the molecules involved in gametocyte activation and gamete formation as well as in zygote-to-ookinete conversion and ookinete midgut exit; it further discusses factors that can harm the extracellular midgut stages as well as the measures of the parasites to protect themselves from any damage.
Cardiac index during therapeutic hypothermia: which target value is optimal?

This article is one of ten reviews selected from the Annual Update in Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine 2013 and co-published as a series in Critical Care. Other articles in the series can be found online at
The Semantic Web – ISWC 2017

s of Invited Talks From Relational to Semantic Data Mining
Global visibility algorithms for illumination computations

The most expensive geometric operation in image synthesis is visibility determination. Classically this is solved with hidden surface removal algorithms that render only the parts of the scene visible from a point. Global illumination calculations, however, may require information between any two points in the scene. This paper describes global visibility algorithms that preprocess polygon databases in order to accelerate visibility determination during illumination calculations. These algorithms are sensitive to the output complexity in visibility space; that is, how many pairs of objects are mutually visible. Furthermore, the algorithms are incremental so that they work well with progressive refinement and hierarchical methods of image synthesis. The algorithms are conservative, but exact; that is, when they return visibility predicates they can be proved true. However sometimes they do not return either totally visible or totally invisible, but partially visible, even though in the same situation a better algorithm might return the exact answer. In this paper we describe the algorithms and their implementation, and show that, in a scene with low average visual complexity, they can dramatically accelerate conventional radiosity programs. CR
CYBER BULLYING-A NEW SOCIAL MENACE

Objective: Cyber bullying is a combination of the word cyber and bullying where cyber basically means the Internet or on-line. In this case, cyber bullying will focus on getting in action with bullying by using the Internet or modern technologies such as on-line chats, online media and short messaging texts through social media. The current review aims to compile and summarize the results of relevant publications related to “cyber bullying." The review also includes discussing on relevant variables related to cyber bullying. Methods: Information from relevant publications addresses the demographics, prevalence, differences between cyber bullying and traditional bullying, bullying motivation, avenues to overcome it, preventions, coping mechanisms in relation to “cyber bullying” were retrieved and summarized. Results: The prevalence of cyber bullying ranges from 30% 55% and the contributing risk factors include positive association with perpetration, non-supportive school environment, and Internet risky behaviors. Both males and females have been equal weigh on being perpetrators and victims. The older groups with more technology exposures are more prone to be exposed to cyber bullying. With respect to individual components of bullying, repetition is less evident in cyber bullying and power imbalance is not measured by physicality but in terms of popularity and technical knowledge of the perpetrator. Conclusion: Due to the limited efforts centralized on the intervention, future researchers should focus on testing the efficacy of possible interventional programs and the effects of different roles in the intervention in order to curb the problem and prevent more deleterious effects of cyber bullying. ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 17 (1): January – June 2016: XX XX.
The Quantum Efficiency and Thermal Emittance of Metal Photocathodes

Modern electron beams have demonstrated the brilliance needed to drive free electron lasers at x-ray wavelengths with major advances occurring since the invention of the photocathode gun and the realization of emittance compensation. These state-of-the-art electron beams are now becoming limited by the intrinsic thermal emittance of the cathode. In both DC and RF photocathode guns details of the cathode emission physics strongly influence the quantum efficiency and the thermal emittance. Therefore improving cathode performance is essential to increasing the brightness of beams. It is especially important to understand the fundamentals of cathode quantum efficiency and thermal emittance. This paper investigates the relationship between the quantum efficiency and the thermal emittance for metal cathodes using the Fermi-Dirac model for the electron distribution. We use a consistent theory to derive the quantum efficiency and thermal emittance, and compare our results to those of others.
Weakly-Supervised Violence Detection in Movies with Audio and Video Based Co-training

In this work, we present a novel method to detect violent shots in movies. The detection process is split into two views–––the audio and video views. From the audio-view, a weakly-supervised method is exploited to improve the classification performance. And from the video-view, we use a classifier to detect violent shots. Finally, the auditory and visual classifiers are combined in a co-training way. The experimental results on several movies with violent contents preliminarily show the effectiveness of our method.
Head flexion angle while using a smartphone.

Repetitive or prolonged head flexion posture while using a smartphone is known as one of risk factors for pain symptoms in the neck. To quantitatively assess the amount and range of head flexion of smartphone users, head forward flexion angle was measured from 18 participants when they were conducing three common smartphone tasks (text messaging, web browsing, video watching) while sitting and standing in a laboratory setting. It was found that participants maintained head flexion of 33-45° (50th percentile angle) from vertical when using the smartphone. The head flexion angle was significantly larger (p < 0.05) for text messaging than for the other tasks, and significantly larger while sitting than while standing. Study results suggest that text messaging, which is one of the most frequently used app categories of smartphone, could be a main contributing factor to the occurrence of neck pain of heavy smartphone users. Practitioner Summary: In this laboratory study, the severity of head flexion of smartphone users was quantitatively evaluated when conducting text messaging, web browsing and video watching while sitting and standing. Study results indicate that text messaging while sitting caused the largest head flexion than that of other task conditions.
The validity of the 21-item version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales as a routine clinical outcome measure.

OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to test the validity of the 21-item Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21) as a routine clinical outcome measure in the private in-patient setting. We hypothesized that it would be a suitable routine outcome instrument in this setting.


METHOD
All in-patients treated at a private psychiatric hospital over a period of 24 months were included in the study. Data were collected on demographics, service utilization, diagnosis and a set of four routine measures both at admission and discharge. These measures consisted of the Clinical Global Impressions (CGI) scales, Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS), the Mental Health Questionnaire (MHQ-14) and DASS-21. The results of these measures were compared.


RESULTS
Of 786 admissions in total, the number of fully completed (ie paired admission and discharge) data sets for the DASS-21 depression, anxiety and stress subscales were 337, 328 and 347, respectively. All subscales showed statistically significant reductions in mean scores from admission to discharge (P < 0.001) and were significantly correlated with all MHQ-14 subscales and significantly related to CGI scale categories. The total DASS-21 and total HoNOS scores were also significantly correlated.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings from the present study support the validity of DASS-21 as a routine clinical outcome measure in the private in-patient setting.
Are memory complaints predictive for dementia? A review of clinical and population-based studies.

OBJECTIVES
To review studies that have reported on the prevalence of memory complaints and the relationship between memory complaints and impairment or decline (dementia) in elderly individuals.


DATA SOURCES AND STUDY SELECTION
All publications in the English language relating to memory complaints, memory impairment, cognitive disorder and dementia in MEDLINE, PSYCHLIT and EMBASE computerized databases, together with a search of relevant citations.


DATA SYNTHESIS
The prevalence of memory complaints, defined as everyday memory problems, shows a large variation of approximately 25 - 50%. A high age, female gender and a low level of education are generally associated with a high prevalence of memory complaints. In community-based samples of elderly subjects an association has been found between memory complaints and memory impairment, after adjustment for depressive symptomatology. Memory complaints predict dementia after a follow-up of at least 2 years, in particular in those with mild cognitive impairment, defined as Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) > 23. Memory complaints in highly educated elderly subjects may be predictive of dementia even when there is no indication of cognitive impairment on short cognitive screen tests. The shift in methodology which is noticeable in the recently published major studies is discussed as a possible explanation for the established association between memory complaints and decline in memory (or dementia) in elderly subjects. Three methodological factors, in particular, are responsible for the results: community-based sampling, longitudinal design and the treatment of variables such as depression, cognitive impairment and level of education.


CONCLUSION
Memory complaints in elderly people should no longer be considered merely as an innocent age-related phenomenon or a symptom of depression. Instead, these complaints deserve to be taken seriously, at least as a possible early sign of dementia.
Applying ISO/IEC 25010 on Mobile Personal Health Records

Software product quality requirements reflect the stockholders’ needs in terms of quality. They play a central role in the success of the system and the software product quality. This paper lists mobile personal health record (mPHR) requirements extracted from literature and identifies the requirements which should be included in the mPHR quality evaluation. Moreover, the ISO/IEC 25010 software product quality model is used to present a checklist with which to calculate the influence of the mPHR requirements on software product quality. Furthermore, the degrees of influence of mPHR requirements on software product quality are calculated and analyzed. A set of recommendations for mPHRs developers and stakeholders is provided.
Therapeutical considerations in associated atrial fibrillation and heart failure.

UNLABELLED
Atrial fibrillation is a supraventricular tachyarrhythmia very common in medical practice, often associated with heart failure. Pathophysiological relationship between atrial fibrillation and heart failure is in the attention of numerous case studies, being incomplete elucidated.


MATERIAL AND METHODS
We made a retrospective study on patients with both diseases, hospitalized in Cardiovascular Rehabilitation Hospital, Iasi, during 01.01.2013 - 31.12.2013. The obtained data allowed the classification of patients according to gender distribution, age groups, area of origin, clinical aspects, and association with other diseases, instituted treatment and appreciation of CHADS2 score. Data interpretation was performed with appropriate statistical methods.


RESULTS
We found a higher frequency of the disease among male patients, male: female ratio being 2:1; the most of the patients lived in urban area. The pick of diseases incidence was in patients over 65 years with a total percentage of 70.84% of cases. We noted that the most common symptoms were exertional dyspnea (in all patients), palpitations, dizziness, headache, fatigue, asthenia, dyspnea at rest and pain/chest pressure. In our study, the majority of patients received the beta-blocker--digoxin combination (46 patients, 40 patients respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
The coexistence of the two disorders could be explained by identifying common risk factors. Beta blockers should be the first therapeutic option in patients with chronic heart failure and atrial fibrillation because they have the effect of controlling heart rate and improve survival in patients with these disorders. Meanwhile, digoxin is a drug, only certain conditions of high accuracy monitoring; whose major clinical indications are heart failure and atrial rhythm disturbances.
Knowledge, Awareness and Practices Regarding Dengue Fever among the Adult Population of Dengue Hit Cosmopolitan

BACKGROUND
The World health Organization (WHO) declares dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever to be endemic in South Asia. Despite the magnitude of problem, no documented evidence exists in Pakistan which reveals the awareness and practices of the country's adult population regarding dengue fever, its spread, symptoms, treatment and prevention. This study was conducted to assess the level of knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding dengue fever in people visiting tertiary care hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan.


METHODS
A cross-sectional pilot study was conducted among people visiting tertiary care hospitals in Karachi. Through convenience sampling, a pre-tested and structured questionnaire was administered through a face-to-face unprompted interview with 447 visitors. Knowledge was recorded on a scale of 1-3.


RESULTS
About 89.9% of individuals interviewed had heard of dengue fever. Sufficient knowledge about dengue was found to be in 38.5% of the sample, with 66% of these in Aga Khan University Hospital and 33% in Civil Hospital Karachi. Literate individuals were relatively more well-informed about dengue fever as compared to the illiterate people (p<0.001). Knowledge based upon preventive measures was found to be predominantly focused towards prevention of mosquito bites (78.3%) rather than eradication of mosquito population (17.3%). Use of anti-mosquito spray was the most prevalent (48.1%) preventive measure. Television was considered as the most important and useful source of information on the disease.


CONCLUSION
Adult population of Karachi has adequate knowledge related to the disease 'dengue' on isolated aspects, but the overall prevalence of 'sufficient knowledge' based on our criteria is poor. We demonstrated adequate prevalence of preventive practices against the disease. Further studies correlating the association between knowledge and its effectiveness against dengue will be helpful in demonstrating the implications of awareness campaigns.
Global solution and smoothing effect for a non-local regularization of a hyperbolic equation

The interest of such an equation (namely Equation (1.1)) was pointed out to us by Paul Clavin in the context of pattern formation in detonation waves. The study of detonations leads, in a first approximation, to nonlinear hyperbolic equations. As it is well known, the solutions of such equations may develop discontinuities in finite time. A theory of existence and uniqueness of (entropy weak) solutions to Equation (1.1) with g = 0, in the L∞ framework, is known since the work of Krushkov ([Kru70], see also [Vol67]). The case of a parabolic regularization (of a nonlinear hyperbolic equation) is often considered and used to prove the Krushkov result; it corresponds to (1.1) with λ = 2. In this case, existence and uniqueness of a solution is also well known along with a regularizing effect. However, it appears that the choice of λ = 2 is not quite natural, at least for the problem of detonation (see [CD02], [CH01], [CD01]) where it seems more natural to consider a nonlocal term as g[u] with λ close to 1 but greater than 1 (although the case λ = 1 is also of