LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Hepatitis C virus therapy update 2013.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW
We review here the recent literature regarding hepatitis C virus (HCV) therapy through January 2013. We discuss current therapies, targets for new therapies, and what might be expected in this rapidly changing field.


RECENT FINDINGS
Boceprevir-based and telaprevir-based triple therapy with pegylated interferon and ribavirin marked the beginning of a new era in HCV therapy for genotype 1 patients. New direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) are being developed and new antiviral drug targets are being explored. New combination treatment regimens are expected to emerge soon and there is hope for interferon-free regimens.


SUMMARY
The standard of care for treatment of HCV genotype 1 changed dramatically with the approval of two new DAA drugs--telaprevir and boceprevir--for use in pegylated interferon-based and ribavirin-based triple therapy in mid-2011. Experience has shown improved response rates and treatment durations for many patients with genotype 1 HCV infection. However, persistent limitations to HCV treatment still exist for patients with prior treatment failure and comorbid conditions and patients on newer therapies suffer additional therapy-limiting side effects and drug-drug interactions. Genetic testing may provide some guidance but additional options for therapy are still needed for HCV. Many new drugs are currently under investigation and there is hope that effective and well tolerated interferon-free regimens may become a part of future therapy.
The stem cell secretome and its role in brain repair

Compelling evidence exists that non-haematopoietic stem cells, including mesenchymal (MSCs) and neural/progenitor stem cells (NPCs), exert a substantial beneficial and therapeutic effect after transplantation in experimental central nervous system (CNS) disease models through the secretion of immune modulatory or neurotrophic paracrine factors. This paracrine hypothesis has inspired an alternative outlook on the use of stem cells in regenerative neurology. In this paradigm, significant repair of the injured brain may be achieved by injecting the biologics secreted by stem cells (secretome), rather than implanting stem cells themselves for direct cell replacement. The stem cell secretome (SCS) includes cytokines, chemokines and growth factors, and has gained increasing attention in recent years because of its multiple implications for the repair, restoration or regeneration of injured tissues. Thanks to recent improvements in SCS profiling and manipulation, investigators are now inspired to harness the SCS as a novel alternative therapeutic option that might ensure more efficient outcomes than current stem cell-based therapies for CNS repair. This review discusses the most recent identification of MSC- and NPC-secreted factors, including those that are trafficked within extracellular membrane vesicles (EVs), and reflects on their potential effects on brain repair. It also examines some of the most convincing advances in molecular profiling that have enabled mapping of the SCS.
PERTURBATIONS IN BOUNCING COSMOLOGICAL MODELS

I describe the features and general properties of bouncing models and the evolution of cosmological perturbations on such backgrounds. I will outline possible observational consequences of the existence of a bounce in the primordial Universe and I will make a comparison of these models with standard long inflationary scenarios.
Does availability of AIR insulin increase insulin use and improve glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes?

BACKGROUND
In the concordance model, physician and patient discuss treatment options, explore the impact of treatment decisions from the patient's perspective, and make treatment choices together. We tested, in a concordance setting, whether the availability of AIR inhaled insulin (developed by Alkermes, Inc. [Cambridge, MA] and Eli Lilly and Company [Indianapolis, IN]; AIR is a registered trademark of Alkermes, Inc.), as compared with existing treatment options alone, leads to greater initiation and maintenance of insulin therapy and improves glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes.


METHODS
This was a 9-month, multicenter, parallel, open-label study in adult, nonsmoking patients with diabetes not optimally controlled by two or more oral antihyperglycemic medications. Patients were randomized to the Standard Options group (n = 516), in which patients chose a regimen from drugs in each major treatment class excluding inhaled insulin, or the Standard Options + AIR insulin group (n = 505), in which patients had the same choices plus AIR insulin. The primary end points were the proportion of patients in each group using insulin at end point and change in hemoglobin A1C (A1C) from baseline to end point.


RESULTS
At end point, 53% of patients in the Standard Options group and 59% in the Standard Options + AIR insulin group were using insulin (P = 0.07). Both groups reduced A1C by about 1.2% and reported increased well-being and treatment satisfaction. The most common adverse event with AIR insulin was transient cough.


CONCLUSIONS
The opportunity to choose AIR insulin did not affect overall use of insulin at end point or A1C outcomes. Regardless of group assignment, utilizing a shared decision-making approach to treatment choices (concordance model), resulted in improved treatment satisfaction and A1C values at end point. Therefore, increasing patient involvement in treatment decisions may improve outcomes.
Study protocol of a randomised controlled trial comparing perioperative intravenous insulin, GIK or GLP-1 treatment in diabetes–PILGRIM trial

BACKGROUND
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with poor outcome after surgery. The prevalence of DM in hospitalised patients is up to 40%, meaning that the anaesthesiologist will encounter a patient with DM in the operating room on a daily basis. Despite an abundance of published glucose lowering protocols and the known negative outcomes associated with perioperative hyperglycaemia in DM, there is no evidence regarding the optimal intraoperative glucose lowering treatment. In addition, protocol adherence is usually low and protocol targets are not simply met. Recently, incretins have been introduced to lower blood glucose. The main hormone of the incretin system is glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). GLP-1 increases insulin and decreases glucagon secretion in a glucose-dependent manner, resulting in glucose lowering action with a low incidence of hypoglycaemia. We set out to determine the optimal intraoperative treatment algorithm to lower glucose in patients with DM type 2 undergoing non-cardiac surgery, comparing intraoperative glucose-insulin-potassium infusion (GIK), insulin bolus regimen (BR) and GPL-1 (liragludite, LG) treatment.


METHODS/DESIGN
This is a multicentre randomised open label trial in patients with DM type 2 undergoing non-cardiac surgery. Patients are randomly assigned to one of three study arms; intraoperative glucose-insulin-potassium infusion (GIK), intraoperative sliding-scale insulin boluses (BR) or GPL-1 pre-treatment with liraglutide (LG). Capillary glucose will be measured every hour. If necessary, in all study arms glucose will be adjusted with an intravenous bolus of insulin. Researchers, care givers and patients will not be blinded for the assigned treatment. The main outcome measure is the difference in median glucose between the three study arms at 1 hour postoperatively. We will include 315 patients, which gives us a 90% power to detect a 1 mmol l(-1) difference in glucose between the study arms.


DISCUSSION
The PILGRIM trial started in January 2014 and will provide relevant information on the perioperative use of GLP-1 agonists and the optimal intraoperative treatment algorithm in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2.


TRIAL REGISTRATION
ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02036372.
A Survey of Automated Text Simplification

Text simplification modifies syntax and lexicon to improve the understandability of language for an end user. This survey identifies and classifies simplification research within the period 1998-2013. Simplification can be used for many applications, including: Second language learners, preprocessing in pipelines and assistive technology. There are many approaches to the simplification task, including: lexical, syntactic, statistical machine translation and hybrid techniques. This survey also explores the current challenges which this field faces. Text simplification is a non-trivial task which is rapidly growing into its own field. This survey gives an overview of contemporary research whilst taking into account the history that has brought text simplification to its current state. Keywords—Text Simplification, Lexical Simplification, Syntactic Simplification
[Late-onset lupus in the elderly after 65 years: retrospective study of 18 cases].

OBJECTIVE
The aim of our study was to investigate characteristics of late-onset lupus after 65 years compared to younger ones.


METHOD
Patients with lupus revealed after 65 years were investigated in four French hospitals between 1985 and 2013. Patients with 4 ACR criteria or more were included. Clinical and biological characteristics, prognosis, treatment, comorbidities were described retrospectively and compared to the cohort of 1000 lupus patients of Cervera et al.


RESULTS
Eighteen patients were included (14 women and 4 men). The most frequent features were arthritis (13/18), skin involvement (9/18). Hemolytic anemia and thrombosis were more frequently found in elderly lupus (p<0.05). During evolution, only cutaneous involvement were less frequent than in young subjects (p <0.05). Corticosteroids were often used (16/18), but iatrogenic complications were frequent (10/16).


CONCLUSION
Diagnosis is difficult because of non-specific clinical features. Treatment needed a rigourous follow-up because of iatrogenic complications.
[The Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome 14-Questions Inventory (PTSS-14) - Translation of the UK-PTSS-14 and validation of the German version].

BACKGROUND
Hospitalization may represent a stressor that can lead to Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).


METHODS
Translation of the UK-PTSS-14, conducted in accordance with ISPOR principles and validation with the PDS (86 patients).


RESULTS
The ROC analysis showed that the German version of PTSS-14 is a valid instrument with high sensitivity (82%) and specificity (92%) with the optimum cut-off point at 40 points. The translation process was authorized by the author of the UK-PTSS-14.


CONCLUSION
The validated German version of PTSS-14 is now ready for use as an efficient and reliable screening-tool for PTSD in a clinical setting.
Smile Line and Periodontium Visibility

A patient’s smile expresses a feeling of joy, success, sensuality, affection and courtesy, and reveals self-confidence and kindness. A smile is more than a method of communicating, it is a means of socialization and attraction whose advantages are taken for granted in the media, both publicly and politically (Gandet, 1987). This media portrayal of the stereotyped smile leads to a standardization of the smile and consequently to an increase in aesthetic demand from patients (Morley and Eubank, 2001). The harmony of the smile is determined not only by the shape, the position and the color of teeth but also by the gingival tissues. The gingival margin should be healthy and harmonious and today both patients and dentists are more aware of the impact of the gingiva on the beauty of the smile (Towsend, 1993). In particular, the periodontist can influence the appearance of the patient’s smile (Garber and Salama, 1996; Dolt and Robbins, 1997; Glise et al, 1999; Borghetti and MonnetCorti, 2000). Periodontium visibility depends on the position of the smile line, which is defined as the relationship between the upper lip and the visibility of gingival tissues and teeth. The smile line is an imaginary line following the lower margin of the upper lip and usually has a convex appearance (Towsend, 1993; Morley and Eubank, 2001) (Fig. 1). Few publications exist regarding the relationship between teeth and periodontium visibility during the smile. In a study of 425 students Crispin and Watson (1981) reported that the gingival margin was visible in 66% of the participants in natural smile. With maximal smiling, 84% of the participants revealed their gingival margin. Tjian et al Smile Line and Periodontium Visibility
Mining Console Logs for Large-Scale System Problem Detection

The console logs generated by an application contain messag that the application developers believed would be useful in debugging or monitoring the application. Despite the ubiquit y and large size of these logs, they are rarely exploited in a syste matic way for monitoring and debugging because they are not readily machine-parsable. In this paper, we propose a novel meth od for mining this rich source of information. First, we combin e log parsing and text mining with source code analysis to extract structure from the console logs. Second, we extract fe atures from the structured information in order to detect ano malous patterns in the logs using Principal Component Analysi s (PCA). Finally, we use a decision tree to distill the results of PCA-based anomaly detection to a format readily understand able by domain experts (e.g. system operators) who need not be familiar with the anomaly detection algorithms. As a case study, we distill over one million lines of console logs from the Hadoop file system to a simple decision tree that a domain expert can readily understand; the process requires no operat r intervention and we detect a large portion of runtime anomal ies that are commonly overlooked.
Brain structure links trait creativity to openness to experience.

Creativity is crucial to the progression of human civilization and has led to important scientific discoveries. Especially, individuals are more likely to have scientific discoveries if they possess certain personality traits of creativity (trait creativity), including imagination, curiosity, challenge and risk-taking. This study used voxel-based morphometry to identify the brain regions underlying individual differences in trait creativity, as measured by the Williams creativity aptitude test, in a large sample (n = 246). We found that creative individuals had higher gray matter volume in the right posterior middle temporal gyrus (pMTG), which might be related to semantic processing during novelty seeking (e.g. novel association, conceptual integration and metaphor understanding). More importantly, although basic personality factors such as openness to experience, extroversion, conscientiousness and agreeableness (as measured by the NEO Personality Inventory) all contributed to trait creativity, only openness to experience mediated the association between the right pMTG volume and trait creativity. Taken together, our results suggest that the basic personality trait of openness might play an important role in shaping an individual's trait creativity.
Geomodification in Query Rewriting

Web searchers signal their geographic intent by using placenames in search queries. They also indicate their flexibility about geographic specificity by reformulating their queries. We conducted experiments on geomodification in query rewriting. We examine both deliberate query rewriting, conducted in user search sessions, and automated query rewriting, with users evaluating the relevance of geo-modified queries. We find geo-specification in 12.7% of user query rewrites in search sessions, and show the breakdown into sub-classes such as same-city, same-state, same-country and different-country. We also measure the dependence between US-state-name and distance-of-modified-location-from-originallocation, finding that Vermont web searchers modify their locations greater distances than California web searchers. We also find that automatically-modified queries are perceived as much more relevant when the geographic component is unchanged.
GNSS Spoofing and Detection

Global navigation satellite signals can be spoofed by false signals, but special receivers can provide defenses against such attacks. The development of good spoofing defenses requires an understanding of the possible attack modes of a spoofer and the properties of those modes that can be exploited for defense purposes. Sets of attack methods and defense methods are described in detail. An attack/defense matrix is developed that documents which defense techniques are effective against the various attack techniques. Recommendations are generated to improve the offerings of commercial off-the-shelf receivers from the current situation, a complete lack of spoofing defenses, to a situation in which various levels of defense are present, some that add significant security for relatively little additional cost and others that add more security at costs that start to become appreciable.
Diagnostic accuracy, reliability and validity of Childhood Autism Rating Scale in India.

BACKGROUND
Since there is no established measure for autism in India, we evaluated the diagnostic accuracy, reliability and validity of Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS).


METHODS
Children and adolescents suspected of having autism were identified from the unit's database. Scale and item level scores of CARS were collected and analyzed. Sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratios and predictive values for various CARS cut-off scores were calculated. Test-retest reliability and inter-rater reliability of CARS were examined. The dichotomized CARS score was correlated with the ICD-10 clinical diagnosis of autism to establish the criterion validity of CARS as a measure of autism. Convergent and divergent validity was calculated. The factor structure of CARS was demonstrated by principal components analysis.


RESULTS
A CARS score of > or =33 (sensitivity = 81.4%, specificity = 78.6%; area under the curve = 81%) was suggested for diagnostic use in Indian populations. The inter-rater reliability (ICC=0.74) and test-retest reliability (ICC=0.81) for CARS were good. Besides the adequate face and content validity, CARS demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.79) and item-total correlation. There was moderate convergent validity with Binet-Kamat Test of Intelligence or Gessell's Developmental Schedule (r=0.42; P=0.01), divergent validity (r=-0.18; P=0.4) with ADD-H Comprehensive Teacher Rating Scale, and high concordance rate with the reference standard, ICD-10 diagnosis (82.52%; Cohen's kappa=0.40, P=0.001) in classifying autism. A 5-factor structure explained 65.34% of variance.


CONCLUSION
The CARS has strong psychometric properties and is now available for clinical and research work in India.
Soluble CD14: genomewide association analysis and relationship to cardiovascular risk and mortality in older adults.

OBJECTIVE
CD14 is a glycosylphosphotidylinositol-anchored membrane glycoprotein expressed on neutrophils and monocytes/macrophages that also circulates as a soluble form (sCD14). Despite the well-recognized role of CD14 in inflammation, relatively little is known about the genetic determinants of sCD14 or the relationship of sCD14 to vascular- and aging-related phenotypes.


METHODS AND RESULTS
We measured baseline levels of sCD14 in >5000 European-American and black adults aged 65 years and older from the Cardiovascular Health Study, who were well characterized at baseline for atherosclerotic risk factors and subclinical cardiovascular disease, and who have been followed for clinical cardiovascular disease and mortality outcomes up to 20 years. At baseline, sCD14 generally showed strong positive correlations with traditional cardio-metabolic risk factors and with subclinical measures of vascular disease such as carotid wall thickness and ankle-brachial index (independently of traditional cardiovascular disease risk factors), and was also inversely correlated with body mass index. In genomewide association analyses of sCD14, we (1) confirmed the importance of the CD14 locus on chromosome 5q21 in European-American; (2) identified a novel African ancestry-specific allele of CD14 associated with lower sCD14 in blacks; and (3) identified a putative novel association in European-American of a nonsynonymous variant of PIGC, which encodes an enzyme required for the first step in glycosylphosphotidylinositol anchor biosynthesis. Finally, we show that, like other acute phase inflammatory biomarkers, sCD14 predicts incident cardiovascular disease, and strongly and independently predicts all-cause mortality in older adults.


CONCLUSIONS
CD14 independently predicts risk mortality in older adults.
Performance of the IOTA ADNEX model in preoperative discrimination of adnexal masses in a gynecological oncology center.

OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the performance of the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) ADNEX model in the preoperative discrimination between benign ovarian (including tubal and para-ovarian) tumors, borderline ovarian tumors (BOT), Stage I ovarian cancer (OC), Stage II-IV OC and ovarian metastasis in a gynecological oncology center in Brazil.


METHODS
This was a diagnostic accuracy study including 131 women with an adnexal mass invited to participate between February 2014 and November 2015. Before surgery, pelvic ultrasound examination was performed and serum levels of tumor marker CA 125 were measured in all women. Adnexal masses were classified according to the IOTA ADNEX model. Histopathological diagnosis was the gold standard. Receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis was used to determine the diagnostic accuracy of the model to classify tumors into different histological types.


RESULTS
Of 131 women, 63 (48.1%) had a benign ovarian tumor, 16 (12.2%) had a BOT, 17 (13.0%) had Stage I OC, 24 (18.3%) had Stage II-IV OC and 11 (8.4%) had ovarian metastasis. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.92 (95% CI, 0.88-0.97) for the basic discrimination between benign vs malignant tumors using the IOTA ADNEX model. Performance was high for the discrimination between benign vs Stage II-IV OC, BOT vs Stage II-IV OC and Stage I OC vs Stage II-IV OC, with AUCs of 0.99, 0.97 and 0.94, respectively. Performance was poor for the differentiation between BOT vs Stage I OC and between Stage I OC vs ovarian metastasis with AUCs of 0.64.


CONCLUSION
The majority of adnexal masses in our study were classified correctly using the IOTA ADNEX model. On the basis of our findings, we would expect the model to aid in the management of women with an adnexal mass presenting to a gynecological oncology center. Copyright © 2016 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Risk of congenital anomalies in pregnant users of statin drugs

AIMS
Evidence from animal studies suggests that statin medications should not be taken during pregnancy. Our aim was to examine the association between the use of statins in early pregnancy and the incidence of congenital anomalies.


METHODS
A population-based pregnancy registry was built. Three study groups were assembled: women prescribed statins in the first trimester (group A), fibrate/nicotinic acid in the first trimester (group B) and statins between 1 year and 1 month before conception, but not during pregnancy (group C). Among live-born infants, we selected as cases infants with any congenital anomaly diagnosed in the first year of life. Controls were defined as infants with no congenital anomalies. The rate of congenital anomalies in the respective groups was calculated. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were also calculated.


RESULTS
Our study group consisted of 288 pregnant women. Among women with a live birth, the rate of congenital anomalies was 3/64 (4.69%; 95% CI 1.00, 13.69) in group A, 3/14 in group B (21.43%; 95% CI 4.41, 62.57) and 7/67 in group C (10.45%; 95% CI 4.19, 21.53). The adjusted OR for congenital anomalies in group A compared with group C was 0.36 (95% CI 0.06, 2.18).


CONCLUSION
We did not detect a pattern in fetal congenital anomalies or evidence of an increased risk in the live-born infants of women filling prescriptions for statins in the first trimester of pregnancy. Conclusions, however, remain uncertain in the absence of data from non-live births.