LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
COmplex coronary Bifurcation lesions: RAndomized comparison of a strategy using a dedicated self-expanding biolimus-eluting stent versus a culotte strategy using everolimus-eluting stents: primary results of the COBRA trial.

AIMS
We aimed to compare healing responses with optical coherence tomography, and clinical and angiographic outcome after treatment of coronary bifurcation lesions with a dedicated stent versus a conventional culotte technique.


METHODS AND RESULTS
Forty patients with true and complex coronary bifurcation lesions were randomly assigned to treatment with the Axxess™ bifurcation stent in the proximal main vessel (MV) and additional BioMatrix™ stents in the branches (Biosensors Europe SA, Morges, Switzerland), versus a culotte technique using XIENCE™ stents (Abbott Vascular, Santa Clara, CA, USA). The primary endpoint of percentage of uncovered struts at nine months was similar with the dedicated strategy vs. culotte in the proximal MV (median 17.8 [IQR 3.3-24.7] vs. 6.8 [2.0-20.5]; p=0.19), bifurcation core (9.5 [5.7-19.5] vs. 4.0 [0.7-17.6]; p=0.17), distal MV (2.6 [2.3-18] vs. 2.2 [0.5-6.0]; p=0.09) and side branch (5.7 [1.5-11.5] vs. 1.9 [0-5.8]; p=0.14). As compared with culotte, a strategy using Axxess resulted in a significantly larger lumen in the proximal MV both acutely (minimum lumen diameter 3.03±0.51 vs. 2.71±0.44 mm, p=0.04) and at follow-up (mean lumen area 10.0±2.1 vs. 7.1±1.8 mm2, p<0.001), and in a lower angiographic late lumen loss (p=0.05). Both strategies resulted in good clinical outcomes at one year, and no stent thromboses.


CONCLUSIONS
As compared with a culotte strategy with XIENCE stents, complex bifurcation stenting using a dedicated strategy combining Axxess and BioMatrix stents results in similar stent strut coverage at nine-month follow-up, and a significantly larger lumen and lower angiographic late lumen loss in the proximal MV.
Churn prediction in telecom using Random Forest and PSO based data balancing in combination with various feature selection strategies

The telecommunication industry faces fierce competition to retain customers, and therefore requires an efficient churn prediction model to monitor the customer’s churn. Enormous size, high dimensionality and imbalanced nature of telecommunication datasets are main hurdles in attaining the desired performance for churn prediction. In this study, we investigate the significance of a Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) based undersampling method to handle the imbalance data distribution in collaboration with different feature reduction techniques such as Principle Component Analysis (PCA), Fisher’s ratio, Fscore and Minimum Redundancy and Maximum Relevance (mRMR). Whereas Random Forest (RF) and K Nearest Neighbour (KNN) classifiers are employed to evaluate the performance on optimally sampled and reduced features dataset. Prediction performance is evaluated using sensitivity, specificity and Area under the curve (AUC) based measures. Finally, it is observed through simulations that our proposed approach based on PSO, mRMR, and RF termed as Chr-PmRF, performs quite well for predicting churners and therefore can be beneficial for highly competitive telecommunication industry. 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Relationship between socioeconomic status and asthma: a longitudinal cohort study.

BACKGROUND
There is conflicting information about the relationship between asthma and socioeconomic status, with different studies reporting no, positive, or inverse associations. Most of these studies have been cross sectional in design and have relied on subjective markers of asthma such as symptoms of wheeze. Many have been unable to control adequately for potential confounding factors.


METHODS
We report a prospective cohort study of approximately 1000 individuals born in Dunedin, New Zealand in 1972-3. This sample has been assessed regularly throughout childhood and into adulthood, with detailed information collected on asthma symptoms, lung function, airway responsiveness, and atopy. The prevalence of these in relation to measures of socioeconomic status were analysed with and without controls for potential confounding influences including parental history of asthma, smoking, breast feeding, and birth order using cross sectional time series models.


RESULTS
No consistent association was found between childhood or adult socioeconomic status and asthma prevalence, lung function, or airway responsiveness at any age. Having asthma made no difference to educational attainment or socioeconomic status by age 26. There were trends to increased atopy in children from higher socioeconomic status families consistent with previous reports.


CONCLUSIONS
Socioeconomic status in childhood had no significant impact on the prevalence of asthma in this New Zealand born cohort. Generalisation of these results to other societies should be done with caution, but our results suggest that the previously reported associations may be due to confounding.
Longterm effects of intraarticular hyaluronan on synovial fluid in osteoarthritis of the knee.

OBJECTIVE
Intraarticular (IA) hylan injections constitute second-line therapy for osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee, but human studies suggesting a possible mechanism of action are lacking. We examined the effect of IA Hylan GF-20 injections on synovial fluid (SF) hyaluronan (HA) concentration, viscosity, and elasticity over a 6-month period in patients with mild to moderate OA of the knees.


METHODS
Patients with symptomatic knee OA (Osteoarthritis Research Society International grade 1-2) had SF aspirated from the study knee pre- and 3 and 6 months post-Hylan injection. Primary endpoints included SF HA concentration, viscosity, and elasticity. SF HA concentration was determined using uronic acid assay, and rheology measured using a micro-Fourier rheometer.


RESULTS
Sequential SF samples were available from 32 of 60 subjects injected at baseline (15 men, 17 women; mean age 65 yrs) at 3 months post-injection. The mean HA concentration had increased by 13% (p<0.0008), and the complex shear modulus had increased by 16% (p<0.03). Sufficient SF was also available from 19 of these subjects at 6 months post-injection when mean HA concentration was 2.24+/-0.62 mg/ml compared to their baseline mean of 2.02+/-0.52 mg/ml, an increase of 10% (p<0.053).


CONCLUSION
This open-label study showed a statistically significant change from baseline in both SF HA concentration and complex shear modulus at 3 months following IA Hylan GF-20 injection among subjects with mild to moderate knee OA. These results suggest that one possible mechanism of action of viscosupplementation is to promote endogenous HA production. Longer-term studies are required to identify whether these changes in SF measures are important for modification of disease progression in knee OA.
A Comparative Study of Different Data Mining Algorithms

Data Mining is used extensively in many sectors today, viz., business, health, security, informatics etc. The successful application of data mining algorithms can be seen in marketing, retail, and other sectors of the industry. The aim of this paper is to present the readers with the various data mining algorithms which have wide applications. This paper focuses on four data mining algorithms K-NN, Naïve Bayes Classifier, Decision tree and C4.5. An attempt has been made to do a comparative study on these four algorithms on the basis of theory, its advantages and disadvantages, and its applications. After studying all these algorithms in detail, we came to a conclusion that the accuracy of these techniques depend on various characteristics such as: type of problem, dataset and performance matrix.
An Efficient Delay Test Generation System for Combinational Logic Circuits

This paper presents an efficient delay test generation system for combinational logic circuits. Delay testing problems are divided into gross delay fault testing and small delay fault testing in order to explore the trade-off between the levels of delay testing effort and the confidence levels of proper system operation. Complete automatic test pattern generation algorithms are proposed for both gross delay faults and small delay faults. Especially for the small delay fault test generation, new search space enumeration techniques are employed so as to bias the search space such that a delay test for relatively long paths can be found. Also a novel timing analysis method via functionality check is presented for delay test generation. Finally, complete test results are demonstrated for both gross delay faults and small delay faults on several benchmark circuits.
Multiple Helical Perversions of Finite, Intristically Curved Rods

We investigate mechanical spatial equilibria of slender elastic rods with intristic curvature. Our work is, to some extent, motivated by papers [Goriely & Tabor, 1998; Goriely & McMillen, 2002]. There such rods of infinite length were recently studied to quantify the behavior of botanical filaments. In particular, an adequate explanation for the existence of helical perversions (the transition between helical segments of opposite handedness) is provided in [Goriely & Tabor, 1998]. However, this theory fails to describe multiple perversions, which can be observed in Nature. In contrast we formulate a two-point boundary-value problem describing rods of finite length with initial curvature and clamped ends. We identify trivial solutions as straight configurations and also k-covered circles, rigorously establish the existence of local bifurcations, and then compute global solutions via the Parallel Hybrid Algorithm [Domokos & Szeberényi, 2004] to find spatially complex equilibria characterized by multiple perversions. Based on computational results and the White–Fuller theorem [White, 1969; Fuller, 1971; Calugareanu, 1961] we describe a heuristic global picture of the bifurcation diagram, which can serve as an explanation for the evolution of physically observable tendril shapes.
Comparison of two intraoral scanners based on three-dimensional surface analysis.

BACKGROUND
This in vivo study evaluated the difference of two well-known intraoral scanners used in dentistry, namely iTero (Align Technology) and TRIOS (3Shape).


METHODS
Thirty-two participants underwent intraoral scans with TRIOS and iTero scanners, as well as conventional alginate impressions. The scans obtained with the two intraoral scanners were compared with each other and were also compared with the corresponding model scans by means of three-dimensional surface analysis. The average differences between the two intraoral scans on the surfaces were evaluated by color-mapping. The average differences in the three-dimensional direction between each intraoral scans and its corresponding model scan were calculated at all points on the surfaces.


RESULTS
The average differences between the two intraoral scanners were 0.057 mm at the maxilla and 0.069 mm at the mandible. Color histograms showed that local deviations between the two scanners occurred in the posterior area. As for difference in the three-dimensional direction, there was no statistically significant difference between two scanners.


CONCLUSIONS
Although there were some deviations in visible inspection, there was no statistical significance between the two intraoral scanners.
Guides: Gender and Sexuality: Government & Legal

Resources on the topics of gender, sexuality and women's studies Government information, legislation & legal cases
Patient-reported outcomes in relapsed ovarian cancer: results from a randomized Phase III study of trabectedin with pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) versus PLD alone.

OBJECTIVE
Trabectedin in combination with PLD improves progression-free survival (PFS) and overall response rate (ORR) in comparison to PLD alone in patients with relapsed ovarian cancer (J Clin Oncol; 2010 28:3107-14). Here we report the impact of the treatment combination on patient-reported functional status and symptoms.


METHODS
Patient-reported outcome (PRO) questionnaires, EORTC-QLQ C30, OV28, and EQ-5D were completed by patients at screening and on Day 1 of every other treatment cycle starting with Cycle 1, and at the end-of-treatment visit.


RESULTS
Of the 672 patients randomized in this study, 663 treated patients completed at least one of the baseline questionnaires. Median cycles of treatment was 6 (131 days) for the combination arm and 5 (143 days) for the monotherapy arm. Longitudinal data analyses showed no significant differences between the treatment arms for any of the pre-specified scales. Similar analyses of other scales, including Health Index scores and Health State on the Visual Analog Scale, support these findings. Start of subsequent therapy was significantly delayed in the combination arm compared with the monotherapy arm (p=0.0032).


CONCLUSIONS
The addition of trabectedin to PLD led to little or no decrement in patient-reported functional status and symptoms in patients with relapsed ovarian cancer, as compared to treatment with PLD alone. The combination led to manageable and non-cumulative overall toxicity with a fewer PLD-associated adverse events, and a significant improvement in PFS and ORR compared to single agent.
Investor protection and corporate governance q

Recent research has documented large di!erences among countries in ownership concentration in publicly traded "rms, in the breadth and depth of capital markets, in dividend policies, and in the access of "rms to external "nance. A common element to the explanations of these di!erences is how well investors, both shareholders and creditors, are protected by law from expropriation by the managers and controlling shareholders of "rms. We describe the di!erences in laws and the e!ectiveness of their enforcement across countries, discuss the possible origins of these di!erences, summarize their consequences, and assess potential strategies of corporate governance reform. We argue that the legal approach is a more fruitful way to understand corporate governance and its reform than the conventional distinction between bank-centered and market-centered "nancial systems. ( 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved. JEL classixcation: G21; G28; G32
Fault tolerant control of five-phase AC motor drive

This paper investigates the voltage and current control of a five-phase induction motor drive under fault conditions. The control strategies allow for continuous and disturbance free-operation of the drive without any additional hardware connections at the occurrence of complete loss of one or two legs of the inverter or motor phases. The control presented here is oriented to open loop torque control strategies (e.g., Volts/Hz control), but can be very useful for direct torque control or even field oriented control strategies. A complete analysis of voltage and current controls are presented. Experimental and simulation results demonstrate the validity of the proposed systems.
Erratum to: An innovative algorithm for key frame extraction in video summarization

Video summarization, aimed at reducing the amount o f data that must be examined in order to retrieve the information desired from information i n a video, is an essential task in video analysis and indexing applications. We propose an innovative approach to the selection of representative (key) frames of a video sequence for video summariz ation. By analyzing the differences between two consecutive frames of a video sequence, the alg orithm determines the complexity of the sequence in terms of changes in the visual content expressed by different frame descriptors. The algorithm, which escapes the complexity of existing methods based, for example, on clustering or optimization strategies, dynamically and rapidly se lects a variable number of key frames within each sequence. The key frames are extracted by dete cting curvature points within the curve of the cumulative frame differences. Another advantage is that it can extract the key frames on the fly: curvature points can be determined while computing the frame differences and the key frames can be extracted as soon as a second high curvature poi nt has been detected. We compare the performance of this algorithm with that of other ke y frame extraction algorithms based on different approaches. The summaries obtained have been object ively evaluated by three quality measures: the Fidelity measure, the Shot Reconstruction Degre e measure and the Compression Ratio measure.
Acute vision loss after intravitreal injection of bevacizumab (avastin) associated with ocular ischemic syndrome.

AIM
To report a patient with diabetic rubeosis who suffered from acute retinal ischemic change and stroke after intravitreal injection of bevacizumab.


METHODS
A 55-year-old man had diabetes with unilateral rubeosis and macular edema. Three days after receiving intravitreal injection of bevacizumab (1.25 mg in 0.1 ml), he developed acute vision loss and change of consciousness. A complete ocular examination, fluorescein angiography, carotid artery Doppler sonography and brain magnetic resonance imaging were performed.


RESULTS
Best corrected visual acuity before injection was 6/60 in the left eye. He had underlying left carotid artery stenosis combined with bilateral preproliferative diabetic retinopathy. Three days after intravitreal injection of bevacizumab, acute ocular ischemic syndrome occurred. He also suffered from acute stroke, and brain magnetic resonance angiography showed total left internal carotid artery occlusion. The final visual acuity was no light perception in the left eye and 3/6 in the right eye.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients receiving intravitreal injections of bevacizumab should be evaluated for potential systemic risk factors such as carotid insufficiency, coagulopathy and poorly controlled diabetes mellitus. Acute ocular ischemic change may be associated with intravitreal injection of bevacizumab in patients with vascular compromised diabetic retinopathy and/or underlying stenosis of the carotid artery.
A Process-Oriented Methodology for Assessing and Improving Software Trustworthiness

A high-level, technical summary of the Trusted Software Methodology (TSM) is provided in this paper. The trust principles and trust classes that comprise the TSM are presented and several engineering investigations and case studies surrounding the TSM are outlined. Appendices are included that highlight important areas of the TSM.
A prospective, randomised controlled trial of femoral ring allograft versus a titanium cage in circumferential lumbar spinal fusion with minimum 2-year clinical results

The literature reports on the safety and efficacy of titanium cages (TCs) with additional posterior fixation for anterior lumbar interbody fusion. However, these papers are limited to prospective cohort studies. The introduction of TCs for spinal fusion has resulted in increased costs, without evidence of superiority over the established practice. There are currently no prospective controlled trials comparing TCs to femoral ring allografts (FRAs) for circumferential fusion in the literature. In this prospective, randomised controlled trial, our objective was to compare the clinical outcome following the use of FRA (current practice) to the use of TC in circumferential lumbar spinal fusion. Full ethical committee approval and institutional research and development departmental approval were obtained. Power calculations estimated a total of 80 patients (40 in each arm) would be required to detect clinically relevant differences in functional outcome. Eighty-three patients were recruited for the study fulfilling strict entry requirements (>6 months chronic discogenic low back pain, failure of conservative treatment, one- or two-level discographically proven discogenic low back pain). The patients completed the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Visual Analogue Score (VAS) for back and leg pain and the Short-Form 36 (SF-36) preoperatively and also postoperatively at 6, 12 and 24 months, respectively. The results were available for all the 83 patients with a mean follow-up of 28 months (range 24–75 months). Five patients were excluded on the basis of technical infringements (unable to insert TC in four patients and FRA in one patient due to the narrowing of the disc space). From the remaining 78 patients randomised, 37 received the FRA and 41 received the TC. Posterior stabilisation was achieved with translaminar or pedicle screws. Baseline demographic data (age, sex, smoking history, number of operated levels and preoperative outcome measures) showed no statistical difference between groups (p<0.05) other than for the vitality domain of the SF-36. For patients who received the FRA, mean VAS (back pain) improved by 2.0 points (p<0.01), mean ODI improved by 15 points (p=<0.01) and mean SF-36 scores improved by >11 points in all domains (p<0.03) except that of general health and emotional role. For patients who received the TC, mean VAS improved by 1.1 points (p=0.004), mean ODI improved by 6 points (p=0.01) and SF-36 improved significantly in only two of the eight domains (bodily pain and physical function). Revision procedures and complications were similar in both groups. In conclusion, this prospective, randomised controlled clinical trial shows the use of FRA in circumferential lumbar fusion to be associated with superior clinical outcomes when compared to those observed following the use of TCs. The use of TCs for circumferential lumbar spinal fusion is not justified on the basis of inferior clinical outcome and the tenfold increase in cost.
Fine grinding of silicon wafers

Silicon wafers are used for the production of most microchips. Various processes are needed to transfer a silicon crystal ingot into wafers. As one of such processes, surface grinding of silicon wafers has attracted attention among various investigators and a limited number of articles can be found in the literature. However, no published articles are available regarding fine grinding of silicon wafers. In this paper, the uniqueness and the special requirements of the silicon wafer fine grinding process are introduced first. Then some experimental results on the fine grinding of silicon wafers are presented and discussed. Tests on different grinding wheels demonstrate the importance of choosing the correct wheel and an illustration of the proper selection of process parameters is included. Also discussed are the effects of the nozzle position and the flow rate of the grinding coolant.  2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
The Application of Mamdani Fuzzy Model for Auto Zoom Function of a Digital Camera

Mamdani Fuzzy Model is an important technique in Computational Intelligence (CI) study. This paper presents an implementation of a supervised learning method based on membership function training in the context of Mamdani fuzzy models. Specifically, auto zoom function of a digital camera is modelled using Mamdani technique. The performance of control method is verified through a series of simulation and numerical results are provided as illustrations. Keywords-component: Mamdani fuzzy model, fuzzy logic, auto zoom, digital camera
Fastphylo: Fast tools for phylogenetics

Distance methods are ubiquitous tools in phylogenetics. Their primary purpose may be to reconstruct evolutionary history, but they are also used as components in bioinformatic pipelines. However, poor computational efficiency has been a constraint on the applicability of distance methods on very large problem instances. We present fastphylo, a software package containing implementations of efficient algorithms for two common problems in phylogenetics: estimating DNA/protein sequence distances and reconstructing a phylogeny from a distance matrix. We compare fastphylo with other neighbor joining based methods and report the results in terms of speed and memory efficiency. Fastphylo is a fast, memory efficient, and easy to use software suite. Due to its modular architecture, fastphylo is a flexible tool for many phylogenetic studies.