LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Validity of the Age-Adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index on Clinical Outcomes for Patients with Nasopharyngeal Cancer Post Radiation Treatment: A 5-Year Nationwide Cohort Study

PURPOSE
To characterize the impact of comorbidity on survival outcomes for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) post radiotherapy (RT).


METHODS
A total of 4095 patients with NPC treated by RT or RT plus chemotherapy (CT) in the period from 2007 to 2011 were included through Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. Information on comorbidity present prior to the NPC diagnosis was obtained and adapted to the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), Age-Adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index (ACCI) and a revised head and neck comorbidity index (HN-CCI). The prevalence of comorbidity and the influence on survival were calculated and analyzed.


RESULTS
Most of the patients (75%) were male (age 51±13 years) and 2470 of them (60%) had at least one comorbid condition. The most common comorbid condition was diabetes mellitus. According to these three different comorbidity index (CCI, ACCI and HN-CCI), higher scores were associated with worse overall survival (P< 0.001). The Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve was used to assess the discriminating ability of CCI, AACI and HN-CCI scores and it demonstrated the predictive ability for mortality with the ACCI (0.693, 95% CI 0.670-0.715) was superior to that of the CCI (0.619, 95% CI 0.593-0.644) and HN-CCI (0.545, 95%CI 0.519-0.570).


CONCLUSION
Comorbidities greatly inﬂuenced the clinical presentations, therapeutic interventions, and outcomes of patients with NPC post RT. Higher comorbidity index scores accurately was associated with worse survival. The ACCI seems to be a more appropriate prognostic indicator and should be considered in further clinical studies.
A few remarks on exact C(X)-algebras

We extend in this paper several results of E. Kirchberg, S. Wassermann and the author dealing with continuous fields of C*--algebras to the semi-continuous case. We provide a new characterisation of separable lower semi-continuity C*--bundles and we present exactness criteria for C(X)-algebras and unital bisimplifiable Hopf \cst-algebras.
The Project Overview of the HTS Magnet for Superconducting Maglev

This paper describes the outline of a development project for the HTS magnet for the superconducting Maglev, which commenced in 1999. A very small current decay rate of 0.44%/day was achieved in 2003, using a prototype HTS coil, and a second HTS magnet, consisting of four persistent current HTS coils, was produced in 2005 for vehicle running tests. The second HTS magnet was operated in a persistent current mode at a rated magneto-motive force of 750 kA, and a top speed of 553 km/h was attained on the Yamanashi Maglev Test Line on December 2,2005.
What can a mouse cursor tell us more?: correlation of eye/mouse movements on web browsing

In this paper, we describe a study on the relationship between gaze position and cursor position on a computer screen during web browsing. Users were asked to browse several web sites while their eye/mouse movements were recorded. The data suggest that there is a strong relationship between gaze position and cursor position. The data also show that there are regular patterns of eye/mouse movements. Based on these findings, we argue that a mouse could provide us more information than just the x, y position where a user is pointing. This implies that we can use an inexpensive and extremely popular tool as an alternative of eye-tracking systems, especially in web usability evaluation. Moreover, by understanding the intent of every mouse movement, we may be able to achieve a better interface for human computer interaction.
Autism occurrence by MMR vaccine status among US children with older siblings with and without autism.

IMPORTANCE
Despite research showing no link between the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism spectrum disorders (ASD), beliefs that the vaccine causes autism persist, leading to lower vaccination levels. Parents who already have a child with ASD may be especially wary of vaccinations.


OBJECTIVE
To report ASD occurrence by MMR vaccine status in a large sample of US children who have older siblings with and without ASD.


DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
A retrospective cohort study using an administrative claims database associated with a large commercial health plan. Participants included children continuously enrolled in the health plan from birth to at least 5 years of age during 2001-2012 who also had an older sibling continuously enrolled for at least 6 months between 1997 and 2012.


EXPOSURES
MMR vaccine receipt (0, 1, 2 doses) between birth and 5 years of age.


MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES
ASD status defined as 2 claims with a diagnosis code in any position for autistic disorder or other specified pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) including Asperger syndrome, or unspecified PDD (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification 299.0x, 299.8x, 299.9x).


RESULTS
Of 95,727 children with older siblings, 994 (1.04%) were diagnosed with ASD and 1929 (2.01%) had an older sibling with ASD. Of those with older siblings with ASD, 134 (6.9%) had ASD, vs 860 (0.9%) children with unaffected siblings (P < .001). MMR vaccination rates (≥1 dose) were 84% (n = 78,564) at age 2 years and 92% (n = 86,063) at age 5 years for children with unaffected older siblings, vs 73% (n = 1409) at age 2 years and 86% (n = 1660) at age 5 years for children with affected siblings. MMR vaccine receipt was not associated with an increased risk of ASD at any age. For children with older siblings with ASD, at age 2, the adjusted relative risk (RR) of ASD for 1 dose of MMR vaccine vs no vaccine was 0.76 (95% CI, 0.49-1.18; P = .22), and at age 5, the RR of ASD for 2 doses compared with no vaccine was 0.56 (95% CI, 0.31-1.01; P = .052). For children whose older siblings did not have ASD, at age 2, the adjusted RR of ASD for 1 dose was 0.91 (95% CI, 0.67-1.20; P = .50) and at age 5, the RR of ASD for 2 doses was 1.12 (95% CI, 0.78-1.59; P = .55).


CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
In this large sample of privately insured children with older siblings, receipt of the MMR vaccine was not associated with increased risk of ASD, regardless of whether older siblings had ASD. These findings indicate no harmful association between MMR vaccine receipt and ASD even among children already at higher risk for ASD.
Some future trends and implications for systems and software engineering processes

In response to the increasing criticality of software within systems and the increasing demands being put onto 21st century systems, systems and software engineering processes will evolve significantly over the next two decades. This paper identifies eight relatively surprise-free trends—the increasing interaction of software engineering and systems engineering; increased emphasis on users and end value; increased emphasis on systems and software dependability; increasingly rapid change; increasing global connectivity and need for systems to interoperate; increasingly complex systems of systems; increasing needs for COTS, reuse, and legacy systems and software integration; and computational plenty. It also identifies two “wild card” trends: increasing software autonomy and combinations of biology and computing. It then discusses the likely influences of these trends on systems and software engineering processes between now and 2025, and presents an emerging scalable spiral process model for coping with the resulting challenges and opportunities of developing 21st century software-intensive systems and systems of systems. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Eng 9:
Portable Roadside Sensors for Vehicle Counting , Classification , And Speed Measurement

This paper focuses on the development of a portable roadside magnetic sensor system for vehicle counting, classification, and speed measurement. The earliest magnetic field detectors allowed navigation over trackless oceans by sensing the earth’s magnetic poles. Magnetic field sensing has vastly expanded as industry has adapted a variety of magnetic sensors to detect the presence, strength, or direction of magnetic fields not only from the earth, but also from permanent magnets, magnetized soft magnets, vehicle disturbances, brain wave activity, and fields generated from electric currents. Magnetic sensors can measure these properties without physical contact and have become the eyes of many industrial and navigation control systems. This paper will describe the current state of magnetic sensing within the earth’s field range and how these sensors are applied. Several applications will be presented for magnetic sensing in systems with emphasis on vehicle detection and navigation based on magnetic fields.
Preference Handling in Decision-Making Problems

Intelligent ‘services’ are increasingly used on e-commerce platforms to provide assistance to customers. In this context, preferences have gained rapid interest for their utility in solving problems related with decision making. Research on preferences in artificial intelligence (AI) has shed light on various ways of tackling this problem, ranging from the acquisition of preferences to their formal representation and eventually their proper manipulation. Following a recent trend of stepping back and looking at decision-support systems from the user’s point of view, i.e. designing them on the basis of psychological, linguistic and personal considerations, we take up the task of developing an“intelligent” tool which uses comparative preference statements for personalised decision support. We tackle and contribute to different branches of research on preferences in AI: (1) their acquisition (2) their formal representation and (3) their implementation. We first address a bottleneck in preference acquisition by proposing a method of acquiring user preferences, expressed in natural language (NL), which favours their formal representation and further manipulation. We then focus on the theoretical aspects of handling comparative preference statements for decision support. We finally describe our tool for product recommendation that uses: (1) a review-based analysis to generate a product database, (2) an interactive preference elicitation unit to guide users to express their preferences, and (3) a reasoning engine that manipulates comparative preference statements to generate a preference-based ordering on outcomes as recommendations.
PERFORMANCE BASED SEISMIC DESIGN

One of the major developments in seismic design over the past 10 years has been increased emphasis on limit states design, now generally termed Performance Based Engineering. Three techniques – the capacity spectrum approach, the N2 method and direct displacement-based design have now matured to the stage where seismic assessment of existing structures, or design of new structures can be carried out to ensure that particular deformation-based criteria are met.
Remarks on gravity, entropy, and information

This is a partially survey collection of material on gravity, entropy, and information with some new heuristic results related to the WDW equation.
A prospective cohort study evaluating associations among delirium, postoperative cognitive dysfunction, and apolipoprotein E genotype following open aortic repair.

BACKGROUND
Patients undergoing major vascular surgery are at high risk of postoperative delirium and postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD). Apolipoprotein E (APOE) is involved in central acetylcholine synthesis, and patients bearing the ε4 genotype (APOE-ε4) are at increased risk of both vascular dementia and peripheral vascular disease. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the associations among delirium, POCD, and APOE-ε4 in patients undergoing open aortic repair.


METHODS
Following Research Ethics Board approval and written informed consent, we recruited a cohort of patients ≥ 60 yr of age undergoing open aortic repair. Apolipoprotein E genotyping and a battery of nine neuropsychometric (NP) tests were performed prior to surgery. Delirium was assessed on postoperative days two, four, and discharge using the Confusion Assessment Method. Neuropsychometric testing was repeated at discharge and again three months following surgery. A group of non-surgical patients was used to adjust NP scores using reliable change index methodology. Logistic regression was used to evaluate independent predictors of both delirium and POCD.


RESULTS
Eighty-eight patients underwent surgery, 78 completed NP testing on discharge, and sixty-nine completed NP testing at three months. Delirium was noted in 36% of patients after surgery, while POCD was noted in 62% at discharge and 6% at three months. Delirium predicted POCD at discharge (odds ratio 2.86; 95% confidence intervals 0.99 to 8.27) but not at three months. Apolipoprotein E-ε4 genotype was not associated with either delirium or POCD following adjustment for covariates.


CONCLUSION
Both delirium and POCD are common following open aortic repair; however, the APOE genotype did not predict either condition. This trial has been registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT00911677).
Introduction: New Perspectives on the Ethics of International Migration

This introduction provides an overview of the issues addressed by this special issue and of the content of each article.
Early hyperbaric oxygen therapy for reducing radiotherapy side effects: early results of a randomized trial in oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal cancer.

PURPOSE
Comparison of quality of life (QoL) and side effects in a randomized trial for early hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) after radiotherapy (RT).


METHODS AND MATERIALS
From 2006, 19 patients with tumor originating from the tonsillar fossa and/or soft palate (15), base of tongue (1), and nasopharynx (3) were randomized to receive HBOT or not. HBOT consisted of 30 sessions at 2.5 ATA (15 msw) with oxygen breathing for 90 min daily, 5 days per week, applied shortly after the RT treatment was completed. As of 2005, all patients received validated questionnaires (i.e., the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer [EORTC] QLQ-C30, EORTC QLQ Head and Neck Cancer Module (H&N35), Performance Status Scale): before treatment; at the start of RT treatment; after 46 Gy; at the end of RT treatment; and 2, 4, and 6 weeks and 3, 6, 12, and 18 months after follow-up.


RESULTS
On all QoL items, better scores were obtained in patients treated with hyperbaric oxygen. The difference between HBOT vs. non-HBOT was significant for all parameters: EORTC H&N35 Swallowing (p = 0.011), EORTC H&N35 Dry Mouth (p = 0.009), EORTC H&N35, Sticky Saliva (p = 0.01), PSS Eating in Public (p = 0.027), and Pain in Mouth (visual analogue scale; p < 0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
Patients randomized for receiving hyperbaric oxygen after the RT had better QoL scores for swallowing, sticky saliva, xerostomia, and pain in mouth.
Efficient cooperative search of smart targets using UAV Swarms

This work examines the Cooperative Hunters problem, where a swarm of unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) is used for searching after one or more “evading targets”, which are moving in a predefined area while trying to avoid a detection by the swarm. By arranging themselves into efficient geometric flight configurations, the UAVs optimize their integrated sensing capabilities, enabling the search of a maximal territory.
Image Inpainting and Object Removal with Deep Convolutional GAN

In this project, we implemented Deep Convolutional Generative and Adversarial Neural Network to solve landscape picture inpaint problem. The resulting model beats most of the existing published solutions so far.
ADVANTAGES AND LIMITATIONS OF ADAPTIVE AND NON-ADAPTIVE FORCE-BASED PUSHOVER PROCEDURES

The recent drive for use of performance-based methodologies in design and assessment of structures in seismic areas has significantly increased the demand for the development of reliable nonlinear inelastic static pushover analysis tools. As a result, the recent years have witnessed the introduction of the so-called adaptive pushover methods, which, unlike their conventional pushover counterparts, feature the ability to account for the effect that higher modes of vibration and progressive stiffness degradation might have on the distribution of seismic storey forces. In this paper, the accuracy of these forcebased adaptive pushover methods in predicting the horizontal capacity of reinforced concrete buildings is explored, through comparison with results from a large number of nonlinear time-history dynamic analyses. It is concluded that, despite its apparent conceptual superiority, current force-based adaptive pushover features a relatively minor advantage over its traditional non-adaptive equivalent, particularly in what concerns the estimation of deformation patterns of buildings, which are poorly predicted by both types of analysis.
Long-haul (3465 km) transmission of a 10 GBd QPSK signal with low noise phase-sensitive in-line amplification

We report the first use of low noise in-line phase-sensitive amplifiers in a long-haul circulating loop experiment. A reach extension of 200% compared to using EDFAs is observed with a 10 GBd QPSK signal.
Internet function and Internet addictive behavior

Ju [Research on personal characteristics, the behavior of using Internet and Internet addiction for Taiwanese college study. Master thesis. Taiwan, 2000] found the Internet function was related to the severity of Internet addiction, and this study explored the relationship between the Internet function and the Internet addictive behavior. Seventy-six college students were included in this study and had completed the Internet use function questionnaire (social function, informational function, leisure function and the virtual emotional function) and the Chinese Internet Addiction Scale (compulsive use, withdrawal, tolerance, time management problem and interpersonal and health problems). The study revealed not only the relationship between the social function and the index of the Internet dependence (compulsive use, withdrawal, tolerance and the problems in the interpersonal relationship and health), but also the correlation between the information function and the index of the Internet abuse (the problems in the interpersonal relationship and health). We found the social function played the core role in the Internet addictive behavior and the mechanism needs further discussion. 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Fast automatic gain control employing two compensation loop for high throughput MIMO-OFDM receivers

The performance of a receiver front-end limits the quality and range of the given communication link. An appropriate design based on well-defined system parameters and architecture can make a huge difference in the performance, cost and marketability of the entire system. In particular, there is a need for improved digital automatic gain control (AGC) for use in multi input multi output orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MIMO-OFDM) systems with application to wireless local area networks (WLANs), targeted for the upcoming 802.11n standard based in H. Yu et al. (2004) and H. Yu et al. (2005). In this paper, we propose an efficient algorithm and implementation of the digital AGC for next generation WLANs. The proposed AGC algorithm has two feedback loops for gain control to improve convergence speed, and at the same time maintains the stability of the AGC circuit. Also, a complete set of parameters for practical implementation is obtained by various experiments with fixed point constraints and accuracy requirements
MoCoNet: Motion Correction in 3D MPRAGE images using a Convolutional Neural Network approach

Purpose: The suppression of motion artefacts from MR images is a challenging task. The purpose of this paper is to develop a standalone novel technique to suppress motion artefacts from MR images using a data-driven deep learning approach. Methods: A deep learning convolutional neural network (CNN) was developed to remove motion artefacts in brain MR images. A CNN was trained on simulated motion corrupted images to identify and suppress artefacts due to the motion. The network was an encoderdecoder CNN architecture where the encoder decomposed the motion corrupted images into a set of feature maps. The feature maps were then combined by the decoder network to generate a motion-corrected image. The network was tested on an unseen simulated dataset and an experimental, motion corrupted in vivo brain dataset. Results: The trained network was able to suppress the motion artefacts in the simulated motion corrupted images, and the mean percentage error in the motion corrected images was 2.69 % with a standard deviation of 0.95 %. The network was able to effectively suppress the motion artefacts from the experimental dataset, demonstrating the generalisation capability of the trained network. Conclusion: A novel and generic motion correction technique has been developed that can suppress motion artefacts from motion corrupted MR images. The proposed technique is a standalone post-processing method that does not interfere with data acquisition or reconstruction parameters, thus making it suitable for a multitude of MR sequences.
QTLs for agronomic and cell wall traits in a maize RIL progeny derived from a cross between an old Minnesota13 line and a modern Iodent line

In order to contribute to the inventory of genomic areas involved in maize cell wall lignification and degradability, QTL analyses were investigated in a RIL progeny between an old Minnesota13 dent line (WM13) and a modern Iodent line (RIo). Significant variation for agronomic- and cell wall-related traits was observed for the RIL per se (plants without ears) and topcross (whole plants) experiments after crossing with both old (Ia153) and modern tester (RFl) lines. Three QTLs for stover (plant without ear) yield were observed in per se experiments, with alleles increasing yield originating from RIo in two genomic locations with the highest effects. However, no QTL for whole plant yield was detected in topcross experiments, despite the fact that two QTLs for starch content were shown with increasing alleles originating from the modern RIo line. Fifteen lignin QTLs were shown, including a QTL for Klason lignins in per se experiments, located in bin 2.04, which explained 43 % of the observed genetic variation. Thirteen QTLs for p-hydroxycinnamic acid contents and nine QTLs related to the monomeric composition of lignin were shown in per se experiments, with syringaldehyde and diferulate QTLs explaining nearly 25 % of trait variations. Nine and seven QTLs for cell wall digestibility were mapped in per se and topcross experiments, respectively. Five of the per se QTLs explained more than 15 % of the variation, up to nearly 25 %. QTL positions in bins 2.06, 5.04, 5.08 and 8.02 for ADL/NDF, IVNDFD, lignin structure and/or p-hydroxycinnamic acid contents have not been previously shown and were thus first identified in the RIo × WM13 progeny. Based on QTL colocalizations, differences in cell wall degradability between RIo and WM13 were less often related to acid detergent lignin (ADL) content than in previous RIL investigations. QTL colocalizations then highlighted the probable importance of ferulate cross linkages in variation for cell wall digestibility. No colocalizations of QTL for cell wall phenolic-related traits were shown with genes involved in monolignol biosynthesis or polymerization. In contrast, colocalizations were most often shown with MYB and NAC transcription factors, including orthologs of master genes involved in Arabidopsis secondary wall assembly. QTL colocalizations also strengthened the probable involvement of members of the CoA-dependent acyltransferase PF02458 family in the feruloylation of arabinoxylan chains.