LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Inhomogeneity in response to air pollution in European children (PEACE project).

OBJECTIVES
The PEACE study is a multicentre panel study of the acute effects of particles with a 50% cut off aerodynamic diameter of 10 microns (PM10), black smoke (BS), sulphur dioxide (SO2), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) on respiratory health of children with chronic respiratory symptoms. In the complete panels no consistent association between air pollution and respiratory health was found. The study evaluated whether potentially more sensitive subgroups in the panels did show effects of air pollution.


METHODS
To evaluate heterogeneity in response to air pollution, effect estimates of air pollution on peak expiratory flow (PEF) and respiratory symptoms were calculated in subgroups based on presence of chronic respiratory symptoms, use of respiratory medication, atopy, sex, and baseline lung function.


RESULTS
The association between PEF and air pollution was positive in asthmatic children who used respiratory medication whereas the associations tended to be negative in children who did not use respiratory medication selected only on cough. No consistent association was found among asthmatic children who did not use medication. The association between daily prevalence of symptoms and concentrations of air pollution was not different between these subgroups.


CONCLUSION
None of the predefined potentially more sensitive subgroups showed a consistent association between air pollution, PEF, and respiratory symptoms.
Tonsil volume, tonsil grade and obstructive sleep apnea: is there any meaningful correlation?

OBJECTIVES
The aims of this study were to evaluate the correlation between oropharyngeal examination and objective palatine tonsil volume in snoring adults and verify the influence of the oropharyngeal anatomy, body mass index, age, and severity of obstructive sleep apnea on actual tonsil volume. In addition, we aimed to assess the influence of tonsil size on obstructive sleep apnea in adults.


INTRODUCTION
Pharyngeal wall geometry is often altered in adults who have obstructive sleep apnea, and this might influence the findings of the oropharyngeal examination that, in turn, are the key factors when considering surgical management for this condition. Furthermore, the correlation between the actual tonsil volume and the severity of obstructive sleep apnea in adults is currently unknown.


METHODS
We prospectively studied 130 patients with obstructive sleep apnea or primary snoring who underwent pharyngeal surgery with intraoperative measurement of tonsil volume. We compared tonsil volume with preoperative polysomnography, oropharyngeal examination, and anthropometric data.


RESULTS
We found a significant correlation between actual tonsil volume and subjective tonsil grade. We also found a significant correlation between tonsil volume and the apnea-hypopnea index. Using a multivariate linear regression model, tonsil volume was found to be significantly correlated with age, body mass index, and oropharyngeal examination, but not with polysomnography. Clinically, only the rare tonsil grade IV was indicative of more severe obstructive sleep apnea.


CONCLUSIONS
There is a strong correlation between clinical tonsil grade and objective tonsil volume in snoring adults, and this correlation exists regardless of the presence or severity of obstructive sleep apnea. Pharyngeal tissue volume likely reflects the body mass index rather than obstructive sleep apnea severity.
User-level psychological stress detection from social media using deep neural network

It is of significant importance to detect and manage stress before it turns into severe problems. However, existing stress detection methods usually rely on psychological scales or physiological devices, making the detection complicated and costly. In this paper, we explore to automatically detect individuals' psychological stress via social media. Employing real online micro-blog data, we first investigate the correlations between users' stress and their tweeting content, social engagement and behavior patterns. Then we define two types of stress-related attributes: 1) low-level content attributes from a single tweet, including text, images and social interactions; 2) user-scope statistical attributes through their weekly micro-blog postings, leveraging information of tweeting time, tweeting types and linguistic styles. To combine content attributes with statistical attributes, we further design a convolutional neural network (CNN) with cross autoencoders to generate user-scope content attributes from low-level content attributes. Finally, we propose a deep neural network (DNN) model to incorporate the two types of user-scope attributes to detect users' psychological stress. We test the trained model on four different datasets from major micro-blog platforms including Sina Weibo, Tencent Weibo and Twitter. Experimental results show that the proposed model is effective and efficient on detecting psychological stress from micro-blog data. We believe our model would be useful in developing stress detection tools for mental health agencies and individuals.
Immunolocalisation of phosphorylated STAT3, interleukin 11 and leukaemia inhibitory factor in endometrium of women with unexplained infertility during the implantation window

BACKGROUND
Uterine receptivity and embryo implantation are critical in the establishment of pregnancy. The diagnosis of endometrial fertility requires more precise measurements of endometrial receptivity. Interleukin (IL-11) and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) are essential for murine implantation and signal via intracellular phosphorylation (p) of STAT3 in the endometrium. Both cytokines are present in the endometrium of women duiring the receptive window. Endometrial IL-11, IL-11 receptor alpha (IL-11Ralpha), LIF and pSTAT3 in women with primary unexplained infertility was compared to normal fertile women during the implantation window.


METHODS
LH timed endometrial biopsies (LH+6 to LH+10) were collected from women with unexplained infertility and normal fertility. pSTAT3, IL-11, IL-11Ralpha and LIF production was determined by immunohistochemistry. Staining intensity was determoned by two independent observers blind to the fertility status of the patient from whom the biopsy was taken. Staining intensity and heterogeneity in each of the endometrial compartments (epithelium; stroma, including decidualized stromal cells; and vasculature) was assessed. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to analyze IL-11, pSTAT3, IL-11Ralpha and LIF immunostaining intensities in the samples.


RESULTS
IL-11, IL-11Ralpha and LIF were present predominantly in glandular epithelium, whilst luminal epithelium showed patchy staining. pSTAT3 was present in both glandular epithelium and stroma. IL-11 and pSTAT3 immunostaining was significantly lower in glandular epithelium in infertile women compared to controls (P < 0.05) whilst IL-11Ralpha and LIF staining did not differ.


CONCLUSION
This is the first demonstration of reduced endometrial pSTAT3 and IL-11 in some women with unexplained infertility. This suggests IL-11 and pSTAT3 may be involved in the secretory transformation of glandular epithelium during receptivity. Reduced IL-11 production and STAT3 phosphorylation may contribute to unexplained infertility in some women.
Renin-angiotensin system genes and exercise training-induced changes in sodium excretion in African American hypertensives.

OBJECTIVE
To determine whether angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and angiotensinogen (ACT) genotypes could predict changes in urinary sodium excretion in response to short-term aerobic exercise training (AEX).


DESIGN
Longitudinal intervention.


SETTING
The study was conducted at the University of Maryland at College Park and at Baltimore, and the University of Pittsburgh General Clinical Research Center.


PARTICIPANTS
31 (age 53 +/- 2 years) sedentary, hypertensive (146 +/- 2/88 +/- 2 mm Hg) African Americans.


INTERVENTION
Aerobic exercise training (AEX) consisted of seven or eight consecutive days, 50 minutes per day, at 65% of heart rate reserve. Participants underwent a 24-hour period of ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring and urine collection at baseline and 14-18 hours after the last exercise session.


MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Angiotensiongen (AGT) M235T and ACE I/D genotype and sodium excretion and ambulatory BP.


RESULTS
Average sodium excretion for the entire group independent of genotype increased after AEX (108 +/- 9 vs 143 +/- 12 mEq/day, P=.003). Sodium excretion significantly increased after exercise training in the ACE II (114 +/- 22 vs 169 +/- 39 mEq/day, P=.04), but not in the ID (100 +/- 8 vs 133 +/- 17 mEq/day, P=.12) or DD (113 +/- 18 vs 138 +/- 11 mEq/day, P=.13) genotype groups. In the II genotype group, the increase in sodium excretion was significantly and inversely correlated with decreases in 24-hour diastolic (r= -.88, P=.02) and mean (r= -.95, P=.004) BP. The ACT TT and MT+MM genotype groups similarly increased their sodium excretion by 34 +/- 16 (P=.05) and 37 +/- 17 (P=.05) mEq/day respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that African American hypertensives with the ACE II genotype may be more susceptible to sodium balance and BP changes with exercise training compared with those with the ID and DD genotypes.
Gout and the risk of acute myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVE
To determine if hyperuricemia and gouty arthritis are independent risk factors for acute myocardial infarction (MI) and, if so, whether they are independent of renal function, diuretic use, metabolic syndrome, and other established risk factors.


METHODS
We performed multivariable logistic and instrumental variable probit regressions on data from the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial (MRFIT).


RESULTS
Overall, there were 12,866 men in the MRFIT who were followed up for a mean of 6.5 years. There were 118 events of acute MI in the group with gout (10.5%) and 990 events in the group without gout (8.43%; P = 0.018). Hyperuricemia was an independent risk factor for acute MI in the multivariable regression models, with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.11 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.08-1.15, P < 0.001). In multivariable regressions in which the above risk factors were used as covariates, gout was found to be associated with a higher risk of acute MI (OR 1.26 [95% CI 1.14-1.40], P < 0.001). Subgroup analyses showed that a relationship between gout and the risk of acute MI was present among nonusers of alcohol, diuretics, or aspirin and among those who did not have metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus, or obesity. In separate analyses, a relationship between gout and the risk of acute MI was evident among those with and without those hyperuricemia.


CONCLUSION
The independent risk relationship between hyperuricemia and acute MI is confirmed. Gouty arthritis is associated with an excess risk of acute MI, and this is not explained by its well-known links with renal function, metabolic syndrome, diuretic use, and traditional cardiovascular risk factors.
Dynamic Performance Evaluation of a Nine-Phase Flux-Switching Permanent-Magnet Motor Drive With Model Predictive Control

Multiphase flux-switching permanent-magnet (FSPM) motor drives are nowadays considered for various applications due to numerous advantages when compared with their three-phase counterparts. In principle, stator-flux-oriented control of a nine-phase flux-switching permanent-magnet (FSPM) (9P-FSPM) motor can be realized theoretically by using four pairs of synchronous current controllers in conjunction with eight conventional proportional-integrals (PIs), for alleviation of the coupling effects and unwanted low-order stator current harmonics. In practice, however, drive performance will deteriorate if the PI-based current controller is not well tuned for optimum response to every dynamic scenario due to nonlinearity. In order to enhance dynamic performance of the drive system, a fully-decoupled model predictive control algorithm with fixed switching frequency is developed for the 9P-FSPM motor. The main contribution is comprehensive and detailed description of precise modeling of the 9P-FSPM motor and the controller design process. Also, some practical hints are given for implementation, such as the elimination of low-order harmonic currents and the selection of active voltage vector in the nine-phase drive system. Both simulation and experimental results are presented to validate the effectiveness of the developed current controller and the high dynamic performance of the 9P-FSPM motor drive.
Anti-inflammatory therapy with tumour necrosis factor alpha inhibitors improves high-density lipoprotein cholesterol antioxidative capacity in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

OBJECTIVE
High-density lipoprotein (HDL) antiatherogenic functions seem to be diminished during inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibition on the antioxidative capacity of HDL in RA.


METHODS
Plasma lipids and paraoxonase (PON-1) activity were investigated in 45 RA patients, before and during 6 months of anti-TNF therapy. In addition, HDL was isolated and tested for its ability to inhibit copper-induced oxidation of low-density lipoprotein in vitro.


RESULTS
Plasma HDL concentrations did not change considerably after 6 months of therapy. However, stable increases of PON-1 activities were observed throughout the same period (p<0.03). The increases were more obvious when related to HDL or apolipoprotein AI concentrations. HDL total antioxidative capacity significantly improved 6 months after the initiation of anti-TNF therapy (p = 0.015). The initial improvement of PON-1 activity paralleled a decrease in the inflammatory status, whereas specific TNF blockade was likely to be responsible for the long-term effects.


CONCLUSIONS
Anti-TNF therapy with infliximab has beneficial effects on lipids through changes in HDL antioxidative capacity, which might be clinically relevant and contribute to the reported protective effect of anti-TNF on cardiovascular morbidity in RA. This emphasises the importance of HDL antiatherogenic capacity for cardiovascular risk in chronic inflammatory conditions.
The effectiveness of male circumcision for HIV prevention and effects on risk behaviors in a posttrial follow-up study.

BACKGROUND
The efficacy of male circumcision for HIV prevention over 2 years has been demonstrated in three randomized trials, but the longer-term effectiveness of male circumcision is unknown.


METHODS
We conducted a randomized trial of male circumcision in 4996 HIV-negative men aged 15-49 in Rakai, Uganda. Following trial closure, we offered male circumcision to control participants and have maintained surveillance for up to 4.79 years. HIV incidence per 100 person-years was assessed in an as-treated analysis, and the effectiveness of male circumcision was estimated using Cox regression models, adjusted for sociodemographic and time-dependent sexual behaviors. For men uncircumcised at trial closure, sexual risk behaviors at the last trial and first posttrial visits were assessed by subsequent circumcision acceptance to detect behavioral risk compensation.


RESULTS
By 15 December 2010, 78.4% of uncircumcised trial participants accepted male circumcision following trial closure. During posttrial surveillance, overall HIV incidence was 0.50/100 person-years in circumcised men and 1.93/100 person-years in uncircumcised men {adjusted effectiveness 73% [95% confidence interval (CI) 55-84%]}. In control arm participants, posttrial HIV incidence was 0.54/100 person-years in circumcised and 1.71/100 person-years in uncircumcised men [adjusted effectiveness 67% (95% CI 38-83%)]. There were no significant differences in sociodemographic characteristics and sexual behaviors between controls accepting male circumcision and those remaining uncircumcised.


CONCLUSION
High effectiveness of male circumcision for HIV prevention was maintained for almost 5 years following trial closure. There was no self-selection or evidence of behavioral risk compensation associated with posttrial male circumcision acceptance.
Impacts of changing sea-ice conditions on Arctic marine mammals

Arctic sea ice has changed dramatically, especially during the last decade and continued declines in extent and thickness are expected for the decades to come. Some ice-associated marine mammals are already showing distribution shifts, compromised body condition and declines in production/abundance in response to sea-ice declines. In contrast, temperate marine mammal species are showing northward expansions of their ranges, which are likely to cause competitive pressure on some endemic Arctic species, as well as putting them at greater risk of predation, disease and parasite infections. The negative impacts observed to date within Arctic marine mammal populations are expected to continue and perhaps escalate over the coming decade, with continued declines in seasonal coverage of sea ice. This situation presents a significant risk to marine biodiversity among endemic Arctic marine mammals.
Interpretation and Expectation in Childhood Anxiety Disorders: Age Effects and Social Specificity

Theory and treatment for childhood anxiety disorders typically implicates children's negative cognitions, yet little is known about the characteristics of thinking styles of clinically anxious children. In particular, it is unclear whether differences in thinking styles between children with anxiety disorders and non-anxious children vary as a function of child age, whether particular cognitive distortions are associated with childhood anxiety disorders at different child ages, and whether cognitive content is disorder-specific. The current study addressed these questions among 120 7-12 year old children (53% female) who met diagnostic criteria for social anxiety disorder, other anxiety disorder, or who were not currently anxious. Contrary to expectations, threat interpretation was not inflated amongst anxious compared to non-anxious children at any age, although older (10-12 year old) anxious children did differ from non-anxious children on measures of perceived coping. The notion of cognitive-content specificity was not supported across the age-range. The findings challenge current treatment models of childhood anxiety, and suggest that a focus on changing anxious children's cognitions is not warranted in mid-childhood, and in late childhood cognitive approaches may be better focussed on promoting children's perceptions of control rather than challenging threat interpretations.
The beneficial effects of combining pharmacological and psychosocial treatment on remission and functional outcome in outpatients with schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE
The effects of pharmacological and psychosocial treatment on remission and the functional outcome in outpatients with schizophrenia were evaluated. Remission was assessed according to the criteria proposed by the Remission in Schizophrenia Working group and psychosocial functioning according to the Global Assessment of Functioning with a score > 60. Functional outcome was the result of these two variables.


METHOD
One hundred fifty two patients were randomized to receive either, antipsychotic treatment as usual (TAU) or social skills training and family psychoeducation in addition to TAU. A final sample of 119 patients: n = 68 in the social skills training group, and n = 51 in the TAU group completed the study protocol. Patients were assessed at baseline and at 6-month follow-up.


RESULTS
At the end of the study, 80% of the patients fulfilled the criteria for symptomatic remission: 62 patients (91.2%) in the social skills training group in contrast to 34 patients (66.7%) in the TAU group. Functional improvement criteria were accomplished by 41 patients (34.5%) at the endpoint of the study. Forty of these patients (58.8%) belonged to social skills training and one patient to customary treatment (χ(2) = 41.7, df 1, p < 0.001) and when criteria for symptomatic remission and functional improvement were combined, 39 patients (97.5%) of the social skills training group and one patient (1.9%) of the customary treatment group achieved functional outcome.


CONCLUSION
The results emphasize the need for psychosocial interventions as conjoint to pharmacological treatment to improve functional outcome in schizophrenia patients.
Cyber Forensics Ontology for Cyber Criminal Investigation

We developed Cyber Forensics Ontology for the criminal investigation in cyber space. Cyber crime is classified into cyber terror and general cyber crime, and those two classes are connected with each other. The investigation of cyber terror requires high technology, system environment and experts, and general cyber crime is connected with general crime by evidence from digital data and cyber space. Accordingly, it is difficult to determine relational crime types and collect evidence. Therefore, we considered the classifications of cyber crime, the collection of evidence in cyber space and the application of laws to cyber crime. In order to efficiently investigate cyber crime, it is necessary to integrate those concepts for each cyber crime-case. Thus, we constructed a cyber forensics domain ontology for criminal investigation in cyber space, according to the categories of cyber crime, laws, evidence and information of criminals. This ontology can be used in the process of investigating of cyber crime-cases, and for data mining of cyber crime; classification, clustering, association and detection of crime types, crime cases, evidences and criminals.
Radiotherapy in the management of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNET): experience at three institutions.

AIM
Advanced pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (PNET) presents a therapeutic challenge as many are unresectable and relatively resistant to systemic therapy with a high malignant potential. We share our experience using concurrent capecitabine or infusional 5-fluorouracil with radiation for patients with resected and locally advanced PNET.


PATIENTS AND METHODS
Six patients (two females, four males) with PNET were treated with capecitabine or infusional 5-FU and concurrent radiation.


RESULTS
The median age was 52 years (range: 38 to 63 years), with ECOG Performance Status (PS) 0-1, grade 0-1 weight loss, and grade 0-1 pain. One patient underwent resection with negative margins, two with positive margins, and three had unresectable locally advanced disease. All six patients demonstrated partial radiographic response and sustained local control. The treatment was tolerable with only grade 2 hand-foot syndrome and grade 1 mucositis observed.


CONCLUSION
Prospective studies to further investigate the role of chemoradiation in this setting are warranted.
Amanuensis: The Programmer's Apprentice

This document provides an overview of the material covered in a course taught at Stanford in the spring quarter of 2018. The course draws upon insight from cognitive and systems neuroscience to implement hybrid connectionist and symbolic reasoning systems that leverage and extend the state of the art in machine learning by integrating human and machine intelligence. As a concrete example we focus on digital assistants that learn from continuous dialog with an expert software engineer while providing initial value as powerful analytical, computational and mathematical savants. Over time these savants learn cognitive strategies (domain-relevant problem solving skills) and develop intuitions (heuristics and the experience necessary for applying them) by learning from their expert associates. By doing so these savants elevate their innate analytical skills allowing them to partner on an equal footing as versatile collaborators — effectively serving as cognitive extensions and digital prostheses, thereby amplifying and emulating their human partner’s conceptually-flexible thinking patterns and enabling improved access to and control over powerful computing resources. 0Affiliations: 1Google Research, 2Stanford University ar X iv :1 80 7. 00 08 2v 2 [ qbi o. N C ] 8 N ov 2 01 8