LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Development stages of the "rope" human intestinal parasite

This paper describes the five development stages of the rope human parasite. Rope parasites have been discovered as a result of cleansing enemas. Parasite adult stages live in human gastrointestinal tract and are anaerobic. They move inside the body by releasing gas bubbles utilizing jet propulsion. Rope parasites look like a rope, and can be over a meter long. It takes tens of years for them to fully develop into mature species (fifth stage). The fourth stage looks similar, but the parasite is shorter and has softer slimier body. The third stage looks like branched jellyfish. The second stage is viscous snot, or mucus with visible gas bubbles that act as suction cups. The first stage is slimier mucus with fewer bubbles, which can reside almost anywhere in the body. Antihelminthic methods are also mentioned in the paper.
Reconstruction of 3D building models from aerial images and maps

Reconstruction of 3D Building Models from Aerial Images and Maps The 3D reconstruction of buildings has numerous applications in areas that include urban planning, construction, environment, communication, transportation, energy and property management, tourism, and virtual tours of cities. In this thesis, the reconstruction of 3D building models from aerial images is addressed. The approach presented in this thesis integrates the aerial images analysis with information from a GIS database and domain knowledge. The problem of automatic 3D building reconstruction has been a central research topic in computer vision and image understanding communities as well as in digital photogrammetry for many years. A variety of approaches has been suggested for the reconstruction of buildings from aerial images. Despite considerable research effort, there is no complete system that can reliably perform autonomous 3D building reconstruction in a wide variety of scene domains. This is particularly true in complex urban areas containing buildings with different shapes and roof types as well as in complicated underlying terrain. Of course, some progress has been made, but there is room for improvement. This improvement can be achieved by fusing multiple data sources and some a priori information. In this project, large-scale 2D GIS databases were used as additional information source. Combination of image data and map data turned out to improve the reliability of the reconstruction. Generic knowledge about the shape of the buildings is also incorporated in the system. Since most buildings can be described as an aggregation of simple building types, the knowledge about the problem domain can be represented in a building library containing simple building models. Therefore, a building library was defined containing the most common building primitives, such as flat roof, and different types of gable roofs. The building reconstruction process was formulated as a multi-level hypothesis
Early salvage radiation therapy does not compromise cancer control in patients with pT3N0 prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy: results of a match-controlled multi-institutional analysis.

BACKGROUND
Previous randomised trials demonstrated that adjuvant radiation therapy (aRT) improves cancer control in patients with pT3 prostate cancer (PCa). However, there is currently no evidence supporting early salvage radiation therapy (eSRT) as equivalent to aRT in improving freedom from biochemical recurrence (BCR) after radical prostatectomy (RP).


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate BCR-free survival for aRT versus observation followed by eSRT in cases of relapse in patients undergoing RP for pT3pN0, R0-R1 PCa.


DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
Using a European multi-institutional cohort, 890 men with pT3pN0, R0-R1 PCa were identified.


INTERVENTION
All patients underwent RP. Subsequently, patients were stratified into two groups: aRT versus initial observation followed by eSRT in cases of relapse. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSES: Propensity-matched analysis was employed, and patients were stratified into two groups: aRT versus observation and eventual eSRT, defined as RT given at a postoperative serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) ≤ 0.5 ng/ml at least 6 mo after RP. BCR, defined as PSA >0.20 ng/ml and rising after administration of RT, was compared between aRT and initial observation followed by eSRT in cases of relapse using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression methods.


RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS
Overall, 390 (43.8%) and 500 (56.2%) patients were treated with aRT and initial observation, respectively. Within the latter group, 225 (45.0%) patients experienced BCR and underwent eSRT. In the postpropensity-matched cohort, the 2- and 5-yr BCR-free survival rates were 91.4% and 78.4% in aRT versus 92.8% and 81.8% in patients who underwent initial observation and eSRT in cases of relapse, respectively (p=0.9). No differences in the 2- and 5-yr BCR-free survival rates were found, even when patients were stratified according to pT3 substage and surgical margin status (all p ≥ 0.4). These findings were also confirmed in multivariable analyses (p=0.6). Similar results were achieved when the cut-off to define eSRT was set at 0.3 ng/ml (all p ≥ 0.5).


CONCLUSIONS
The current study suggests that timely administration of eSRT is comparable to aRT in improving BCR-free survival in the majority of pT3pN0 PCa patients. Therefore, eSRT may not compromise cancer control but significantly reduces overtreatment associated with aRT.
An experimental study of MR dampers for seismic protection

In this paper, the efficacy of magnetorheological (MR) dampers for seismic response reduction is examined. To investigate the performance of the MR damper, a series of experiments was conducted in which the MR damper is used in conjunction with a recently developed clipped-optimal control strategy to control a three story test structure subjected to a one-dimensional ground excitation. The ability of the MR damper to reduce both peak responses, in a series of earthquake tests, andrms responses, in a series of broadband excitation tests is shown. Additionally, because semi-active control systems are nonlinear, a variety of disturbance amplitudes are considered to investigate the performance of this control sytstems over a variety of loading conditions. For each case, the results for three clipped-optimal control designs are presented and compared to the performance of two passive systems. The results indicate that the MR damper is quite effective for structural response reduction over a wide class of seismic excitations.
A client-side web application for interactive environmental simulation modeling

Recent developments in web technologies including evolution of web standards, improvements in browser performance, and the emergence of free and open-source software (FOSS) libraries are driving a general shift from server-side to client-side web applications where a greater share of the computational load is transferred to the browser. Modern client-side approaches allow for improved user interfaces that rival traditional desktop software, as well as the ability to perform simulations and visualizations within the browser. We demonstrate the use of client-side technologies to create an interactive web application for a simulation model of biochemical oxygen demand and dissolved oxygen in rivers called the Webbased Interactive River Model (WIRM). We discuss the benefits, limitations and potential uses of client-side web applications, and provide suggestions for future research using new and upcoming web technologies such as offline access and local data storage to create more advanced client-side web applications for environmental simulation modeling. 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Software availability Product Title: Web-based Interactive River Model (WIRM) Developer: Jeffrey D. Walker Contact Address: Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University, 200 College Ave, Medford, MA 02155 Contact E-mail: jeffrey.walker@tufts.edu Available Since: 2013 Programming Language: JavaScript, Python Availability: http://wirm.walkerjeff.com/ Cost: Free
A Survey of Clustering Techniques in WSNs and Consideration of the Challenges of Applying Such to 5G IoT Scenarios

Wireless sensor network (WSN) systems are typically composed of thousands of sensors that are powered by limited energy resources. To extend the networks longevity, clustering techniques have been introduced to enhance energy efficiency. This paper presents a survey on clustering over the last two decades. Existing protocols are analyzed from a quality of service (QoS) perspective including three common objectives, those of energy efficiency, reliable communication and latency awareness. This review reveals that QoS aware clustering demands more attention. Furthermore, there is a need to clarify how to improve quality of user experience (QoE) through clustering. Understanding the users’ requirements is critical in intelligent systems for the purpose of enabling the ability of supporting diverse scenarios. User awareness or user oriented design is one remaining challenging problem in clustering. In additional, this paper discusses the potential challenges of implementing clustering schemes to Internet of Things (IoT) systems in 5G networks. We indicate that clustering techniques enhanced with smart network selection solutions could highly benefit the QoS and QoE in IoT. As the current studies for WSNs are conducted either in homogeneous or low level heterogeneous networks, they are not ideal or even not able to function in highly dynamic IoT systems with a large range of user scenarios. Moreover, when 5G is finally realized, the problem will become more complex than that in traditional simplified WSNs. Several challenges related to applying clustering techniques to IoT in 5G environment are presented and discussed.
Effect of mindfulness training on asthma quality of life and lung function: a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND
This study evaluated the efficacy of a mindfulness training programme (mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR)) in improving asthma-related quality of life and lung function in patients with asthma.


METHODS
A randomised controlled trial compared an 8-week MBSR group-based programme (n=42) with an educational control programme (n=41) in adults with mild, moderate or severe persistent asthma recruited at a university hospital outpatient primary care and pulmonary care clinic. Primary outcomes were quality of life (Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire) and lung function (change from baseline in 2-week average morning peak expiratory flow (PEF)). Secondary outcomes were asthma control assessed by 2007 National Institutes of Health/National Heart Lung and Blood Institute guidelines, and stress (Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)). Follow-up assessments were conducted at 10 weeks, 6 and 12 months.


RESULTS
At 12 months MBSR resulted in clinically significant improvements from baseline in quality of life (differential change in Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire score for MBSR vs control: 0.66 (95% CI 0.30 to 1.03; p<0.001)) but not in lung function (morning PEF, PEF variability and forced expiratory volume in 1 s). MBSR also resulted in clinically significant improvements in perceived stress (differential change in PSS score for MBSR vs control: -4.5 (95% CI -7.1 to -1.9; p=0.001)). There was no significant difference (p=0.301) in percentage of patients in MBSR with well controlled asthma (7.3% at baseline to 19.4%) compared with the control condition (7.5% at baseline to 7.9%).


CONCLUSIONS
MBSR produced lasting and clinically significant improvements in asthma-related quality of life and stress in patients with persistent asthma, without improvements in lung function.


CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER
Asthma and Mindfulness-Based Reduction (MBSR) Identifier: NCT00682669. clinicaltrials.gov.
Reasoning=working memory¬=attention

The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationship between attention, components of working memory, and reasoning. Therefore, twenty working memory tests, two attention tests, and nine intelligence subtests were administered to 135 students. Using structural equation modeling, we were able to replicate a functional model of working memory proposed by Oberauer, Suess, Wilhelm, and Wittmann (2003) [Oberauer, K., Suess, H.-M., Wilhelm, O., & Wittmann, W. W. (2003). The multiple faces of working memory: Storage, processing, supervision, and coordination. Intelligence, 31, 167–193]. The study also revealed a weak to moderate relationship between the bselectivity aspect of attentionQ and working memory components as well as the finding that bsupervisionQ was only moderately related to bstorage in the context of processingQ and to bcoordinationQ. No significant path was found from attention to reasoning. Reasoning could be significantly predicted by bstorage in the context of processingQ and bcoordinationQ. All in all, 95% of reasoning variance could be explained. Controlling for speed variance, the correlation between working memory components and intelligence did not decrease significantly. D 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Machine Learning for Outcome Prediction of Acute Ischemic Stroke Post Intra-Arterial Therapy

INTRODUCTION
Stroke is a major cause of death and disability. Accurately predicting stroke outcome from a set of predictive variables may identify high-risk patients and guide treatment approaches, leading to decreased morbidity. Logistic regression models allow for the identification and validation of predictive variables. However, advanced machine learning algorithms offer an alternative, in particular, for large-scale multi-institutional data, with the advantage of easily incorporating newly available data to improve prediction performance. Our aim was to design and compare different machine learning methods, capable of predicting the outcome of endovascular intervention in acute anterior circulation ischaemic stroke.


METHOD
We conducted a retrospective study of a prospectively collected database of acute ischaemic stroke treated by endovascular intervention. Using SPSS®, MATLAB®, and Rapidminer®, classical statistics as well as artificial neural network and support vector algorithms were applied to design a supervised machine capable of classifying these predictors into potential good and poor outcomes. These algorithms were trained, validated and tested using randomly divided data.


RESULTS
We included 107 consecutive acute anterior circulation ischaemic stroke patients treated by endovascular technique. Sixty-six were male and the mean age of 65.3. All the available demographic, procedural and clinical factors were included into the models. The final confusion matrix of the neural network, demonstrated an overall congruency of ∼ 80% between the target and output classes, with favourable receiving operative characteristics. However, after optimisation, the support vector machine had a relatively better performance, with a root mean squared error of 2.064 (SD: ± 0.408).


DISCUSSION
We showed promising accuracy of outcome prediction, using supervised machine learning algorithms, with potential for incorporation of larger multicenter datasets, likely further improving prediction. Finally, we propose that a robust machine learning system can potentially optimise the selection process for endovascular versus medical treatment in the management of acute stroke.
Online and Social Media Suicide Prevention Interventions for Young People: A Focus on Implementation and Moderation.

OBJECTIVE
Suicide remains a major global public health issue for young people. The reach and accessibility of online and social media-based interventions herald a unique opportunity for suicide prevention. To date, the large body of research into suicide prevention has been undertaken atheoretically. This paper provides a rationale and theoretical framework (based on the interpersonal theory of suicide), and draws on our experiences of developing and testing online and social media-based interventions.


METHOD
The implementation of three distinct online and social media-based intervention studies, undertaken with young people at risk of suicide, are discussed. We highlight the ways that these interventions can serve to bolster social connectedness in young people, and outline key aspects of intervention implementation and moderation.


RESULTS
Insights regarding the implementation of these studies include careful protocol development mindful of risk and ethical issues, establishment of suitably qualified teams to oversee development and delivery of the intervention, and utilisation of key aspects of human support (i.e., moderation) to encourage longer-term intervention engagement.


CONCLUSIONS
Online and social media-based interventions provide an opportunity to enhance feelings of connectedness in young people, a key component of the interpersonal theory of suicide. Our experience has shown that such interventions can be feasibly and safely conducted with young people at risk of suicide. Further studies, with controlled designs, are required to demonstrate intervention efficacy.
IMPROVING SHEAR CAPACITY OF EXISTING RC T-SECTION BEAMS USING CFRP COMPOSITES

This paper presents the shear performance of reinforced concrete (RC) beams with Tsection. Different configurations of externally bonded carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheets were used to strengthen the specimens in shear. The experimental program consisted of six full-scale, simply supported beams. One beam was used as a bench mark and five beams were strengthened using different configurations of CFRP. The parameters investigated in this study included wrapping schemes, CFRP amount, 90/0 ply combination, and CFRP end anchorage. The experimental results show that externally bonded CFRP can increase the shear capacity of the beam significantly. In addition, the results indicated that the most effective configuration was the U-wrap with end anchorage. Design algorithms in ACI Code format as well as Eurocode format are proposed to predict the capacity of referred members. Results showed that the proposed design approach is conservative and acceptable.
Clinicopathological Features of Pancreatic Endocrine Tumors: A Prospective Multicenter Study in Italy of 297 Sporadic Cases

OBJECTIVES:Information on pancreatic endocrine tumors (PETs) comes mostly from small, retrospective, uncontrolled studies conducted on highly selected patients. The aim of the study was to describe the clinical and pathological features of PETs in a prospective, multicenter study.METHODS:Newly diagnosed, histologically proven, sporadic PETs observed from June 2004 to March 2007 in 24 Italian centers were included in a specific data set.RESULTS:Two hundred ninety-seven patients (mean age 58.6±14.7 years, females 51.2%, males 48.8%) were analyzed. In 73 cases (24.6%), the tumor was functioning (F) (53 insulinomas, 15 gastrinomas, 5 other syndromes) and in 232 (75.4%) it was non-functioning (NF); in 115 cases (38.7%), the diagnosis was incidental. The median tumor size was 20 mm (range 2–150). NF-PETs were significantly more represented among carcinomas (P<0.001). Nodal and liver metastases were detected in 84 (28.3%) and 85 (28.6%) cases, respectively. The presence of liver metastases was significantly higher in the NF-PETs than in the F-PETs (32.1% vs. 17.8%; P<0.05), and in the symptomatic than in the asymptomatic patients (34.6% vs. 19.1%; P<0.005). At the time of recruitment, the majority of patients (251, 84.5%) had undergone surgery, with complete resection in 209 cases (83.3%).CONCLUSIONS:This study points out the high number of new cases of PETs observed in Italy, with a high prevalence of NF and incidentally discovered forms. The size of the tumor was smaller and the rate of metastasis was lower than usually reported, suggesting a trend toward an earlier diagnosis.
Is Corneal Arcus Independently Associated With Incident Cardiovascular Disease in Asians?

PURPOSE
To examine the longitudinal relationship between baseline corneal arcus (CA) and incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) in ethnic Indian and Malay adults in Singapore.


DESIGN
Population-based cohort study.


METHODS
Indian and Malay adults aged 40-80 years were recruited for baseline and 6-year follow-up visits between 2004-2009 and 2010-2015, respectively (follow-up response rate 73.9%). CA was assessed by ophthalmologists using slit-lamp biomicroscopy. The main outcome was self-reported incident CVD, defined as new myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, or stroke, which developed between baseline and follow-up. Multivariable logistic regression models assessed independent associations between baseline CA and incident CVD, adjusting for traditional CVD risk factors including age, sex, serum cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes, and smoking. We further conducted sex-stratified analyses to identify possible effect modifications.


RESULTS
Of the total 3637 participants (overall mean [SD] age: 56 [9] years, 46% male) with available follow-up data, without history of CVD at baseline, 208 (5.7%) incident CVD cases were reported. Participants with CA were more likely to have incident CVD (7.5%) than those without (4.9%). After controlling for traditional CVD risk factors, CA was independently associated with incident CVD (odds ratio [95% confidence interval]: 1.52 [1.07-2.16]) in adjusted models. In sex-stratified models, associations between CA and incident CVD were seen in men (1.73 [1.12-2.67]) and not in women (1.05 [0.56-1.97]).


CONCLUSIONS
CA is associated with incident CVD, independent of serum lipids and traditional CVD risk factors, in ethnic Malay and Indian men. Our finding suggests that CA is an additional observable indicator of CVD in men.
Spell Checking Techniques in NLP: A Survey

Spell checkers in Indian languages are the basic tools that need to be developed. A spell checker is a software tool that identifies and corrects any spelling mistakes in a text. Spell checkers can be combined with other applications or they can be distributed individually. In this paper the authors are discussing both the approaches and their roles in various applications.
Concurrent Hierarchical Reinforcement Learning for RoboCup Keepaway

RoboCup Keepaway, originated from the RoboCup soccer simulation 2D challenge, has been widely used as a machine learning benchmark. In this paper, we present a concurrent hierarchical reinforcement learning approach to RoboCup Keepaway. Following the idea of hierarchies of abstract machines (HAMs), we write a partial policy as a HAM from the perspective of a single keeper, run multiple instances of the HAM, and use reinforcement learning to learn the optimal completion of the resulting joint HAM. Furthermore, we apply the idea of exploiting the intrinsic internal transitions within the HAM structure for more efficient learning. Experimental results confirm that the concurrent HAM approaches outperform the state of the art significantly on the very complex RoboCup Keepaway domain.