LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Association between persistence with statin therapy and reduction in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level: analysis of real-life data from community settings.

STUDY OBJECTIVES
To validate the use of drug dispensing data as a measure of drug exposure and to quantify the association between persistence with statin therapy and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) levels using real-life community data.


DESIGN
Retrospective, population-based cohort study.


DATA SOURCE
Maccabi Healthcare Services (MHS) database, which contains linked prescription drug information, hospitalization records, and laboratory test results of 2 million members of the second largest health organization in Israel.


PATIENTS
A total of 87,219 primary prevention patients and 15,139 secondary prevention patients who were MHS members and who started statin therapy between 1998 and 2008.


MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS
Baseline and follow-up LDL levels were documented from 3 months before the date of first dispensed statin (index date) to 6 months afterward. Persistence was assessed by proportion of days covered (PDC) with statins during the follow-up period. Over the follow-up period, significant (p<0.001) reductions in LDL levels of 54, 33, and 13 mg/dl were noted among highly persistent (PDC ≥ 80%), moderately persistent (34% ≤ PDC < 79%), and poorly persistent statins users (PDC ≤ 33%), respectively. The reduction was observed as early as 2-3 weeks after therapy initiation. In a multivariable model controlling for baseline LDL level and traditional coronary heart disease risk factors (diabetes mellitus, hypertension), high persistence with statin therapy was associated with a 27% and 25% decrement in LDL level among the primary and secondary prevention cohorts, respectively. Similarly, a higher proportion of the persistent statins users reached their target LDL level within the study follow-up period: 80% and 58% among primary and secondary prevention cohorts, respectively, compared with only 28% and 17%, respectively, among poorly persistent patients.


CONCLUSIONS
In this observational population-based study, calculated PDC with statins during study follow-up was strongly associated with drug effect of LDL level reduction. The results agree with previous estimates of statin efficacy from randomized clinical trials, supporting the validity of using PDC methods as a measure of drug exposure.
Blocking the FGF/FGFR system as a "two-compartment" antiangiogenic/antitumor approach in cancer therapy.

Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) are a family of pleiotropic factors produced by stromal and parenchymal tumor cells. Even though FGFs have been firstly characterized as angiogenic factors, they exert autocrine and paracrine functions not only on endothelial cells but also on tumor cells and other stromal components. Thus, the FGF/FGF receptor (FGFR) pathway may represent a key player in tumor growth by regulating the complex cross-talk between stromal and tumor compartments. The ligand dependent or independent activation of the FGF/FGFR system by gene upregulation, oncogenic mutation or amplification occurs in a variety of human tumors and is implicated in various key steps of tumor growth and progression. In addition, FGF/FGFR activation has been described as a mechanism of tumor escape in response to antiangiogenic/anti-VEGF therapies. Experimental and clinical evidences provide a compelling biologic rationale for the development of anti-FGF/FGFR targeting agents in cancer therapy. However, the development of drugs specifically targeting the FGF/FGFR pathway proved to be difficult, also due to the high redundancy and pleiotropic effects of FGF and FGFR family members. On the other hand, the possibility to develop "two-compartment" targeting agents endowed with both antiangiogenic and antitumor activities remains promising. Here we will review the preclinical and clinical approaches and potential therapeutics currently available to block the FGF/FGFR system in human cancer.
Genetic learning of fuzzy cognitive maps

Fuzzy cognitive maps (FCMs) are a very convenient, simple, and powerful tool for simulation and analysis of dynamic systems.They were originally developed in 1980 by Kosko, and since then successfully applied to numerous domains, such as engineering, medicine, control, and political affairs. Their popularity stems from simplicity and transparency of the underlying model.At the same time FCMs are hindered by necessity of involving domain experts to develop the model. Since human experts are subjective and can handle only relatively simple networks (maps), there is an urgent need to develop methods for automated generation of FCM models. This study proposes a novel learning method that is able to generate FCM models from input historical data, and without human intervention. The proposed method is based on genetic algorithms, and requires only a single state vector sequence as an input. The paper proposes and experimentally compares several different design alternatives of genetic optimization and thoroughly tests and discusses the best design. Extensive benchmarking tests, which involve 200 FCMs with varying size and density of connections, performed on both synthetic and real-life data quantifies the performance of the development method and emphasizes its suitability. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Eco-Innovative Examples for 40 TRIZ Inventive Principles

Eco-innovation always needs inspiration. This paper presents eco-innovative examples for 40 TRIZ inventive principles. These examples cover a wide range of products and processes. They are novelty, creative and eco-friendly.
Computing Lower and Upper Expectations under Epistemic Independence

This papers investigates the computation of lower/upper expectations that must cohere with a collection of probabilistic assessments and a collection of judgements of epistemic independence. New algorithms, based on multilinear programming, are presented, both for independence among events and among random variables. Separation properties of graphical models are also investigated.
Adaptive region of interest estimation for aerial surveillance video

In this paper, we propose an adaptive region of interest (ROI) estimation for aerial surveillance video. The adaptive ROI estimation algorithm first analyzes how the camera is used, such as pan, tilt and zoom control parameters, from the ego-motion computed from the aerial surveillance video. Using a frame based camera operator attention model, we can not only estimate the ROI of the camera operator at the frame level, but also estimate the ROI at the sequence level. Experimental results using video captured by predator unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) show that the proposed adaptive ROI estimation algorithm is both effective and efficient.
QoS Support in Wireless Sensor Networks: A Survey

In this paper, we assess the state of the art of Quality of Services (QoS) support in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). Unlike traditional end-to-end multimedia applications, many non-end-to-end mission-critical applications envisioned for WSNs have brought forward new QoS requirements on the network. Further, unique characteristics of WSNs, such as extremely resource-constrained sensors, large-scale random deployment, and novel data-centric communication protocols, pose unprecedented challenges in the area of QoS support in WSNs. Thus, we first review the techniques for QoS support in traditional networks, analyze new QoS requirements in WSNs from a wide variety of applications classified by data delivery models, and propose some non-end-to-end collective QoS parameters. Next, the challenges of QoS support in this new paradigm are presented. Finally, we comment on current research efforts and identify many exciting open issues in order to stimulate more research interest in this largely unexplored area. Keywords— Wireless networks, wireless sensor networks, QoS, collective QoS
Clinical application of an integrated 3-phase mapping technique for localization of the site of origin of idiopathic ventricular tachycardia.

BACKGROUND
Radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation provides curative treatment for idiopathic ventricular tachycardia (VT).


METHODS AND RESULTS
Nineteen consecutive patients with an idiopathic VT underwent RF catheter ablation. An integrated 3-phase mapping approach was used, consisting of the successive application of online 62-lead body surface QRS integral mapping, directed regional paced body surface QRS integral mapping, and local activation sequence mapping. Mapping phase 1 was localization of the segment of VT origin by comparing the VT QRS integral map with a database of mean paced QRS integral maps. Mapping phase 2 was body surface pace mapping during sinus rhythm in the segment localized in phase 1 until the site at which the paced QRS integral map matched the VT QRS integral map was identified (ie, VT exit site). Mapping phase 3 was local activation sequence mapping at the circumscribed area identified in phase 2 to identify the site with the earliest local endocardial activation (ie, site of VT origin). This site became the ablation target. Ten VTs were ablated in the right ventricular outflow tract, 2 at the basal LV septum, and 7 at the midapical posterior left ventricle. A high long-term ablation success (mean follow-up duration, 14+/-9 months) was achieved in 17 of the 19 patients (89%) with a low number of RF pulses (mean, 3.3+/-2.2 pulses per patient).


CONCLUSIONS
This prospective study shows that integrated 3-phase mapping for localization of the site of origin of idiopathic VT offers efficient and accurate localization of the target site for RF catheter ablation.
Software Reuse Economics: Cost-benefit Analysis On A Large-scale Ada Project

The software industry is painfully realizing that a software reuse effort, if not carefully planned and properly carried out, oftentimes becomes an inhibitor rather than a catalyst to software productivity and quality. Despite numerous ar ticles in the areas of domain analysis, component classification, automated component storage/retrieval tools, reuse metrics, etc., only a handful have managed to address the economics of software reuse. In order to be successful, not only must a reuse program be technically sound, it must also be economically worthwhile. After all, reducing costs and increasing quality were the two main factors that drove software reuse into the software mainstream. This paper presents a number of reuse economics models used to perform an economic assessment of a reuse effort on a large-scale Ada project: the United States Federal Aviation Administration's Advanced Automation System (FAA/AAS). Reuse economics models, cost/benefit tracking methods, and reuse catalystslinhibitors are addressed.
Ecotourism and Sustainable Development in Costa Rica

The purpose of this paper is to provide a synopsis of the current issues facing ecotourism in Costa Rica; critically examine the impacts and challenges of ecotourism; analyze the potential of ecotourism as a strategy for sustainable development; look at ways in which ecotourism and sustainable development can be evaluated; and suggest ways to improve current ecotourism practices and policies for Costa Rica. What are the impacts and challenges of ecotourism? What are the possible benefits that ecotourism can bring? Is ecotourism in Costa Rica sustainable? Based on the guiding principles of ecotourism, a legitimate argument can be made that ecotourism in Costa Rica has not produced desired outcomes and is not sustainable. However, an equally strong argument can be made that although ecotourism may not currently be sustainable, it has yet to fully mature, and has shown signs that it can achieve a balance between development and conservation goals. Ecotourism has more promise for achieving sustainability than alternative types of land use such as agriculture, cattle grazing, logging, or mass tourism. Whether or not ecotourism in Costa Rica will prove to be sustainable in the long-term remains to be seen. In order to increase the likelihood that ecotourism achieves goals of sustainable development in Costa Rica, all of the key actors must to begin to take more proactive measures in order to ensure that ecotourism is carefully planned and implemented. Ecotourism must account for social, economic and environmental implications, in order to succeed. A much more balanced and integrated approach, founded on the guiding principles of sustainable development, is essential to maximize the benefits and minimize the negative impacts of ecotourism in Costa Rica. References 57 1 Chapter 1 – Introduction Ecotourism is often perceived as an excellent tool for promoting sustainable development in developing countries. Many view ecotourism as a viable way to protect the natural environment and create social and economic benefits for local communities. According to David Weaver " Interest in ecotourism, now widespread among tourism planners and marketers, is rationalized by a number of popular assumptions regarding the sector's potential economic, environmental, and socio-cultural benefits " (Weaver, 1999, 795). While some ecotourism projects can support such claims, many ecotourism projects have failed to address some fundamental issues and do not generate the very benefits ecotourism is intended to provide. When poorly planned and implemented, ecotourism can quickly turn economic gains into social and environmental disasters. …
To see ourselves as others see us: an experimental integration of the intra and interpersonal consequences of self-protection in social anxiety disorder.

The current study investigated the mechanism through which safety behaviors perpetuate perceived and actual negative social outcomes hypothesized to maintain social anxiety disorder (SAD). Eighty individuals diagnosed with generalized SAD took part in a "getting acquainted" conversation with a trained experimental confederate. Participants were then randomly assigned to either a safety behavior reduction plus exposure condition (SB + EXP) or a graduated exposure (EXP) control condition and completed a 2nd conversation with the same interaction partner. Mediation analyses revealed that participants instructed to reduce their idiosyncratic safety behaviors displayed significantly greater increases in both perceived and actual positive interpersonal outcomes relative to the EXP group. However, whereas the safety behavior manipulation influenced participants' appraisals of their partner's reaction to them through reducing self-judgments about the visibility of anxiety-related behaviors, in reality, the SB + EXP group elicited more positive partner reactions because they displayed a greater increase in social approach behavior. Thus, although both parties recognized positive changes in the social exchange following the safety behavior manipulation, different sources of social information accounted for participant versus partner interpersonal judgments. The current findings point to the potential value of considering both the intra and interpersonal consequences of safety behaviors in SAD.
Out of fear or desire? Toward a better understanding of employees' motivation to follow IS security policies

Given the significant role of people in the management of security, attention has recently been paid to the issue of how to motivate employees to improve security performance of organizations. However, past work has been dependent on deterrence theory rooted in an extrinsic motivation model to help understand why employees do or do not follow security rules in their organization. We postulated that we could better explain employees’ security-related rule-following behavior with an approach rooted in an intrinsic motivation model. We therefore developed a model of employees’ motivation to comply with IS security policies which incorporated both extrinsic and intrinsic models of human behavior. It was tested with data collected through a survey of 602 employees in the United States. We found that variables rooted in the intrinsic motivation model contributed significantly more to the explained variance of employees’ compliance than did those rooted in the extrinsic motivation model. 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Personalized Filtering of the Twitter Stream

With the rapid growth in users on social networks, there is a corresponding increase in user-generated content, in turn resulting in information overload. On Twitter, for example, users tend to receive uninterested information due to their non-overlapping interests from the people whom they follow. In this paper we present a Semantic Web approach to filter public tweets matching interests from personalized user profiles. Our approach includes automatic generation of multi-domain and personalized user profiles, filtering Twitter stream based on the generated profiles and delivering them in real-time. Given that users interests and personalization needs change with time, we also discuss how our application can adapt with these changes.
Resistant alcohol withdrawal: Does an unexpectedly large sedative requirement identify these patients early?

While most patients with alcohol withdrawal (AW) respond to standard treatment that includes doses of benzo-diazepines, nutrition and good supportive care (non resistant alcohol withdrawal-NRAW), a subgroup may resist therapy (resistant alcohol withdrawal-RAW). This study describes a distinct group of AW patients, their sedative requirements, and hospital courses. Over a period of 6 months, AW patients requiring 50 mg diazepam IV in the first hour were followed. We recorded admission indices and diazepam doses with vital signs at 1, 2, 3, 6, 12, and 24 hours. Patients were considered to have RAW if they required additional sedatives for control of symptoms and/or were having persistent abnormal vital signs despite the physicians’ choices of therapy. Nineteen patients were enrolled; all had similar admission indices. While the 4 NRAW had normal vital signs within 3 hours, all 15 RAW patients had abnormal vital signs; 15 RAW patients required escalating diazepam doses — 14 required barbiturates, 7 were intubated, and 5 had hypotension. Comparing groups: interval and total diazepam doses were not different at 1, 2, and 3 hours; interval doses at 6 and 12 hours, and total doses at 6, 12, and 24 hours were significantly different. RAW patients require large doses of benzodiazepine administration, additional sedatives, and undergo complicated hospitalizations.
Systematic strategy of prophylactic coronary angiography improves long-term outcome after major vascular surgery in medium- to high-risk patients: a prospective, randomized study.

OBJECTIVES
This study was undertaken to determine the impact of a strategy of systematic coronary angiography on immediate- and long-term outcome of patients at medium-high risk who were undergoing surgical treatment of peripheral arterial disease.


BACKGROUND
Despite pre-operative risk stratification according to the current guidelines, vascular surgery patients still represent a high-risk population, as 30-day cardiovascular complications and mortality rates still remain as high as 15% to 20% and 3% to 5%, respectively.


METHODS
In all, 208 consecutive patients scheduled for elective surgical treatment of major vascular disease and with a revised cardiac risk index > or =2 were randomly allocated to either a "selective strategy" group (group A, n = 103), in whom coronary angiography was performed based on the results of noninvasive tests, or to a "systematic strategy" group (group B, n = 105), consisting of patients who systematically underwent pre-operative coronary angiography.


RESULTS
The 2 groups were similar with respect to baseline clinical characteristics, revised cardiac risk index, and type of vascular surgery performed. The myocardial revascularization rate in group B was higher than in group A (58.1% vs. 40.1%; p = 0.01). In-hospital major adverse cardiovascular event rate was not significantly lower in group B (p = 0.07). At 58 +/- 17 months of follow-up, group B showed significantly better survival (p = 0.01) and freedom from death/cardiovascular events (p = 0.003).


CONCLUSIONS
In this study, a strategy of routine coronary angiography positively impacted long-term outcome of peripheral arterial disease surgical patients at medium-high risk. This is the first such demonstration in a randomized, prospective trial. Multicenter trials to confirm this finding in a larger population are warranted.
Impact of the Angiotensin II Receptor Antagonist, Losartan, on Myocardial Fibrosis in Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease: Assessment by Ultrasonic Integrated Backscatter and Biochemical Markers

Myocardial fibrosis commonly occurs in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and has proven to be an important predictor for cardiovascular events. In experimental settings, angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1-R) antagonists have been shown to have anti-fibrotic effects on the myocardium independent of their antihypertensive effects. In this study, to investigate whether the AT1-R antagonist losartan would have such anti-fibrotic effects in patients, we administered losartan or, for purpose of comparison, the angiotensin-converting enzyme enalapril or Ca2+-antagonist amlodipine to patients with ESRD. Thirty-nine ESRD patients with hypertension were randomly assigned to receive losartan (n=13), enalapril (n=13), or amlodipine (n=13). Ultrasonic integrated backscatter (IBS) and serological markers of collagen type I synthesis and degradation were used to assess the degree of myocardial fibrosis just before and after 6 months of treatment. There were no significant differences in antihypertensive effects among the three agents. In the enalapril- and amlodipine-treated groups, the mean calibrated IBS values increased significantly after 6 months of treatment (enalapril: −31.6±1.3 to −29.4±1.2 dB, p=0.011; amlodipine: −30.6±1.4 to −27.2±1.2 dB, p=0.012). However, the mean calibrated IBS values in the losartan-treated group did not increase after 6 months of treatment (−31.2±1.7 to −31.3±1.4 dB, p=0.88). The ratio of the serum concentration of procollagen type I carboxy-terminal peptide to the serum concentration of collagen type I pyridinoline cross-linked carboxy-terminal telopeptide was significantly reduced in the losartan-treated group (42.6±4.6 to 34.4±3.6, p=0.038). The present study indicates that losartan more effectively suppresses myocardial fibrosis in patients with ESRD than does enalapril or amlodipine despite a comparable antihypertensive effect among the three drugs.
Intralocus Sexual Conflict Unresolved by Sex-Limited Trait Expression

Sexually antagonistic selection generates intralocus sexual conflict, an evolutionary tug-of-war between males and females over optimal trait values [1-4]. Although the potential for this conflict is universal, the evolutionary importance of intralocus conflict is controversial because conflicts are typically thought to be resolvable through the evolution of sex-specific trait development [1-8]. However, whether sex-specific trait expression always resolves intralocus conflict has not been established. We assessed this with beetle populations subjected to bidirectional selection on an exaggerated sexually selected trait, the mandible. Mandibles are only ever developed in males for use in male-male combat, and larger mandibles increase male fitness (fighting [9, 10] and mating success, as we show here). We find that females from populations selected for larger male mandibles have lower fitness, whereas females in small-mandible populations have highest fitness, even though females never develop exaggerated mandibles. This is because mandible development changes genetically correlated characters, resulting in a negative intersexual fitness correlation across these populations, which is the unmistakable signature of intralocus sexual conflict [1]. Our results show that sex-limited trait development need not resolve intralocus sexual conflict, because traits are rarely, if ever, genetically independent of other characters [11]. Hence, intralocus conflict resolution is not as easy as currently thought.