LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Prospective crossover comparison of carvedilol and metoprolol in patients with chronic heart failure.

OBJECTIVES
This study investigates the effects of a change of beta-adrenergic blocking agent treatment from metoprolol to carvedilol and vice versa in patients with heart failure (HF).


BACKGROUND
Beta-blockers improve ventricular function and prolong survival in patients with HF. It has recently been suggested that carvedilol has more pronounced effects on left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) compared with metoprolol. It is uncertain whether a change from one beta-blocker to the other is safe and leads to any change of left ventricular function.


METHODS
Forty-four patients with HF due to ischemic (n = 17) or idiopathic cardiomyopathy (n = 27) that had responded well to long-term treatment with either metoprolol (n = 20) or carvedilol (n = 24) were switched to an equivalent dose of the respective other beta-blocker. Before and six months after crossover of treatment, echocardiography, radionuclide ventriculography and dobutamine stress echocardiography were performed.


RESULTS
Six months after crossover of beta-blocker treatment, LVEF had further improved with both carvedilol and metoprolol (carvedilol: 32 +/- 3% to 36 +/- 4%; metoprolol: 27 +/- 4% to 30 +/- 5%; both p < 0.05 vs. baseline), without interindividual differences. There were no changes in either New York Heart Association functional class or any other hemodynamic parameters at rest. Dobutamine stress echocardiography revealed a more pronounced increase of heart rate after dobutamine infusion in metoprolol- compared with carvedilol-treated patients. After dobutamine infusion, LVEF increased in the carvedilol- but not in the metoprolol-treated group.


CONCLUSIONS
When switching treatment from one beta-blocker to the other, improvement of LVEF in patients with HF is maintained. Despite similar long-term effects on hemodynamics at rest, beta-adrenergic responsiveness is different in both treatments.
Present and Future Directions in Data Warehousing

Many large organizations have developed data warehouses to support decision making. The data in a warehouse are subject oriented, integrated, time variant, and nonvolatile. A data warehouse contains five types of data: current detail data, older detail data, lightly summarized data, highly summarized data, and metadata. The architecture of a data warehouse includes a backend process (the extraction of data from source systems), the warehouse, and the front-end use (the accessing of data from the warehouse). A data mart is a smaller version of a data warehouse that supports the narrower set of requirements of a single business unit. Data marts should be developed in an integrated manner in order to avoid repeating the "silos of information" problem.An operational data store is a database for transaction processing systems that uses the data warehouse approach to provide clean data. Data warehousing is constantly changing, with the associated opportunities for practice and research, such as the potential for knowledge management using the warehouse.
A comparison of the original chronic respiratory questionnaire with a standardized version.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
The chronic respiratory questionnaire (CRQ), a widely used measure of health-related quality of life (HRQL) in patients with chronic airflow limitation, includes an individualized dyspnea domain (patients identify five important activities, and report the degree of dyspnea on a 7-point scale). Because the individualized domain is unwieldy in multicenter clinical trials, we developed a standardized version and tested its discriminative and evaluative properties.


METHODS
We enrolled 51 patients who completed the standardized and individualized CRQ before starting a respiratory rehabilitation program, and again 3 months later. We calculated both cross-sectional and longitudinal correlations between the two versions and a number of other HRQL instruments, and tested the relative ability of the individualized and standardized versions of the CRQ to detect improvement with rehabilitation.


RESULTS
The results of the individualized questions suggested greater dysfunction (lower scores) than did the standardized questions both at baseline (3.18 vs 3.92, p < 0.001) and follow-up (4.62 vs 4.84, p = 0.051). The standardized dyspnea domain showed superior discriminative validity. While both techniques detected important, statistically significant improvement with rehabilitation (individualized domain mean change, 1.44; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11 to 1.77 [p < 0.001]; standardized domain mean change, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.61 to 1.24 [p < 0.01]), the difference in effect was substantial and statistically significant (mean difference, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.22 to 0.82; p = 0.001). The two versions showed comparable longitudinal validity.


CONCLUSIONS
A standardized version of the CRQ dyspnea domain improves the cross-sectional validity, maintains longitudinal validity, but reduces the responsiveness. By increasing sample size, investigators can use the more efficient standardized version of the CRQ without compromising validity.
A Monte Carlo Model of Light Propagation in Tissue

The Monte Carlo method is rapidly becoming the model of choice for simulating light transport in tissue. This paper provides all the details necessary for implementation of a Monte Carlo program. Variance reduction schemes that improve the efficiency of the Monte Carlo method are discussed. Analytic expressions facilitating convolution calculations for finite flat and Gaussian beams are included. Useful validation benchmarks are presented.
Tricaine methane‐sulfonate (MS‐222) application in fish anaesthesia

Tricaine methane-sulfonate (MS-222) application in fish anaesthesia By N. Topic Popovic, I. Strunjak-Perovic, R. Coz-Rakovac, J. Barisic, M. Jadan, A. Persin Berakovic and R. Sauerborn Klobucar Laboratory of Ichthyopathology – Biological Materials, Division for Materials Chemistry, Rudjer Boskovic Institute, Zagreb, Croatia; Department of Anaesthesiology, University Hospital Clinic, Zagreb, Croatia
Technology affordances for intersubjective meaning making: A research agenda for CSCL

11 Abstract Now well into its second decade, the field of Computer Supported 12 Collaborative Learning (CSCL) appears healthy, encompassing a diversity of topics 13 of study, methodologies, and representatives of various research communities. It is 14 an appropriate time to ask: what central questions can integrate our work into a 15 coherent field? This paper proposes the study of technology affordances for 16 intersubjective meaning making as an integrating research agenda for CSCL. A 17 brief survey of epistemologies of collaborative learning and forms of computer 18 support for that learning characterize the field to be integrated and motivate the 19 proposal. A hybrid of experimental, descriptive and design methodologies is 20 proposed in support of this agenda. A working definition of intersubjective meaning 21 making as joint composition of interpretations of a dynamically evolving context is 22 provided, and used to propose a framework around which dialogue between analytic 23 approaches can take place.
Directional asymmetries in human smooth pursuit eye movements.

PURPOSE
Humans make smooth pursuit eye movements to bring the image of a moving object onto the fovea. Although pursuit accuracy is critical to prevent motion blur, the eye often falls behind the target. Previous studies suggest that pursuit accuracy differs between motion directions. Here, we systematically assess asymmetries in smooth pursuit.


METHODS
In experiment 1, binocular eye movements were recorded while observers (n = 20) tracked a small spot of light moving along one of four cardinal or diagonal axes across a featureless background. We analyzed pursuit latency, acceleration, peak velocity, gain, and catch-up saccade latency, number, and amplitude. In experiment 2 (n = 22), we examined the effects of spatial location and constrained stimulus motion within the upper or lower visual field.


RESULTS
Pursuit was significantly faster (higher acceleration, peak velocity, and gain) and smoother (fewer and later catch-up saccades) in response to downward versus upward motion in both the upper and the lower visual fields. Pursuit was also more accurate and smoother in response to horizontal versus vertical motion. CONCLUSIONS. Our study is the first to report a consistent up-down asymmetry in human adults, regardless of visual field. Our findings suggest that pursuit asymmetries are adaptive responses to the requirements of the visual context: preferred motion directions (horizontal and downward) are more critical to our survival than nonpreferred ones.
The crying baby: what approach?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW
Cry-fuss problems are among the most common clinical presentations in the first few months of life and are associated with adverse outcomes for some mothers and babies. Cry-fuss behaviour emerges out of a complex interplay of cultural, psychosocial, environmental and biologic factors, with organic disturbance implicated in only 5% of cases. A simplistic approach can have unintended consequences. This article reviews recent evidence in order to update clinical management.


RECENT FINDINGS
New research is considered in the domains of organic disturbance, feed management, maternal health, sleep management, and sensorimotor integration. This transdisciplinary approach takes into account the variable neurodevelopmental needs of healthy infants, the effects of feeding management on the highly plastic neonatal brain, and the bi-directional brain-gut-enteric microbiota axis. An individually tailored, mother-centred and family-centred approach is recommended.


SUMMARY
The family of the crying baby requires early intervention to assess for and manage potentially treatable problems. Cross-disciplinary collaboration is often necessary if outcomes are to be optimized.
Information systems strategy: Quo vadis?

This article is a personal retrospective which traces the evolution of information systems strategy (ISS) since it emerged as a topic in the late 1970s and considers the nature of organisations’ ISSs and how they have been influenced by the interplay of many factors over that period. In addition to responding to the rapidly evolving underlying technologies, ISS practice in organisations has had to deal with the combined effects of economic cycles and an increasingly global business context, which effect both the organisations themselves and the development of the IT industry. This article argues that the changing fortunes of the IT suppliers and their strategies are two of the most significant influences on organisations’ ISSs. The influence and contribution of academics and their research is also discussed. The study of ISS has largely followed practice and attempted to explain its nature, role and impact using contemporary theoretical paradigms but often based on relatively limited empirical data. In conclusion it is suggested that a new multi-centred, collaborative approach, involving both academic and practitioner experts to develop a comprehensive evidence base, would enable greater understanding of how the range of factors interact to determine the nature and value of ISS in 21st century organisations. 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Ambulance location and relocation models

This article traces the evolution of ambulance location and relocation models proposed over the past 30 years. The models are classified in two main categories. Deterministic models are used at the planning stage and ignore stochastic considerations regarding the availability of ambulances. Probabilistic models reflect the fact that ambulances operate as servers in a queueing system and cannot always answer a call. In addition, dynamic models have been developed to repeatedly relocate ambulances throughout the day. 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Neuroophthalmological outcomes associated with use of the Pipeline Embolization Device: analysis of the PUFS trial results.

OBJECT
Neuroophthalmological morbidity is commonly associated with large and giant cavernous and supraclinoid internal carotid artery (ICA) aneurysms. The authors sought to evaluate the neuroophthalmological outcomes after treatment of these aneurysms with the Pipeline Embolization Device (PED).


METHODS
The Pipeline for Uncoilable or Failed Aneurysms (PUFS) trial was an international, multicenter prospective trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of the PED. All patients underwent complete neuroophthalmological examinations both before the PED procedure and at a 6-month follow-up. All examinations were performed for the purpose of this study and according to study criteria.


RESULTS
In total, 108 patients were treated in the PUFS trial, 98 of whom had complete neuroophthalmological follow-up. Of the patients with complete follow-up, 39 (40%) presented with a neuroophthalmological baseline deficit that was presumed to be attributable to the aneurysm, and patients with these baseline deficits had significantly larger aneurysms. In 25 of these patients (64%), the baseline deficit showed at least some improvement 6 months after PED treatment, whereas in 1 patient (2.6%), the deficits only worsened. In 5 patients (5%), new deficits had developed at the 6-month follow-up, while in another 6 patients (6%), deficits that were not originally assumed to be related to the aneurysm had improved by that time. A history of diabetes was associated with failure of the baseline deficits to improve after the treatment. The aneurysm maximum diameter was significantly larger in patients with a new deficit or a worse baseline deficit at 6 months postprocedure.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients treated with the PED for large and giant ICA aneurysms had excellent neuroophthalmological outcomes 6 months after the procedure, with deficits improving in most of the patients, very few deficits worsening, and few new deficits developing.
Long-term clinical outcome after a first angiographically confirmed coronary stent thrombosis: an analysis of 431 cases.

BACKGROUND
There are limited data on the long-term clinical outcome after an angiographically confirmed (definite) stent thrombosis (ST).


METHODS AND RESULTS
Four hundred thirty-one consecutive patients with a definite ST were enrolled in this multicenter registry. The primary end point was the composite of cardiac death and definite recurrent ST. Secondary end points were all-cause death, cardiac death, definite recurrent ST, definite and probable recurrent ST, any myocardial infarction, and any target-vessel revascularization. The primary end point occurred in 111 patients after a median follow-up of 27.1 months. The estimated cumulative event rates at 30 days and 1, 2, and 3 years were 18.0%, 23.6%, 25.2%, and 27.9%, respectively. The cumulative incidence rates of definite recurrent ST, definite or probable recurrent ST, any myocardial infarction, and any target-vessel revascularization were 18.8%, 20.1%, 21.3%, and 32.0%, respectively, at the longest available follow-up. Independent predictors for the primary end point were diabetes mellitus, total stent length, severe calcification, American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association B2-C lesions, TIMI (Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction) flow grade <3 after percutaneous coronary intervention, and left ventricular ejection fraction <45%. The implantation of an additional coronary stent during the first ST was also associated with unfavorable outcome. Clinical outcome was not affected by the type of previously implanted stent (drug-eluting or bare-metal stent) or the category of ST (early versus late).


CONCLUSIONS
The long-term clinical outcome after a first definite ST is unfavorable, with a high mortality and recurrence rate. Diabetes mellitus, left ventricular ejection fraction <45%, long total stent length, complex coronary lesions, TIMI flow grade <3 after percutaneous coronary intervention, and implantation of an additional coronary stent during the emergent percutaneous coronary intervention for the ST were associated with this unfavorable outcome.
An Introduction to Deep Learning

The deep learning paradigm tackles problems on which shallow architectures (e.g. SVM) are affected by the curse of dimensionality. As part of a two-stage learning scheme involving multiple layers of nonlinear processing a set of statistically robust features is automatically extracted from the data. The present tutorial introducing the ESANN deep learning special session details the state-of-the-art models and summarizes the current understanding of this learning approach which is a reference for many difficult classification tasks.
A clinical experience of the supraclavicular flap used to reconstruct head and neck defects in late-stage cancer patients.

The supraclavicular island flap has been widely used in head and neck reconstruction, providing an alternative to the traditional techniques like regional or free flaps, mainly because of its thin skin island tissue and reliable vascularity. Head and neck patients who require large reconstructions usually present poor clinical and healing conditions. An early experience using this flap for late-stage head and neck tumour treatment is reported. Forty-seven supraclavicular artery flaps were used to treat head and neck oncologic defects after cutaneous, intraoral and pharyngeal tumour resections. Dissection time, complications, donor and reconstructed area outcomes were assessed. The mean time for harvesting the flaps was 50 min by the senior author. All donor sites were closed primarily. Three cases of laryngopharyngectomy reconstruction developed a small controlled (salivary) leak that was resolved with conservative measures. Small or no strictures were detected on radiologic swallowing examinations and all patients regained normal swallowing function. Five patients developed donor site dehiscence. These wounds were treated with regular dressing until healing was complete. There were four distal flap necroses in this series. These necroses were debrided and closed primarily. The supraclavicular flap is pliable for head and neck oncologic reconstruction in late-stage patients. High-risk patients and modified radical neck dissection are not contraindications for its use. The absence of the need to isolate the pedicle offers quick and reliable harvesting. The arc of rotation on the base of the neck provides adequate length for pharyngeal, oral lining and to reconstruct the middle and superior third of the face.
Comparative effectiveness of early versus conventional timing of dialysis initiation in advanced CKD.

BACKGROUND
Previous observational studies examining outcomes associated with the timing of dialysis therapy initiation in the United States have often been limited by lead time and survivor bias.


STUDY DESIGN
Retrospective cohort study comparing the effectiveness of early versus later (conventional) dialysis therapy initiation in advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD). The analysis used inverse probability weighting to account for an individual's contribution to different exposure groups over time in a pooled logistic regression model. Patients contributed risk to both exposure categories (early and later initiation) until there was a clear treatment strategy (ie, dialysis therapy was initiated early or estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] decreased to <10mL/min/1.73m(2)).


SETTING & PARTICIPANTS
Patients with CKD who had at least one face-to-face outpatient encounter with a Cleveland Clinic health care provider as of January 1, 2005, and at least 3 eGFRs in the range of 20-30mL/min/1.73m(2) measured at least 180 days apart.


PREDICTORS
Timing of dialysis therapy initiation as determined using model-based interpolation of eGFR trajectories over time. Timing was defined as early (interpolated eGFR at dialysis therapy initiation≥10mL/min/1.73m(2)) or later (eGFR < 10mL/min/1.73m(2)) and was time-varying.


OUTCOMES
Death from any cause occurring from the time that eGFR was equal to 20mL/min/1.73m(2) through September 15, 2009.


RESULTS
The study population consisted of 652 patients meeting inclusion criteria. Most (71.3%) of the study population did not initiate dialysis therapy during follow-up. Patients who did not initiate dialysis therapy (n=465) were older, more likely to be white, and had more favorable laboratory profiles than those who started dialysis therapy. Overall, 146 initiated dialysis early and 80 had eGFRs decrease to <10mL/min/1.73m(2). Many participants (n=426) were censored prior to attaining a clear treatment strategy and were considered undeclared. There was no statistically significant survival difference for the early compared with later initiation strategy (OR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.65-1.11).


LIMITATIONS
Interpolated eGFR, moderate sample size, and likely unmeasured confounders.


CONCLUSIONS
In patients with advanced CKD, timing of dialysis therapy initiation was not associated with mortality when accounting for lead time bias and survivor bias.
Intellectual capital and performance in causal models Evidence from the information technology industry in Taiwan

Purpose – This paper seeks to investigate the impact of intellectual capital elements on business performance, as well as the relationship among intellectual capital elements from a cause-effect perspective. Design/methodology/approach – The partial least squares approach is used to examine the information technology (IT) industry in Taiwan. Findings – Results show that intellectual capital elements directly affect business performance, with the exception of human capital. Human capital indirectly affects performance through the other three elements: innovation capital, process capital, and customer capital. There also exists a cause-effect relationship among four elements of intellectual capital. Human capital affects innovation capital and process capital. Innovation capital affects process capital, which in turn influences customer capital. Finally, customer capital contributes to performance. The cause-effect relationship between leading elements and lagged elements provides implications for the management of firms in the IT industry. Research limitations/implications – The model proposed in this study is applicable to the high-tech IT industry. Modification of the proposed model may be needed in applying this model to other industries. Practical implications – This study helps management identify relevant intellectual capital elements and their indicators to enhance business performance. Originality/value – This paper is a seminal work to propose an integrated cause-effect model to investigate the relationship among elements of intellectual capital for IT in Taiwan.
Microgrid power electronic converters: State of the art and future challenges

This paper presents a review of the state of the art of power electric converters used in microgrids. The paper focuses primarily on grid connected converters. Different topologies and control and modulation strategies for these specific converters are critically reviewed. Moreover, future challenges in respect of these converters are identified along with their potential solutions.