LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
A Survey of the Internet of Things

This paper studies the state-of-art of Internet of Things (IoT). By enabling new forms of communication between people and things, and between things themselves, IoT would add a new dimension to the world of information and communication just as Internet once did. In this paper, IoT definitions from different perspective in academic communities are described and compared. The main enabling technologies in IoT are summarized such like RFID systems, sensor networks, and intelligence in smart objects, etc. The effects of their potential applications are reviewed. Finally the major research issues remaining open for academic communities are analyzed.
Hepatoprotective Activity of Methanol Extract of Tecomella undulata against Alcohol and Paracetamol Induced Hepatotoxicity in Rats

Plant products play a crucial role in the hepatoprotection through its antioxidants property. Therefore, search for modern medicine of plant origin with this property has become a central focus on hepatoprotection today. This study investigated to search a new hepatoprotective agent from natural sources, the methanol extract of folk medicinal plant, T. undulata leaves was tested against liver damage of albino rats. Levels of serum marker enzymes i.e. AST, ALT (aminotransferases), ALP (alkaline phosphatase), GGT (gamma glutamyl transpeptidase) and total bilirubin in serum alongwith the activities of LPO (lipid peroxidation), SOD (superoxide dismutase), CAT (catalase), GSH (reduced glutathione) and GPx (glutathione peroxidase) in liver homogenate from treated rats were monitored, respectively. The histopathological changes of liver sections were also compared with the respective controls. 30% alcohol and paracetamol induced significant (P<0.001) increase in thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) alongwith the alterations in the activities of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants and serum markers in the liver and serum of treated rats. Simultaneously, oral treatment with T. undulata reversed to all the serum and liver parameters, dose-dependently, in 30% alcohol and paracetamol treated rats. The biochemical results were also compared with the standard drugsilymarin. These findings indicate the hepatoprotective potential of T. undulata leaves against liver damage might be due to the presence of flavonoids, quinones and other bioactive constituents.
A randomized controlled trial of intra-articular prolotherapy versus steroid injection for sacroiliac joint pain.

OBJECTIVES
Controversy exists regarding the efficacy of ligament prolotherapy in alleviating sacroiliac joint pain. The inconsistent success rates reported in previous studies may be attributed to variability in patient selection and techniques between studies. It was hypothesized that intra-articular prolotherapy for patients with a positive response to diagnostic block may mitigate the drawbacks of ligament prolotherapy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and long-term effectiveness of intra-articular prolotherapy in relieving sacroiliac joint pain, compared with intra-articular steroid injection.


DESIGN
This was a prospective, randomized, controlled trial.


SETTINGS/LOCATION
The study was conducted at an outpatient pain medicine clinic at Chonnam National University Hospital in Gwang-ju, Korea.


SUBJECTS
The study included patients with sacroiliac joint pain, confirmed by ≥50% improvement in response to local anesthetic block, lasting 3 months or longer, and who failed medical treatment.


INTERVENTIONS
The treatment involved intra-articular dextrose water prolotherapy or triamcinolone acetonide injection using fluoroscopic guidance, with a biweekly schedule and maximum of three injections.


OUTCOME MEASURES
Pain and disability scores were assessed at baseline, 2 weeks, and monthly after completion of treatment.


RESULTS
The numbers of recruited patients were 23 and 25 for the prolotherapy and steroid groups, respectively. The pain and disability scores were significantly improved from baseline in both groups at the 2-week follow-up, with no significant difference between them. The cumulative incidence of ≥50% pain relief at 15 months was 58.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] 37.9%-79.5%) in the prolotherapy group and 10.2% (95% CI 6.7%-27.1%) in the steroid group, as determined by Kaplan-Meier analysis; there was a statistically significant difference between the groups (log-rank p < 0.005).


CONCLUSIONS
Intra-articular prolotherapy provided significant relief of sacroiliac joint pain, and its effects lasted longer than those of steroid injections. Further studies are needed to confirm the safety of the procedure and to validate an appropriate injection protocol.
Future developments trend for Ku and Ka antenna for satcom on the move

This document presents the state-of-the-art of TeS Ku band antennas for mobile satellite communications on board high speed trains and ground vehicles, and his evolution in terms of Ku band antenna performances improvement and upgrade to Ka band terminals.
Pathways to the entrepreneurial university: towards a global convergence

This paper analyzes the transition to the entrepreneurial university as part of a broader shift to a knowledge-based economy, arising from a complex interplay between exogenous (top-down) and endogenous factors (bottom-up) of a more or less similar nature, combined in different ways in different countries. Drawing on the experience of four countries (US, Sweden, Japan and Brazil) with different institutional trajectories and degrees of academic entrepreneurial transformation, under varying degrees of state control and levels of university initiative, we argue that a global convergence is currently taking shape toward entrepreneurial universities playing a central role in a knowledgebased economy that moves beyond etatism and pure market relations to an intermediate position within a triple helix regime. The role of public venture capital in financing the transition to the entrepreneurial university and its possible interventions in a counter-cyclical business model, which is also active in periods of economic downturn, are also discussed.
Functional electrical therapy: retraining grasping in spinal cord injury

Objective:To determine the clinical efficacy of functional electrical therapy in the rehabilitation of grasping function for quadriplegics.Study design:Randomized intervention-versus-control trial.Setting:Rehabilitation hospital for spinal cord injury in Toronto, Canada.Methods:A total of 21 people with new spinal cord injuries ranging from C3 to C7 were randomly assigned to two groups: Control (N=9) and Intervention (N=12). The intervention was functional electrical therapy, which consisted of repetitive grasping exercises using a neuroprosthesis that applied surface electrical stimulation to the arm to generate and/or assist grasping movements. It was applied by registered Occupational Therapists in a clinical setting. Main outcome measures were: Functional Independence Measure (FIM), Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM), and the Rehabilitation Engineering Laboratory Hand Function Test. Consumer perceptions of functional electrical therapy were assessed via qualitative interviews.Results:Differences between the Control and Intervention groups could be observed although they are not significant due to an insufficient number of participants. Consumer perceptions were positive, including improved Activities of Daily Living and self-satisfaction.Conclusion:Functional electrical therapy has the potential to be an effective treatment modality to restore grasping function in quadriplegia. It can be implemented by occupational therapists in a clinical setting. Further research is required to establish suitable indications for participant selection. In addition, a larger number of participants is needed to demonstrate statistical significance of the Functional Electrical Therapy.
Decisional capacity for research participation in individuals with mild cognitive impairment.

OBJECTIVES
To assess decisional capacity performance and the neuropsychological correlates of such performance to better understand higher-level instrumental activities of daily living in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).


DESIGN
Cross-sectional.


SETTING
Research center, medical center, or patient's home.


PARTICIPANTS
Forty participants with MCI and 40 cognitively normal older controls (NCs) aged 60 to 90 (mean age+/-standard deviation 73.3+/-6.6; 54% female).


MEASUREMENTS
Capacity to provide informed consent for a hypothetical, but ecologically valid, clinical trial was assessed using the MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool for Clinical Research. Neuropsychological functioning was assessed using a comprehensive protocol.


RESULTS
Adjusted between-group comparisons yielded significant differences for most decisional capacity indices examined, including Understanding (P=.001; NC>MCI) and Reasoning (P=.002; NC>MCI). Post hoc analyses revealed that participants with MCI who were categorized as capable of providing informed consent according to expert raters had higher levels of education than those who were categorized as incapable.


CONCLUSION
The findings suggest that many individuals with MCI perform differently on a measure of decisional capacity than their NC peers and that participants with MCI who are incapable of providing informed consent on a hypothetical and complex clinical trial are less educated. These findings are consistent with prior studies documenting functional and financial skill difficulties in individuals with MCI.
Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria modulate root-system architecture in Arabidopsis thaliana through volatile organic compound emission

Extensive communication occurs between plants and microorganisms during different stages of plant development in which signaling molecules from the two partners play an important role. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emission by certain plant-growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) has been found to be involved in plant growth. However, little is known about the role of bacterial VOCs in plant developmental processes. In this work, we investigated the effects of inoculation with twelve bacterial strains isolated from the rhizosphere of lemon plants (Citrus aurantifolia) on growth and development of Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings. Several bacterial strains showed a plant growth promoting effect stimulating biomass production, which was related to differential modulation of root-system architecture. The isolates L263, L266, and L272a stimulated primary root growth and lateral root development, while L254, L265a and L265b did not significantly alter primary root growth but strongly promoted lateral root formation. VOC emission analysis by SPME-GC-MS identified aldehydes, ketones and alcohols as the most abundant compounds common to most rhizobacteria. Other VOCs, including 1-octen-3-ol and butyrolactone were strain specific. Characterization of L254, L266 and L272a bacterial isolates by 16S rDNA analysis revealed the identity of these strains as Bacillus cereus, Bacillus simplex and Bacillus sp, respectively. Taken together, our data suggest that rhizospheric bacterial strains can modulate both plant growth promotion and root-system architecture by differential VOC emission.
An Overview of Radio Resource Management in Relay-Enhanced OFDMA-Based Networks

Researchers in both academia and industry have accepted OFDMA as the most appropriate air-interface for the emerging broadband wireless access networks and standards. A number of IEEE working groups and various research forums are focusing on developing relay and mesh-enabled networks with cooperative communication features. Among these research efforts are IEEE 802.11s, IEEE 802.16j/m, and 3GPP's advanced long term evolution (LTE-advanced). The combination of OFDMA with relaying techniques provides rich opportunities for cost-effective and high-performance networks. To exploit such opportunities requires intelligent radio resource management (RRM) algorithms. Although a number of publications have highlighted the important and challenging issues involved in designing RRM algorithms for OFDMA networks, only recently a number of papers have investigated relay-enhanced OFDMA-based multicellular networks. By and large, the literature indicates that these issues constitute a hot research topic that will continue to attract interest. This paper provides a survey of the current literature on OFDMA networks enhanced with decode-and-forward relaying and provides their link to earlier literature in non-OFDMA networks. In addition, a rich list of references is provided to direct the readers toward some of the emerging techniques.
J.G. Fichte's Conception of the "New Upbringing"

The author shows how Fichte's conception of the "new upbringing" in its intellectual, moral, and religious aspects is rooted in his doctrine of human nature.
Navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation-guided resection of a left parietal tumor: case report.

BACKGROUND
Operating on tumors with close margins to the primary motor cortex requires a precise preoperative planning. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is the only preoperative technique for detecting eloquent cortical regions that is directly comparable to direct cortical stimulation (DCS). Combining this well established method in neurological diagnostics with a non-invasive navigation system using the patient's preoperative MRI scans in the NEXTSTIM system might be a promising tool in preoperative planning.


CASE REPORT
We used preoperative navigated TMS to localize the motor strip in a 75-year-old female patient with a central lesion suspected to be a meningeoma. The elicited data were fused to the navigation MRI in the Brainlab IPLAN system. Following the preoperatively acquired MEP data, a posterior approach to the tumor was planned. After craniotomy, DCS and phase reversal were performed to verify the preoperative results. The motor strip could be located in the same cortical area where the motor response was elicited preoperatively.


CONCLUSION
Navigated transcranial cortical stimulation via the NEXTSTIM system is a helpful tool for preoperative planning.
Transportation Engineering Technology – A Review, Part III

The paper presents the literature review from the papers of two special issues “Transportation Engineering Technology” of the International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Applications (IJMEA). The results of the studies, introduced here by the authors, have helped to determine which research problems related to the Transportation Engineering Technology are interested in Vietnam.
Week 144 resistance analysis of elvitegravir/cobicistat/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF versus efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF in antiretroviral-naive patients.

BACKGROUND
Here, the baseline and emergent resistance to elvitegravir/cobicistat/emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (EVG/COBI/FTC/TDF) versus efavirenz (EFV)/FTC/TDF in HIV-1-infected antiretroviral-naive adults through 144 weeks from the randomized, ongoing, Phase III study GS-US-236-0102 is described.


METHODS
HIV-1 protease (PR) and reverse transcriptase (RT) were sequenced at screening; patients with HIV-1 resistant to EFV, FTC or TDF were excluded. Genotypic/phenotypic analyses were performed at virological failure confirmation and baseline for PR, RT and integrase (IN) for patients with virological failure and for patients with HIV-1 RNA≥400 copies/ml at weeks 48, 96, 144 or early study drug discontinuation. Retrospective, baseline, IN genotyping was conducted for EVG/COBI/FTC/TDF patients.


RESULTS
In the EVG/COBI/FTC/TDF group through week 144, HIV-1 from 10 patients (2.9%; 10/348 treated patients) developed primary IN strand transfer inhibitor (n=9) and/or nucleoside RT inhibitor resistance substitutions (n=10). The emergence of resistance decreased over time with 8, 2 and 0 patients developing HIV-1 resistance through week 48, post-week 48-96 and post-week 96-144, respectively. Emergent substitutions were E92Q (n=7), N155H (n=3), Q148R (n=1) and T66I (n=1) in IN, and M184V/I (n=10) and K65R (n=4) in RT. All 10 isolates had reduced susceptibility to EVG, FTC or TDF. Virus with EVG phenotypic resistance had cross-resistance to raltegravir. In the EFV/FTC/TDF group, virus from 14 patients (4.0%; 14/352 treated patients; 4 during weeks 96-144) developed a resistance substitution to EFV (n=14; K103N: n=13), FTC (M184V/I: n=4) or TDF (K65R: n=3).


CONCLUSIONS
Resistance development to EVG/COBI/FTC/TDF was infrequent through 144 weeks of therapy and decreased over time, consistent with durable efficacy.
Recommendations Using Modified K-Means Clustering and Voting Theory

Recommender Systems are popularly used for generating user-specific recommendations for services, products and information. In particular, for the process of generating recommendations, a combination of K-Means and Collaborative Filtering algorithm is used extensively. K-Means is a standard data clustering algorithm which suffers from the problem of low recommendation quality due to random cluster center initialization. After generating the clusters, Collaborative filtering is a commonly used technique for generating recommendations. But this technique suffers from the problems of data sparsity and scalability. In this paper, we have used a modified K-Means clustering algorithm for partitioning users into independent clusters. Voting theory has been used to find out the most suited cluster for which the new user can be a part of, and then recommend items to the user. The proposed method attempts to reduce the cost for generating clusters, and to make the clustering method scalable. Keywords— Recommender Systems; Collaborative Filtering; K-Means; Voting theory.
Immunohistochemical Evaluation of Androgen Receptor and Nerve Structure Density in Human Prepuce from Patients with Persistent Sexual Side Effects after Finasteride Use for Androgenetic Alopecia

Finasteride is an inhibitor of 5-α-reductase used against male androgenetic alopecia (AGA). Reported side effects of finasteride comprise sexual dysfunction including erectile dysfunction, male infertility, and loss of libido. Recently these effects were described as persistent in some subjects. Molecular events inducing persistent adverse sexual symptoms are unexplored. This study was designed as a retrospective case-control study to assess if androgen receptor (AR) and nerve density in foreskin prepuce specimens were associated with persistent sexual side effects including loss of sensitivity in the genital area due to former finasteride use against AGA. Cases were 8 males (aged 29-43 years) reporting sexual side effects including loss of penis sensitivity over 6 months after discontinuation of finasteride who were interviewed and clinically visited. After informed consent they were invited to undergo a small excision of skin from prepuce. Controls were 11 otherwise healthy matched men (aged 23-49 years) who undergone circumcision for phimosis, and who never took finasteride or analogues. Differences in AR expression and nerve density in different portions of dermal prepuce were evaluated in the 2 groups. Density of nuclear AR in stromal and epithelial cells was higher in cases (mean 40.0%, and 80.6% of positive cells, respectively) than controls (mean 23.4%, and 65.0% of positive cells, respectively), P = 0.023 and P = 0.043, respectively. Conversely, percentage of vessel smooth muscle cells positive for AR and density of nerves were similar in the 2 groups. The ratio of AR positive stromal cells % to serum testosterone concentrations was 2-fold higher in cases than in controls (P = 0.001). Our findings revealed that modulation of local AR levels might be implicated in long-term side effects of finasteride use. This provides the first evidence of a molecular objective difference between patients with long-term adverse sexual effects after finasteride use versus drug untreated healthy controls in certain tissues.
Signal Quality in Dry Electrode EEG and the Relation to Skin-electrode Contact Impedance Magnitude

Current EEG research approaches are focusing on developing new dry electrode EEG (electroencephalogram) systems providing a high enough signal quality for a wide range of applications. This study proposes several parameters for evaluating signal quality of dry electrodes and relates the results to skin-electrode contact impedance magnitude values. The EEG recordings of a Ag/AgCl pinned electrode and a flexible polymer pinned electrode are evaluated through a comparison to conductive gel electrode recordings. The experimental setup was made up of two EEG acquisition systems connected in parallel. The protocol included open eyes, closed eyes and steady-state visually evoked potentials (SSVEP) sessions in both seated and walking in place conditions. The parameters used for evaluation were signal correlations, signal coherence and signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). Results showed that the three proposed parameters provided equivalent outcome for signal quality estimation for the same recordings. There was no relation reported between the defined signal quality and the skin-electrode contact impedance in either dry or gel electrodes, although high impedance variations were present among subjects. However, larger impedance magnitude and impedance magnitude variations, and lower signal quality is observed for dry electrodes compared to gel ones.
Urinary incontinence after stroke: identification, assessment, and intervention by rehabilitation professionals in Canada.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common and distressing problem after stroke. Although there is evidence of new, effective UI poststroke rehabilitation intervention, it is unknown whether occupational therapists (OTs)' and physical therapists (PTs)' actual practices reflect best practices. We sought to determine the extent to which OTs and PTs identify, assess, and treat UI after stroke and to identify personal and organizational predictors of UI problem identification, best-practice assessment, and intervention.


METHODS
Six hundred sixty-three OTs (93% participation rate) and 656 PTs (87% participation rate) working in stroke rehabilitation in Canada were randomly selected and interviewed with a telephone-administered questionnaire. Each responded to a series of open-ended questions related to a generated case (vignette) of a typical client with stroke who was experiencing UI.


RESULTS
Only 39% of OTs and 41% of PTs identified UI after stroke as a problem. Fewer than 20% of OTs and 15% of PTs used best-practice assessments, and only 2% of OTs and 3% of PTs used best-practice interventions. Working in Ontario, having allocated learning time, and doing university teaching were among the variables explaining between 6% and 9% of the variability in UI identification and assessment.


CONCLUSIONS
Canadian OTs and PTs do not routinely identify poststroke UI as a problem, and best-practice assessments and interventions are underused.
Child Care Quality and Child Development

Development in early childhood predicts schooling and labor market outcomes in adulthood. In this paper we use a fixed effects identification strategy to assess how differences in the quality of child care affect the communication, fine motor, and problem solving skills of infants and toddlers. We show that children have significantly better development outcomes in classrooms with more experienced caregivers, and classrooms with caregivers who demonstrate higher-quality interactions with children. There is substantial heterogeneity in the effects of caregiver quality on child development. Parents either cannot observe, or do not value, the quality of care. JEL codes: I00, I10, I20, I25, I30, I38, J13.