LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Ondansetron for reduction of drinking among biologically predisposed alcoholic patients: A randomized controlled trial.

CONTEXT
Early-onset alcoholism differs from late-onset alcoholism by its association with greater serotonergic abnormality and antisocial behaviors. Thus, individuals with early-onset alcoholism may be responsive to treatment with a selective serotonergic agent.


OBJECTIVE
To test the hypothesis that drinking outcomes associated with early vs late-onset alcoholism are differentially improved by the selective 5-HT(3) (serotonin) antagonist ondansetron.


DESIGN
Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial.


SETTINGS
University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston (April 1995-June 1998) and University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio (July 1998-December 1999).


PARTICIPANTS
A total of 321 patients with diagnosed alcoholism (mean age, 40.6 years; 70.5% male; 78.6% white) were enrolled, 271 of whom proceeded to randomization.


INTERVENTIONS
After 1 lead-in week of single-blind placebo, patients were randomly assigned to receive 11 weeks of treatment with ondansetron, 1 microg/kg (n = 67), 4 microg/kg (n = 77), or 16 microg/kg (n = 71) twice per day; or identical placebo (n = 56). All patients also participated in weekly standardized group cognitive behavioral therapy.


MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Self-reported alcohol consumption (drinks per day, drinks per drinking day, percentage of days abstinent, and total days abstinent per study week); and plasma carbohydrate deficient transferrin (CDT) level, an objective and sensitive marker of transient alcohol consumption.


RESULTS
Patients with early-onset alcoholism who received ondansetron (1, 4, and 16 microg/kg twice per day) compared with those who were administered placebo, had fewer drinks per day (1.89, 1.56, and 1.87 vs 3.30; P =.03, P =.01, and P =.02, respectively) and drinks per drinking day (4.75, 4.28, and 5.18 vs 6.90; P =.03, P =.004, and P =.03, respectively). Ondansetron, 4 microg/kg twice per day, was superior to placebo in increasing percentage of days abstinent (70.10 vs 50.20; P =.02) and total days abstinent per study week (6.74 vs 5.92; P =.03). Among patients with early-onset alcoholism, there was a significant difference in the mean log CDT ratio between those who received ondansetron (1 and 4 microg/kg twice per day) compared with those who received the placebo (-0.17 and -0.19 vs 0.12; P =.03 and P =.01, respectively).


CONCLUSION
Our results suggest that ondansetron (particularly the 4 microg/kg twice per day dosage) is an effective treatment for patients with early-onset alcoholism, presumably by ameliorating an underlying serotonergic abnormality. JAMA. 2000;284:963-971
How design characteristics of robots determine evaluation and uncanny valley related responses

Against the background of the uncanny valley hypothesis (Mori, 1970) and its conceptual shortcomings the present study aims at identifying design characteristics which determine the evaluation of robots. We conducted a web-based survey (N = 151) with standardized pictures of 40 robots which were evaluated. A cluster analysis revealed six clusters of robots. We were able to identify different groups of robots which were rated significantly different on six dimensions. Interestingly, in two clusters robots were rated both low in human-likeness and low in ''mechanical'' indicating that in future research these adjectives should be used separately. The robots in those clusters with a high mean concerning ''Threatening'' are almost all bi-pedal robots. In contrast to the humanoid robots (cluster 5), the android robots (clusters 3 and 4) were rated higher on ''Familiarity'', and on ''Likability'' although all three clusters (3, 4, and 5) were rated as ''Threatening'' which contrasts the uncanny valley hypothesis. Moreover, the data in the present study could not be explained by a cubic function as would be suggested by the graph proposed by Mori, but rather by linear or quadratic relationships. Since Masahiro Mori introduced his theory of the uncanny valley in 1970 the uncanny valley is widely considered as a design obstacle to overcome. Mori started with the observation that people tend to describe the relationship between any given two variables as monotonically increasing (i.e. linear) function and that people would react with confusion when they encountered a phenomenon which cannot be explained by this function. He stated that he observed something similar in the field of robotics with regard to people's affinity towards robots: ''I have noticed that, in climbing toward the goal of making robots appear human, our affinity for them increases until we come to a valley, which I call the uncanny valley'' (Mori, MacDorman, & Kageki, 2012). The model states that the more human-like robots become the more our affinity for these robots increases and we are more willing to accept them (cf. Fig. 1). However, shortly before the ideal of perfect humanness is reached the curve dips and affinity reverses into uncanniness. Mori described this effect for still as well as for moving objects, although the effect is more pronounced when movement is involved (cf. Fig. 2). A number of explanations for the uncanny valley effect have been proposed. Some explanations address the level of perception and direct cognition (violation …
Estimating Item Response Theory Models Using Markov Chain Monte Carlo Methods

The purpose of this ITEMS module is to provide an introduction to Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) estimation for item response models. A brief description of Bayesian inference is followed by an overview of the various facets of MCMC algorithms, including discussion of prior specification, sampling procedures, and methods for evaluating chain convergence. Model comparison and fit issues in the context of MCMC are also considered. Finally, an illustration is provided in which a two-parameter logistic (2PL) model is fit to item response data from a university mathematics placement test through MCMC using the WINBUGS 1.4 software. While MCMC procedures are often complex and can be easily misused, it is suggested that they offer an attractive methodology for experimentation with new and potentially complex IRT models, as are frequently needed in real-world applications in educational measurement.
Market Access under the Government Sector's Procurement Agreements

The primary purpose of an agreement on government procurement that included the issue of access is to expose that market to stronger competition and closer international scrutiny. Provisions are established for that purpose, binding the Parties to the agreement to apply the principle of nondiscrimination to the legal framework and procurement practices employed by public agencies in their purchases.
Weight change after smoking cessation using variable doses of transdermal nicotine replacement

OBJECTIVE: Examine weight change in subjects receiving variable doses of transdermal nicotine replacement for smoking cessation. DESIGN: Randomized, double-blind clinical trial. SETTING: One-week inpatient treatment with outpatient follow-up through 1 year. INTERVENTION: This report examines weight change after smoking cessation for 70 subjects randomized to placebo or to 11, 22, or 44 mg/d doses of transdermal nicotine. The study included 1 week of intensive inpatient treatment for nicotine dependence with active patch therapy continuing for another 7 weeks. Counseling sessions were provided weekly for the 8 weeks of patch therapy and with long-term follow-up visits at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Forty-two subjects were confirmed biochemically (i.e., by expired carbon monoxide) to be nonsmokers at all weekly visits during patch therapy. Their 8-week weight change from baseline was 3.0±2.0 kg. For these subjects, 8-week weight change was found to be negatively correlated with percentage of cotinine replacement (r=−.38, p=.012) and positively correlated with baseline weight (r=0 .48, p=.001), and age (r=.35, p=.025). Men had higher (p=.003) 8-week weight gain (4.0±1.8 kg) than women (2.1±1.7 kg). Of the 21 subjects who abstained continuously for the entire year, 20 had their weight measured at 1-year follow-up. Among these 20 subjects, 1-year weight change was not found to be associated with gender, baseline weight, baseline smoking rate, total dose of transdermal nicotine, or average percentage of cotinine replacement during the 8 weeks of patch therapy. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that higher replacement levels of nicotine may delay postcessation weight gain. This effect is consistent for both men and women. We could not identify any factors that predict weight change with long-term abstinence from smoking.
Energy-Aware Fixed-Priority Multi-core Scheduling for Real-Time Systems

Multi-core processors are becoming the dominant choice due to energy and thermal considerations, which also applies to embedded and real-time systems. While fixed-priority scheduling with task-splitting in real-time systems are widely applied, current approaches have not taken into consideration energy-aware aspects such as dynamic voltage/frequency scheduling (DVS). In this paper, we propose two strategies to apply DVS to fixed-priority scheduling algorithms with task-splitting for periodic real-time tasks on multi-core processors. We first propose a strategy that does traditional DVS for each processor after scheduling (post-DVS), which ensures all tasks meet the timing requirements on synchronization. We then propose a new strategy, which determines the frequency of each task before scheduling (pre-DVS) according to the total utilization of task-set and number of cores available, so that the system could take full advantage of all the cores. The combination of frequency pre-allocation and task-splitting makes it possible to maximize energy savings with DVS. We perform a series of simulations to compare the performance of each algorithm with two state-of-the-art scheduling algorithms with task-splitting. Simulation results show that the pre-DVS algorithm we proposed has performed satisfactorily on both schedulability and energy consumption in comparison to the previous approaches.
Measurement of gray and white matter atrophy in dementia with Lewy bodies using diffeomorphic anatomic registration through exponentiated lie algebra: A comparison with conventional voxel-based morphometry.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
DLB is recognized as the second major form of dementia in the elderly. The regional pattern of GM atrophy in DLB highly overlaps that in AD. The aim of this study was to identify the critical pattern of atrophy in DLB by using DARTEL, which provides improved registration accuracy compared with that of conventional VBM.


MATERIALS AND METHODS
We evaluated 51 patients with probable AD, 43 patients with probable DLB, and 40 age-matched healthy controls. The pattern of GM atrophy in each group was compared by using conventional VBM and VBM-DARTEL.


RESULTS
Regional patterns of atrophy identified by using conventional VBM differed significantly from those identified by using VBM-DARTEL. A decrease in GM volume in the MTLs in both AD and DLB was identified with VBM-DARTEL; the decrease was greater in patients with AD than in those with DLB. Comparisons with healthy controls revealed that the WM volume of the whole brain was preserved in patients with DLB. In contrast, a severe bilateral decrease in WM in the MTLs was detected in patients with AD.


CONCLUSIONS
VBM-DARTEL provided more accurate results, and it enabled the identification of more localized morphologic alterations than did conventional VBM. Analysis of WM preservation in DLB could help to differentiate this condition from AD.
Effects of micro finance institutions on poverty reduction in Kenya

Microfinance is currently being promoted as a key development strategy for promoting poverty reduction and empowerment of people economically. This is because of its potential to effectively address poverty by granting financial services to households who are not served by the formal banking sector. This study attempted to investigate the effects of MFIs on poverty reduction. The study focused on PAWDEP located in Kiambu District as a case study. It intended to cover credit facilities provided by the MFI and clients perception on income improvement and/or reduced poverty levels. The study used descriptive survey design. The target population was 9 staff/administrators and 46 clients or recipients of PAWDEP. The study employed stratified sampling technique to select staff of the selected MFIs and clients. Both qualitative and quantitative data analysis methods were used. The study revealed that PAWDEP as a microfinance institution has been providing microfinance services to different groups of women productive or active poor and that the institution uses various strategies to deliver its services such as granting small loans to women to help them start businesses, grow their businesses and educate their children. To enhance clients business skills to use credit and establish market channels for their products, the study recommends that microfinance institutions like PAWDEP can arrange mechanisms to improve technical and business skills of the poorest through training and loan utilization. The study also recommended that MFIs should put in place micro-insurance schemes which could help clients to pool risk or share losses.
Vision-based hand-gesture applications

Body posture and finger pointing are a natural modality for human-machine interaction, but first the system must know what it's seeing.
Is visual interpretation of coronary epicardial flow reliable in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary angioplasty? Insights from the angiographic substudy of the Assessment of Pexelizumab in Acute Myocardial Infarction (APEX-AMI) trial.

BACKGROUND
Accurate estimation of coronary epicardial flow in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is crucial to evaluating the effect of therapy and predicting outcome. Whether operator bias exists in visual estimation of TIMI flow grade among patients with STEMI undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remains uncertain. Hence, we examined this issue in the angiographic substudy of the Assessment of Pexelizumab in Acute Myocardial Infarction (APEX-AMI) trial.


METHOD
TIMI flow grade of the infarct-related artery was assessed before and after PCI by visual estimation of local investigators (LI) and by an independent core laboratory (CL). We evaluated agreement between the CL and LI and the relationship between post-PCI TIMI flow grade and 90-day outcomes (mortality; death/congestive heart failure/shock).


RESULTS
Of 922 patients with independent CL estimation of TIMI flow grade, there was moderate agreement in the pre-PCI assessment (kappa = 0.56) and poor agreement post-PCI (kappa = 0.36); moreover, these disparities were directionally different before versus after PCI. Disagreement between LI and CL occurred in 167 patients pre-PCI (19%) and in 123 (14%) patients post-PCI. LI TIMI grades consistently underestimated flow pre-PCI in 63% and overestimated flow post-PCI in 78% of patients relative to the CL. Core laboratory estimation of post-PCI TIMI flow grade provided better prediction of 90-day mortality and death/congestive heart failure/shock than that of LI.


CONCLUSION
Significant quantitative and directional variation existed in TIMI flow grades assessed by LI versus a CL in nearly a fifth of the patients. Core laboratory interpretation post-PCI provides better prediction of clinical outcomes. These data deserve consideration when interpreting angiographic data from STEMI patients without CL estimation.
A novel screw guiding method with a screw guide template system for posterior C-2 fixation: clinical article.

OBJECT
Accurate insertion of C-2 cervical screws is imperative; however, the procedures for C-2 screw insertion are technically demanding and challenging, especially in cases of C-2 vertebral abnormality. The purpose of this study is to report the effectiveness of the tailor-made screw guide template (SGT) system for placement of C-2 screws, including in cases with abnormalities.


METHODS
Twenty-three patients who underwent posterior spinal fusion surgery with C-2 cervical screw insertion using the SGT system were included. The preoperative bone image on CT was analyzed using multiplanar imaging software. The trajectory and depth of the screws were designed based on these images, and transparent templates with screw guiding cylinders were created for each lamina. During the operation, after templates were engaged directly to the laminae, drilling, tapping, and screwing were performed through the templates. The authors placed 26 pedicle screws, 12 pars screws, 6 laminar screws, and 4 C1-2 transarticular screws using the SGT system. To assess the accuracy of the screw track under this system, the deviation of the screw axis from the preplanned trajectory was evaluated on postoperative CT and was classified as follows: Class 1 (accurate), a screw axis deviation less than 2 mm from the planned trajectory; Class 2 (inaccurate), 2 mm or more but less than 4 mm; and Class 3 (deviated), 4 mm or more. In addition, to assess the safety of the screw insertion, malpositioning of the screws was also evaluated using the following grading system: Grade 0 (containing), a screw is completely within the wall of the bone structure; Grade 1 (exposure), a screw perforates the wall of the bone structure but more than 50% of the screw diameter remains within the bone; Grade 2 (perforation), a screw perforates the bone structures and more than 50% of the screw diameter is outside the pedicle; and Grade 3 (penetration), a screw perforates completely outside the bone structure.


RESULTS
In total, 47 (97.9%) of 48 screws were classified into Class 1 and Grade 0, whereas 1 laminar screw was classified as Class 3 and Grade 2. Mean screw deviations were 0.36 mm in the axial plane (range 0.0-3.8 mm) and 0.30 mm in the sagittal plane (range 0.0-0.8 mm).


CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrates that the SGT system provided extremely accurate C-2 cervical screw insertion without configuration of reference points, high-dose radiation from intraoperative 3D navigation, or any registration or probing error evoked by changes in spinal alignment during surgery. A multistep screw placement technique and reliable screw guide cylinders were the key to accurate screw placement using the SGT system.
Rheumatoid arthritis of the hand: monitoring with a simplified MR imaging scoring method--preliminary assessment.

PURPOSE
To assess a simplified scoring method (Simplified Rheumatoid Arthritis Magnetic Resonance Imaging Score [SAMIS]) developed to shorten interpretation time, while retaining both correlation with Rheumatoid Arthritis Magnetic Resonance Imaging Score (RAMRIS) and same or better intra- and interreader reliability.


MATERIALS AND METHODS
Ethics board approval and written patient consent were obtained. The study was HIPAA compliant. Thirty-eight patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 20 patients with no or early unclassified arthritis underwent magnetic resonance imaging of both wrists and hands. RAMRIS was used to evaluate erosions (scale, 0-10), edema (scale, 0-3), and synovitis (scale, 0-3). SAMIS assessed only one hand and was based on the radiographic Simple Erosion Narrowing Score, thus reducing the number of study areas from 116 to 36. Erosions were scored with a scale from 1 to 10. Edema and synovitis were, respectively, scored with scales from 0 to 1 and 0 to 2. SAMIS correlation with RAMRIS was tested by using the Spearman test. Last, the intra- and interobserver reproducibility of both scores were calculated.


RESULTS
SAMIS was closely correlated with RAMRIS for the entire series (r = 0.91, 0.79, and 0.94, respectively, for erosion, edema, and synovitis), as well as in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (r = 0.93, 0.81, and 0.92) and those with no or unclassified arthritis (r = 0.83, 0.73, and 0.94). The time needed to assess examination results with RAMRIS ranged from 5 to 20 minutes (13 minutes +/- 3.90 [standard deviation]), whereas it ranged from 2 to 7 minutes (5 minutes +/- 1.45) with SAMIS. For each of the three features (erosion, edema, and synovitis), intraobserver agreement (RAMRIS: kappa = 0.67, 0.94, 0.81, respectively; SAMIS: kappa = 0.66, 1.0, 0.91) and interobserver agreement (RAMRIS: kappa = 0.61, 0.58, 0.74, respectively; SAMIS: kappa = 0.59, 0.81, 0.81) were good to excellent.


CONCLUSION
This simplified reproducible scoring scheme could be used to monitor joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis. (c) RSNA, 2010.
Risk factors for peripheral intravenous catheter failure: a multivariate analysis of data from a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE
To assess the relative importance of independent risk factors for peripheral intravenous catheter (PIVC) failure.


METHODS
Secondary data analysis from a randomized controlled trial of PIVC dwell time. The Prentice, Williams, and Peterson statistical model was used to identify and compare risk factors for phlebitis, occlusion, and accidental removal.


SETTING
Three acute care hospitals in Queensland, Australia.


PARTICIPANTS
The trial included 3,283 adult medical and surgical patients (5,907 catheters) with a PIVC with greater than 4 days of expected use.


RESULTS
Modifiable risk factors for occlusion included hand, antecubital fossa, or upper arm insertion compared with forearm (hazard ratio [HR], 1.47 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.28-1.68], 1.27 [95% CI, 1.08-1.49], and 1.25 [95% CI, 1.04-1.50], respectively); and for phlebitis, larger diameter PIVC (HR, 1.48 [95% CI, 1.08-2.03]). PIVCs inserted by the operating and radiology suite staff had lower occlusion risk than ward insertions (HR, 0.80 [95% CI, 0.67-0.94]). Modifiable risks for accidental removal included hand or antecubital fossa insertion compared with forearm (HR, 2.45 [95% CI, 1.93-3.10] and 1.65 [95% CI, 1.23-2.22], respectively), clinical staff insertion compared with intravenous service (HR, 1.69 [95% CI, 1.30-2.20]); and smaller PIVC diameter (HR, 1.29 [95% CI, 1.02-1.61]). Female sex was a nonmodifiable factor associated with an increased risk of both phlebitis (HR, 1.64 [95% CI, 1.28-2.09]) and occlusion (HR, 1.44 [95% CI, 1.30-1.61]).


CONCLUSIONS
PIVC survival is improved by preferential forearm insertion, selection of appropriate PIVC diameter, and insertion by intravenous teams and other specialists.


TRIAL REGISTRATION
The original randomized controlled trial on which this secondary analysis is based is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (http://www.anzctr.org.au; ACTRN12608000445370).
Optimal economic production quantity policy for imperfect process with imperfect repair and maintenance

This study integrates maintenance and production programs with the economic production quantity (EPQ) model for an imperfect process involving a deteriorating production system with increasing hazard rate: imperfect repair and rework upon failure (out of control state). The imperfect repair performs some restorations and restores the system to an operating state (in-control state), but leaves its failure until perfect preventive maintenance (PM) is performed. There are two types of PM, namely imperfect PM and perfect PM. The probability that perfect PM is performed depends on the number of imperfect maintenance operations performed since the last renewal cycle. Mathematical formulas are obtained for deriving the expected total cost. For the EPQ model, the optimum run time, which minimizes the total cost, is discussed. Various special cases are considered, including the maintenance learning effect. Finally, a numerical example is presented to illustrate the effects of PM, setup, breakdown and holding costs. 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.