LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Irinotecan or oxaliplatin combined with leucovorin and 5-fluorouracil as first-line treatment in advanced colorectal cancer: a multicenter, randomized, phase II study.

BACKGROUND
Irinotecan (IRI) and oxaliplatin (OXA) are effective in the treatment of colorectal cancer. Previously untreated patients with advanced colorectal carcinoma (CRC) were randomly assigned to receive IRI plus leucovorin (LV)/5-fluorouracil (5-FU), or OXA plus LV/5-FU in order to compare the response rates, time-to-tumor progression, overall survival rates, and toxicity profiles of these two agents.


MATERIALS AND METHODS
From January 1999 to February 2002, 295 patients were randomized to receive either IRI/LV/5-FU or OXA/LV/5-FU. The treatment schedules consisted of weekly IRI 70 mg/m(2) or OXA 45 mg/m(2) plus LV 200 mg/m(2) followed immediately by intravenous bolus 5-FU 450 mg/m(2) for 6 weeks, followed by a 2-week rest period. Treatment was continued for up to four cycles or until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity or patient refusal.


RESULTS
There were no significant differences between the study arms in the overall response rate (33% with IRI/LV/5-FU versus 32% with OXA/LV/5-FU based on responses demonstrated on a single evaluation; 23% with IRI/LV/5-FU versus 22.3% with OXA/LV/5-FU based on responses confirmed according to WHO criteria) median time to progression (8.9 versus 7.6 months), and median overall survival (17.6 versus 17.4 months). Toxicity profiles (grades 3 and 4) were similar in the IRI and OXA arms (diarrhea 12.3% and 9.8%, neutropenia 8.2% and 4.9%, and febrile neutropenia 1.4% and 1.4%, respectively), with the exception of grade 3 sensory neuropathy, which almost exclusively occurred in the OXA arm (0% versus 5.6%; P=0.003, Fisher's exact test).


CONCLUSION
The IRI/LV/5-FU and OXA/LV/5-FU regimens demonstrated equally substantial efficacies and manageable toxicity profiles in the first-line treatment of patients with advanced CRC. However, IRI/LV/5-FU may be the preferable regimen to avoid significant neurotoxicity associated with OXA-LV/5-FU.
Surveillance of hospitalised severe cases of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and related fatalities in nine EU countries in 2010–2011

A few months into the 2009 influenza pandemic, nine European countries implemented case-based surveillance of hospitalised severe influenza infections. In the present study, we assess the association between patient characteristics, in particular underlying conditions, and the severity level of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 infection during the 2010-2011 season. Patient age, the presence of underlying conditions, pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and the need for ventilation were significantly associated with the severity of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 infection. Despite limitations essentially because of the heterogeneity of the data reported, this study provides insight into severe influenza cases.
Practical compassions: repertoires of practice and compassion talk in acute mental healthcare.

This article reports an exploratory study of the concept of compassion in the work of 20 mental health practitioners in a UK Midlands facility. Using notions of practice derived from phenomenology and Bourdieusian sociology and notions of emotional labour we identify two contrasting interpretive repertoires in discussions of compassion. The first, the practical compassion repertoire, evokes the practical, physical and bodily aspects of compassion. It involves organising being with patients, playing games, anticipating disruption and taking them outside for cigarettes. Practitioners described being aware that these practical, bodily activities could lead to patients 'opening up', disclosing their interior concerns and enabling practical, compassionate mental health work to take place. In contrast, the second, organisational repertoire, concerns organisational constraints on compassionate practice. The shortage of staff, the record-keeping and internal processes of quality control were seen as time-greedy and apt to detract from contact with patients. The findings are discussed in relation to Bourdieu and Merleau-Ponty's phenomenological accounts of practice and habit and set in context in the growing interest in placing compassion centrally in healthcare. We also explore how the exercise of compassion in the way our participants describe it can afford the more effective exercise of medical power.
Climate change impacts and adaptation in cities: a review of the literature

Many of the decisions relating to future urban development require information on climate change risks to cities This review of the academic and “grey” literature provides an overview assessment of the state of the art in the quantification and valuation of climate risks at the city-scale. We find that whilst a small number of cities, mostly in OECD countries, have derived quantitative estimates of the costs of climate change risks under alternative scenarios, this form of analysis is in its infancy. The climate risks most frequently addressed in existing studies are associated with sea-level rise, health and water resources. Other sectors such as energy, transport, and built infrastructure remain less studied. The review has also undertaken a case study to examine the progress in two cities – London and New York – which are relatively advanced in the assessment of climate risks and adaptation. The case studies show that these cities have benefitedT from stakeholder engagement at an early stage in their risk assessments. They have also benefited from the development of specific institutional responsibilities for co-ordinating such research from the outset. This involvement has been critical in creating momentum and obtaining resources for subsequent in-depth analysis of sectoral impacts and adaptation needs..TWhile low cost climate down-scaling applications would be useful in future research, the greatest priority is to develop responses that can work within the high future uncertainty of future climate change, to build resilience and maintain flexibility. This can best be used within the context of established risk management practices.
Big data analytics and firm performance : effects of dynamic capabilities

Drawing on the resource-based view and the literature on big data analytics (BDA), information system (IS) success and the business value of information technology (IT), this study proposes a big data analytics capability (BDAC) model. The study extends the above research streams by examining the direct effects of BDAC on firm performance (FPER), as well as the mediating effects of process-oriented dynamic capabilities (PODC) on the relationship between BDAC and FPER. To test our proposed research model, we used an online survey to collect data from 297 Chinese IT managers and business analysts with big data and business analytic experience. The findings confirm the value of the entanglement conceptualization of the hierarchical BDAC model, which has both direct and indirect impacts on FPER. The results also confirm the strong mediating role of PODC in improving insights and enhancing FPER. Finally, implications for practice and research are discussed. Disciplines Business Publication Details Fosso Wamba, S., Gunasekaran, A., Akter, S., Ren, S. Ji-fan., Dubey, R. & Childe, S. J. (2017). Big data analytics and firm performance: effects of dynamic capabilities. Journal of Business Research, 70 356-365. Authors Samuel Fosso Wamba, Angappa Gunasekaran, Shahriar Akter, Steven Ji-Fan Ren, Rameshwar Dubey, and Stephen J. Childe This journal article is available at Research Online: http://ro.uow.edu.au/buspapers/977
Frailty and risk of falls, fracture, and mortality in older women: the study of osteoporotic fractures.

BACKGROUND
A standard phenotype of frailty was associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes including mortality in a recent study of older adults. However, the predictive validity of this phenotype for fracture outcomes and across risk subgroups is uncertain.


METHODS
To determine whether a standard frailty phenotype was independently associated with risk of adverse health outcomes in older women and to evaluate the consistency of associations across risk subgroups defined by age and body mass index (BMI), we ascertained frailty status in a cohort of 6724 women>or=69 years and followed them prospectively for incident falls, fractures, and mortality. Frailty was defined by the presence of three or more of the following criteria: unintentional weight loss, weakness, self-reported poor energy, slow walking speed, and low physical activity. Incident recurrent falls were defined as at least two falls during the subsequent year. Incident fractures (confirmed with x-ray reports), including hip fractures, and deaths were ascertained during an average of 9 years of follow-up.


RESULTS
After controlling for multiple confounders such as age, health status, medical conditions, functional status, depressive symptoms, cognitive function, and bone mineral density, frail women were subsequently at increased risk of recurrent falls (multivariate odds ratio=1.38, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-1.88), hip fracture (multivariate hazards ratio [MHR]=1.40, 95% CI, 1.03-1.90), any nonspine fracture (MHR=1.25, 95% CI, 1.05-1.49), and death (MHR=1.82, 95% CI, 1.56-2.13). The associations between frailty and these outcomes persisted among women>or=80 years. In addition, associations between frailty and an increased risk of falls, fracture, and mortality were consistently observed across categories of BMI, including BMI>or=30 kg/m2.


CONCLUSION
Frailty is an independent predictor of adverse health outcomes in older women, including very elderly women and older obese women.
Evaluating Acute Changes in Joint Range-of-Motion using Self-Myofascial Release , Postural Alignment Exercises , and Static Stretches

International Journal of Exercise Science 6(4) : 310-319, 2013. This study was designed to compare the acute effect of self-myofascial release (SMR), postural alignment exercises, and static stretching on joint range-of-motion. Our sample included 27 participants (n = 14 males and n = 13 females) who had below average joint range-of-motion (specifically a sitand-reach score of 13.5 inches [34.3 cm] or less). All were university students 18–27 years randomly assigned to complete two 30–40-minute data collection sessions with each testing session consisting of three sit-and-reach measurements (which involved lumbar spinal flexion, hip flexion, knee extension, and ankle dorsiflexion) interspersed with two treatments. Each treatment included foam-rolling, postural alignment exercises, or static stretching. Participants were assigned to complete session 1 and session 2 on two separate days, 24 hours to 48 hours apart. The data were analyzed so carryover effects could be estimated and showed that no single acute treatment significantly increased posterior mean sit-and-reach scores. However, significant gains (95% posterior probability limits) were realized with both postural alignment exercises and static stretching when used in combination with foam-rolling. For example, the posterior means equaled 1.71 inches (4.34 cm) when postural alignment exercises were followed by foam-rolling; 1.76 inches (4.47 cm) when foam-rolling was followed by static stretching; 1.49 inches (3.78 cm) when static stretching was followed by foam-rolling; and 1.18 inches (2.99 cm) when foam-rolling was followed by postural alignment exercises. Our results demonstrate that an acute treatment of foam-rolling significantly increased joint range-of-motion in participants with below average joint range-of-motion when combined with either postural alignment exercises or static stretching.
Discussing illicit drugs in public internet forums: visibility, stigma, and pseudonymity

It has been claimed that people discuss their own illicit drug use online because anonymity allows them to avoid the legal and social risks of identifying themselves as drug users. Discourses around the risks, strategies and management of online drug discussion were produced by interviewing 26 'party drug' users who reported participating in internet forums where drugs were discussed. Three factors influenced the extent to which drug forum users discussed their own drug use in public internet forums: perceived visibility, perceived legal risk and social stigma, and perceived effectiveness of pseudonymity. Implications for internet research with drug users are discussed.
A comparative analysis of primary stenting and optimal balloon coronary angioplasty in acute myocardial infarction. Six month results from the STENT PAMI trial.

OBJECTIVE
To compare the outcome of balloon PTCA with final coronary stenosis diameter (SD) < or =30 %, with elective coronary stenting.


METHODS
We performed a comparative analysis of the 6 month outcomes in patients treated with primary stenting and those who obtained an optimal balloon PTCA result treated during the first 12 hours of AMI onset included in the STENT PAMI randomized trial.


RESULTS
The results were analysed into 3 groups: primary stenting (441 patients, SD=22+/-6 %), optimal PTCA (245 patients), and non-optimal PTCA (182 patients, SD= 37+/-5 %). At the end of the 6 months primary stent group presented with the lowest restenosis(23 vs. 31 vs. 45 %, p=0.001, respectively). Ischemia-driven target vessel revascularization rate (TVR) (7 vs. 15.5 vs. 19 %, p=0.001, respectively).


CONCLUSION
At the 6 month follow-up, primary stenting offered the lowest restenosis and ischemia-driven TVR rates. Compared to optimal balloon PTCA. Non-optimal primary balloon PTCA pts (SD=31-50 %), had the worst late angiographic outcomes and should be treated more actively with coronary stent implantation.
Graphical Symbol Recognition

The chapter focuses on one of the key issues in document image processing i.e., graphical symbol recognition. Graphical symbol recognition is a sub-field of a larger research domain: pattern recognition. The chapter covers several approaches (i.e., statistical, structural and syntactic) and specially designed symbol recognition techniques inspired by real-world industrial problems. It, in general, contains research problems, state-of-the-art methods that convey basic steps as well as prominent concepts or techniques and research standpoints/directions that are associated with graphical symbol recognition.
Antiviral efficacies of currently available rescue therapies for multidrug-resistant chronic hepatitis B

BACKGROUND/AIMS
The incidence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) chronic hepatitis B (CHB) during sequential lamivudine (LAM) and adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) treatment is increasing. We investigated the antiviral efficacies of various rescue regimens in patients who failed sequential LAM-ADV treatment.


METHODS
Forty-eight patients (83.3% of whom were HBeAg-positive) who failed sequential LAM-ADV treatment were treated with one of the following regimens: entecavir (ETV) (1 mg) monotherapy (n=16), LAM+ADV combination therapy (n=20), or ETV (1 mg)+ADV combination therapy (n=12). All patients had confirmed genotypic resistance to both LAM and ADV and were evaluated every 12 weeks.


RESULTS
The baseline characteristics and treatment duration did not differ significantly among the study groups. During the treatment period (median duration: 100 weeks), the decline of serum HBV DNA from baseline tended to be greatest in the ETV+ADV group at all-time points (week 48: -2.55 log(10) IU/mL, week 96: -4.27 log(10) IU/mL), but the difference was not statistically significant. The ETV+ADV group also tended to have higher virologic response rates at 96 weeks compared to the ETV monotherapy or LAM+ADV groups (40.0% vs. 20.0% or 20.0%, P=0.656), and less virologic breakthrough was observed compared to the ETV monotherapy or LAM+ADV groups (8.3% vs. 37.5% or 30.0%; P=0.219), but again, the differences were not statistically significant. HBeAg loss occurred in one patient in the ETV+ADV group, in two in the ETV monotherapy group, and in none of the LAM+ADV group. The safety profiles were similar in each arm.


CONCLUSIONS
There was a nonsignificant tendency toward better antiviral efficacy with ETV+ADV combination therapy compared to LAM+ADV combination therapy and ETV monotherapy for MDR CHB in Korea, where tenofovir is not yet available.
Multifactorial intervention for children with asthma and overweight (Mikado): study design of a randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND
In children, the prevalence's of both obesity and asthma are disconcertingly high. Asthmatic children with obesity are characterised by less asthma control and a high need for asthma medication. As the obese asthmatic child is becoming more common in the clinical setting and the disease burden of the asthma-obesity phenotype is high, there is an increasing need for effective treatment in these children. In adults, weight reduction resulted in improved lung function, better asthma control and less need for asthma medication. In children this is hardly studied. The Mikado study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a long term multifactorial weight reduction intervention, on asthma characteristics in children with asthma and a high body weight.


METHODS/DESIGN
The Mikado study is a two-armed, randomised controlled trial. In total, 104 participants will be recruited via online questionnaires, pulmonary paediatricians, the youth department of the Municipal Health Services and cohorts of existing studies. All participants will be aged 6-16 years, will have current asthma, a Body Mass Index in the overweight or obesity range, and no serious comorbidities (such as diabetes, heart diseases). Participants in the intervention arm will receive a multifactorial intervention of 18 months consisting of sessions concerning sports, parental involvement, individual counselling and lifestyle advices including dietary advices and cognitive behavioural therapy. The control group will receive usual care. The primary outcome variables will include Forced Expiratory Volume in one second and Body Mass Index - Standard Deviation Score. Secondary outcomes will include other lung function parameters (including dynamic and static lung function parameters), asthma control, asthma-specific quality of life, use of asthma medication and markers of systemic inflammation and airway inflammation.


DISCUSSION
In this randomised controlled trial we will study the potential of a multifactorial weight reduction intervention to improve asthma-related outcome measures in asthmatic children with overweight. Moreover, it will provide information about the underlying mechanisms in the relationship between asthma and a high body weight in children. These findings can contribute to optimal management programs and better clinical guidelines for children with asthma and overweight.


TRIAL REGISTRATION
Clinicaltrial.gov NCT00998413.
Solving Mastermind Using Genetic Algorithms

Abstract. The MasterMind game involves decoding a secret code. The classic game is a code of six possible colors in four slots. The game has been analyzed and optimal strategies have been posed by computer scientists and mathematicians. In this paper we will survey previous work done on solving MasterMind, including several approaches using Genetic Algorithms. We will also analyze the solution sets and compare our results using a novel scoring system inside a GA against previous work using Genetic and Heuristic algorithms. Our GA is performing closer to optimal then previously published work. The GA we present is a Steady State GA using Fitness Proportional Reproduction (FPR), where the fitness function incorporates a simple heuristic algorithm. We also present a scoring method that is simpler then those used by other researchers. In larger games such as 10 colors and 8 slots our GA clearly outperform the heuristic algorithm. In fact if one wishes to tradeoff a higher average number of guesses to a faster running time, extremely large games such as 12 x10 can be solved in a reasonable time (i.e. minutes) of run time.
The CRISPR/Cas9 system for plant genome editing and beyond.

Targeted genome editing using artificial nucleases has the potential to accelerate basic research as well as plant breeding by providing the means to modify genomes rapidly in a precise and predictable manner. Here we describe the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) system, a recently developed tool for the introduction of site-specific double-stranded DNA breaks. We highlight the strengths and weaknesses of this technology compared with two well-established genome editing platforms: zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) and transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs). We summarize recent results obtained in plants using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, discuss possible applications in plant breeding and consider potential future developments.
Active and Reactive Power Control of a DFIG with MPPT for Variable Speed Wind Energy Conversion using Sliding Mode Control

This paper presents the study of a variable speed wind energy conversion system based on a Doubly Fed Induction Generator (DFIG) based on a sliding mode control applied to achieve control of active and reactive powers exchanged between the stator of the DFIG and the grid to ensure a Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) of a wind energy conversion system. The proposed control algorithm is applied to a DFIG whose stator is directly connected to the grid and the rotor is connected to the PWM converter. To extract a maximum of power, the rotor side converter is controlled by using a stator flux-oriented strategy. The created decoupling control between active and reactive stator power allows keeping the power factor close to unity. Simulation results show that the wind turbine can operate at its optimum energy for a wide range of wind speed. Keywords—Doubly fed induction generator, wind energy, wind turbine, sliding mode control, maximum power point tracking (MPPT).
Global network alignment using multiscale spectral signatures

MOTIVATION
Protein interaction networks provide an important system-level view of biological processes. One of the fundamental problems in biological network analysis is the global alignment of a pair of networks, which puts the proteins of one network into correspondence with the proteins of another network in a manner that conserves their interactions while respecting other evidence of their homology. By providing a mapping between the networks of different species, alignments can be used to inform hypotheses about the functions of unannotated proteins, the existence of unobserved interactions, the evolutionary divergence between the two species and the evolution of complexes and pathways.


RESULTS
We introduce GHOST, a global pairwise network aligner that uses a novel spectral signature to measure topological similarity between subnetworks. It combines a seed-and-extend global alignment phase with a local search procedure and exceeds state-of-the-art performance on several network alignment tasks. We show that the spectral signature used by GHOST is highly discriminative, whereas the alignments it produces are also robust to experimental noise. When compared with other recent approaches, we find that GHOST is able to recover larger and more biologically significant, shared subnetworks between species.


AVAILABILITY
An efficient and parallelized implementation of GHOST, released under the Apache 2.0 license, is available at http://cbcb.umd.edu/kingsford_group/ghost


CONTACT
rob@cs.umd.edu.