LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
The Effects of the Number of Rubber Bands Placed at Each Endoscopic Session Upon Variceal Outcomes: A Prospective, Randomized Study

AIM:To determine the role of the number of bands placed per session upon patient-related and procedural-related outcomes.METHODS:Patients were assigned to receive as many bands as could be possibly placed (group 1) or up to a maximum of six bands (group 2) per session. The primary outcome measured was the number of sessions to achieve obliteration. Other outcomes measured included: rebleeding, variceal recurrence, mortality (within 6 wk and within 1 yr), complications, banding and total procedure times, and number of bands misfired.RESULTS:A total of 86 patients were enrolled: 45 in group 1 and 41 in group 2. The two groups had similar age, Child-Pugh scores, grade of varices at entry. The overall proportion of patients achieving obliteration was 56% (53% and 59% for groups 1 and 2, respectively). Despite receiving significantly more mean bands per session, patients in group 1 required similar (mean ± SEM) number of sessions to obliteration (2.9 ± 0.3 vs 3.3 ± 0.3) and total number of bands (20.0 ± 2.4 vs 16.6 ± 1.8) to achieve this goal compared with group 2. The overall proportion of patients with variceal rebleeding was 25%, the 1-yr variceal recurrence 31.3%, and the overall early- and 1-yr mortality were 18.6% and 33.7%, respectively. These proportions were similar in the two groups. Banding and total procedure times were significantly longer and associated with significantly more misfired bands per session in group 1.CONCLUSION:Compared with a maximum of six bands per session, the placement of >6 bands per session was not associated with better patient outcomes but with significantly more prolonged banding and total procedure times and significantly more misfired bands.
Sketches by Paul the Robot

In this paper we describe Paul, a robotic installation that produces observational sketches of people. The sketches produced have been considered of interest by fine art professionals in recent art fairs and exhibitions, as well as by the public at large. We identify factors that may account for the perceived qualities of the produced sketches. A technical overview of the system is also presented.
Quantum Gravity Phenomenology

I give a brief non-technical review of "Quantum Gravity Phenomenology" and in particular I describe some studies which should soon allow to establish valuable data-based constraints on the short-distance structure of spacetime.
Timeweaver: a genetic algorithm for identifying predictive patterns in sequences of events

Learning to predict future events from sequences of past events is an important, real-world, problem that arises in many contexts. This paper describes Timeweaver, a genetic-based machine learning system that solves the event prediction problem by identifying predictive temporal and sequential patterns within data. Timeweaver is applied to the task of learning to predict telecommunication equipment failures from 250,000 alarm messages and is shown to outperform existing methods.
Impact of different types of retirement transitions on perceived satisfaction with life.

PURPOSE
This study examines how life satisfaction changes as a function of the transition into retirement, distinguishing between different types of voluntary and involuntary exits.


DESIGN AND METHODS
Perceived satisfaction with life (SWL) was measured among 1,388 older Dutch workers on two occasions, separated by 6 years. During that time, more than half of participants (54%) left full-time employment and entered retirement.


RESULTS
Those who made a voluntarily departure from the workforce reported higher levels of perceived SWL compared with those who remained employed, whereas the life satisfaction scores of those whose departure was involuntary (due to health reasons, organizational reasons) were found to be the lowest. Other factors that had an effect on satisfaction included positive and negative health changes experienced during the 6-year interim, as well as changes in marital status due to divorce or loss of a spouse.


IMPLICATIONS
These findings have important theoretical implications for the understanding of factors that shape individuals' perceptions of how they view the quality of their lives. From an applied perspective, the findings have implications for the development of organizational initiatives aimed at helping workers transition into retirement in such a way as to maintain high levels of subjective well-being.
When are users comfortable sharing locations with advertisers?

As smartphones and other mobile computing devices have increased in ubiquity, advertisers have begun to realize a more effective way of targeting users and a promising area for revenue growth: location-based advertising. This trend brings to bear new questions about whether or not users will adopt products involving this potentially invasive form of advertising and what sorts of protections they should be given. Our real-world user study of 27 participants echoes earlier findings that users have significant privacy concerns regarding sharing their locations with advertisers. However, we examine these concerns in more detail and find that they are complex (e.g., relating not only to the quantity of ads, but the locations and times at which they are received). With advanced privacy settings, users stated they would feel more comfortable and share more information than with a simple opt-in/opt-out mechanism.
The revised FLACC observational pain tool: improved reliability and validity for pain assessment in children with cognitive impairment.

BACKGROUND
Difficulty with pain assessment in individuals who cannot self-report their pain poses a significant barrier to effective pain management. However, available assessment tools lack consistent reliability as pain measures in children with cognitive impairment (CI). This study evaluated the validity and reliability of the revised and individualized Face Legs Activity Cry and Consolability (FLACC) behavioral pain assessment tool in children with CI.


METHODS
Children with CI scheduled for elective surgery were studied. The FLACC was revised to include specific descriptors and parent-identified, unique behaviors for individual children. The child's ability to self-report pain was evaluated. Postoperatively, two nurses scored pain using the revised FLACC scale before and after analgesic administration, and, children self-reported a pain score, if able. Observations were videotaped and later viewed by experienced nurses blinded to analgesic administration.


RESULTS
Eighty observations were recorded in 52 children aged 4-19 years. Twenty-one parents added individualized pain behaviors to the revised FLACC. Interrater reliability was supported by excellent intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC, ranging from 0.76 to 0.90) and adequate kappa statistics (0.44-0.57). Criterion validity was supported by the correlations between FLACC, parent, and child scores (rho = 0.65-0.87; P < 0.001). Construct validity was demonstrated by the decrease in FLACC scores following analgesic administration (6.1 +/- 2.6 vs 1.9 +/- 2.7; P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Findings support the reliability and validity of the FLACC as a measure of pain in children with CI.
Psychometric properties of a Chinese version of the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Profession Students.

Empathy is central to a therapeutic nurse-patient relationship. Valid and reliable Chinese instruments to assess nursing students' empathy are lacking. The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of a Chinese version of the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Profession Students (C-JSE-HPS) among Taiwanese undergraduate nursing students. A convenience sample of 613 Taiwanese nursing students participated in the study. Content validity, construct validity, internal consistency reliability and test-retest reliability were examined. Content validity was confirmed by a content validity index of 0.89. Factor analysis yielded three components of perspective taking, compassionate care and standing in the patient's shoes, explaining 57.14% of total variance. Women scored higher on empathy than men. Also, students who were enrolled in the 4-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) indicated greater empathy degrees than those in the 2-year Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN-to-BSN). Cronbach's alpha coefficient and the test-retest reliability were 0.93 and 0.92 respectively. A C-JSE-HPS demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties to measure empathy of undergraduate nursing students. Educators may use this instrument to assess empathic qualities among students and design effective empathy-oriented nursing curricula to improve the quality of nursing care.
Augur: a decentralized, open-source platform for prediction markets

A prediction market is a place where individuals can wager on the outcomes of future events. Those who forecast the outcome correctly win money, and if they forecast incorrectly, they lose money. People value money, so they are incentivized to forecast such outcomes as accurately as they can. Thus, the price of a prediction market can serve as an excellent indicator of how likely an event is to occur [1, 2]. Augur is a decentralized platform for prediction markets. Our goal here is to provide a blueprint of a decentralized prediction market using Bitcoin’s input/output-style transactions. Many theoretical details of this project, such as its game-theoretic underpinning, are touched on lightly or not at all. This work builds on (and is intended to be read as a companion to) the theoretical foundation established in [3].
LOCOMO satcom terminal: A switchable RHCP/LHCP Array Antenna for on-the-move applications in Ka-band

This paper describes the main features of a multilayer antenna panel for a low cost Ka-band Array Antenna for on-the-move applications. The LOCOMO satcom terminal is based on a dual-polarized low-profile antenna with trasmit/receive and RHCP/LHCP switching capability.
A case-based reasoning framework for workflow model management

In order to support efficient workflow design, recent commercial workflow systems are providing templates of common business processes. These templates, called cases, can be modified individually or collectively into a new workflow to meet the business specification. However, little research has been done on how to manage workflow models, including issues such as model storage, model retrieval, model reuse and assembly. In this paper, we propose a novel framework to support workflow modeling and design by adapting workflow cases from a repository of process models. Our approach to workflow model management is based on a structured workflow lifecycle and leverages recent advances in model management and case-based reasoning techniques. Our contributions include a conceptual model of workflow cases, a similarity flooding algorithm for workflow case retrieval, and a domain-independent AI planning approach to workflow case composition. We illustrate the workflow model management framework with a prototype system called Case-Oriented Design Assistant for Workflow Modeling (CODAW). 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Hardy spaces and divergence operators on strongly Lipschitz domains of R n Pascal Auscher

Let Ω be a strongly Lipschitz domain of Rn. Consider an elliptic second order divergence operator L (including a boundary condition on ∂Ω) and define a Hardy space by imposing the non-tangential maximal function of the extension of a function f via the Poisson semigroup for L to be in L1. Under suitable assumptions on L, we identify this maximal Hardy space with atomic Hardy spaces, namely with H1(Rn) if Ω = Rn, H1 r (Ω) under the Dirichlet boundary condition, and H1 z (Ω) under the Neumann boundary condition. In particular, we obtain a new proof of the atomic decomposition for H1 z (Ω). A version for local Hardy spaces is also given. We also present an overview of the theory of Hardy spaces and BMO spaces on Lipschitz domains with proofs.
Highlights of the development process of industry foundation classes

The Industry Foundation Classes, IFC, are developed by the International Alliance for Interoperability, IAI, to provide for data exchange and sharing capabilities for the building and construction sector of the industry. Since the foundation of the IAI back in 1995 two releases of IFC had already been published and the third release is on its way. Many prototype implementations by leading software companies proved the IFC specifications and commercial products to satisfy the end user demands can be expected within the next quarters. The paper highlights the major development steps between the recognition of end user needs to improve business processes and the fulfilment of those needs by IFC specifications and implementations. Emphasis is put on the modelling of business processes, the provision of use cases, the integration of domain requirements within a single integrated but modular information model, and the underlying methodology and model architecture.
Interventions for alleviating loneliness among older persons: a critical review.

OBJECTIVES
Loneliness is common among older persons and has been associated with health and mental health risks. This systematic review examines the utility of loneliness interventions among older persons.


DATA SOURCE
Thirty-four intervention studies were used. STUDY INCLUSION CRITERIA: The study was conducted between 1996 and 2011, included a sample of older adults, implemented an intervention affecting loneliness or identified a situation that directly affected loneliness, included in its outcome measures the effects of the intervention or situation on loneliness levels or on loneliness-related measures (e.g., social interaction), and included in its analysis pretest-posttest comparisons.


DATA EXTRACTION
Studies were accessed using the databases PsycINFO, MEDLINE, ScienceDirect, AgeLine, PsycBOOKS, and Google Scholar for the years 1996-2011.


DATA SYNTHESIS
Interventions were classified based on population, format, and content and were evaluated for quality of design and efficacy.


RESULTS
Twelve studies were effective in reducing loneliness according to the review criteria, and 15 were evaluated as potentially effective. The findings suggest that it is possible to reduce loneliness by using educational interventions focused on social networks maintenance and enhancement.


CONCLUSIONS
Multiple approaches show promise, although flawed design often prevents proper evaluation of efficacy. The value of specific therapy techniques in reducing loneliness is highlighted and warrants a wider investigation. Studies of special populations, such as the cognitively impaired, are also needed.
Transparent and Flexible Antenna for Wearable Glasses Applications

This paper aims to design, fabricate, and analyze transparent and flexible monopole antennas for an application in wearable glasses. A multilayer electrode film composed of 100-nm-thick indium-zinc-tin oxide (IZTO)/Ag/IZTO (IAI), a type of transparent conducting oxide electrodes, is selected as the conductors of antennas and ground planes of the wearable glasses. The average transparency of the proposed antennas is measured to be 81.1% in the visible wavelength, and the electrical conductivity of the proposed antennas is measured to be 2 000 000 S/m. The proposed antennas are fabricated with physical vapor deposition process in high vacuum. Moreover, nontransparent antennas made of a 40-nm-thick silver (Ag) thin film are designed and fabricated to compare their performances with the transparent IAI antennas. To reduce the electromagnetic field absorption of the human head, we introduced and analyzed three configurations (types A-C) of monopole antennas having different directions of radiation patterns. The fabricated IAI antennas show the average efficiency of 40% and 4-dBi peak gain at 2.4-2.5 GHz. Furthermore, they have a specific absorption rate lower than 1.6 W/kg, which complies with the Federal Communications Commission standard, when the input power is 15 dBm, which is Google Glass's.
Real-time reverse transcription-PCR assay for future management of ERBB2-based clinical applications.

BACKGROUND
Gene amplification/overexpression of ERBB2 (HER2, neu) is a major event in human breast tumorigenesis. ERBB2-based therapeutic agents and ERBB2-specific gene therapy are under development. These new perspectives call for a sensitive and accurate method to screen breast cancer patients for ERBB2 alterations.


METHODS
We have developed and validated a real-time quantitative reverse transcription (RT)-PCR assay, based on fluorescent TaqMan methodology, to quantify ERBB2 gene expression at the mRNA level in breast tumors. This recently developed method of nucleic acid quantification in homogeneous solutions has the potential for a wide dynamic range, interlaboratory agreement, and high-throughput capacity without tedious post-PCR processing. The ERBB2 mRNA signal was normalized to the signal for TATA box-binding protein mRNA.


RESULTS
The dynamic range was >1000-fold. The relationship between C(t) and log starting concentration was linear (r(2) >/=0.99). The mean (SD) normalized expression of ERBB2 in healthy breast tissue was 0.95 (0.37). Overexpression (>5 SD above mean for healthy breast) of the ERBB2 gene was observed (at 3.2- to 135-fold) in 23 (17%) of 134 breast tumor RNA samples. As expected, ERBB2 overexpression was present in all tumors with ERBB2 gene amplification but was uncommon and at a low ratio (<5) in breast cancers without gene amplification.


CONCLUSIONS
This new simple, rapid, semi-automated assay is a major alternative to fluorescence in situ hybridization and immunochemistry for gene alteration analysis in human tumors and may be a powerful tool for large randomized, prospective cooperative group trials and to support future ERBB2-based biological and gene therapy approaches.
Dichotomized efficacy end points and global end-point analysis applied to the ECASS intention-to-treat data set: post hoc analysis of ECASS I.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
It is not yet known which end points are the most suitable for evaluation of the effects of acute stroke intervention. The European Cooperative Acute Stroke Study (ECASS) I study used 2 primary end points. The study was powered to detect a 15% improvement of the median of each primary end point. The study failed to show this effect and was negative in the intention-to-treat analysis. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) study used 4 dichotomized end points and applied a global end-point analysis. This study was positive and led to FDA approval of thrombolytic therapy for acute ischemic stroke. This study was undertaken to answer the question of whether a different statistical design may have shown a positive results of the ECASS I trial.


METHODS
We performed a retrospective analysis of the ECASS I intention-to-treat data set (615 randomized and treated patients, rtPA treatment versus placebo) and post hoc application of the NINDS trial statistical methodology (global end-point analysis). The scores of the modified Rankin Scale (mRS), Barthel Index (BI), and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) were dichotomized according to the criteria used in the NINDS trial. Favorable outcome was defined as a score of 0 or 1 on mRS, a score of 95 or 100 on BI, and a score of 0 or 1 on NIHSS.


RESULTS
The number of patients reaching favorable outcome were higher in all 3 end points in the rtPA-treated group. The effect sizes were 8% for mRS, 6% for BI, and 14% for NIHSS, respectively. The differences are statistically significant for the mRS (P=0.044; odds ratio [OR], 1. 4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.0 to 2.0) and the NIHSS (P=0.001; OR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.4 to 2.8), while for the BI significance was missed (P=0.102; OR, 1.3; 95% CI, 0.9 to 1.8). The global end-point statistics, however, shows a significant increase (P=0.008; OR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.1 to 2.0) of favorable outcome in the rtPA-treated patient group.


CONCLUSIONS
Using the global end-point analysis, ECASS is positive in the intention-to-treat analysis. This may indicate that the time window for thrombolysis may be as long as 6 hours. Looking at the 3 dichotomized end points, the effect sizes for 2 end points, mRS and BI, are smaller in the ECASS 6-hour intention-to-treat population compared with the NINDS trial, whereas the effect size for the NIHSS is larger. While in the NINDS trial all 3 end points reveal statistically significant results, in ECASS only 2 of the 3 corresponding end points, mRS and NIHSS, were statistically significant. This finding underlines an important difference of a global end-point approach: it may show a positive overall result although one of the end points is not positive.
Computational Creativity Research: Towards Creative Machines

The notion that software could be independently and usefully creative is becoming more commonplace in scientific, cultural, business and public circles. It is not fanciful to imagine creative software embedded in society in the short to medium term, acting as collaborators and autonomous creative agents for much societal benefit. Technologically, there is still some way to go to enable Artificial Intelligence methods to create artefacts and ideas of value, and to get software to do so in interesting and engaging ways. There are also a number of sociological hurdles to overcome in getting society to accept software as being truly creative, and we concentrate on those here. We discuss the various communities that can be considered stakeholders in the perception of computers being creative or not. In particular, we look in detail at three sets of stakeholders, namely the general public, Computational Creativity researchers and fellow creatives. We put forward various philosophical points which we argue will shape the way in which society accepts creative software. We make various claims along the way about how people perceive software as being creative or not,whichwebelieve should be addressedwith scientific experimentation, and we call on the Computational Creativity research community to do just that. S. Colton (B) · J. Corneli · M. Cook · R. Hepworth Computational Creativity Group, Department of Computing, Goldsmiths College, University of London, London, UK e-mail: s.colton@gold.ac.uk http://ccg.doc.gold.ac.uk A. Pease School of Computing, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK D. Ventura Computer Science Department, Brigham Young University, Provo, USA © Atlantis Press and the authors 2015 T.R. Besold et al. (eds.),Computational Creativity Research: Towards Creative Machines, Atlantis Thinking Machines 7, DOI 10.2991/978-94-6239-085-0_1 3