LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Genetics of gout.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW
This review provides an update on recent findings with regards to the genetics of hyperuricemia and gout, including recent data from genome-wide association studies (GWAS).


RECENT FINDINGS
Five GWAS around the same time reported that genetic variants of SLC2A9/GLUT9 were associated with lower serum uric acid (SUA) levels and the effects were stronger among women (e.g. SUA level difference per copy of a minor allele, -0.46 mg/dl in women vs. -0.22 mg/dl in men). One study involving four cohorts and one meta-analysis of 14 genome-wide scans found that genetic variants of ABCG2 were associated with higher SUA concentrations and these effects were stronger among men (e.g. uric acid level difference per copy of the minor allele, 0.32 mg/dl in men vs. 0.18 mg/dl in women). Limited data indicate that these associations likely translate into those with the risk of gout. Functional determination that GLUT9 and ABCG2 can transport urate at the apical border of proximal tubules implicates them as substantial players in the renal excretion of urate. Furthermore, five novel genetic loci have been reported in the meta-analysis of 14 genome-wide scans.


SUMMARY
Combined with their activities as urate transporters and their strong associations with serum uric acid concentrations, GLUT9 and ABCG2 appeared to be important modulators of uric acid levels and likely of the risk of gout. Together with a growing list of environmental risk factors, these genetic data add considerably to our understanding of the pathogenesis of hyperuricemia and gout.
World survey of artificial brains, Part II: Biologically inspired cognitive architectures

A number of leading cognitive architectures that are inspired by the human brain, at various levels of granularity, are reviewed and compared, with special attention paid to the way their internal structures and dynamics map onto neural processes. Four categories of Biologically Inspired Cognitive Architectures (BICAs) are considered, with multiple examples of each category briefly reviewed, and selected examples discussed in more depth: primarily symbolic architectures (e.g. ACT-R), emergentist architectures (e.g. DeSTIN), developmental robotics architectures (e.g. IM-CLEVER), and our central focus, hybrid architectures (e.g. LIDA, CLARION, 4D/RCS, DUAL, MicroPsi, and OpenCog). Given the state of the art in BICA, it is not yet possible to tell whether emulating the brain on the architectural level is going to be enough to allow rough emulation of brain function; and given the state of the art in neuroscience, it is not yet possible to connect BICAs with large-scale brain simulations in a thoroughgoing way. However, it is nonetheless possible to draw reasonably close function connections between various components of various BICAs and various brain regions and dynamics, and as both BICAs and brain simulations mature, these connections should become richer and may extend further into the domain of internal dynamics as well as overall behavior. & 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Real-time prosody-driven synthesis of body language

Human communication involves not only speech, but also a wide variety of gestures and body motions. Interactions in virtual environments often lack this multi-modal aspect of communication. We present a method for automatically synthesizing body language animations directly from the participants' speech signals, without the need for additional input. Our system generates appropriate body language animations by selecting segments from motion capture data of real people in conversation. The synthesis can be performed progressively, with no advance knowledge of the utterance, making the system suitable for animating characters from live human speech. The selection is driven by a hidden Markov model and uses prosody-based features extracted from speech. The training phase is fully automatic and does not require hand-labeling of input data, and the synthesis phase is efficient enough to run in real time on live microphone input. User studies confirm that our method is able to produce realistic and compelling body language.
A collaborative methodology for tacit knowledge management: Application to scientific research

a r t i c l e i n f o
Neighbor-Aided Localization in Vehicular Networks

We address the problem of localization in vehicular ad hoc networks. Our goal is to leverage vehicle communications and smartphone sensors to improve the overall localization performance. Assuming vehicles are equipped with the IEEE 802.11p wireless interfaces, we employ a two-stage Bayesian filter to track the vehicle’s position: an unscented Kalman filter for heading estimation using smartphone inertial sensors, and a particle filter that fuses vehicle-to-vehicle signal strength measurements received from mobile anchors whose positions are uncertain, with velocity, GPS position, and map information. Our model leads to a robust localization system and is able to provide useful position information even in the absence of GPS data. We evaluate the algorithm performance using real-world measurements collected from four communicating vehicles in an urban scenario, and considering different combinations of location information sources.
In vivo cancer targeting and imaging with semiconductor quantum dots

We describe the development of multifunctional nanoparticle probes based on semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) for cancer targeting and imaging in living animals. The structural design involves encapsulating luminescent QDs with an ABC triblock copolymer and linking this amphiphilic polymer to tumor-targeting ligands and drug-delivery functionalities. In vivo targeting studies of human prostate cancer growing in nude mice indicate that the QD probes accumulate at tumors both by the enhanced permeability and retention of tumor sites and by antibody binding to cancer-specific cell surface biomarkers. Using both subcutaneous injection of QD-tagged cancer cells and systemic injection of multifunctional QD probes, we have achieved sensitive and multicolor fluorescence imaging of cancer cells under in vivo conditions. We have also integrated a whole-body macro-illumination system with wavelength-resolved spectral imaging for efficient background removal and precise delineation of weak spectral signatures. These results raise new possibilities for ultrasensitive and multiplexed imaging of molecular targets in vivo.
Psoriatic arthritis in Canadian clinical practice: the PsA assessment in rheumatology.

OBJECTIVE
We aimed to determine disease severity and treatment of patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in rheumatology practices in Canada through the PsA Assessment in Rheumatology (PAIR) study.


METHODS
Rheumatologists who were members of the Canadian Rheumatology Association were asked to complete a form for each patient addressing demographic questions, history, clinical examination, and patient-reported outcomes. Results were compared with a cohort seen in a PsA clinic during the same period.


RESULTS
From across Canada, 22 rheumatologists from 5 provinces submitted information about 233 consecutive patients with PsA [145 men (62.2%), 88 women (37.8%), mean age 53.2 yrs (±12.7), 88.4% disease duration>2 yrs]. A majority (80.7%) fulfilled ClASsification for Psoriatic ARthritis (CASPAR) criteria, and 30% had taken no disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. Clinical joint damage was documented in 60% of the patients, active skin disease in 70%, and nail lesions in 32%. Only 22% were rated as having moderate to high disease activity, while 52% were rated as low disease activity and 26% were deemed in remission. The decision was based on joint counts, patient global assessment, physician global assessment, and acute-phase reactants. Twenty-seven percent of the patients were to have their medications changed based on the current visit, the majority for inadequate response to medications. Patients in the PAIR cohort had more inflamed joints but similar damage to those in the PsA clinic.


CONCLUSION
Patients with PsA seen in regular rheumatology practice fulfill CASPAR criteria, have active disease, and more than half have joint damage. The majority have low activity or are in remission.
Comparing Patient and Physician Risk Tolerance for Bleeding Events Associated with Anticoagulants in Atrial Fibrillation-evidence from the United States and Japan.

OBJECTIVES
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a factor in the development of thrombi that can lead to ischemic strokes. Anticoagulants are crucial in preventing strokes among patients with AF but are associated with bleeding risks. Recent studies have shown that despite anticoagulants' efficacy in stroke prevention, many patients with AF receive subtherapeutic levels of anticoagulation because of concerns about bleeding. Of particular interest is to quantify the perceived relative importance of treatment-related benefits and risks and how these perceptions vary between patients and physicians in different countries.


METHODS
Patients' and physicians' preferences were elicited using a discrete-choice experiment. We evaluated disagreements in preferences for the benefits and risks of anticoagulants.


RESULTS
A total of 186 patients with AF and 107 physicians in the United States completed the survey. In Japan, 152 patients and 164 physicians completed the same survey. Japanese patients were relatively less averse than US patients to bleeding risks. Physicians in both countries did not distinguish between nondisabling and disabling strokes. US patients were less tolerant than physicians of nonmajor clinically relevant bleeding risk when this risk was a consequence of preventing nondisabling strokes. Japanese patients were generally more tolerant than physicians of bleeding risks when the risks were consequences of preventing both nondisabling and disabling strokes.


CONCLUSIONS
Overall, preferences for anticoagulant benefits and risks were not statistically different between patients and physicians in the United States, nor were there differences in preferences for different stroke risks between physicians in the United States and Japan; however, preferences were different between patients and physicians in Japan.
A review of reporting of participant recruitment and retention in RCTs in six major journals

BACKGROUND
Poor recruitment and retention of participants in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) is problematic but common. Clear and detailed reporting of participant flow is essential to assess the generalisability and comparability of RCTs. Despite improved reporting since the implementation of the CONSORT statement, important problems remain. This paper aims: (i) to update and extend previous reviews evaluating reporting of participant recruitment and retention in RCTs; (ii) to quantify the level of participation throughout RCTs.


METHODS
We reviewed all reports of RCTs of health care interventions and/or processes with individual randomisation, published July-December 2004 in six major journals. Short, secondary or interim reports, and Phase I/II trials were excluded. Data recorded were: general RCT details; inclusion of flow diagram; participant flow throughout trial; reasons for non-participation/withdrawal; target sample sizes.


RESULTS
133 reports were reviewed. Overall, 79% included a flow diagram, but over a third were incomplete. The majority reported the flow of participants at each stage of the trial after randomisation. However, 40% failed to report the numbers assessed for eligibility. Percentages of participants retained at each stage were high: for example, 90% of eligible individuals were randomised, and 93% of those randomised were outcome assessed. On average, trials met their sample size targets. However, there were some substantial shortfalls: for example 21% of trials reporting a sample size calculation failed to achieve adequate numbers at randomisation, and 48% at outcome assessment. Reporting of losses to follow up was variable and difficult to interpret.


CONCLUSION
The majority of RCTs reported the flow of participants well after randomisation, although only two-thirds included a complete flow chart and there was great variability over the definition of "lost to follow up". Reporting of participant eligibility was poor, making assessments of recruitment practice and external validity difficult. Reporting of participant flow throughout RCTs could be improved by small changes to the CONSORT chart.
Characterization of Y2O3 gate dielectric on n-GaAs substrates

Abstract Physical and electrical properties of sputtered deposited Y 2 O 3 films on NH 4 OH treated n-GaAs substrate are investigated. The as-deposited films and interfacial layer formation have been analyzed by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS). It is found that directly deposited Y 2 O 3 on n-GaAs exhibits excellent electrical properties with low frequency dispersion ( 12  eV −1  cm −2 ). The results show that the deposition of Y 2 O 3 on n-GaAs can be an effective way to improve the interface quality by the suppression on native oxides formation, especially arsenic oxide which causes Fermi level pinning at high- k /GaAs interface. The Al/Y 2 O 3 /n-GaAs stack with an equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) of 2.1 nm shows a leakage current density of 3.6 × 10 −6  A cm −2 at a V FB of 1 V. While the low-field leakage current conduction mechanism has been found to be dominated by the Schottky emission, Poole–Frenkel emission takes over at high electric fields. The energy band alignment of Y 2 O 3 films on n-GaAs substrate is extracted from detailed XPS measurements. The valence and conduction band offsets at Y 2 O 3 /n-GaAs interfaces are found to be 2.14 and 2.21 eV, respectively.
Analysis of Social Networks Using the Techniques of Web Mining

Web 2.0 technologies have brought new ways of connecting people in social networks for collaboration in various on-line communities. Social network analysis deals with the interactions between individuals by considering them as nodes of a network (graph) whereas their relations are mapped as network edges. Study of such structures lies on the intersection of different areas of research: sociology, graph theory and data mining. This paper studies issues around analysis of social networks using web mining techniques. Techniques and concepts of web mining and social networks analysis will be introduced and reviewed along with a discussion about how to use web mining techniques for social networks analysis. This paper also sets out a process for social network analysis using web mining. Comparison of social networks with other networks is also studied. Discussions of the challenges and future research are also included. Keywords— Web Mining, Social Networking, Social Network Analysis, Association Rule
Convolutional Radio Modulation Recognition Networks

We study the adaptation of convolutional neural networks to the complex temporal radio signal domain. We compare the efficacy of radio modulation classification using naively learned features against using expert features, which are currently used widely and well regarded in the field and we show significant performance improvements. We show that blind temporal learning on large and densely encoded time series using deep convolutional neural networks is viable and a strong candidate approach for this task.
Smart parking system for Internet of Things

In this paper, we propose a smart parking system detecting and finding the parked location of a consumer's vehicle. Using ultrasonic and magnetic sensor, the proposed system detects vehicles in indoor and outdoor parking fields, accurately. Wireless sensor motes support a vehicle location service in parking lots using BLE.
Behavior and control of the bed bug, Cimex lectularius l. (hemiptera: cimicidae)

The recent resurgence of bed bugs has led to an explosion of bed bug research influenced by the applied needs of pest management professionals. I assessed the needs of pest management professionals who deal with bed bugs in South Carolina. Bed bugs were reported in 28 of 46 counties in South Carolina. Previous samples of bed bug populations have displayed a 1:1 sex-ratio suggesting females do not use aggregations and harborages to hide from males and traumatic insemination, which can be harmful to females. Aggregations are biased in composition, suggesting that females are able to hide from males within harborages. Previous studies have shown that male bed bugs and fifth-instar nymphs, but not mated females, release alarm pheromone that deters males from mating with them. I showed that virgin females did not produce alarm pheromone as a deterrent for mating, although the sample size was small. I evaluated the use of heat with residual insecticides on surfaces over time, using both a resistant and susceptible bed bug strain. Products generally performed better if unheated than if heated before bed bug exposure, but susceptible mortality on heated control panels was high, reaching 100% on metal panels. Phantom products were more effective over time on all surfaces for up to three months, and performed best on wood surfaces. Temprid was more effective over time on wood surfaces, and Temprid and Transport products performed best on metal surfaces. Heat had a stronger effect on the susceptible strain than on the resistant strain. The reported results will provide important biological and applied information that will help pest management professionals control bed bugs more efficiently.
Improved detection of urothelial carcinoma in situ with hexaminolevulinate fluorescence cystoscopy.

PURPOSE
In this European multicenter study we compared hexaminolevulinate (HAL) fluorescence cystoscopy and standard white light cystoscopy for the detection of carcinoma in situ (CIS) in patients suspected of having high risk bladder cancer.


MATERIALS AND METHODS
This study was a prospective controlled, within-patient comparison of standard and HAL fluorescence cystoscopy. Eligible patients received an intravesical instillation of 50 ml HAL 8 mM solution. Cystoscopy was performed using a D light system, which provided white and blue light at 375 to 440 nm. The bladder wall was inspected and mapped, first under white light, followed by blue light. All tumors and suspicious areas identified under white light and by red fluorescence were resected or biopsied. Histological findings were assessed by an independent central pathologist blinded to the identity of the biopsies.


RESULTS
Of 211 evaluable patients 83 (39%) had CIS, of whom 18 (22%) were detected by HAL cystoscopy only, 62 (75%) were detected by standard and HAL cystoscopy, 2 (2%) were detected by standard cystoscopy only and 1 (1%) was detected by nonguided biopsy. Therefore, HAL cystoscopy identified 28% more patients with CIS than standard cystoscopy. The side effects of HAL instillation were negligible and no unexpected events were reported.


CONCLUSIONS
HAL fluorescence cystoscopy improves the detection of bladder CIS significantly, which has consequences for clinical management and may improve the patient prognosis. The procedure is easily implemented as an adjunct to standard cystoscopy and it adds no significant risk of complications.
Peer victimisation during adolescence and its impact on depression in early adulthood: prospective cohort study in the United Kingdom

OBJECTIVE
To investigate the strength of the association between victimisation by peers at age 13 years and depression at 18 years.


DESIGN
Longitudinal observational study.


SETTING
Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, a UK community based birth cohort.


PARTICIPANTS
6719 participants who reported on peer victimisation at age 13 years.


MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Depression defined according to international classification of diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10) criteria, assessed using the clinical interview schedule-revised during clinic assessments with participants when they were aged 18 years. 3898 participants had data on both victimisation by peers at age 13 years and depression at age 18 years.


RESULTS
Of the 683 participants who reported frequent victimisation at age 13 years, 101 (14.8%) were depressed according to ICD-10 criteria at 18 years; of the 1446 participants reporting some victimisation at age 13 years, 103 (7.1%) were depressed at age 18 years; and of the 1769 participants reporting no victimisation at age 13 years, 98 (5.5%) were depressed at age 18 years. Compared with children who were not victimised those who were frequently victimised by peers had over a twofold increase in odds of depression (odds ratio 2.96, 95% confidence interval 2.21 to 3.97, P<0.001). This association was slightly reduced when adjusting for confounders (2.32, 1.49 to 3.63, P<0.001). The population attributable fraction suggested that 29.2% (95% confidence interval 10.9% to 43.7%) of depression at age 18 years could be explained by peer victimisation if this were a causal relation.


CONCLUSION
When using observational data it is impossible to be certain that associations are causal. However, our results are consistent with the hypothesis that victimisation by peers in adolescence is associated with an increase in the risk of developing depression as an adult.
American and Taiwanese Perceptions Concerning Privacy, Trust, and Behavioral Intentions in Electronic Commerce

Although the World Wide Web has opened the door for businesses and consumers across the globe, many issues and challenges remain in order to take full advantage of this unprecedented opportunity. More specifically, businesses engaged in electronic commerce can take advantage of current technologies that allow them to collect vast amounts of information about their customers. Although many companies use this information to tailor products and services to improve their relationship with their customers, many people simply do not trust most organizations that require the exchange of personal information. Recent studies suggest that many people either decline to provide this information over the Internet or simply provide false information. As electronic commerce companies extend their reach globally, the issues concerning privacy and trust must be extended beyond a single national culture. This study proposes and tests a Privacy-Trust-Behavioral Intention Model from a global perspective. More specifically, this study compares American and Taiwanese perceptions concerning online privacy and how it relates to the level of trust with a company’s electronic commerce web site. In turn, the model suggests that trust is an important intermediary variable that influences behavioral intentions for online transactions.
Antarctophthirus carlinii (Anoplura: Echinophthiriidae), a new species from the Weddell seal Leptonychotes weddelli

As a part of an ongoing long-term study on the biology of pack-ice seals in Antarctica, we had the opportunity to collect lice from Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddelli). We did not find the original description of this host-parasite association. Antarctophthirus ogmorhini had previously been reported as a parasite for the Weddell seal, but the information is, to a certain extent, confusing. During the development of the present study, we had access to literature concerning the presence of A. ogmorhini on this host, which, to our knowledge, was not determined in any of the previous works on this species. We compared lice collected from Weddell seals with A. ogmorhini obtained from the type host, the leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx), and we found that both species can be distinguished. The main differences are the characteristic pattern of chaetotaxy in the dorsal side of the head in lice from Weddell seals, the size and form of the pseudopenis, and the distribution and size of the fringe of setae surrounding the genital opening. Considering the conservative morphology, and ecological and evolutionary features of sucking lice, we proposed that lice from Weddell seals constitute a new species. In the present work, we described and illustrated adults of this new species collected from Weddell seals during the austral summer of 2014 at the Danco Coast, Antarctic Peninsula.