LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
A passively safe cable driven upper limb rehabilitation exoskeleton.

BACKGROUND
When using upper limb exoskeletons that assist the movement of physically weak people, safety should be the most important index.


OBJECTIVE
In this paper, a passively safe, cable-driven upper limb exoskeleton with parallel actuated joints, which perfectly mimics human motions, is proposed.


METHODS
Compared with the existing upper limb exoskeletons which are mostly designed only considering the realization of functional properties, and having poor wearabity, a passively safe prototype for motion assistance based on human anatomy structure has been developed in our design. This design is based on the prior exoskeleton structure with the adoption of a gravity balanced device.


RESULTS AND CONCLUSION
The gravity balanced mechanism was confirmed in theory and simulation, showing it has a positive effect on balance.
Structural peculiarities in the β phase of the La0.75Ce0.25Ni4.8Al0.2 deuterides

Abstract In this contribution the structural, magnetic and sorption properties of the novel La 0.75 Ce 0.25 Ni 4.8 Al 0.2 alloy and its deuterides are discussed. The collected data indicate good stability of the alloy during the cycle-life and thermal treatment tests. Particularly, the desorption pressure is almost constant versus the cycle number. The results of the in-situ neutron diffraction studies show the unusual behaviour of the deuterium rich β phase. Unexpectedly, the β phase belongs to the same P 6/ mmm space group as the hydrogen poor α phase. Moreover, the β phase behaves like a solid solution on the plateau of the pressure-composition-temperature (PCT) curve. The deuterium sites and their occupations in both α and β phases are determined from the neutron diffraction data, giving the first-hand insight into the mechanism of the PCT hysteresis. As far as the magnetic properties are concerned, cerium is trivalent in the investigated alloy. However, no magnetic ordering down to 3 K is observed. It can be concluded that the sorption properties of the crystal depend on the cerium valence, what distinguishes the alloy from the other compositions.
Evaluating Quality of Chatbots and Intelligent Conversational Agents

Chatbots are one class of intelligent, conversational software agents activated by natural language input (which can be in the form of text, voice, or both). They provide conversational output in response, and if commanded, can sometimes also execute tasks. Although chatbot technologies have existed since the 1960’s and have influenced user interface development in games since the early 1980’s, chatbots are now easier to train and implement. This is due to plentiful open source code, widely available development platforms, and implementation options via Software as a Service (SaaS). In addition to enhancing customer experiences and supporting learning, chatbots can also be used to engineer social harm that is, to spread rumors and misinformation, or attack people for posting their thoughts and opinions online. This paper presents a literature review of quality issues and attributes as they relate to the contemporary issue of chatbot development and implementation. Finally, quality assessment approaches are reviewed, and a quality assessment method based on these attributes and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is proposed and examined.
Decolorization of indigo carmine solution using nanosecond pulsed power

Industrial application of pulsed power for water treatment has several advantages. Electrical discharges produced in atmosphere involve a variety of high energy phenomena which might be effective for water treatment. A water treatment system consisting of a coaxial cylinder reactor was constructed. The reactor consisted of a wire inner electrode and an outer cylinder electrode. A water layer was formed on the inner surface of the cylinder by water injection. By applying nanosecond pulse to the wire electrode, streamer discharges were developed from the wire to the water layer. Decolorization of indigo carmine solution was carried out by using the system. The indigo carmine solution was decolorized after treatment for 8 minutes with 50 pulses per second (pps) and then the decolorization efficiency at 80%-decolorization was determined to be about 5 mg/kJ. Increasing the pulse repetition rate shortened the treatment time but decreased the efficiency. The charging voltage of the storage capacitor of the pulse power generator influenced not only the decolorization time but also the efficiency of decolorization. When the charging voltage was 3.13 kV, the efficiency was 126.5 mg/kJ. Since ozone has a beneficial effect on decolorization, a sealed reactor confining the ozone enhances the effect of decolorization. The ozone produced by the same nanosecond pulsed power generator was injected into the Indigo carmine solution for comparison with the discharge reactor with water. The efficiency of decolorization using the discharge reactor was higher than that using ozone produced by the pulsed power.
Clinical trial: Radiofrequency energy delivery in proton pump inhibitor-dependent gastro-oesophageal reflux disease patients.

BACKGROUND
Radiofrequency (RF) energy delivery is an endoscopic procedure developed for the treatment of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease.


AIM
To compare RF and a proton pump inhibitor strategy (PPI) in PPI-dependent patients by carrying out a prospective, randomized trial.


METHODS
Patients with PPI-dependent typical reflux symptoms were randomly allocated to either RF or PPI regimen alone. The primary endpoint, evaluated at 6-month, was defined as the possibility for the patient to stop or to decrease PPI use to <50% of the effective dose required at baseline.


RESULTS
In the RF group, 18/20 patients stopped (n = 3) or decreased (n = 15) PPI use as compared to eight of 16 in the PPI group (P = 0.01). None of the control patients could stop PPI. Health-related quality of life scores were not different between groups. No significant change in oesophageal acid exposure (OAE) was noted between baseline and 6-months after RF. No severe complication was reported.


CONCLUSIONS
Radiofrequency energy delivery is a safe and effective therapeutic option, allowing reduction in or discontinuation of PPI therapy in patients with PPI-dependent symptoms, without loss of quality of life. However, in a majority of patients, PPI therapy cannot be completely stopped. The efficacy of RF does not seem to be related to a decrease in OAE.
The conservative treatment of phimosis in boys.

OBJECTIVE
To further test the application of topical steroids in boys referred to a paediatric surgical practice with pathological, non-retractable foreskins diagnosed as phimosis.


PATIENTS AND METHODS
This prospective study comprised two groups of 20 boys each (mean age 4.1 years, range 3-6) diagnosed as having phimosis; twice daily, a topical steroid (0.05% betamethasone cream) was applied on the narrowed preputial skin in the first group and a neutral cream (Vaseline) in the second (control) group. Patients were treated for 4 weeks and the retractability of the foreskin and any side-effects assessed.


RESULTS
Good retraction of the foreskin was achieved in 19 patients treated with betamethasone cream and the response was unsatisfactory in 16 patients from the control group; these 16 boys and one 6-year-old boy treated with betamethasone were circumsized. There were no side-effects or problems after the application of either cream.


CONCLUSION
Treatment with 0.05% betamethasone cream is a simple and safe method for the treatment of phimosis in boys older than 3 years. An early operation is necessary in cases of genuine phimosis when 1 month of treatment with topical steroids has failed. We strongly support the saying, "The fortunate foreskin of an infant boy will usually be left well alone by everyone but its owner'.
Prognosis Related to Metastatic Burden Measured by ¹⁸F-Fluorocholine PET/CT in Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer.

UNLABELLED
This study investigated the prognostic significance of metabolically active tumor volume (MATV) measurements applied to (18)F-fluorocholine PET/CT in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC).


METHODS
(18)F-fluorocholine PET/CT imaging was performed on 30 patients with CRPC. Metastatic disease was quantified on the basis of maximum standardized uptake value (SUV(max)), MATV, and total lesion activity (TLA = MATV × mean standardized uptake value). Tumor burden indices derived from whole-body summation of PET tumor volume measurements (i.e., net MATV and net TLA) were evaluated as variables in Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses.


RESULTS
Net MATV ranged from 0.12 cm(3) to 1,543.9 cm(3) (median, 52.6 cm(3)). Net TLA ranged from 0.40 to 6,688.7 g (median, 225.1 g). Prostate-specific antigen level at the time of PET correlated significantly with net MATV (Pearson r = 0.65, P = 0.0001) and net TLA (r = 0.60, P = 0.0005) but not highest lesional SUV(max) of each scan. Survivors were followed for a median 23 mo (range, 6-38 mo). On Cox regression analyses, overall survival had a significant association with net MATV (P = 0.0068), net TLA (P = 0.0072), and highest lesion SUV(max) (P = 0.0173) and a borderline association with prostate-specific antigen level (P = 0.0458). Only net MATV and net TLA remained significant in univariate-adjusted survival analyses. Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated significant differences in survival between groups stratified by median net MATV (log-rank P = 0.0371), net TLA (log-rank P = 0.0371), and highest lesion SUV(max) (log-rank P = 0.0223).


CONCLUSION
Metastatic prostate cancer detected by (18)F-fluorocholine PET/CT can be quantified on the basis of volumetric measurements of tumor metabolic activity. The prognostic value of (18)F-fluorocholine PET/CT may stem from this capacity to assess whole-body tumor burden. With further clinical validation, (18)F-fluorocholine PET-based indices of global disease activity and mortality risk could prove useful in patient-individualized treatment of CRPC.
Notable design patterns for domain-specific languages

The realisation of domain-speci®c languages (DSLs) diers in fundamental ways from that of traditional programming languages. We describe eight recurring patterns that we have identi®ed as being used for DSL design and implementation. Existing languages can be extended, restricted, partially used, or become hosts for DSLs. Simple DSLs can be implemented by lexical processing. In addition, DSLs can be used to create front-ends to existing systems or to express complicated data structures. Finally, DSLs can be combined using process pipelines. The patterns described form a pattern language that can be used as a building block for a systematic view of the software development process involving DSLs. Ó 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.
Viral Linkage in HIV-1 Seroconverters and Their Partners in an HIV-1 Prevention Clinical Trial

BACKGROUND
Characterization of viruses in HIV-1 transmission pairs will help identify biological determinants of infectiousness and evaluate candidate interventions to reduce transmission. Although HIV-1 sequencing is frequently used to substantiate linkage between newly HIV-1 infected individuals and their sexual partners in epidemiologic and forensic studies, viral sequencing is seldom applied in HIV-1 prevention trials. The Partners in Prevention HSV/HIV Transmission Study (ClinicalTrials.gov #NCT00194519) was a prospective randomized placebo-controlled trial that enrolled serodiscordant heterosexual couples to determine the efficacy of genital herpes suppression in reducing HIV-1 transmission; as part of the study analysis, HIV-1 sequences were examined for genetic linkage between seroconverters and their enrolled partners.


METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS
We obtained partial consensus HIV-1 env and gag sequences from blood plasma for 151 transmission pairs and performed deep sequencing of env in some cases. We analyzed sequences with phylogenetic techniques and developed a Bayesian algorithm to evaluate the probability of linkage. For linkage, we required monophyletic clustering between enrolled partners' sequences and a Bayesian posterior probability of ≥ 50%. Adjudicators classified each seroconversion, finding 108 (71.5%) linked, 40 (26.5%) unlinked, and 3 (2.0%) indeterminate transmissions, with linkage determined by consensus env sequencing in 91 (84%). Male seroconverters had a higher frequency of unlinked transmissions than female seroconverters. The likelihood of transmission from the enrolled partner was related to time on study, with increasing numbers of unlinked transmissions occurring after longer observation periods. Finally, baseline viral load was found to be significantly higher among linked transmitters.


CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE
In this first use of HIV-1 sequencing to establish endpoints in a large clinical trial, more than one-fourth of transmissions were unlinked to the enrolled partner, illustrating the relevance of these methods in the design of future HIV-1 prevention trials in serodiscordant couples. A hierarchy of sequencing techniques, analysis methods, and expert adjudication contributed to the linkage determination process.
Electroacupuncture for older adults with mild cognitive impairment: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND
Mild cognitive impairment is an intermediary state between normal aging and clinical Alzheimer's disease. Early intervention of mild cognitive impairment may be an important strategy in the management of Alzheimer's disease. The proposal aims to evaluate if electroacupuncture would optimize cognitive function in subjects with mild cognitive impairment and understand the role of electroacupuncture in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.


METHODS/DESIGN
A randomised patient- and assessor-blind sham-controlled trial is designed to assess whether electroacupuncture intervention decreases the rate of cognitive decline amongst older adults with mild cognitive impairment. One hundred and fifty subjects aged 65 years of age or over with a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment are recruited from the community and elderly centre in Hong Kong. All subjects are randomly allocated into two groups (75 subjects each group): the electroacupuncture group and sham control. Participants in the electroacupuncture group receive electroacupuncture stimulation by sterile, disposable acupuncture needles inserted to the acupoints with a depth of 1 to 3 cm. The acupuncture needles are subjected to 2 Hz electroacupuncture with an intensity of 5 to 10 mA. Each participant receives electroacupuncture for 8 weeks (once a day, 3 days a week) and the treatment lasts for 30 minutes each time. For sham electroacupuncture, needles are inserted to a depth of 1 to 2 mm, and connected to the electroacupuncture device without any current passing through. Outcome measures (including primary and secondary outcome measures) are collected at baseline, at the end day of intervention, and months 4 and 6 after intervention. The primary outcome is measured by the Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive subscale. Secondary outcomes are measured by the mini-mental state examination, category fluency text and the Short Form 12.


DISCUSSION
The study will provide evidence for evaluating and understanding the role of electroacupuncture in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.


TRIAL REGISTRATION
This trial is registered with chictr.org (registration number: ChiCTR-TRC-12002414 . Registration date: 11 August 2012.
Validating and updating a risk model for pneumonia – a case study

BACKGROUND
The development of risk prediction models is of increasing importance in medical research - their use in practice, however, is rare. Among other reasons this might be due to the fact that thorough validation is often lacking. This study focuses on two Bayesian approaches of how to validate a prediction rule for the diagnosis of pneumonia, and compares them with established validation methods.


METHODS
Expert knowledge was used to derive a risk prediction model for pneumonia. Data on more than 600 patients presenting with cough and fever at a general practitioner's practice in Switzerland were collected in order to validate the expert model and to examine the predictive performance of it. Additionally, four modifications of the original model including shrinkage of the regression coefficients, and two Bayesian approaches with the expert model used as prior mean and different weights for the prior covariance matrix were fitted. We quantify the predictive performance of the different methods with respect to calibration and discrimination, using cross-validation.


RESULTS
The predictive performance of the unshrinked regression coefficients was poor when applied to the Swiss cohort. Shrinkage improved the results, but a Bayesian model formulation with unspecified weight of the informative prior lead to large AUC and small Brier score, naïve and after cross-validation. The advantage of this approach is the flexibility in case of a prior-data conflict.


CONCLUSIONS
Published risk prediction rules in clinical research need to be validated externally before they can be used in new settings. We propose to use a Bayesian model formulation with the original risk prediction rule as prior. The posterior means of the coefficients, given the validation data showed best predictive performance with respect to cross-validated calibration and discriminative ability.
Diagonalization, Uniformity, and Fixed-Point Theorems

We derive new fixed-point theorems for subrecursive classes, together with a theorem on the uniformity of certain reductions, from a general formulation of the technique of delayed diagonalization. This formulation extends the main theorem of U. Schoning (Theoret. Comput. Sci. 18 (1982), 95–103) to cases which involve infinitely many diagonal classes Ck, and which allow each Ck to contain uncountably many members. The main technical work ties the familiar concept of a witness function directly to the often-studied Cantor-set topology on languages, and provides a “delay construction” which refines those due to Schoning, S. Breidtbart, and D. Schmidt. Our “a.e.” fixed-point theorems do not require that the “programming system” for the subrecursive class in question be well-behaved; we compare them to results which do. The other theorem is similar to the “uniform boundedness theorem” of classical analysis, and extends work of J. Grollmann and A. Selman.
Ginkgo biloba in the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents. A randomized, placebo-controlled, trial.

OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficacy of Ginkgo biloba as a complementary therapy for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).


METHODS
Children and adolescents with ADHD received methylphenidate (20-30 mg/day) plus either G. biloba (80-120 mg/day) or placebo for 6 weeks. Parent and teacher forms of the ADHD Rating Scale-IV (ADHD-RS-IV) were completed at baseline, week 2, and week 6. Treatment response was defined as 27% improvement from baseline in the ADHD-RS-IV.


RESULTS
Compared with placebo, more reduction was observed with G. biloba regarding ADHD-RS-IV parent rating inattention score (-7.74 ± 1.94 vs. -5.34 ± 1.85, P < 0.001) and total score (-13.1 ± 3.36 vs. -10.2 ± 3.01, P = 0.001) as well as teacher rating inattention score (-7.29 ± 1.90 vs. -5.96 ± 1.52, P = 0.004). Response rate was higher with G. biloba compared with placebo based on parent rating (93.5% vs. 58.6%, P = 0.002).


CONCLUSIONS
The G. biloba is an effective complementary treatment for ADHD. Further studies with longer treatment duration are warranted in this regard. IRCT2014111519958N1.
Iolkos in Thessaly

One of the oldest settlements in the Pagasitic Gulf, from where the Argonauts set sail for Kolchis, according to Greek tradition. 
 
 
Keywords: 
 
archaeology; 
classical civilization
Corruption, competition and democracy

This paper presents a model of the interaction between corrupt government officials and industrial firms to show that corruption is antithetical to competition. It is hypothesized that a government agent that controls access to a formal market has a self-interest in demanding a bribe payment that serves to limit the number of firms. This corrupt official will also be subject to a detection technology that is a function of the amount of the bribe payment and the number of firms that pay it. Under quite normal assumptions about the shape of the graph of the detection function, multiple equilibria can arise where one equilibrium is characterized by high corruption and low competition, and another is characterized by low corruption and high competition. Some suggestive empirical evidence is presented that supports the main hypothesis that competition and corruption are negatively related. D 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. JEL classification: H30; O17; L11; D43
Associations between oncology nurses' attitudes toward death and caring for dying patients.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES
To examine relationships between oncology nurses' attitudes toward death and caring for dying patients.


DESIGN
Cross-sectional, descriptive, and correlational.


SETTING
Israeli Oncology Nurses Society annual conference in June 2006.


SAMPLE
A convenience sample of 147 Israeli nurses who were exposed to death in their daily work. Most worked in oncology departments and were of Jewish faith.


METHODS
Completion of the Frommelt Attitude Toward Care of the Dying Scale, Death Attitude Profile-Revised Scale, and a demographic questionnaire.


MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES
Attitudes toward caring for dying patients, attitudes toward death (fear of death, death avoidance, and types of death acceptance), and demographic variables (e.g., religiosity).


FINDINGS
Nurses demonstrated positive attitudes toward care of dying patients. The attitudes were significantly negatively correlated with death avoidance, fear of death, and approach acceptance of death. A mediating role of death avoidance was found between fear of death and attitudes toward caring for dying patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Nurses' personal attitudes toward death were associated with their attitudes toward the care of dying patients. The mediating model suggests that some nurses may use avoidance to cope with their own personal fears of death. Inconsistency between the current results and previous studies of associations between acceptance of death and attitudes toward care for dying patients imply that culture and religion might play important roles in the development of these attitudes.


IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING
Training and support programs for oncology nurses should take into consideration nurses' personal attitudes toward death as well as their religious and cultural backgrounds.
Parenting Classes, Parenting Behavior, and Child Cognitive Development in Early Head Start: A Longitudinal Model

This study analyzed Early Head Start Research and Evaluation (EHSRE) study data, examining the effect of parenting classes on parenting behaviors and children’s cognitive outcomes. The study analyzed three sets of dependent variables: parental language and cognitive stimulation, parent-child interactive activities, and the Bayley Mental Development Index (MDI) of children. The analysis results, using Longitudinal Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) and multivariate analyses, revealed that parents who attended parenting classes stimulated their children’s language and cognitive development and provided educational activities more than did parents who did not participate in parenting classes. The cognitive outcomes (the Bayley MDI scores) of the children whose parents attended parenting classes were significantly higher than those of the children of parents who had never attended these classes.