LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Intratympanic dexamethasone injection for refractory sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

OBJECTIVE
This case-control study aimed to analyze the effect of intratympanic dexamethasone injection (ITDI) as a treatment option for patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) who were refractory to classic oral steroid treatment.


METHODS
Sixty-six patients with SSNHL, who were refractory to a course of oral steroid therapy, were included in this study. We prospectively treated consecutive 33 patients (34 ears) with ITDI from August 2002 to January 2004. We then retrospectively collected data from age- and sex-matched previous patients who did not take any more treatments after the initial regimen between March 2000 and July 2002. ITDI was performed in the supine position on four separate occasions over the course of 2 weeks. Hearing was assessed immediately before every injection and at 1 week after therapy. Hearing improvement was defined as more than 10 dB in pure-tone average (PTA).


RESULTS
Hearing improvement was observed in 13 (39.4%) of 33 patients who underwent ITDI and in two (6.1%) of 33 patients in the control group. Five of 13 represented hearing improvement over than 20 dB in PTA, and 11 of 20 patients, who showed no improvement in PTA by ITDI, showed improvement over 10 dB in some frequencies. There were no definite prognostic factors between the patients who responded to ITDI and those who did not.


CONCLUSION
ITDI may be a simple and effective therapy for patients with refractory SSNHL.
Analysis of Code Heterogeneity for High-Precision Classification of Repackaged Malware

During repackaging, malware writers statically inject malcode and modify the control flow to ensure its execution. Repackaged malware is difficult to detect by existing classification techniques, partly because of their behavioral similarities to benign apps. By exploring the app's internal different behaviors, we propose a new Android repackaged malware detection technique based on code heterogeneity analysis. Our solution strategically partitions the code structure of an app into multiple dependence-based regions (subsets of the code). Each region is independently classified on its behavioral features. We point out the security challenges and design choices for partitioning code structures at the class and method level graphs, and present a solution based on multiple dependence relations. We have performed experimental evaluation with over 7,542 Android apps. For repackaged malware, our partition-based detection reduces false negatives (i.e., missed detection) by 30-fold, when compared to the non-partition-based approach. Overall, our approach achieves a false negative rate of 0.35% and a false positive rate of 2.97%.
Battling Demon Rum: The Struggle for a Dry America, 1800-1933

A narrative account of the fight to regulate alcohol, from roughly 1800 to the repeal of national prohibition in 1933. An intriguing tale of social reform and of the limits of government-imposed morality. "The best short history available of the politics and practices of American temperance reform...Highly recommended."-Library Journal. American Ways Series.
Akkermansia muciniphila and improved metabolic health during a dietary intervention in obesity: relationship with gut microbiome richness and ecology.

OBJECTIVE
Individuals with obesity and type 2 diabetes differ from lean and healthy individuals in their abundance of certain gut microbial species and microbial gene richness. Abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila, a mucin-degrading bacterium, has been inversely associated with body fat mass and glucose intolerance in mice, but more evidence is needed in humans. The impact of diet and weight loss on this bacterial species is unknown. Our objective was to evaluate the association between faecal A. muciniphila abundance, faecal microbiome gene richness, diet, host characteristics, and their changes after calorie restriction (CR).


DESIGN
The intervention consisted of a 6-week CR period followed by a 6-week weight stabilisation diet in overweight and obese adults (N=49, including 41 women). Faecal A. muciniphila abundance, faecal microbial gene richness, diet and bioclinical parameters were measured at baseline and after CR and weight stabilisation.


RESULTS
At baseline A. muciniphila was inversely related to fasting glucose, waist-to-hip ratio and subcutaneous adipocyte diameter. Subjects with higher gene richness and A. muciniphila abundance exhibited the healthiest metabolic status, particularly in fasting plasma glucose, plasma triglycerides and body fat distribution. Individuals with higher baseline A. muciniphila displayed greater improvement in insulin sensitivity markers and other clinical parameters after CR. These participants also experienced a reduction in A. muciniphila abundance, but it remained significantly higher than in individuals with lower baseline abundance. A. muciniphila was associated with microbial species known to be related to health.


CONCLUSIONS
A. muciniphila is associated with a healthier metabolic status and better clinical outcomes after CR in overweight/obese adults. The interaction between gut microbiota ecology and A. muciniphila warrants further investigation.


TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER
NCT01314690.
Blood letting in high-ferritin type 2 diabetes: effects on vascular reactivity.

OBJECTIVE
In a recent study, iron chelation with deferoxamine led to improvement of endothelial dysfunction in patients with coronary artery disease. We tested the hypothesis that decreasing circulating iron stores might improve vascular dysfunction in patients with type 2 diabetes and increased serum ferritin concentration.


RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
A total of 28 type 2 diabetic male patients with serum ferritin levels >200 ng/ml ( approximately 18% of consecutive type 2 diabetic men attending our outpatient clinic) were randomized to iron depletion (three extractions of 500 ml blood at 2-week intervals; group 1A) or to observation (group 1B). C282Y mutation was absent in all patients. Vascular reactivity (high-resolution external ultrasound) was evaluated at baseline and at 4 and 12 months thereafter. The two groups of patients were matched for age, BMI, pharmacological treatment, and chronic diabetic complications.


RESULTS
Endothelium-dependent vasodilation remained essentially unchanged in both groups of patients. In contrast, the vasodilation induced by glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) improved significantly after iron depletion (P = 0.006). These changes occurred in parallel to decreases in transferrin saturation index and HbA(1c) levels (-0.6%, P < 0.05) only in group 1A patients. The best predictor of the modifications in endothelium-independent vasodilation was the change in HbA(1c) levels. Changes in endothelium-independent vasodilation also correlated with the change in serum ferritin (r = -0.45, P = 0.04). At 12 months, transferrin saturation index and GTN-induced vasodilation returned to values similar to those at baseline in both groups of subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
Iron depletion improves vascular dysfunction in type 2 diabetic patients with high ferritin concentrations. The mechanisms by which these changes occur should be further investigated.
Nationalism and ethnic conflict : philosophical perspectives

This collection of essays approaches the problems and strengths of nationalism from a number of philosophical perspectives. The contributors craft a definition of nation/nationalism that emphasizes the cultural and sociopolitical ties uniting members of a country rather than merely their place of origin.
Efficacy of Oral Etoposide in Pretreated Metastatic Breast Cancer: A Multicenter Phase 2 Study: Erratum

Cancer: A Multicenter Phase 2 Study: Erratum I n the article ‘‘Efficacy of Oral Etoposide in Pretreated Metastatic Breast Cancer: A Multicenter Phase 2 Study’’, 1 which appeared in Volume 94, Issue 17 of Medicine, the legend for Figure 2 was presented incorrectly. The green line should represent Internal organ metastasis, and the blue line should represent No internal organ metastasis. The article has been corrected online.
Effects of Exercise Training Intensity on Pancreatic β-Cell Function

OBJECTIVE
Insulin resistance and beta-cell dysfunction both are important contributors to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. Exercise training improves insulin sensitivity, but its effects on beta-cell function are less well studied.


RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
Sedentary, overweight adults were randomized to control or one of three 8-month exercise programs: 1) low amount/moderate intensity, 2) low amount/vigorous intensity, or 3) high amount/vigorous intensity. Of 387 randomized, 260 completed the study and 237 had complete data. Insulin sensitivity (S(i)), acute insulin response to glucose (AIRg), and the disposition index (DI = S(i) x AIRg) were modeled from an intravenous glucose tolerance test.


RESULTS
Compared with control subjects, all three training programs led to increases in DI. However, the moderate-intensity group experienced a significantly larger increase in DI than either of the vigorous-intensity groups and through a different mechanism. The high-amount/vigorous-intensity group improved S(i) and had a compensatory reduction in AIRg, whereas the moderate-intensity group had a similar improvement in S(i) but almost no reduction in AIRg. Importantly, the inactive control group experienced a significant increase in fasting glucose.


CONCLUSIONS
To the extent that the DI accurately reflects beta-cell function, we observed that both moderate- and vigorous-intensity exercise training improved beta-cell function, albeit through distinct mechanisms. It is not clear which of these mechanisms is preferable for maintenance of metabolic health. While moderate-intensity exercise led to a larger improvement in DI, which may reflect a transition toward a more normal DI, longer-term investigations would be necessary to determine which was more effective at reducing diabetes risk.
The Scope of the Contribution of Psychoanalysis to the Biography of The Artist

Ernst Kris, more than any other analyst of this generation, had searched for the essence of creative genius, and his inspiring leadership was acknowledged by all participants in the Panel. It is therefore most painful that this final report for publication must be dedicated to the memory of his luminous guidence.
RFID privacy: an overview of problems and proposed solutions

As organizations aggressively deploy radio frequency identification systems, activists are increasingly concerned about RFID's potential to invade user privacy. This overview highlights potential threats and how they might be addressed using both technology and public policy.
Sedimentary geochemical record of human-induced environmental changes in the Lake Brunnsviken watershed, Sweden

Environmental changes in Lake Brunnsviken, its watershed, and the greater Stockholm region since the middle of the nineteenth century have left interpretable geochemical imprints in the bottom sediments. These humaninduced perturbations within the lake’s watershed included agriculture, urbanization, sewage and industrial disposal, and water column aeration. Smaller dNtotal values, high organic carbon mass accumulation rates, low C : N ratios, and larger dCorg values identify periods of increased nutrient delivery and elevated primary productivity in the lake. C : S ratios that change from high to low trace the transition from an oxic hypolimnion to an anoxic one during the periods of high productivity. Accumulations of redox-sensitive trace elements increase during the anoxic period and are further magnified during a time of industrial waste discharge into the lake. A recent decrease in black carbon concentrations in sediments reflects the conversion from wood and coal to cleaner forms of energy. The composition of lake sediments generally reflects the environmental conditions in and around a water body that existed at the time of their accumulation. Organic matter is a small yet important component of sediments because of its associations with biota, nutrient cycles, and geochemical processes. Photosynthetic plants and microbes that inhabit the lake and its surroundings produce organic matter, and organisms that dwell in the lake depths and sediments consume it. Metabolism and oxidation of organic carbon remove dissolved oxygen from the lake waters and sediments, increase their alkalinity, and lead to CaCO3 dissolution. Lowered oxygen levels drive redox reactions that simultaneously redistribute trace elements and nutrients. Environmental changes in and around a lake affect how much and what kind of organic matter is delivered to the aquatic system and 1 Corresponding author (joyanto.routh@geo.su.se).
The role of project management in ineffective decision making within Agile software development projects

Received: 30 April 2008 Revised: 30 September 2008 2nd Revision: 18 June 2009 Accepted: 21 June 2009 Abstract Decision making in traditional software development lies with the project manager. In contrast, Agile software development teams are empowered to make decisions, while the role of project manager has changed from one of command and control (i.e. to make decisions and ensure they are implemented) to one of a facilitator. This article argues that decision making in software development is not characterised by a sequence of isolated or exclusive decisions; rather, decisions are inter-related, with each decision leading to further decisions, the chain of which often spans the entire duration of a project. Over this extended period, there are several potential factors that can negatively affect the efficacy of decision making by Agile teams. One of the findings of this exploratory longitudinal study is that the high level of empowerment of a cohesive software development team undertaking an Agile project may be one of these negative factors, as empowered, cohesive teams can exhibit problems such as groupthink or the Abilene Paradox. This article therefore argues that the role of project manager in Agile development initiatives needs to be reassessed, with project managers taking on the role of devil’s advocate in the decision-making process. European Journal of Information Systems (2009) 18, 372–383. doi:10.1057/ejis.2009.22; published online 28 July 2009
Adoption and use of technology in early education: The interplay of extrinsic barriers and teacher attitudes

The increased access to, but continued under-use of, technology in education makes it imperative to understand the barriers teachers face when integrating technology into their classrooms. While prior research suggests teachers encounter both first-order extrinsic barriers and second-order personal barriers, much of this research has focused on K-12 teachers, not early childhood educators. Applying the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology to early childhood education, the current study examines predictors of early childhood educators’ access to and use of traditional technologies and newer mobile devices. Findings from 1329 teachers of 0–4-year-olds reveal that while extrinsic barriers influence access to a range of technologies, positive beliefs in children’s learning from technology significantly predicted actual use of technology. Overall, the study provides new insight into factors influencing technology integration specifically for early childhood educators, a subgroup that has not been represented in much of the literature on technology integration in formal education. 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Morphology and immunology of the human palatine tonsil

At the surface of the respiratory and digestive organs the organism first comes into contact nasally and orally with various foreign agents and substances in the air and in food. The palatine tonsils are located at the centre of this strategic region. Immunological processes, both humoral and cellular, are initiated in the different specialised compartments of the palatine tonsils, such as the crypt epithelium, lymphoid follicles and extrafollicular region. Each compartment has a typical composition of lymphocytes and dendritic cell subsets. This review summarises current data on the anatomy, histology, and pathology of the human palatine tonsils, describes their fundamental immunological functions, and provides insight into the various interactions involved in the initiation of immune responses. The palatine tonsil is the only easily accessible human lymphoid organ and is often taken as an example for lymphoid organs. Although affections of the palatine tonsils constitutes an essential part in the clinical routine, it is still controversial whether tonsillectomy is of general benefit. This is of increasing importance since it has been discovered in the last few years that the palatine tonsils are reservoir and replication sites of HIV.
Can we make an early 'do not resuscitate' decision in severe burn patients?

BACKGROUND
The present study was conducted to examine topic of issuing early do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order at first diagnosis of patients with severe burn injuries in light of current law in Turkey and the medical literature. DNR requires withholding cardiopulmonary resuscitation in event of respiratory or cardiac arrest and allowing natural death to occur. It is frequently enacted for terminal cancer patients and elderly patients with irreversible neurological disorders.


METHODS
Between January 2009 and December 2014, 29 patients (3.44%) with very severe burns were admitted to burn unit. Average total burn surface area (TBSA) was 94.24% (range: 85-100%), and in 10 patients, TBSA was 100%. Additional inhalation burns were present in 26 of the patients (89.65%). All of the patients died, despite every medical intervention. Mean survival was 4.75 days (range: 1-24 days). Total of 17 patients died within 72 hours. Lethal dose 50 (% TBSA at which certain group has 50% chance of survival) rate of our burn center is 62%. Baux indices were used for prognostic evaluation of the patients; mean total Baux score of the patients was 154.13 (range: 117-183).


RESULTS
It is well known that numerous problems may be encountered during triage of severely burned patients in Turkey. These patients are referred to burn centers and are frequently transferred via air ambulance between cities, and even countries. They are intubated and mechanical ventilation is initiated at burn center. Many interventions are performed to treat these patients, such as escharotomy, fasciotomy, tangential or fascial excision, central venous catheterization and tracheostomy, or hemodialysis. Yet despite such interventions, these patients die, typically within 48 to 96 hours. Integrity of the body is often lost as result of aggressive intervention with no real benefit, and there are also economic costs to hospital related to use of materials, bed occupancy, and distribution of workforce. For these reasons, as well as patient comfort, early do-not-resuscitate or do-not-intubate protocol for these patients is suggested. Resources could then be directed to other patients with high expectancy of life and patients with burns that are beyond treatment can experience more comfortable end of life.


CONCLUSION
At present in Turkey, it is not possible to give DNR order for patient with severe burns that are incompatible with survival due to legal interdiction. This subject should be discussed at high-level meetings with participation of doctors, legal experts, economists, and theologians.
Stochastic First- and Zeroth-order Methods for Nonconvex Stochastic Programming

In this paper, we introduce a new stochastic approximation (SA) type algorithm, namely the randomized stochastic gradient (RSG) method, for solving an important class of nonlinear (possibly nonconvex) stochastic programming (SP) problems. We establish the complexity of this method for computing an approximate stationary point of a nonlinear programming problem. We also show that this method possesses a nearly optimal rate of convergence if the problem is convex. We discuss a variant of the algorithm which consists of applying a post-optimization phase to evaluate a short list of solutions generated by several independent runs of the RSG method, and show that such modification allows to improve significantly the large-deviation properties of the algorithm. These methods are then specialized for solving a class of simulation-based optimization problems in which only stochastic zeroth-order information is available. 1. Introduction. In 1951, Robbins and Monro in their seminal work [34] proposed a classical stochastic approximation (SA) algorithm for solving stochastic programming (SP) problems. This approach mimics the simplest gradient descent method by using noisy gradient information in place of the exact gradients, and possesses the " asymptotically optimal " rate of convergence for solving a class of strongly convex SP problems [4, 38]. However, it is usually difficult to implement the " asymptotically optimal " stepsize policy, especially in the beginning, so that the algorithms often perform poorly in practice (e.g., [40, Section 4.5.3]). An important improvement of the classical SA was developed by Polyak [32] and Polyak and Juditsky [33], where longer stepsizes were suggested together with the averaging of the obtained iterates. Their methods were shown to be more robust with respect to the selection of stepsizes than the classical SA and also exhibit the " asymptotically optimal " rate of convergence for solving strongly convex SP problems. We refer to [24] for an account of the earlier history of SA methods. The last few years have seen some significant progress for the development of SA methods for SP. On one hand, new SA type methods are being introduced to solve SP problems which are not necessarily strongly convex. On the other hand, these developments , motivated by complexity theory in convex optimization [25], concerned the convergence properties of SA methods during a finite number of iterations. For example, Nemirovski et al. [24] presented a properly modified SA approach, namely, mirror descent SA for solving general non-smooth convex SP problems. They demonstrated …
John Ford's My Darling Clementine (1946)

ABSTRACT In 1946, John Ford made a film about a legend of law and order in the American West as a validation of the American past for the immediate post––World War II era. In an age of doubt and uncertainty, the serene but resolute figure of Wyatt Earp was designed to alleviate anxiety about the irrelevance of the past for the new era.
Searching for a Black Hole in Synchronous Tree Networks

A black hole is a highly harmful stationary process residing in a node of a network and destroying all mobile agents visiting the node, without leaving any trace. We consider the task of locating a black hole in a (partially) synchronous tree network, assuming an upper bound on the time of any edge traversal by an agent. The minimum number of agents capable of identifying a black hole is two. For a given tree and given starting node we are interested in the fastest possible black hole search by two agents. For arbitrary trees we give a 5/3approximation algorithm for this problem. We give optimal black hole search algorithms for two “extreme” classes of trees: the class of lines and the class of trees in which any internal node (including the root which is the starting node) has at least 2 children.