LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
PlayMancer: A Serious Gaming 3D Environment

Serious games are computer games used as educational technology or as a vehicle for presenting or promoting a point of view. Serious games are intended to provide an engaging, self-reinforcing context in which to motivate and educate the players towards non-game events or processes, including business operations, training, marketing and advertisement. The potential of games for entertainment and learning has been demonstrated thoroughly from research and clearly in the market place. Unfortunately, the investments committed to entertainment dwarfs that which is committed for more serious purposes. Furthermore, game development has become more complex, expensive, and burdened with a long development cycle. In this paper we introduce PlayMancer, a work in progress that aims to overcome such barriers by augmenting existing 3D gaming engines with new possibilities and thusly creating a novel development framework. In section I of this paper we briefly survey the serious games market. In section II we introduce the PlayMancer project and its objectives, whereas in section III we present the platform architecture. Section VI describes an application scenario where a PlayMancer-based game is being used as additional therapeutic tool to treat chronic mental disorders, such as eating disorders and behavioral addiction.
Psychedelic Fauna for Psychonaut Hunters: A Mini-Review

Currently different classes of psychoactive substances are easily available for abuse, including several hundred novel psychoactive substances (NPS). Some of these drugs occur naturally in plants and animals or are chemically modified from plant or animal compounds and have been abused by humans over millennia. Recently, the occurrence of a new "drug culture" (e.g., psychonauts) who consume a great variety of NPS with hallucinogenic/psychedelic properties, facilitated the development of a new "psychedelic trend" toward the consumption of substances contained in some species of animals ("psychedelic fauna"). The present review aims at providing an overview of the most commonly abused "psychedelic animals," by combining a dual search strategy coming from online psychonauts' experiences and English literature searches on the PubMed/Medline Google Scholar databases. A multilingual qualitative assessment on a range of websites and online resources was performed in order to identify a list of animals who possess some psychoactive properties and could be abused by humans for recreational purposes. Several species are implicated (i.e., ants, amphibians, fish). Routes of administration depend on the animal, substance included, metabolism, toxicity and individual, social and cultural variability. Online purchase and access are easy through tourism-related search strategies ("frog trip," "help of charmer snake," "religious trip").
The economic burden of type 2 diabetes mellitus in rural southwest China.

BACKGROUND
This study was conducted in order to estimate the economic burden of diabetes in a given year in rural Yunnan province of China, including direct, indirect and intangible costs.


METHODS
A cross-sectional survey was conducted in rural southwest China in early 2011 among 9396 consenting individuals aged ≥ 18 years. Information on participants' demographic characteristics, and economic consequences and related aspects of diabetes were obtained using a standard questionnaire. Fasting blood sugar level was also measured for each individual. Years of life lost (YLL) due to diabetes was estimated using medical death certificates. A prevalence-based cost-of-illness method was used to estimate the economic burden of diabetes.


RESULTS
The overall prevalence and YLL of diabetes was 6.5% and 1168.1 years in the study population, respectively. Total cost of illness related to diabetes was estimated to be $46.8 million. Mean unit direct medical costs, direct non-medical costs, morbidity costs, mortality costs, intangible costs, and cost of illness were $863.2, $44.6, $59.7, $7797.7, $936.2, and $9686.6, respectively. Direct costs accounted for the largest proportion of the economic costs of diabetes. Age was positively associated with direct costs whereas negatively associated with indirect costs. Patients aged 45-59 years incurred the highest intangible costs. Both indirect and intangible costs increased with level of education.


CONCLUSIONS
Diabetes is a major public health problem in terms of morbidity and economic burden in rural southwest China. The region should increase investment in the further control of diabetes, and improvement of patient quality of life.
Mindfulness-Based Positive Behavior Support (MBPBS) for Mothers of Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Effects on Adolescents’ Behavior and Parental Stress

Some parents have to deal with the challenging behaviors of their children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), including aggressive and destructive behaviors. While pharmacological and behavioral interventions have been the treatments of choice, sometimes the pharmacological treatments are not very effective or the behavioral interventions are so labor intensive that parents fail to implement them consistently, thus leading to treatment failure and parental stress. In this proof-of-concept study, we assessed the effects of providing mindfulness-based positive behavior support (MBPBS) training to three mothers on the challenging and compliance behaviors of their adolescents with ASD. The MBPBS program included a series of meditations aimed at personal transformation during an 8-week program. The training in mindfulness-based practices was paired with applications to their interactions with their adolescent children using a positive behavior support model, whereby the mothers learned how to apply behavioral contingencies with intuitive awareness. Results showed that the adolescents’ challenging behaviors decreased and compliance behaviors increased commensurate with the mothers’ training in MBPBS. In addition, statistically significant reductions in the mothers’ stress levels were correlated with the MBPBS training. These findings provide initial support for MBPBS in assisting parents to effectively manage the challenging behaviors of their children with ASD and in increasing their positive social interactions with them, but without raising their own stress levels.
Lessons to take home from CATIE.

UNLABELLED
The publicly funded Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness (CATIE) did not support superiority hypotheses for second-generation antipsychotic drugs in schizophrenia. Instead, the study supported the view that first- and second-generation antipsychotics have similar therapeutic properties and diverse adverse effect profiles. This emphasizes the importance of designing pharmacotherapy for the individual in order to optimize the benefit-to-risk profile. First- and second-generation antipsychotic drugs are extensively similar in mechanism of action, efficacy for psychosis, and lack of efficacy for avolition and impaired cognition. However, adverse effect profiles vary between drugs. The authors review the clinical implications of these data, with an emphasis on individualizing pharmacotherapy in an effort to reduce risk. Rather than selecting drugs on the basis of unfounded expectations of superior efficacy, clinicians can focus on selecting drugs and optimizing dosages to minimize adverse effects without sacrificing efficacy. Tardive dyskinesia may be a good reason to avoid a high dosage of first-generation antipsychotics, although the evidence for differential risk is less compelling for a modest dosage of low-affinity first-generation antipsychotics. Similarly, the metabolic effects of some second-generation antipsychotics can be decisive in considering risks. In either case, the clinician should detect earliest signs and take action while dyskinetic or metabolic effects are most reversible.


BOTTOM LINE
the dichotomy between first- and second-generation antipsychotics was not supported by efficacy data (and now, is not supported effectiveness data). Only clozapine has documented superiority in treatment-resistant cases.
[Profile of the informal carer associated with the clinical management of the Alzheimer's disease patient refractory to symptomatic treatment of the disease].

INTRODUCTION
Many factors influence the satisfaction and quality of life of informal caregivers of non-responder patients with Alzheimer disease (AD). Among these include, the course of the disease, cognitive impairment and behavioural disturbances of the patient, the level of family support and caregiver inherent factors such as, time commitment, psychological status and awareness of the disease. The aim of this work is to determine the profile of informal caregivers of non-responder AD patients and to evaluate the different factors that affect their quality of life, burden and overall satisfaction with treatment.


PATIENTS AND METHODS
We carried out a prospective and multicentre study in Spain that included a total of 249 AD patients unresponsive to anticholinesterase treatment, and their informal caregivers. We evaluated caregivers' quality of life with the SF-36 questionnaire and their associated burden with the Zarit scale, both validated for Spain. The severity and progression of the disease was quantified according to Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE).


RESULTS
Caregiver burden showed a significant increase with the time elapsed since the start of the study, while treatment satisfaction increased slightly with this factor. Caregiver burden is highly correlated with CDR scale on patient symptoms, both in the initial visit (p<.0001) and final visit (p=.0001). Caregiver satisfaction with treatment was mainly affected by the degree of change in cognitive deterioration experienced by the patient between the two visits (p=.021).


CONCLUSIONS
Overall satisfaction with the treatment stated by the caregiver does not correlate with compliance to treatment, but it does so with the changes in patient's cognitive impairment, a factor that also influences caregiver's burden.
A phase II study of an herbal decoction that includes Astragali radix for cancer-associated anorexia in patients with advanced cancer.

HYPOTHESIS
Anorexia and cancer cachexia produce significant loss of adipose tissue and muscle mass and eventually reduce survival in cancer patients.


STUDY DESIGN
This phase II study was conducted to assess the efficacy and the safety of an herbal decoction with Astragali radix in patients with anorexia in advanced cancer.


METHODS
All patients with histologic evidence of an incurable malignancy had a weight loss of at least 5% during the preceding 6 months and a patient-estimated severe anorexia.The herbal decoction was administered 30 minutes after meals, three times a day for 3 weeks.The score of appetite, body weight, the cytokines, IL-1beta, IL-6, TNF-alpha, and anthropometric measurements were assessed. For the assessment of anorexia, a visual analog scale (VAS: 0 mm = no anorexia, 100 mm = maximal anorexia) was used.


RESULTS
Eleven patients were recruited from January, 2007 to January, 2009. The mean age was 59.8 years old. The change in anorexia from baseline with the herbal decoction was significantly different and anorexia was improved (anorexia VAS score, 60 mm vs. 40 mm, p = 0.008). The mean value of the maximal body weight was 55.6 kg and differed significantly from the 54.6 kg at baseline (p = 0.009). Changes in cytokine levels and anthropometric measurements from baseline to the 3rd week were not significant. All toxicities were manageable.


CONCLUSION
Appetite and body weight were improved with the herbal decoction. This herbal decoction shows some potential for management of cancer-related anorexia.
Cost-effectiveness of minimal interventional procedures for chronic mechanical low back pain: design of four randomised controlled trials with an economic evaluation

BACKGROUND
Minimal interventional procedures are frequently applied in patients with mechanical low back pain which is defined as pain presumably resulting from single sources: facet, disc, sacroiliac joint or a combination of these. Usually, these minimal interventional procedures are an integral part of a multidisciplinary pain programme. A recent systematic review issued by the Dutch Health Insurance Council showed that the effectiveness of these procedures for the total group of patients with chronic low back pain is yet unclear and cost-effectiveness unknown. The aim of the study is to evaluate whether a multidisciplinary pain programme with minimal interventional procedures is cost-effective compared to the multidisciplinary pain programme alone for patients with chronic mechanical low back pain who did not respond to conservative primary care and were referred to a pain clinic.


METHODS
All patients with chronic low back pain who are referred to one of the 13 participating pain clinics will be asked to participate in an observational study. Patients with a suspected diagnosis of facet, disc or sacroiliac joint problems will receive a diagnostic block to confirm this diagnosis. If confirmed, they will be asked to participate in a randomized controlled trial (RCT). For each single source a separate RCT will be conducted. Patients with a combination of facet, disc or sacroiliac joint problems will be invited for participation in a RCT as well. An economic evaluation from a societal perspective will be performed alongside these four RCTs. Patients will complete questionnaires at baseline, 3 and 6 weeks, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after start of the treatment. Costs will be collected using self-completed cost questionnaires.


DISCUSSION
No trials are yet available which have evaluated the cost-effectiveness of minimal interventional procedures in patients with chronic mechanical low back pain, which emphasizes the importance of this study.


TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER
National Trial Register: NTR3531.
Population Dynamics of Aedes aegypti and Dengue as Influenced by Weather and Human Behavior in San Juan, Puerto Rico

Previous studies on the influence of weather on Aedes aegypti dynamics in Puerto Rico suggested that rainfall was a significant driver of immature mosquito populations and dengue incidence, but mostly in the drier areas of the island. We conducted a longitudinal study of Ae. aegypti in two neighborhoods of the metropolitan area of San Juan city, Puerto Rico where rainfall is more uniformly distributed throughout the year. We assessed the impacts of rainfall, temperature, and human activities on the temporal dynamics of adult Ae. aegypti and oviposition. Changes in adult mosquitoes were monitored with BG-Sentinel traps and oviposition activity with CDC enhanced ovitraps. Pupal surveys were conducted during the drier and wetter parts of the year in both neighborhoods to determine the contribution of humans and rains to mosquito production. Mosquito dynamics in each neighborhood was compared with dengue incidence in their respective municipalities during the study. Our results showed that: 1. Most pupae were produced in containers managed by people, which explains the prevalence of adult mosquitoes at times when rainfall was scant; 2. Water meters were documented for the first time as productive habitats for Ae. aegypti; 3. Even though Puerto Rico has a reliable supply of tap water and an active tire recycling program, water storage containers and discarded tires were important mosquito producers; 4. Peaks in mosquito density preceded maximum dengue incidence; and 5. Ae. aegypti dynamics were driven by weather and human activity and oviposition was significantly correlated with dengue incidence.
Assessing the Impact of Climate Change on Migration and Conflict

This paper has been commissioned by the World Bank Group for the "Social Dimensions of Climate Change" workshop. Views represented are those of the authors, and do not represent an official position of the World Bank Group or those of the Executive Directors of the World Bank or the overnments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of data presented in g this paper. *This paper was written under contract 7145451 between PRIO and the World Bank for the program on 'Exploring the Social Dimensions of Climate Change'. The opinions expressed in this document represent the views of the authors and do not necessarily state or reflect those of the World Bank. Bibliography 41 iii Executive Summary Climate change is expected to bring about significant changes in migration patterns throughout the developing world. Increases in the frequency and severity of chronic environmental hazards and sudden onset disasters are projected to alter the typical migration patterns of communities and entire countries. We examine evidence for such claims and roundly conclude that large scale community relocation due to either chronic or sudden onset hazards is and continues to be an unlikely response. We propose an alternate framework through which to examine the likely consequences of increased hazards. It is built upon the five major conclusions of this paper: First, disasters vary considerably in their potential to instigate migration. Moreover, individual, community and national vulnerabilities shape responses as much as disaster effects do. Focussing on how people are vulnerable as a function of political, economic and social forces leads to an in-depth understanding of post-disaster human security. Second, individuals and communities in the developing world incorporate environmental risk into their livelihoods. Their ability to do so effectively is contingent upon their available assets. Diversifying income streams is the predominant avenue through which people mitigate increased hazards from climate changes. Labour migration to rural and urban areas is a common component of diversified local economies. In lesser developed countries, labour migration is typically internal, temporary and circular. Third, during periods of chronic environmental degradation, such as increased soil salinization or land degradation, the most common responses by individuals and communities is to intensify labour migration patterns. By doing so, families increase remittances and lessen immediate burdens to provide. Fourth, with the onset of a sudden disaster or the continued presence of a chronic disaster (i.e. drought or famine), communities engage in …
Occlusion and Abandoned Object Detection for Surveillance Applications

Object detection is an important step in any video analysis. Difficulties of the object detection are finding hidden objects and finding unrecognized objects. Although many algorithms have been developed to avoid them as outliers, occlusion boundaries could potentially provide useful information about the scene’s structure and composition. A novel framework for blob based occluded object detection is proposed. A technique that can be used to detect occlusion is presented. It detects and tracks the occluded objects in video sequences captured by a fixed camera in crowded environment with occlusions. Initially the background subtraction is modeled by a Mixture of Gaussians technique (MOG). Pedestrians are detected using the pedestrian detector by computing the Histogram of Oriented Gradients descriptors (HOG), using a linear Support Vector Machine (SVM) as the classifier. In this work, a recognition and tracking system is built to detect the abandoned objects in the public transportation area such as train stations, airports etc. Several experiments were conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. The results show the robustness and effectiveness of the proposed method. Keyword: Occlusion, Histograms of Oriented Gradients descriptors, Support Vector Machine, mixture of Gaussians techniques, Blob, abandoned object.
Impact on prognosis of periprocedural bleeding after TAVI: mid-term follow-up of a multicenter prospective study.

AIMS
Impact of periprocedural bleeding after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) over mid-term prognosis remains still unclear.


METHODS
Consecutive patients who underwent TAVI from May 2008 to July 2012 were prospectively included and stratified according to life-threatening (LT) and major bleeding (MB). Mid-term all-cause death was the primary end-point, and 30-day death, vascular complications, stroke, and acute kidney injury the secondary ones. All end-points were adjudicated according to VARC.


RESULTS
Seven hundred fourteen patients with an average age of 81.9 ± 5.8 years were included. 130 (18%) patients suffered a LT, 112 (16%) a MB. A preprocedural GFR <30 ml/min and increasing diameter of sheaths were independent predictors of LT or MB, while transfemoral approach showed a protective effect (OR 0.42; CI: 0.26-0.68; P = 0.035). At 30 days LT (OR 3.3; CI: 1.1-9.7; P = 0.0026) and MB (OR 3.5; CI: 1.4-8.6; P = 0.007) bleeding along with GFR < 30 ml/min (OR 2.3; CI: 1.1-5.5; P = 0.04) were independent predictors of death, while bleeding did not impact survival on mid term (OR 0.9; CI: 0.47-1.7; P = 0.78; all CI 95%).


CONCLUSION
Periprocedural bleeding after TAVI was frequent and associated with an increased mortality after 30 days but not after mid-term follow-up. A preprocedural GFR < 30 ml/min was the most important predictor of bleeding, enabling risk stratification and choice of approach for these patients.
A phase I dose-escalating study of ES-285, a marine sphingolipid-derived compound, with repeat dose administration in patients with advanced solid tumors

Background ES-285 (Spisulosine) is a novel marine compound with antitumor activity in preclinical studies. A phase I study was performed in patients with advanced solid tumors to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), establish a safety profile, and to evaluate pharmacokinetics and efficacy of the drug. Patients and methods Thirty patients from two centers were treated with a three-hour ES-285 intravenous infusion for five consecutive days, every 3 weeks. Eleven dose levels were explored. Results No dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) occurred from 2 to 81 mg/m²/day. Three patients had DLT, one each at dose levels 160, 120 and 100 mg/m²/day; all had grade 4 transaminase increases, one of whom (160 mg/m²/day) had concomitant grade 4 hepatitis and grade 3 bilirubin elevation. The MTD of this regimen was not reached due to early termination of the ES-285 phase I program, but was considered to be 80 to 100 mg/m²/day. Other toxicities included mild to moderate asthenia, nausea, vomiting, anemia, lymphopenia, and injection site reaction. Pharmacokinetic analyses showed dose proportionality on Days 1 and 5, a wide distribution and a long half-life. Seven patients (five with colorectal cancer) had stable disease (1.2–4.1 months), lasting for more than 3 months in three patients. Conclusions Liver enzyme elevations were dose limiting for ES-285 in this administration schedule. Low antitumor activity was observed.