LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Is T1ρ Mapping an Alternative to Delayed Gadolinium-enhanced MR Imaging of Cartilage in the Assessment of Sulphated Glycosaminoglycan Content in Human Osteoarthritic Knees? An in Vivo Validation Study.

PURPOSE
To determine if T1ρ mapping can be used as an alternative to delayed gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of cartilage (dGEMRIC) in the quantification of cartilage biochemical composition in vivo in human knees with osteoarthritis.


MATERIALS AND METHODS
This study was approved by the institutional review board. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants. Twelve patients with knee osteoarthritis underwent dGEMRIC and T1ρ mapping at 3.0 T before undergoing total knee replacement. Outcomes of dGEMRIC and T1ρ mapping were calculated in six cartilage regions of interest. Femoral and tibial cartilages were harvested during total knee replacement. Cartilage sulphated glycosaminoglycan (sGAG) and collagen content were assessed with dimethylmethylene blue and hydroxyproline assays, respectively. A four-dimensional multivariate mixed-effects model was used to simultaneously assess the correlation between outcomes of dGEMRIC and T1ρ mapping and the sGAG and collagen content of the articular cartilage.


RESULTS
T1 relaxation times at dGEMRIC showed strong correlation with cartilage sGAG content (r = 0.73; 95% credibility interval [CI] = 0.60, 0.83) and weak correlation with cartilage collagen content (r = 0.40; 95% CI: 0.18, 0.58). T1ρ relaxation times did not correlate with cartilage sGAG content (r = 0.04; 95% CI: -0.21, 0.28) or collagen content (r = -0.05; 95% CI = -0.31, 0.20).


CONCLUSION
dGEMRIC can help accurately measure cartilage sGAG content in vivo in patients with knee osteoarthritis, whereas T1ρ mapping does not appear suitable for this purpose. Although the technique is not completely sGAG specific and requires a contrast agent, dGEMRIC is a validated and robust method for quantifying cartilage sGAG content in human osteoarthritis subjects in clinical research.
Eighth grade students become proficient at CPR and use of an AED following a condensed training programme.

OBJECTIVE
To evaluate a new, 1-h, condensed training programme to teach continuous chest compression cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CCC-CPR) and automated external defibrillator (AED) skills to a cohort of eight grade public school students.


METHODS



RESULTS
Thirty-three eligible subjects completed the programme; mean age 13.7 years; 48.5% female. Eight participants reported some prior training in CPR and AED use. Following initial training, 29/33 (87.8%) subjects demonstrated proficiency at CCC-CPR and AED application/operation in a mock adult cardiac arrest scenario. At four-weeks, 28/33 (84.8%) subjects demonstrated skill retention in similar scenario testing. Subjects also showed improvement in written knowledge regarding AED use as shown by scores on an AHA based written exam (60.9% versus 77.3%; p<0.001).


CONCLUSION
With our focused, condensed training program, eighth grade public school students became proficient in CCC-CPR and AED use. This is the first study to document the ability of middle school students to learn and retain CCC-CPR and AED skills for adult sudden cardiac arrest victims with such a curriculum.
SimIC: Designing a New Inter-cloud Simulation Platform for Integrating Large-Scale Resource Management

'Simulating the Inter-Cloud' (SimIC) is a discrete event simulation toolkit based on the process oriented simulation package of SimJava. The SimIC aims of replicating an inter-cloud facility wherein multiple clouds collaborate with each other for distributing service requests with regards to the desired simulation setup. The package encompasses the fundamental entities of the inter-cloud meta-scheduling algorithm such as users, meta-brokers, local-brokers, datacenters, hosts, hyper visors and virtual machines (VMs). Additionally, resource discovery and scheduling policies together with VMs allocation, re-scheduling and VM migration strategies are included as well. Using the SimIC a modeler can design a fully dynamic inter-cloud setting wherein collaboration is founded on meta-scheduling inspired characteristics of distributed resource managers that exchange user requirements as driven events in real-time simulations. The SimIC aims of achieving interoperability, flexibility and service elasticity while at the same time introducing the notion of heterogeneity of multiple clouds' configurations. In addition it accepts an optimization of a variety of selected performance criteria for a diversity of entities. The crucial factor of dynamics consideration has implemented by allowing reactive orchestration based on current workload of already executed heterogeneous user specifications. These are in the form of text files that the modeler can load in the toolkit and occurs in real-time at different simulation intervals. Finally, a unique request is scheduled for execution to an internal cloud datacenter host VM that is capable of performing the service contract. This is formally designed in Service Level Agreements (SLAs) based upon user profiling.
Shorting strap tunable stacked patch PIFA

An oppositely shorted dual-band stacked patch planar inverted-F antenna (PIFA) is developed. RF switches are integrated to the shorting straps of the stacked patches to make a tunable PIFA. The L band switch yields 0.45-dB insertion loss and 10-dB isolation bandwidth (BW) of 108% at 1.8 GHz. The tunable PIFA yields 10% frequency tunability BW at 745 MHz when the number of upper radiating patch's shorting straps changes and 20% BW at 1137 MHz when the number of lower radiating patch's shorting straps changes. Independent lower and upper frequency tunings are achieved through this technique.
Treatment response in the neck: p16+ versus p16- oropharyngeal cancer.

INTRODUCTION
To compare nodal response rates following chemoradiotherapy in patients with p16+ and p16- oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC).


METHODS
Patients with node-positive OPSCC treated at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre on the published phase I-III tirapazamine trials were identified. All patients had conventional assessment (clinical examination (CA), CT and/or MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) at both baseline and 2-4 months post-treatment.


RESULTS
There were 30 p16+ and 18 p16- patients, the former group having significantly higher stage nodal disease (P = 0.016). The mean overall reduction in nodal size at post-treatment assessment was similar in p16+ and p16- patients (78% vs. 75%), and no statistically significant difference in nodal complete response (CR) rates was detected by either CA (50% vs. 39%, P = 0.35) or PET/PET-CT (93% vs. 83%, P = 0.19). PET was significantly more accurate in determining the true nodal CR rate in both groups, with a negative predictive value of 96%.


CONCLUSION
Nodal response rates following chemoradiotherapy appear to be similar in p16+ and p16- patients when assessed by either CA or PET/PET-CT. However, higher nodal CR was seen in PET/PET-CT compared with CA in both groups. Metabolic imaging is more accurate than CA in assessing nodal response post-treatment.
Reductions in pain medication use associated with traditional Chinese medicine for chronic pain.

CONTEXT
Participants in a randomized trial of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD) had a linear decline in pain over 16 TCM visits.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether reductions in pain among participants receiving TCM can be explained by increased use of pain medications, or whether use of pain medications also declined in this group.


DESIGN
One hundred sixty-eight participants with TMD were treated with TCM or enhanced self-care according to a stepped-care design. Those for whom self-care failed were sequentially randomized to further self-care or TCM. This report includes 111 participants during their first 16 TCM visits. The initial 8 visits occurred more than once a week; participants and practitioners determined the frequency of subsequent visits.


OUTCOME MEASURES
Average pain (visual analog scale, range 0-10) and morphine and aspirin dose equivalents.


RESULTS
The sample was 87% women and the average age was 44 ± 13 years. Average pain of narcotics users (n = 21) improved by 2.73 units over 16 visits (p < 0.001). Overall narcotics use trended downward until visit 11 (-3.27 doses/week, p = 0.156), and then trended upward until week 16 (+4.29 doses/week, p = 0.264). Among those using narcotics, use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) declined linearly over visits 1-16 (-1.94 doses/week, p = 0.002).Among the top quartile of NSAID-only users (n = 22), average pain decreased linearly over 16 visits (-1.52 units, p = 0.036). Overall NSAID doses/week declined between visits 1 and 7 (-9.95 doses/week, p < 0.001) and then remained stable through 16 visits. NSAID use also declined among the third quartile (n = 23) and remained low and stable among the lower half (sorted by total intake) of NSAID users.


CONCLUSIONS
Among the heaviest NSAID users, we observed a short-term reduction in NSAID use that was sustained as TCM visits became less frequent. There was no indication that pain reduction during TCM treatment was influenced by drug use.
The Long-Term Safety of S-Flurbiprofen Plaster for Osteoarthritis Patients: An Open-Label, 52-Week Study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
The newly developed S-flurbiprofen plaster (SFPP) is a tape-type patch that shows innovative percutaneous absorption. This study was designed to evaluate the safety of a long-term 52-week SFPP application to osteoarthritis (OA) patients.


METHODS
This was a multi-center, open-label, uncontrolled prospective study that included 201 OA patients. SFPP at 40 mg/day was applied to the site of pain in 101 patients and at 80 mg/day (2 patches) in 100 patients at a total of 301 sites for 52 weeks. The affected sites assessed included the knee (192), lumbar spine (66), cervical spine (26), and others (17). Drug safety was evaluated by medical examination, laboratory tests, and examination of vital signs. Efficacy was evaluated by the patient's and clinician's global assessments and clinical symptoms.


RESULTS
Most patients (80.1 %) completed the 52-week SFPP application. The majority of drug-related adverse events (AEs) included mild dermatitis at the application sites and occurred in 46.8 % of the sites. No photosensitive dermatitis was observed. Systemic AEs occurred in 9.0 % of the patients; a serious AE (gastric ulcer hemorrhage) occurred in one patient. No clinically significant changes in the laboratory tests and vital signs were observed. The efficacy evaluation showed an improvement from 2 weeks after the SFPP application, which continued during the 52 weeks' treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
No apparent safety concerns were observed, even during the long-term SFPP application. Therefore, SFPP could be an additional pharmacotherapy in OA treatment.
SocialSpamGuard: A Data Mining-Based Spam Detection System for Social Media Networks

We have entered the era of social media networks represented by Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr. Internet users now spend more time on social networks than search engines. Business entities or public figures set up social networking pages to enhance direct interactions with online users. Social media systems heavily depend on users for content contribution and sharing. Information is spread across social networks quickly and effectively. However, at the same time social media networks become susceptible to different types of unwanted and malicious spammer or hacker actions. There is a crucial need in the society and industry for security solution in social media. In this demo, we propose SocialSpamGuard, a scalable and online social media spam detection system based on data mining for social network security. We employ our GAD clustering algorithm for large scale clustering and integrate it with the designed active learning algorithm to deal with the scalability and real-time detection challenges.
Linking the Big Five personality constructs to organizational commitment

This study explored the linkages between the five-factor model of personality and Meyer and Allen’s (1991) model of organizational commitment using a field sample. Results indicated that Extraversion was significantly related to affective commitment, continuance commitment, and normative commitment. Neuroticism, Conscientiousness, and Openness to Experience were all significantly related to continuance commitment. Lastly, Agreeableness was significantly related to normative commitment. Theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed. 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Diet and risk of colorectal cancer in a cohort of Finnish men

Objectives: Based on previous epidemiological studies, high fat and meat consumption may increase and fiber, calcium, and vegetable consumption may decrease the risk of colorectal cancer. We sought to address these hypotheses in a male Finnish cohort. Methods: We analyzed data from the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study (ATBC Study) where 27, 111 male smokers completed a validated dietary questionnaire at baseline. After an average of 8 years of follow-up, we documented 185 cases of colorectal cancer. The analyses were carried out using the Cox proportional hazards model. Results: The relative risk (RR) for men in the highest quartile of calcium intake compared with men in the lowest quartile was 0.6 (95% CI 0.4–0.9, p for trend 0.04). Likewise, the intake of milk protein and the consumption of milk products was inversely associated with risk of colorectal cancer. However, intake of dietary fiber was not associated with risk, nor was fat intake. Consumption of meat or different types of meat, and fried meat, fruits or vegetables were not associated with risk. Conclusions: In this cohort of men consuming a diet high in fat, meat, and fiber and low in vegetables, high calcium intake was associated with lowered risk of colorectal cancer.
Job Satisfaction and Occupational Stress among Primary School Teachers and School Principals in Ireland

Acknowledgement This report was compiled by the ESRI on behalf of The Teaching Council from data obtained through the Growing Up in Ireland research. Growing Up in Ireland data have been funded by the Government of Ireland through the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs; and have been collected under the Statistics Act, 1993, of the Central Statistics Office (© Department of Health and Children). The project has been designed and implemented by the joint ESRI-TCD Growing Up in Ireland Study Team. Executive Summary Internationally, a considerable amount of literature has emerged on the factors influencing job satisfaction and occupational stress among school teachers. However, there is a paucity of recent, comprehensive empirical research in this area in the context of Irish primary schools. In view of ongoing changes in schools and curricula as well as the working conditions of teachers, identifying factors influencing job satisfaction and occupational stress is timely as the ability to cope with change has become increasingly important for teachers and principals. Teacher job satisfaction and stress can have both economic and personal implications as it can lead to stress-related employee absenteeism, burnout and a negative impact on pupil outcomes (Kyriacou, 1987). The findings of this study indicate that an overall majority of Irish primary school teachers (98%) and principals (93%) were happy in their job, though some experienced occupational stress (45% of teachers and 70% of principals). Job satisfaction and occupational stress were associated with a number of background and school-level factors.  GENDER: While gender was not a significant factor in teacher job stress, female teachers had higher job satisfaction levels than their male counterparts. Principals' occupational stress did not vary by gender.  AGE: Teachers aged in their forties had higher stress levels than other age-groups. Stress levels were also higher for principals over 40 years of age whereas principals' job satisfaction did not vary by age.  LENGTH OF SERVICE: There was some fluctuation in job satisfaction level by length of service with newly recruited teachers and principals and those with a longer service record reporting higher job satisfaction levels. Occupational stress was evident at all stages of the teaching career, but stress levels were somewhat lower for those teaching for 2 to 5 years. Stress levels were significantly lower among those principals who had previous experience in a similar role in another school. As with teacher stress, principal …
Three-phase power quality compensator under the unbalanced sources and nonlinear loads

A three-phase voltage-source inverter for a power quality compensator under the unbalanced mains and nonlinear loads is proposed to provide balanced three-phase source current and improve input power factor. The proposed converter is based on the conventional three-phase voltage-source inverter with three additional ac power switches to achieve three-level pulsewidth modulation. The voltage stress of three ac power switches is clamped to half the dc-link voltage. The balanced reference mains currents are estimated using the dc-bus voltage and load currents. A proportional-integral voltage controller is used in the outer loop to compensate the switching losses of the voltage-source inverter. To perform the integrated power quality compensation, a hysteresis current control scheme is adopted to track the balanced line current command in phase with mains voltage. Three voltage levels are generated on the ac terminal of the proposed inverter. Computer simulation and experimental results are provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme.
Vehicle-to-Grid Control for Supplementary Frequency Regulation Considering Charging Demands

Electric vehicles (EVs) as distributed storage devices have the potential to provide frequency regulation services due to the fast adjustment of charging/discharging power. In our previous research, decentralized vehicle-to-grid (V2G) control methods for EVs were proposed to participate in primary frequency control. In this paper, our attention is on bringing a large number of EVs into the centralized supplementary frequency regulation (SFR) of interconnected power systems. An aggregator is the coordinator between EVs and the power system control center. The aggregator calculates the total frequency regulation capacity (FRC) and expected V2G (EV2G) power of EVs based on the data communicated between the aggregator and individual EVs or EV charging stations. With FRC and EV2G power, a V2G control strategy is proposed for the aggregator to dispatch regulation requirements to EVs and EV charging stations. In individual EV charging stations, the FRC is calculated on the basis of the V2G power at present time, and EV2G power is presented considering both frequency regulation and charging demands. Besides, V2G control strategies are developed to distribute regulation requirements to each EV. Simulations on an interconnected power grid based on a practical power grid in China have demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed strategies.
What is generative art?

There are various forms of what’s sometimes called generative art, or computer art. This paper distinguishes the major categories, and asks whether the appropriate aesthetic criteria--and the locus of creativity--are the same in each case.
Ultrasound treatment of neurological diseases — current and emerging applications

Like cardiovascular disease and cancer, neurological disorders present an increasing challenge for an ageing population. Whereas nonpharmacological procedures are routine for eliminating cancer tissue or opening a blocked artery, the focus in neurological disease remains on pharmacological interventions. Setbacks in clinical trials and the obstacle of access to the brain for drug delivery and surgery have highlighted the potential for therapeutic use of ultrasound in neurological diseases, and the technology has proved useful for inducing focused lesions, clearing protein aggregates, facilitating drug uptake, and modulating neuronal function. In this Review, we discuss milestones in the development of therapeutic ultrasound, from the first steps in the 1950s to recent improvements in technology. We provide an overview of the principles of diagnostic and therapeutic ultrasound, for surgery and transient opening of the blood–brain barrier, and its application in clinical trials of stroke, Parkinson disease and chronic pain. We discuss the promising outcomes of safety and feasibility studies in preclinical models, including rodents, pigs and macaques, and efficacy studies in models of Alzheimer disease. We also consider the challenges faced on the road to clinical translation.
Is beauty in the context-sensitive adaptations of the beholder?

The proposition that universal standards of female beauty reflect adaptations for reproductive value assessment does not preclude cross-cultural variation that is contingent on local environmental variation. Cross-cultural tests of the hypothesis that men have adaptations generating preference for low female waist-to-hip ratios (WHR) have used stimuli that were not scaled to local conditions, and have confounded WHR with level of body fat. I present a reassessment of the WHR hypothesis, showing that when effects of WHR and body weight are less confounded, and local environmental context is taken into account, it appears that Shiwiar forager–horticulturist men of Ecuadorian Amazonia may use both WHR and body weight in assessments of female sexual attractiveness in a manner consistent with the prediction of a context-sensitive preference psychology. D 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
The Reduceron reconfigured and re-evaluated

A new version of a special-purpose processor for running lazy functional programs is presented. This processor – the Reduceron – exploits parallel memories and dynamic analyses to increase evaluation speed, and is implemented using reconfigurable hardware. Compared to a more conventional functional language implementation targeting a standard RISC processor running on the same reconfigurable hardware, the Reduceron offers a significant improvement in run-time performance.
The epothilone B analogue ixabepilone in patients with advanced hepatobiliary cancers: a trial of the University of Chicago Phase II Consortium

Purpose Hepatobiliary cancers respond poorly to cytotoxic chemotherapy. We evaluated the activity and safety of ixabepilone, an epothilone B analogue which stabilizes microtubules, in a phase II trial in patients with advanced cancers of the gallbladder, bile duct, and liver. Methods Eligible patients had previously-untreated, histologically-proven unresectable hepatobiliary cancer. Ixabepilone, 40 mg/m2, was administered intravenously over 3 h every 21 days. Results Between January 2002 and April 2005, 54 patients (19 hepatocelluar carcinoma, 13 cholangiocarcinomas, 22 gallbladder carcinomas) were enrolled; 47 patients were evaluable for efficacy. The objective response rate was 8.5%; 51% had stable disease. Median overall survival was 7.0 months (95% CI, 5.0 to 10.8 months) and median progression-free survival was 2.6 months (95% CI, 1.4 to 4.1 months). Grade 3/4 toxicities included neutropenia (39%), fatigue (9%), allergic/hypersensitivity reaction (4%) and sensory neuropathy (4%). Conclusion Single agent ixabepilone has limited activity in advanced hepatobiliary cancers.