LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial: The Efficacy of Multispecies Probiotic Supplementation in Alleviating Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome Associated with Constipation 

Background and Aim. The efficacy of supplementation treatment with two multispecies probiotic formulates on subjects diagnosed with IBS-C and the assessment of their gut microbiota were investigated. Methods. A randomized, double-blind, three-arm parallel group trial was carried out on 150 IBS-C subjects divided into three groups (F_1, F_2, and F_3). Each group received a daily oral administration of probiotic mixtures (for 60 days) F_1 or F_2 or placebo F_3, respectively. Fecal microbiological analyses were performed by species-specific qPCR to assess the different amount of probiotics. Results. The percentage of responders for each symptom was higher in the probiotic groups when compared to placebo group during the treatment period (t60) and was maintained quite similar during the follow-up period (t90). Fecal analysis demonstrated that probiotics of the formulations increased during the times of treatment only in fecal DNA from subjects treated with F_1 and F_2 and not with F_3, and the same level was maintained during the follow-up period. Conclusions. Multispecies probiotic supplementations are effective in IBS-C subjects and induce a different assessment in the composition of intestinal microbiota. This clinical study is registered with the clinical study registration number ISRCTN15032219.
A Christian America : Protestant hopes and historical realities

Completed revised and updated, this important study now includes a chapter on the resurgence of militant Protestantiam. Concentrating on the traditional hope of Protestant Americans that the nation would eventually become fully Christian and the efforts they exerted to realize this hope, Handy examines the role of recent events in renewing interest in the idea of the U.S. as a Christian civilization.
Paper-based Document Authentication using Digital Signature and QR Code

There are still needs for paper-based documents in certain circumstances where electronic documents cannot efficiently replace them. For example, documents issued by the government such as birth certificates, driver licenses, and passports must be paper-based. With advanced scanning and printing technologies, paper-based document fraud can easily be conducted without significant high cost. In this paper, an implementation of paper-based document authentication is presented. The integrity of the text message and the author of the document can be verified with the use of a digital signature and QR code. The proposed method can be automatic or semi-automatic. It is semi-automatic when the OCR is not accurate and it requires the user to visually compare the text message on the paper and the one obtained from the QR code; however, this method does provide convenience for the user in dealing with a large amount of documents.
Epidemiological composition, clinical and treatment characteristics of the patient cohort of the german competence network for HIV/AIDS

OBJECTIVE
As its central basis for research, the Competence Network for HIV/AIDS (KompNet) established a nationwide cohort study on HIV-positive patients being in medical care in Germany. In this paper, we describe the epidemiological composition, and clinical as well as treatment characteristics of the KompNet cohort over time.


METHODS
The KompNet cohort is an open, retrospective and prospective, multi-center, disease-specific and nationwide cohort study that started gathering data in June 2004. Semiannually, follow up visits of the patients are documented, covering a wide range of clinical and sociodemographic data. At enrollment and three years afterwards, an EDTA-sample is taken; a serum-sample is taken at every follow up.


RESULTS
As of 20.10.2008, a total of 15,541 patients were enrolled by 44 documenting sites. In September 2007, the cohort size was reduced to ten outpatient clinics and fifteen private practitioners, covering a total of 9,410 patients. The documentation of these patients comprised 24,117 years of follow up-time since enrollment (mean: 2.6 years), 62,862 person years inclusive data documented retrospectively on course of HIV-infection and antiretroviral therapy (ART, mean: 6.7 years). Due to the short period of recruitment till now, rates of death (0.3%-0.8%) and losses to follow up (1.1%-5.5%) were low. 84.9% of patients were men. Main risk of transmission was sex between men (MSM: 62.9%). Mean age was 45 years. About two third of patients were classified as CDC-stage B or C. Therapy regimens of currently treated patients complied with recent guidelines. Trends of mean CD4 cell count/microl regarding the initial therapy and concerning the population under treatment reflected the developments and the changing standards of antiretroviral therapy over time.


CONCLUSION
The KompNet cohort covers about a quarter of all patients estimated as being under treatment in Germany. Its composition can be accounted approximately representative for the situation of clinical care and treatment in the scope of HIV/AIDS in Germany. Therefore, it is an important instrument for measuring the course of HIV/AIDS, the reality of use of antiretroviral therapy and its clinical and psychosocial outcomes in Germany.
A randomized, controlled trial of the renal effects of ultrafiltration as compared to furosemide in patients with acute decompensated heart failure.

OBJECTIVES
This study was designed to evaluate the consequences of ultrafiltration (UF) and standard intravenous diuretic (furosemide) therapy on glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and renal plasma flow in patients with acute decompensated heart failure.


BACKGROUND
It has been hypothesized that treatment with diuretics may worsen renal function as the result of systemic neurohormonal activation and direct renal vascular effects. UF also removes fluid, but its actions on intrarenal hemodynamics, and therefore renal function, are unknown.


METHODS
Patients hospitalized for acute decompensated heart failure with an ejection fraction less than 40% and two or more signs of hypervolemia were randomized to receive UF or intravenous diuretics. Urine output, GFR (as measured by iothalamate), and renal plasma flow (as measured by para-aminohippurate) were assessed before fluid removal and after 48 hours.


RESULTS
Nineteen patients (59 +/- 16 years, 68% were male) were randomized to receive UF (n = 9) or intravenous diuretics (n = 10). The change in GFR (-3.4 +/- 7.7 mL/min vs. -3.6 +/- 11.5 mL/min; P = .966), renal plasma flow (26.6 +/- 62.7 mL/min vs. 16.1 +/- 42.0 mL/min; P = .669), and filtration fraction (-6.9 +/- 13.6 mL/min vs. -3.9 +/- 13.6 mL/min; P = .644) after treatment were not significantly different between the UF and furosemide treatment groups, respectively. There was no significant difference in net 48-hour fluid removal between the groups (-3211 +/- 2345 mL for UF and -2725 +/- 2330 mL for furosemide, P = .682). UF removed 3666 +/- 2402 mL. Urine output during 48 hours was significantly greater in the furosemide group (5786 +/- 2587 mL) compared with the UF group (2286 +/- 915 mL, P < .001).


CONCLUSIONS
During a 48-hour period, UF did not cause any significant differences in renal hemodynamics compared with the standard treatment of intravenous diuretics.
Abstractive Sentence Summarization with Attentive Deep Recurrent Neural Networks

ive Sentence Summarization with Attentive Deep Recurrent Neural Networks Alex Alifimoff aja2015@cs.stanford.edu Author’s note: I liberally use plural pronouns. Most of my projects are group projects so it is now naturally my writing style. Sadly, I was the only one who worked on this project.
Eliminating navigation errors in web applications via model checking and runtime enforcement of navigation state machines

The enforcement of navigation constraints in web applications is challenging and error prone due to the unrestricted use of navigation functions in web browsers. This often leads to navigation errors, producing cryptic messages and exposing information that can be exploited by malicious users. We propose a runtime enforcement mechanism that restricts the control flow of a web application to a state machine model specified by the developer, and use model checking to verify temporal properties on these state machines. Our experiments, performed on three real-world applications, show that 1) our runtime enforcement mechanism incurs negligible overhead under normal circumstances, and can even reduce server processing time in handling unexpected requests; 2) by combining runtime enforcement with model checking, navigation correctness can be efficiently guaranteed in large web applications.
Determination of Water Quality Index and Suitability of an Urban Waterbody in Shimoga Town, Karnataka

The present study was intended to calculate Water Quality Index (WQI) of an urban waterbody, Gopishettykere, in Shimoga town, Karnataka in order to ascertain the quality of water for public consumption, recreation and other purposes. This paper deals with the study on the influence of environmental parameters on the water quality of waterbody. There are several ways to assess the quality of water as deemed fit for drinking, irrigation and industrial use. Water Quality Index, indicating the water quality in terms of index number, offers a useful representation of overall quality of water for public or for any intended use as well as in the pollution abatement programmes and in water quality management. A number of parameters affect the usability of water for a particular purpose. In this study Water Quality Index was determined on the basis of various physico-chemical parameters like pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, total alkalinity, total hardness, total suspended solids, calcium, magnesium, chloride, nitrate, sulphate, dissolved oxygen and biological oxygen demand.
Quantifying tissue loads and spine stability while performing commonly prescribed low back stabilization exercises.

STUDY DESIGN
A quantitative biomechanical comparison of seven different lumbar spine "stabilization exercises."


OBJECTIVES
The purpose of this research was to quantify lumbar spine stability resulting from the muscle activation patterns measured when performing selected stabilization exercises.


SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA
Many exercises are termed "stabilization exercises" for the low back; however, limited attempts have been made to quantify spine stability and the resultant tissue loading. Ranking resultant stability together with spinal load is very helpful for guiding clinical decision-making and therapeutic exercise design.


METHODS
Eight stabilization exercises were quantified in this study. Spine kinematics, external forces, and 14 channels of torso EMG were recorded for each exercise. These data were input into a modified version of a lumbar spine model described by Cholewicki and McGill (1996) to quantify stability and L4-L5 compression.


RESULTS
A rank order of the various exercises was produced based on stability, muscle activation levels, and lumbar compression.


CONCLUSIONS
Quantification of the calibrated muscle activation levels together with low back compression and resultant stability assists clinical decisions regarding the most appropriate exercise for specific patients and specific objectives.
DEMO: Simulation of Realistic Mobility Model and Implementation of 802.11p (DSRC) for Vehicular Networks (VANET)

An ad hoc network of vehicles (VANET) consists of vehicles that exchange information via radio in order to improve road safety, traffic management and do better distribution of traffic load in time and space. Along with this it allows Internet access for passengers and users of vehicles. A significant characteristic while studying VANETs is the requirement of having a mobility model that gives aspects of real vehicular traffic. These scenarios play an important role in performance of VANETs. In our paper we have demonstration and description of generating realistic mobility model using various tools such as eWorld, OpenStreetMap, SUMO and TraNS. Generated mobility scenario is added to NS-2. 34 (Network Simulator) for analysis of DSR and AODV routing protocol under 802. 11p (DSRC/WAVE) and 802. 11a. Results after analysis shows 802. 11p is more suitable than 802. 11a for VANET.
Eff ect of fenofi brate on the need for laser treatment for diabetic retinopathy ( FIELD study ) : a randomised controlled trial

Methods The Fenofi brate Intervention and Event Lowering in Diabetes (FIELD) study was a multinational randomised trial of 9795 patients aged 50–75 years with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Eligible patients were randomly assigned to receive fenofi brate 200 mg/day (n=4895) or matching placebo (n=4900). At each clinic visit, information concerning laser treatment for diabetic retinopathy—a prespecifi ed tertiary endpoint of the main study—was gathered. Adjudication by ophthalmologists masked to treatment allocation defi ned instances of laser treatment for macular oedema, proliferative retinopathy, or other eye conditions. In a substudy of 1012 patients, standardised retinal photography was done and photographs graded with Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) criteria to determine the cumulative incidence of diabetic retinopathy and its component lesions. Analyses were by intention to treat. This study is registered as an International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial, number ISRCTN64783481.
A shoe insole delivering subsensory vibratory noise improves balance and gait in healthy elderly people.

OBJECTIVES
To test whether subsensory vibratory noise applied to the sole of the foot using a novel piezoelectric vibratory insole can significantly improve sensation, enhance balance, and reduce gait variability in elderly people, as well as to determine the optimal level of vibratory noise and whether the therapeutic effect would endure and the user's sensory threshold would remain constant during the course of a day.


DESIGN
A randomized, single-blind, crossover study of 3 subsensory noise stimulation levels on 3 days.


SETTING
Balance and gait laboratory.


PARTICIPANTS
Healthy community-dwelling elderly volunteers (N=12; age, 65-90y) who could feel the maximum insole vibration.


INTERVENTIONS
A urethane foam insole with the piezoelectric actuators delivering subsensory vibratory noise stimulation to the soles of the feet.


MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Balance, gait, and timed Up and Go (TUG) test.


RESULTS
The vibratory insoles significantly improved performance on the TUG test, reduced the area of postural sway, and reduced the temporal variability of walking at both 70% and 85% of the sensory threshold and during the course of a day. Vibratory sensation thresholds remained relatively stable within and across study days.


CONCLUSIONS
This study provides proof of concept that the application of the principle of stochastic resonance to the foot sole sensory system using a new low-voltage piezoelectric technology can improve measures of balance and gait that are associated with falls. Effective vibratory noise amplitudes range from 70% to 85% of the sensory threshold and can be set once daily.
Artificial Intelligence: Some Legal Approaches and Implications

Various groups of ascertainable individuals have been granted the status of “persons” under American law, while that status has been denied to other groups This article examines various analogies that might be drawn by courts in deciding whether to extend “person” status to intelligent machines, and the limitations that might be placed upon such recognition As an alternative analysis: this article questions the legal status of various human/machine interfaces, and notes the difficulty in establishing an absolute point beyond which legal recognition will not extend COMPUTERS INCREASINGLY RESEMBLE their human creators More precisely, it is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish some computer information-processing from that of humans, judging from the final product. Computers have proven capable of far more physical and mental “human” functions than most people believed was possible. The increasing similarity between humans and machines might eventually require legal recognition of computers as “persons.” In the United States, there are two triers t’o such Views expressed here are those of the author @ Llarshal S. Willick 1982 41 rights reserved Editor’s Note: This article is written by an attorney using a common reference style for legal citations The system of citation is more complex than systems ordinarily used in scientific publications since it must provide numerous variations for different sources of evidence and jurisdictions We have decided not to change t.his article’s format for citations. legal recognition. The first tier determines which ascertainable individuals are considered persons (e g., blacks, yes; fetuses, no.) The second tier determines which rights and obligations are vested in the recognized persons, based on their observed or presumed capacities (e.g., the insane are restricted; eighteen-year-olds can vote.) The legal system is more evolutionary than revolutionary, however. Changes in which individuals should be recognized as persons under the law tend to be in response to changing cult,ural and economic realities, rather than the result of advance planning. Similarly, shifts in the allocation of legal rights and obligations are usually the result of societal pressures that do not result from a dispassionate masterplanning of society. Courts attempt to analogize new problems to those previously settled, where possible: the process is necessarily haphazard. As “intelligent” machines appear, t,hey will pervade a society in which computers play an increasingly significant part, but in which they will have no recognized legal personality. The question of what rights they should have will most probably not have been addressed. It is therefore most likely that computers will enter the legal arena through the courts The myriad acts of countless individuals will eventually give rise to a situat,ion in which some judicial decision regarding computer personality is needed in order to determine the rights of the parties to a THE AI MAGAZINE Summer 1983 5 AI Magazine Volume 4 Number 2 (1983) (© AAAI)
Self-Stigma and Its Relationship with Victimization, Psychotic Symptoms and Self-Esteem among People with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders

OBJECTIVE
Self-stigma is highly prevalent in schizophrenia and can be seen as an important factor leading to low self-esteem. It is however unclear how psychological factors and actual adverse events contribute to self-stigma. This study empirically examines how symptom severity and the experience of being victimized affect both self-stigma and self-esteem.


METHODS
Persons with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder (N = 102) were assessed with a battery of self-rating questionnaires and interviews. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was subsequently applied to test the fit of three models: a model with symptoms and victimization as direct predictors of self-stigma and negative self-esteem, a model with an indirect effect for symptoms mediated by victimization and a third model with a direct effect for negative symptoms and an indirect effect for positive symptoms mediated by victimization.


RESULTS
Results showed good model fit for the direct effects of both symptoms and victimization: both lead to an increase of self-stigma and subsequent negative self-esteem. Negative symptoms had a direct association with self-stigma, while the relationship between positive symptoms and self-stigma was mediated by victimization.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that symptoms and victimization may contribute to self-stigma, leading to negative self-esteem in individuals with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder. Especially for patients with positive symptoms victimization seems to be an important factor in developing self-stigma. Given the burden of self-stigma on patients and the constraining effects on societal participation and service use, interventions targeting victimization as well as self-stigma are needed.
Relationships between stereotyped movements and sensory processing disorders in children with and without developmental or sensory disorders.

OBJECTIVE
Stereotyped movements (SM) are a defining characteristic of autism but are also present in children with a range of sensory and developmental disorders. We examined whether the severity of sensory processing disorders (SPD) was associated with the severity of SM and whether SPD accounted for between-group differences in SM.


METHOD
The Short Sensory Profile and the Stereotyped and Self-Injurious Movements Interview were administered to children with autism, intellectual disability, visual impairment, and hearing impairment and to typically developing children.


RESULTS
SPD predicted the severity of SM in all samples and accounted for differences in SM between the groups. Other differences in the severity of SM were the result of diagnosis and the interaction between diagnosis and an intellectual disability.


CONCLUSION
SPD may be a source of SM, but functional connections between these phenomena will need to be tested in future research. Implications for occupational performance are addressed.
Early and intermediate outcomes of laparoscopic surgery for choledochal cysts with 400 patients.

OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study is to report early and intermediate outcomes of laparoscopic surgery for choledochal cysts with 400 cases.


PATIENTS AND METHODS
The operation was performed using four ports. The cystic duct was identified and divided. The liver was suspended by two stay-sutures: one on the round ligament and the other on the distal cystic duct. The choledochal cyst was isolated and removed completely, and biliary-digestive continuity was reestablished by hepaticoduodenostomy (HD) or hepaticojejunostomy (HJ).


RESULTS
From January 2007 to June 2011, 400 patients were operated on. There were 305 girls and 95 boys. Ages ranged from 1 month to 16 years (mean, 47.5±2.1 months). Cystic excision and HD were performed in 238 patients and HJ in 162 patients. The mean operating time was 164.8±51 minutes for the HD group and 220±60 minutes for the HJ group. Conversion to open surgery was required in 2 patients. There were no perioperative deaths. Postoperative biliary leakage occurred in 8 patients (2%), resolving spontaneously in 7 and requiring a second operation in 1 patient. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 6.4±0.3 days for the HD group and 6.7±0.5 days for the HJ group. Follow-up between 5 months and 57 months postdischarge (mean, 24.2±2.7 months) was obtained in 342 patients (85.5%). Cholangitis occurred in 5 patients (1.5%) in the HD group and 1 patient (0.6%) in the HJ group. Gastritis due to bilious reflux was 3.8% in the HD group.


CONCLUSIONS
Laparoscopic repair is a safe and effective procedure for choledochal cyst. The rate of cholangitis and anastomotic stenosis is low.
Ultra-Wideband Small Square Monopole Antenna with Variable Frequency Band-Notch Function

In this paper, a novel printed monopole antenna for ultra wideband applications with variable frequency band-notch characteristic is presented. The proposed antenna consists of a stepped square radiating patch with modified W-shaped slot and a ground plane with rectangular sleeve and pair of L-shaped resonator which provides a wide usable fractional bandwidth of more than 130% (3.05–14.3GHz). By cutting a modified W-shaped slot with variable dimensions on the radiating patch frequency band-stop performance is generated and we can control its characteristics such as band-notch frequency and its bandwidth. The designed antenna has a small size of 12 × 18 mm2 while showing the band rejection performance in the frequency band of 5.08 to 5.91GHz. Received 18 June 2010, Accepted 4 August 2010, Scheduled 12 August 2010 Corresponding author: M. Ojaroudi (st m.ojaroudi@urmia.ac.ir). 134 Yazdanifard, Sadeghzadeh, and Ojaroudi