LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Natural Enhancement of Color Image

A new algorithm of Natural Enhancement of Color Image (NECI) is proposed. It is inspired by multiscale Retinex model. There are four steps to realize this enhancement. At first, the image appearance is rendered by content-dependent global mapping for light cast correction, and then a modified Retinex filter is applied to enhance the local contrast. Histogram rescaling is used afterwards for normalization purpose. At last, the texture details of image are enhanced by emphasizing the high-frequency components of image using multichannel decomposition of Cortex Transform. In the contrast enhancement step, luminance channel is firstly enhanced, and then a weighing map is calculated by collecting luminance enhancement information and applied to chrominance channel in color space CIELCh which enables a proportional enhancement of chrominance. It avoids the problem of unbalanced enhancement in classical RGB independent channel operation. In this work, it is believed that image enhancement should avoid dramatic modifications to image such as light condition changes, color temperature alteration, or additional artifacts introduced or amplified. Disregarding light conditions of the scene usually leads to unnaturally sharpened images or dramatic white balance changes. In the proposed method, the ambience of image (warm or cold color impression) is maintained after enhancement, and no additional light sources are added to the scene, and no halo effect and blocking effect are amplified due to overenhancement. It realizes a Natural Enhancement of Color Image. Different types of natural scene images have been tested and an encouraging performance is obtained for the proposed method.
A parent questionnaire for developmental screening in infants born late and moderately preterm.

BACKGROUND
The Parent Report of Children's Abilities-Revised (PARCA-R) is a questionnaire for assessing cognitive and language development in very preterm infants. Given the increased risk of developmental delay in infants born late and moderately preterm (LMPT; 32-36 weeks), this study aimed to validate this questionnaire as a screening tool in this population.


METHODS
Parents of 219 children born LMPT completed the PARCA-R questionnaire and the Brief Infant Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment when children were 24 months corrected age (range, 24 months-27 months). The children were subsequently assessed by using the cognitive and language scales of the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition (Bayley-III).


RESULTS
An average Bayley-III, cognitive and language (CB-III) score and a total PARCA-R Parent Report Composite (PRC) score were computed. There was a large association between PRC and CB-III scores (r = 0.66, P < .001) indicating good concurrent validity. Using Youden index, the optimum PARCA-R cutoff for identifying children with moderate/severe developmental delay (CB-III scores < 80) was PRC scores < 73. This gave sensitivity 0.90 (95% confidence interval: 0.75-1.00) and specificity 0.76 (95% confidence interval: 0.70-0.82), indicating good diagnostic utility. Approximately two-thirds of the children who had a PRC score < 73 had false-positive screens. However, these children had significantly poorer cognitive and behavioral outcomes than children with true negative screens.


CONCLUSIONS
The PARCA-R has good concurrent validity with a gold standard developmental test and can be used to identify LMPT infants who may benefit from a clinical assessment. The PARCA-R has potential for clinical use as a first-line cognitive screening tool for this sizeable population of infants in whom follow-up may be beneficial.
Triangulation for the assessment of clinical nursing skills: a review of theory, use and methodology.

AIM
To review the use and usefulness of the methodological strategy of triangulation in the assessment of skill in nursing curricula.


DESIGN
Systematic search of the literature relevant to the definition and assessment of skill, reliability and validity of assessment methods and triangulation of assessment strategies.


DATA SOURCES
One hundred and twenty papers from nursing, medical, educational and social scientific databases, relevant websites and relevant books were reviewed. Forty papers were included based on their relevance to the theory and methodology of clinical skills assessment of health care professionals, particularly nurses. Papers concerning vocational skills assessment and the assessment of skill in school children were excluded.


RESULTS
There is a current imperative within the field of health care professional education to assess clinical skills and to quantify this assessment. However, clinical skill, as it relates to cognition, is poorly defined concept and may be viewed as a quality of the practitioner and, as such, is difficult to quantify. Very many methods of assessing clinical skill have been documented and there are inherent issues in ensuring both reliability and validity of these assessment strategies for clinical skill. This has led commentators to suggest that the process of triangulation should be employed.


CONCLUSIONS
The paper fundamentally questions whether the concept of triangulation can be applied to skills assessment without dependable measures of reliability and validity of the tools of assessment and concludes that the process of applying multiple modes of assessment should not be confused with the process of triangulation.
Efficient PAPR Reduction in OFDM Systems Based on a Companding Technique With Trapezium Distribution

Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) has become the most widely adopted technology in wireless communication systems. OFDM is limited mainly by its high Peak-to-Average Power Ratio (PAPR). A uniformly distributed nonlinear companding scheme efficiently reduces PAPR with a low Bit Error Rate (BER). However, the uniformly distributed companding scheme cannot perform variably to satisfy the different performance requirements for the systems. Therefore, this work proposes a novel scheme that transforms the OFDM signals into a trapezium distribution. The uniformly distributed companding scheme is a special case of the proposed scheme. The general formulas of the proposed scheme are derived and the trade-off between PAPR reduction and BER performance is achieved by setting the value of a parameter. Then, the simulation results show the PAPR reduction and the BER over the AWGN and multipath channels, indicating that the proposed scheme provides a favorable trade-off between the PAPR reduction and the BER.
Optimal cut-off value for homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) index of insulin-resistance in a population of patients admitted electively in a Portuguese cardiology ward.

INTRODUCTION
Insulin resistance is the pathophysiological key to explain metabolic syndrome. Although clearly useful, the Homeostasis Model Assessment index (an insulin resistance measurement) has not been systematically applied in clinical practice. One of the main reasons is the discrepancy in cut-off values reported in different populations. We sought to evaluate in a Portuguese population the ideal cut-off for Homeostasis Model Assessment index and assess its relationship with metabolic syndrome.


MATERIAL AND METHODS
We selected a cohort of individuals admitted electively in a Cardiology ward with a BMI < 25 Kg/m2 and no abnormalities in glucose metabolism (fasting plasma glucose < 100 mg/dL and no diabetes). The 90th percentile of the Homeostasis Model Assessment index distribution was used to obtain the ideal cut-off for insulin resistance. We also selected a validation cohort of 300 individuals (no exclusion criteria applied).


RESULTS
From 7 000 individuals, and after the exclusion criteria, there were left 1 784 individuals. The 90th percentile for Homeostasis Model Assessment index was 2.33. In the validation cohort, applying that cut-off, we have 49.3% of individuals with insulin resistance. However, only 69.9% of the metabolic syndrome patients had insulin resistance according to that cut-off. By ROC curve analysis, the ideal cut-off for metabolic syndrome is 2.41. Homeostasis Model Assessment index correlated with BMI (r = 0.371, p < 0.001) and is an independent predictor of the presence of metabolic syndrome (OR 19.4, 95% CI 6.6 - 57.2, p < 0.001).


DISCUSSION
Our study showed that in a Portuguese population of patients admitted electively in a Cardiology ward, 2.33 is the Homeostasis Model Assessment index cut-off for insulin resistance and 2.41 for metabolic syndrome.


CONCLUSION
Homeostasis Model Assessment index is directly correlated with BMI and is an independent predictor of metabolic syndrome.
Low Back Pain Among Residential Carpenters : Ergonomic Evaluation Using OWAS and 2 D Compression Estimation

OSHA Region VIII office and the HBA of Metropolitan Denver who made this research possible and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) for their support and funding via the awards 1 R03 OH04199-0: Occupational Low Back Pain in Residential Carpentry: Ergonomic Elements of Posture and Strain within the HomeSafe Pilot Program sponsored by OSHA and the HBA. Correspondence and requests for offprints should be sent to David P. Gilkey, Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, CO 80523-1681, USA. E-mail: <dgilkey@colostate.edu>. Low Back Pain Among Residential Carpenters: Ergonomic Evaluation Using OWAS and 2D Compression Estimation
Text Visualization Browser : A Visual Survey of Text Visualization Techniques

Text visualization has become a growing and increasingly important subfield of information visualization. Thus, it is getting harder for researchers to look for related work with specific tasks or visual metaphors in mind. In this poster, we present an interactive visual survey of text visualization techniques that can be used for the purposes of search for related work, introduction to the subfield and gaining insight into research trends.
IgA Antibodies, TGF-β1 and -β2, and Soluble CD14 in the Colostrum and Development of Atopy by Age 4

Specific defense factors in breast milk together with length of breast-feeding and genetic predisposition may modulate the development of allergy. We studied whether IgA, soluble CD14 (sCD14), or transforming growth factor (TGF)-β in colostrum could affect the development of atopy in children up to age 4. From a cohort of 4676, we selected four groups of children with either long or short exclusive breast-feeding (>3.5 or <0.5 mo); these groups further differed in the presence or absence of atopic heredity. In colostrum from mothers, we measured total IgA, IgA antibodies to cow's milk (CM) and casein, sCD14, and TGF-β1 and -β2. The children were divided into three groups: those with no atopic symptoms or IgE, those with allergic symptoms, and those with both outcomes. Mothers of infants later showing atopic symptoms or, in addition, having IgE sensitization (verified atopy) had a lower concentration of IgA casein antibodies in their colostrum than did mothers of infants with no indication of atopy at age 4. Low concentration of IgA casein antibodies was a significant risk for verified atopy. sCD14 levels were lower in colostrum of mothers with infants developing atopic symptoms and IgE sensitization than of those of infants with no atopy. Specific IgA antibodies to CM antigens and sCD14 in colostrum significantly associated with the appearance of both symptomatic and verified atopy by age 4.
Glucose control can be similarly improved after aquatic or dry-land aerobic training in patients with type 2 diabetes: A randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVES
To compare the effects of two aerobic training methods in water and on dry-land on glycemic, lipid, inflammatory, hormonal, cardiorespiratory, and functional outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes.


DESIGN
Randomized clinical trial.


METHODS
Thirty-five patients with type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to aquatic aerobic training group (n=17) or dry-land aerobic training group (n=18). Exercise training interventions had duration of 12 weeks, performed in three weekly sessions (45min/session), with intensity progressing from 85% to 100% of heart rate of anaerobic threshold during interventions. All outcomes were evaluated at baseline and 12 weeks later.


RESULTS
Patients were 56.7±7.9 years old. Decreases in glycated hemoglobin were observed in both groups (AT: -0.42±0.28%, DLT: -0.35±1.8%). Total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein, low density lipoprotein levels, plasma renin activity, angiotensin II concentrations, C-reactive protein, systolic blood pressure, resting heart rate, and timed up and go test performed at the usual speed also decreased in both groups in response to both interventions (p<0.05), without between-group differences. Both groups increased the ratio between oxygen uptake at the anaerobic threshold and oxygen uptake of peak (p=0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Aerobic training in an aquatic environment provides effects similar to aerobic training in a dry-land environment in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Recommending Food: Reasoning on Recipes and Ingredients

With the number of people considered to be obese rising across the globe, the role of IT solutions in health management has been receiving increased attention by medical professionals in recent years. This paper focuses on an initial step toward understanding the applicability of recommender techniques in the food and diet domain. By understanding the food preferences and assisting users to plan a healthy and appealing meal, we aim to reduce the effort required of users to change their diet. As an initial feasibility study, we evaluate the performance of collaborative filtering, content-based and hybrid recommender algorithms on a dataset of 43,000 ratings from 512 users. We report on the accuracy and coverage of the algorithms and show that a content-based approach with a simple mechanism that breaks down recipe ratings into ingredient ratings performs best overall.
Generalized Optimal Pulsewidth Modulation of Multilevel Inverters for Low-Switching-Frequency Control of Medium-Voltage High-Power Industrial AC Drives

A generalized optimal pulsewidth modulation (PWM) technique applicable to multilevel inverters for low-switching-frequency control of medium-voltage high-power industrial ac drives is presented. Proposed synchronous optimal PWM method allows setting the maximum switching frequency to a low value without compromising the harmonic distortion of machine currents. Low switching frequency reduces the switching losses of the power semiconductor devices, resulting in higher inverter power output and efficiency. The proposed optimization results in low harmonic distortion at low switching frequency. Experimental results of a five-level inverter drive using optimal PWM are presented.
A novel tool for visualizing chronic kidney disease associated polymorbidity: a 13-year cohort study in Taiwan

OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study is to analyze and visualize the polymorbidity associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The study shows diseases associated with CKD before and after CKD diagnosis in a time-evolutionary type visualization.


MATERIALS AND METHODS
Our sample data came from a population of one million individuals randomly selected from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Database, 1998 to 2011. From this group, those patients diagnosed with CKD were included in the analysis. We selected 11 of the most common diseases associated with CKD before its diagnosis and followed them until their death or up to 2011. We used a Sankey-style diagram, which quantifies and visualizes the transition between pre- and post-CKD states with various lines and widths. The line represents groups and the width of a line represents the number of patients transferred from one state to another.


RESULTS
The patients were grouped according to their states: that is, diagnoses, hemodialysis/transplantation procedures, and events such as death. A Sankey diagram with basic zooming and planning functions was developed that temporally and qualitatively depicts they had amid change of comorbidities occurred in pre- and post-CKD states.


DISCUSSION
This represents a novel visualization approach for temporal patterns of polymorbidities associated with any complex disease and its outcomes. The Sankey diagram is a promising method for visualizing complex diseases and exploring the effect of comorbidities on outcomes in a time-evolution style.


CONCLUSIONS
This type of visualization may help clinicians foresee possible outcomes of complex diseases by considering comorbidities that the patients have developed.
Equally good fixation of cemented and uncemented cups in total trapeziometacarpal joint prostheses

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Cup failure is a recognized problem in total trapeziometacarpal (TM) joint prostheses; it may be related to poor fixation, which can be revealed by radiostereometric analysis (RSA). We compared the early implant migration of cemented trapezium cups to that of uncemented screw cups.


PATIENTS AND METHODS
In a prospective, parallel-group, randomized patient-blinded clinical trial, we included 32 hands in 28 patients (5 males) with a mean age of 58 (40-77) years and with Eaton stage-2 or -3 osteoarthritis of the trapeziometacarpal joint. Patients were randomized to surgery with a cemented DLC all-polyethylene cup (C) (n = 16) or an uncemented hydroxyapatite-coated chrome-cobalt Elektra screw cup (UC) (n = 16). Uncemented cups were inserted without threading of the bone. Stereoradiographs for evaluation of cup migration (primary effect size) and DASH and pain scores were obtained during 2 years of follow-up.


RESULTS
The 2-year total translation (TT) was similar (p = 0.2): 0.24 mm (SD 0.10) for the C (n = 11) and 0.19 mm (SD 0.16) for the UC (n = 11). Variances were similar (p = 0.4). Judged by RSA, 2 UC cups and 1 C cup became loose (TT > 1 mm). Both UC cups were found to be loose at revision. Grip strength, pain, and DASH scores were similar between groups at all measurement points.


INTERPRETATION
Early implant fixation and clinical outcome were equally good with both cup designs. This is the first clinical RSA study on trapezium cups, and the method appears to be clinically useful for detection of loose implants.
Stabilization of networked control systems with time-varying network-induced delay

The problem of stabilization of networked control systems (NCSs) with network-induced delay is studied. By viewing the time-varying delay as time-varying parameter uncertainties, sufficient conditions expressed in linear matrix inequalities are presented under which there exists constant state feedback controller proving the stabilization of NCSs. A numerical example is given to illustrate the utility of our results.
New Models for Old-Age Security: Experiments, Evidence, and Unanswered Questions

The escalating costs of traditional social security systems are forcing countries to reevaluate the formal programs that provide income maintenance support to the aging. This article suggests a reform strategy built around three systems, or "pillars," to provide old-age security—a public pillar with mandatory participation, a private, mandatory savings plan, and a voluntary savings system. Three variations of this model are being implemented in different countries: the Latin American model, in which individual workers choose an investment manager for their retirement funds; the OECD model, in which employers, union trustees, or both choose the investment manager for an entire company or occupation; and the Swedish notional account model, a reformed pay-as-you-go first pillar that may be supplemented by a second, funded pillar. Preliminary empirical evidence on the efficiency and growth effects of pension reform, mostly from Chile, indicates that the impact on national saving and financial market development and, through these, economic growth, has been positive and possibly large. Problems concerning high administrative costs and regulations that distort investment decisions remain to be resolved, however.
In vivo dosimetry for prostate cancer patients using an electronic portal imaging device (EPID); demonstration of internal organ motion.

PURPOSE
To investigate the use of a commercially available video-based EPID for in vivo dosimetry during treatment of prostate cancer patients.


METHODS
For 10 prostate cancer patients, the inter-fraction variation within measured portal dose images (PDIs) was assessed and measured PDIs were compared with corresponding predicted PDIs based on the planning CT scan of the patient.


RESULTS
For the lateral fields, the average standard deviation in the measured on-axis portal doses during the course of a treatment was 0.9%; for the anterior fields this standard deviation was 2.2%. The difference between the average on-axis measured portal dose and the predicted portal dose was 0.3+/-2.1% (1 SD) for the lateral fields and 0.7+/-3.4% (1 SD) for the anterior fields. Off-axis differences between measured and predicted portal doses were regularly much larger (up to 15%) and were caused by frequently occurring gas pockets inside the rectum of the patients during treatment or during acquisition of the planning CT scan. The detected gas pockets did sometimes extend into the gross tumour volume (GTV) area as outlined in the planning CT scans, implying a shift of the anterior rectum wall and prostate in the anterior direction (internal organ motion).


CONCLUSIONS
The developed procedures for measurement and prediction of PDIs allow accurate dosimetric quality control of the treatment of prostate cancer patients. Comparing measured PDIs with predicted PDIs can reveal internal organ motion.
Less promising results with sclerosing ethoxysclerol injections for midportion achilles tendinopathy: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND
Local injections of the sclerosing substance polidocanol (Ethoxysclerol) have shown good clinical results in patients with chronic midportion Achilles tendinopathy. After training by the inventors of the technique, sclerosing Ethoxysclerol injections were applied on a group of patients in our center.


HYPOTHESIS
Sclerosing Ethoxysclerol injections will yield good results in the majority of patients.


STUDY DESIGN
Case series; Level of evidence, 4.


METHODS
In 113 patients (140 tendons) with Achilles tendinopathy, we identified 62 patients (70 tendons) showing neovascularization on color Doppler ultrasound. Fifty-three Achilles tendons (48 patients) were treated with sclerosing Ethoxysclerol injections, with intervals of 6 weeks and a maximum of 5 sessions. Treatment was completed when neovascularization or pain had disappeared, or when there was no positive treatment effect after 3 to 4 sessions.


RESULTS
Forty-eight patients (20 women and 28 men) with a median age of 45 years, (range, 33-68 years) were treated. Median symptom duration was 23 months (range, 3-300 months). Fifty-three tendons were treated with a median of 3 sessions of Ethoxysclerol injections. Six weeks after the last injection, 35% of patients had no complaints, 9% had minimal symptoms, 42% were the same, and 14% had more complaints. Women were 3.8 times (95% confidence interval: 1.1-13.8) more likely to have unsatisfactory outcome than men. Pain correlated positively with neovessels on ultrasound (P < .01). At 2.7 to 5.1 year follow-up, 53% had received additional (surgical/conservative) treatment; 3 of these patients (7.5%) still had complaints of Achilles tendinopathy. In 6 patients, complaints that were still present 6 weeks after treatment had resolved spontaneously by final follow-up.


CONCLUSION
Our study did not confirm the high beneficial value of sclerosing neovascularization in patients with midportion Achilles tendinopathy. Despite the retrospective design of our study, we consider it important to stress that injection of Ethoxysclerol may not be as promising as was thought.