Construction and evaluation of classifiers for forensic document analysis

In this study we illustrate a statistical approach to questioned document examination. Specifically, we consider the construction of three classifiers that predict the writer of a sample document based on categorical data. To evaluate these classifiers, we use a data set with a large number of writers and a small number of writing samples per writer. Since the resulting classifiers were found to have near perfect accuracy using leave-one-out cross-validation, we propose a novel Bayesian-based cross-validation method for evaluating the classifiers.Comment: Published in at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/10-AOAS379 the Annals of Applied Statistics (http://www.imstat.org/aoas/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org

Middle Cranial Fossa (MCF) Approach without the use of Lumbar Drain for the Management of Spontaneous Cerebral Spinal Fluid (CSF) Leaks

Objective: To determine the efficacy and morbidity of repairing spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks with the middle cranial fossa (MCF) approach without the use of a lumbar drain (LD), as perioperative use of LD remains controversial. Study Design: Retrospective review from 2003 to 2015. Setting: University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and Indiana University Health Center. Patients: Those with a confirmed lateral skull base spontaneous CSF leaks and/or encephaloceles. Intervention: MCF approach for repair of spontaneous CSF leak and/or encephalocele without the use of lumbar drain. Assessment of patient age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and medical comorbidities. Main Outcome Measure: Spontaneous CSF leak patient characteristics (age, sex, BMI, obstructive sleep apnea) were collected. Length of stay (LOS), hospital costs, postoperative complications, CSF leak rate, and need for LD were calculated. Results: Sixty-five operative MCF repairs were performed for spontaneous CSF leaks on 60 patients (five had bilateral CSF leaks). CSF diversion with LD was used in 15 of 60 patients, mostly before 2010. After 2010, only three of 44 patients (6.7%) had postoperative otorrhea requiring LD. The use of LD resulted in significantly longer LOS (3.6 ± 1.6 versus 8.7 ± 2.9 d) and hospital costs ($29,621). There were no postoperative complications in 77% (50 of 65) of cases. Three cases required return to the operating room for complications including frontal subdural hematoma (1), subdural CSF collection (1), and tension pneumocephalus (1). No patients experienced long-term neurologic sequelae or long-term CSF leak recurrence with an average length of follow-up of 19.5 months (range 3–137 mo). The average patient BMI was 37.5 ± 8.6 kg/m2. The average age was 57.5 ± 11.4 years and 68% were female. Obstructive sleep apnea was present in 43.3% (26 of 60) of patients. Conclusion: The morbidity of the MCF craniotomy for repair of spontaneous CSF leaks is low and the long-term efficacy of repair is high. Universal use of perioperative lumbar drain is not indicated and significantly increases length of stay and hospital costs. Obesity and obstructive sleep apnea are highly associated with spontaneous CSF leaks

Speech recognition in noise for cochlear implant listeners: Benefits of residual hearing

The purpose of this study was to explore the potential advantages, both theoretical and applied, of preserving low-frequency acoustic hearing in cochlear implant patients. Several hypotheses are presented that predict that residual low-frequency acoustic hearing along with electric stimulation for high frequencies will provide an advantage over traditional long-electrode cochlear implants for the recognition of speech in competing backgrounds. A simulation experiment in normal-hearing subjects demonstrated a clear advantage for preserving low-frequency residual acoustic hearing for speech recognition in a background of other talkers, but not in steady noise. Three subjects with an implanted "short-electrode" cochlear implant and preserved low-frequency acoustic hearing were also tested on speech recognition in the same competing backgrounds and compared to a larger group of traditional cochlear implant users. Each of the three short-electrode subjects performed better than any of the traditional long-electrode implant subjects for speech recognition in a background of other talkers, but not in steady noise, in general agreement with the simulation studies. When compared to a subgroup of traditional implant users matched according to speech recognition ability in quiet, the short-electrode patients showed a 9-dB advantage in the multitalker background. These experiments provide strong preliminary support for retaining residual low-frequency acoustic hearing in cochlear implant patients. The results are consistent with the idea that better perception of voice pitch, which can aid in separating voices in a background of other talkers, was responsible for this advantage

A data preparation approach for cloud storage based on containerized parallel patterns

In this paper, we present the design, implementation, and evaluation of an efficient data preparation and retrieval approach for cloud storage. The approach includes a deduplication subsystem that indexes the hash of each content to identify duplicated data. As a consequence, avoiding duplicated content reduces reprocessing time during uploads and other costs related to outsource data management tasks. Our proposed data preparation scheme enables organizations to add properties such as security, reliability, and cost-efficiency to their contents before sending them to the cloud. It also creates recovery schemes for organizations to share preprocessed contents with partners and end-users. The approach also includes an engine that encapsulates preprocessing applications into virtual containers (VCs) to create parallel patterns that improve the efficiency of data preparation retrieval process. In a study case, real repositories of satellite images, and organizational files were prepared to be migrated to the cloud by using processes such as compression, encryption, encoding for fault tolerance, and access control. The experimental evaluation revealed the feasibility of using a data preparation approach for organizations to mitigate risks that still could arise in the cloud. It also revealed the efficiency of the deduplication process to reduce data preparation tasks and the efficacy of parallel patterns to improve the end-user service experience.This research was supported by "Fondo Sectorial de Investigación para la Educación";, SEP-CONACyT Mexico, through projects 281565 and 285276

Enterprise IoT Security and Scalability : How Unikernels can Improve the Status Quo

Postprin

Efficacy and Safety of Ertugliflozin in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Established Cardiovascular Disease Treated With Metformin and Sulfonylurea

Abstract Introduction: Ertugliflozin (ERTU), a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, is approved as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Aim: As a pre-specified sub-study of the Phase 3 VERTIS CV trial (NCT01986881), the efficacy and safety of ERTU were assessed in patients with T2DM and established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) inadequately controlled with metformin and sulfonylurea (SU). Methods: Patients with T2DM, established ASCVD, and HbA1c 7.0–10.5% on stable metformin (≥1500 mg/day) and SU doses as defined per protocol were randomized to once-daily ERTU (5 mg or 15 mg) or placebo. The primary sub-study objectives were to assess the effect of ERTU on HbA1c compared with placebo and to evaluate safety and tolerability during 18-week follow-up. Key secondary endpoints included proportion of patients achieving HbA1c <7%, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), body weight, and systolic blood pressure. Changes from baseline at Week 18 for continuous efficacy endpoints were assessed using a constrained longitudinal data analysis model. Results: Of the 8246 patients enrolled in the VERTIS CV trial, 330 patients were eligible for this sub-study (ERTU 5 mg, n=100; ERTU 15 mg, n=113; placebo, n=117). Patients had a mean (SD) age of 63.2 (8.4) years, T2DM duration 11.4 (7.4) years, estimated glomerular filtration rate 83.5 (17.8) mL/min/1.73 m2, and HbA1c 8.3% (1.0) (67.4 [10.6] mmol/mol). At Week 18, ERTU 5 mg and 15 mg were each associated with a significantly greater least squares mean (95% CI) HbA1c reduction from baseline versus placebo; the placebo-adjusted differences for ERTU 5 mg and 15 mg were –0.7% (–0.9, –0.4) and –0.8% (–1.0, –0.5), respectively (P<0.001). A higher proportion of patients in each ERTU group achieved HbA1c <7% relative to placebo (P<0.001). ERTU significantly reduced FPG and body weight (P<0.001, for each dose versus placebo), but not systolic blood pressure. Adverse events were reported in 48.0%, 54.9%, and 47.0% of patients in the ERTU 5 mg, 15 mg, and placebo groups, respectively. Genital mycotic infections were experienced by significantly higher proportions of male patients who received ERTU 5 mg and 15 mg (4.2% and 4.8%, respectively) versus placebo (0.0%; P≤0.05) and by a numerically, but not significantly, higher proportion of female patients who received ERTU 15 mg (10.3%) compared with placebo (3.8%) (P=0.36). The incidences of symptomatic hypoglycemia were 11.0% (5 mg), 12.4% (15 mg), and 7.7% (placebo), and of severe hypoglycemia 2.0% (5 mg), 1.8% (15 mg), and 0.9% (placebo). Conclusion: Among patients with T2DM and ASCVD, ERTU (5 mg and 15 mg) added to metformin and SU for 18 weeks improved glycemic control (HbA1c and FPG) and reduced body weight, and was generally well tolerated with a safety profile consistent with the SGLT2 inhibitor class

Passive SOBP generation from a static proton pencil beam using 3D-printed range modulators for FLASH experiments

The University Proton Therapy facility in Dresden (UPTD), Germany, is equipped with an experimental room with a beamline providing a static pencil beam. High proton beam currents can be achieved at this beamline which makes it suitable for FLASH experiments. However, the established experimental setup uses only the entrance channel of the proton Bragg curve. In this work, a set of 3D-printed range modulators designed to generate spread out Bragg peaks (SOBPs) for radiobiological experiments at ultra-high dose rate at this beamline is described. A new method to optimize range modulators specifically for the case of a static pencil beam based on the central depth dose profile is introduced. Modulators for two different irradiation setups were produced and characterized experimentally by measurements of lateral and depth dose distributions using different detectors. In addition, Monte Carlo simulations were performed to assess profiles of the dose averaged linear energy transfer (LETD) in water. These newly produced range modulators will allow future proton FLASH experiments in the SOBP at UPTD with two different experimental setups

Nuevos registros del gato colocolo, Leopardus colocolo colocolo (Carnivora: Felidae), en el desierto de Atacama, Región de Antofagasta, Norte Grande de Chile

We report the capture of a female pampas cat in Quebrada Jerez, Toconao (23º 11´ S y 67º 59´O, 2475 m.s.n.m.), Atacama desert (Norte Grande of Chile). This capture and more records with camera traps confirm the presence of the subspecies Leopardus colocolo colocolo in the Antofagasta Region.We provide biometric and craniometric data on the specimen and confirm by a canine radiography the juvenile status of this felid.Registramos en Quebrada Jerez, Toconao (23º 11´ S y 67º 59´O, 2475 m.s.n.m.), desierto de Atacama (Norte Grande de Chile), la captura de un gato colocolo hembra. Esta captura más nuevos registros con trampas cámaras confirman para la subespecie Leopardus colocolo colocolo su presencia en la Región de Antofagasta. Presentamos datos biométricos y craneométricos y confirmamos por una radiografía de su dentición el estatus juvenil de este felino