LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Occupational Exposures and Mycosis Fungoides. A European Multicentre Case–control Study (Europe)

Objectives: Mycosis Fungoides (MF) is a rare disease with an occurrence indicating that occupational exposures may play a role. To estimate the association between MF and occupational exposures as measured by means of an job-exposure matrix (JEM). Methods: A European multicenter case–control study was conducted from 1995 to 1997 and included seven rare cancers, one of which was MF. Patients between 35 and 69 years of age, diagnosed with MF (n=140), were recruited and the diagnoses were checked by a reference pathologist who classified 83 cases as definite, 35 cases as possible and 22 cases as not accepted. Among the 118 accepted cases, 104 cases were interviewed, of which 76 were definite cases. We selected population controls and colon cancer controls to serve all seven case groups. Altogether 833 colon cancer controls and 2071 population controls were interviewed. Based on the reported occupational experiences, a team of industrial hygiene specialists identified five potential exposures and developed an JEM. This JEM was used to estimate the odds ratios (OR) for MF as a function of these exposures. The JEM included aromatic and/or halogenated hydrocarbons (AAHs), chrome (VI) and its salts, electromagnetic radiations, silica and pesticides. Results: Exposures to AHHs (OR 6.3, C.I 2.4–16.7 for male) were associated with a high MF risk. Conclusions: The study supports the hypothesis that some MFs have an occupational etiology but only a small fraction of exposed workers are apparently susceptible since the disease is so rare.
Underuse of yoga as a referral resource by health professions students.

OBJECTIVE
Nearly 38% of U.S. adults use complementary and alternative medicine approaches to manage physical conditions (e.g., chronic pain, arthritis, cancer, heart disease, and high blood pressure) and psychological or emotional health concerns (e.g., post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression). Research evidence has accumulated for yoga as an effective treatment approach for these conditions. Further, yoga has increased in popularity among healthcare providers and the general population. Given these trends, this study explored perceptions about yoga as a viable complementary treatment to which health professions students would refer patients.


PARTICIPANTS
More than 1500 students enrolled in health professions programs at a Pacific Northwest school were enrolled; data were obtained from 478 respondents.


DESIGN
The study assessed willingness to refer patients to yoga as a complementary and alternative medicine for 27 symptoms (identified in the literature as having evidence for yoga's utility), which were subsequently grouped into skeletal, physical, and psychological on the basis of factor analysis. Responses were assessed using a mixed-model analysis of variance with health profession and yoga practitioner as between-subjects variables and symptoms as a within-subjects factor.


RESULTS
In descending order of likelihood to refer patients to yoga were students in occupational therapy, physician assistant program, psychology, physical therapy, pharmacy, dental hygiene, speech and audiology, and optometry. All groups perceived yoga's greatest utility for skeletal symptoms, followed by psychological and physical symptoms. Findings also revealed a significant positive relationship between level of personal yoga practice and willingness to refer patients to yoga.


CONCLUSIONS
Although students expressed some openness to referring patients to yoga, ratings of appropriateness were not accurately aligned with extant evidence base. Personal experience seemed to be a salient factor for accepting yoga as a referral target. These findings suggest the importance of developing strategies to make health professionals more aware of the merits of yoga, regardless of whether they themselves are yoga practitioners.
Emotional Intelligence and Academic Achievements of Upper Primary Rural Students in Relation to Their Gender, Family Type and Economic Class

The main objective of the present investigation was to study the emotional intelligence of upper primary rural students in relation to their gender (Boy-Girl), family type (Nuclear-Joint) and economic class (A.P.LB.P.L). Sample of 200 rural students of age 14+ years studying in class 8 th standard were selected by stratified random sampling method from twenty rural upper primary schools. Bengali version (r=.79, p<.01) of the Schutte Self Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT) was used for the study. Ftests, Students’ t-tests and Correlation Coefficient were adopted to analyze the data for the study. The analysis yielded that there was no gender difference either in emotional intelligence or in academic achievements. Both emotional intelligence and academic achievements of the students of nuclear families were lesser than those of joint families. Again, it was observed from the analysis that the students belonging to Above Poverty Line (APL) scored higher in emotional intelligence as well as in academic achievements than the students Below Poverty Line (BPL). Finally, the analysis revealed that there existed a significant relationship between emotional intelligence and academic achievements of the rural upper primary students.
Postextraction Alveolar Ridge Preservation: Biological Basis and Treatments

Following tooth extraction, the alveolar ridge undergoes an inevitable remodeling process that influences implant therapy of the edentulous area. Socket grafting is a commonly adopted therapy for the preservation of alveolar bone structures in combination or not with immediate implant placement although the biological bases lying behind this treatment modality are not fully understood and often misinterpreted. This review is intended to clarify the literature support to socket grafting in order to provide practitioners with valid tools to make a conscious decision of when and why to recommend this therapy.
Security of Cyclic Double Block Length Hash Functions including Abreast-DM

We provide the first proof of security for Abreast-DM, one of the oldest and most wellknown constructions for turning a block cipher with n-bit block length and 2n-bit key length into a 2n-bit cryptographic hash function. In particular, we prove that when Abreast-DM is instantiated with AES-256, i.e. a block cipher with 128-bit block length and 256-bit key length, any adversary that asks less than 2 queries cannot find a collision with success probability greater than 1/2. Surprisingly, this about 15 years old construction is one of the few constructions that have the desirable feature of a near-optimal collision resistance guarantee. We generalize our techniques used in the proof of Abreast-DM to a huge class of double block length (DBL) hash functions that we will call cyclic. Using this generalized theorem we are able to derive several DBL constructions that lead to compression functions that even have a higher security guarantee and are more efficient than Abreast-DM. Furthermore we give DBL constructions that have the highest security guarantee of all DBL compression functions currently known in literature. We also provide an analysis of preimage resistance for cyclic compression functions. Note that this work has been already presented at Dagstuhl ’09.
Application of Tikhonov Regularization to Super-Resolution Reconstruction of Brain MRI Images

This paper presents an image super-resolution method that enhances spatial resolution of MRI images in the slice-select direction. The algorithm employs Tikhonov regularization, using a standard model of general imaging process and then reformulating the reconstruction as a regularized minimization problem. Our experimental result shows improvements in both signal-to-noise ratio and visual quality.
Synthesis of nanocrystalline GaN from Ga2O3 nanoparticles derived from salt-assisted spray pyrolysis

Abstract Gallium nitride (GaN) nanoparticles were successfully produced from nano-sized gallium oxide (Ga 2 O 3 ) particles under a flow of ammonia gas. The gallium oxide nanoparticles were prepared by salt-assisted spray pyrolysis (SASP). Highly crystalline Ga 2 O 3 nanoparticles with an average diameter of approximately 10 nm were obtained at various temperatures when a flux salt (LiCl, 5 mol/l) was added to the precursor solution. The effects of the crystallinity of the Ga 2 O 3 particles and nitridation time on transformation to GaN were characterized using X-ray diffraction and scanning/transmission electron microscopy. Highly crystalline GaN nanoparticles with a mean size of 23.4 nm and a geometric standard deviation of 1.68 nm were obtained when Ga 2 O 3 nanoparticles with relatively low crystallinity were used as the starting material. The resulting GaN nanoparticles showed a photoluminescence peak at 364 nm under UV excitation at 254 nm.
The Impact of Infrastructure on Pakistan's Agricultural Sector

Agriculture is the largest of the sectors contributing to economic activity in Pakistan; it provides over 25 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GOP), employs over 50 percent ofthe labor force, and sustains 75 percent of the population. The sector directly accounts for over 25 percent oftotal exports, with cotton textiles and other agro-based manufactured exports accounting for an additional 35 to 40 percent of total exports. In FY 1989/90 the sector accounted for over 15.3 percent of the public sector development plan (including the fertilizer subsidy), 18.5 percent of private fixed investment, and 11 percent of total fixed investment. I Because ofits importance, Pakistan's agricultural sector has been examined at length.2 While not denying the significance of factors such as pricing policies, subsidized inputs, the Green Revolution, farm size distribution and yields, land reform efforts, and the impact of research and extension on crop yields, the purpose of this paper is to examine a relatively neglected area likely to be critical to the sector's long-run viability-infrastructural development. 3 In particular, it seeks to determine what role infrastructure has played in the sector's growth. Has infrastructure initiated growth, or passively responded in order to alleviate bottlenecks created by growth? Have deficiencies in infrastructure been a major constraint on the sector's expansion? If so, what areas of infrastructure appear most productive for expanding future agricultural output?
Efficacy and Safety of Vinpocetine as Part of Treatment for Acute Cerebral Infarction: A Randomized, Open-Label, Controlled, Multicenter CAVIN (Chinese Assessment for Vinpocetine in Neurology) Trial.

OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravenous vinpocetine administration as part of a comprehensive treatment for acute cerebral infarction in a Chinese population.


METHODS
610 acute cerebral infarction patients were randomized into two groups: the vinpocetine group (469 patients) received cytidine disphosphate choline 0.4-0.5 g in combination with aspirin 75-100 mg or clopidogrel 75 mg once daily, plus vinpocetine 30 mg intravenously once daily for 7 days, while the control group (141 patients) received cytidine disphosphate choline 0.4-0.5 g in combination with aspirin 75-100 mg or clopidogrel 75 mg once daily for 7 days. Additionally, patients received medications for symptoms such as hypertension, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and intracranial hypertension when necessary. Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), modified Rankin Scale, and Barthel Index (BI) scores and transcranial doppler (TCD) were assessed at baseline, 7, 14, and 90 days after treatment. Adverse events (AEs) and abnormalities in blood, urine, liver, and kidney function were monitored.


RESULTS
MMSE, NIHSS, and BI scores were significantly higher in the vinpocetine group than in the control group 90 days after treatment, indicating significantly improved cognitive skill, neurological function, and quality of life (QOL) in the vinpocetine group versus the control group. Importantly, such effects of vinpocetine were maintained over time. In addition, TCD monitoring showed significantly increased cerebral blood flow associated with vinpocetine versus control. No significant difference in safety was noted between the two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
When used as part of treatment for acute cerebral infarction, vinpocetine improves patients' cerebral blood flow, cognitive quality, neurological functions, and QOL. Vinpocetine could be an effective and safe component of treatment regimen for acute cerebral infarction.
Removal of high and low density impulse noise from digital images using non linear filter

Noise Suppression from images is one of the most important concerns in digital image processing. Impulsive noise may occur during image acquisition, transmission or storage Noise should be removed in such a way that important information of image should be preserved. We can use so many algorithms for getting the original image, by removing salt and pepper noise from the corrupted images. In this paper an algorithm is proposed for the restoration of gray scale images that are highly corrupted by impulse noise (salt and pepper noise). There are two phases in the proposed algorithm. First phase detects whether the processing pixel is corrupted or not. In the Second phase it recreates the corrupted pixel by means of the proposed algorithm. This algorithm shows better results than the Standard Median Filter (MF), Center Weighed Median Filter(CWM), Adaptive Median Filter(AMF), Adaptive Center Weighed Median Filter (ACWM), Decision Based Algorithm (DBA) and Modified Decision Based Unsymmetrical Trimmed Median Filter Algorithm(MDBUTMF). Obtained results with different grayscale images shows that proposed algorithm gives better Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR) and less Computational time and works well in removing salt and pepper noise at low, medium and high noise densities.
Developmental Prosopagnosia: A Review

This article reviews the published literature on developmental prosopagnosia, a condition in which the ability to recognize other persons by facial information alone has never been acquired. Due to the very low incidence of this syndrome, case reports are sparse. We review the available data and suggest assessment strategies for patients suffering from developmental prosopagnosia. It is suggested that developmental prosopagnosia is not a unitary condition but rather consists of different subforms that can be dissociated on the grounds of functional impairments. On the basis of the available evidence, hypotheses about the aetiology of developmental prosopagnosia as well as about the selectivity of deficits related to face recognition are discussed.
PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS ON MODULATION TECHNIQUES OF W-CDMA IN MULTIPATH FADING CHANNEL

In the beginning of 21 century there has been a dramatic shift in the market dynamics of telecommunication services. The transmission from base station to mobile or downlink transmission using M-ary Quadrature Amplitude modulation (QAM) and Quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) modulation schemes are considered in Wideband-Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA) system. We have done the performance analysis of these modulation techniques when the system is subjected to Additive White Gaussian Noise (AWGN) and multipath Rayleigh fading are considered in the channel. The research has been performed by using MATLAB 7.6 for simulation and evaluation of Bit Error Rate (BER) and Signal-To-Noise Ratio (SNR) for WCDMA system models. It is shows that the analysis of Quadrature phases shift key and 16-ary Quadrature Amplitude modulations which are being used in wideband code division multiple access system, Therefore, the system could go for more suitable modulation technique to suit the channel quality, thus we can deliver the optimum and efficient data rate
Mediators and moderators of a psychosocial intervention for children affected by political violence.

OBJECTIVE
The authors examined moderators and mediators of a school-based psychosocial intervention for children affected by political violence, according to an ecological resilience theoretical framework.


METHOD
The authors examined data from a cluster randomized trial, involving children aged 8-13 in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia (treatment condition n = 182, waitlist control condition n = 221). Mediators (hope, coping, peer/emotional/play social support) and moderators (gender, age, family connectedness, household size, other forms of social support, exposure to political violence, and displacement) of treatment outcome on posttraumatic stress symptoms and function impairment were examined in parallel process latent growth curve models.


RESULTS
Compared with the waitlist group, those receiving treatment showed maintained hope, increased positive coping, maintained peer social support, and increased play social support. Of these putative mediators, only play social support was found to mediate treatment effects, such that increases in play social support were associated with smaller reductions in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Furthermore, the authors identified a number of moderators: Girls showed larger treatment benefits on PTSD symptoms; girls, children in smaller households, and children receiving social support from adults outside the household showed larger treatment benefits on function impairment.


CONCLUSIONS
Findings provide limited evidence for an ecological resilience theoretical framework. On the basis of these findings, the authors recommend a stronger separation between universal prevention (e.g., resilience promotion through play) and selective/indicated prevention (e.g., interventions aimed at decreasing posttraumatic stress symptoms). Play-based interventions should be careful to exclude children with psychological distress. In addition, treatment effects may be augmented by selecting girls and socially vulnerable children.
Architecture-Driven Modelling Methodologies

Classical software development methodologies take architectural issues as granted or pre-determined. They thus neglect the impact decisions for architecture have within the development process. This omission is applicable as long as we are considering monolithic systems. It cannot however been kept whenever we move to distributed systems. Web information systems pay far more attention to users support and thus require sophisticated layout and playout systems. These systems go beyond what has been known for presentation systems. We thus discover that architecture plays a major role during systems analysis, design and development. We thus target on building a framework that is based on early architectural decisions or on integration of new solutions into existing architectures. We aim at development of novel approaches to web information systems development that allow a co-evolution of architectures and software systems.
A comparison of one year of episodic or suppressive treatment of recurrent genital herpes with valacyclovir.

OBJECTIVES
We conducted this study to compare episodic and suppressive therapy for genital herpes about disease characteristics, disease burden, and psychologic impact.


STUDY DESIGN
The authors conducted a randomized, open-label, 1-year treatment trial.


RESULTS
Forty subjects were randomized to episodic therapy with valacyclovir (500 mg twice daily for 5 days) and 40 to suppressive therapy (500 mg daily). Subjects in the episodic arm experienced more outbreaks (7.87 +/- 4.65) than those in the suppressive arm (1.59 +/- 1.93) (P <0.001). Subjects in the episodic arm also had significantly more days with pain and lesions (6.5 +/- 7.3) than those in the suppressive arm (1.1 +/- 3.3) (P < 0.001), and other quantitative measures of disease burden also favored the suppressive arm. Both treatment groups had significant improvements in their recurrent genital herpes quality-of-life scores from baseline that persisted throughout the study; however, there was no significant difference between the treatment arms in these scores.


CONCLUSIONS
Suppressive therapy of recurrent genital herpes with valacyclovir has a greater impact on measures of disease frequency and burden than episodic therapy. However, both treatment strategies lead to significant improvements in recurrent genital herpes quality-of-life scores. Both treatment strategies benefit patients with recurrent genital herpes.
An Integrated Peptide-Antigen Microarray on Plasmonic Gold Films for Sensitive Human Antibody Profiling

High-throughput screening for interactions of peptides with a variety of antibody targets could greatly facilitate proteomic analysis for epitope mapping, enzyme profiling, drug discovery and biomarker identification. Peptide microarrays are suited for such undertaking because of their high-throughput capability. However, existing peptide microarrays lack the sensitivity needed for detecting low abundance proteins or low affinity peptide-protein interactions. This work presents a new peptide microarray platform constructed on nanostructured plasmonic gold substrates capable of metal enhanced NIR fluorescence enhancement (NIR-FE) by hundreds of folds for screening peptide-antibody interactions with ultrahigh sensitivity. Further, an integrated histone peptide and whole antigen array is developed on the same plasmonic gold chip for profiling human antibodies in the sera of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, revealing that collectively a panel of biomarkers against unmodified and post-translationally modified histone peptides and several whole antigens allow more accurate differentiation of SLE patients from healthy individuals than profiling biomarkers against peptides or whole antigens alone.
Naturally-Acquired Influenza-Specific CD4+ T-Cell Proliferative Responses Are Impaired in HIV-Infected African Adults

BACKGROUND
Seasonal influenza has been associated with greater morbidity and mortality in AIDS patients. Highly-active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has led to some reduction in influenza-related complications but the nature of naturally-acquired T-cell immunity to influenza virus in an African setting, and how this changes with immune reconstitution following HAART is unknown. We measured influenza-specific CD4(+) T-cell immunity in unimmunized HIV-infected Malawian adults and then investigated immune reconstitution following HAART.


METHODS
Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated from HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected Malawian adults. CFSE proliferation and CD154 expression flow cytometry-based assays were used to measure influenza-specific CD4(+) T-cell immunity.


RESULTS
We found lower naturally-acquired proliferative influenza-specific CD4(+) T-cell responses in AIDS patients that was also present in asymptomatic HIV-infected adults with relatively high CD4 counts (>350 cells/µl). Influenza-specific CD4(+) T-cell immune reconstitution in HIV-infected patients on HAART for 12 months was poor despite a marked reduction in viral load and an increase in CD4 count. This poor immune reconstitution was characterised by a low influenza-specific proliferative CD4(+) T-cell response and reduced proportions of CD154-expressing influenza-specific CD4(+) T-cells in peripheral blood.


CONCLUSION
Our data suggest that asymptomatic HIV-infected adults may also be at risk of influenza-related complications and that HAART alone may not circumvent this risk in AIDS patients. This study highlights the need to identify possible interventions early in HIV infection to reduce the risk of influenza and to intensify influenza surveillance in these susceptible African populations.