LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Inhaled beta 2-agonist and positive expiratory pressure in bronchial asthma. Influence on airway resistance and functional residual capacity.

INTRODUCTION
Positive expiratory airway pressure seems to dilate narrowed or collapsed airways, but this may be accompanied by a maintained and harmful increase in resting lung volume in obstructive pulmonary disease.


PURPOSE
To evaluate the influence of inhaled terbutaline and positive expiratory pressure (PEP) on airway resistance (Raw) and functional residual capacity (FRC) in bronchial asthma.


DESIGN
Randomized crossover design, single blind with regard to inhaled medication, open with regard to PEP (PEP can be felt).


MATERIAL AND METHODS
Ten patients with bronchial asthma inhaled placebo and terbutaline in doses of 0.125 mg, 0.5 mg, and 1.5 mg by cone spacer combined with a facemask giving 0, 10, or 15 cm H2O PEP on separate days. FRC and Raw were measured by body plethysmography before and after inhalations. Data were analyzed by analysis of variance with terbutaline dose and PEP as factor levels.


RESULTS
The effect of terbutaline: Raw decreased significantly (p < 0.0001) after 0.125 mg and 1.5 mg. The FRC did not change significantly. The effect of PEP: Raw decreased, but significantly only when the dose of 1.5 mg terbutaline was excluded from the analysis. Raw decreased with PEP 10 and 15 cm H2O, mean 0.6 (95 percent CI: -1.1, -0.2) and 0.9 (95 percent CI: -1.3, -0.4) cm H2O/L/s. The FRC did not change significantly with the PEP level.


CONCLUSION
PEP only had influence on Raw when insufficient doses of terbutaline were inhaled, whereas once an efficient dose of terbutaline was administered, significant bronchodilation was achieved with or without PEP. Positive expiratory pressure did not increase FRC.
Biomechanics of double transtibial amputee sprinting using dedicated sprinting prostheses

The purpose of this study was to examine the overall kinetics and the kinetics at the joints of the lower limb while sprinting at maximum speed, and to compare the data of a double transtibial amputee and able-bodied controls running at the same level of performance. One double transtibial amputee, using dedicated sprinting prostheses, and five able-bodied sprinters participated in the study. The athletes performed submaximal and maximal sprints (60m) on an indoor track. All of the participants ran three times at each speed (maximal and submaximal). The athletes’ kinematics were recorded using the Vicon 624 system with 12 cameras operating at 250Hz. Four Kistler force plates (1250Hz) were used to record ground reaction forces (GRF). External joint moments, joint work, and joint power were calculated from the GRF and the kinematic data. The analysis of total body kinetics revealed lower mechanical work during the stance phase for the double transtibial amputee using Cheetah prostheses than for the able-bodied athletes running at the same speed. The joint kinetics showed lower external joint moments and joint power at the hip and the knee joints and higher values of joint power at the (prosthetic) ankle joint of the amputee than for the able-bodied athletes. The ratio of the mechanical work at the ankle joint in the negative and the positive phase during stance was 0.907 for the carbon keels of the prostheses and 0.401 for the healthy ankle joints of the controls. The mechanical work at the knee joints was 11 times higher in the negative phase and 8.1 times higher in the positive phase during stance in the ablebodied athletes than in the double transtibial amputee sprinter. It was assumed that due to reduced work at the joints of the lower limbs and less energy loss in the prosthetic leg, running with the dedicated prostheses allows for maximum sprinting at lower metabolic costs than in the healthy ankle joint complex. & 2008 John Wiley and Sons Asia Pte Ltd
Effective recruitment strategies and community-based participatory research: community networks program centers' recruitment in cancer prevention studies.

BACKGROUND
Community-based participatory research (CBPR) approaches that involve community and academic partners in activities ranging from protocol design through dissemination of study findings can increase recruitment of medically underserved and underrepresented racial/ethnic minority populations into biomedical research.


METHODS
Five cancer screening and prevention trials in three National Cancer Institute (Bethesda, MD)-funded Community Networks Program Centers (CNPC), in Florida, Kansas, and South Carolina, were conducted across diverse populations. Data were collected on total time period of recruitment, ratios of participants enrolled over potential participants approached, selected CBPR strategies, capacity-building development, and systematic procedures for community stakeholder involvement.


RESULTS
Community-engaged approaches used included establishing colearning opportunities, participatory procedures for community-academic involvement, and community and clinical capacity building. A relatively large proportion of individuals identified for recruitment was actually approached (between 50% and 100%). The proportion of subjects who were eligible among all those approached ranged from 25% to more than 70% (in the community setting). Recruitment rates were very high (78%-100% of eligible individuals approached) and the proportion who refused or who were not interested among those approached was very low (5%-11%).


CONCLUSIONS
Recruitment strategies used by the CNPCs were associated with low refusal and high enrollment ratios of potential subjects. Adherence to CBPR principles in the spectrum of research activities, from strategic planning to project implementation, has significant potential to increase involvement in biomedical research and improve our ability to make appropriate recommendations for cancer prevention and control programming in underrepresented diverse populations.


IMPACT
CBPR strategies should be more widely implemented to enhance study recruitment.
Does the organisational model of dementia case management make a difference in satisfaction with case management and caregiver burden? An evaluation study.

BACKGROUND
In the Netherlands, various organisational models of dementia case management exist. In this study the following four models are distinguished, based on differences in the availability of the service and in the case management function: Model 1: the case management service is available from first dementia symptoms + is always a separate specialist function; Model 2: the case management service is only available after a formal dementia diagnosis + is always a separate specialist function; Model 3: the case management service is available from first dementia symptoms + is often a combined function; Model 4: the case management service is only available after a formal dementia diagnosis + is often a combined function. The objectives of this study are to give insight into whether satisfaction with dementia case management and the development of caregiver burden depend on the organisational model.


METHODS
A survey was carried out in regional dementia care networks in the Netherlands among 554 informal carers for people with dementia at the start of case management (response of 85 %), and one year later. Descriptive statistics and multilevel models were used to analyse the data.


RESULTS
The satisfaction with the case manager was high in general (an average of 8.0 within a possible range of 1 to 10), although the caregiver burden did not decrease in the first year after starting with case management. No differences were found between the four organisational models regarding the development of caregiver burden. However, statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) were found regarding satisfaction: informal carers in the organisational model where case management is only available after formal diagnosis of dementia and is often a combined function had on average the lowest satisfaction scores. Nevertheless, the satisfaction of informal carers within all organisational models was high (ranging from 7.51 to 8.40 within a range of 1 to 10).


CONCLUSIONS
Organisational features of case management seem to make little or no difference to the development in caregiver burden and the satisfaction of informal carers. Future research is needed to explore whether the individual characteristics of the case managers themselves are associated with case management outcomes.
Comparative trial of the use of antiplatelet and oral anticoagulant in
thrombosis prophylaxis in patients undergoing total cavopulmonary operation with
extracardiac conduit: echocardiographic, tomographic, scintigraphic, clinical and
laboratory analysis

OBJECTIVE
To compare the efficacy of aspirin and warfarin for prophylaxis of thrombosis in patients undergoing total cavopulmonary anastomosis. Evaluate whether coagulation factors (VII, VIII and protein C), clinical data, fenestration or hemodynamic factors, interfere with postoperative thrombosis.


METHODS
A prospective, randomized study of 30 patients, randomized into Group I (Warfarin) and Group II (AAS), underwent total cavopulmonary shunt with extracardiac conduit, between 2008 and 2011, with follow-up by clinical visits to evaluate side effects and adhesion. Performed transesophageal echocardiography in post operatory time, 3, 6,12 and 24 months; angiotomography at 6, 12 and 24 months to evaluate changes in the internal tube wall or thrombi and pulmonary scintigraphy to evaluate possible PTE.


RESULTS
Two deaths in group I; 33.3% of patients had thrombus (46.7% in Group II). The previous occurrence of thrombus and low levels of coagulation protein C were the only factors that influenced the time free of thrombus (P=0.035 and 0.047). Angiotomographic evaluation: 35.7% in group II presented material accumulation greater than 2 mm (P=0.082). Scintigraphy: two patients had PTE in group II. Five patients had difficulty to comply with the treatment, 4 in group I with INR ranging from 1 to 6.4.


CONCLUSION
The previous occurrence of thrombus is a risk factor for thrombosis in the postoperative period. Patients using AAS tend to deposit material in the tube wall. The small sample size did not allow to conclude which is the most effective drug in the prevention of thrombosis in this population.
Effects of thirty and sixty minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise on postprandial lipemia and inflammation in overweight men: a randomized cross-over study

BACKGROUND
The transient rise in blood lipids following a high-fat meal (HFM), known as postprandial lipemia, is linked to systemic inflammation and cardiovascular disease, but can be blunted by exercise. However, minimal research has investigated the effects of realistic exercise bouts on postprandial lipemia and inflammation in at-risk individuals. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise lasting 30 or 60 min performed the evening before a HFM, on postprandial lipemia and inflammation in overweight, insufficiently active men.


METHODS
In this randomized-crossover study, twelve participants remained sedentary (CON), or performed a brisk walk on a treadmill at 60 % VO2peak for either 30 min (EX-30) or 60 min (EX-60), after which they consumed a small snack (270 kcal) to partially replace exercise energy expenditure. Following a 12-h overnight fast, participants consumed a standard HFM (1 g fat/kg; 1 g CHO/kg; 1117.8 ± 117.0 kcal). Blood draws were performed at baseline (pre-HFM) and 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 h post-HFM to assess glucose, insulin, lipids, and systemic inflammation.


RESULTS
There were no significant differences (p > 0.05) in fasting triglycerides between EX-60 (118.7 ± 68.3 mg/dL), CON (134.8 ± 66.2 mg/dL) or EX-30 (135.5 ± 85.4 mg/dL). There were no differences in peak, time-to-peak, total or incremental area-under-the-curve between trials for triglyceride response (p > 0.05). There was no significant main effect of time (p > 0.05) in IL-1ra, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10 or TNF-α from baseline to 8 h post-HFM in any trial.


CONCLUSIONS
In summary, we found that in overweight, insufficiently active men, neither 30 nor 60 min of moderate-intensity exercise performed 12 h prior to a HFM attenuated postprandial lipemia or inflammation, which could potentially be explained by the partial caloric replacement of exercise energy expenditure.
Deep Markov Neural Network for Sequential Data Classification

We present a general framework for incorporating sequential data and arbitrary features into language modeling. The general framework consists of two parts: a hidden Markov component and a recursive neural network component. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our model by applying it to a specific application: predicting topics and sentiments in dialogues. Experiments on real data demonstrate that our method is substantially more accurate than previ-
E-commerce marketing strategies : an integrated framework and case analysis

Demonstrates the usefulness of the traditional marketing model in developing e-commerce marketing strategies. Discusses four e-commerce frameworks and integrates them with the traditional marketing model (product, price, promotion, and distribution) to develop a complete framework. Discusses how the e-commerce strategies could be applied to a real company using the integrated
Assessing the Spoofing Threat: Development of a Portable GPS Civilian Spoofer

A portable civilian GPS spoofer is implemented on a digital signal processor and used to characterize spoofing effects and develop defenses against civilian spoofing. This work is intended to equip GNSS users and receiver manufacturers with authentication methods that are effective against unsophisticated spoofing attacks. The work also serves to refine the civilian spoofing threat assessment by demonstrating the challenges involved in mounting a spoofing attack.
Face-MagNet: Magnifying Feature Maps to Detect Small Faces

In this paper, we introduce the Face Magnifier Network (Face-MageNet), a face detector based on the Faster-RCNN framework which enables the flow of discriminative information of small scale faces to the classifier without any skip or residual connections. To achieve this, Face-MagNet deploys a set of ConvTranspose, also known as deconvolution, layers in the Region Proposal Network (RPN) and another set before the Region of Interest (RoI) pooling layer to facilitate detection of finer faces. In addition, we also design, train, and evaluate three other well-tuned architectures that represent the conventional solutions to the scale problem: context pooling, skip connections, and scale partitioning. Each of these three networks achieves comparable results to the state-of-the-art face detectors. With extensive experiments, we show that Face-MagNet based on a VGG16 architecture achieves better results than the recently proposed ResNet101-based HR [7] method on the task of face detection on WIDER [25] dataset and also achieves similar results on the hard set as our other method SSH [17].
Think 'thin' and feel bad: the role of appearance schema activation, attention level, and thin-ideal internalization for young women's responses to ultra-thin media ideals

This study extends previous demonstrations that thin media models have a negative impact on young women’s body image by examining how this effect occurs. In addition to thin–ideal internalization, shown to moderate this impact (Dittmar & Howard, 2004; Halliwell & Dittmar, 2004a), it investigates two further factors not previously explored together: first, the level of attention at which women process thin images and, second, appearance schema activation as an underlying process that mediates the exposure–anxiety link. Seventy-five women were exposed to either neutral advertisements (no models) or to thin models, at either low or high attention, manipulated by exposure time (10 s vs. 150 ms) and focus instructions. Thin models increase weight–related anxiety to the extent that women internalize the thin ideal, but anxiety is heightened further under conditions of high attention. These two effects are independent, and only the first is mediated fully by appearance schema activation. Research and intervention implications are discussed.
CavePainting: a fully immersive 3D artistic medium and interactive experience

CavePainting is an artistic medium that uses a 3D analog of 2D brush strokes to create 3D works of art in a fully immersive Cave environment. Physical props and gestures are used to provide an intuitive interface for artists who may not be familiar with virtual reality. The system is designed to take advantage of the 8 ft. x 8 ft. x 8 ft. space in which the artist works. CavePainting enables the artist to create a new type of art and provides a novel approach to viewing this art after it has been created. In this paper, we describe CavePainting’s 3D brush strokes, color pickers, artwork viewing mode, and interface. We also present several works of art created using the system along with feedback from artists. Artists are excited about this form of art and the gestural, full-body experience of creating it. CR
Nortriptyline plus nicotine replacement versus placebo plus nicotine replacement for smoking cessation: pragmatic randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE
To test the efficacy of nortriptyline plus nicotine replacement therapy compared with placebo plus nicotine replacement therapy for smoking cessation.


DESIGN
Pragmatic randomised controlled trial.


SETTING
National Health Service stop smoking service clinics.


PARTICIPANTS
901 people trying to stop smoking.


INTERVENTIONS
Participants chose their nicotine replacement product, including combinations of nicotine replacement therapy, and received behavioural support. Nortriptyline was started one to two weeks before quit day, with the dose increased from 25 mg to 75 mg daily for eight weeks and reduced if not tolerated.


MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Primary outcome was prolonged confirmed abstinence at six months. Secondary outcomes were prolonged abstinence at 12 months, drug use, severity of side effects, nicotine withdrawal symptoms, and urges to smoke.


RESULTS
72 of 445 (16%) people using nortriptyline and 55 of 456 (12%) using placebo achieved prolonged abstinence at six months (relative risk 1.34, 95% confidence interval 0.97 to 1.86). At 12 months the corresponding values were 49 (11%) for nortriptyline and 40 (9%) for placebo (1.26, 0.84 to 1.87). 337 (79%) people in the nortriptyline arm and 325 (75%) in the placebo arm were taking combination treatment on quit day, median 75 mg per day in both groups. More people in the nortriptyline arm than in the placebo arm took lower doses. The nortriptyline arm had noticeably higher severity ratings for dry mouth and constipation than the placebo arm, with slightly higher ratings for sweating and feeling shaky. Both groups had similar urges to smoke, but nortriptyline reduced depression and anxiety. Overall, withdrawal symptom scores did not differ.


CONCLUSIONS
Nortriptyline and nicotine replacement therapy are both effective for smoking cessation but the effect of the combination is less than either alone and evidence is lacking that combination treatment is more effective than either alone. Trial registration Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN57852484.
The tumor-targeting core-shell structured DTX-loaded PLGA@Au nanoparticles for chemo-photothermal therapy and X-ray imaging.

In this study, an organic-inorganic hybrid nanocomposite was synthesized by deposition of Au onto the surface of docetaxel (DTX)-loaded poly (lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticle cores to form the core-shell structured DTX-loaded PLGA@Au nanoparticles. The tumor targeting peptide, angiopep-2, was then introduced onto the gold nanoshell through Au-S bond, achieving drug delivery with active targeting capability. This novel system allowed combined chemotherapy and thermal therapy for cancer, resulting from DTX and gold nanoshell. The formation of tumor-targeting gold nanoshell surrounding PLGA nanocore, designated as ANG/GS/PLGA/DTX NPs, was confirmed by its surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band in the UV-Vis spectrum and by a transmission electron microscope (TEM). The release profiles of DTX from this system showed strong dependence on near-infrared (NIR) laser. Compared with DTX alone, the ANG/GS/PLGA/DTX NPs afforded much higher anti-tumor efficiency without obvious toxic effects. Besides, it also showed potential X-ray imaging ability. These results demonstrated that the tumor-targeting core-shell structured DTX-loaded PLGA@Au nanoparticles could be used as a multifunctional nanomaterial system with NIR-triggered drug-releasing properties for tumor-targeted chemo-photothermal therapy and theranostics.
Virtual Teams versus Face-to-Face Teams : An Exploratory Study of a Web-based Conference System *

Many organizations are forming “virtual teams” of geographically distributed knowledge workers to collaborate on a variety of workplace tasks. But how effective are these virtual teams compared to traditional face-to-face groups? Do they create similar teamwork and is information exchanged as effectively? An exploratory study of a World Wide Web-based asynchronous computer conference system known as MeetingWebTM is presented and discussed. It was found that teams using this computer-mediated communication system (CMCS) could not outperform traditional (face-to-face) teams under otherwise comparable circumstances. Further, relational links among team members were found to be a significant contributor to the effectiveness of information exchange. Though virtual and face-to-face teams exhibit similar levels of communication effectiveness, face-to-face team members report higher levels of satisfaction. Therefore, the paper presents steps that can be taken to improve the interaction experience of virtual teams. Finally, guidelines for creating and managing virtual teams are suggested, based on the findings of this research and other authoritative sources. Subject Areas: Collaboration, Computer Conference, Computer-mediated Communication Systems (CMCS), Internet, Virtual Teams, and World Wide Web. *The authors wish to thank the Special Focus Editor and the reviewers for their thoughtful critique of the earlier versions of this paper. We also wish to acknowledge the contributions of the Northeastern University College of Business Administration and its staff, which provided the web server and the MeetingWebTM software used in these experiments.
Statistics of Speckle in Ultrasound B-Scans

In the ultrasound imaging process, the complex summation at the transducer face is assumed to be linear. The envelope detection process in B-scanning is a nonlinear step which yields essentially the magnitude of the complex field or voltage. (A square law detector, as in the analogous laser case, yields the square of the magnitude, i.e., the intensity, of the field.) I t is shown that Rayleigh statistics govern the fist-order behavior of the magnitude; and the autocorrelation f the resulting image speckle is obtained by the method of Middleton. The corresponding power spectrum follows immediately by Fourier transformation. Theoretical and experimentally determined autocorrelation functions and power spectra derived from B-scans of a scattering phantom containing many scatterers per resolution cell are presented. These functions lead naturally to the definition of the average speckle spot or cell sue, and this in turn is comparable to the resolution cell. Each independent speckle serves as a degree of freedom that determines the number of samples of tissue available over a target. As the speckle cell size decreases this number increases in a manner predictable from the physical parameters of the cell size. However, it is found that the speckle cell is broadened, the degrees of freedom diminished, when the object structure is correlated. This yields the possibility of deducing information about the object structure from the second-order statistics of the speckle texture, in addition to that obtainable from the fiistorder statistics. I