LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Patient-reported pain and other quality of life domains as prognostic factors for survival in a phase III clinical trial of patients with advanced breast cancer

BACKGROUND
Patient-reported outcomes have been associated with survival in numerous studies across cancer types, including breast cancer. However, the Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form (BPI-SF) and the Rotterdam Symptom Checklist (RSCL) have rarely been investigated in this regard in breast cancer.


METHODS
Here we describe a post hoc analysis of the prognostic effect of baseline scores of these instruments on survival in a phase III trial of patients with advanced breast cancer who received gemcitabine plus paclitaxel or paclitaxel alone after anthracycline-based adjuvant or neoadjuvant therapy. The variables for this analysis were baseline BPI-SF "worst pain" and BPI-SF "pain interference" scores, and four RSCL subscales (each transformed to 0-100). Univariate and multivariate Cox models were used, the latter in the presence of 11 demographic/clinical variables. Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank tests were used to compare survival for patients by BPI-SF or RSCL scores.


RESULTS
Of 529 randomized patients, 286 provided BPI-SF data and 336 provided RSCL data at baseline. Univariate analyses identified BPI-SF worst pain and pain interference (both hazard ratios [HR], 1.07 for a 1-point increase; both p ≤ 0.0061) and three of four RSCL subscales [activity level, physical distress, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) (HR, 0.86-0.91 for 10-point increase all p ≤ 0.0104)], to have significant prognostic effect for survival. BPI-SF worst pain (p = 0.0342) and RSCL activity level (p = 0.0004) were prognostic in the multivariate analysis. Median survival for patients categorized by BPI-SF worst pain score was 23.8 (n = 91), 17.9 (n = 94) and 14.6 (n = 94) months for scores 0, 1-4, and 5-10, respectively (log-rank p = 0.0065). Median survival was 23.8 and 14.6 months for patients (n = 330) with above- and below-median RSCL activity level scores respectively (log-rank p < 0.0001).


CONCLUSION
Pretreatment BPI-SF worst pain and RSCL activity scores provide distinct prognostic information for survival in patients receiving paclitaxel or gemcitabine plus paclitaxel for advanced breast cancer even after controlling for multiple demographic and clinical factors.


TRIAL REGISTRATION
Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT00006459.
Oral lichen planus: a clinical study.

OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the clinical characteristics, predisposing/aggravating factors and malignant potential of oral lichen planus (OLP).


STUDY DESIGN
Case series.


PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY
Department of Dermatology and Oral Pathology, Liaquat University Hospital, Hyderabad, from January 2006 to November 2007.


METHODOLOGY
Patients of either gender aged above 12 years, fulfilling the diagnostic criteria for OLP were enrolled for study. Patients not willing to participate or suspected to have drug-induced lichenoid reactions were excluded. History regarding the onset and duration, symptoms, addictions was elicited followed by oral, cutaneous and systemic examination. Biopsy was taken when the diagnosis was doubtful or malignancy was suspected. The data were analyzed using SPSS software version 11.0 for frequency and percentage.


RESULTS
A total of 95 patients (40 male and 55 female), aged between 17 and 62 years were enrolled. Diabetes (n=05) and hypertension (n=04) were the accompanying comorbidities. Family history was positive in 3 patients only. Reticular form was the most common clinical type seen in 52 (54.7%), followed by erosive in 31 (32.6%) and atrophic/erythematous types in 12 (12.6%) patients. The disease caused pain, burning and other symptoms in 72 (75.7%) patients. Buccal mucosa was the chief site of involvement (n=31). Other sites involved were tongue (n=20), lips (n=28), palate (n=9) and floor of mouth (n=03). Stress, spicy foods and poor oral hygiene aggravated disease in most (n=77) of the patients.


CONCLUSION
OLP is a chronic disease with diverse clinical manifestations and multiple site involvement. Associated pigmentation of surrounding mucosa was unique finding of this study. Long-term follow up is needed to assess the malignant potential. Stress was the most important factor aggravating the disease.
Decision-making and outcomes of feeding tube insertion: a five-state study.

OBJECTIVES
To examine family member's perceptions of decision-making and outcomes of feeding tubes.


DESIGN
Mortality follow-back survey. Sample weights were used to account for oversampling and survey design. A multivariate model examined the association between feeding tube use and overall quality of care rating regarding the last week of life.


SETTING
Nursing homes, hospitals, and assisted living facilities.


PARTICIPANTS
Respondents whose relative had died from dementia in five states with varying feeding tube use.


MEASUREMENTS
Respondents were asked about discussions, decision-making, and outcomes related to their loved ones' feeding problems.


RESULTS
Of 486 family members surveyed, representing 9,652 relatives dying from dementia, 10.8% reported that the decedent had a feeding tube, 17.6% made a decision not to use a feeding tube, and 71.6% reported that there was no decision about feeding tubes. Of respondents for decedents with a feeding tube, 13.7% stated that there was no discussion about feeding tube insertion, and 41.6% reported a discussion that was shorter than 15 minutes. The risks associated with feeding tube insertion were not discussed in one-third of the cases, 51.8% felt that the healthcare provider was strongly in favor of feeding tube insertion, and 12.6% felt pressured by the physician to insert a feeding tube. The decedent was often physically (25.9%) or pharmacologically restrained (29.2%). Respondents whose loved ones died with a feeding tube were less likely to report excellent end-of-life care (adjusted odds ratio=0.42, 95% confidence interval=0.18-0.97) than those who were not.


CONCLUSION
Based on the perceptions of bereaved family members, important opportunities exist to improve decision-making in feeding tube insertion.
State-of-the-art overview of pipeline steel corrosion in impure dense CO2 for CCS transportation: mechanisms and models

This work reviews the existing open literature concerned with pipeline steel corrosion in CO2-rich phase with impurities for carbon capture and storage purpose. The intent of this review was to provide information on the corrosion mechanisms, which is crucial for establishing the mechanistic prediction models. The primary focus was placed on key affecting parameters and their corresponding mechanisms, while the corrosion control strategies and research prospects are also discussed. This review covers the effects of: impurities, pressure, temperature, flow, exposure time, product layers, and steel chemistry. The influences of flow dynamics, amines, sulphur, and solids that had received little systematic attention need to be further addressed. Contradictory conclusions regarding the influence of H2O and O2 on the corrosion rates should be re-evaluated. The localised corrosion and cathodic reaction mechanisms also require further investigation, especially under synergistic conditions with multiple impurities. ARTICLE HISTORY Received 13 December 2016 Accepted 5 March 2017
Initial forces and moments delivered by removable thermoplastic appliances during rotation of an upper central incisor.

OBJECTIVE
To determine the forces and moments delivered to a maxillary central incisor during rotation by three different thermoplastic appliances with identical thickness.


MATERIALS AND METHODS
Five identical appliances were manufactured from each of three materials (Ideal Clear 1.0 mm, Erkodur 1.0 mm, Biolon 1.0 mm). An upper central incisor fixed in a measuring device was rotated around its central axis in 0.5-degree steps to +/-2.5 degrees, +/-5 degrees, and +/-7.5 degrees (equivalent to an activation of +/-0.17 mm, +/-0.34 mm, and +/-0.51 mm of the incisor edge) in the clockwise and anticlockwise directions with the respective appliance fixed in place. For statistical analysis, the moments Tz (rotation) and forces Fz (intrusion) were tested. Means and standard deviations for Tz and median and 25% and 75% quantiles for Fz were calculated. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed.


RESULTS
The minimal moment was determined at a rotation of -0.17 mm (-7.3 Nmm, +/-0.8), and the maximal moment at a deflection of -0.51 mm (-71.8 Nmm. +/-2.5) was recorded. The minimal value for Fz was measured at an activation of -0.17 mm (0.0 N), and the highest intrusive forces were evaluated for a rotation of -0.51 mm (-5.8 N). The particular material sometimes had a significant (P < .05) influence on the forces delivered and the moments.


CONCLUSIONS
During rotation with aligners, an intrusive force can also be observed. The direction of rotation, and the materials used all exert an influence on the force delivery properties of the appliance.
Projected status of the Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) in the twenty-first century

Extensive and rapid losses of sea ice in the Arctic have raised conservation concerns for the Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens), a large pinniped inhabiting arctic and subarctic continental shelf waters of the Chukchi and Bering seas. We developed a Bayesian network model to integrate potential effects of changing environmental conditions and anthropogenic stressors on the future status of the Pacific walrus population at four periods through the twenty-first century. The model framework allowed for inclusion of various sources and levels of knowledge, and representation of structural and parameter uncertainties. Walrus outcome probabilities through the century reflected a clear trend of worsening conditions for the subspecies. From the current observation period to the end of century, the greatest change in walrus outcome probabilities was a progressive decrease in the outcome state of robust and a concomitant increase in the outcome state of vulnerable. The probabilities of rare and extirpated states each progressively increased but remained <10% through the end of the century. The summed probabilities of vulnerable, rare, and extirpated (P(v,r,e)) increased from a current level of 10% in 2004 to 22% by 2050 and 40% by 2095. The degree of uncertainty in walrus outcomes increased monotonically over future periods. In the model, sea ice habitat (particularly for summer/fall) and harvest levels had the greatest influence on future population outcomes. Other potential stressors had much smaller influences on walrus outcomes, mostly because of uncertainty in their future states and our current poor understanding of their mechanistic influence on walrus abundance.
High-precision magnetic levitation stage for photolithography

In this paper, we present a high-precision magnetic levitation (maglev) stage for photolithography in semiconductor manufacturing. This stage is the world’s first maglev stage that provides fine six-degree-of-freedom motion controls and realizes large (50 mm 3 50 mm) planar motions with only a single magnetically levitated moving part. The key element of this stage is a linear motor capable of providing forces in both suspension and translation without contact. The advantage of such a stage is that the mechanical design is far simpler than competing conventional approaches and, thus, promises faster dynamic response and higher mechanical reliability. The stage operates with a positioning noise as low as 5 nm rms in x and y, and acceleration capabilities in excess of 1 g (10 m/s). We demonstrate the utility of this stage for next-generation photolithography or in other highprecision motion control applications. © 1998 Elsevier Science Inc.
An Integrated System for Regional Environmental Monitoring and Management Based on Internet of Things

Climate change and environmental monitoring and management have received much attention recently, and an integrated information system (IIS) is considered highly valuable. This paper introduces a novel IIS that combines Internet of Things (IoT), Cloud Computing, Geoinformatics [remote sensing (RS), geographical information system (GIS), and global positioning system (GPS)], and e-Science for environmental monitoring and management, with a case study on regional climate change and its ecological effects. Multi-sensors and Web services were used to collect data and other information for the perception layer; both public networks and private networks were used to access and transport mass data and other information in the network layer. The key technologies and tools include real-time operational database (RODB); extraction-transformation-loading (ETL); on-line analytical processing (OLAP) and relational OLAP (ROLAP); naming, addressing, and profile server (NAPS); application gateway (AG); application software for different platforms and tasks (APPs); IoT application infrastructure (IoT-AI); GIS and e-Science platforms; and representational state transfer/Java database connectivity (RESTful/JDBC). Application Program Interfaces (APIs) were implemented in the middleware layer of the IIS. The application layer provides the functions of storing, organizing, processing, and sharing of data and other information, as well as the functions of applications in environmental monitoring and management. The results from the case study show that there is a visible increasing trend of the air temperature in Xinjiang over the last 50 years (1962-2011) and an apparent increasing trend of the precipitation since the early 1980s. Furthermore, from the correlation between ecological indicators [gross primary production (GPP), net primary production (NPP), and leaf area index (LAI)] and meteorological elements (air temperature and precipitation), water resource availability is the decisive factor with regard to the terrestrial ecosystem in the area. The study shows that the research work is greatly benefited from such an IIS, not only in data collection supported by IoT, but also in Web services and applications based on cloud computing and e-Science platforms, and the effectiveness of monitoring processes and decision-making can be obviously improved. This paper provides a prototype IIS for environmental monitoring and management, and it also provides a new paradigm for the future research and practice; especially in the era of big data and IoT.
Revolutionary Melodrama: Popular Film and Civic Identity in Nasser's Egypt

Introduction: "We've Lost a Lot": Cinema and Longing Since Nasser 1. Playing to the People: Studios, Stars, and Social Texts 2. God and the Censor: History and Politics in Revolutionary Film 3. Revolutionary Melodrama: Torch Songs and Other Tropes 4. Free to be "Bad": The Revolution's New Woman Onscreen 5. New Peasants, Old Ways: Tradition and Nation in Nasserist Cinema 6. Unhappy Endings: The Rise and Fall of Nasserist Cinema 7. Nostalgia in Black-and-White: Nasser's Streets and Public Memory References Index
Cerebral palsy and growth failure at 6 to 7 years.

OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the association between severity of cerebral palsy (CP) and growth to 6 to 7 years of age among children with moderate to severe (Mod/Sev) hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). It was hypothesized that children with Mod/Sev CP would have poorer growth, lower cognitive scores, and increased rehospitalization rates compared with children with no CP (No CP).


METHODS
Among 115 of 122 surviving children followed in the hypothermia trial for neonatal HIE, growth parameters and neurodevelopmental status at 18 to 22 months and 6 to 7 years were available. Group comparisons (Mod/Sev CP and No CP) with unadjusted and adjusted analyses for growth <10th percentile and z scores by using Fisher's exact tests and regression modeling were conducted.


RESULTS
Children with Mod/Sev CP had high rates of slow growth and cognitive and motor impairment and rehospitalizations at 18 to 22 months and 6 to 7 years. At 6 to 7 years of age, children with Mod/Sev CP had increased rates of growth parameters <10th percentile compared with those with No CP (weight, 57% vs 3%; height, 70% vs 2%; and head circumference, 82% vs 13%; P < .0001). Increasing severity of slow growth was associated with increasing age (P < .04 for weight, P < .001 for length, and P < .0001 for head circumference). Gastrostomy feeds were associated with better growth.


CONCLUSIONS
Term children with HIE who develop Mod/Sev CP have high and increasing rates of growth <10th percentile by 6 to 7 years of age. These findings support the need for close medical and nutrition management of children with HIE who develop CP.
Exposure to crocidolite and the incidence of different histological types of lung cancer.

OBJECTIVES
To estimate the relations between exposure to both tobacco smoke and crocidolite and the incidence of various histological types of lung cancer.


METHODS
In 1979 all former workers from the Wittenoom asbestos industry who could be traced were sent a questionnaire on smoking history. Of 2928 questionnaires sent, satisfactory replies were received from 2400 men and 149 women. Of the men, 80% had smoked at some time and 50% still smoked. Occupational exposure to crocidolite was known from employment records and follow up was maintained through death and cancer registries in Australia with histological diagnoses obtained from the relevant State Cancer Registry. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate the effects of tobacco and asbestos exposure on incidence of different cell types of lung cancer in a nested case-control design.


RESULTS
Between 1979 and 1990, 71 cases of lung cancer occurred among men in this cohort: 27% squamous cell carcinoma, 31% adenocarcinoma, 18% small cell carcinoma, 11% large cell carcinoma, and 13% unclassified or indeterminate. Two of the classified cases and one unclassified case had never smoked. The incidence of both squamous and adenocarcinoma types of lung cancer were greatest in ex-smokers and in those subjects with the highest levels of exposure to crocidolite. After adjustment for smoking habit, the increase in incidence of lung cancer with increasing exposure to crocidolite was greater for squamous cell carcinoma than for adenocarcinoma.


CONCLUSIONS
The results from this study have shown significant exposure-response effects for exposure to crocidolite, and both adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma of the lung. They also provide some further evidence against the theory that parenchymal fibrosis induced by asbestos is a necessary precursor to asbestos induced lung cancer.
A decade of agile methodologies: Towards explaining agile software development

Ever since the agile manifesto was created in 2001, the research community has devoted a great deal of attention to agile software development. This article examines publications and citations to illustrate how the research on agile has progressed in the 10 years following the articulation of the manifesto. nformation systems Xtreme programming, XP
1.3 μm, 56-Gbit/s EML module target to 400GbE

We developed 1.3 μm, EML module built in EML driver IC for both 50 and 56 Gbit/s. 40-km SMF transmission with clear eye openings under 56 Gbit/s operation were demonstrated for the first time.
Frailty phenotypes in the elderly based on cluster analysis: a longitudinal study of two Danish cohorts. Evidence for a genetic influence on frailty

Frailty is a physiological state characterized by the deregulation of multiple physiologic systems of an aging organism determining the loss of homeostatic capacity, which exposes the elderly to disability, diseases, and finally death. An operative definition of frailty, useful for the classification of the individual quality of aging, is needed. On the other hand, the documented heterogeneity in the quality of aging among different geographic areas suggests the necessity for a frailty classification approach providing population-specific results. Moreover, the contribution of the individual genetic background on the frailty status is still questioned. We investigated the applicability of a cluster analysis approach based on specific geriatric parameters, previously set up and validated in a southern Italian population, to two large longitudinal Danish samples. In both cohorts, we identified groups of subjects homogeneous for their frailty status and characterized by different survival patterns. A subsequent survival analysis availing of Accelerated Failure Time models allowed us to formulate an operative index able to correlate classification variables with survival probability. From these models, we quantified the differential effect of various parameters on survival, and we estimated the heritability of the frailty phenotype by exploiting the twin pairs in our sample. These data suggest the presence of a genetic influence on the frailty variability and indicate that cluster analysis can define specific frailty phenotypes in each population.
Ka-band Fresnel lens antenna fed with an active linear microstrip patch array

The design of a linear microstrip array and Fresnel lens combination as a potential candidate for Ka-band satellite communications is presented. Medium-power amplifiers are distributed within the array to achieve a high EIRP required for satellite communications. This architecture may be used as an alternative to the conventional horn-fed reflector antenna with a single high-power amplifier.
Medical robotics—Regulatory, ethical, and legal considerations for increasing levels of autonomy

The regulatory, ethical, and legal barriers imposed on medical robots necessitate careful consideration of different levels of autonomy, as well as the context for use.
Right ventricular systolic dysfunction in patients with severe ischemic cardiomyopathy - CMR insights into an interventricular relationship

Background Right ventricular systolic dysfunction is associated with worsened outcomes and poor survival in patients with heart failure. However, it is unclear what mechanisms, other than the presence of RV infarction, contribute to the development of RV dysfunction in patients with severe ischemic cardiomyopathy. We sought to determine the impact of baseline demographic variables, CAD severity, LV diastolic function assessed by echocardiography, ventriculovascular coupling, LV remodeling, aortic biomechanical properties, and RV infarction, assessed by CMR, on RV ejection fraction.
Antimicrobial activity of Syzygium cumini (Myrtaceae) leaves extract

The antimicrobial activity of Syzygium cumini leaves extract, known as “jambolão”, was evaluated. The crude hydroalcoholic extract was active against Candida krusei (inhibition zone of 14.7 ± 0.3 mm and MIC = 70 μg/ mL), and against multi-resistant strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus.