LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Efficacy and safety of chitosan HEP-40 in the management of hypercholesterolemia: a randomized, multicenter, placebo-controlled trial.

UNLABELLED
Hypercholesterolemia is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD).


OBJECTIVE
To compare the efficacy of a 12-week treatment regimen with HEP-40 low-molecular weight chitosan given at daily doses of 1,200 mg, 1,600 mg, and 2,400 mg in reducing serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in patients with low-to-moderate hypercholesterolemia.


DESIGN
The study was a 16-week, multicenter, placebo-controlled, randomized study. Eligible patients were treatment-naive for lipid-lowering medications. Patients were randomly assigned to HEP-40 at the following doses: 400 mg three times daily, 800 mg twice daily, 800 mg three times daily, 2,400 mg once daily, or placebo for 12 weeks. The main outcome measure was the percent change in LDL-C after four weeks of treatment.


RESULTS
Out of 283 patients screened, 105 (37.1%) fulfilled the inclusion criteria and 95 (90.4%) completed the study. The mean (SD) age was 53 (11) years and 62.3 percent were male. The majority of patients (82.9%) were at low 10-year risk for CVD. The results showed an overall treatment effect (p=0.040) with the highest difference from the placebo group observed for the HEP-40 2,400-mg once daily group (-16.9%, p=0.002), followed by 400 mg three times daily (-11.1%, p=0.054), 800 mg three times daily (-9.7%, p=0.065), and 800 mg twice daily (-8.7%, p=0.101). There were 29 predominantly mild adverse events reported by 24 (23%) patients related to the study treatment, most frequently constipation (3.0%) and diarrhea (3.0%).


CONCLUSION
HEP-40 low-molecular weight chitosan, although not as effective as statins, is efficacious and safe in lowering LDL-C concentrations in treatment-naive patients with low-to-moderate hypercholesterolemia.
A Modeling Framework for Passenger Assignment on a Transport Network with Timetables

Sang Nguyen • Stefano Pallottino • Federico Malucelli Département d’informatique et de recherche opérationnelle and Centre de recherche sur les transports, Université de Montréal, c.p. 6128, succ. centre ville, Montréal, Canada H3C 3J7 Dipartimento di Informatica, Università di Pisa, 40 corso Italia, 56125 Pisa, Italy Dipartimento di Elettronica e Informazione, Politecnico di Milano, P. le L. da Vinci 32, Milano, Italy
VSC-HVDC station with SSSC characteristics

Commercial installations of voltage-source converter-high voltage direct current (VSC-HVDC) are now in service as asynchronous link and as underwater/underground dc transmission. The research reported in this paper is directed to providing VSC-HVDC with synchronizing power and damping power so that after a transient, the steady-state is reached in minimal time. Damping power is achieved by injecting incremental power which is proportional to the frequency deviation measured by a phase lock loop. Synchronizing power is achieved by: 1) introducing a delay in the power measurement and 2) by incorporating a static synchronous series compensation in the VSC-station. The effectiveness of both the synchronizing and damping power is demonstrated through digital simulations of a turbine-generator system which is connected to a VSC-HVDC Station. It is shown that with the synchronizing power and damping power, recovery from the fault disturbance is very much faster.
Quality of life after adjuvant intra-arterial chemotherapy and radiotherapy versus surgery alone in resectable pancreatic and periampullary cancer: a prospective randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND
Adjuvant therapies for pancreatic and periampullary cancer reportedly achieve only a marginal survival benefit. In this randomized controlled trial, 120 patients with resected pancreatic or periampullary cancer received either adjuvant celiac axis infusion chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy (CAI/RT) or no adjuvant treatment. The objective of the study was to compare the quality of life (QoL) in patients who received CAI/RT after pancreatoduodenectomy with the QoL in patients who did not receive adjuvant treatment.


METHODS
During and after CAI/RT, QoL was assessed using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QoL Questionnaire C30 every 3 months during the first 24 months after randomization.


RESULTS
Eighty-six percent of patients (n = 103) completed 1 or more questionnaires. In total, 355 questionnaires were completed. The results indicated that CAI/RT did not impair physical, emotional, or social functioning. During and after CAI/RT, patients had significantly less pain (P = .02) and less nausea and vomiting (P = .01). Overall QoL (global functioning) tended to be better (P = .08) after CAI/RT.


CONCLUSIONS
Over a period of 24 months, CAI/RT improved QoL compared with observation alone in patients with resected pancreatic and periampullary cancer. This beneficial effect of CAI/RT was most prominent in the latter half of the follow-up.
Engineering Melon Plants with Improved Fruit Shelf Life Using the TILLING Approach

BACKGROUND
Fruit ripening and softening are key traits that have an effect on food supply, fruit nutritional value and consequently, human health. Since ethylene induces ripening of climacteric fruit, it is one of the main targets to control fruit over ripening that leads to fruit softening and deterioration. The characterization of the ethylene pathway in Arabidopsis and tomato identified key genes that control fruit ripening.


METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS
To engineer melon fruit with improved shelf-life, we conducted a translational research experiment. We set up a TILLING platform in a monoecious and climacteric melon line, cloned genes that control ethylene production and screened for induced mutations that lead to fruits with enhanced shelf life. Two missense mutations, L124F and G194D, of the ethylene biosynthetic enzyme, ACC oxidase 1, were identified and the mutant plants were characterized with respect to fruit maturation. The L124F mutation is a conservative mutation occurring away from the enzyme active site and thus was predicted to not affect ethylene production and thus fruit ripening. In contrast, G194D modification occurs in a highly conserved amino acid position predicted, by crystallographic analysis, to affect the enzymatic activity. Phenotypic analysis of the G194D mutant fruit showed complete delayed ripening and yellowing with improved shelf life and, as predicted, the L124F mutation did not have an effect.


CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE
We constructed a mutant collection of 4023 melon M2 families. Based on the TILLING of 11 genes, we calculated the overall mutation rate of one mutation every 573 kb and identified 8 alleles per tilled kilobase. We also identified a TILLING mutant with enhanced fruit shelf life. This work demonstrates the effectiveness of TILLING as a reverse genetics tool to improve crop species. As cucurbits are model species in different areas of plant biology, we anticipate that the developed tool will be widely exploited by the scientific community.
Metformin versus insulin for the treatment of gestational diabetes.

BACKGROUND
Metformin is a logical treatment for women with gestational diabetes mellitus, but randomized trials to assess the efficacy and safety of its use for this condition are lacking.


METHODS
We randomly assigned 751 women with gestational diabetes mellitus at 20 to 33 weeks of gestation to open treatment with metformin (with supplemental insulin if required) or insulin. The primary outcome was a composite of neonatal hypoglycemia, respiratory distress, need for phototherapy, birth trauma, 5-minute Apgar score less than 7, or prematurity. The trial was designed to rule out a 33% increase (from 30% to 40%) in this composite outcome in infants of women treated with metformin as compared with those treated with insulin. Secondary outcomes included neonatal anthropometric measurements, maternal glycemic control, maternal hypertensive complications, postpartum glucose tolerance, and acceptability of treatment.


RESULTS
Of the 363 women assigned to metformin, 92.6% continued to receive metformin until delivery and 46.3% received supplemental insulin. The rate of the primary composite outcome was 32.0% in the group assigned to metformin and 32.2% in the insulin group (relative risk, 0.99 [corrected]; 95% confidence interval, 0.80 [corrected] to 1.23 [corrected]). More women in the metformin group than in the insulin group stated that they would choose to receive their assigned treatment again (76.6% vs. 27.2%, P<0.001). The rates of other secondary outcomes did not differ significantly between the groups. There were no serious adverse events associated with the use of metformin.


CONCLUSIONS
In women with gestational diabetes mellitus, metformin (alone or with supplemental insulin) is not associated with increased perinatal complications as compared with insulin. The women preferred metformin to insulin treatment. (Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry number, 12605000311651.).
LIVING LAB : user-driven innovation for sustainability

Purpose – This paper summarizes and discusses the results from the LIVING LAB design study, a project within the 7 Framework Programme of the European Union. The aim of this project was to develop the conceptual design of the LIVING LAB Research Infrastructure that will be used to research human interaction with, and stimulate the adoption of, sustainable, smart and healthy innovations around the home. Design/methodology/approach – A LIVING LAB is a combined lab-/household system, analysing existing product-service-systems as well as technical and socioeconomic influences focused on the social needs of people, aiming at the development of integrated technical and social innovations and simultaneously promoting the conditions of sustainable development (highest resource efficiency, highest user orientation, etc.). This approach allows the development and testing of sustainable domestic technologies, while putting the user on centre stage. Findings – As this paper discusses the design study, no actual findings can be presented here but the focus is on presenting the research approach. LIVING LAB: Research and development of sustainable products and services through userdriven innovation in experimental-oriented environments 2 Originality/value – The two elements (real homes and living laboratories) of this approach are what make the LIVING LAB research infrastructure unique. The research conducted in LIVING LAB will be innovative in several respects. First, it will contribute to market innovation by producing breakthroughs in sustainable domestic technologies that will be easy to install, user friendly and that meet environmental performance standards in real life. Second, research from LIVING LAB will contribute to innovation in practice by pioneering new forms of in-context, user-centred research, including long-term and cross-cultural research.
Experimental investigation and measurement of common mode voltage in a 5-level inverter fed adjustable speed 3-phase Induction Motor drive

The Induction Motor (IM) is cheap and robust when compared to the other electrical motors. Hence it is one of the best choices to run the vehicles by IM. Since the vehicles have to start from rest it requires variable speed drives and one of the convenient method of speed control of IM is by the use of converter-inverter system. It is known that by using the inverter to generate three phase AC supply from a single DC source it introduces common mode (CM) voltage at the stator star point of the IM with respect to general ground (gnd)[1]. In addition high frequency switching noise pulses will be induced due to the fast switching of the inverter devices at the IM supply lines. This CM voltage and high frequency switching noise pulses are harmful and will be responsible for the flow of current through the bearing to the general gnd and also creates electromagnetic interference (EMI) problems respectively [1]. The flow of bearing current leads to premature bearing failures [2] and the EMI affects the communication and measuring systems / circuits. Hence the investigation and measurement of CM voltage is relevant to inverter fed IM drive for the Vehicle power propulsion. This paper discusses the investigation and Experimental measurement of the CM voltage and high frequency switching noise voltage under space vector modulation (SVM) scheme for the 5 level Neutral Point Clamped (NPC) inverter fed three phase IM drive with 500V DC to inverter input voltage. For easy comparison of results with FCC/ CISPR standards the experimental results are also plotted in frequency vs dBμV. In addition the experimental results of 5-level inverter are compared with that of already available [3] 3-level and 2-level inverter fed IM drive circuit results.
Comparison of transcatheter and surgical aortic valve replacement in severe aortic stenosis: a longitudinal study of echocardiography parameters in cohort A of the PARTNER trial (placement of aortic transcatheter valves).

OBJECTIVES
This study sought to compare echocardiographic findings in patients with critical aortic stenosis following surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) or transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).


BACKGROUND
The PARTNER (Placement of Aortic Transcatheter Valves) trial randomized patients 1:1 to SAVR or TAVR.


METHODS
Echocardiograms were obtained at baseline, discharge, 30 days, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after the procedure and analyzed in a core laboratory. For the analysis of post-implantation variables, the first interpretable study (≤6 months) was used.


RESULTS
Both groups showed a decrease in aortic valve gradients and increase in effective orifice area (EOA) (p < 0.0001), which remained stable over 2 years. Compared with SAVR, TAVR resulted in larger indexed EOA (p = 0.038), less prosthesis-patient mismatch (p = 0.019), and more total and paravalvular aortic regurgitation (p < 0.0001). Baseline echocardiographic univariate predictors of death were lower peak transaortic gradient in TAVR patients, and low left ventricular diastolic volume, low stroke volume, and greater severity of mitral regurgitation in SAVR patients. Post-implantation echocardiographic univariate predictors of death were: larger left ventricular diastolic volume, left ventricular systolic volume and EOA, decreased ejection fraction, and greater aortic regurgitation in TAVR patients; and smaller left ventricular systolic and diastolic volumes, low stroke volume, smaller EOA, and prosthesis-patient mismatch in SAVR patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients randomized to either SAVR or TAVR experience enduring, significant reductions in transaortic gradients and increase in EOA. Compared with SAVR, TAVR patients had higher indexed EOA, lower prosthesis-patient mismatch, and more aortic regurgitation. Univariate predictors of death for the TAVR and SAVR groups differed and might allow future refinement in patient selection. (THE PARTNER TRIAL: Placement of AoRTic TraNscathetER Valve Trial; NCT00530894).
Social networks, social support, and survival after breast cancer diagnosis.

PURPOSE
We prospectively examined social ties and survival after breast cancer diagnosis.


PATIENTS AND METHODS
Participants included 2,835 women from the Nurses' Health Study who were diagnosed with stages 1 to 4 breast cancer between 1992 and 2002. Of these women, 224 deaths (107 of these related to breast cancer) accrued to the year 2004. Social networks were assessed in 1992, 1996, and 2000 with the Berkman-Syme Social Networks Index. Social support was assessed in 1992 and 2000 as the presence and availability of a confidant. Cox proportional hazards models were used in prospective analyses of social networks and support, both before and following diagnosis, and subsequent survival.


RESULTS
In multivariate-adjusted analyses, women who were socially isolated before diagnosis had a subsequent 66% increased risk of all-cause mortality (HR = 1.66; 95% CI, 1.04 to 2.65) and a two-fold increased risk of breast cancer mortality (HR = 2.14; 95% CI, 1.11 to 4.12) compared with women who were socially integrated. Women without close relatives (HR = 2.65; 95% CI, 1.03 to 6.82), friends (HR = 4.06; 95% CI, 1.40 to 11.75), or living children (HR = 5.62; 95% CI, 1.20 to 26.46) had elevated risks of breast cancer mortality and of all-cause mortality compared with those with the most social ties. Neither participation in religious or community activities nor having a confidant was related to outcomes. Effect estimates were similar in analyses of postdiagnosis networks.


CONCLUSION
Socially isolated women had an elevated risk of mortality after a diagnosis of breast cancer, likely because of a lack of access to care, specifically beneficial caregiving from friends, relatives, and adult children.
Vine Robots: Design, Teleoperation, and Deployment for Navigation and Exploration

Anew class of robots has recently been explored, characterized by tip extension, significant length change, and directional control. Here, we call this class of robots “vine robots,” due to their similar behavior to plants with the growth habit of trailing. Due to their growth-based movement, vine robots are well suited for navigation and exploration in cluttered environments, but until now, they have not been deployed outside the lab. Portability of these robots and steerability at length scales relevant for navigation are key to field applications. In addition, intuitive human-in-the-loop teleoperation enables movement in unknown and dynamic environments. We present a vine robot system that is teleoperated using a custom designed flexible joystick and camera system, long enough for use in navigation tasks, and portable for use in the field. We report on deployment of this system in two scenarios: a soft robot navigation competition and exploration of an archaeological site. The competition course required movement over uneven terrain, past unstable obstacles, and through a small aperture. The archaeological site required movement over rocks and through horizontal and vertical turns. The robot tip successfully moved past the obstacles and through the tunnels, demonstrating the capability of vine robots to achieve real-world navigation and exploration tasks.
Examining the validity of the unitary theory of clinical relationships: comparison of observed and experienced parent-doctor interaction.

OBJECTIVE
We explored parent-doctor relationships in the care of children with leukaemia from three perspectives simultaneously: parents', doctors' and observers'. Our aim was to investigate convergence and divergence between these perspectives and thereby examine the validity of unitary theory of emotionality and authority in clinical relationships.


METHODS
33 audiorecorded parent-doctor consultations and separate interviews with parents and doctors, which we analysed qualitatively and from which we selected three prototype cases.


RESULTS
Across the whole sample doctors' sense of relationship generally converged with our observations of consultation, but parents' sense of relationship diverged strongly from each. Contrary to current assumptions, parents' sense of emotional connection with doctors did not depend on doctors' emotional behaviour, and parents did not feel disempowered by doctors' authority. Moreover, authority and emotionality were not conceptually distinct for parents, who gained emotional support from doctors' exercise of authority.


CONCLUSIONS
The relationships looked very different from the three perspectives. These divergences indicate weaknesses in current ideas of emotionality and authority in clinical relationships and the necessity of multisource datasets to develop these ideas in a way that characterises clinical relationships from all perspectives.


PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS
Methodological development will be needed to address the challenges posed by multisource datasets.
Results of short-term and long-term pulmonary vein isolation for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation using duty-cycled bipolar and unipolar radiofrequency energy.

BACKGROUND
Electrical disconnection of the pulmonary veins (PV) plays an important role in the ablation of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF). Antral ablation using a conventional steerable ablation catheter often is technically challenging and time consuming.


METHODS
Eighty-eight patients (mean age 58 +/- 11 years) with symptomatic paroxysmal AF underwent ablation with a circular mapping/ablation decapolar catheter (PVAC). Ablation was performed in the antral region of the PVs with a power-modulated bipolar/unipolar radiofrequency (RF) generator using 8-10 W delivered simultaneously through 2-10 electrodes, as selected by the operator. Seven-day Holter monitor recordings were performed off antiarrhythmic drugs at 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up, and patients were requested to visit the hospital in the event of ongoing palpitations. All follow-up patients were divided into 2 groups: Group 1 with a follow-up of less than 1 year and group 2 patients completing a 1-year follow-up.


RESULTS
Overall, 338 of 339 targeted PVs (99%) were isolated with the PVAC with a mean of 24 +/- 9 RF applications per patient, a mean total procedure time of 125 +/- 28 minutes, and a mean fluoroscopy time of 21 +/- 13 minutes. Freedom from AF off antiarrhythmic drugs was found in 82 and 79% of group 1 and group 2 patients, respectively. No procedure-related complications were observed.


CONCLUSION
PV isolation by duty-cycled unipolar/bipolar RF ablation can be effectively and safely performed with a circular, decapolar catheter. Twelve-month follow-up data compare favorably with early postablation results, indicating stable effects over time.
The birth of intensive care medicine: Björn Ibsen’s records

The birth of intensive care medicine was a process that took place in Copenhagen, Denmark, during and after the poliomyelitis epidemic in 1952/1953. The events that led to the creation of the first intensive care unit in the world in December 1953 are well described. It is generally agreed upon that the start of the process was the fact that an anaesthesiologist (Björn Ibsen) was brought out of the operating theatre and asked to use his skills on a 12-year-old girl suffering from polio. The medical record of the girl contains a minute-by-minute description of the historical event. A translation of this part of the record is published as an Online Resource to the article. The role played by the epidemiologist Mogens Björneboe is further analysed. He was the catalyst of the process, being the one with the idea that the skills of an anaesthesiologist could be used for other purposes than surgery. When first Ibsen realised what could be done with his skills, he proved to be one of the most progressive and inventive doctors seen in modern medicine. An interview with Prof. Ibsen in 2006 is published as an Online Resource to the article.