LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
The effects of additional kinesio taping over exercise in the treatment of patellofemoral pain syndrome.

OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this prospective, randomized, controlled study was to determine the effects of kinesio taping in the treatment of patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS).


METHODS
Thirty-one women with PFPS (mean age: 44.88 years; range: 17 to 50 years) were randomly assigned to either a kinesio taping (KT) (n=15) or control (n=16) group. Both groups received the same muscle strengthening and soft tissue stretching exercises for six weeks and the KT group additionally received kinesio taping at four day intervals for six weeks. Visual analog scale was used to measure pain intensity. Tension of the iliotibial band/tensor fascia lata and hamstring muscles and the mediolateral location of the patella were measured before the treatment and at the end of the third and sixth week. The Anterior Knee Pain Scale / Kujala Scale was used for the analysis of functional performance.


RESULTS
Comparing pretreatment and 6th week values, significant improvements were found in pain, soft tissue flexibility and functional performance of both groups (p<0.05). However, patellar shift was unchanged (p>0.05). The KT group had significantly better hamstring flexibility than the control group at the end of three weeks (p<0.05).


CONCLUSION
The addition of kinesio taping to the conventional exercise program does not improve the results in patients with PFPS, other than a faster improvement in hamstring muscle flexibility.
Identification of type 2 diabetes subgroups through topological analysis of patient similarity

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a heterogeneous complex disease affecting more than 29 million Americans alone with a rising prevalence trending toward steady increases in the coming decades. Thus, there is a pressing clinical need to improve early prevention and clinical management of T2D and its complications. Clinicians have understood that patients who carry the T2D diagnosis have a variety of phenotypes and susceptibilities to diabetes-related complications. We used a precision medicine approach to characterize the complexity of T2D patient populations based on high-dimensional electronic medical records (EMRs) and genotype data from 11,210 individuals. We successfully identified three distinct subgroups of T2D from topology-based patient-patient networks. Subtype 1 was characterized by T2D complications diabetic nephropathy and diabetic retinopathy; subtype 2 was enriched for cancer malignancy and cardiovascular diseases; and subtype 3 was associated most strongly with cardiovascular diseases, neurological diseases, allergies, and HIV infections. We performed a genetic association analysis of the emergent T2D subtypes to identify subtype-specific genetic markers and identified 1279, 1227, and 1338 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that mapped to 425, 322, and 437 unique genes specific to subtypes 1, 2, and 3, respectively. By assessing the human disease–SNP association for each subtype, the enriched phenotypes and biological functions at the gene level for each subtype matched with the disease comorbidities and clinical differences that we identified through EMRs. Our approach demonstrates the utility of applying the precision medicine paradigm in T2D and the promise of extending the approach to the study of other complex, multifactorial diseases.
Effects of the 2010 Haiti Earthquake on Women's Reproductive Health.

This article explores the effects of the 2010 Haiti earthquake on women's reproductive health, using geocoded data from the 2005 and 2012 Haiti Demographic and Health Surveys. We use geographic variation in the destructiveness of the earthquake to conduct a difference-in-difference analysis. Results indicate that heightened earthquake intensity reduced use of injectables-the most widely used modern contraceptive method in Haiti-and increased current pregnancy and current unwanted pregnancy. Analysis of impact pathways suggests that severe earthquake intensity significantly increased women's unmet need for family planning and reduced their access to condoms. The earthquake also affected other factors that influence reproductive health, including women's ability to negotiate condom use in their partnerships. Our findings highlight how disruptions to health care services following a natural disaster can have negative consequences for women's reproductive health.
Prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder among children and adolescents in Spain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiological studies

BACKGROUND
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a commonly diagnosed neuropsychiatric disorder in childhood, but the frequency of the condition is not well established in many countries. The aim of the present study was to quantify the overall prevalence of ADHD among children and adolescents in Spain by means of a systematic review and meta-analysis.


METHODS
PubMed/MEDLINE, IME, IBECS and TESEO were comprehensively searched. Original reports were selected if they provided data on prevalence estimates of ADHD among people under 18 years old in Spain and were cross-sectional, observational epidemiological studies. Information from included studies was systematically extracted and evaluated. Overall pooled-prevalence estimates of ADHD were calculated using random-effects models. Sources of heterogeneity were explored by means sub-groups analyses and univariate meta-regressions.


RESULTS
Fourteen epidemiological studies (13,026 subjects) were selected. The overall pooled-prevalence of ADHD was estimated at 6.8% [95% confidence interval (CI) 4.9 - 8.8%] representing 361,580 (95% CI 260,550 - 467,927) children and adolescents in the community. There was significant heterogeneity (P < 0.001), which was incompletely explained by subgroup analyses and meta-regressions.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that the prevalence of ADHD among children and adolescents in Spain is consistent with previous studies conducted in other countries and regions. This study represents a first step in estimating the national burden of ADHD that will be essential to building evidence-based programs and services.
Effect of NaCl reduction and replacement on the growth of fungi important to the spoilage of bread.

The effect of NaCl and various NaCl replacers (CaCl(2), MgCl(2), KCl and MgSO(4)) on the growth of Penicillium roqueforti and Aspergillus niger was evaluated at 22 degrees C. In addition, challenge tests were performed on white bread to determine the consequences of NaCl reduction with or without partial replacement on the growth of P. roqueforti. From the results obtained it can be concluded that at equivalent water phase concentrations the isolates exhibited differing sensitivities to the salts evaluated with NaCl and MgCl(2) having the greatest inhibitory action on the growth of A. niger and P. roqueforti, respectively. MgSO(4) had the least antifungal activity. At equivalent molalities, CaCl(2) had in general the largest antifungal activity. Although the water activity (a(w)) lowering effects of the compounds studied play a large role in explaining the trends observed, at equivalent water phase concentrations MgCl(2) was found to have a smaller inhibitory effect on A. niger than that expected from its a(w) depressing effect. The challenge tests revealed that no difference occurred in the growth of P. roqueforti on standard white bread, bread with 30% less NaCl and bread in which 30% of the NaCl has been partially replaced by a mixture of KCl and Sub4Salt. These results are of importance in assessing the possible microbiological consequences of NaCl reduction or replacement in bread and similar bakery products.
On Calderón's conjecture.

(2) ‖Hα(f1, f2)‖p ≤ Cα,p1,p2‖f1‖p1‖f2‖p2 with constants Cα,p1,p2 depending only on α, p1, p2 and p := p1p2 p1+p2 hold. The first result of this type is proved in [4], and the purpose of the current paper is to extend the range of exponents p1 and p2 for which (2) is known. In particular, the case p1 = 2, p2 = ∞ is solved to the affirmative. This was originally considered to be the most natural case and is known as Calderón’s conjecture [3]. We prove the following theorem: Theorem 1. Let α ∈ R \ {0,−1} and 1 < p1, p2 ≤ ∞, (3) 2 3 < p := p1p2 p1 + p2 <∞. (4)
Understanding consumer acceptance of mobile payment services: An empirical analysis

Mobile technology has become increasingly common in today’s everyday life. However, mobile payment is surprisingly not among the frequently used mobile services, although technologically advanced solutions exist. Apparently, there is still a lack of acceptance of mobile payment services among consumers. The conceptual model developed and tested in this research thus focuses on factors determining consumers’ acceptance of mobile payment services. The empirical results show particularly strong support for the effects of compatibility, individual mobility, and subjective norm. Our study offers several implications for managers in regards to marketing mobile payment solutions to increase consumers’ intention to use these services. 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Therapeutic Plasma Exchange in Multiple Sclerosis Patients with Abolished Interferon-beta Bioavailability

BACKGROUND
Neutralizing antibodies (NAb) to interferon-beta (IFN-β) are associated with reduced bioactivity and efficacy of IFN-β in multiple sclerosis (MS). The myxovirus resistance protein A (MxA) gene expression is one of the most appropriate markers of biological activity of exogenous IFN-β. We hypothesized that therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) can restore the ability of IFN-β to induce the MxA mRNA expression and that maintenance plasmapheresis can sustain the bioavailability of IFN-β.


MATERIAL AND METHODS
Eligible patients underwent 4 primary separate plasma exchange sessions. After the induction TPE sessions, they were transferred to maintenance plasmapheresis. Bioactivity of IFN-β was expressed as in vivo MxA mRNA induction in whole blood using RT-qPCR.


RESULTS
Six patients with low IFN-β bioavailability detected by the MxA mRNA response were included. Four patients became biological responders after induction plasmapheresis. In 2 patients an increase of MxA mRNA expression was found, but the values persisted below the cut-off and the patients remained as "poor biological responders". The effect of maintenance plasmapheresis was transient: MxA mRNA expression values reverted to the baseline levels after 1-2 months.


CONCLUSIONS
Therapeutic plasma exchange is able to restore the bioavailability of IFN-β in the majority of studied patients, but the effect of TPE on the IFN-β bioavailability was transient.
Validation of endoscopic activity scores in patients with Crohn's disease based on a post hoc analysis of data from SONIC.

BACKGROUND & AIMS
Mucosal healing might alter midterm and long-term outcomes of patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and has become an important end point in clinical trials. However, the minimal degree of mucosal improvement (endoscopic response) required to alter midterm outcomes is not known. We aimed to determine the best definition of endoscopic response by evaluating data on the Simple Endoscopic Score for Crohn's Disease (SES-CD) and the Crohn's Disease Endoscopic Index of Severity (CDEIS) from the Study of Biologic and Immunomodulator Naive Patients in Crohn's Disease (SONIC trial).


METHODS
We analyzed data from 172 patients who participated in the SONIC trial, were found to have endoscopic lesions at baseline, and underwent a second endoscopic examination at week 26 of treatment with infliximab, azathioprine, or both. Mucosal healing was defined as absence of ulcers. A central reader calculated SES-CD and CDEIS results. Different cutoff values were set for endoscopic response based on the SES-CD or CDEIS. The diagnostic ability of these different cutoff values was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, positive likelihood ratios (PLR), and negative likelihood ratios (NLR). Corticosteroid-free clinical remission (CFREM) at week 50 was used as a binary classifier.


RESULTS
Based on analyses of ROC curves, PLR, and NLR, endoscopic response was defined as a decrease from baseline in SES-CD of at least 50%. At week 26, mucosal healing and endoscopic response were achieved in 48% and 65% of patients, respectively. Mucosal healing at week 26 was associated with CFREM at week 50, with 56% sensitivity, 65% specificity, a PLR of 1.60, and an NLR of 0.67. Endoscopic response at week 26 was associated with CFREM at week 50, with 74% sensitivity, 48% specificity, a PLR of 1.42, and an NLR of 0.54. Endoscopic response, defined as a decrease from baseline in CDEIS of at least 50%, yielded similar results.


CONCLUSIONS
In patients with CD, mucosal healing and endoscopic response (defined as a decrease from baseline in SES-CD or CDEIS of at least 50%) at week 26 of treatment identified those most likely to be in CFREM at week 50. The ability of the proposed endoscopic response cutoff value to predict midterm CFREM should be validated in an independent, prospective cohort. Its correlation with changes in long-term disease progression still needs to be demonstration. ClinicalTrials.gov, Number: NCT00094458.
KbQAS: A Knowledge-based QA System

We present the first ontology-based Vietnamese QA system KbQAS where a new knowledge acquisition approach for analyzing English and Vietnamese questions is integrated.
Multiclass boosting with repartitioning

A multiclass classification problem can be reduced to a collection of binary problems with the aid of a coding matrix. The quality of the final solution, which is an ensemble of base classifiers learned on the binary problems, is affected by both the performance of the base learner and the error-correcting ability of the coding matrix. A coding matrix with strong error-correcting ability may not be overall optimal if the binary problems are too hard for the base learner. Thus a trade-off between error-correcting and base learning should be sought. In this paper, we propose a new multiclass boosting algorithm that modifies the coding matrix according to the learning ability of the base learner. We show experimentally that our algorithm is very efficient in optimizing the multiclass margin cost, and outperforms existing multiclass algorithms such as AdaBoost.ECC and one-vs-one. The improvement is especially significant when the base learner is not very powerful.
Traumatic cerebrospinal fluid leaks.

This article discusses the epidemiology, diagnosis, and management of traumatic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks. An overview of traumatic CSF leaks is presented, and both conservative and operative therapies are reviewed. Management decisions are discussed based on the current literature. Controversial clinical topics are addressed, including the use of prophylactic antibiotics and the timing of surgical repair.
Synonymies et vecteurs conceptuels

La synonymie est une relation importante en TAL mais qui reste probl ́ ematique. La distinction entre synonymie relative et synonymie subjective permet de contourner certaines difficult ́ es. Dans le cadre des vecteurs conceptuels, il est alors possible de d ́ efinir formellement des fonctions de test de synonymie et d’en expérimenter l’usage. Mots-clés.Synonymie relative, synonymie subjective, approches statistiques, distances th ́ ematiques. Synonymy is a pivot relation in NLP but remains problematic. Putting forward, the distinction between relative and subjective synonymy, allows us to circunvent some difficulties. In the framework of conceptual vectors, it is then possible to formalize test functions for synonymy and to experiment their use.
POLY (VINYL ALCOHOL)-CHITOSAN BLENDS: PREPARATION, MECHANICAL AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

Poly (vinyl alcohol)-chitosan blend films were prepared by casting the respective polymer solutions. The glutaraldehyde was used as a cross-linking agent. A series of PVA-chitosan blends were prepared by varying the ratio of the constituents. Mechanical and physical properties of blended films such as tensile properties in the dry and wet states, water uptake, surface tension and contact angle were characterized. Blending PVA and chitosan improved strength and flexibility of the films in the dry and wet states. Cross-linking with glutaraldehyde improves tensile strength and decreases elongation of the films. PVA Content in the blends increases water uptake while cross-linking the films with glutaraldehyde causes less hydrophilicity. Water uptake in PVA-chitosan blends can be controlled by variation of their contents, cross-linking agent and the pH of solution. Blending of PVA and chitosan improves bulk and surface hydrophilicity of blended films.
Pitfalls of the theory of Bose-Einstein correlations in multiple particle production processes

Some basic difficulties and ambiguities on the way from the measured momentum distributions to the inferred properties of the interaction regions are reviewed and discussed.
Factors Influencing the High School Students' Choice of a Nursing Career in Bahrain: Development of a Best Practice Model for Nursing Recruitment

Background: There is a broad international literature examining the perceptions, experiences and values of nursing students with very little investigative work from the Gulf region and no published work on the perceptions of student nurses from Bahrain. The literature shows that students have a wide range of pre-existing perceptions about nursing and that those early perceptions have a profound influence on their decision to continue with their nursing studies. Historically, in a context of migration, Bahrain has been attractive to expatriate nurses and this has created an overreliance on external manpower which leads to the detriment of developing an indigenous nursing profession. This study aims to identify the perceptions and experiences of student nurses in Bahrain about nursing as a career choice and generate an understanding of the factors influencing recruitment to nursing from the Bahraini population. Methods: A triangulation research design engaging quantitative and qualitative data collection methods was used in the study. Data were obtained through student nurses’ written reflections, selfreporting questionnaires and focus groups collected during their nursing programme. The study participants were the first ever cohort of 38 Bahraini nursing students attending the first private University in Bahrain where the study took place. Qualitative data was analysed using Collaizzi’s methodology and quantitative data was analysed using SPSS Version 17. Results: The participants perceived nursing as caring, helping people and a humanitarian job. Nursing was considered to be a tough job and not well accepted socially with cultural issues impacting on the values attached to nursing as a career choice. Participants prior to entering nursing used the internet as the most potent source of information and they were also motivated by their parents and friends to join nursing. Participants stated their commitment to a nursing career, and their plans to continue with participation in higher education. Conclusions: Some of the issues raised in the study are reflective of the international literature; however there are fundamental issues particular to the Gulf region, which will require attention in a context of an overall national nursing recruitment strategy.
Distributed Word Representations Improve NER for e-Commerce

This paper presents a case study of using distributed word representations, word2vec in particular, for improving performance of Named Entity Recognition for the eCommerce domain. We also demonstrate that distributed word representations trained on a smaller amount of in-domain data are more effective than word vectors trained on very large amount of out-of-domain data, and that their combination gives the best results.
Effects on blood pressure of reduced dietary sodium and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet. DASH-Sodium Collaborative Research Group.

BACKGROUND
The effect of dietary composition on blood pressure is a subject of public health importance. We studied the effect of different levels of dietary sodium, in conjunction with the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, which is rich in vegetables, fruits, and low-fat dairy products, in persons with and in those without hypertension.


METHODS
A total of 412 participants were randomly assigned to eat either a control diet typical of intake in the United States or the DASH diet. Within the assigned diet, participants ate foods with high, intermediate, and low levels of sodium for 30 consecutive days each, in random order.


RESULTS
Reducing the sodium intake from the high to the intermediate level reduced the systolic blood pressure by 2.1 mm Hg (P<0.001) during the control diet and by 1.3 mm Hg (P=0.03) during the DASH diet. Reducing the sodium intake from the intermediate to the low level caused additional reductions of 4.6 mm Hg during the control diet (P<0.001) and 1.7 mm Hg during the DASH diet (P<0.01). The effects of sodium were observed in participants with and in those without hypertension, blacks and those of other races, and women and men. The DASH diet was associated with a significantly lower systolic blood pressure at each sodium level; and the difference was greater with high sodium levels than with low ones. As compared with the control diet with a high sodium level, the DASH diet with a low sodium level led to a mean systolic blood pressure that was 7.1 mm Hg lower in participants without hypertension, and 11.5 mm Hg lower in participants with hypertension.


CONCLUSIONS
The reduction of sodium intake to levels below the current recommendation of 100 mmol per day and the DASH diet both lower blood pressure substantially, with greater effects in combination than singly. Long-term health benefits will depend on the ability of people to make long-lasting dietary changes and the increased availability of lower-sodium foods.
Partitioning time series sensor data for activity recognition

Monitoring activities of daily living is one of the key functionalities expected from a Smart Living environment providing independent living services for elderly people. Simple state-change sensors have been considered to be a promising sensing technique to observe the environment and consequently provide the data required to form the basis to infer high-level behaviours. From a data analysis point of view, the challenge is how to recognise and detect activity behaviours from low level sensor data over time. In this paper we present a novel approach to partition sensor data and identify the activity undertaken within each sensor data segment. The approach developed was tested on a dataset collected from a single person living in an apartment during a period of 28 days. The results show that our approach can not only accurately recognise annotated activities but also has the ability to identify non-recorded activities.