LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Producing gelatin nanoparticles as delivery system for bovine serum albumin.

BACKGROUND
Progress in the field of biology and biochemistry has led to the discovery of numerous bioactive peptides and proteins in the last few decades. Delivery of therapeutic proteins/peptides has received a considerable amount of attention in recent years.


METHODS
In this study, a two-step desolvation method was used to produce biodegradable hydrophilic gelatin nanoparticles (GNP) as a delivery system of protein model (BSA). The size and shape of the nanoparticles were examined by dynamic light scattering and scanning electron microscopy.


RESULTS
Particles with a mean diameter of 200-300 nm were produced and the percentage of entrapment efficiency was found to be 87.4. The optimum amount of theoretical BSA loading was obtained, the release of BSA was monitored in vitro, and the mechanism of release was studied. The BSA release profile showed a biphasic modulation characterized by an initial, relatively rapid release period, followed by a slower release phase.


CONCLUSION
Results show that the two-step desolvation is an appropriate method for preparing GNP as a delivery vehicle for BSA.
How continuous monitoring changes the interaction of patients with a mobile telemedicine system.

BACKGROUND
The combination of telemedicine systems integrating mobile technologies with the use of continuous glucose monitors improves patients' glycemic control but demands a higher interaction with information technology tools that must be assessed. In this article, we analyze patients' behavior from the use-of-the-system point of view, identifying how continuous monitoring may change the interaction of patients with the mobile telemedicine system.


METHODS
Patients' behavior were evaluated in a clinical experiment consisting of a 2-month crossover randomized study with 10 type 1 diabetes patients. During the entire experiment, patients used the DIABTel telemedicine system, and during the intervention phase, they wore a continuous glucose monitor. Throughout the experiment, all user actions were automatically registered. This article analyzes the occurrence of events and the behavior patterns in blood glucose (BG) self-monitoring and insulin adjustments. A subjective evaluation was also performed based on the answers of the patients to a questionnaire delivered at the end of the study.


RESULTS
The number of sessions established with the mobile Smart Assistant was considerably higher during the intervention period than in the control period (29.0 versus 18.8, p < .05), and it was also higher than the number of Web sessions (29.0 versus 22.2, p < .01). The number of daily boluses was higher during the intervention period than in the control period (5.27 versus 4.40, p < .01). The number of daily BG measurements was also higher during the intervention period (4.68 versus 4.05, p < .05) and, in percentage, patients increased the BG measurements not associated to meals while decreasing the percentage of preprandial measurements. The subjective evaluation shows that patients would recommend the use of DIABTel in routine care.


CONCLUSIONS
The use of a continuous glucose monitor changes the way patients manage their diabetes, as observed in the increased number of daily insulin bolus, the increased number of daily BG measurements, and the differences in the distribution of BG measurements throughout the day. Continuous monitoring also increases the interaction of patients with the information system and modifies their patterns of use. We can conclude that mobile technologies are especially useful in scenarios of tight monitoring in diabetes, and they are well accepted by patients.
A review of clinical upper limb assessments within the framework of the WHO ICF.

This paper is intended to provide a practical overview for clinicians and researchers involved in assessing upper limb function. It considers 25 upper limb assessments used in musculoskeletal care and presents a simple, straightforward comparative review of each. The World Health Organization International Classification on Functioning, Disability and Health (WHO ICF) is used to provide a relative summary of purpose between each assessment. Measurement properties of each assessment are provided, considering the type of data generated, availability of reliability estimates and normative data for the assessment.
Why is the snowflake schema a good data warehouse design?

Database design for data warehouses is based on the notion of the snowflake schema and its important special case, the star schema. The snowflake schema represents a dimensional model which is composed of a central fact table and a set of constituent dimension tables which can be further broken up into subdimension tables. We formalise the concept of a snowflake schema in terms of an acyclic database schema whose join tree satisfies certain structural properties. We then define a normal form for snowflake schemas which captures its intuitive meaning with respect to a set of functional and inclusion dependencies. We show that snowflake schemas in this normal form are independent as well as separable when the relation schemas are pairwise incomparable. This implies that relations in the data warehouse can be updated independently of each other as long as referential integrity is maintained. In addition, we show that a data warehouse in snowflake normal form can be queried by joining the relation over the fact table with the relations over its dimension and subdimension tables. We also examine an information-theoretic interpretation of the snowflake schema and show that the redundancy of the primary key of the fact table is zero. r 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
There is No Sacrum in it Any More: Revisiting Formalist Statehood and Religious/Civic Education on Baltic–Barents Borders

Even under globalised and hyper-diverse cultural and social conditions, representative liberal democracy conceives of itself as non-involved in issues to do with ethics, faith and belief. Drawing o ...
A randomized controlled trial of cognitive behavior therapy for multiple sclerosis fatigue.

BACKGROUND
The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) as a treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS) fatigue.


METHODS
A randomized controlled design was used where 72 patients with MS fatigue were randomly assigned to eight weekly sessions of CBT or relaxation training (RT). RT was designed to control for therapist time and attention. Participants were assessed before and after treatment, and at 3 and 6 months posttreatment. The primary outcome was the Fatigue Scale. Secondary outcomes included measures of stress, mood, and fatigue-related impairment.


RESULTS
Analysis was by intention-to-treat. A group by time interaction showed that the CBT group reported significantly greater reductions in fatigue across the 8 months compared with the RT group (p < .02). Calculated effect sizes for fatigue from baseline to the end of treatment were 3.03 [95% confidence interval, 2.22-3.68] for the CBT group and 1.83 [95% confidence interval, 1.26-2.34] for the RT group. Results also indicted that both groups showed clinically significant decreases in fatigue defined as fatigue levels equivalent or less than those reported by a non-fatigued healthy comparison group. There were no significant interactions between group and any of the secondary outcome variables, with both groups showing improvements over time on all measures.


INTERPRETATION
Both CBT and RT appear to be clinically effective treatments for fatigue in MS patients, although the effects for CBT are greater than those for RT. Even 6 months after treatment, both treatment groups reported levels of fatigue equivalent to those of the healthy comparison group.
Data mining tools

The development and application of data mining algorithms requires the use of powerful software tools. As the number of available tools continues to grow, the choice of the most suitable tool becomes increasingly difficult. This paper attempts to support the decision-making process by discussing the historical development and presenting a range of existing state-of-the-art data mining and related tools. Furthermore, we propose criteria for the tool categorization based on different user groups, data structures, data mining tasks and methods, visualization and interaction styles, import and export options for data and models, platforms, and license policies. These criteria are then used to classify data mining tools into nine different types. The typical characteristics of these types are explained and a selection of the most important tools is categorized. This paper is organized as follows: the first section Historical Development and State-of-the-Art highlights the historical development of data mining software until present; the criteria to compare data mining software are explained in the second section Criteria for Comparing Data Mining Software. The last section Categorization of Data Mining Software into Different Types proposes a categorization of data mining software and introduces typical software tools for the different types. C © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. WIREs Data Mining Knowl Discov 2011 00 1–13 DOI: 10.1002/widm.24
On Leaf Permutative Theories and Occurrence Permutation Groups

Abstract Leaf permutative theories contain variable-permuting equations, so that rewriting a term may lead to an exponential number of terms which are only permutations of it. In [1] Avenhaus and Plaisted propose to represent such sets by stratified terms, and to deduce directly with these. Our aim is to use computational group theory to analyse the complexity of the corresponding problems, and hopefully devise better algorithms than [1]. In order to express stratified sets as orbits, we adopt a representation of terms based on occurrences , which can conveniently be permuted. An algorithm solving a basic equivalence problem is presented.
The Indian Spice Turmeric Delays and Mitigates Radiation-Induced Oral Mucositis in Patients Undergoing Treatment for Head and Neck Cancer: An Investigational Study.

PURPOSE
Radiation-induced oral mucositis is an acute morbidity seen in patients undergoing treatment for head and neck cancers. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of turmeric in preventing radiation-induced mucositis.


METHODS
This was a single-blinded, randomized, controlled clinical trial and was conducted with head and neck cancer patients requiring 70 Gy of radiation or chemoradiotherapy (daily radiotherapy plus carboplatin once a week). Eligible patients (n = 80) were randomly assigned to receive either turmeric gargle (n = 40) or povidone-iodine ([n = 40] active comparator condition) during chemo/radiotherapy during the period of treatment. Oral mucositis was assessed using the RTOG (Radiation Therapy Oncology Group) grading system before the start, during, and at the end of the treatment by an investigator unaware of the treatment. The primary endpoint of this study was the incidence of mucositis every week during the 7-week period. The secondary endpoint was the effect of turmeric gargle on the incidence of treatment breaks, loss of scheduled treatment days, and decrease in body weight at the end of the treatment.


RESULTS
This study clearly suggests that when compared with the cohorts using povidone-iodine gargle, the group using turmeric as a mouthwash had delayed and reduced the levels of radiation-induced oral mucositis and was statistically significant at all time points (P< 0.001 toP< 0.0001). Additionally, the cohorts using turmeric had decreased intolerable mucositis (P< 0.001) and lesser incidence of treatment breaks in the first half of the treatment schedule before 4 weeks (P< 0.01) and reduced change in body weight (P< 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Gargling with turmeric by head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy provided significant benefit by delaying and reducing the severity of mucositis. Turmeric is readily available, relatively inexpensive, and highly accepted making it useful in cancer treatment.
Effects of whole body vibration therapy on main outcome measures for chronic non-specific low back pain: a single-blind randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to determine whether a 12-week course of low-frequency vibrating board therapy is a feasible therapy for non-specific chronic low back pain, and whether it improves the main outcome measures.


DESIGN
Randomized controlled trial.


PATIENTS
A total of 50 patients with non-specific low back pain were included. They were randomly assigned to either a vibrating plate via reciprocation therapy group (n = 25) or a control group (n = 25).


METHODS
The 12-week vibration therapy programme consisted of a total of 24 training sessions (2 times/week, with 1 day of rest between sessions). Assessments of the main outcome measures for non-specific low back pain were performed at baseline and at 12 weeks.


RESULTS
In the vibration therapy group there was a statistically significant improvement, of 20.37% (p = 0.031) in the Postural Stability Index (anterior-posterior); 25.15% (p = 0.013) in the Oswestry Index; 9.31% in the Roland Morris Index (p = 0.001); 8.57% (p = 0.042) in EuroQol 5D-3L; 20.29% (p = 0.002) in the Sens test; 24.13% (p = 0.006) in visual analogue scale back; and 16.58% (p = 0.008) in the Progressive Isoinertial Lifting Evaluation test.


CONCLUSION
A 12-week course of low-frequency vibrating board therapy is feasible and may represent a novel physical therapy for patients with non-specific low back pain.
A review of hydrology, sediment and water resource use in the Blue Nile Basin

IWMI receives its principal funding from 58 governments, private foundations and international and regional organizations known as the Acknowledgement This report is based on an output of the project, " Improved water and land management in the Ethiopian highlands and its impact on downstream stakeholders dependent on the Blue Nile " , funded by the CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF) and implemented by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) in collaboration with the Regional Agricultural Research Institute (ARARI) and the Forum for Social Studies (FSS) with further cooperation from the Ethiopian and Sudan institutions and the Nile Basin Initiative. We are very grateful to the CPWF and its staff members for providing us with the opportunity to do this work. We hope that the report and accompanying outputs will be useful to the CPWF and to others considering investment in water management for improved livelihood and environment in river basins in general and the Nile Basin in particular. IWMI is also grateful to officials from the various institutions in Ethiopia and Sudan as well as the Nile Basin Initiative, particularly the Eastern Nile Technical Regional Organization. A number of officials from regional/provincial governments also took a lot of time to provide information and we are grateful to all of them. Summary This report presents a comprehensive literature review and broad-based analysis of the water resources of the Blue Nile (Abay) River. This work was undertaken as the initial phase in a study to evaluate approaches for improved land and water management in the Ethiopian highlands and assess the likely implications for downstream stakeholders in Sudan. Data and information have been compiled in relation to hydrology, sediment and water use in the basin. Section 1, Introduction, provides a context through the consideration of water resources both in Africa and the whole of the Nile Basin. Section 2, Blue Nile Physiography, presents an overview of the characteristics of the Blue Nile Basin, including a description of the meteorological monitoring network and the availability of historic data. It also reviews the geology, soil and land-use, and land-cover of the basin based on secondary sources. Section 3, Hydrology of the Blue Nile, describes the hydrology of the Blue Nile, including seasonal variation and trends over time. A summary of past hydrological modeling in the Nile and the Blue Nile is also presented. Section 4, Soil Erosion and Sedimentation, focuses on erosion …
[Front matter]

The following topics are dealt with: control application; control theory; and control system.
Chapter 2 System Dynamics

Abstract System dynamics is an approach for thinking about and simulating situations and organisations of all kinds and sizes by visualising how the elements fit together, interact and change over time. This chapter, written by John Morecroft, describes modern system dynamics which retains the fundamentals developed in the 1950s by Jay W. Forrester of the MIT Sloan School of Management. It looks at feedback loops and time delays that affect system behaviour in a non-linear way, and illustrates how dynamic behaviour depends upon feedback loop structures. It also recognises improvements as part of the ongoing process of managing a situation in order to achieve goals. Significantly it recognises the importance of context, and practitioner skills. Feedback systems thinking views problems and solutions as being intertwined. The main concepts and tools: feedback structure and behaviour, causal loop diagrams, dynamics, are practically illustrated in a wide variety of contexts from a hot water shower through to a symphony orchestra and the practical application of the approach is described through several real examples of its use for strategic planning and evaluation.
The effect of mode of delivery on postpartum sexual functioning in primiparous women

The objective of this paper is to evaluate the effect of mode of delivery on postpartum sexual functioning in primiparous women. A total of 248 primiparous women were recruited into this study. One hundred fifty-six delivered spontaneously with mediolateral episiotomy and 92 had elective cesarean section. Sexual function was evaluated by the Female Sexual Function Index, a validated questionnaire separately evaluating desire, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain. Subjects were questioned relating their pre-pregnancy experiences during the first antenatal visit when the pregnancy was not more than six gestational weeks. The test was repeated 6 months postpartum. Statistical evaluation was carried out by SPSS for Windows v.11. In the vaginal delivery with mediolateral episiotomy group, there were significant decreases in the scores 6 months after delivery when compared to scores before pregnancy (p<0.001). In the cesarean section group, no difference was observed between pre-pregnancy and postpartum scores (p>0.05). When the two groups were compared, there was a significant difference between 6 months postpartum scores (p<0.001). Not only pain, but also other important aspects of sexual function, such as arousal, lubrication, orgasm, and satisfaction are affected by performing mediolateral episiotomy during vaginal delivery, well beyond the puerperal period. Concerning its effects on postpartum sexual functioning, a policy of restricting mediolateral episiotomy use should be adopted.
Influence of titanium implant surface characteristics on bone regeneration in dehiscence-type defects: an experimental study in dogs.

OBJECTIVES
The aim of the present study was to compare bone regeneration in dehiscence-type defects at titanium implants with chemically modified sandblasted/acid-etched (modSLA) or dual acid-etched surfaces with a calcium phosphate nanometre particle modification (DCD/CaP).


MATERIALS AND METHODS
Buccal dehiscence-type defects were surgically created following implant site preparation in both the upper and the lower jaws of 12 fox hounds. Both types of implants were randomly allocated in a split-mouth design and left to heal in a submerged position for 2 and 8 weeks. Dissected blocks were processed for histomorphometrical analysis [e.g. new bone height (NBH), percentage of bone-to-implant contact (BIC), area of new bone fill (BF), and area of mineralized tissue (MT) within BF].


RESULTS
At 2 and 8 weeks, both groups revealed comparable mean BF (2.3+/-0.6 to 2.5+/-0.6 mm(2)versus 2.0+/-0.6 to 1.4+/-0.5 mm(2)) and MT (31.1+/-14.3-83.2+/-8.2%versus 38.9+/-15.9-84.4+/-6.3%) values. However, modSLA implants revealed significantly higher mean NBH (2.4+/-0.8 to 3.6+/-0.3 mm versus 0.9+/-0.8 to 1.8+/-1.4 mm) and BIC (53.3+/-11.3-79.5+/-6.6%versus 19.3+/-16.4-47.2+/-30.7%) values than DCD/CaP implants.


CONCLUSION
ModSLA implants may have a higher potential to support osseointegration in dehiscence-type defects than DCD/CaP implants.
The relationship between learning styles and cognitive traits - Getting additional information for improving student modelling

Student modelling is an important process for adaptive virtual learning environments. Student models include a range of information about the learners such as their domain competence, learning style or cognitive traits. To be able to adapt to the learners’ needs in an appropriate way, a reliable student model is necessary, but getting enough information about a learner is quite challenging. Therefore, mechanisms are needed to support the detection process of the required information. In this paper, we investigate the relationship between learning styles, in particular, those pertaining to the Felder–Silverman learning style model and working memory capacity, one of the cognitive traits included in the cognitive trait model. The identified relationship is derived from links between learning styles, cognitive styles, and working memory capacity which are based on studies from the literature. As a result, we demonstrate that learners with high working memory capacity tend to prefer a reflective, intuitive, and sequential learning style whereas learners with low working memory capacity tend to prefer an active, sensing, visual, and global learning style. This interaction can be used to improve the student model. Systems which are able to detect either only cognitive traits or only learning styles retrieve additional information through the identified relationship. Otherwise, for systems that already incorporate learning styles and cognitive traits, the interaction can be used to improve the detection process of both by including the additional information of a learning style into the detection process of cognitive traits and vice versa. This leads to a more reliable student model. 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 0747-5632/$ see front matter 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2007.01.004 * Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 780 675 6812; fax: +1 780 675 6148. E-mail address: kinshuk@ieee.org (Kinshuk). Computers in Human Behavior 24 (2008) 122–137 Computers in
Novelty detection algorithm for data streams multi-class problems

Novelty detection has been presented in the literature as one-class problem. In this case, new examples are classified as either belonging to the target class or not. The examples not explained by the model are detected as belonging to a class named novelty. However, novelty detection is much more general, especially in data streams scenarios, where the number of classes might be unknown before learning and new classes can appear any time. In this case, the novelty concept is composed by different classes. This work presents a new algorithm to address novelty detection in data streams multi-class problems, the MINAS algorithm. Moreover, we also present a new experimental methodology to evaluate novelty detection methods in multi-class problems. The data used in the experiments include artificial and real data sets. Experimental results show that MINAS is able to discover novelties in multi-class problems.