LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Exogenous glucagon-like peptide-1 attenuates the glycaemic response to postpyloric nutrient infusion in critically ill patients with type-2 diabetes

INTRODUCTION
Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) attenuates the glycaemic response to small intestinal nutrient infusion in stress-induced hyperglycaemia and reduces fasting glucose concentrations in critically ill patients with type-2 diabetes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of acute administration of GLP-1 on the glycaemic response to small intestinal nutrient infusion in critically ill patients with pre-existing type-2 diabetes.


METHODS
Eleven critically ill mechanically-ventilated patients with known type-2 diabetes received intravenous infusions of GLP-1 (1.2 pmol/kg/minute) and placebo from t = 0 to 270 minutes on separate days in randomised double-blind fashion. Between t = 30 to 270 minutes a liquid nutrient was infused intraduodenally at a rate of 1 kcal/min via a naso-enteric catheter. Blood glucose, serum insulin and C-peptide, and plasma glucagon were measured. Data are mean ± SEM.


RESULTS
GLP-1 attenuated the overall glycaemic response to nutrient (blood glucose AUC30-270 min: GLP-1 2,244 ± 184 vs. placebo 2,679 ± 233 mmol/l/minute; P = 0.02). Blood glucose was maintained at < 10 mmol/l in 6/11 patients when receiving GLP-1 and 4/11 with placebo. GLP-1 increased serum insulin at 270 minutes (GLP-1: 23.4 ± 6.7 vs. placebo: 16.4 ± 5.5 mU/l; P < 0.05), but had no effect on the change in plasma glucagon.


CONCLUSIONS
Exogenous GLP-1 in a dose of 1.2 pmol/kg/minute attenuates the glycaemic response to small intestinal nutrient in critically ill patients with type-2 diabetes. Given the modest magnitude of the reduction in glycaemia the effects of GLP-1 at higher doses and/or when administered in combination with insulin, warrant evaluation in this group.


TRIAL REGISTRATION
ANZCTR:ACTRN12610000185066.
Design and Characterization of Soft Actuator for Hand Rehabilitation Application

In biomedical application, conventional hard robots have been widely used for a long time. However, when they come in contact with human body especially for rehabilitation purposes, the hard and stuff nature of the robots have received a lot of drawbacks as they interfere with movement. Recently, soft robots are drawing attention due to their high customizability and compliance, especially soft actuators. In this paper, we present a soft pneumatic bending actuator and characterize the performance of the actuator such as radius of curvature and force output during actuation. The characterization was done by a simple measurement system that we developed. This work serves as a guideline for designing soft bending actuators with application-specific requirements, for example, soft exoskeleton for rehabilitation. Keywords— Soft Robots, Actuators, Wearable, Hand Exoskeleton, Rehabilitation.
Gender Differences in Depression: Assessing Mediational Effects of Overt Behaviors and Environmental Reward through Daily Diary Monitoring

Gender differences in the prevalence of depression are well documented. To further explore the relation between gender and depression, this study used daily diaries to examine gender differences within thirteen behavioral domains and whether differential frequency of overt behaviors and environmental reward mediated the relationship between gender and depression severity. The sample included 82 undergraduate students [66% females; 84% Caucasian; Mean age = 20.2 years]. Overall, females engaged in a significantly greater breadth of behavioral domains and reported a higher level of environmental reward. Females spent more time in the domains of health/hygiene, spiritual activities, and eating with others. Males spent more time in the domains of physical activity, sexual activity, and hobbies and recreational experiences. Females found social activities, passive/sedentary behaviors, eating with others, and engagement in "other" activities more rewarding. Gender had a significant direct effect on depression severity, with females reporting increased depression. This effect was attenuated by the mediator (total environmental reward) such that to the extent females exhibited increased environmental reward, the gender effect on depression was attenuated. These data support behavioral models of depression, indicate increased reinforcement sensitivity among females, and have clinical relevance in the context of assessment and behavioral activation interventions for depression.
Laparoscopic intracorporal colorectal sutured anastomosis using the Radius Surgical System in a phantom model

The Radius Surgical System (RSS) is a manipulator with additional degrees of freedom to enhance the dexterity of laparoscopic suturing. Our aim was to determine the feasibility and potentially added value of laparoscopic intracorporal sutured colorectal anastomosis (RSS) compared with suturing with conventional laparoscopic instruments (CLI). A total of 72 colorectal anastomoses and 30 single sutures using RSS and CLI were performed in the study. The experiment was divided as follows: One surgeon performed 40 colorectal anastomoses using RSS to assess the learning curve and the feasibility of the technique; The same surgeon performed 10 additional colorectal anastomoses with CLI which were then compared to the last 10 cases of the 40 anastomoses with RSS; Fifteen single sutures in the horizontal plane with RSS and 15 with CLI between two segments of colon were performed to compare the traction force to disrupt the suture; Twelve anastomoses were performed by the other three participants to evaluate ergonomy. Three leakages (7.5%) were found in the 40 anastomoses with RSS but none after the eighth case. There was no stenosis. The mean time for the anastomoses once the learning curve was achieved was 32.7 min. After 21 anastomoses with RSS there was no improvement in the operating time. The quality of the suture was superior with RSS, with a larger anastomosis diameter, higher bursting pressure, and fewer suturing failures being found. The RSS suture withstood a higher traction force. The participants showed more discomfort suturing with CLI. This study demonstrated the feasibility of laparoscopic colorectal anastomosis using RSS. Anastomosis with RSS was shown to be safer. The three participants evaluating ergonomy reflected less discomfort in hand/wrist using RSS. Others ergonomic problems were comparable to CLI.
Assessment of intraventricular mechanical dyssynchrony and prediction of response to cardiac resynchronization therapy: comparison between tissue Doppler imaging and real-time three-dimensional echocardiography.

OBJECTIVE
We studied the comparability of left ventricular (LV) mechanical dyssynchrony assessment by tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) and real-time three-dimensional echocardiography (RT3DE) in patients with a wide range of LV ejection fractions and different causes of cardiomyopathy. In addition, we evaluated the ability of both techniques to predict response to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT).


METHODS
A total of 90 patients and 30 healthy volunteers underwent both TDI and RT3DE. A subgroup of 27 patients underwent CRT and were evaluated before and 6 months after implantation. Mechanical dyssynchrony was measured with TDI using the standard deviation of time to peak systolic tissue velocity of 12 LV myocardial segments. With RT3DE, the standard deviation of time from QRS onset to minimal volume of 16 LV subvolumes was assessed. Indicators of response to CRT were a clinical improvement of >or= 1 New York Heart Association functional class, and reverse remodeling defined as a reduction of >or= 15% in LV end-systolic volume at 6 months.


RESULTS
A moderate correlation (r = 0.581, P < .001) was observed between TDI and RT3DE. No significant difference in the presence of mechanical dyssynchrony by TDI and RT3DE was observed (53% vs 48%, respectively). Agreement between techniques was comparable between patients with ischemic and nonischemic cardiomyopathy. However, up to 30% nonagreement between the 2 techniques was found, depending on the severity of LV dysfunction. Of the 27 patients undergoing CRT, clinical response was observed in 70% of patients, whereas reverse remodeling occurred in 63% of patients. All baseline characteristics were similar between responders and nonresponders, except for mechanical dyssynchrony assessed by RT3DE, which was significantly higher in responders compared with nonresponders (10.1% +/- 2.6% vs 5.1% +/- 1.2% for clinical response, P < .001; 10.0% +/- 2.8% vs 6.3% +/- 2.3% for reverse remodeling, P = .001). By applying previously defined cutoff values, receiver operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated a sensitivity of 58% with a specificity of 50% for TDI and a sensitivity of 95% with a specificity of 87% for RT3DE to predict clinical response to CRT. For prediction of reverse remodeling after CRT, sensitivity and specificity were 59% and 50% for TDI, and 88% and 60% for RT3DE, respectively. The optimal cutoff value for systolic dyssynchrony index by RT3DE of 6.7% yielded a sensitivity of 90% with a specificity of 87% to predict clinical response, and a sensitivity of 88% with a specificity of 70% to predict reverse remodeling.


CONCLUSION
Marked differences between techniques are found for the presence of mechanical dyssynchrony when current cutoff values are applied, making interchangeability of these techniques uncertain. Assessment of mechanical dyssynchrony by RT3DE might be an appropriate alternative to TDI for accurate prediction of response to CRT.
Testing breast cancer serum biomarkers for early detection and prognosis in pre-diagnosis samples

Background:Breast cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although mammography screening is available, there is an ongoing interest in improved early detection and prognosis. Herein, we have analysed a combination of serological biomarkers in a case–control cohort of sera taken before diagnosis.Methods:This nested case–control study within the UK Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening (UKCTOCS) used serum samples from 239 women who subsequently developed breast cancer and 239 matched cancer-free controls. Sera were screened by ELISA for 9 candidate markers. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to examine associations with clinico-pathological features and between case controls in different time groups before diagnosis.Results:Significant associations with clinico-pathological features related to prognosis were found for several candidates (CA15-3, HSP90A and PAI-1). However, there were no consistent differences between cases and controls for any candidate in the lead up to diagnosis. Whilst combination models outperformed single markers, there was no increase in performance towards diagnosis.Conclusions:This study using unique pre-diagnosis samples shows that CA15-3, HSP90A and PAI-1 have potential as early prognostic markers and warrant further investigation. However, none of the candidates or combinations would be useful for screening.
Empowering academic librarians for effective e-services: An assessment of Web 2.0 competency levels

Empowering academic librarians for effective e-services: an assessment of Web 2.0 competency levels Lilian Ingutia Oyieke Archie L Dick Article information: To cite this document: Lilian Ingutia Oyieke Archie L Dick , (2017)," Empowering academic librarians for effective e-services: an assessment of Web 2.0 competency levels ", The Electronic Library , Vol. 35 Iss 2 pp. Permanent link to this document: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/EL-10-2015-0200
Counting paths in graphs

We give a simple combinatorial proof of a formula that extends a result by Grigorchuk [Gri78a, Gri78b] (rediscovered by Cohen [Coh82]) relating cogrowth and spectral radius of random walks. Our main result is an explicit equation determining the number of 'bumps' on paths in a graph: in a d-regular (not necessarily transitive) non-oriented graph let the series G(t) count all paths between two fixed points weighted by their length t length , and F (u, t) count the same paths, weighted as u number of bumps t length. Then one has F (1 − u, t) 1 − u 2 t 2 = G t 1+u(d−u)t 2 1 + u(d − u)t 2. We then derive the circuit series of 'free products' and 'direct products' of graphs. We also obtain a generalized form of the Ihara-Selberg zeta function [Bas92, FZ98]
Design and Implementation of Photovoltaic Power Conditioning System Using a Current Based Maximum Power Point Tracking

In this paper, a new current based maximum power point tracking (CMPPT) method is proposed for a single phase photovoltaic power conditioning system and the current based MPPT modifies incremental conductance method. The current based MPPT method makes the entire control structure of the power conditioning system simple and uses an inherent current source characteristic of solar cell array. Therefore, it shows a robust and fast response under a rapidly changing environmental condition. In addition, digital phase locked loop using an all pass filter is introduced to detect phase of grid voltage as well as peak voltage. Controller about DC/DC boost converter, DC-link voltage, DC/AC inverter is designed for a coordinated operation. Furthermore, PI current control using a pseudo synchronous d-q transformation is employed for grid current control with unity power factor. 3 kW prototype photovoltaic power conditioning system is built and its experimental results are given to verify the effectiveness of the proposed control schemes.
Sympathectomy for hyperhidrosis: should we place the clamps at T2–T3 or T3–T4?

Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy is routinely used to treat severe hyperhidrosis. It is usually performed at the T2–T3 level of the nerve, but may produce less severe compensatory hidrosis if performed at a lower level. This study evaluates the outcome of 1,274 patients who underwent endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy for plamar, plantar, axillary or facial hyperhidrosis/blushing. Half of the patients were clamped at the T2–T3 level and half were clamped at the T3–T4 level. Postsurgical symptoms and side effects were assessed by interview. All of patients with palmar hyperhidrosis were cured or improved. Patients with plantar and axillary hyperhidrosis were more likely to be improved at T3–T4 level clamping. Patients with facial hyperhidrosis were more likely to be cured at T2–T3 level, but did show improvement at the T3–T4 level. Overall satisfaction was higher in the T3–T4 group. Some degree of mild compensatory sweating occurred in all patients. However, severe compensatory sweating was more common in the T2–T3 group. Around 2% of patients requested a reversal of their surgery. Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy is a safe and effective treatment for hyperhidrosis. Clamping at the T3–T4 level has a more successful outcome. In particular, it appears to reduce the incidence of severe compensatory hidrosis.
A meta-analysis of the incidence of anterior cruciate ligament tears as a function of gender, sport, and a knee injury-reduction regimen.

PURPOSE
The literature has shown that anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear rates vary by gender, by sport, and in response to injury-reduction training programs. However, there is no consensus as to the magnitudes of these tear rates or their variations as a function of these variables. For example, the female-male ACL tear ratio has been reported to be as high as 9:1. Our purpose was to apply meta-analysis to the entire applicable literature to generate accurate estimates of the true incidences of ACL tear as a function of gender, sport, and injury-reduction training.


METHODS
A PubMed literature search was done to identify all studies dealing with ACL tear incidence. Bibliographic cross-referencing was done to identify additional articles. Meta-analytic principles were applied to generate ACL incidences as a function of gender, sport, and prior injury-reduction training.


RESULTS
Female-male ACL tear incidences ratios were as follows: basketball, 3.5; soccer, 2.67; lacrosse, 1.18; and Alpine skiing, 1.0. The collegiate soccer tear rate was 0.32 for female subjects and 0.12 for male subjects. For basketball, the rates were 0.29 and 0.08, respectively. The rate for recreational Alpine skiers was 0.63, and that for experts was 0.03, with no gender variance. The two volleyball studies had no ACL tears. Training reduced the ACL tear incidence in soccer by 0.24 but did not reduce it at all in basketball.


CONCLUSIONS
Female subjects had a roughly 3 times greater incidence of ACL tears in soccer and basketball versus male subjects. Injury-reduction programs were effective for soccer but not basketball. Recreational Alpine skiers had the highest incidences of ACL tear, whereas expert Alpine skiers had the lowest incidences. Volleyball may in fact be a low-risk sport rather than a high-risk sport. Alpine skiers and lacrosse players had no gender difference for ACL tear rate. Year-round female athletes who play soccer and basketball have an ACL tear rate of approximately 5%.


LEVEL OF EVIDENCE
Level IV, therapeutic case series.
Glanuloplasty with scrotal flap for partial penectomy.

PURPOSE
Reconstructing a penile stump secondary to trauma or cancer should result in satisfactory penile function and appearance. The lack of penile skin, stump retraction in the scrotum and stenosis of the neomeatus must be resolved in these cases.


MATERIALS AND METHODS
A 2-stage surgical technique with a scrotal flap was used in 34 patients with a mean age of 43.2 years to reconstruct the glans. Mean followup was 73.2 months. After penectomy a scrotal flap was designed and its distal extreme was transferred to the penile stump. The urethral end was sutured to a hole in the scrotal flap and the flap borders were sutured to the adjacent albuginea. The flap pedicle was resected 4 to 6 weeks later.


RESULTS
Patient recovery was characterized by a normal-appearing penis and unobstructed urinary flow. Definite depilation of the neoglans was required in 17.6% of cases. Partial necrosis of 2 flaps (5.8%) required grafts. Sexual potency was preserved in 7 men (20.5%). In 1 case (2.9%) urethral meatal stenosis resolved with minor surgical procedures.


CONCLUSIONS
This technique enables us to design a neoglans with acceptable function and appearance, no penile retraction, satisfactory voiding and in certain cases possible intercourse with vaginal penetration.
Simulated Physician Learning Program Improves Glucose Control in Adults With Diabetes

OBJECTIVE
Inexpensive and standardized methods to deliver medical education to primary care physicians (PCPs) are desirable. Our objective was to assess the impact of an individualized simulated learning intervention on diabetes care provided by PCPs.


RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
Eleven clinics with 41 consenting PCPs in a Minnesota medical group were randomized to receive or not receive the learning intervention. Each intervention PCP was assigned 12 simulated type 2 diabetes cases that took about 15 min each to complete. Cases were designed to remedy specific physician deficits found in their electronic medical record observed practice patterns. General linear mixed models that accommodated the cluster randomized study design were used to assess patient-level change from preintervention to 12-month postintervention of A1C, blood pressure, and LDL cholesterol. The relationship between the study arm and the total of intervention and patient health care costs was also analyzed.


RESULTS
Intervention clinic patients with baseline A1C >or=7% significantly improved glycemic control at the last postintervention A1C measurement, intervention effect of -0.19% mean A1C (P = 0.034) and +6.7% in A1C <7% goal achievement (P = 0.0099). Costs trended lower, with the cost per patient -$71 (SE = 142, P = 0.63) relative to nonintervention clinic patients. The intervention did not significantly improve blood pressure or LDL control. Models adjusting for age, sex, and comorbidity showed similar results. PCPs reported high satisfaction.


CONCLUSIONS
A brief individualized case-based simulated learning intervention for PCPs led to modest but significant glucose control improvement in adults with type 2 diabetes without increasing costs.
Spliddit: unleashing fair division algorithms

Spliddit is a first-of-its-kind fair division website, which offers provably fair solutions for the division of rent, goods, and credit. In this note, we discuss Spliddit's goals, methods, and implementation.
Chief executive compensation and corporate groups in Japan

This paper begins with addressing a simple empirical question: how much Japanese executives earn. By presenting the first systematic review of prior studies reporting the mean level of Japanese executive compensation, I conclude that the best available answer to this empirical question is that the average salary and bonus of CEOs of large Japanese firms during 1980s is between 30 to 45 million yen, roughly one third of what the US counterparts earn in salary and bonus. In reaching this conclusion, I also identify three major data sources available for empirical studies of Japanese executive compensation and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each data source. The rest of the paper is devoted to a more analytical question: What is the relationship between executive compensation and financial corporate groups in Japan, an issue that has not been previously investigated. By using micro data on CEO compensation of 154 large Japanese firms consisting of 116 group-affiliated firms and 38 independent firms, I find that CEOs of group firms earn 20 to 30 % less than those of independent firms, after controlling for shareholder returns, accounting measures of profitability, alternative firm objective measures such as size and capital investment, and personal characteristics of CEOs. I also find that alternative firm objectives, measured by employment and capital investment, are more relevant to the determination of CEO compensation of group firms than that of independent firms. These findings are consistent with the recent contributions in the literature of Japanese corporate governance stressing the role of banks as monitoring agents and suggesting that managers of group firms represent not only the interest of shareholders but the interest of main banks. 1 CHIEF EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION AND CORPORATE GROUPS IN JAPAN: NEW EVIDENCE FROM MICRO DATA