LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Levator ani deficiency and pelvic organ prolapse severity.

OBJECTIVE
To estimate whether levator ani deficiency severity is a predictor of clinically significant pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and to determine whether there is a levator ani deficiency threshold above which POP occurs.


METHODS
Two-hundred twenty three-dimensional ultrasound scans performed on urogynecologic clinic patients were reviewed, and each levator ani muscle subdivision was individually scored (0=no defect, 1=50% or less defect, 2=more than 50% defect, 3=total absence of the muscle) on each side. A levator ani deficiency score was calculated and categorized as mild (score 0-6), moderate (score 7-12), and severe (score more than 13). Clinically significant prolapse was defined as stage 2 or higher.


RESULTS
The mean age was 56.50 (standard deviation ±15.58) and median parity was 2 (range 0-6). A mild positive correlation was demonstrated between levator ani deficiency category and prolapse stage (rs=0.44; P<.001). Score distribution significantly differed by prolapse stage (P<.001). No patients with stage 3 prolapse had a levator ani score less than 6, and no patients with stage 4 prolapse had a levator ani score less than 9. In patients with prolapse, those with moderate levator ani deficiency had 3.2 times the odds of POP compared with patients with a minimal defect; those with severe levator ani deficiency had 6.4 times the odds of prolapse than those with minimal deficiency.


CONCLUSIONS
Levator ani deficiency severity is associated with clinically significant prolapse.


LEVEL OF EVIDENCE
II.
Hepatitis B and D viruses exploit sodium taurocholate co-transporting polypeptide for species-specific entry into hepatocytes.

BACKGROUND & AIMS
Hepatitis B and D viruses (HBV and HDV) are human pathogens with restricted host ranges and high selectivity for hepatocytes; the HBV L-envelope protein interacts specifically with a receptor on these cells. We aimed to identify this receptor and analyze whether it is the recently described sodium-taurocholate co-transporter polypeptide (NTCP), encoded by the SLC10A1 gene.


METHODS
To identify receptor candidates, we compared gene expression patterns between differentiated HepaRG cells, which express the receptor, and naïve cells, which do not. Receptor candidates were evaluated by small hairpin RNA silencing in HepaRG cells; the ability of receptor expression to confer binding and infection were tested in transduced hepatoma cell lines. We used interspecies domain swapping to identify motifs for receptor-mediated host discrimination of HBV and HDV binding and infection.


RESULTS
Bioinformatic analyses of comparative expression arrays confirmed that NTCP, which was previously identified through a biochemical approach is a bona fide receptor for HBV and HDV. NTCPs from rat, mouse, and human bound Myrcludex B, a peptide ligand derived from the HBV L-protein. Myrcludex B blocked NTCP transport of bile salts; small hairpin RNA-mediated knockdown of NTCP in HepaRG cells prevented their infection by HBV or HDV. Expression of human but not mouse NTCP in HepG2 and HuH7 cells conferred a limited cell-type-related and virus-dependent susceptibility to infection; these limitations were overcome when cells were cultured with dimethyl sulfoxide. We identified 2 short-sequence motifs in human NTCP that were required for species-specific binding and infection by HBV and HDV.


CONCLUSIONS
Human NTCP is a specific receptor for HBV and HDV. NTCP-expressing cell lines can be efficiently infected with these viruses, and might be used in basic research and high-throughput screening studies. Mapping of motifs in NTCPs have increased our understanding of the species specificities of HBV and HDV, and could lead to small animal models for studies of viral infection and replication.
The Dyer - Roeder relation in a universe with particle production

We have obtained analytical exact solutions of the Dyer-Roeder equation in a cosmological model where creation of particles occurs at the expense of the gravitational field. We discuss the influences of inhomogeneities in the path of a light beam on the apparent diameter of astrophysical objects and consider both redshift independent and redshift dependent distributions of the inhomogeneities.
Age-related prevalence and morphological appearance of facial skin tumours: a prospective, cross-sectional, observational, multicentre study with special emphasis on melanocytic tumours.

BACKGROUND
The clinical and histopathological diagnosis of skin tumours arising on the face may be challenging.


OBJECTIVE
An improved knowledge about the age-related patterns of facial skin tumours may aid the correct diagnosis and management.


METHODS
We conducted a prospective, cross-sectional morphological study to investigate the age-related frequency and morphological variability in facial skin tumours in a cohort of consecutive subjects attending two skin lesion clinics in Italy between June and September 2011. A total of 454 consecutive subjects (249 women; 55.5%) presenting with a total of 1866 facial tumours were enrolled in the study. Of the entire cohort, 54 (11.9%) subjects had no facial lesion.


RESULTS
Total body naevus count correlated significantly with the mean number of facial lesions (ρ = 0.289, P < 0.001). The majority of flat lesions were pigmented (1056; 75.70%), compared to palpable (233; 17.40%) and raised lesions (93; 6.90%), the association being statistically significant (Pearson's chi square, P < 0.001. Considering melanocytic tumours only, the frequency of flat lesions significantly decreased with increasing age, while the number of palpable and raised lesions increased with increasing age (chi-square, P < 0.001). This trend was mainly due to naevi, whereby pigmented melanocytic naevi decreased with increasing age. Conversely, the percentage of non- pigmented naevi increased with increasing age (chi-square, P < 0.001).


LIMITATIONS
The study was conducted in skin lesion clinics in Italy, thus any general conclusions with respect to common traits or features based on the phenotypic and genetic diversity within the European population cannot be stated.


CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
Our study suggests that a high number of facial naevi could predict a high total naevus count. Moreover, naevi present a different morphological appearance during lifetime being initially flat, small and pigmented and becoming later raised, large and hypopigmented. Instead, lentigo maligna is an intraepidermal proliferation that typically presents as flat, large pigmented macule. A given histopathological diagnosis of a junctional naevus of a flat, facial pigmented macule of an elderly should be critically reviewed and treated with caution.
Optimization of Turning Process Parameters for Their Effect on En 8 Material Work piece Hardness by Using Taguchi Parametric Optimization Method

A common method to manufacture parts to a specific dimension involves the removal of excess material by machining operation with the help of cutting tool. Turning process is the one of the methods to remove material from cylindrical and non-cylindrical parts. In this work the relation between change in hardness caused on the material surface due the turning operation with respect to different machining parameters like spindle speed, feed and depth of cut have been investigated. Taguchi method has been used to plan the experiments and EN 8 metal selected as a work piece and coated carbide tool as a tool material in this work and hardness after turning has been measured on Rockwell scale. The obtained experimental data has been analyzed using signal to noise and. The main effects have been calculated and percentage contribution of various process parameters affecting hardness also determined.
Gender differences of airway dimensions in anatomically matched sites on CT in smokers.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES
There are limited data on, and controversies regarding gender differences in the airway dimensions of smokers. Multi-detector CT (MDCT) images were analyzed to examine whether gender could explain differences in airway dimensions of anatomically matched airways in smokers.


MATERIALS AND METHODS
We used VIDA imaging software to analyze MDCT scans from 2047 smokers (M:F, 1021:1026) from the COPDGene® cohort. The airway dimensions were analyzed from segmental to subsubsegmental bronchi. We compared the differences of luminal area, inner diameter, wall thickness, wall area percentage (WA%) for each airway between men and women, and multiple linear regression including covariates (age, gender, body sizes, and other relevant confounding factors) was used to determine the predictors of each airway dimensions.


RESULTS
Lumen area, internal diameter and wall thickness were smaller for women than men in all measured airway (18.4 vs 22.5 mm(2) for segmental bronchial lumen area, 10.4 vs 12.5 mm(2) for subsegmental bronchi, 6.5 vs 7.7 mm(2) for subsubsegmental bronchi, respectively p < 0.001). However, women had greater WA% in subsegmental and subsubsegmental bronchi. In multivariate regression, gender remained one of the most significant predictors of WA%, lumen area, inner diameter and wall thickness.


CONCLUSION
Women smokers have higher WA%, but lower luminal area, internal diameter and airway thickness in anatomically matched airways as measured by CT scan than do male smokers. This difference may explain, in part, gender differences in the prevalence of COPD and airflow limitation.
A Multiclass Deep Convolutional Neural Network Classifier for Detection of Common Rice Plant Anomalies

This study examines the use of deep convolutional neural network in the classification of rice plants according to health status based on images of its leaves. A three-class classifier was implemented representing normal, unhealthy, and snailinfested plants via transfer learning from an AlexNet deep network. The network achieved an accuracy of 91.23%, using stochastic gradient descent with mini batch size of thirty (30) and initial learning rate of 0.0001. Six hundred (600) images of rice plants representing the classes were used in the training. The training and testing dataset-images were captured from rice fields around the district and validated by technicians in the field of agriculture. Keywords—Deep neural network; convolutional neural network; rice; transfer learning; AlexNet
Towards Detecting Swath Events in TerraSAR-X Time Series to Establish NATURA 2000 Grassland Habitat Swath Management as Monitoring Parameter

Spatial monitoring tools are necessary to respond to the threat of global biodiversity loss. At the European scale, remote sensing tools for NATURA 2000 habitat monitoring have been requested by the European Commission to fulfill the obligations of the EU Habitats Directive. This paper introduces a method by which swath events in semi-natural grasslands can be detected from multi-temporal TerraSAR-X data. The investigated study sites represent rare and endangered habitats (NATURA 2000 codes 6410, 6510), located in the Döberitzer Heide nature conservation area west of Berlin. We analyzed a time series of 11 stripmap images (HH-polarization) covering the vegetation period affected by swath (June to September 2010) at a constant 11-day acquisition rate. A swath detection rule was established to extract the swath events for the NATURA 2000 habitats as well as for six contrasting pasture sites not affected by swath. All swath events observed in the field were correctly allocated. The results indicate the potential to allocate semi-natural grassland swath events to 11-day-periods using TerraSAR-X time series. Since the conservation of semi-natural grassland habitats requires compliance with specific OPEN ACCESS Remote Sens. 2011, 3 1309 swath management rules, the detection of swath events may thus provide new parameters for the monitoring of NATURA 2000 grassland habitats.
Granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor augmented hepatitis B vaccine protocol for rapid seroprotection in voluntary kidney donors.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES
Conventional hepatitis B vaccine protocols do not provide rapid seroprotection against hepatitis B. This randomized controlled trial was carried out to investigate the efficacy of granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) augmented double-dose vaccine protocol in voluntary kidney donors prior to donor nephrectomy.


METHODS
A total of 54 kidney donors, who had no history of hepatitis B infection, hepatitis B vaccination and tested negative for anti-HBs and anti-HBc antibodies were randomly allocated to the control or test groups. GM-CSF (300 microg) was administered subcutaneously on day 0, followed by 40 microg of recombinant hepatitis B vaccine intramuscularly on the same deltoid on day 1. The control group received only 40 microg of intramuscular hepatitis B vaccine. Anti-HBs titres were measured at the end of 4 wk.


RESULTS
Of the 54 donors studied, there was a significant (P<0.003) seroconversion in the GM-CSF group (82%) compared to the control group (37%), after a single immunization with double-dose recombinant hepatitis B vaccine by 4 wk. Minor side effects such as fever in four patients and myalgia in three were noticed.


INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION
GM-CSF augmented double-dose hepatitis B vaccine could be used in unvaccinated patients when a rapid response is desired.
A Qualitative Framework for Collecting and Analyzing Data in Focus Group Research

Despite the abundance of published material on conducting focus groups, scant specific information exists on how to analyze focus group data in social science research. Thus, the authors provide a new qualitative framework for collecting and analyzing focus group data. First, they identify types of data that can be collected during focus groups. Second, they identify the qualitative data analysis techniques best suited for analyzing these data. Third, they introduce what they term as a micro-interlocutor analysis, wherein meticulous information about which participant responds to each question, the order in which each participant responds, response characteristics, the nonverbal communication used, and the like is collected, analyzed, and interpreted. They conceptualize how conversation analysis offers great potential for analyzing focus group data. They believe that their framework goes far beyond analyzing only the verbal communication of focus group participants, thereby increasing the rigor of focus group analyses in social science research. International Journal of Qualitative Methods 2009, 8(3) 2
The Maximum Clique Problem

Description Given an undirected graph G = ( V, E ), a clique S is a subset of V such that for any two elements u, v ∈ S, ( u, v ) ∈ E. Using the notation ES to represent the subset of edges which have both endpoints in clique S, the induced graph GS = ( S, ES ) is complete. Finding the largest clique in a graph is an NP-hard problem, called the maximum clique problem (MCP). Cliques are intimately related to vertex covers and independent sets. Given a graph G, and defining E* to be the complement of E, S is a maximum independent set in the complementary graph G* = ( V, E* ) if and only if S is a maximum clique in G. It follows that V – S is a minimum vertex cover in G*. There is a separate weighted form of MCP that we will not consider further here.
Contemporary political theory

The journal is based in both the USA and UK and reaches out to authors and readers in Europe, Asia and Oceania. The journal seeks out the very best work from the wide array of interests that constitute ‘contemporary political theory’: from post-structuralist thought to analytical philosophy, from feminist theory to international relations theory, from philosophies of the social sciences to the cultural construction of political theory itself.
Tightness – looseness : A new framework to understand consumer behavior

In February of 2011, U.S. electronics and entertainment retailer Best Buy closed all nine of its branded stores in China after only five years in the market. Although analysts had believed that China held promise for large growth opportunities, Best Buy ultimately captured less than 1% of the market and struggled to compete against local rival companies Gome and Suning, each of which had more than 1000 branded stores in the country (Waldmeir, Strauss, & Birchall, 2011). According to research conducted by China Market Research Group, a strategic market intelligence firm based in Shanghai, Best Buy's failure ultimately resulted from a lack of understanding of Chinese consumer norms for smaller, conveniently located stores (Rein, 2011). Similarly, a Financial Times article explained that the company's store strategy of dividing up items by category rather than leading brands was “at odds with local habits” (Waldmeir et al., 2011). Failures of this magnitude illustrate the critical need for cross-cultural research in consumer behavior (CB). Once primarily a Western enterprise, the field has begun to go global (Maheswaran & Shavitt, 2000; Torelli & Rodas, 2016). In just the last two decades, CB research has examined how culture influences brand loyalty (Kim, Forsythe, Gu, & Jae Moon, 2002; Lam, 2007; Luo, Zhang, & Liu, 2015; Ogba & Tan, 2009; Palumbo & Herbig, 2000; Subramaniam, Al Mamun, Permarupan, & Zainol, 2014; Yoo, 2009), brand extensions (Buil, de Chernatony, & Hem, 2009; Grønhaug, Hem, & Lines, 2002; Han & Schmitt, 1997; Monga & John, 2007; Ng, 2010;
Genital anatomy in non-abused preschool girls.

AIM
To describe the normal variations in genital anatomy in preschool girls selected for non-abuse.


METHODS
A total of 2731 girls aged 5 or 6 y were invited to take part in the study; 195 girls were recruited. Inclusion was based on self-selection, whereby parents who did not suspect any occurrence of sexual abuse of their children gave informed consent to participate. Several steps were taken to exclude abused girls and girls with previous accidental genital injuries. The genital examination, using a colposcope and a camera, was performed in supine position using a separation and traction technique, and in the prone knee-chest position.


RESULTS
A number of genital anatomical features and hymenal measurements were described and found consistent with previous studies. An important finding was outward folding of the posterior hymenal rim in many girls, a feature that could be difficult to distinguish from attenuation of the posterior hymen. A gaping hymenal orifice, previously suggested to be a supportive sign of sexual abuse, was fairly frequently found and significantly associated with a large horizontal hymenal diameter.


CONCLUSION
To distinguish between girls with outward folding of the posterior hymen and those with attenuated hymens, we recommend the use of the saline irrigation method. Even though normative hymenal measurement data now exist from a reasonable number of girls, these measurements should be used with caution in sexual abuse evaluations.
What role does culture play? A look at motivation and job satisfaction among hotel workers in Brazil

Job satisfaction has been associated with positive organizational outcomes such as increased employee productivity, higher innovation and reduced turnover, all of which are linked to improved firm performance. Motivation is considered to be a primary determinant of job satisfaction. Yet little research has focused on the links between motivation, job satisfaction and the impact of culture in the workplace. This qualitative research uses Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory of Motivation to assess job satisfaction in the Brazilian hotel industry. The results partially support the theory and suggest that culture influences the degree of job satisfaction.
Rule-based ontological knowledge base for monitoring partners across supply networks

This study demonstrates how ontology combined with semantic rules can be used for searching complete business partners in a supply network. Rather than being fully self-sufficient, individual enterprises are often part of a supply chain. Involving partners and understanding the importance of their activities is essential for enterprise agility. The question is how far-reaching and in what capacity a supply network is needed. Partner tracing becomes more difficult if search tasks involve potential partners or conforms to future production planning. This study utilized Web Ontology Language (OWL) and Semantic Web Rule Language (SWRL) technologies to develop supply network ontology and a problem-solving ontology, respectively. The three objectives of the study are creating a conceptual knowledge model for describing supply partners and their relationships, developing semantic rules as problem-solving methods for partner tracing in response to research questions and gathering experimental facts for evaluating knowledgeintensive designs. An example in the solar power industry is used to explain the ontological knowledge design and its uses. The experiments in this study showed that ontological approaches can effectively manage intricate and dynamic partnerships among supply networks. This design is also scalable in both domain ontology and task ontology for solving more complex problems. 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Information sharing on social media sites

This study reports on an exploratory survey conducted to investigate the use of social media technologies for sharing information. This paper explores the issue of credibility of the information shared in the context of computer-mediated communication. Four categories of information were explored: sensitive, sensational, political and casual information, across five popular social media technologies: social networking sites, micro-blogging sites, wikis, online forums, and online blogs. One hundred and fourteen active users of social media technologies participated in the study. The exploratory analysis conducted in this study revealed that information producers use different cues to indicate credibility of the information they share on different social media sites. Organizations can leverage findings from this study to improve targeted engagement with their customers. The operationalization of how information credibility is codified by information producers contributes to knowledge in social media research. 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Roles of ethnic identity and locus of control on the psychosocial and professional outcomes for ethnic tokens

PSYCHOSOCIAL AND PROFESSIONAL OUTCOMES FOR ETHNIC TOKENS by CORIANNE M. BAZEMORE (Under the Direction of Kecia Thomas) ABSTRACT While the United States continues to see an increase of diversity in today’s workforce, the levels of that diversity are still not equal across many jobs and organizations. In many work places in our country there are ethnic token employees who struggle to prove their worth and competence in companies. Some companies are still employing just one or a few minority employees at a time, as they may be unaware that they could be putting them in compromised token situations. Thus they may struggle to understand the varying experiences of token employees which may affect their work-related outcomes. In the current study, we were interested in discovering if the level of ethnic token employees’ ethnic identity and their locus of control would affect their work engagement, burnout, and turnover intentions. The research also examined locus of control as a potential moderator of the relationship between perceived tokenism and burnout, as well as ethnic identity as a potential moderator of the relationships between perceived tokenism with engagement and turnover intentions.