LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Effect of cyclosporine on reperfusion injury in acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND
Experimental evidence suggests that cyclosporine, which inhibits the opening of mitochondrial permeability-transition pores, attenuates lethal myocardial injury that occurs at the time of reperfusion. In this pilot trial, we sought to determine whether the administration of cyclosporine at the time of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) would limit the size of the infarct during acute myocardial infarction.


METHODS
We randomly assigned 58 patients who presented with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction to receive either an intravenous bolus of 2.5 mg of cyclosporine per kilogram of body weight (cyclosporine group) or normal saline (control group) immediately before undergoing PCI. Infarct size was assessed in all patients by measuring the release of creatine kinase and troponin I and in a subgroup of 27 patients by performing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on day 5 after infarction.


RESULTS
The cyclosporine and control groups were similar with respect to ischemia time, the size of the area at risk, and the ejection fraction before PCI. The release of creatine kinase was significantly reduced in the cyclosporine group as compared with the control group (P=0.04). The release of troponin I was not significantly reduced (P=0.15). On day 5, the absolute mass of the area of hyperenhancement (i.e., infarcted tissue) on MRI was significantly reduced in the cyclosporine group as compared with the control group, with a median of 37 g (interquartile range, 21 to 51) versus 46 g (interquartile range, 20 to 65; P=0.04). No adverse effects of cyclosporine administration were detected.


CONCLUSIONS
In our small, pilot trial, administration of cyclosporine at the time of reperfusion was associated with a smaller infarct by some measures than that seen with placebo. These data are preliminary and require confirmation in a larger clinical trial.
A survey of cross-layer design for VANETs

Recently, vehicular communication systems have attracted much attention, fueled largely by the growing interest in Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). These systems are aimed at addressing critical issues like passenger safety and traffic congestion, by integrating information and communication technologies into transportation infrastructure and vehicles. They are built on top of self organizing networks, known as a Vehicular Ad hoc Networks (VANET), composed of mobile vehicles connected by wireless links. While the solutions based on the traditional layered communication system architectures such as OSI model are readily applicable, they often fail to address the fundamental problems in ad hoc networks, such as dynamic changes in the network topology. Furthermore, many ITS applications impose stringent QoS requirements, which are not met by existing ad hoc networking solutions. The paradigm of cross-layer design has been introduced as an alternative to pure layered design to develop communication protocols. Cross-layer design allows information to be exchanged and shared across layer boundaries in order to enable efficient and robust protocols. There has been several research efforts that validated the importance of cross-layer design in vehicular networks. In this article, a survey of recent work on crosslayer communication solutions for VANETs is presented. Major approaches to cross-layer protocol design is introduced, followed by an overview of corresponding cross-layer protocols. Finally, open research problems in developing efficient cross-layer protocols for next generation transportation systems are discussed. 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
The neurocognitive effects of alcohol on adolescents and college students.

BACKGROUND
Adolescents and college students are at high risk for initiating alcohol use and high-risk (or binge) drinking. There is a growing body of literature on neurotoxic and harmful cognitive effects of drinking by young people. On average, youths take their first drink at age 12 years.


METHODS
MEDLINE search on neurologic and cognitive effects of underage drinking.


RESULTS
Problematic alcohol consumption is not a benign condition that resolves with age. Individuals who first use alcohol before age 14 years are at increased risk of developing alcohol use disorders. Underage drinkers are susceptible to immediate consequences of alcohol use, including blackouts, hangovers, and alcohol poisoning and are at elevated risk of neurodegeneration (particularly in regions of the brain responsible for learning and memory), impairments in functional brain activity, and the appearance of neurocognitive deficits. Heavy episodic or binge drinking impairs study habits and erodes the development of transitional skills to adulthood.


CONCLUSIONS
Underage alcohol use is associated with brain damage and neurocognitive deficits, with implications for learning and intellectual development. Impaired intellectual development may continue to affect individuals into adulthood. It is imperative for policymakers and organized medicine to address the problem of underage drinking.
Glial cells and volume transmission in the CNS

Although synaptic transmission is an important means of communication between neurons, neurons themselves and neurons and glia also communicate by extrasynaptic "volume" transmission, which is mediated by diffusion in the extracellular space (ECS). The ECS of the central nervous system (CNS) is the microenvironment of neurons and glial cells. The composition and size of ECS change dynamically during neuronal activity as well as during pathological states. Following their release, a number of neuroactive substances, including ions, mediators, metabolites and neurotransmitters, diffuse via the ECS to targets distant from their release sites. Glial cells affect the composition and volume of the ECS and therefore also extracellular diffusion, particularly during development, aging and pathological states such as ischemia, injury, X-irradiation, gliosis, demyelination and often in grafted tissue. Recent studies also indicate that diffusion in the ECS is affected by ECS volume inhomogeneities, which are the result of a more compacted space in certain regions, e.g. in the vicinity of oligodendrocytes. Besides glial cells, the extracellular matrix also changes ECS geometry and forms diffusion barriers, which may also result in diffusion anisotropy. Glial cells therefore play an important role in extrasynaptic transmission, for example in functions such as vigilance, sleep, depression, chronic pain, LTP, LTD, memory formation and other plastic changes in the CNS. In turn, ECS diffusion parameters affect neuron-glia communication, ionic homeostasis and movement and/or accumulation of neuroactive substances in the brain.
Evaluation of the Effect of Cultural Characteristics on Use of Health Care Services Using the "Giger and Davidhizar's Transcultural Assessment Model: A Sample from a Village in Eastern Turkey

Background: Knowing the cultural factors existing behind health behaviors is important for improving the acceptance of services and for elevating the quality of service. Objectives: This study was conducted for the purpose of evaluating the effect of cultural characteristics on use of health care services using the “Giger and Davidhizar’s Transcultural Assessment Model”. Methods: The research is qualitative. The study group was 31 individuals who volunteered to participate in the study and living in a rural area. The snowball method was used. Data were collected in 2005. Results: Limitations/obstacles to the use of health care services were the widespread gender, use of traditional treatment methods, a high level of environmental control, and a fatalistic attitude about health. Conclusion: According to the results the most important limitation/obstacle to using health care services was being a woman.
A population-based survey of chronic pain and its treatment with prescription drugs

Chronic pain is a common reason for medical visits, but prevalence estimates vary between studies and have rarely included drug treatment data. This study aimed to examine characteristics of chronic pain and its relation to demographic and health factors, and factors associated with treatment of pain with opioid analgesics. A chronic pain module was added to the 2007 Kansas Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (response rate = 61%). Data on prevalence, duration, frequency, and severity of chronic pain, demographics, and health were collected from a representative sample of 4090 adults 18 years and older by telephone. Logistic regression was used to examine the association of both chronic pain and opioid use with demographic and health factors. Chronic pain was reported by 26.0% of the participants and was associated with activity limitations (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 3.6, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 2.8-4.5), arthritis (AOR = 3.3, 95% CI 2.6-4.0), poor mental health (AOR = 2.0, 95% CI 1.4-2.8), poor overall health (AOR = 1.9; 95% CI 1.5-2.5), and obesity (AOR = 1.6; 95% CI 1.2-2.0). Of the 33.4% of people with pain who use prescription pain medication, 45.7% took opioids, including 36.7% of those with mild pain. Chronic pain affects a quarter of adults in Kansas and is associated with poor health. Opioid analgesics are the mainstay of prescribed pharmacotherapy in this group, even among those reporting mild pain. Chronic pain affects 26.0% of adults in the state of Kansas, U.S.A. Overall, 45.7% of people who take prescription drugs for chronic pain reported taking opioid analgesics.
The Dutch Hospital Standardised Mortality Ratio (HSMR) method and cardiac surgery: benchmarking in a national cohort using hospital administration data versus a clinical database

OBJECTIVE
To compare the accuracy of data from hospital administration databases and a national clinical cardiac surgery database and to compare the performance of the Dutch hospital standardised mortality ratio (HSMR) method and the logistic European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation, for the purpose of benchmarking of mortality across hospitals.


METHODS
Information on all patients undergoing cardiac surgery between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2010 in 10 centres was extracted from The Netherlands Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery database and the Hospital Discharge Registry. The number of cardiac surgery interventions was compared between both databases. The European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation and hospital standardised mortality ratio models were updated in the study population and compared using the C-statistic, calibration plots and the Brier-score.


RESULTS
The number of cardiac surgery interventions performed could not be assessed using the administrative database as the intervention code was incorrect in 1.4-26.3%, depending on the type of intervention. In 7.3% no intervention code was registered. The updated administrative model was inferior to the updated clinical model with respect to discrimination (c-statistic of 0.77 vs 0.85, p<0.001) and calibration (Brier Score of 2.8% vs 2.6%, p<0.001, maximum score 3.0%). Two average performing hospitals according to the clinical model became outliers when benchmarking was performed using the administrative model.


CONCLUSIONS
In cardiac surgery, administrative data are less suitable than clinical data for the purpose of benchmarking. The use of either administrative or clinical risk-adjustment models can affect the outlier status of hospitals. Risk-adjustment models including procedure-specific clinical risk factors are recommended.
From Profiles to Patterns: A New View of Task-Technology Fit

Continuing advances in the capabilities of communication and information technologies provide a wide array of interesting ways for people to collaborate across space, time, cultures, and organizational boundaries. While the use of collaboration technologies spreads, researchers seek answers to understanding how best to match different technology capabilities with the tasks that teams need to accomplish. Different theories of task-technology fit have been promoted and these theories help to identify key issues of interest to both researchers and practitioners who seek the answer to the best technology support for collaboration. We examine existing theories of fit for collaboration technology and propose a new view, using the theoretical frame of patterns. We argue that this fresh perspective is particularly relevant in the virtual contexts that are so important in the dynamic life of organizations today.
Systems engineering education for all Engineers

The International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) have an interest in the role of Systems Engineering (SE) knowledge in all types of education. This paper reports on an academic forum meeting held in May 2015. The aim of this forum was to explore ways of understanding, promoting and enhancing the value of Systems Engineering Knowledge in the education of all Engineers. This aim was identified through a series of previous workshops and discussions.
Adolescent Smoking Cessation With Bupropion: The Role of Adherence.

INTRODUCTION
While many medications can be effective aids to quitting tobacco, real world adherence to smoking cessation medications may render a potentially effective medication ineffective. The present study investigated the role of adherence on treatment outcomes in a bupropion dose-response study among adolescent smokers trying to quit smoking.


METHODS
Three hundred twelve adolescent boys (n = 143) and girls (n = 169) between the ages of 14-17 were enrolled in the study, and were randomly assigned to use either 300 mg, 150 mg or placebo bupropion to quit smoking. Among the eligibility criterion, participants had to smoke at least six cigarettes per day, be motivated to quit smoking (self report), have an exhaled carbon monoxide level greater than or equal to 10 ppm, and report at least two previous quit attempts. Adherence to medication was determined by both self-report and actual counts of unused medication and empty medication packaging. Smoking status was determined by a combination of self-report and biochemical verification (breath carbon monoxide and urine cotinine).


RESULTS
Cotinine-confirmed quit rates were significantly higher as a function of high adherence (20.69%) relative to low adherence (0.00%) in the 300-mg Bupropion Sustained Release group. Overall adherence in all study conditions in this highly controlled study was high (74%), but was significantly lower in non-white participants.


CONCLUSIONS
Effectiveness of bupropion for adolescent smoking cessation is contingent on achieving high rates of medication adherence, but considerable variations in adherence impacted outcomes.


IMPLICATIONS
Few studies have assessed the safety and efficacy of medications to help adolescent smokers quit, and we conducted one such study assessing bupropion. In this analysis of that original study, we assess the role of adherence in use of medication and quit rates. We found that adherence was related to outcomes, particularly in the 300-mg dose of bupropion.
Roles for Rac1 and Cdc42 in planar polarization and hair outgrowth in the wing of Drosophila

The wing of Drosophila melanogaster is covered by an array of distally pointing hairs. A hair begins as a single membrane outgrowth from each wing epithelial cell, and its distal orientation is determined by the restriction of outgrowth to a single distal site on the cell circumference (Wong, L., and P. Adler. 1993. J. Cell Biol. 123:209-211.). We have examined the roles of Cdc42 and Rac1 in the formation of wing hairs. We find that Cdc42 is required for localized actin polymerization in the extending hair. Interfering with Cdc42 activity by expression of a dominant negative protein abolishes both localized actin polymerization and hair outgrowth. In contrast, Rac1 is important for restricting the site at which hairs grow out. Cells expressing the dominant negative Rac1N17 fail to restrict outgrowth to a single site and give rise to multiple wing hairs. This polarity defect is associated with disturbances in the organization of junctional actin and also with disruption of an intricate microtubule network that is intimately associated with the junctional region. We also find that apical junctions and microtubules are involved in structural aspects of hair outgrowth. During hair formation, the apical microtubules that point distally elongate and fill the emerging wing hair. As the hair elongates, junctional proteins are reorganized on the proximal and distal edges of each cell.
Validation of the Brazilian-Portuguese Version of the Gesture Behavior Test for Patients with Non-Specific Chronic Low Back Pain

OBJECTIVE
To develop a Brazilian version of the gesture behavior test (GBT) for patients with chronic low back pain.


METHODS
Translation of GBT into Portuguese was performed by a rheumatologist fluent in the language of origin (French) and skilled in the validation of questionnaires. This translated version was back-translated into French by a native-speaking teacher of the language. The two translators then created a final consensual version in Portuguese. Cultural adaptation was carried out by two rheumatologists, one educated patient and the native-speaking French teacher. Thirty patients with chronic low back pain and fifteen healthcare professionals involved in the education of patients with low back pain through back schools (gold-standard) were evaluated. Reproducibility was initially tested by two observers (inter-observer); the procedures were also videotaped for later evaluation by one of the observers (intra-observer). For construct validation, we compared patients' scores against the scores of the healthcare professionals.


RESULTS
Modifications were made to the GBT for cultural reasons. The Spearman's correlation coefficient and the intra-class coefficient, which was employed to measure reproducibility, ranged between 0.87 and 0.99 and 0.94 to 0.99, respectively (p < 0.01). With regard to validation, the Mann-Whitney test revealed a significant difference (p < 0.01) between the averages for healthcare professionals (26.60; SD 2.79) and patients (16.30; SD 6.39). There was a positive correlation between the GBT score and the score on the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (r= 0.47).


CONCLUSIONS
The Brazilian version of the GBT proved to be a reproducible and valid instrument. In addition, according to the questionnaire results, more disabled patients exhibited more protective gesture behavior related to low-back.
Barthel Index-Enhanced Feedback for Effective Cardiac Treatment (BI-EFFECT) Study: contribution of the Barthel Index to the Heart Failure Risk Scoring System model in elderly adults with acute heart failure in the emergency department.

OBJECTIVES
To evaluate whether the Enhanced Feedback for Effective Cardiac Treatment (EFFECT) scale for 30-day prediction of mortality is applicable to elderly adults with acute heart failure (AHF) in emergency departments (EDs) and whether discriminatory power is added with the inclusion of the Barthel Index (BI) to this scale (BI-EFFECT scale).


DESIGN
BI-EFFECT is a multipurpose, nonintervention, multicenter cohort study.


SETTING
Twenty EDs.


PARTICIPANTS
Individuals aged 65 and older with AHF.


MEASUREMENTS
Information on baseline and episode characteristics and 30-day mortality was collected, and participants were categorized according to the EFFECT scale. Baseline degree of functional dependence was measured using the BI. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were made of the EFFECT and BI-EFFECT scales to predict mortality.


RESULTS
One thousand sixty-eight participants were included. Thirty-day mortality was 5.1% and was directly and independently associated with high and very high risk categories of the EFFECT scale and with severe dependence. These two variables remained significant after adjustment of the model for both (OR = 4.5, 95% CI = 1.8-11.1 and OR = 2.9, 95% CI = 1.6-5.4, respectively). The EFFECT and the BI-EFFECT scales had significant ROC curves (area under the ROC curve (AUC) = 0.69, 95% CI = from 0.62 to 0.76; and AUC = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.69-0.81, respectively), and the difference in discriminatory power between the second and the first was also statistically significant (P = .02).


CONCLUSION
The EFFECT scale may be applied in the elderly population, and inclusion of functional status according to the BI in the new BI-EFFECT scale significantly improves the model for the prediction of 30-day mortality.
Formalizing Software Architectures: An Industrial Experience

A sofware architecture identifies collections of functional modules shared by a family of products, but does not analyze the specific algorithms used into such modules. The main purpose is to define a precise documentation, identify commonalities between similar products, and combine these commonalities to build a generic architecture. By doing so, we intend to enhance the reuse at the earlier phases of the software development lifecycle.
Measuring Academic Affective States of Students via Brainwave Signals

Multiple studies show that electroencephalogram (EEG) signals behave differently when humans experience various emotions. The objective of this project is to create a model of human academic emotions (namely: boredom, confusion, engagement and frustration) using EEG signals. Raw EEG signals were collected from nineteen (19) students while solving Berg's Card Sorting Task. Noise reduction was performed using 8Hz-30Hz 10th-Order Butter worth Band pass Filter. The following statistical features of raw EEG signals were computed: mean, standard deviation, mean of absolute first and second differences and standardized mean of absolute first and second differences. The k-Nearest Neighbor, Support Vector Machines, and Multilayer Perceptron were used as classifiers. Accuracy scores (at their highest) were 54.09%, 46.86% and 40.72% respectively, using batch cross-validation.
ISDE - an integrated systems development environment for custom-computing machines implemented in FPLDs

Abstract This paper presents a system development environment for embedded applications based on custom-computing machines implemented in field programmable logic devices (FPLDs). The concept uses the fact that FPLDs enables convenient way for implementing customised and reconfigurable digital systems. The custom-computing machines are based on a flexible instruction execution unit, which is a general-purpose microprocessor that allows addition of more complex processing elements in the form of functional units. The system development environment contains a number of tools that allow high-level description of the both processor core and functional units and produces VHDL synthesisable code, which can be processed by any VHDL compiler, and automatic generation of all basic software development tools such as customised cross-assembler and C compiler.