LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Does Space Matter? An Exploratory Study for a Child-Adolescent Mental Health Inpatient Unit.

OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study is to explore design elements and spaces as a contributing influence to behavior and well-being for patients, staff, and families in a child-adolescent mental health unit.


BACKGROUND
The University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital Child-Adolescent Mental Health Inpatient Unit embarked on a renovation project to relocate the hospital's child and adolescent mental health units. Evidence-based strategies were employed for the design of the new unit to enhance the experience for patients, staff, and families and to support changes in operational and procedural strategies.


METHODS
A mixed-methods approach was utilized to explore the influence of several design strategies intended to induce calm feelings for patients, staff, and families. A comprehensive literature review informed the design process and study design. Methods include patient image surveys (PIS; n = 188), online staff surveys (n = 48), and face-to-face staff interviews (n = 25).


RESULTS
Several design elements and spaces were identified through the image survey as influential in eliciting feelings of calm among patients. Additionally, staff were also influenced by the new unit design, generating feelings of calm, safety, and pride in the work environment.


CONCLUSION
Results suggest that design features in which patients have choice and control offer greater perceptions of calm during their stay in the unit. Staff were positively influenced by the colors and artwork throughout the unit as well as the upgraded security and safety features. Findings also show the space has a positive influence on families, demonstrated by its welcoming character and features that help to facilitate better interaction with patients.
Rac1 modulates acute and subacute genotoxin-induced hepatic stress responses, fibrosis and liver aging

To investigate the importance of the Ras-homologous GTPase Rac1 for the hepatic response to genotoxic insults and liver aging, rac1 was deleted in liver of mice by Mx1-Cre-based recombination. Knockout of rac1 caused complex changes in basal as well as doxorubicin and ionizing radiation-induced mRNA expression of various genotoxic stress response-related genes, including hspa1b, rad51, wrn and xpc. Rac1 deletion protected the liver from acute toxicity following doxorubicin treatment. Moreover, the level of S139 phosphorylated histone H2AX (γH2AX), which is indicative of DNA damage, and mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory (IL-6) and pro-fibrotic (CTGF, TGFβ, αSMA) factors were mitigated in rac1 knockout animals. By contrast, lack of rac1 promoted subacute hepatotoxicity, which was determined 3 weeks after injection of multiple low doses of doxorubicin by assaying the γH2AX level, mitotic index and pro-fibrotic gene expression. Regarding ionizing radiation, rac1 deficiency had no major effects on DNA damage induction or acute pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic stress responses. Mice lacking hepatic rac1 for extended period of time (15 months) revealed increased mRNA expression of fibrosis-related factors (CTGF, TGFβ, collagen, MMP1) and fibrotic tissue remodeling. In addition, protein expression of the senescence marker p16 was enhanced in the absence of rac1. Taken together, the data provide evidence that Rac1 is required for doxorubicin-induced DNA damage induction. It is also involved in both the acute and delayed inflammatory and fibrotic stress response in the liver following doxorubicin, but not ionizing radiation, treatment and, furthermore, protects against endogenous liver aging.
Interferon free therapy with direct acting antivirals for HCV.

The current treatment for hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 chronic infection is the addition of direct-acting antivirals (DAA) with a protease inhibitor (telaprevir or boceprevir) to the pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) plus ribavirin (RBV) regimen. Major progress has been made in the past few years: numerous ongoing trials with different compounds, increasing sustained virological response (SVR) rates with oral regimens and shortened treatment duration. Combinations of antivirals with additive potency that lack cross-resistance and with a good safety profile may provide new regimens in the future to make HCV the first chronic viral infection to be eradicated worldwide with a finite duration of combination DAA therapy without IFN.
Correlation of clinical score to pulmonary function and oxygen saturation in children with asthma attack.

BACKGROUND
The aim of this study is to demonstrate the importance of the relation between clinical score, pulse oximetry and spirometric tests in an asthma attack.


METHODS
In this randomized, double blind, observational study, 110 children (age 2-15 years) with an asthma attack who were admitted to emergency room were evaluated. Patient history, physical examination, clinical score and oxygen saturation were recorded in all patients; however pulmonary function tests were obtained only in 54 children who were over 5 years of age. The clinical score was derived from respiratory rate, wheezing, dyspnea and retractions.


RESULTS
Both oxygen saturation and spirometric tests were found to be significantly correlated with the clinical score in children.


CONCLUSION
The clinical score could be used for assessing the severity of the asthma attack particularly in developing countries where laboratory facilities are not available or pulmonary function tests are not feasible.
Efficacy of a simple dosage scheme to convert from shorter-acting erythropoiesis-stimulating agent to continuous erythropoietin receptor activator in kidney transplantation patients.

INTRODUCTION
Anemia after kidney transplantation (KT) has a negative impact on graft and patient survival. Anemia management includes iron supplements and erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs). Most ESAs require short frequency of administration and conversion to ESAs with longer half-life are complex.


OBJECTIVE
This study was performed to assess the efficacy of continuous erythropoietin receptor activator (CERA) in hemoglobin (Hb) maintenance after conversion from shorter-acting ESAs with a simple conversion scheme in kidney transplant recipients.


METHOD
This is an open-label, prospective, single-arm, single-center, 12-month follow-up study including 77 anemic KT patients with stable renal function. Baseline and monthly measurements of Hb, iron, and creatinine were performed. The conversion scheme from darbepoetin alfa or epoetin was as follows: <30 μg or 5000 IU/week was switched to 75 μg/mo; between 30-50 or 5000-8000 was switched to 100 μg/mo; >50 μg or 8000 IU was changed to 150 μg/month of CERA. Dose adjustments were performed to maintain Hb levels between 10 g/dL and 12 g/dL.


RESULTS
The mean age was 57 ± 19 years. The mean time of conversion after KT was 61 ± 49 months. Before conversion, 62.9% of patients were administered epoetin and 37.1% with darbepoetin alfa. Baseline Hb is noted at 10.6 ± 1.3 g/dL. Thirteen percent of patients started receiving CERA at doses of 50 μg/mo, 66% at 75 μg/mo, 13% at 100 μg/mo, and 8% at 150 μg/mo. During the first month, 21% required dose adjustment (6% were increased, 15% were decreased). The final Hb was 11.2 ± 0.8 g/dL. Iron and creatinine levels remained stable during the follow-up examination.


CONCLUSION
We propose a simple scheme of conversion from short-acting ESAs to a once-monthly dose of CERA that provides sustained Hb levels within the recommended target with small dose adjustments and low CERA doses.
Want a tenure?: try a startup

Why running a startup is a lot like building a research lab.
The Effect of Sitting on Stability Balls on Nonspecific Lower Back Pain, Disability, and Core Endurance: A Randomized Controlled Crossover Study.

STUDY DESIGN
Experimental randomized crossover.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to determine whether sitting on a ball for 90 min/d instead of a chair has an effect on low back pain (LBP), low back disability, and/or core muscle endurance.


SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA
LBP may result from prolonged sitting. It has been proposed that replacing chairs with stability balls can diminish LBP in those who sit for prolonged periods. Research on the topic is sparse and inconclusive.


METHODS
A total of 90 subjects (university students, staff, and faculty, ages 18-65, who sit ≥4 hr/d) were randomly assigned to the intervention or control group for the first part of the study. Baseline data were collected: Oswestry Disability Index, a numerical pain rating scale for LBP, and four core muscle endurance tests. For 8 weeks, the control group sat on their usual chair. The intervention group sat on stability balls 5 d/wk, increasing up to 90 min/d. Baseline measurements were repeated postintervention. After a washout period, subjects switched groups, and the procedures were repeated-70 completed participation in control group and 76 in intervention group.


RESULTS
There were no statistically significant differences for pain or disability in either group (P > 0.05). Changes in isometric trunk flexion (P = 0.001), nondominant side plank (P = 0.008), and Sorensen (P = 0.006) endurance scores were significant within the intervention group but not the control group. Between-group comparisons revealed a significant difference for isometric trunk flexion (P = 0.005) and Sorensen endurance times (P = 0.010). Analysis also showed that ball-sitting did not prevent an increase in LBP over the 8-week period.


CONCLUSION
Ball-sitting had no significant effects on LBP or associated disability, but did improve core endurance in the sagittal plane. Although ball-sitting may be useful as an adjunct treatment for LBP when core muscles are involved, clinicians should rely on other, evidence-based treatments for LBP.
1 The Corporate Social Performance-- Financial Performance Link

Strategic managers are consistently faced with the decision of how to allocate scarce corporate resources in an environment that is placing more and more pressures on them. Recent scholarship in strategic management suggests that many of these pressures come directly from sources associated with social issues in management, rather than traditional arenas of strategic management. Using a greatly-improved source of data on corporate social performance, this paper reports the results of a rigorous study of the empirical linkages between financial and social performance. CSP is found to be positively associated with prior financial performance, supporting the theory that slack resource availability and CSP are positively related. CSP is also found to be positively associated with future financial performance, supporting the theory that good management and CSP are positively related. Post-print version of an article published in Strategic Management Journal 18(4): 303-319 (1997 April). doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0266(199704)18:4<303::AID-SMJ869>3.0.CO;2-G
Recovery of Ego-Motion Using Region Alignment

A method for computing the 3D camera motion (the egomotion) in a static scene is described, where initially a detected 2D motion between two frames is used to align corresponding image regions. We prove that such a 2D registration removes all e ects of camera rotation, even for those image regions that remain misaligned. The resulting residual parallax displacement eld between the two region-aligned images is an epipolar eld centered at the FOE (Focus-ofExpansion). The 3D camera translation is recovered from the epipolar eld. The 3D camera rotation is recovered from the computed 3D translation and the detected 2D motion. The decomposition of image motion into a 2D parametric motion and residual epipolar parallax displacements avoids many of the inherent ambiguities and instabilities associated with decomposing the image motion into its rotational and translational components, and hence makes the computation of ego-motion or 3D structure estimation more robust.
No effects of oral vitamin D supplementation on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

BACKGROUND
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common hepatic disorder worldwide, reaching prevalence up to 90 % in obese patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), and representing an independent risk factor for cardiovascular mortality. Furthermore, the coexistence of T2D and NAFLD leads to higher incidence of diabetes' complications and additive detrimental liver outcomes. The existence of a close association between NAFLD and hypovitaminosis D, along with the anti-inflammatory and insulin-sensitizing properties of vitamin D, have been largely described, but vitamin D effects on hepatic fat content have never been tested in a randomized controlled trial. We assessed the efficacy and safety of 24-week oral high-dose vitamin D supplementation in T2D patients with NAFLD.


METHODS
This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was carried out at the Diabetes Centre of Sapienza University, Rome, Italy, to assess oral treatment with cholecalciferol (2000 IU/day) or placebo in T2D patients with NAFLD. The primary endpoint was reduction of hepatic fat fraction (HFF) measured by magnetic resonance; as hepatic outcomes, we also investigated changes in serum transaminases, CK18-M30, N-terminal Procollagen III Propeptide (P3NP) levels, and Fatty Liver Index (FLI). Secondary endpoints were improvement in metabolic (fasting glycaemia, HbA1c, lipids, HOMA-IR, HOMA-β, ADIPO-IR, body fat distribution) and cardiovascular (ankle-brachial index, intima-media thickness, flow-mediated dilatation) parameters from baseline to end of treatment.


RESULTS
Sixty-five patients were randomized, 26 (cholecalciferol) and 29 (placebo) subjects completed the study. 25(OH) vitamin D significantly increased in the active treated group (48.15 ± 23.7 to 89.80 ± 23.6 nmol/L, P < 0.001); however, no group differences were found in HFF, transaminases, CK18-M30, P3NP levels or FLI after 24 weeks. Vitamin D neither changed the metabolic profile nor the cardiovascular parameters.


CONCLUSIONS
Oral high-dose vitamin D supplementation over 24 weeks did not improve hepatic steatosis or metabolic/cardiovascular parameters in T2D patients with NAFLD. Studies with a longer intervention period are warranted for exploring the effect of long time exposure to vitamin D.


TRIAL REGISTRATION
This trial was approved on July 2011 by the Ethics Committee of Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy, and registered at www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu number 2011-003010-17.
A comparison of context-oriented programming languages

Context-oriented programming (COP) extensions have been implemented for several languages. Each concrete language design and implementation comes with different variations of the features of the COP paradigm. In this paper, we provide a comparison of eleven COP implementations, discuss their designs, and evaluate their performance.
The impact of the Reformation : essays

From the perspective of the social history of ideas, renowned scholar Heiko Oberman addresses the conditions for reform, the articulation of the Reformers' program, and especially the consequences of the Reformatin, both in the sixteenth cenury and in its modern perception.
Solvable dynamical model for a quantum measurement process.

A model Hamiltonian describing an energy-exchange process between an ultrarelativistic particle and a one-dimensional spin array is proposed and solved exactly. Interesting relations with the quantum measurement problem are discussed
Disparities in the allocation of treatment in advanced ovarian cancer: are there certain patient characteristics associated with nonstandard therapy?

OBJECTIVE
To explore data from the National Cancer Database to identify pretreatment patient characteristics associated with receipt of nonstandard treatment for advanced ovarian cancer.


METHODS
Between 2003 and 2006, there were 47,390 patients with ovarian cancer registered with the National Cancer Database. Variables included demographics, insurance, Charlson comorbidity score, zip income, and facility characteristics. Multivariable log binomial regression analyses were performed to assess factors associated with nonstandard care.


RESULTS
Among the 47,390 patients, 27,045 (81%) were stage IIIC or IV. After excluding patients with missing treatment information (n=1,129 [2.38%]), 13,789 (53.21%) had received standard treatment. In multivariable analyses, uninsured and Medicaid-insured patients were less likely to receive standard treatment as compared with privately insured patients (relative risk 0.88, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.83-0.93 and relative risk 0.91, 95% CI 0.86-0.95, respectively). African Americans and Hispanics were also less likely to receive standard treatment (relative risk 0.87, 95% CI 0.83-0.92 and relative risk 0.89, 95% CI 0.84-0.94, respectively). Patients with a Charlson comorbidity score of 2+ were less likely to receive standard care (relative risk 0.74, 95% CI 0.68-0.80). Treatment at a community cancer hospital compared with a teaching hospital was also less likely to be associated with standard treatment (relative risk 0.83, 95% CI 0.80-0.87).


CONCLUSION
In this large multi-institutional cohort, approximately 47% of patients with stage IIIC and IV ovarian cancer did not receive standard treatment. Pretreatment patient characteristics such as race, insurance status, age, Charlson comorbidity score, and facility type were associated with nonstandard treatment.
Tests examining skill outcomes in sport: a systematic review of measurement properties and feasibility.

BACKGROUND
A high level of participant skill is influential in determining the outcome of many sports. Thus, tests assessing skill outcomes in sport are commonly used by coaches and researchers to estimate an athlete's ability level, to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions or for the purpose of talent identification.


OBJECTIVE
The objective of this systematic review was to examine the methodological quality, measurement properties and feasibility characteristics of sporting skill outcome tests reported in the peer-reviewed literature.


DATA SOURCES
A search of both SPORTDiscus and MEDLINE databases was undertaken.


STUDY SELECTION
Studies that examined tests of sporting skill outcomes were reviewed. Only studies that investigated measurement properties of the test (reliability or validity) were included. A total of 22 studies met the inclusion/exclusion criteria.


STUDY APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS METHODS
A customised checklist of assessment criteria, based on previous research, was utilised for the purpose of this review.


RESULTS
A range of sports were the subject of the 22 studies included in this review, with considerations relating to methodological quality being generally well addressed by authors. A range of methods and statistical procedures were used by researchers to determine the measurement properties of their skill outcome tests. The majority (95%) of the reviewed studies investigated test-retest reliability, and where relevant, inter and intra-rater reliability was also determined. Content validity was examined in 68% of the studies, with most tests investigating multiple skill domains relevant to the sport. Only 18% of studies assessed all three reviewed forms of validity (content, construct and criterion), with just 14% investigating the predictive validity of the test. Test responsiveness was reported in only 9% of studies, whilst feasibility received varying levels of attention.


LIMITATIONS
In organised sport, further tests may exist which have not been investigated in this review. This could be due to such tests firstly not being published in the peer-review literature and secondly, not having their measurement properties (i.e., reliability or validity) examined formally.


CONCLUSIONS
Of the 22 studies included in this review, items relating to test methodological quality were, on the whole, well addressed. Test-retest reliability was determined in all but one of the reviewed studies, whilst most studies investigated at least two aspects of validity (i.e., content, construct or criterion-related validity). Few studies examined predictive validity or responsiveness. While feasibility was addressed in over half of the studies, practicality and test limitations were rarely addressed. Consideration of study quality, measurement properties and feasibility components assessed in this review can assist future researchers when developing or modifying tests of sporting skill outcomes.
Multicentric investigation of survival after Spanish emergency department discharge for acute heart failure.

OBJECTIVE
Ideally, discharges from the emergency department (ED) should be as safe as discharges after hospitalization. We have ascertained this hypothesis in patients with acute heart failure (AHF) directly discharged from EDs, analyzing their short-term outcome.


PATIENTS AND METHODS
A prospective, cohort, multicentric, noninterventional study of consecutive patients with AHF who visited in 20 Spanish EDs was conducted. Patients were grouped according to whether discharge had been from the ED (maximum 24-h ED stay) or after hospitalization. We collected baseline and current AHF episode data. Short-term outcome (30-day mortality and revisit rates) of both groups was compared by univariate crude analysis and stratified by predicted risk of 30-day mortality as well as by logistic regression adjustment for the differences found between ED and hospital groups.


RESULTS
A total of 1669 patients were analysed: 546 (32.7%) discharged from ED and 1123 (67.3%) after hospitalisation; 75 (4.5%) died and 420 (25.2%) revisited the ED. Crude 30-day mortality rates of ED and hospital discharges were 2.9 and 5.3%, respectively (odds ratio for ED discharge: 0.56; 95% confidence interval: 0.33-0.96), whereas 30-day revisit rates were 23.8 and 26.4% (odds ratio: 0.96; 95% confidence interval: 0.77-1.19). Stratified analysis according to predicted risk of mortality and multivariate analysis adjusted for the discrepancy in baseline and current AHF episode characteristics in ED and hospital discharges confirmed the lack of short-term outcome differences between the two groups.


CONCLUSION
Direct ED discharge of patients with AHF after treatment and a short observation period is as safe as discharge after a longer time of inpatient hospitalization in general wards.
Note: An application of the EOQ model with nonlinear holding cost to inventory management of perishables

In this note, we consider a variation of the economic order quantity (EOQ) model where cumulative holding cost is a nonlinear function of time. This problem has been studied by Weiss (1982), and we here show how it is an approximation of the optimal order quantity for perishable goods, such as milk, and produce, sold in small to medium size grocery stores where there are delivery surcharges due to infrequent ordering, and managers frequently utilize markdowns to stabilize demand as the product’s expiration date nears. We show how the holding cost curve parameters can be estimated via a regression approach from the product’s usual holding cost (storage plus capital costs), lifetime, and markdown policy. We show in a numerical study that the model provides significant improvement in cost vis-à-vis the classic EOQ model, with a median improvement of 40%. This improvement is more significant for higher daily demand rate, lower holding cost, shorter lifetime, and a markdown policy with steeper discounts.
Real-Time Ethernet - Industry Prospective

After more than ten years of experience with applications of fieldbus in automation technology, the industry has started to develop and adopt Real-Time Ethernet (RTE) solutions. There already exists now more than ten proposed solutions. International Electrotechnical Commission standards are trying to give a guideline and selection criteria based on recognized indicators for the user.