LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Clinical observation on the treatment of chronic severe hepatitis B by retention enema with Huchang Jiedu Decoction.

OBJECTIVE
To observe the efficacy of retention enema with Huchang Jiedu Decoction (, HJD) in treating chronic severe hepatitis B (CSHB).


METHODS
Sixty patients of CSHB were equally randomized into the treated group and the control group. Both groups were treated with conventional integrative medicine, but to patients in the treated group, retention enema with HJD was given in addition, once every day for 3 weeks. The dominant symptoms, physical signs, and related biochemical indices, as well as the incidence of complications in patients before and after treatment, were observed.


RESULTS
Good therapeutic effects were shown in the treated group, with a total effective rate better than that in the control group (83.3% versus 60.0%, P<0.05), superior in terms of lowering alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total bilirubin (TBil), globulin (Glb), and endotoxin (ET) levels and increasing prothrombin activity (PTA), total cholesterol (TC), and calcium (Ca) levels, as well as eliminating ascites and preventing hepatic encephalopathy (P<0.05); especially in treating middle/early stage patients with Chinese medicine syndrome differentiated as water-toxin accumulation pattern.


CONCLUSION
Retention enema with HJD is surely effective in treating CSHB, and its primary mechanism may be related to the mitigation of enterogenous endotoxemia.
Social Rhythm and Mental Health: A Cross-Cultural Comparison

BACKGROUND
Social rhythm refers to the regularity with which one engages in social activities throughout the week, and has established links with bipolar disorder, as well as some links with depression and anxiety. The aim of the present study is to examine social rhythm and its relationship to various aspects of health, including physical health, negative mental health, and positive mental health.


METHOD
Questionnaire data were obtained from a large-scale multi-national sample of 8095 representative participants from the U.S., Russia, and Germany.


RESULTS
Results indicated that social rhythm irregularity is related to increased reporting of health problems, depression, anxiety, and stress. In contrast, greater regularity is related to better overall health state, life satisfaction, and positive mental health. The effects are generally small in size, but hold even when controlling for gender, marital status, education, income, country, and social support. Further, social rhythm means differ across Russia, the U.S., and Germany. Relationships with mental health are present in all three countries, but differ in magnitude.


CONCLUSIONS
Social rhythm irregularity is related to mental health in Russia, the U.S., and Germany.
Coherent beam combining with high-power slab-coupled optical waveguide amplifiers

SCOWAs have produced 1.5 W of output power with a 44 mW seed. Arrays of 47 SCOWA elements have demonstrated a raw power of 57 W. Coherent beam combining of these arrays will be discussed.
A Positive Theory of the Income Redistributive Focus of Social Security

Many countries around the world have large public pension programs. Traditionally, these programs have been used to induce retirement by the elderly in order to free up jobs for the young and to redistribute income across generations. This paper provides an efficiency rationale for the inter-generational income redistribution focus of such programs in a framework which explicitly accounts for the role of the lifecycle as well as search and matching frictions in the labor market. In our model, public pension programs alter the age composition of the labor force by inducing the jobless elderly to retire. By requiring a long history of labor market attachment in order to receive benefits, these programs raise the future value of current employment for the young which serves to redistribute bargaining power, and hence income, from the young to the old. The paper argues that pension programs through their effect on the wage structure, the age distribution of the labor force and firm entry decisions, can improve the operation of the labor market and might therefore be desirable on efficiency grounds alone (abstracting from equity and insurance motives). It shows that a pension program that is funded from within the economy can lead to higher welfare than having no pension program at all.
Total hip arthroplasty through the mini-incision (Micro-hip) approach versus the standard transgluteal (Bauer) approach: a prospective, randomised study.

PURPOSE
To compare outcome after total hip arthroplasty (THA) through the mini-incision approach versus the standard transgluteal approach.


METHODS
80 women and 63 men aged 33 to 89 (mean, 62) years with primary osteoarthritis of the hip were randomised to undergo unilateral THA through a mini-incision approach (Micro-hip, n=55) or standard, lateral, transgluteal approach (Bauer, n=88). Levels of haemoglobin, haematocrit, serum creatine kinase, and C-reactive protein, length of hospital stay, mobilisation, and any complication were recorded. Visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain was assessed. Hip function was assessed using the Harris Hip Score and the Oxford Hip Score, whereas general health was assessed using the EQ-5D general health questionnaire. The cup inclination and varus/valgus of the stem position were measured using a goniometer.


RESULTS
The Micro-hip group achieved a significantly lower mean incision length (9.3 vs. 13.4 cm, p<0.001), mean surgical time (60 vs. 68 minutes, p=0.021), mean reduction in haemoglobin level (2.1 vs. 2.8 g/dl, p<0.001), and mean VAS for pain from hour 6 to day 6 (all p<0.05). One patient in the Micro-hip group developed early aseptic loosening of the cup and underwent revision surgery at month 4. Three patients in the Bauer group and one patient in the Micro-hip group sustained intra-operative nondisplaced fractures of the proximal femur, which were fixed with cerclages. Two patients in the Microhip group developed deep vein thrombosis during week 1.


CONCLUSION
THA through the Micro-hip approach achieved faster pain relief.
Community of inquiry as a theoretical framework to foster "epistemic engagement" and "cognitive presence" in online education

In this paper, several recent theoretical conceptions of technology-mediated education are examined and a study of 2159 online learners is presented. The study validates an instrument designed to measure teaching, social, and cognitive presence indicative of a community of learners within the community of inquiry (CoI) framework [Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (2000). Critical inquiry in a textbased environment: Computer conferencing in higher education. The Internet and Higher Education, 2, 1–19; Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (2001). Critical thinking, cognitive presence, and computer conferencing in distance education. American Journal of Distance Education, 15(1), 7–23]. Results indicate that the survey items cohere into interpretable factors that represent the intended constructs. Further it was determined through structural equation modeling that 70% of the variance in the online students’ levels of cognitive presence, a multivariate measure of learning, can be modeled based on their reports of their instructors’ skills in fostering teaching presence and their own abilities to establish a sense of social presence. Additional analysis identifies more details of the relationship between learner understandings of teaching and social presence and its impact on their cognitive presence. Implications for online teaching, policy, and faculty development are discussed. ! 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The DRUID study: racism and self-assessed health status in an indigenous population

BACKGROUND
There is now considerable evidence from around the world that racism is associated with both mental and physical ill-health. However, little is known about the mediating factors between racism and ill-health. This paper investigates relationships between racism and self-assessed mental and physical health among Indigenous Australians as well as potential mediators of these relationships.


METHODS
A total of 164 adults in the Darwin Region Urban Indigenous Diabetes (DRUID) study completed a validated instrument assessing interpersonal racism and a separate item on discrimination-related stress. Self-assessed health status was measured using the SF-12. Stress, optimism, lack of control, social connections, cultural identity and reactions/responses to interpersonal racism were considered as mediators and moderators of the relationship between racism/discrimination and self-assessed health status.


RESULTS
After adjusting for socio-demographic factors, interpersonal racism was significantly associated with the SF-12 mental (but not the physical) health component. Stress, lack of control and feeling powerless as a reaction to racism emerged as significant mediators of the relationship between racism and general mental health. Similar findings emerged for discrimination-related stress.


CONCLUSIONS
Racism/discrimination is significantly associated with poor general mental health among this indigenous population. The mediating factors between racism and mental health identified in this study suggest new approaches to ameliorating the detrimental effects of racism on health. In particular, the importance of reducing racism-related stress, enhancing general levels of mastery, and minimising negative social connections in order to ameliorate the negative consequences of racism.
S-l combined with cisplatin plus concurrent chemoradiotherapy versus cisplatin plus concurrent chemoradiotherapy for Chinese patients with advanced gastric cancer: a multi-centre randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND
This study aimed to investigate the safety and efficacy of S-l combined with cisplatin plus concurrent chemoradiotherapy (SCCC) versus cisplatin plus concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCC) for Chinese patients with advanced gastric cancer (AGC).


METHODS
Between April 2008 and June 2010, 144 eligible patients with AGC were included and divided randomly into 2 groups. Seventy-two patients in the SCCC group received with S-1 on days 1-14 of a 21-day cycle, 24-h cisplatin infusion (70 mg/m(2) on day 1) every 4 weeks for 2 cycles, and concurrent chemoradiotherapy (30-Gy radiotherapy over 4 weeks) beginning on day 1. The other 72 patients in the CCC group were administered cisplatin and concurrent chemoradiotherapy as for SCCC. The primary outcome was overall survival. Secondary outcomes were progression-free survival and adverse events.


RESULTS
The median overall survival durations were 11.7 months (range 1.7-29.7 months) and 9.5 months (range 1.2-25.4 months) in SCCC and CCC groups, respectively (P = 0.041). The median progression-free survival durations were 10.6 months for SCCC (range 1.3-24.7 months) and 8.8 months (range 0.7-22.3 months) for CCC (P = 0.046). The toxicity profile was similar in both groups.


CONCLUSION
In summary, SCCC showed more promising safety and efficacy than CCC in Chinese patients with AGC. In addition, the toxicities were also acceptable in both groups.
College students ' social networking experiences on Facebook ☆

Available online 11 January 2009 Millions of contemporary young adults use social networking sites. However, little is known about how much, why, and how they use these sites. In this study, 92 undergraduates completed a diary-likemeasure each day for aweek, reporting daily time use and responding to an activities checklist to assess their use of the popular social networking site, Facebook. At the end of the week, they also completed a follow-up survey. Results indicated that students use Facebook approximately 30 min throughout the day as part of their daily routine. Students communicated on Facebook using a one-to-many style, in which they were the creators disseminating content to their friends. Even so, they spent more time observing content on Facebook than actually posting content. Facebook was used most often for social interaction, primarily with friends with whom the students had a pre-established relationship offline. In addition to classic identity markers of emerging adulthood, such as religion, political ideology, and work, young adults also used media preferences to express their identity. Implications of social networking site use for the development of identity and peer relationships are discussed. © 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Overcoming bias to learn about controversial topics

Deciding whether a claim is true or false often requires a deeper understanding of the evidence supporting and contradicting the claim. However, when presented with many evidence documents, users do not necessarily read and trust them uniformly. Psychologists and other researchers have shown that users tend to follow and agree with articles and sources that hold viewpoints similar to their own, a phenomenon known as confirmation bias. This suggests that when learning about a controversial topic, human biases and viewpoints about the topic may affect what is considered “trustworthy” or credible. It is an interesting challenge to build systems that can help users overcome this bias and help them decide the truthfulness of claims. In this article, we study various factors that enable humans to acquire additional information about controversial claims in an unbiased fashion. Specifically, we designed a user study to understand how presenting evidence with contrasting viewpoints and source expertise ratings affect how users learn from the evidence documents. We find that users do not seek contrasting viewpoints by themselves, but explicitly presenting contrasting evidence helps them get a well-rounded understanding of the topic. Furthermore, explicit knowledge of the credibility of the sources and the context in which the source provides the evidence document not only affects what users read but also whether they perceive the document to be credible. Introduction
Housing and neighborhoods : theoretical and empirical contributions

Foreword by Elizabeth Huttman Introduction by Willem van Vliet-- Part I: Theoretical and Conceptual Perspectives Congruence: The Evolution of a Contextual Concept by William Michelson Prospects for Realizing Congruent Housing Environments by Raymod G. Studer Residential Satisfaction: Its Uses and Limitations in Housing Research by Guido Francescato, Sue Weidemann, and James R. Anderson Part II: Revitalization in the Inner City The Multiformity of neighborhood Revitalization in the Netherlands by E.C.M. Machielse Changing Patterns in Inner City Housing: A Canadian Example by Trudi E. Bunting Ethnic Minorities, Scarce Housing Resources, and Urban Renewal in Britainby Taner Oc Participation by Ethnic Minorities in Urban Renewal in the Netherlands by Karen Wuertz and To van der Pennen Part III: Suburbs and Planned Communities Suburbanization, Privatization, and Juvenile Delinquency: Some Possible Relationships by David Popenoe Diversity in New Communities: A Cast Study of Reston, Virginia, at Age 20 by Sylvia F. Fava Part IV: Aspects of Planning and Design Shared Spaces, Small Spaces, and Spaces That Change: Examples of Housing Innovation in the United States by Karen A. Franck Planning with Scarce Resources: The Miniaturizatio of an Urban Neighborhood by Joan C. Simon and Gerda R. Wekerle High-Rise Estates and the Concentration of Poverty by Eva van Kempen Part V: Aspects of Management and Ownership Public Housing Communes: A Swedish Response to Postmaterial Demand by Alison E. Woodward Coping with Condominiums in the Netherlands by Jan van Weesup Peacetime Municipal Rent Control Lawsin the United States: Local Design Issues and Ideological Policy Debates byKenneth K. Baar Part VI: Special Population Groups Restricted Housing Markets for Female-Headed Housholds in U.S. Metropolitan Areas by Rebecca L. Smith and C. Lee Thomson The Elderly in Central Tel Aviv by Yona Ginsburg Indexes
Current bone substitutes for implant dentistry.

PURPOSE
Alveolar ridge augmentation is essential for success in implant therapy and depends on the biological performance of bone graft materials. This literature review aims to comprehensively explain the clinically relevant capabilities and limitations of currently available bone substitutes for bone augmentation in light of biomaterial science.


STUDY SELECTION
The biological performance of calcium phosphate-based bone substitutes was categorized according to space-making capability, biocompatibility, bioabsorption, and volume maintenance over time. Each category was reviewed based on clinical studies, preclinical animal studies, and in vitro studies.


RESULTS
Currently available bone substitutes provide only osteoconduction as a scaffold but not osteoinduction. Particle size, sensitivity to enzymatic or chemical dissolution, and mechanical properties affect the space-making capability of bone substitutes. The nature of collagen fibers, particulate size, and release of calcium ions influence the biocompatibility of bone substitutes. Bioabsorption of bone substitutes is determined by water solubility (chemical composition) and acid resistance (integrity of apatite structure). Bioabsorption of remnant bone substitute material and volume maintenance of the augmented bone are inversely related.


CONCLUSION
It is necessary to improve the biocompatibility of currently available bone substitutes and to strike an appropriate balance between bioabsorption and volume maintenance to achieve ideal bone remodeling.
A systematic review of effect size in software engineering experiments

An effect size quantifies the effects of an experimental treatment. Conclusions drawn from hypothesis testing results might be erroneous if effect sizes are not judged in addition to statistical significance. This paper reports a systematic review of 92 controlled experiments published in 12 major software engineering journals and conference proceedings in the decade 1993–2002. The review investigates the practice of effect size reporting, summarizes standardized effect sizes detected in the experiments, discusses the results and gives advice for improvements. Standardized and/or unstandardized effect sizes were reported in 29% of the experiments. Interpretations of the effect sizes in terms of practical importance were not discussed beyond references to standard conventions. The standardized effect sizes computed from the reviewed experiments were equal to observations in psychology studies and slightly larger than standard conventions in behavioral science. 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Affective computing: challenges

A number of researchers around the world have built machines that recognize, express, model, communicate, and respond to emotional information, instances of ‘‘affective computing.’’ This article raises and responds to several criticisms of affective computing, articulating state-of-the art research challenges, especially with respect to affect in humancomputer interaction. r 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
The value of TOP2A gene copy number variation as a biomarker in breast cancer: Update of DBCG trial 89D.

BACKGROUND
Previous analyses of TOP2A and HER2 in the Danish Breast Cancer Coopererative Group (DBCG) trial 89D suggested that TOP2A amplifications and possible also deletions are predictive markers for the effect of adjuvant epirubicin in patients with primary breast cancer. We present an updated and extended statistical analysis, requested for IVD-labeling of TOP2A testing.


MATERIAL AND METHODS
In the DBCG trial 89D 980 Danish patients were randomly assigned to nine cycles of intravenous CMF (cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil) or CEF (cyclophosphamide, epirubicin, and fluorouracil). Archival tumor tissue was collected retrospectively from 806 of these patients in a prospectively designed, biological sub-study, and was successfully analyzed for TOP2A aberrations and HER2 status in 773 samples (96%). Recurrence-free survival (RFS) was the primary endpoint.


RESULTS
TOP2A aberrations (amplifications and deletions) were significantly associated with shorter RFS (p<0.0001) and overall survival (OS) (p<0.0001). Deleted cases had worse prognosis than amplified cases. In a Cox proportional hazard model TOP2A was an independent prognostic marker for RFS and OS. Patients with amplifications had a 61% reduction in the risk of an event (p=0.002) and a 51% reduction in the risk of death (p=0.01) if allocated to CEF compared to 6% and 10% in TOP2A normal patients. A similar but non-significant trend (p=0.08) was shown in patients with TOP2A deletions. Clear statistical evidence of a differential benefit, favoring CEF among patients with TOP2A aberrations was found for RFS (p=0.02 for interaction) but not for OS (p=0.14 for interaction).


CONCLUSION
In conclusion, this updated analysis of TOP2A aberrations in DBCG trial 89D suggests a differential benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with primary breast cancer, favoring treatment with epirubicin in patients with TOP2A amplifications, and perhaps deletions. Additional studies are needed to clarify the exact importance of TOP2A deletions on outcome, but deletions have proven to be associated with a very poor prognosis.
Enhancing student's learning experience at middle east college by using blended learning

This research aims to provide a mechanism which can enhance student experience and confidence at Middle East College. The research is to find out the reason why students lack in experience and confidence in choosing Web Application Development module at Middle East College. By using a learning environment (blended learning), which can be suitable to increase both the experience and confidence level of the students.
Female and male transgender quality of life: socioeconomic and medical differences.

INTRODUCTION
Studies show a positive impact of gender reassignment treatment on the quality of life (QOL) of transgender persons, but little is known about the influence of their socioeconomic status.


AIM
First, to assess health-related QOL of transgender men and women and compare it with a general population sample, second, to investigate the differences between transgender men and transgender women, and third, to analyze how their levels of QOL differ according to socioeconomic and transition data.


METHODS
One hundred forty-eight current and former transgender patients of a gender identity clinic participated in a large QOL study.


MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES
Health-related QOL was measured using the Short Form 36-Item Questionnaire.


RESULTS
The QOL of transgender women did not differ significantly from the general Dutch female population, although transgender men showed reduced mental health-related QOL compared with the general Dutch male sample. Transgender women had a lower QOL than transgender men for the subscales physical functioning and general health, but better QOL for bodily pain. Time since start of hormone use was positively associated for transgender women with subscales bodily pain and general health, and negatively associated for transgender men with the subscale role limitations due to physical health problems. There was no significant difference in QOL between the group who had undergone genital surgery or surgical breast augmentation and the group who did not have these surgeries. Transgender men with an erection prosthesis scored significantly better on the subscales vitality and (at trend level) on role limitations due to emotional problems. A series of univariate analyses revealed significantly lower QOL scores for transgender persons that were older, low educated, unemployed, had a low household income, and were single.


CONCLUSIONS
Specific social indicators are important in relation to health-related QOL of transgenders in a context of qualitative and adequate medical care.