LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Prostate-specific antigen testing rates and referral patterns from general practice data in England.

BACKGROUND
There is currently no national screening programme for prostate cancer in England, but eligible men can request a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test from their general practitioner (GP). There are no routinely available data to monitor the extent of PSA testing and referral.


AIM
The aim of this study was to investigate the rate of PSA testing in general practice and subsequent patterns of referral.


DESIGN AND SETTING
Data obtained from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) for men aged 45-84 years who had a PSA test during 2010-2011, registered in practices in England with linked Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data.


METHOD
Patient data were linked to previous tests and consultations. Rates of PSA testing and proportions of men retested and referred to secondary care were calculated.


RESULTS
Overall, 8.74 (95% CI 8.67-8.82) of men per 100 person-years were tested at least once in 2010, and 9.45 (95% CI 9.37-9.53) in 2011. Rates increased with age and decreased with increasing level of deprivation. Of the 53,069 men tested in 2010, 11,289 (21.3%) had a previous PSA test within the past 12 months. Of men with raised PSA according to age specific guidelines, 22.4% (2113/9425) were referred to secondary care within 14 days, with 36% of the remainder retested within 6 months.


CONCLUSIONS
Rates of PSA testing have increased compared with earlier studies; the data suggest that many GPs are retesting men with raised PSA rather than referring immediately. More routine data on PSA testing, including reasons for testing, and subsequent management and outcomes, are required.
Efficient algorithm for matrix spectral factorization

-An algorithm is presented for the spectral factorization of polynomial (or rational) matrices arising in optimal control and filtering theory as well as in network theory. There are two versions of the algorithm: one applicable to continuoustime problems, the other to discrete-time ones. Both versions are based on Newton's method, feature quadratic convergence and provide a significant improvement in efficiency over the existing methods.
Earth: Then and Now

Introducing the Earth. Part 1 Physical geology - Earth materials and processes: minerals igneous rocks and processes, volcanoes weathering, soil, sediment and sedimentary rocks metamorphism and metamorphic rocks plate tectonics earthquakes, seismic waves and the Earth's interior the continental crust ocean basins, coastal processes streams groundwater and water resources landslides and mass wasting ice, wind and climate. Part 2 Historical geology - time and theevolution of the Earth: geological time fossils and evolution the Archean the Proterozoic the earlt Proterozoic the late Proterozoic the Mesozoic Mesozoic life the Cenozoic. Part 3 Looking to the future - Earth resources: mineral resources. Appendices: mineral and rock identification fossil phyla representative localities unit conversions.
[Neurological disease surveillance and mandatory reporting: a trend and outcome of the national neurological institute of health in mexico city from 2005 to 2011].

INTRODUCTION
There is regulated study and mandatory reporting of epidemiological surveillance of diseases worldwide. However, it is difficult to observe the behavior of conditions especially over time, and especially when it comes to diseases that are addressed by their severity in tertiary care units.


OBJECTIVE
Describe and analyze the behavior of the major communicable neurological diseases subject to epidemiological surveillance for a period of seven years in the main National Institution of Health that takes in neurological, neurosurgical and psychiatric disorders in Mexico. The main conditions that are handled and reported were acute inflammatory polyneuropathy (Guillain Barre Syndrome) and viral encephalitis, 19.7 and 18.5%, respectively. The condition showing a tendency to decrease was neurocysticercosis, and conditions most strongly associated with mortality were diseases associated to the human immunodeficiency virus and unspecified viral encephalitis. The conditions were more frequent especially in men in the age group 25 to 44 years old. It is necessary to stress the importance of timely reporting of diseases under epidemiological surveillance in Mexico, since knowledge of the behavior of action allows decisions at all levels of care.
Inhaler device technique can be improved in older adults through tailored education: findings from a randomised controlled trial

Aim:To investigate the effects of inhaler device technique education on improving inhaler technique in older people with asthma.Methods:In a randomised controlled trial, device technique education was provided to a sample of 123 adults aged >55 years who had a doctor diagnosis of asthma. The active education group received one-on-one technique coaching, including observation, verbal instruction and physical demonstration at baseline. The passive group received a device-specific instruction pamphlet only. Inhaler technique, including the critical steps for each device type, was assessed and scored according to Australian National Asthma Council (NAC) guidelines. Device technique was scored objectively at baseline and again at 3 and 12 months post education.Results:The majority of participants demonstrated poor technique at baseline. Only 11 (21%) of the active intervention group and 7 (16%) of the passive group demonstrated 100% correct technique. By 3 months 26 (48%) of the active group achieved adequate technique. Improvement in technique was observed in the active group at 3 months (P<0.001) and remained significant at 12 months (P<0.001). No statistically significant improvement was observed in the passive group.Conclusion:The provision of active device technique education improves device technique in older adults. Passive education alone fails to achieve any improvement in device technique.
Perturbation On-Time (POT) Technique in Power Factor Correction (PFC) Controller for Low Total Harmonic Distortion and High Power Factor

The proposed perturbation on-time technique suppresses total harmonic distortion (THD) and, thus, improves the power factor in the power factor correction (PFC) controller. Besides, the adaptive control of the minimum off time by the proposed inhibit time control can improve efficiency even at low ac input voltage. Therefore, highly integrated PFC converter fabricated in the TSMC 800-V ultrahigh voltage process can achieve low THD of 6%, high PF of 99%, and high efficiency of 95% at the output power of 90 W.
Real-time communication protocols : an overview ∗

This paper describes several existing data link layer protocols that provide real-time capabilities on wired networks, focusing on token-ring and Carrier Sense Multiple Access based networks. Existing modifications to provide better real-time capabilities and performance are also described. Finally the pros and cons regarding the At-Home Anywhere project are discussed.
Etiology and outcomes of acute kidney injury in Chinese children: a prospective multicentre investigation

BACKGROUND
The incidence of AKI appears to have increasing trend. Up to now, prospective, multi-center, large-sample epidemiological study done on pediatric AKI on aspects of epidemiological characteristics, causes and outcomes have not reported. It is necessary to develop prospective, multi-center, large-sample epidemiological study in our country on pediatric AKI. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical features, etiology, and outcomes of acute kidney injury (AKI) in Chinese children.


METHOD
Paediatric patients (≤18 years old) admitted to 27 hospitals (14 children's hospitals and 13 general hospitals) affiliated with the Medical University were investigated. AKI was defined using the 2005 Acute Kidney Injury Network criteria.


RESULTS
During the study period, 388,736 paediatric patients were admitted. From this total, AKI was diagnosed in 1,257 patients, 43 of whom died. The incidence and mortality of AKI was 0.32% and 3.4% respectively. The mean (± SD) age of patients was 48.4 ± 50.4 months. Among the 1,257 AKI paediatric patients, 632 were less than one year old. Among the AKI paediatric patients, 615 (48.9%) were in stage 1, 277 (22.0%) in stage 2, and 365 (29.0%) in stage 3. The most common causes of AKI were renal causes (57.52%), whereas postrenal (25.69%) and prerenal (14.96%) causes were the least common. The three most common causes of AKI according to individual etiological disease were urolithiasis (22.35%), of which exposure to melamine-contaminated milk accounted for the highest incidence (63.7%); acute glomerulonephritis (10.10%); and severe dehydration (7.48%). A total of 43 AKI patients (3.4%) died during their hospital stay; 15 (34.9%) of the 43 died as a result of sepsis.


CONCLUSION
Primary renal diseases are a major risk factor for paediatric AKI in China. In terms of specific etiological disease, urolithiasis (postrenal disease) was the leading cause of paediatric AKI in 2008, when the disease was linked to exposure to melamine-contaminated milk. Sepsis is the leading cause of death in Chinese paediatric AKI patients. Future studies should focus on effective ways of controlling renal disorders and sepsis to improve the clinical management of paediatric AKI in China.
Navigating Manufacturing Firms to Service-led Business Models

This thesis tackles an increasingly popular phenomenon – servitization of manufacturing – a growth opportunity for industrial firms through a service-led business model. However, implementing a ser ...
Pregnancy outcome after loop electrosurgical excision procedure for the management of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia

Objective: Previous studies have shown conflicting results on the outcome of pregnancy following loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP). The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether LEEP affects the outcome of pregnancy after 20 weeks’ gestation. Methods: This is a matched cohort study of all women who had a LEEP for a biopsy-confirmed cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) in between December 1995 and December 2000 and subsequently delivered (after 20 weeks’ gestation) at the University Hospital of Northern Norway. Women who had an ectopic pregnancy or an abortion (spontaneous or induced) following LEEP were excluded from analysis. Two controls matched for the date of delivery, age, parity, previous obstetric history and smoking habit were identified for each case using routinely entered data from the birth register. The main outcome measures were the duration of pregnancy and birth weight. Other variables recorded included the grade of cervical dysplasia, size of the electrosurgical loop, age, parity, pregnancy complications, mode of delivery, and perinatal outcome. Results: Of a total of 428 women of reproductive age who had LEEP performed during the study period, 89 had a pregnancy after the procedure. Ten women were excluded (three ectopic pregnancies, two induced abortions and five spontaneous abortions) from the study. Data from 79 women whose pregnancies progressed beyond 20 weeks and 158 matched controls were analysed. The mean age at the time of LEEP was 27 (range 19–36) years. The histological diagnosis was normal in 3 (3.8%), CIN1 in 5 (6.3%), CIN2 in 18 (22.8%), and CIN3 in 53 (67.1%) of the cases. Overall, mean gestation at delivery (38.3 vs. 39.1 weeks), mean birth weight (3,412 vs. 3,563 g), prevalence of preterm birth (11.4% vs. 10.8%) and low birth weight (10.1 vs. 5.1%) were not significantly different among the cases and controls. But when a relatively large loop (25 mm) had been used, the risk of preterm delivery (odds ratio 4.0) and low birth weight (odds ratio 14.0) was significantly higher than in controls. Pregnancy complications occurred more frequently (20 vs. 7%; p=0.006) among the cases than the controls. Conclusion: LEEP in women with CIN did not significantly increase the risk of low birth weight or preterm birth in subsequent pregnancy in comparison to their controls, except when the size of electrosurgical loop was relatively large. However, the prevalence of pregnancy complications was significantly higher after LEEP.
Isometries , Tessellations and Escher , Oh My !

Motivated to better understand the wonderful artistry and hyperbolic tessellations of M.C. Escher’s Circle Limit prints, we study the isometries of the hyperbolic plane and create tessellations of the Poincaré disk using the Euclidean tools of compass and straightedge.
Distributed optimization algorithm for lighting color control using chroma sensors

We propose a lighting system which adjusts lighting colors. The lighting system adjusting colors is a system that provides required illuminance and lighting color at an appropriate location. This system consists of many intelligent lighting with RGB fluorescent lamps, many chroma sensors and an electric power meter. These equipments are connected to a network. The chroma sensor can measure the illuminance and the chromaticity. All intelligent lightings receive the values of the illuminance and the chromaticity via network, and are operated based on the proposed autonomous distributed algorithm. We actually construct the lighting color adjusting system and the validity of the system is verified.
Learning to Share Meaning in a Multi-Agent System

The development of the semantic Web will require agents to use common domain ontologies to facilitate communication of conceptual knowledge. However, the proliferation of domain ontologies may also result in conflicts between the meanings assigned to the various terms. That is, agents with diverse ontologies may use different terms to refer to the same meaning or the same term to refer to different meanings. Agents will need a method for learning and translating similar semantic concepts between diverse ontologies. Only until recently have researchers diverged from the last decade's “common ontology” paradigm to a paradigm involving agents that can share knowledge using diverse ontologies. This paper describes how we address this agent knowledge sharing problem of how agents deal with diverse ontologies by introducing a methodology and algorithms for multi-agent knowledge sharing and learning in a peer-to-peer setting. We demonstrate how this approach will enable multi-agent systems to assist groups of people in locating, translating, and sharing knowledge using our Distributed Ontology Gathering Group Integration Environment (DOGGIE) and describe our proof-of-concept experiments. DOGGIE synthesizes agent communication, machine learning, and reasoning for information sharing in the Web domain.
MSP hormonal control of the oocyte MAP kinase cascade and reactive oxygen species signaling.

The MSP domain is a conserved immunoglobulin-like structure that is important for C. elegans reproduction and human motor neuron survival. C. elegans MSPs are the most abundant proteins in sperm, where they function as intracellular cytoskeletal proteins and secreted hormones. Secreted MSPs bind to multiple receptors on oocyte and ovarian sheath cell surfaces to induce oocyte maturation and sheath contraction. MSP binding stimulates oocyte MPK-1 ERK MAP Kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation, but the function and mechanism are not well understood. Here we show that the Shp class protein-tyrosine phosphatase PTP-2 acts in oocytes downstream of sheath/oocyte gap junctions to promote MSP-induced MPK-1 phosphorylation. PTP-2 functions in the oocyte cytoplasm, not at the cell surface to inhibit multiple RasGAPs, resulting in sustained Ras activation. We also provide evidence that MSP promotes production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which act as second messengers to augment MPK-1 phosphorylation. The Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase SOD-1, an enzyme that catalyzes ROS breakdown in the cytoplasm, inhibits MPK-1 phosphorylation downstream of or in parallel to ptp-2. Our results support the model that MSP triggers PTP-2/Ras activation and ROS production to stimulate MPK-1 activity essential for oocyte maturation. We propose that secreted MSP domains and Cu/Zn superoxide dismutases function antagonistically to control ROS and MAPK signaling.
Effect of Stimulus Type and Motion on Smooth Pursuit in Adults and Children.

PURPOSE
This study presents a two-degree customized animated stimulus developed to evaluate smooth pursuit in children and investigates the effect of its predetermined characteristics (stimulus type and size) in an adult population. Then, the animated stimulus is used to evaluate the impact of different pursuit motion paradigms in children.


METHODS
To study the effect of animating a stimulus, eye movement recordings were obtained from 20 young adults while the customized animated stimulus and a standard dot stimulus were presented moving horizontally at a constant velocity. To study the effect of using a larger stimulus size, eye movement recordings were obtained from 10 young adults while presenting a standard dot stimulus of different size (1° and 2°) moving horizontally at a constant velocity. Finally, eye movement recordings were obtained from 12 children while the 2° customized animated stimulus was presented after three different smooth pursuit motion paradigms. Performance parameters, including gains and number of saccades, were calculated for each stimulus condition.


RESULTS
The animated stimulus produced in young adults significantly higher velocity gain (mean: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.90-0.96; P = .014), position gain (0.93; 0.85-1; P = .025), proportion of smooth pursuit (0.94; 0.91-0.96, P = .002), and fewer saccades (5.30; 3.64-6.96, P = .008) than a standard dot (velocity gain: 0.87; 0.82-0.92; position gain: 0.82; 0.72-0.92; proportion smooth pursuit: 0.87; 0.83-0.90; number of saccades: 7.75; 5.30-10.46). In contrast, changing the size of a standard dot stimulus from 1° to 2° did not have an effect on smooth pursuit in young adults (P > .05). Finally, smooth pursuit performance did not significantly differ in children for the different motion paradigms when using the animated stimulus (P > .05).


CONCLUSIONS
Attention-grabbing and more dynamic stimuli, such as the developed animated stimulus, might potentially be useful for eye movement research. Finally, with such stimuli, children perform equally well irrespective of the motion paradigm used.
Graduates from a traditional medical curriculum evaluate the effectiveness of their medical curriculum through interviews

BACKGROUND
In 1996 The University of Liverpool reformed its medical course from a traditional lecture-based course to an integrated PBL curriculum. A project has been underway since 2000 to evaluate this change. Part of this project has involved gathering retrospective views on the relevance of both types of undergraduate education according to graduates. This paper focuses on the views of traditional Liverpool graduates approximately 6 years after graduation.


METHODS
From February 2006 to June 2006 interviews took place with 46 graduates from the last 2 cohorts to graduate from the traditional Liverpool curriculum.


RESULTS
The graduates were generally happy with their undergraduate education although they did feel there were some flaws in their curriculum. They felt they had picked up good history and examination skills and were content with their exposure to different specialties on clinical attachments. They were also pleased with their basic science teaching as preparation for postgraduate exams, however many complained about the overload and irrelevance of many lectures in the early years of their course, particular in biochemistry. There were many different views about how they integrated this science teaching into understanding disease processes and many didn't feel it was made relevant to them at the time they learned it. Retrospectively, they felt that they hadn't been clinically well prepared for the role of working as junior doctor, particularly the practical aspects of the job nor had enough exposure to research skills. Although there was little communication skills training in their course they didn't feel they would have benefited from this training as they managed to pick up had the required skills on clinical attachments.


CONCLUSION
These interviews offer a historical snapshot of the views of graduates from a traditional course before many courses were reformed. There was some conflict in the interviews about the doctors enjoying their undergraduate education but then saying that they didn't feel they received good preparation for working as a junior doctor. Although the graduates were happy with their undergraduate education these interviews do highlight some of the reasons why the traditional curriculum was reformed at Liverpool.
How much does labour turnover cost?: A case study of Australian four‐ and five‐star hotels

Purpose: Employee turnover is a significant challenge for Human Resource Management (HRM) strategies and organisational performance. This study presents findings drawn from an extensive survey of labour turnover in the Australian accommodation sector. A particular focus is placed on turnover rates and costs. Design/methodology/approach: Based on labour turnover literature and an industry panel, an online survey was designed and distributed to fourand five-star hotels across Australia. Human Resource Managers from 64 hotels participated in the survey, providing a representative sample and a response rate of 29 percent. Findings and implications: The research shows the major costs being attributed to labour turnover. These are costs that both the industry and individual operators should examine closely as they impact substantially on hotel operating costs and profitability. It also indicates that the levels of service, consumer experience and value may be impacted. Research limitations: A limitation of this study is its main focus on tangible labour turnover costs. Additionally, findings based on fourand five-star hotels may not apply to other accommodation sectors.
Variants for HDL-C, LDL-C, and triglycerides identified from admixture mapping and fine-mapping analysis in African American families.

BACKGROUND
Admixture mapping of lipids was followed-up by family-based association analysis to identify variants for cardiovascular disease in African Americans.


METHODS AND RESULTS
The present study conducted admixture mapping analysis for total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides. The analysis was performed in 1905 unrelated African American subjects from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's Family Blood Pressure Program (FBPP). Regions showing admixture evidence were followed-up with family-based association analysis in 3556 African American subjects from the FBPP. The admixture mapping and family-based association analyses were adjusted for age, age(2), sex, body mass index, and genome-wide mean ancestry to minimize the confounding caused by population stratification. Regions that were suggestive of local ancestry association evidence were found on chromosomes 7 (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol), 8 (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol), 14 (triglycerides), and 19 (total cholesterol and triglycerides). In the fine-mapping analysis, 52 939 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were tested and 11 SNPs (8 independent SNPs) showed nominal significant association with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (2 SNPs), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (4 SNPs), and triglycerides (5 SNPs). The family data were used in the fine-mapping to identify SNPs that showed novel associations with lipids and regions, including genes with known associations for cardiovascular disease.


CONCLUSIONS
This study identified regions on chromosomes 7, 8, 14, and 19 and 11 SNPs from the fine-mapping analysis that were associated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides for further studies of cardiovascular disease in African Americans.