LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Prevalence and variation of Chronic Kidney Disease in the Irish health system: initial findings from the National Kidney Disease Surveillance Programme

BACKGROUND
Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a major non-communicable chronic disease that is associated with adverse clinical and economic outcomes. Passive surveillance systems are likely to improve efforts for prevention of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and inform national service planning. This study was conducted to determine the overall prevalence of CKD in the Irish health system, assess period trends and explore patterns of variation as part of a novel surveillance initiative.


METHODS
We identified 207, 336 adult patients, age 18 and over, with serum creatinine measurements recorded from a provincial database between 2005-2011 in the Northwest of Ireland. Estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFR) were determined using the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equation from standardized creatinine measurements and the presence of CKD was defined as eGFR<60 ml/min per 1.73 m2. Age and sex-specific prevalence estimates were determined for each group while generalized estimating equations (GEE) and multivariable logistic regression were used to explore associations using adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).


RESULTS
The prevalence of CKD in the health system was 11.8% (95% CI 11.8-12.1); 10.9% in men (10.7-11.1) and 12.6% in women (12.4-12.8). This corresponded to a detection rate of 4.5% (5.1% in women and 3.9% in men). The prevalence of CKD was significantly higher in women than in men (12.6% versus 10.9%, P<0.001), older age groups, and among patients with a history of Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) than without (45.2% versus 10.7%, P<0.0001). Multivariable analysis identified advancing age, female gender, location of medical supervision, county of residence, and AKI as significant determinants of prevalence.


CONCLUSION
The prevalence of CKD in the Irish health system is 11.8% corresponding to a detection rate of 4.5% in the general population. Demographic, geographic factors and acute kidney injury episodes are important determinants of disease burden. Passive surveillance of CKD is both feasible and desirable within the Irish health system, and offers huge opportunities for targeted prevention programmes and improved clinical outcomes.
Distance-based Camera Network Topology Inference for Person Re-identification

In this paper, we propose a novel distance-based camera network topology inference method for efficient person re-identification. To this end, we first calibrate each camera and estimate relative scales between cameras. Using the calibration results of multiple cameras, we calculate the speed of each person and infer the distance between cameras to generate distance-based camera network topology. The proposed distance-based topology can be applied adaptively to each person according to its speed and handle diverse transition time of people between non-overlapping cameras. To validate the proposed method, we tested the proposed method using an open person re-identification dataset and compared to state-of-the-art methods. The experimental results show that the proposed method is effective for person re-identification in the large-scale camera network with various people transition time.
StarCraft II: A New Challenge for Reinforcement Learning

This paper introduces SC2LE (StarCraft II Learning Environment), a reinforcement learning environment based on the game StarCraft II. This domain poses a new grand challenge for reinforcement learning, representing a more difficult class of problems than considered in most prior work. It is a multi-agent problem with multiple players interacting; there is imperfect information due to a partially observed map; it has a large action space involving the selection and control of hundreds of units; it has a large state space that must be observed solely from raw input feature planes; and it has delayed credit assignment requiring long-term strategies over thousands of steps. We describe the observation, action, and reward specification for the StarCraft II domain and provide an open source Python-based interface for communicating with the game engine. In addition to the main game maps, we provide a suite of mini-games focusing on different elements of StarCraft II gameplay. For the main game maps, we also provide an accompanying dataset of game replay data from human expert players. We give initial baseline results for neural networks trained from this data to predict game outcomes and player actions. Finally, we present initial baseline results for canonical deep reinforcement learning agents applied to the StarCraft II domain. On the mini-games, these agents learn to achieve a level of play that is comparable to a novice player. However, when trained on the main game, these agents are unable to make significant progress. Thus, SC2LE offers a new and challenging environment for exploring deep reinforcement learning algorithms and architectures.
Undergraduate nurses reflections on Whatsapp use in improving primary health care education

BACKGROUND
The global use of mobile devices with their connectivity capacity, and integrated with the affordances of social media networks, provides a resource-rich platform for innovative student-directed learning experiences.


OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to review the experiences of undergraduate nurses on the improvement of primary health care education at a School of Nursing at a University in the Western Cape, South Africa, through the incorporation of a social media application, WhatsApp.


METHOD
A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive, and contextual design was used to explore and describe data collected from a purposive sample of 21 undergraduate nursing students. The study population was engaged in a WhatsApp discussion group to enhance their integration of theory and clinical practice of the health assessment competency of the Primary Health Care Module. Participants submitted electronic reflections on their experiences in the WhatsApp discussion group via email on completion of the study. Thematic analysis of the qualitative data collected was done according to Tesch's (1990) steps of descriptive data analysis in order to identify the major themes in the study. The electronic reflections were analysed to explore their rich, reflective data.


RESULTS
Seven themes were identified that included: positive experiences using the WhatsApp group; the usefulness of WhatsApp for integrating theory and clinical practice; the availability of resources for test preparation; opportunity for clarification; anonymity; exclusion of students as a result of the lack of an appropriate device, and the application caused the battery of the device to run flat quickly.


CONCLUSION
The results of the experiences of students in the WhatsApp discussion group could be used to inform the use of social media applications in teaching and learning, with the purpose of enhancing the integration of the theory and clinical practice.
Modeling the Role of Wild Birds And Environment in the Dynamics Of Newcastle Disease in Village Chicken

Newcastle disease is common viral poultry disease which leads to a massive killing of chicken if preventive measures are not well taken. In this paper, we develop and analyze a deterministic model to investigate the role of wild birds and environment on the transmission dynamics of Newcastle disease in village chicken. We compute the basic reproduction number (R0), a threshold that tells the presence of the disease in a population. Finally, we performed the sensitivity analysis of parameters to see their relationship with the basic reproduction number (R0). The numerical results show that the basic reproduction number (R0) is more sensitive to the contact rate between the susceptible village chicken, wild birds and contaminated environment. This implies that, more contamination of the Newcastle virus into the environment increase the chance for the repeatedly occurrence of the disease. The results also shows that increasing the clearance rate of Newcastle disease virus in the environment reduces the rate of spread of the disease in chicken population. Therefore, contaminated environment plays a crucial role in the transmission of Newcastle diseases in the village chicken population.
Effect of serelaxin on cardiac, renal, and hepatic biomarkers in the Relaxin in Acute Heart Failure (RELAX-AHF) development program: correlation with outcomes.

OBJECTIVES
The aim of this study was to assess the effects of serelaxin on short-term changes in markers of organ damage and congestion and relate them to 180-day mortality in patients with acute heart failure.


BACKGROUND
Hospitalization for acute heart failure is associated with high post-discharge mortality, and this may be related to organ damage.


METHODS
The Pre-RELAX-AHF (Relaxin in Acute Heart Failure) phase II study and RELAX-AHF phase III study were international, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials in which patients hospitalized for acute heart failure were randomized within 16 h to intravenous placebo or serelaxin. Each patient was followed daily to day 5 or discharge and at days 5, 14, and 60 after enrollment. Vital status was assessed through 180 days. In RELAX-AHF, laboratory evaluations were performed daily to day 5 and at day 14. Plasma levels of biomarkers were measured at baseline and days 2, 5, and 14. All-cause mortality was assessed as a safety endpoint in both studies.


RESULTS
Serelaxin reduced 180-day mortality, with similar effects in the phase II and phase III studies (combined studies: N = 1,395; hazard ratio: 0.62; 95% confidence interval: 0.43 to 0.88; p = 0.0076). In RELAX-AHF, changes in markers of cardiac (high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T), renal (creatinine and cystatin-C), and hepatic (aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase) damage and of decongestion (N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide) at day 2 and worsening heart failure during admission were associated with 180-day mortality. Serelaxin administration improved these markers, consistent with the prevention of organ damage and faster decongestion.


CONCLUSIONS
Early administration of serelaxin was associated with a reduction of 180-day mortality, and this occurred with fewer signs of organ damage and more rapid relief of congestion during the first days after admission.
USING MOBILE-ASSISTED EXERCISES TO SUPPORT STUDENTS ’ VOCABULARY SKILL DEVELOPMENT

The use of mobile phones for learning has become well-known and is widely adopted in many language classes. The use of SMS for transmitting short messages is a fast way of helping students to learn vocabulary. To address this issue, this study was conducted to examine the effects of mobile-assisted vocabulary exercises on vocabulary acquisition of first-year students. Eighty students from two sections enrolled in a fundamental English course participated in the study. Each section consisted of 40 students. One of the groups was chosen as the experimental group, and the other as the control group. All students received the same amount of new words and dictation in class. Then only the students in the experimental group did vocabulary exercises on mobile phones via SMS. Those in the control group received paper-based exercises to be done in class. The instruments were pre-and post-vocabulary tests and a questionnaire surveying the students’ attitudes toward mobile-assisted exercises. The findings revealed that vocabulary knowledge of students in the experimental group outperformed the control group. They used and learned target vocabulary better than those in the control group. Mobileassisted vocabulary exercises had a significant effect on vocabulary ability of the students. The results of the questionnaire also illustrated their positive attitudes toward doing mobile-assisted exercises as a whole. It can be concluded that using mobile phones as a learning tool contributes to the success of students meanwhile increases their learning motivation.
Radiation dose from cardiac computed tomography before and after implementation of radiation dose-reduction techniques.

CONTEXT
Cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA) can accurately diagnose coronary artery disease, but radiation dose from this procedure is of concern.


OBJECTIVES
To determine whether a collaborative radiation dose-reduction program would be associated with reduced radiation dose in patients undergoing CCTA in a statewide registry over a 1-year period and to define its effect on image quality.


DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS
A prospective, controlled, nonrandomized study conducted during a control period (July-August 2007), an intervention period (September 2007-April 2008), and a follow-up period (May-June 2008) at 15 hospital imaging centers participating in the Advanced Cardiovascular Imaging Consortium in Michigan, which included small community hospitals and large academic medical centers. A total of 4995 sequential patients undergoing CCTA for suspected coronary artery disease were enrolled; 4862 patients (97.3%) had complete radiation data for analysis.


INTERVENTION
A best-practice CCTA scan model was used, which included minimized scan range, heart rate reduction, electrocardiographic-gated tube current modulation, and reduced tube voltage in suitable patients.


MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Primary outcomes included dose-length product and effective radiation dose from all phases of the CCTA scan. Secondary outcomes were image quality assessed by a 4-point scale (1 indicated excellent; 2, good; 3, adequate; and 4, nondiagnostic) and frequency of diagnostic-quality scans.


RESULTS
Compared with the control period, patients' estimated median radiation dose in the follow-up period was reduced by 53.3% (dose-length product decreased from 1493 mGy x cm [interquartile range {IQR}, 855-1823 mGy x cm] to 697 mGy x cm [IQR, 407-1163 mGy x cm]; P < .001) and effective dose from 21 mSv (IQR, 12-26 mSv) to 10 mSv (IQR, 6-16 mSv) (P < .001). The greatest reduction in dose occurred at low-volume sites. There were no significant changes in median image quality assessment during the control period compared with the follow-up period (median image quality of 2 [images rated as good] vs median image quality of 2; P = .13) or frequency of diagnostic-quality scans (554/620 patients [89%] vs 769/835 patients [92%]; P = .07).


CONCLUSION
Consistent application of currently available dose-reduction techniques was associated with a marked reduction in estimated radiation doses in a statewide CCTA registry, without impairment of image quality.


TRIAL REGISTRATION
clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00640068.
Comparison of two Types of Surgery for Thoraco-Lumbar Burst Fractures: Combined Anterior and Posterior Stabilisation vs. Posterior Instrumentation Only

 This retrospective study compares clinical outcome following two different types of surgery for thoracolumbar burst fractures. Forty-six patients with thoracolumbar burst fractures causing encroachment of the spinal canal greater than 50% were operated on within 30 days performing either: combined anterior decompression and stabilisation and posterior stabilisation (Group 1) or posterior distraction and stabilisation using pedicle instrumentation (AO internal fixator) (Group 2). We evaluated: neurological status (Frankel Grade), spinal deformities, residual pain, and complications. The average follow-up was 6 years. There were no significant differences between the patients in both groups concerning age, sex, cause of injury and the presence of other severe injuries. Neurological dysfunction was present in 39% of all cases. Bony union occurred in all patients. Loss of reduction greater than 5 degrees and instrumentation failure occurred significantly more often in Group 2 compared to Group 1, but the kyphosis angle at late follow-up did not differ between groups, due to some degree of overcorrection initially after surgery in Group 2. The clinical outcome was similar in both groups, and all but one patient with neurological deficits improved by at least one Frankel grade.  Indirect decompression of the spinal canal by posterior distraction and short-segment stabilisation with AO internal fixator is considered appropriate treatment for the majority of unstable thoracolumbar burst fractures. This is a less extensive surgical procedure than a combined anterior and posterior approach.
Real-Time GPU Surface Curvature Estimation on Deforming Meshes and Volumetric Data Sets

Surface curvature is used in a number of areas in computer graphics, including texture synthesis and shape representation, mesh simplification, surface modeling, and nonphotorealistic line drawing. Most real-time applications must estimate curvature on a triangular mesh. This estimation has been limited to CPU algorithms, forcing object geometry to reside in main memory. However, as more computational work is done directly on the GPU, it is increasingly common for object geometry to exist only in GPU memory. Examples include vertex skinned animations and isosurfaces from GPU-based surface reconstruction algorithms. For static models, curvature can be precomputed and CPU algorithms are a reasonable choice. For deforming models where the geometry only resides on the GPU, transferring the deformed mesh back to the CPU limits performance. We introduce a GPU algorithm for estimating curvature in real time on arbitrary triangular meshes. We demonstrate our algorithm with curvature-based NPR feature lines and a curvature-based approximation for an ambient occlusion. We show curvature computation on volumetric data sets with a GPU isosurface extraction algorithm and vertex-skinned animations. We present a graphics pipeline and CUDA implementation. Our curvature estimation is up to {\sim}18{\times} faster than a multithreaded CPU benchmark.
Transition of intestinal fatty acid-binding protein on hypothermic circulatory arrest with cardiopulmonary bypass.

INTRODUCTION
Intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP) is increasingly employed as a highly specific marker of intestinal necrosis. However, the value of this marker associated with cardiovascular surgery with hypothermic circulatory arrest is unclear. The aim of this study was to measure serum I-FABP levels and provide the transition of I-FABP levels with hypothermic circulatory arrest to help in the management of intestinal perfusion.


METHODS
From August 2011 to September 2013, 33 consecutive patients who had aortic arch surgery with hypothermic circulatory arrest or heart valve surgery performed were enrolled in the study. Twenty patients had aortic surgery with hypothermic (23-29°C) circulatory arrest and 13 patients had heart valve surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (33°C).


RESULTS
I-FABP levels increased, both in patients undergoing aortic surgery with hypothermic circulatory arrest and heart valve surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass, reaching peak levels shortly after the administration of protamine. I-FABP levels in patients with aortic surgery were significantly higher with circulatory arrest. They reached peak levels immediately after recirculation and there was a significant drop at the end of surgery (p<0.001). I-FABP levels in heart valve surgery were gradually increased, with the highest at the administration of protamine; they gradually decreased. Peak I-FABP levels were significantly higher in patients undergoing aortic surgery with hypothermic circulatory arrest than in patients with heart valve surgery. However, no postoperative reperfusion injury occurred in the intestinal tract due to the use of hypothermic organ protection.


CONCLUSION
Plasma I-FABP monitoring could be a valuable method for finding an intestinal ischemia in patients with cardiovascular surgery.
Short-term amiodarone therapy after reversion of persistent atrial fibrillation reduces recurrences at 18 months.

BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to compare the outcome of 3 months vs. 18 months of amiodarone treatment after atrial fibrillation (AF) conversion in patients who experienced the first episode of persistent AF.


METHODS
We included 51 patients who experienced the first episode of persistent AF receiving amiodarone (600 mg) daily for 4-6 weeks. If AF persisted, electrical cardioversion (ECV) was performed. All patients received amiodarone (200 mg daily) for 3 months and then were randomized to amiodarone (Group I) or placebo (Group II) and followed for 15 months. The control group comprised 9 untreated patients undergoing ECV. Treatment effectiveness was evaluated using a Bayesian model.


RESULTS
Eighteen months after AF reversion, 22 (81.5%) patients in Group I, 13 (54.2%) patients in Group II, and 1 (11.1%) patient in the control group remained in sinus rhythm. No differences were found between Group I patients who required ECV and Group II patients. Sinus rhythm was preserved in all Group I patients when it was achieved during amiodarone administration. Limiting adverse effects occurred in 3 (11.1%) patients in Group I.


CONCLUSIONS
In patients regaining sinus rhythm after the first episode of persistent AF, a 3-month amiodarone treatment after reversion is a reasonable option for rhythm control.
Podcast Applications in Language Learning: A Review of Recent Studies

Many dynamic approaches have emerged due to computer technology in facilitating language learning skills. Podcasting is one such novel tool being exploited by teachers to deliver educational content and to encourage learning outside the classroom. Research on podcasting pedagogy suggests that podcasting greatly helps learners develop various skills of English language. The study reviewed twenty journal articles to determine the effects of podcast on ESL students’ language skills and attitude levels. It was found that podcasts greatly support learning not just in speaking and listening but also in other language skills and areas such as grammar, pronunciation and vocabulary.
Ensemble diversity measures and their application to thinning

The diversity of an ensemble can be calculated in a variety of ways. Here a diversity metric and a means for altering the diversity of an ensemble, called “thinning”, are introduced. We experiment with thinning algorithms evaluated on ensembles created by several techniques on 22 publicly available datasets. When compared to other methods, our percentage correct diversity measure algorithm shows a greater correlation between the increase in voted ensemble accuracy and the diversity value. Also, the analysis of different ensemble creation methods indicates each has varying levels of diversity. Finally, the methods proposed for thinning again show that ensembles can be made smaller without loss in accuracy. Information Fusion Journal
The Length of the Full Hierarchy of Norms

We give upper and lower bounds for the length of the Full Hiera rchy of Norms.
Analytical Loss Model of High Voltage GaN HEMT in Cascode Configuration

This paper presents an accurate analytical model to calculate the power loss of a high voltage Gallium Nitride high electron mobility transistor (GaN HEMT) in cascode configuration. The proposed model considers the package and PCB parasitic inductances, the nonlinearity of the junction capacitors, and the transconductance of the cascode GaN transistor. The switching process is illustrated in detail, including the interaction of the low voltage Si MOSFET and the high voltage GaN HEMT in cascode configuration. The switching loss is obtained by solving the equivalent circuits during the switching transition. The analytical results show that the turn-on loss dominates in hard-switching conditions while the turn-off loss is negligible, due to the intrinsic current source driving mechanism. The accuracy of the proposed model is validated by numerous experimental results. The results of both the analytical model and experiments suggest that soft-switching is critical for high voltage GaN in high-frequency high-efficiency applications.