LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Duke Activity Status Index for Cardiovascular Diseases: Validation of
the Portuguese Translation

BACKGROUND
The Duke Activity Status Index (DASI) assesses the functional capacity of patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD), but there is no Portuguese version validated for CVD.


OBJECTIVES
To translate and adapt cross-culturally the DASI for the Portuguese-Brazil language, and to verify its psychometric properties in the assessment of functional capacity of patients with CVD.


METHODS
The DASI was translated into Portuguese, then checked by back-translation into English and evaluated by an expert committee. The pre-test version was first evaluated in 30 subjects. The psychometric properties and correlation with exercise testing was performed in a second group of 67 subjects. An exploratory factor analyses was performed in all 97 subjects to verify the construct validity of the DASI.


RESULTS
The intraclass correlation coefficient for test-retest reliability was 0.87 and for the inter-rater reliability was 0.84. Cronbach's α for internal consistency was 0.93. The concurrent validity was verified by significant positive correlations of DASI scores with the VO2max (r = 0.51, p < 0.001). The factor analysis yielded two factors, which explained 54% of the total variance, with factor 1 accounting for 40% of the variance. Application of the DASI required between one and three and a half minutes per patient.


CONCLUSIONS
The Brazilian version of the DASI appears to be a valid, reliable, fast and easy to administer tool to assess functional capacity among patients with CVD.
Cognitive Consequences of Trilingualism.

Aims and Objectives
The objectives of the present research were to examine the cognitive consequences of trilingualism and explain them relative to the cognitive consequences of bilingualism.


Approach
A comparison of cognitive abilities in trilinguals and bilinguals was conducted. In addition, we proposed a cognitive plasticity framework to account for cognitive differences and similarities between trilinguals and bilinguals.


Data and Analysis
Three aspects of cognition were analyzed: (1) cognitive reserve in older adults, as measured by age of onset of Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment; (2) inhibitory control in children and younger adults, as measured by response times on behavioral Simon and flanker tasks; and (3) memory generalization in infants and toddlers, as measured by accuracy on behavioral deferred imitation tasks. Results were considered within a framework of cognitive plasticity, which took into account several factors that may affect plasticity, including the age of learning a third language and the extent to which additional cognitive resources are needed to learn the third language.


Findings
A mixed pattern of results was observed. In some cases, such as cognitive reserve in older adults, trilinguals showed larger advantages than bilinguals. On other measures, for example inhibitory control in children and younger adults, trilinguals were found to exhibit the same advantages as bilinguals. In still other cases, like memory generalization in infants and toddlers, trilinguals did not demonstrate the advantages seen in bilinguals.


Originality
This study is the first comprehensive analysis of how learning a third language affects the cognitive abilities that are modified by bilingual experience, and the first to propose a cognitive plasticity framework that can explain and predict trilingual-bilingual differences.


Significance
This research shows that the cognitive consequences of trilingualism are not simply an extension of bilingualism's effects; rather, trilingualism has distinct consequences, with theoretical implications for our understanding of linguistic and cognitive processes and their plasticity, as well as applied-science implications for using second and third language learning in educational and rehabilitative contexts to foster successful cognitive development and aging.
Variation on a 36-Ma-old theme: length, intensity and rhythm of volcanism. A record from the Hocheifel (Germany)

Abstract K-Ar eruption ages of Tertiary alkali-basalt occurrences in the Hocheifel form the basis of a frequency distribution, whose significance and geological meaning are discussed. Volcanic activity in the area occurred between 45 Ma and 24 Ma, reaching a maximum at 36.0 Ma. The curve of volcanic intensity is periodically modulated, with a period of 4.1 ± 0.5 Ma. This rhythm appears simultaneously in all the volcanic rock types, making a correlation between rock chemistry and age impossible. Volcanism is considered to have been stationary throughout the entire eruptive period, as the geographic centres of all eruptive phases coincide.
An evaluation of avian influenza diagnostic methods with domestic duck specimens.

Monitoring of poultry, including domestic ducks, for avian influenza (AI) virus has increased considerably in recent years. However, the current methods validated for the diagnosis and detection of AI virus infection in chickens and turkeys have not been evaluated for performance with samples collected from domestic ducks. In order to ensure that methods for the detection of AI virus or AI virus antibody will perform acceptably well with these specimens, samples collected from domestic ducks experimentally infected with a U.S. origin low pathogenicity AI virus, A/Avian/NY/31588-3/00 (H5N2), were evaluated. Oropharyngeal (OP) and cloacal swabs were collected at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 14, and 21 days postinoculation (PI) for virus detection by virus isolation, which was considered the reference method, and real-time RT-PCR. In addition, two commercial antigen immunoassays were used to test swab material collected 2-7 days PI. Virus isolation and real-time RT-PCR performed similarly; however, the antigen immunoassays only detected virus during the peak of shed, 2-4 days PI, and both kits detected virus in fewer than half of the samples that were positive by virus isolation. Cloacal swabs yielded more positives than OP swabs with all virus detection tests. To evaluate AI virus antibody detection serum was collected from the ducks at 7, 14, and 21 days PI and was tested by agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) assay, a commercial blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and homologous hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay, which was used as the reference method. Results for the ELISA and HI assay were almost identical with serum collected at 7 and 14 days PI; however, by 21 days PI 100% of the samples were positive by HI assay and only 65% were positive by ELISA. At all time points AGID detected antibody in substantially fewer samples than either ELISA or HI assay.
DYNAMIC BEHAVIOR OF TALL BUILDINGS UNDER WIND : INSIGHTS FROM FULL-SCALE MONITORING

The wind-induced response of tall buildings is inherently sensitive to structural dynamic properties like frequency and damping ratio. The latter parameter in particular is fraught with uncertainty in the design stage and may result in a built structure whose acceleration levels exceed design predictions. This reality has motivated the need to monitor tall buildings in full-scale. This paper chronicles the authors’ experiences in the analysis of full-scale dynamic response data from tall buildings around the world, including full-scale datasets from high rises in Boston, Chicago, and Seoul. In particular, this study focuses on the effects of coupling, beat phenomenon, amplitude dependence, and structural system type on dynamic properties, as well as correlating observed periods of vibration against fi nite element predictions. The fi ndings suggest the need for time–frequency analyses to identify coalescing modes and the mechanisms spurring them. The study also highlighted the effect of this phenomenon on damping values, the overestimates that can result due to amplitude dependence, as well as the comparatively larger degree of energy dissipation experienced by buildings dominated by frame action. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Psychometric properties of a Korean version of the summary of diabetes self-care activities measure.

BACKGROUND
The summary of diabetes self-care activities (SDSCA) questionnaire is one of the most widely used self-report instruments for measuring diabetes self-management in adults.


OBJECTIVES
This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of a Korean version of the SDSCA questionnaire.


METHODS
The 11-item English version of the SDSCA was translated into Korean following the standard translation methodology. The questionnaire was administered to 208 patients with type 2 diabetes. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFA and CFA) were carried out for construct validity. Content validity index (CVI), internal consistency and a diabetes management self-efficacy scale (DMSES) were assessed.


RESULTS
The CVI of a Korean version of the SDSCA was .83. The EFA yielded a 9-item measure with a four factor solution with the same labels for original scales. The results of CFA showed the goodness of fit in the 9-item Korean SDSCA version (SDSCA-K). The internal consistency of SDSCA-K was moderate (Cronbach's α=.69) and the positive correlation between the SDSCA-K and the DMSES was identified.


CONCLUSION
The current study provides the initial psychometric properties of SDSCA-K modified to 9 items and supports SDSCA-K as a reliable and valid measure of diabetes self-management in Korean patients.
Comparison of learning algorithms for handwritten digit recognition

This paper compares the performance of several classi er algorithms on a standard database of handwritten digits. We consider not only raw accuracy, but also rejection, training time, recognition time, and memory requirements.
Orally dissolving strips: A new approach to oral drug delivery system

Recently, fast dissolving films are gaining interest as an alternative of fast dissolving tablets. The films are designed to dissolve upon contact with a wet surface, such as the tongue, within a few seconds, meaning the consumer can take the product without need for additional liquid. This convenience provides both a marketing advantage and increased patient compliance. As the drug is directly absorbed into systemic circulation, degradation in gastrointestinal tract and first pass effect can be avoided. These points make this formulation most popular and acceptable among pediatric and geriatric patients and patients with fear of choking. Over-the-counter films for pain management and motion sickness are commercialized in the US markets. Many companies are utilizing transdermal drug delivery technology to develop thin film formats. In the present review, recent advancements regarding fast dissolving buccal film formulation and their evaluation parameters are compiled.
Accessing the deep web

Attempting to locate and quantify material on the Web that is hidden from typical search techniques.
Aspartate transcarbamylase. The use of primary kinetic and solvent deuterium isotope effects to delineate some aspects of the mechanism.

Abstract 14C- and 18O-labeled carbamyl phosphates have been used to study primary kinetic isotope effects in the reaction catalyzed by the catalytic subunit of the aspartate transcarbamylase of Escherichia coli. A novel aspect of the methodology is the use of 14C as a tracer to determine the isotope effect caused by 18O alone, without the need for analysis by mass spectrometry. At optimum concentrations of carbamyl phosphate and l-aspartate and at pH 7.8 (near the pH optimum of the enzyme), the effect of 14C at the carbonyl carbon or 18O at the anhydride oxygen of carbamyl phosphate is very small. One possible explanation, but not the only one, is that kinetic steps in which the bonds to these atoms change are not important in determining the observed rate. Such an interpretation is consistent with a rate-determining conformational change of the enzyme at the pH optimum. At pH 10, where the activity of the enzyme is low, the rate with 14C-labeled carbamyl phosphate is about 95% of the rate with the 12C compound. On the other hand, no substantial effect is seen for 18O in the anhydride position. Taken together, these observations indicate that a step in which the bonding to the carbon atom changes and the bonding to the anhydride oxygen does not change becomes important in the observed rate at pH 10. Such a process might be the formation of a tetrahedral intermediate. The solvent deuterium isotope effect in D2O has also been studied, at optimum concentrations of the substrates. The maximum velocity is essentially the same in D2O and in H2O. Thus, proton transfer does not seem to be involved in a ratedetermining step in the aspartate transcarbamylase reaction. The pH activity profile of the enzyme is shifted up by about 0.8 pH unit in D2O, an effect which can be accounted for approximately quantitatively by the expected change in the pKa of the amino group of l-aspartate.
Epidemiology of rotavirus infection in children in Blantyre, Malawi, 1997-2007.

Acute gastroenteritis caused by rotavirus infection is an important cause of morbidity and mortality among infants and young children in Africa. From 1997 through 2007, we enrolled 3740 children <5 years of age with acute gastroenteritis who received hospital care at the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre, Malawi. Group A rotavirus was detected in fecal specimens by enzyme immunoassay. Rotavirus strains were characterized for VP7 (G) and VP4 (P) types with use of reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Overall, rotavirus was detected in one-third of children. The median age of children with rotavirus gastroenteritis was 7.8 months, compared with 10.9 months for those without rotavirus in stool specimens (P > .001). Rotavirus circulated throughout the year, with the detection proportion greatest during the dry season (from May through October). A total of 15 single rotavirus strain types were detected during the study period, with genotypes P[8]G1, P[6]G8, P[4]G8, P[6]G1, P[8]G3, and P[6]G9 comprising 83% of all strains characterized. Serotype G12 was detected for the first time in Blantyre during the final 2 years of study. Zoonotic transmission and viral reassortment contributed to the rich diversity of strains identified. Current rotavirus vaccines have the potential to greatly reduce the rotavirus disease burden in Malawi, but they will be required to protect against a broad range of rotavirus serotypes in a young population with year-round rotavirus exposure.
Characteristics of high performing testers: a case study

Objective: We studied what are the characteristics of high performing software testers in the industry. Method: We conducted an exploratory case study, collecting data through recorded interviews of one development manager and three testers in each of the three companies, analysis of the defect database, and informal communication within our research partnership with the companies. Results: We found that experience, reflection, motivation and personal characteristics were the top level themes. Experience related to the domain, e.g. processes of the customer, and on the other hand, specialized technical skills, e.g. performance testing, were seen more important than skills of test case design and test planning.
Hypothalamic-Pituitary--Adrenal Axis-Feedback Control.

The hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) is responsible for stimulation of adrenal corticosteroids in response to stress. Negative feedback control by corticosteroids limits pituitary secretion of corticotropin, ACTH, and hypothalamic secretion of corticotropin-releasing hormone, CRH, and vasopressin, AVP, resulting in regulation of both basal and stress-induced ACTH secretion. The negative feedback effect of corticosteroids occurs by action of corticosteroids at mineralocorticoid receptors (MR) and/or glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) located in multiple sites in the brain and in the pituitary. The mechanisms of negative feedback vary according to the receptor type and location within the brain-hypothalmo-pituitary axis. A very rapid nongenomic action has been demonstrated for GR action on CRH neurons in the hypothalamus, and somewhat slower nongenomic effects are observed in the pituitary or other brain sites mediated by GR and/or MR. Corticosteroids also have genomic actions, including repression of the pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) gene in the pituitary and CRH and AVP genes in the hypothalamus. The rapid effect inhibits stimulated secretion, but requires a rapidly rising corticosteroid concentration. The more delayed inhibitory effect on stimulated secretion is dependent on the intensity of the stimulus and the magnitude of the corticosteroid feedback signal, but also the neuroanatomical pathways responsible for activating the HPA. The pathways for activation of some stressors may partially bypass hypothalamic feedback sites at the CRH neuron, whereas others may not involve forebrain sites; therefore, some physiological stressors may override or bypass negative feedback, and other psychological stressors may facilitate responses to subsequent stress.
Morphometric changes in the reward system of Parkinson’s disease patients with impulse control disorders

Impulse control disorders (ICDs) occur in a subset of patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) who are receiving dopamine replacement therapy. In this study, we aimed to investigate structural abnormalities within the mesocortical and limbic cortices and subcortical structures in PD patients with ICDs. We studied 18 PD patients with ICDs, 18 PD patients without ICDs and a group of 24 age and sex-matched healthy controls. Cortical thickness (CTh) and subcortical nuclei volume analyses were carried out using the automated surface-based analysis package FreeSurfer (version 5.3.0). We found significant differences in MRI measures between the three groups. There was volume loss in the nucleus accumbens of both PD patients with ICDs and without ICDs compared to the control group. In addition, PD patients with ICDs showed significant atrophy in caudate, hippocampus and amygdala compared to the group of healthy controls. PD patients with ICDs had significant increased cortical thickness in rostral anterior cingulate cortex and frontal pole compared to PD patients without ICDs. Cortical thickness in rostral anterior cingulate and frontal pole was increased in PD patients with ICDs compared to the control group, but the differences failed to reach corrected levels of statistical significance. PD patients with ICDs showed increased cortical thickness in medial prefrontal regions. We speculate that these findings reflect either a pre-existing neural trait vulnerability to impulsivity or the expression of a maladaptive synaptic plasticity under non-physiological dopaminergic stimulation.
Association of Variants in Candidate Genes with Lipid Profiles in Women with Early Breast Cancer on Adjuvant Aromatase Inhibitor Therapy.

PURPOSE
Aromatase inhibitors can exert unfavorable effects on lipid profiles; however, previous studies have reported inconsistent results. We describe the association of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in candidate genes with lipid profiles in women treated with adjuvant aromatase inhibitors.


EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
We conducted a prospective observational study to test the associations between SNPs in candidate genes in estrogen signaling and aromatase inhibitor metabolism pathways with fasting lipid profiles during the first 3 months of aromatase inhibitor therapy in postmenopausal women with early breast cancer randomized to adjuvant letrozole or exemestane. We performed genetic association analysis and multivariable linear regressions using dominant, recessive, and additive models.


RESULTS
A total of 303 women had complete genetic and lipid data and were evaluable for analysis. In letrozole-treated patients, SNPs in CYP19A1, including rs4646, rs10046, rs700518, rs749292, rs2289106, rs3759811, and rs4775936 were significantly associated with decreases in triglycerides by 20.2 mg/dL and 39.3 mg/dL (P < 0.00053), respectively, and with variable changes in high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) from decreases by 4.2 mg/dL to increases by 9.8 mg/dL (P < 0.00053).


CONCLUSIONS
Variants in CYP19A1 are associated with decreases in triglycerides and variable changes in HDL-C in postmenopausal women on adjuvant aromatase inhibitors. Future studies are needed to validate these findings, and to identify breast cancer survivors who are at higher risk for cardiovascular disease with aromatase inhibitor therapy.
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors for the Treatment of Hypersensitive Esophagus: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study

OBJECTIVES:Ambulatory 24-h pH–impedance monitoring can be used to assess the relationship of persistent symptoms and reflux episodes, despite proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy. Using this technique, we aimed to identify patients with hypersensitive esophagus and evaluate the effect of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) on their symptoms.METHODS:Patients with normal endoscopy and typical reflux symptoms (heartburn, chest pain, and regurgitation), despite PPI therapy twice daily, underwent 24-h pH–impedance monitoring. Distal esophageal acid exposure (% time pH <4) was measured and reflux episodes were classified into acid or non-acid. A positive symptom index (SI) was declared if at least half of the symptom events were preceded by reflux episodes. Patients with a normal distal esophageal acid exposure time, but with a positive SI were classified as having hypersensitive esophagus and were randomized to receive citalopram 20 mg or placebo once daily for 6 months.RESULTS:A total of 252 patients (150 females (59.5%); mean age 55 (range 18–75) years) underwent 24-h pH–impedance monitoring. Two hundred and nineteen patients (86.9%) recorded symptoms during the study day, while 105 (47.9%) of those had a positive SI (22 (20.95%) with acid, 5 (4.76%) with both acid and non-acid, and 78 (74.29%) with non-acid reflux). Among those 105 patients, 75 (71.4%) had normal distal esophageal acid exposure time and were randomized to receive citalopram 20 mg (group A, n=39) or placebo (group B, n=36). At the end of the follow-up period, 15 out of the 39 patients of group A (38.5%) and 24 out of the 36 patients of group B (66.7%) continue to report reflux symptoms (P=0.021).CONCLUSIONS:Treatment with SSRIs is effective in a select group of patients with hypersensitive esophagus.