LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Effects of protease inhibitors on the course of CMV retinitis in relation to CD4+ lymphocyte responses in HIV+ patients.

AIM
To gain insight into the course of CMV retinitis (CMVR) in AIDS patients receiving protease inhibitors (PI), and to evaluate whether certain patterns of CD4 response are indicative of the clinical outcome and the risk of recurrence.


METHODS
15 consecutive AIDS patients receiving maintenance therapy for CMVR were included in a prospective observational cohort study at the university hospital between July and October 1996. Patients were evaluated for signs of CMVR activity and intraocular inflammation. CMVR recurrence was defined as the primary clinical endpoint. Follow up was performed until July 1997. No patient was lost to follow up. Clinical outcome was related to CD4+ lymphocyte counts, which were monitored every 6 weeks. Highly active antiretroviral treatment regimen including PI was started at study entry.


RESULTS
All recurrences (n = 7) were in patients who failed to have a sustained increase in CD4 counts, whereas CMVR remained inactive during a follow up of 42-52 weeks in those who were able permanently to restore their CD4 values to 100 x 10(6)/l or more (n = 5). The remaining three patients died after 12, 16, and 50 weeks, respectively, without recurrences. All relapses of CMVR were seen after 6-16 weeks, and at CD4 counts well below 100 x 10(6)/l.


CONCLUSIONS
The beneficial effects of PI treatment correlate with the pattern of CD4 response. Sustained increases in CD4 counts achieved in the first 16 weeks of treatment are associated with a prolonged period of CMVR quiescence. Poor initial response is associated with a high risk of CMVR recurrence.
Less contact: heart-rate detection without even touching the user

Heart-rate sensing is very important. Whereas there are different methods and commercial products available, they all have a common drawback: the user has to mount some piece of sensor to his body. This paper provides a case study on how micro-impulse radar (MIR) can be used to sense heart-rate in a contact-free manner. With a sequence of tests the robustness of radar to different placements and even distances from the subject is shown. Since MIR is also cheap and power-efficient this paper suggests heart-rate sensing through radar as a promising approach.
Security enhanced multi-hop over the air reprogramming with Fountain Codes

Recently, several code update approaches for multi-hop sensor networks have been proposed basically addressing two orthogonal problems: security and efficient over the air reprogramming. Unfortunately, the proposed security solutions for code update mechanisms are only considering early proposed over the air reprogramming solutions like e.g. Deluge or MOAP. Therefore, currently available symmetric key based secure code update schemes are not per se suited to support advanced coding techniques such as Fountain Codes. In this work, we provide means to secure this promising technique mainly with efficient symmetric cryptographic primitives and demonstrate its applicability for efficient and robust over the air reprogramming.
Economic Growth in Developing Countries: The Role of Human Capital

The focus on human capital as a driver of economic growth for developing countries has led to undue attention on school attainment. Developing countries have made considerable progress in closing the gap with developed countries in terms of school attainment, but recent research has underscored the importance of cognitive skills for economic growth. This result shifts attention to issues of school quality, and there developing countries have been much less successful in closing the gaps with developed countries. Without improving school quality, developing countries will find it difficult to improve their long run economic performance. JEL Classification: I2, O4, H4 Highlights: ! ! Improvements in long run growth are closely related to the level of cognitive skills of the population. ! ! Development policy has inappropriately emphasized school attainment as opposed to educational achievement, or cognitive skills. ! ! Developing countries, while improving in school attainment, have not improved in quality terms. ! ! School policy in developing countries should consider enhancing both basic and advanced skills.
Child sexual abuse and subsequent offending and victimisation : A 45 year follow-up study

This is a project supported by a grant from the Criminology Research Council. The views expressed are the responsibility of the author and are not necessarily those of the Council.
The influence of age, delay of repair, and tendon involvement in acute rotator cuff tears

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Few authors have considered the outcome after acute traumatic rotator cuff tears in previously asymptomatic patients. We investigated whether delay of surgery, age at repair, and the number of cuff tendons involved affect the structural and clinical outcome.


PATIENTS AND METHODS
42 patients with pseudoparalysis after trauma and no previous history of shoulder symptoms were included. A full-thickness tear in at least 1 of the rotator cuff tendons was diagnosed in all patients. Mean time to surgery was 38 (6-91) days. Follow-up at a mean of 39 (12-108) months after surgery included ultrasound, plain radiographs, Constant-Murley score, DASH score, and western Ontario rotator cuff (WORC) score.


RESULTS
At follow-up, 4 patients had a full-thickness tear and 9 had a partial-thickness tear in the repaired shoulder. No correlation between the structural or clinical outcome and the time to repair within 3 months was found. The patients with a tendon defect at follow-up had a statistically significantly lower Constant-Murley score and WORC index in the injured shoulder and were significantly older than those with intact tendons. The outcomes were similar irrespective of the number of tendons repaired.


INTERPRETATION
A delay of 3 months to repair had no effect on outcome. The patients with cuff defects at follow-up were older and they had a worse clinical outcome. Multi-tendon injury did not generate worse outcomes than single-tendon tears at follow-up.
A new robust cycle-based inventory control policy

Abstract In this paper, we propose a new robust cycle-based control policy for single installation inventory models with non-stationary uncertain demand. The policy is simple, flexible, easily implementable and preliminary numerical experiments suggest that the policy has very promising empirical performance. The policy can be used both when the excess demand is backlogged as well as when it is lost; with non-zero fixed ordering cost, and also when lead time is non-zero. The policy decisions are computed by solving a collection of linear programs even when there is a positive fixed ordering cost. The policy extends in a very simple manner to the joint pricing and inventory control problem.
Antioxidant Vitamin Supplementation in Crohn's Disease Decreases Oxidative Stress: A Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE:We showed previously that patients with Crohn's disease (CD) had increased oxidative stress and lower antioxidant vitamins compared with healthy controls. This is despite inactive or mildly active disease and maintenance therapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate in these patients the effects of antioxidant vitamin supplementation on oxidative stress.METHODS:This is a randomized controlled trial where stable but oxidatively stressed CD subjects (n = 57) were supplemented with vitamins E (800 IU) and C (1000 mg) or their placebo for 4 wk. Oxidative stress measured by breath pentane and ethane output, plasma lipid peroxides, and F2-isoprostane was assessed at baseline and at 4 wk. Disease activity was also monitored by measuring CD activity index and plasma orosomucoid.RESULTS:During supplementation, plasma vitamin C and α-tocopherol increased and all indices of oxidative stress decreased significantly. Disease activity remained stable.CONCLUSIONS:In this population, vitamin E and C supplementation resulted in a significant reduction in oxidative stress. This suggests that patients with inactive or mildly active CD can be oxidatively stressed and have increased requirement in antioxidant vitamins.
FPGA Implementations of Neural Networks - A Survey of a Decade of Progress

The first successful FPGA implementation [1] of artificial neural networks (ANNs) was published a little over a decade ago. It is timely to review the progress that has been made in this research area. This brief survey provides a taxonomy for classifying FPGA implementations of ANNs. Different implementation techniques and design issues are discussed. Future research trends are also presented.
Control strategies of microgrid with Hybrid DC and AC Buses

This paper focuses on control strategies of Microgrid which consists of wind turbines, photovoltaic panels, batteries and super-capacitors with Hybrid DC and AC Buses. In grid-connected operation, voltage of DC bus is kept steady by inverter and voltage and frequency of AC bus are the same with utility grid. Energy Management System controls hybrid storage system to release or absorb power with the strategies according to grid condition, state of charge of batteries and super-capacitor, electricity price and so on. In islanded operation, voltage of DC bus is controlled by storage system and amplitude and frequency of AC-Bus voltage are regulated by parallel inverters with voltage-frequency or droop control strategy. In this paper, different control strategies in grid-connected and islanded operation are described which can keep power balanced and AC/DC bus stable. Simulation and experimental results are shown to verify the proposed control method.
Treatment of limited motion after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

Limited motion or arthrofibrosis after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction causes significant pain and functional impairment. Based on physical findings and loss of motion compared with the opposite normal knee, classification systems for the diagnosis and treatment of arthrofibrosis have been developed. The operative techniques and preoperative and postoperative rehabilitation and management are discussed. Range of motion (ROM) problems after ACL reconstruction have been minimized by improved surgical techniques and perioperative rehabilitation programs. The most effective treatment for arthrofibrosis is prevention by delaying ACL reconstruction until the patient has a normal gait and full ROM and minimal swelling in the injured knee and by appropriate ROM exercises after surgery.
The evolving theory of quality management : The role of Six Sigma

While Six Sigma is increasingly implemented in industry, little academic research has been done on Six Sigma and its influence on quality management theory and application. There is a criticism that Six Sigma simply puts traditional quality management practices in a new package. To investigate this issue and the role of Six Sigma in quality management, this study reviewed both the traditional quality management and Six Sigma literatures and identified three new practices that are critical for implementing Six Sigma’s concept and method in an organization. These practices are referred to as: Six Sigma role structure, Six Sigma structured improvement procedure, and Six Sigma focus on metrics. A research model and survey instrument were developed to investigate how these Six Sigma practices integrate with seven traditional quality management practices to affect quality performance and business performance. Test results based on a sample of 226 US manufacturing plants revealed that the three Six Sigma practices are distinct practices from traditional quality management practices, and that they complement the traditional quality management practices in improving performance. The implications of the findings for researchers and practitioners are discussed and further research directions are offered. # 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
The influence of generalized joint hypermobility on the sagittal profile of the spine in children aged 10-13 years.

BACKGROUND
Children commonly attend exercise programs to correct abnormal sagittal curvatures of the spine. The presence of generalized joint hypermobility (JH) is often disregarded during exercise planning. The aim of the study was to assess the influence of JH on the sagittal curvatures of the spine.


MATERIAL AND METHODS
The JH group included 38 girls and 37 boys aged 10-13 years with known JH (Beighton test cut-off ≥ 5 points for girls, and ≥ 4 for boys). A control group included 197 girls and 150 boys. The children were matched for age, height, weight and BMI. The sacral slope (SS), lumbar lordosis (LL), thoracic kyphosis (TK), distal thoracic kyphosis (DK), and proximal thoracic kyphosis (PK) were assessed with a Saunders inclinometer. The results in children with and without JH were compared.


RESULTS
There were no significant (p>0.05) differences between girls with and without JH with respect to SS (22.5° ± 9.9 vs 23.0° ± 8.0), LL (31.0° ± 14.0 vs 33.0° ± 10.0), TK (39.0° ± 10.4 vs 39.6° ± 10.0), DK (8.7° ± 6.9 vs 7.9° ± 7.8) or PK (31.3° ± 7.1 vs 32.3° ± 7.3). The differences among boys were similarly non-significant (p>0.05) (19.0° ± 7.9 vs 19.7° ± 6.6; 30.6° ± 9.0 vs 31.9° ± 8.4; 42.7° ± 8.0 vs 40.6° ± 8.7; 9.7° ± 7.9 vs 8.2° ± 7.8; 33.7° ± 5,0 vs 32.8° ± 7.0, for SS, LL, TK, DK and PK, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
1. The sagittal profile of the spine did not differ between children with and without JH, which may lead to suboptimal exercise plans. 2. The routine examination of the musculoskeletal system should be extended to include an assessment of JH.
LibGuides: *Philosophy, Religion and Applied Ethics*: Find Articles

This is a general research guide for those doing research in Philosophy, Religion and Applied Ethics. You'll find suggestions for locating books, articles and other content.
Psychological impact of the management of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in patients with spinal cord injury

Background: Management of MRSA infection includes immediate isolation of the patient. Long periods of isolation are considered to be psychologically detrimental, though little information is available about the impact of isolation as an infection control procedure. The purpose of this study is to examine the psychological well-being of spinal cord injured patients who are isolated as a result of being MRSA positive. Methods: A cross-sectional matched-control study of MRSA positive patients with MRSA negative patients was carried out at the National Spinal Injuries Centre, Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Bucks, England. Sixteen MRSA positive patients, aged 18 to 65, and their matched controls completed a series of questionnaires to measure aspects of psychological impact. The measures used were functional independence, depression, anxiety, and the affective states of anger, vigour, fatigue and confusion. Findings: The MRSA positive spinal cord injured patients were only significantly more angry than the control group, although these isolated patients scored higher in all measures. Interpretations: In this spinal cord injured group the difference between the psychological well-being of isolated MRSA positive patients and non-isolated MRSA negative patients is not as great as might have been expected. Patients feel that rehabilitation is affected, but the situation may be improved by providing more space and a better view onto the ward.
Wind tunnel modeling the system performance of alternative evaporative cooling pads in taiwan region

A compact wind tunnel was developed to simulate evaporative cooling pad–fan systems and to provide direct measurement of system performance. Two alternative materials including one made of coarse fabric PVC sponge mesh 2.5 mm diameter in pinhole and one made of ne fabric PVC sponge mesh in 7.5 mm diameter pinhole were tested as pads in wind tunnel experiment. We have experimentally examined the e ects of air velocity, water ow rate, static pressure drop across pad, and pad thickness on evaporative cooling e ciency. Pad face velocities and associated static pressure drops that allow a pad–fan system works were measured. The dimensionless working equations of heat and mass transfer coe cients through various thickness of alternative pad media could be obtained through curve tting technique based on the measurements. For coarse PVC sponge mesh, hH=hM = 1:33 aCPaLe(Les=Le); whereas for ne fabric PVC sponge mesh, hH=hM =2:76 aCPaLe(Les=Le) were hH is heat transfer coe cient, hM is mass transfer coe cient, a is air density, CPa is speci c heat of air, Le is Lewis number, and Les is Lewis number at water temperature. Under a system setting of 15 1 min−1 m−2 water ow rate, pad thickness of 150 mm, and air velocities ranged from 0.75 to 1:5 m s−1, the cooling e ciencies for coarse fabric PVC sponge varied from 81.75 to 84.48%, whereas 76.68 to 91.64% for ne fabric PVC sponge. Results of this study will be used to determine operating protocols for future tests investigating criteria. c © 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
The 1918-1920 influenza pandemic in Peru.

BACKGROUND
Increasing our knowledge of past influenza pandemic patterns in different regions of the world is crucial to guide preparedness plans against future influenza pandemics. Here, we undertook extensive archival collection efforts from three representative cities of Peru-Lima in the central coast, Iquitos in the northeastern Amazon region, Ica in the southern coast-to characterize the temporal, age and geographic patterns of the 1918-1920 influenza pandemic in this country.


MATERIALS AND METHODS
We analyzed historical documents describing the 1918-1920 influenza pandemic in Peru and retrieved individual mortality records from local provincial archives for quantitative analysis. We applied seasonal excess mortality models to daily and monthly respiratory mortality rates for 1917-1920 and quantified transmissibility estimates based on the daily growth rate in respiratory deaths.


RESULTS
A total of 52,739 individual mortality records were inspected from local provincial archives. We found evidence for an initial mild pandemic wave during July-September 1918 in Lima, identified a synchronized severe pandemic wave of respiratory mortality in all three locations during November 1918-February 1919, and a severe pandemic wave during January 1920-March 1920 in Lima and July-October 1920 in Ica. There was no recrudescent pandemic wave in 1920 in Iquitos. Remarkably, Lima experienced the brunt of the 1918-1920 excess mortality impact during the 1920 recrudescent wave, with all age groups experiencing an increase in all cause excess mortality from 1918-1919 to 1920. Middle age groups experienced the highest excess mortality impact, relative to baseline levels, in the 1918-1919 and 1920 pandemic waves. Cumulative excess mortality rates for the 1918-1920 pandemic period were higher in Iquitos (2.9%) than Lima (1.6%). The mean reproduction number for Lima was estimated in the range 1.3-1.5.


CONCLUSIONS
We identified synchronized pandemic waves of intense excess respiratory mortality during November 1918-February 1919 in Lima, Iquitos, Ica, followed by asynchronous recrudescent waves in 1920. Cumulative data from quantitative studies of the 1918 influenza pandemic in Latin American settings have confirmed the high mortality impact associated with this pandemic. Further historical studies in lesser studied regions of Latin America, Africa, and Asia are warranted for a full understanding of the global impact of the 1918 pandemic virus.
Phase 2 study of rituximab in newly diagnosed stage IA nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma: a report from the German Hodgkin Study Group.

Nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (NLPHL) accounts for ∼ 5% of Hodgkin lymphoma cases. The disease is characterized by a strong CD20 expression on the malignant cells and a more indolent clinical course compared with classic HL. Anti-CD20 antibody treatment has shown clinical activity in relapsed NLPHL. In this phase 2 trial, we investigated rituximab in newly diagnosed stage IA NLPHL patients. Four weekly applications at 375 mg/m(2) were given. Among the 28 evaluable patients, overall response rate was 100%, 24 patients (85.7%) achieved complete remission, and 4 (14.3%) achieved partial remission. At a median follow-up of 43 months, overall survival was 100%; progression-free survival at 12, 24, and 36 months was 96.4%, 85.3%, and 81.4%, respectively. No grade 3 or 4 toxicity was observed. Although treatment results with rituximab appear inferior compared with radiotherapy and combined-modality approaches in early-stage patients, investigation of anti-CD20 antibody-based combinations in NLPHL is warranted. This study was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT00346684.
THE ENERGY OF THE GAMMA METRIC IN THE MØLLER PRESCRIPTION

We obtain the energy distribution of the gamma metric using the energy–momentum complex of Moller. The result is the same as that obtained by Virbhadra in the Weinberg prescription.
EEG signal classification using wavelet feature extraction and a mixture of expert model

Mixture of experts (ME) is modular neural network architecture for supervised learning. A double-loop Expectation-Maximization (EM) algorithm has been introduced to the ME network structure for detection of epileptic seizure. The detection of epileptiform discharges in the EEG is an important component in the diagnosis of epilepsy. EEG signals were decomposed into the frequency subbands using discrete wavelet transform (DWT). Then these sub-band frequencies were used as an input to a ME network with two discrete outputs: normal and epileptic. In order to improve accuracy, the outputs of expert networks were combined according to a set of local weights called the ‘‘gating function’’. The invariant transformations of the ME probability density functions include the permutations of the expert labels and the translations of the parameters in the gating functions. The performance of the proposed model was evaluated in terms of classification accuracies and the results confirmed that the proposed ME network structure has some potential in detecting epileptic seizures. The ME network structure achieved accuracy rates which were higher than that of the standalone neural network model. 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Rehabilitation of balance after stroke with multisensorial training: a single-blind randomized controlled study.

OBJECTIVE
To compare 2 rehabilitation strategies to improve balance after stroke: (1) a multisensorial approach based on higher intensity of balance tasks and exercise during visual deprivation and (2) a conventional neurodevelopmentaltheory-based treatment (NDT) that used a general approach for sensorimotor rehabilitation.


METHODS
This prospective, multicenter, randomized, parallel-group study measured outcomes with blinded assessors. Sixty-eight patients able to walk without human assistance were entered from 3 to 15 months (mean, 7 months) after a first hemispheric stroke. They received 20 sessions in 4 weeks of NDT or multisensorial rehabilitation. On day 0, day 30, and day 90, assessment included the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), posturography, gait (velocity, double stance phase, climbing 10 steps, amount of walking per day), the Functional Independence Measure, and the Nottingham Health Profile.


RESULTS
All subjects improved significantly in balance and walking parameters. Regarding the main dependent variable (BBS on day 30), no difference between groups was found. Analysis of secondary outcomes suggested small differences in favor of the experimental group, but the differences are not likely to be clinically relevant.


CONCLUSION
No evidence was found for the superiority of a multisensorial rehabilitation program in ambulatory patients with impairments beyond the time of inpatient therapy. Additional studies are recommended.