LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Global causes of maternal death: a WHO systematic analysis.

BACKGROUND
Data for the causes of maternal deaths are needed to inform policies to improve maternal health. We developed and analysed global, regional, and subregional estimates of the causes of maternal death during 2003-09, with a novel method, updating the previous WHO systematic review.


METHODS
We searched specialised and general bibliographic databases for articles published between between Jan 1, 2003, and Dec 31, 2012, for research data, with no language restrictions, and the WHO mortality database for vital registration data. On the basis of prespecified inclusion criteria, we analysed causes of maternal death from datasets. We aggregated country level estimates to report estimates of causes of death by Millennium Development Goal regions and worldwide, for main and subcauses of death categories with a Bayesian hierarchical model.


FINDINGS
We identified 23 eligible studies (published 2003-12). We included 417 datasets from 115 countries comprising 60 799 deaths in the analysis. About 73% (1 771 000 of 2 443 000) of all maternal deaths between 2003 and 2009 were due to direct obstetric causes and deaths due to indirect causes accounted for 27·5% (672 000, 95% UI 19·7-37·5) of all deaths. Haemorrhage accounted for 27·1% (661 000, 19·9-36·2), hypertensive disorders 14·0% (343 000, 11·1-17·4), and sepsis 10·7% (261 000, 5·9-18·6) of maternal deaths. The rest of deaths were due to abortion (7·9% [193 000], 4·7-13·2), embolism (3·2% [78 000], 1·8-5·5), and all other direct causes of death (9·6% [235 000], 6·5-14·3). Regional estimates varied substantially.


INTERPRETATION
Between 2003 and 2009, haemorrhage, hypertensive disorders, and sepsis were responsible for more than half of maternal deaths worldwide. More than a quarter of deaths were attributable to indirect causes. These analyses should inform the prioritisation of health policies, programmes, and funding to reduce maternal deaths at regional and global levels. Further efforts are needed to improve the availability and quality of data related to maternal mortality.
Ultrasound therapy for musculoskeletal disorders: a systematic review

BACKGROUND
Ultrasound therapy is used frequently to reduce pain and related disability, mainly by physiotherapists. The objective of this review was to evaluate the effectiveness of ultrasound therapy in the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders.


METHODS
Published reports of randomized clinical trials investigating the effects of ultrasound therapy on pain, disability or range of motion were identified by a systematic search of MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane databases, supplemented with citation tracking. The quality of methods of all selected publications was assessed systematically by two independent and 'blinded' reviewers, using ten validity criteria. Data from the original publications were used to calculate the differences between groups for success rate, pain, disability and range of motion. Statistical pooling was performed if studies were homogeneous with respect to study populations, interventions, outcome measures and timing of follow-up.


RESULTS
38 Studies were included in the review, evaluating the effects of ultrasound therapy for lateral epicondylitis (n = 6), shoulder pain (n = 7), degenerative rheumatic disorders (n = 10), ankle distorsions (n = 4), temporomandibular pain or myofacial pain (n = 4) and a variety of other disorders (n = 7). In 11 out of 13 placebo-controlled trials with validity scores of at least five out of ten points, no evidence of clinically important or statistically significant results was found. Statistical pooling was only feasible for placebo-controlled trials on lateral epicondylitis, and produced a pooled estimate for the difference in success rate of 15% (95% confidence interval -8%-38%).


CONCLUSIONS
As yet, there seems to be little evidence to support the use of ultrasound therapy in the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders. The large majority of 13 randomized placebo-controlled trials with adequate methods did not support the existence of clinically important or statistically significant differences in favour of ultrasound therapy. Nevertheless, our findings for lateral epicondylitis may warrant further investigation.
Urothelial cancers: ureter, renal pelvis, and bladder.

OBJECTIVES
To review the diagnosis, treatment, and nursing management of patients with urothelial cancers.


DATA SOURCES
PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, Text books, and clinical experience.


CONCLUSION
Progress is being made in the surgical and systemic management of urothelial cancers, and the oncology nurse is in a position to make an impact on patient education and overall quality of life.


IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE
Nursing care begins at pre-diagnostic testing and continues through treatment for metastatic disease. Nurses must be knowledgeable about diagnostic tests, treatment options, and the quality-of-life implications of associated surgeries and/or treatments to support and guide patients. Education should be comprehensive, addressing not only treatment side effects but also long-term implications on patients' lives and lifestyles.
Fiduciary Duties and Equity-debtholder Conflicts

Working papers are in draft form. This working paper is distributed for purposes of comment and discussion only. It may not be reproduced without permission of the copyright holder. Copies of working papers are available from the author. Abstract. We use an important legal event as a natural experiment to examine the effect of management fiduciary duties on equity‐debt conflicts. A 1991 Delaware bankruptcy ruling changed the nature of corporate directors' fiduciary duties in firms incorporated in that state. This change limited managers' incentives to take actions favoring equity over debt for firms in the vicinity of financial distress. We show that this ruling increased the likelihood of equity issues, increased investment, and reduced firm risk, consistent with a decrease in debt‐ equity conflicts of interest. The changes are isolated to firms relatively closer to default. The ruling was also followed by an increase in average leverage and a reduction in covenant use. Finally, we estimate the welfare implications of this change and find that firm values increased when the rules were introduced. We conclude that managerial fiduciary duties affect equity‐bond holder conflicts in a way that is economically important, has impact on ex ante capital structure choices, and affects welfare. comments and suggestions. 2 One of the cornerstones of U.S. corporate governance is that directors and officers should run the firm to maximize shareholder value. It is well understood, however, that shareholder maximization does not necessarily lead to welfare maximization. Decisions that increase shareholder value may impose costs on other stakeholders, e.g. creditors, employees, or the environment, which are not internalized by shareholders. One important instance is the conflict between equity‐ and debt holders in financial distress. 1 Shareholders of distressed firms may prefer low investment, may want to limit new equity finance, and may like high risks, since it benefits the value of equity at the expense of debt. 2 Despite these problems, the prevailing view among economists is that shareholder maximization is the second‐ best solution to the corporate governance problem. 3 One mechanism, which ensures that firms are run in shareholders' interest, is assigning directors and officers fiduciary duties to shareholders. These duties require that officers take actions that are in the interest of owners. If officers fail to do so, shareholders can sue them. This mechanism provides management with an incentive to act in shareholders' interest. Some observers have argued that the shareholders' ability to …
Gene selection from microarray gene expression data for classification of cancer subgroups employing PSO and adaptive K-nearest neighborhood technique

These days, microarray gene expression data are playing an essential role in cancer classifications. However, due to the availability of small number of effective samples compared to the large number of genes in microarray data, many computational methods have failed to identify a small subset of important genes. Therefore, it is a challenging task to identify small number of disease-specific significant genes related for precise diagnosis of cancer sub classes. In this paper, particle swarm optimization (PSO) method along with adaptive K-nearest neighborhood (KNN) based gene selection technique are proposed to distinguish a small subset of useful genes that are sufficient for the desired classification purpose. A proper value of K would help to form the appropriate numbers of neighborhood to be explored and hence to classify the dataset accurately. Thus, a heuristic for selecting the optimal values of K efficiently, guided by the classification accuracy is also proposed. This proposed technique of finding minimum possible meaningful set of genes is applied on three benchmark microarray datasets, namely the small round blue cell tumor (SRBCT) data, the acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) data and the mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL) data. Results demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed method in terms of classification accuracy on blind test samples, number of informative genes and computing time. Further, the usefulness and universal characteristics of the identified genes are reconfirmed by using different classifiers, such as support vector machine (SVM). 2014 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
An engineering career in the electrical manufacturing industry

TODAY, one of the most promising careers open to an electrical engineering graduate is in the electrical manufacturing industry.
Emergent cigarette smoking, correlations with depression and interest in cessation among Aboriginal adolescents in British Columbia.

OBJECTIVES
To describe smoking rates, age of initiation, and smoking cessation efforts among Aboriginal adolescent girls and boys in British Columbia, and examine the relationships between cigarette smoking and socio-demographic characteristics, depression and domains of life satisfaction.


METHODS
A secondary analysis was conducted of data collected from the British Columbia Youth Survey on Smoking and Health II measuring demographic and social factors, previous smoking experience, life satisfaction and depression. Data were analyzed from respondents who self-identified as Aboriginal, and by gender. Logistic regression models were used to identify risk factors for current cigarette smoking.


RESULTS
The average age of respondents was 15 years (SD=1.7) and 51% were female. Current cigarette smoking was 31%, with a mean age of initiation to smoking of 11 years (SD=3). On average, smokers consumed 3.8 cigarettes each day (SD=5.7), with most smokers (78%) reporting that they had seriously thought about quitting. More girls smoked than boys but girls smoked fewer cigarettes. As depression scores (CESD) increased, so did smoking among respondents; and as life satisfaction decreased, smoking increased. Having a best friend who smokes was the most powerful predictor of current smoking, increasing the odds of being a smoker by a factor of 5.9.


DISCUSSION
Although rates of tobacco smoking among respondents are high, there is considerable interest in cessation among current smokers. Recognizing that these youth are motivated to quit smoking, cessation programs may increase success by addressing peer smoking in prevention and cessation initiatives and including culturally appropriate strategies to promote mental health.
Design of dual polarized antenna for DCS, UMTS, WiBro base stations

In this paper, we proposed the dual polarization antenna for DCS, UMTS, and WiBro bands. To extend the impedance band width, the proposed antenna used the square loop radiators. In addition, by square loop radiators, the dimensions of an antenna are reduced. As a result of measurement after compensation, we can see that the first port is less than −14dB, the second port is less than −14dB and intra isolation is less than −25dB. Additionally, a gain of the antenna is more than 9dBi. This polarization diversity antenna element can be used to form an array antenna for a wireless communication base station.
The changes of cortical metabolism associated with the clinical response to donepezil therapy in traumatic brain injury.

OBJECTIVES
To determine the effects of treatment with donepezil on cortical metabolism in patients with traumatic brain injury using F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography.


METHODS
Twenty-six patients with cognitive impairment after traumatic brain injury were enrolled and randomly assigned into the donepezil-treated group and the control group. There was no significant difference between 2 groups in age, sex, education, and postinjury duration. Donepezil 5 mg was administered daily for 3 weeks and then 10 mg/d for 3 weeks to patients in the experimental groups. For both groups, we evaluated cognitive function with Mini-Mental State Examination, Wechsler Memory Test, Boston Naming Test, Colored Progressive Matrices upon initial evaluation and at the 6-week follow-up. An 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography of the brain was performed before and after 6 weeks of the donepezil-treated group. Effects of donepezil treatment on cortical metabolism were analyzed using Statistical Parametric Mapping software (Institute of Neurology, University College London, UK).


RESULTS
There was no significance difference between the 2 groups in initial evaluation of cognitive functions. After 6 weeks, compared with the control group, donepezil-treated group showed enhanced cognitive functions (P < 0.05), and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography showed a statistically significant increase in the cerebral cortical metabolism for both of the frontal, parietal, occipital, and temporal cortices (P < 0.01) which are the key role of attention and object naming.


CONCLUSIONS
Cholinergic augmentation by donepezil therapy in traumatic brain injury shows a cortical metabolic effect on the both of the frontal, parietal, occipital, and temporal cortices associated with clinical response to treatment.
Effect of interval training programme on pulse pressure in the management of hypertension: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND
Pulse pressure (PP), might be a stronger determinants of cardiovascular risk.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of interval training program on PP in subjects with hypertension.


METHODS
Two hundred and forty five male patients with mild to moderate (Systolic Blood Pressure [SBP] between 140-179 & Diastolic Blood Pressure [DBP] between 90-109 mmHg) essential hypertension were age-matched and grouped into exercise and control groups. The exercise (work: rest ratio of 1:1) groups involved in an 8-weeks interval training programs of between 45-60 minutes, at intensities of 60-79% of HR max (maximum heart rate), while the control group remained sedentary during this period. SBP, DBP, VO2max and PP were assessed.


RESULTS
Findings of the study revealed significant correlation between PP and blood pressure; correlation of PP with SBP was much stronger (95% variance). Also, there was significant effect of the exercise training program on SBP, DBP and PP. Changes in VO2max also negatively correlated with changes in PP (r= -.285) at p<0.05.


CONCLUSION
Moderate intensity interval training programs is effective in the non-pharmacological management of hypertension and may prevent cardiovascular event through the down regulation of PP in hypertension.
What are scoping studies? A review of the nursing literature.

BACKGROUND
Scoping studies are increasingly undertaken as distinct activities. The interpretation, methodology and expectations of scoping are highly variable. This suggests that conceptually, scoping is a poorly defined ambiguous term. The distinction between scoping as an integral preliminary process in the development of a research proposal or a formative, methodologically rigorous activity in its own right has not been extensively examined.


AIMS
The aim of this review is to explore the nature and status of scoping studies within the nursing literature and develop a working definition to ensure consistency in the future use of scoping as a research related activity.


DESIGN
This paper follows an interpretative scoping review methodology.


DATA SOURCES
An explicit systematic search strategy included literary and web-based key word searches and advice from key researchers. Electronic sources included bibliographic and national research register databases and a general browser.


RESULTS
The scoping studies varied widely in terms of intent, procedural and methodological rigor. An atheoretical stance was common although explicit conceptual clarification and development of a topic was limited. Four different levels of inquiry ranging from preliminary descriptive surveys to more substantive conceptual approaches were conceptualised. These levels reflected differing dimensional distinctions in which some activities constitute research whereas in others the scoping activities appear to fall outside the remit of research. Reconnaissance emerges as a common synthesising construct to explain the purpose of scoping.


CONCLUSIONS
Scoping studies in relation to nursing are embryonic and continue to evolve. Its main strengths lie in its ability to extract the essence of a diverse body of evidence giving it meaning and significance that is both developmental and intellectually creative. As with other approaches to research and evidence synthesis a more standardized approach is required.
Highly uniform vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers integrated with microlens arrays

In this paper, work is described on the fabrication of highly uniform 8/spl times/8 arrays of GaAs-AlGaAs vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSEL's). Oxide-confined VCSEL arrays show an average threshold current of 0.74/spl plusmn/0.02 mA, an average output power of 2.05/spl plusmn/0.03 mW at 8 mA and an average power conversion efficiency of 14.3%. Their wavelength is measured to be 967/spl plusmn/0.35 nm over the array. In addition, we describe the alignment and integration of these device arrays with arrays of refractive microlenses to allow beam shaping typically required in system applications.
O mundo aberto de Turner

Focusing on Turner's painting The Burning of the House of Lords and the Commons, the present essay analyses the effect produced by its pictorial discourse, also discussing the philosophical character of its figurativeness. In other words, this work analyses the plastic quality of verbal manifestations which symbolize a meaning for painting and the world.
Toward Micro Wall-Climbing Robots Using Biomimetic Fibrillar Adhesives

Climbing is a challenging task for autonomous mobile robots primarily due to requirements for agile locomotion, and high maneuverability as well as robust and efficient attachment and detachment. A novel miniature wall-climbing robot is proposed. The robot is adapted for the wall-climbing task by taking advantage of down scaling and its low design. Challenges encountered during robot miniaturization and performances of the robot are reported. The miniature robot prototype proved to be able to climb on inclined surfaces with a slope of up to 90° at a speed of 3.3mm/s. It is equipped with sensors that enable it to avoid obstacles, follow walls and detect free-falls. It can be controlled by remote control or act autonomously. Animals, such as Geckos, have developed amazing climbing ability through microand nano-fibers on their feet. These structures have inspired the study of dry adhesion and the design of synthetic fibrillar pads presented in the paper.
Practising the Space Between: Embodying Belief as an Evangelical Anglican Student

Abstract This article explores the formation of British evangelical university students as believers. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork conducted with a conservative evangelical Anglican congregation in London, I describe how students in this church come to embody a highly cognitive, word-based mode of belief through particular material practices. As they learn to identify themselves as believers, practices of reflexivity and accountability enable them to develop a sense of narrative coherence in their lives that allows them to negotiate tensions that arise from their participation in church and from broader social structures. I demonstrate that propositional belief—in contexts where it becomes an identity marker—is bound up with relational practices of belief, so that distinctions between ‘belief in’ and ‘belief that’ are necessarily blurred in the lives of young evangelicals.
Stiffness Analysis Of Multi-Chain Parallel Robotic Systems

The paper presents a new stiffness modelling method for multi-chain parallel robotic manipulators with flexible links and compliant actuating joints. In contrast to other works, the method involves a FEA-based link stiffness evaluation and employs a new solution strategy of the kinetostatic equations, which allows computing the stiffness matrix for singular postures and to take into account influence of the internal forces. The advantages of the developed technique are confirmed by application examples, which deal with stiffness analysis of the Orthoglide manipulator. Copyright © 2008 IFAC
Comparison of Heart-Rate-Variability Recording With Smartphone Photoplethysmography, Polar H7 Chest Strap, and Electrocardiography.

PURPOSE
To establish the validity of smartphone photoplethysmography (PPG) and heart-rate sensor in the measurement of heart-rate variability (HRV).


METHODS
29 healthy subjects were measured at rest during 5 min of guided breathing and normal breathing using smartphone PPG, a heart-rate chest strap, and electrocardiography (ECG). The root mean sum of the squared differences between R-R intervals (rMSSD) was determined from each device.


RESULTS
Compared to ECG, the technical error of estimate (TEE) was acceptable for all conditions (average TEE CV% [90% CI] = 6.35 [5.13; 8.5]). When assessed as a standardized difference, all differences were deemed "trivial" (average standard difference [90% CI] = 0.10 [0.08; 0.13]). Both PPG- and heart-rate-sensor-derived measures had almost perfect correlations with ECG (R = 1.00 [0.99; 1.00]).


CONCLUSION
Both PPG and heart-rate sensors provide an acceptable agreement for the measurement of rMSSD when compared with ECG. Smartphone PPG technology may be a preferred method of HRV data collection for athletes due to its practicality and ease of use in the field.
Preliminary Evaluation of a Powered Lower Limb Orthosis to Aid Walking in Paraplegic Individuals

This paper describes a powered lower-limb orthosis that is intended to provide gait assistance to spinal cord injured (SCI) individuals by providing assistive torques at both hip and knee joints. The orthosis has a mass of 12 kg and is capable of providing maximum joint torques of 40 Nm with hip and knee joint ranges of motion from 105° flexion to 30 ° extension and 105 ° flexion to 10 ° hyperextension, respectively. A custom distributed embedded system controls the orthosis with power being provided by a lithium polymer battery which provides power for one hour of continuous walking. In order to demonstrate the ability of the orthosis to assist walking, the orthosis was experimentally implemented on a paraplegic subject with a T10 complete injury. Data collected during walking indicates a high degree of step-to-step repeatability of hip and knee trajectories (as enforced by the orthosis) and an average walking speed of 0.8 km/hr. The electrical power required at each hip and knee joint during gait was approximately 25 and 27 W, respectively, contributing to the 117 W overall electrical power required by the device during walking. A video of walking corresponding to the aforementioned data is included in the supplemental material.