LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Can baseline serum microRNAs predict response to TNF-alpha inhibitors in rheumatoid arthritis?

BACKGROUND
In rheumatoid arthritis, prediction of response to TNF-alpha inhibitor (TNFi) treatment would be of clinical value. This study aims to discover miRNAs that predict response and aims to replicate results of two previous studies addressing this topic.


METHODS
From the observational BiOCURA cohort, 40 adalimumab- (ADA) and 40 etanercept- (ETN) treated patients were selected to enter the discovery cohort and baseline serum profiling on 758 miRNAs was performed. The added value of univariately selected miRNAs (p < 0.05) over clinical parameters in prediction of response was determined by means of the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC). Validation was performed by TaqMan single qPCR assays in 40 new patients.


RESULTS
Expression of miR-99a and miR-143 predicted response to ADA, and miR-23a and miR-197 predicted response to ETN. The addition of miRNAs increased the AUC-ROC of a model containing only clinical parameters for ADA (0.75 to 0.97) and ETN (0.68 to 0.78). In validation, none of the selected miRNAs significantly predicted response. miR-23a was the only overlapping miRNA compared to the two previous studies, however inversely related with response in one of these studies. The reasons for the inability to replicate previously proposed miRNAs predicting response to TNFi and replicate those from the discovery cohort were investigated and discussed.


CONCLUSIONS
To date, no miRNA consistently predicting response to TNFi therapy in RA has been identified. Future studies on this topic should meet a minimum of standards in design that are addressed in this study, in order to increase the reproducibility.
1(OH) Vitamin D3 Supplementation Improves the Sensitivity of the Immune-Response during Peg-IFN/RBV Therapy in Chronic Hepatitis C Patients-Case Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE
1,25(OH)2 vitamin D3 can affect immune cells. However, the mechanism responsible for the favorable effects of 1(OH) vitamin D3, which becomes 1,25(OH)2 vitamin D3 in the liver, is not clear. The aim of this study is to analyze the immunological response of 1(OH) vitamin D3 supplementation in CH-C patients.


DESIGN
Forty-two CH-C patients were treated with 1(OH) vitamin D3/Peg-IFNα/RBV. Forty-two case-matched controls were treated with Peg-IFNα/RBV. The expression of Interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs)-mRNA in the liver biopsy samples and JFH-1 replicating Huh-7 cells were quantified by real-time PCR. Ten kinds of cytokines in the plasma were quantified during treatment by using a suspension beads array. A trans-well co-culture system with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and Huh-7 cells was used to analyze the effect of 1(OH) vitamin D3. The activities of the Th1 response were compared between subjects treated with 1(OH) vitamin D3/Peg-IFN/RBV and those treated with Peg-IFN/RBV therapy alone.


RESULTS
1(OH) vitamin D3/Peg-IFN/RBV treatment could induce rapid viral reduction, especially in IL28B T/T polymorphism. Several kinds of cytokines including IP-10 were significantly decreased after 4 weeks of 1(OH) vitamin D3 treatment (p<0.05). Th1 responses in the subjects treated with 1(OH) vitamin D3/Peg-IFN/RBV were significantly higher than those treated with Peg-IFN/RBV at 12 weeks after Peg-IFN/RBV therapy (p<0.05). The expression of ISGs in the patient's liver biopsy samples was significantly lower than in those treated without 1(OH) vitamin D3 (p<0.05).


CONCLUSION
1(OH) vitamin D3 could improve the sensitivity of Peg-IFN/RBV therapy on HCV-infected hepatocytes by reducing the IP-10 production from PBMCs and ISGs expression in the liver.
The feedforward interview

On the basis of Appreciative Inquiry (Cooperrider & Srivastva, 1987), we offer an interview protocol termed Feedforward Interview(FFI). FFI is designed to reveal neworganizational knowledgeboth for managers and subordinates, which can lead to better alignment between employees’ needs and organizational practices, and to improved relationships by enabling both parties to feelmore positive about themselves and about each other. Following a detailed description of the FFI protocol and its rationale, we demonstrate how FFI may be used as a complement, or even as a replacement, for performance appraisal reviews, job selection interviews, and customer satisfaction surveys. The benefits of FFI appear to include eliciting positive emotions, fosteringbonding, building psychological safety for sharing information, and creating internal transformations of both interviewer and interviewee. We conclude with a call for research to evaluate FFI's effectiveness and the conditions under which it will be most useful. © 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Results on the nonlinear span of binary sequences

The problem of finding the length of shortest feedback shift register that generates a given finite-length sequence is considered. An algorithm for the determination of the span is proposed, that takes advantage of the special block structure of the associated system of linear equations. The span distribution of finite-length binary sequences is also studied.
Economic and Welfare Impacts of the EU-Africa Economic Partnership Agreements

Th is study examines the economic and social impacts of the trade liberalization aspects of the proposed Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) between the European Union (EU) and African countries. It provides a quantitative assessment of the likely implications of EPAs establishing Free Trade Areas (FTAs) between the EU and the various African Regional Economic Communities (RECs). Th e focus of the empirical analysis is on the trade liberalization component of the EPAs. In particular, the following questions are addressed. First, how will an EPA that includes reciprocal market access agreements between the EU and Africa impact on African countries’ GDPs, levels of employment and other macroeconomic aggregates? Second, what sectors in Africa are most likely to lose and what sectors gain with EPAs? Th ird, what are the welfare implications for African countries from the EPAs? Fourth, how will the formation of EPAs aff ect trade expansion through trade creation and trade diversion eff ects? Fifth, what are the potential fi scal implications of the EPAs? Th e main conclusions drawn from the results and the discussions are that full reciprocity will be very costly for Africa irrespective of how the issue is looked at. A focus on deepening integration with a view to enhancing intra-African trade would provide positive results. But it is the scenario that off ers unrestricted market access for Africa, which deals eff ectively with barriers associated with sensitive European products, that portends the largest gain for the continent. Even with reciprocity, a free trade area that includes sectors of export interest to Africa and one that deals with non-tariff barriers promises positive results for African countries.
Reliability and validity of the SF-36 Health Survey Questionnaire in patients with brain tumors: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND
Deterioration of health related quality of life (HRQoL) is common in brain tumor patients. This study evaluated validity and reliability of the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form (SF-36) in patients with brain tumors.


METHODS
Two hundred and seventy-seven patients admitted for brain tumor surgery were evaluated for HRQoL (SF-36 questionnaire); depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory-II or BDI-II); and functional status (Barthel index or BI). Final histological diagnosis was obtained from pathology reports.


RESULTS
Two-hundred and twenty-seven (completion rate of 82%) patients (69% women; mean age 55.8 ± 14.4 years) completed the SF-36 questionnaire. The most common brain tumor diagnosis was meningioma (40%), followed high-grade glioma (19%). Missing data rates were ≤4%. Internal consistency was adequate for all (Cronbach α ≥ .728) but Social Functioning (Cronbach α = .527) and General Health (Cronbach α = .693) subscales. Ceiling (≥36%) and floor (≥22%) effect rates were the greatest for the Role Limitations subscales. The SF-36 subscales pertaining physical health correlated the strongest with the BI score, while the SF-36 subscales pertaining emotional health correlated the strongest with the BDI-II score. Patients with mild-moderate depressive symptoms (BDI-II score ≥20) scored lower across all SF-36 subscales, and handicap patients (BI score <90) scored the lower across all, but Mental Health, subscales.


CONCLUSIONS
The SF-36 is a valid and reliable instrument in brain tumor patients and therefore can be reliably applied for evaluation of HRQoL in neuro-oncology setting. Further studies exploring other psychometric properties of the SF-36 in brain tumor patients across disease progression stages are warranted.
Topology management techniques for tolerating node failures in wireless sensor networks: A survey

In wireless sensor networks (WSNs) nodes often operate unattended in a collaborative manner to perform some tasks. In many applications, the network is deployed in harsh environments such as battlefield where the nodes are susceptible to damage. In addition, nodes may fail due to energy depletion and breakdown in the onboard electronics. The failure of nodes may leave some areas uncovered and degrade the fidelity of the collected data. However, the most serious consequence is when the network gets partitioned into disjoint segments. Losing network connectivity has a very negative effect on the applications since it prevents data exchange and hinders coordination among some nodes. Therefore, restoring the overall network connectivity is very crucial. Given the resource-constrained setup, the recovery should impose the least overhead and performance impact. This paper focuses on network topology management techniques for tolerating/handling node failures in WSNs. Two broad categories based on reactive and proactive methods have been identified for classifying the existing techniques. Considering these categories, a thorough analysis and comparison of all the recent works have been provided. Finally, the paper is concluded by outlining open issues that warrant additional research. 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Nurse-led clinics as an effective service for cardiac patients: results from a systematic review.

AIM
The article summarises results of a systematic review on the effectiveness of nurse-led clinics for patients with coronary heart disease. The objective was to present the best available evidence related to effective interventions in nurse-led cardiac clinics including patient education, risk factor assessment and continuity of care.


METHODS
Following the principles of the Cochrane Collaboration for systematic reviews on effectiveness, this is an update to a previously published review. Thirty databases, relevant journals and hand searching of reference lists were the basis for a comprehensive literature search for the period September 2002 to March 2008. Assessment of methodological quality, data extraction and synthesis was undertaken using a systematic review management tool (JBI-SUMARI). When possible, data was pooled in a meta-analysis.


RESULTS
The systematic review is based on seven randomised controlled trials. Inconsistencies of interventions executed in nurse-led clinics and various effects on the outcomes make a comparison difficult. The major nurse-led intervention applied in the clinics consisted of health education, counselling behaviour change and promotion of a healthy lifestyle. There were no harmful effects on patients with coronary heart disease identified when exposed to a nurse-led clinic. A few risk factors were significantly reduced in the short term by attending nurse-led clinics, but long-term changes were less apparent. The success of modifying behaviour such as smoking cessation and diet adherence was limited. However, nurse-led clinics may positively influence perceived quality of life and general health status.


CONCLUSION
The results indicated that care was equivalent to non-nurse-managed clinics, and there was no greater risk of poorer outcomes in the nurse-led clinics. The effectiveness of clinics might be dependent on the intensity of the nursing support. Before establishing a nurse-led clinic appropriate qualification and responsibilities, as well as the particular structure of the healthcare system and funding possibilities have to be considered. The combination of counselling and regular assessment of risk factors and health status delivered at nurse-led clinics is supported by the available research, and given that outcomes were in general equivalent between nurse-led and other clinics, further research should investigate the cost-effectiveness of the different models of care.
Adaptive multichannel data dissemination: support of dynamic traffic awareness and push-pull time balance

Data dissemination by the use of periodic broadcast is a viable scalable mechanism due to the explosion of information services in wireless networks. Many research works have exploited the data broadcast methodologies, however, upon the premise that the broadcast traffic is static on a single broadcast channel. In practice, the broadcast traffic changes dynamically and multiple broadcast channels can be utilized for efficient data dissemination. Accordingly, in this paper we devise an adaptive multichannel data-dissemination mechanism, including two components: the multichannel traffic-awareness and the deterministic balance search techniques. The multichannel traffic-awareness technique performs a cyclic estimation of dynamic access frequency distribution in response to traffic dynamics. With the measured estimation, the deterministic balance search technique adjusts channel allocation and item classification to further minimize and balance the push access and the pull response time. The experimental results show that the proposed mechanism is able to attain the result of channel partition and item classification very close to the optimum and, thus, minimize the mean access time in both push and pull channels simultaneously. Therefore, the reliability of broadcast contents is guaranteed.
Ventilator-associated pneumonia and ICU mortality in severe ARDS patients ventilated according to a lung-protective strategy

INTRODUCTION
Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) may contribute to the mortality associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). We aimed to determine the incidence, outcome, and risk factors of bacterial VAP complicating severe ARDS in patients ventilated by using a strictly standardized lung-protective strategy.


METHODS
This prospective epidemiologic study was done in all the 339 patients with severe ARDS included in a multicenter randomized, placebo-controlled double-blind trial of cisatracurium besylate in severe ARDS patients. Patients with suspected VAP underwent bronchoalveolar lavage to confirm the diagnosis.


RESULTS
Ninety-eight (28.9%) patients had at least one episode of microbiologically documented bacterial VAP, including 41 (41.8%) who died in the ICU, compared with 74 (30.7%) of the 241 patients without VAP (P = 0.05). After adjustment, age and severity at baseline, but not VAP, were associated with ICU death. Cisatracurium besylate therapy within 2 days of ARDS onset decreased the risk of ICU death. Factors independently associated with an increased risk to develop a VAP were male sex and worse admission Glasgow Coma Scale score. Tracheostomy, enteral nutrition, and the use of a subglottic secretion-drainage device were protective.


CONCLUSIONS
In patients with severe ARDS receiving lung-protective ventilation, VAP was associated with an increased crude ICU mortality which did not remain significant after adjustment.
Iterative Thresholding for Sparse Approximations

Sparse signal expansions represent or approximate a signal using a small number of elements from a large collection of elementary waveforms. Finding the optimum sparse expansion is known to be NP hard in general and non-optimal strategies such as Matching Pursuit, Orthogonal Matching Pursuit, Basis Pursuit and Basis Pursuit De-noising are often called upon. These methods show good performance in practical situations, however, they often do not operate on the l0 penalised cost functions that are often at the heart of the problem. In this paper we study two iterative algorithms that are minimising the cost functions of interest. Furthermore, these strategies have a comparable computational cost per iteration to a single Matching Pursuit iteration, making the methods applicable to many real world problems. However, the non-convexity of the optimisation problem means that these strategies are only guaranteed to find local solutions and good initialisation becomes paramount. To guarantee good performance, we study two approaches. The first approach uses the proposed algorithms to refine the solutions found with other methods, replacing the typically used conjugate gradient solver. The second strategy adapts the algorithms and we show on one example that this adaptation can be used to achieve results that lie between those obtained with Matching Pursuit and those found with Orthogonal Matching Pursuit, while retaining the computational complexity of the Matching Pursuit algorithm.
Cosmic strings in axionic-dilatonic gravity

We first consider local cosmic strings in dilaton-axion gravity and show that they are singular solutions. Then we take a supermassive Higgs limit and present expressions for the fields at far distances from the core by applying a Pecci-Quinn and a duality transformation to the dilatonic Melvin's magnetic universe.
Current percutaneous coronary intervention and coronary artery bypass grafting practices for three-vessel and left main coronary artery disease. Insights from the SYNTAX run-in phase.

OBJECTIVE
Percutaneous coronary intervention with drug-eluting stents is challenging coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) as the gold standard for treatment of three-vessel and left main coronary disease. We evaluated the current practice pattern in hospitals throughout Europe and USA.


METHODS
To qualify for participation in the SYNTAX (Synergy between PCI with TAXUS drug-eluting stent and Cardiac Surgery) study, a randomized trial comparing percutaneous coronary intervention with drug-eluting stent versus coronary artery bypass grafting for three-vessel and left main disease, 104 centers were asked to provide their case volume in 3 months in 2004. Anonymous procedural data were collected.


RESULTS
A total of 12,072 patients were recorded. Coronary artery bypass grafting was the most frequently performed procedure (N=8895, 74%). Three-vessel disease (3VD) predominated in this population (N=8532, 71%) versus left main (N=3540, 29%). In the 3-month period, per center a mean of 8.3 patients with left main and 22.3 patients with three-vessel disease were treated by percutaneous coronary intervention, while 26.0 patients with left main and 60.3 patients with three-vessel disease were treated by coronary artery bypass grafting. In USA, percutaneous coronary intervention for left main and/or three-vessel disease was performed in 18% of the cases while this was performed in 29% of the cases in Europe. Of all CABG procedures, only 12% were done with total arterial grafting while 7% were treated with only venous grafts.


CONCLUSIONS
In patients with multivessel or left main disease, still coronary artery bypass grafting remains the dominant revascularization strategy. Percutaneous coronary intervention is performed frequently without supporting data from the literature. Percutaneous coronary intervention for this indication is performed more often in Europe than in USA. Only a minority of the patients receives total arterial grafting in case of coronary artery bypass grafting. The SYNTAX trial with randomized and registry cohorts should provide guidance for selecting the preferred form of treatment.
Sinonasal inhalation of tobramycin vibrating aerosol in cystic fibrosis patients with upper airway Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonization: results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study

RATIONALE
In cystic fibrosis (CF), the paranasal sinuses are sites of first and persistent colonization by pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Pathogens subsequently descend to the lower airways, with P. aeruginosa remaining the primary cause of premature death in patients with the inherited disease. Unlike conventional aerosols, vibrating aerosols applied with the PARI Sinus™ nebulizer deposit drugs into the paranasal sinuses. This trial assessed the effects of vibrating sinonasal inhalation of the antibiotic tobramycin in CF patients positive for P. aeruginosa in nasal lavage.


OBJECTIVES
To evaluate the effects of sinonasal inhalation of tobramycin on P. aeruginosa quantification in nasal lavage; and on patient quality of life, measured with the Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-20), and otologic and renal safety and tolerability.


METHODS
Patients were randomized to inhalation of tobramycin (80 mg/2 mL) or placebo (2 mL isotonic saline) once daily (4 minutes/nostril) with the PARI Sinus™ nebulizer over 28 days, with all patients eligible for a subsequent course of open-label inhalation of tobramycin for 28 days. Nasal lavage was obtained before starting and 2 days after the end of each treatment period by rinsing each nostril with 10 mL of isotonic saline.


RESULTS
Nine patients participated, six initially receiving tobramycin and three placebo. Sinonasal inhalation was well tolerated, with serum tobramycin <0.5 mg/L and stable creatinine. P. aeruginosa quantity decreased in four of six (67%) patients given tobramycin, compared with zero of three given placebo (non-significant). SNOT-20 scores were significantly lower in the tobramycin than in the placebo group (P=0.033).


CONCLUSION
Sinonasal inhalation of vibrating antibiotic aerosols appears promising for reducing pathogen colonization of paranasal sinuses and for control of symptoms in patients with CF.
The efficacy of interventions to improve psychosocial outcomes following surgical treatment for breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women across the world. The majority of women diagnosed with the disease undergo surgery, which is often associated with significant psychosocial morbidity. The aim of this meta-analysis was to identify the efficacy of psychosocial interventions for women following breast cancer surgery.


METHOD
A comprehensive literature search was undertaken using keyword and subject headings within 7 databases. Included studies employed a quantitative methodology presenting empirical findings focusing on interventions for female breast cancer patients following surgery.


RESULTS
Thirty-two studies were included and based on conventional values of effect sizes. Small effects emerged for the efficacy of psychosocial interventions in relation to anxiety (Hedges g = 0.31), depression (0.38), quality of life (0.40), mood disturbance (0.31), distress (0.27), body image (0.40), self-esteem (0.35), and sexual functioning (0.22). A moderate to large effect emerged for the efficacy of interventions in promoting improvements in sleep disturbance (0.67). Clear evidence emerged for the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy in promoting improvements in anxiety, depression, and quality of life.


CONCLUSION
This is the first meta-analysis to demonstrate the efficacy of interventions on a range of psychosocial outcomes following breast cancer surgery. The meta-analysis highlighted that cognitive behavioral therapy was consistently the most effective psychosocial intervention promoting improvements in anxiety, depression, and quality of life. However, there are shortcomings in existing studies; the length of the follow-up period is typically short and the generalizability of findings was limited by small samples, both of which should be addressed in future studies.