LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Research on an Mg-Zn alloy as a degradable biomaterial.

In this study a binary Mg-Zn magnesium alloy was researched as a degradable biomedical material. An Mg-Zn alloy fabricated with high-purity raw materials and using a clean melting process had very low levels of impurities. After solid solution treatment and hot working the grain size of the Mg-Zn alloy was finer and a uniform single phase was gained. The mechanical properties of this Mg-Zn alloy were suitable for implant applications, i.e. the tensile strength and elongation achieved were approximately 279.5MPa and 18.8%, respectively. The results of in vitro degradation experiments including electrochemical measurements and immersion tests revealed that the zinc could elevate the corrosion potential of Mg in simulated body fluid (SBF) and reduce the degradation rate. The corrosion products on the surface of Mg-Zn were hydroxyapatite (HA) and other Mg/Ca phosphates in SBF. In addition, the influence caused by in vitro degradation on mechanical properties was studied, and the results showed that the bending strength of Mg-Zn alloy dropped sharply in the earlier stage of degradation, while smoothly during the later period. The in vitro cytotoxicity of Mg-Zn was examined. The result 0-1 grade revealed that the Mg-Zn alloy was harmless to L-929 cells. For in vivo experiments, Mg-Zn rods were implanted into the femoral shaft of rabbits. The radiographs illustrated that the magnesium alloy could be gradually absorbed in vivo at about 2.32mm/yr degradation rate obtained by weight loss method. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) stained section around Mg-Zn rods suggested that there were newly formed bone surrounding the implant. HE stained tissue (containing heart, liver, kidney and spleen tissues) and the biochemical measurements, including serum magnesium, serum creatinine (CREA), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GPT) and creatine kinase (CK) proved that the in vivo degradation of Mg-Zn did not harm the important organs. Moreover, no adverse effects of hydrogen generated by degradation had been observed and also no negative effects caused by the release of zinc were detected. These results suggested that the novel Mg-Zn binary alloy had good biocompatibility in vivo.
Clinical outcomes of ethnic minority women in MA.17: a trial of letrozole after 5 years of tamoxifen in postmenopausal women with early stage breast cancer.

BACKGROUND
Aromatase inhibitors are widely employed in the adjuvant treatment of early stage breast cancer. The impact of aromatase inhibitors has not been established in ethnic minority women.


PATIENTS AND METHODS
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of letrozole on minority women in MA.17, a placebo-controlled trial of letrozole following 5 years of tamoxifen in postmenopausal women with early stage breast cancer. Retrospective comparison of disease-free survival (DFS), side effects, and mean changes in quality of life (QOL) scores from baseline between Caucasian and minority women was performed.


RESULTS
Minority (n = 352) and Caucasian (n = 4708) women were analyzed. There was no difference between these groups in DFS (91.6% versus 92.4% respectively for 4 year DFS). Letrozole, compared with placebo, significantly improved DFS for Caucasians (HR = 0.55; P < 0.0001) but not for minorities (HR = 1.39; P = 0.53). Among women who received letrozole, minorities had a significantly lower incidence of hot flashes (49% versus 58%; P = 0.02), fatigue (29% versus 39%; P = 0.005), and arthritis (2% versus 7%; P = 0.006) compared with Caucasians. Mean change in QOL scores for minority women who received letrozole demonstrated improved mental health at the 6-month assessment (P = 0.02) and less bodily pain at the 12-month assessment (P = 0.046).


CONCLUSION
Letrozole improved DFS in Caucasians but a definite benefit in minority women has not yet been demonstrated. Minority women tolerated letrozole better than Caucasians in terms of toxicity. These results need confirmation in other trials of aromatase inhibitors.
Workplace vaccination against influenza in Malaysia: does the employer benefit?

UNLABELLED
This study was designed to evaluate the health and economic benefits of a workplace vaccination programme against influenza funded by the employer. Employees of a Malaysian petrochemical plant volunteered to take part in this prospective, non-randomised, non-placebo-controlled study. Demographic and health information, including influenza-like symptoms, sick leave and post-vaccination adverse events were collected via questionnaires. Cost-benefit analyses were performed from the employer's perspective.


RESULTS
A total of 1,022 employees took part in the study, with 504 choosing to be vaccinated against influenza, and 518 remaining unvaccinated. The rate of influenza-like illness (ILI) was lower among vaccinated (8.13%) than non-vaccinated subjects (30.31%). Fever and respiratory symptoms were associated with all ILI cases. ILI-related sick leave was taken by 58.54% of vaccinated employees with ILI and 71.34% of non-vaccinated employees with ILI. Vaccination was financially beneficial, with the employer saving up to US dollar 53.00 per vaccinated employee when labour costs only were considered. Savings rose to up to US dollar 899.70 when the operating income of each employee was also considered. Workplace vaccination of healthy adults against influenza had a clear impact on ILI rates, absenteeism and reduced productivity in this Malaysian company. The health benefits translated into financial benefits for the employer, with cost savings significantly outweighting the costs of the vaccination programme.
Virtual View Generation for 3D Digital Video

systems use digital models to provide interactive viewing. We present a 3D digital video system that attempts to provide the same capabilities for actual performances such as dancing. Recreating the original dynamic scene in 3D, the system allows photorealistic interactive playback from arbitrary viewpoints using video streams of a given scene from multiple perspectives. V irtual reality can become a medium of great usefulness in entertainment and education if it can incorporate recordings of actual events. While much work has gone into creating synthetic environments that correspond to counterparts in the real world, few have attempted to incorporate real people and events into such environments. To achieve this, an event of interest must be truthfully captured by real-time sensors such as video. From this recording, faithful digital replications must then be created such that the original performances can be presented using standard computer graphics methods and viewed from arbitrary perspectives. We present a system for generating and replaying photorealistic 3D digital video sequences of real events and performances. 3D video embodies the truthfulness of video recordings and the inter-activity of 3D graphics (see Figure 1). This system employs Multiple Perspective Interactive Video (MPI-Video), 1 an infrastructure for the analysis and management of, and interactive access to, multiple video cameras monitoring a dynamically evolving scene such as a football game. The problem of virtual view creation, or view synthesis or interpolation of real scenes, has received increasing attention in recent years. Current approaches divide into two classes: image-based and model-based. Image-domain methods employ warping or morphing techniques to interpolate intermediate views from real images. Model-based methods first recover the geometry of the real scene; the resulting 3D model can then be rendered from desired viewpoints. Our method belongs to the latter class. Image-based methods The best-known image-domain method is Apple's QuickTime VR. 2 By capturing the 360-degree views (cylindrical panoramic images) of an environment from a fixed position, you can interactively adjust view orientation by rendering the corresponding portion of the panorama. Other approaches use image warping. Chen and Williams 3 determined camera transformations with pixel correspondences, then used morphing to generate intermediate views. Skerjanc and Liu 4 used known camera positions to obtain depth information and generate virtual views. Chang and Zakhor 5 obtained depth information by using an uncalibrated camera that " scans " a stationary scene and transforms points on camera image planes onto the plane of the …
The potential use of different predatory bug species in the biological control of Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)

In the present study, the suitability of different predatory bug species, such as Dicyphus tamaninii Wagner, Macrolophus pygmaeus (Rambur), Orius albidipennis Reuter, Orius majusculus Reuter and Orius sauteri Poppius, for the biological control of Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), were investigated. Development of the predatory bug species, their reproduction as well as their daily and total prey consumption over a 18-day period with F. occidentalis larvae or various stages of Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae) individuals as prey species were studied during the experiments in the laboratory. In further experiments, the efficiency of D. tamaninii, M. pygmaeus, O. albidipennis and O. majusculus in controlling F. occidentalis under glasshouse conditions was investigated. Results showed that all the predators could develop under the experimental conditions with either F. occidentalis larvae or different stages of T. urticae as prey. When F. occidentalis larvae were offered as prey, the shortest duration of development was observed for O. albidipennis with a mean of 17.7 days, while D. tamaninii took the longest to develop with a mean of 36.3 days. With different stages of T. urticae as prey, the duration of development ranged from 19.3 days in O. albidipennis to 42.9 days in M. pygmaeus. Mean daily fecundity ranged from 0.8 eggs/female for O. majusculus to 2.2 eggs/female for O. sauteri with F. occidentalis larvae as prey and from 0.6, O. majusculus, to 2.3 eggs/female/day, O. sauteri, when different stages of T. urticae were offered as prey. Over the 18-day reproduction period, O. sauteri was the most fecund predatory species, laying a mean total of 31.6 and 31.3 eggs/female with F. occidentalis and T. urticae as prey, respectively. Daily consumption from F. occidentalis larvae ranged between 5.5 individuals consumed per day by O. majusculus and 29.1, by O. sauteri. When different stages of T. urticae were offered as prey, maximal consumption was observed in D. tamaninii with a mean of 29.0 individuals/day, while O. albidipennis consumed the least with an average of 8.1 preys/day. Over the 18-day prey consumption period, D. tamaninii consumed the highest mean number of 422.8 F. occidentalis larvae, while O. majusculus only consumed 98.8 larvae. Also, D. tamaninii had the maximum consumption of different stages of T. urticae with a mean of 522.4, while M. pygmaeus and O. albidipennis consumed the least, with an average of 146.1 and 146.0, respectively. The predatory bugs D. tamaninii, M. pygmaeus, O. albidipennis and O. majusculus significantly reduced the density of F. occidentalis on hybrids of Euphorbia milii, Serissa foetida and Saintpaulia ionantha in the glasshouse, which confirms their efficiency against this pest on different hosts under controlled climatic conditions.
Multistation proprioceptive exercise program prevents ankle injuries in basketball.

PURPOSE
To investigate the effectiveness of a multistation proprioceptive exercise program for the prevention of ankle injuries in basketball players using a prospective randomized controlled trial in combination with biomechanical tests of neuromuscular performance.


METHODS
A total of 232 players participated in the study and were randomly assigned to a training or control group following the CONSORT statement. The training group performed a multistation proprioceptive exercise program, and the control group continued with their normal workout routines. During one competitive basketball season, the number of ankle injuries was counted and related to the number of sports participation sessions using logistic regression. Additional biomechanical pre–post tests (angle reproduction and postural sway) were performed in both groups to investigate the effects on neuromuscular performance.


RESULTS
In the control group, 21 injuries occurred, whereas in the training group, 7 injuries occurred. The risk for sustaining an ankle injury was significantly reduced in the training group by approximately 65%. [corrected] The corresponding number needed to treat was 7. Additional biomechanical tests revealed significant improvements in joint position sense and single-limb stance in the training group.


CONCLUSIONS
The multistation proprioceptive exercise program effectively prevented ankle injuries in basketball players. Analysis of number needed to treat clearly showed the relatively low prevention effort that is necessary to avoid an ankle injury. Additional biomechanical tests confirmed the neuromuscular effect and confirmed a relationship between injury prevention and altered neuromuscular performance. With this knowledge, proprioceptive training may be optimized to specifically address the demands in various athletic activities.
An Active Reconfigurable Antenna at 60 GHz Based on Plate Inhomogeneous Lens and Feeders

The conception and performances of a 60 GHz active antenna, reconfigurable in terms of radiation pattern is described in this paper. This antenna is based on a plate inhomogeneous Luneburg lens fed by several ridged waveguide sources. The manufacturing technique of the plate lens is briefly described and its measured radiation patterns are given, showing the good performances of this lens. Simulated and measured radiation patterns are given for a passive lens antenna fed by several sources. The results show the beam scanning capability of this antenna. The active antenna is described and measurements of radiation patterns for several beams are given and demonstrate the beam scanning and beam shaping reconfigurability.
Entrepreneurship, money and coordination : Hayek's theory of cultural evolution

Introduction 1. Hayek's Theory of Cultural Evolution: A Critique of the Critique 2. 'Human Action, But Not Human Design': Evolution and Spontaneous Order as Theoretical Concepts in Economics and Social Science 3. Hayek's Theory of the Mind 4. Evolution of Legal Rules: Hayek's Contribution Reconsidered 5. Hayek and the Evolution of Designed Institutions: A Critical Assessment 6. Hayek Revisited: Entrepreneurship in the Theory of Cultural Evolution 7. Hayek's 'Free Money Movement' and the Evolution of Monetary Order in Historical Perspective 8. Money and Reciprocity in the Extended Order - An Essay on the Evolution and Cultural Function of Money Index.
Nitinol self-expanding stents vs. balloon angioplasty for very long femoropopliteal lesions.

PURPOSE
To compare the patency rates and clinical outcomes of balloon angioplasty vs. nitinol stent placement for patients with short (≤150 mm) as compared to long (>150 mm) femoropopliteal (FP) occlusive lesions.


METHODS
Between 2006 and 2011, 254 patients (134 men; mean age 68 years) underwent FP angioplasty. The majority of patients (64%) were treated for critical limb ischemia. One hundred thirty-nine (55%) patients had short FP lesions ≤150 mm, while 115 patients had long FP lesions >150 mm. The mean lesion length was 78±43 mm in the short FP lesion group and 254±58 mm in the long FP lesion group. Duplex ultrasound follow-up with a peak systolic velocity ratio ≥2.0 was used to define restenosis.


RESULTS
The overall procedure success rate was 98%. One hundred forty-eight (58%) patients underwent stent placement. The mean number of stents deployed for treatment of short FP lesions was 1.0±0.4 vs. 2.0±0.7 for long FP lesions (p<0.001). The primary patency rate of short FP lesions treated with balloon angioplasty vs. stenting was 66% vs. 63% at 1 year (p=0.7). For long FP lesions, the 1-year primary patency rates of balloon angioplasty vs. stenting were 34% vs. 49% (p=0.006). Balloon angioplasty of long FP lesions was also associated with significantly lower assisted primary and secondary patency compared to stenting (p<0.05 for all comparisons). Sustained clinical improvement was >90% at 30 days but declined to 62% to 75% at 1 year.


CONCLUSION
Balloon angioplasty and stent placement result in similar patency rates and clinical outcomes for shorter to medium-length FP lesions. In comparison, stent placement in long FP lesions is associated with superior outcomes to balloon angioplasty, even when multiple stents are required. Procedure success and clinical improvement can be achieved in the majority of patients, but rates of restenosis remain high.
PLoS Computational Biology: A New Community Journal

Welcome to PLoS Computational Biology, a community journal from the Public Library of Science dedicated to reporting biological advances achieved through computation. The journal is published in partnership with the International Society for Computational Biology (ISCB). The importance of this partnership is described in the accompanying letter from Michael Gribskov, ISCB president. What motivates us to start a new journal at this time? Computation, driven in part by the influx of large amounts of data at all biological scales, has become a central feature of research and discovery in the life sciences. This work tends to be published either in methods journals that are not read by experimentalists or in one of the numerous journals reporting novel biology, each of which publishes only small amounts of computational research. Hence, the impact of this research is diluted. PLoS Computational Biology provides a home for important biological research driven by computation—a place where computational biologists can find the best work produced by their colleagues, and where the broader biological community can see the myriad ways computation is advancing our understanding of biological systems. PLoS Computational Biology is governed by one overarching principle: scientific quality. This quality is reflected in the editorial board and the editorial staff. The editorial board members are leaders in their respective scientific areas and have agreed to give their valuable time to support a quality journal in their field. Behind the scenes, through a rigorous presubmission process, three quality reviews for each paper, and an acceptance rate below 20%, the editors and staff already knew in the six months since the journal was launched that we were producing a first-rate product. The scientific content is now here for all of you to see and will continue to build in the months and years to come.
Repeat coronary revascularization procedures after successful bare-metal or drug-eluting stent implantation.

BACKGROUND
The goal of this study was to assess the rate and anatomical targets of repeat revascularization procedures in routine clinical practice after either bare-metal stent (BMS) or drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation. Randomized trials provide a reference standard for comparing outcomes after BMS or DES, but the rates of repeat revascularization procedures in clinical trials do not necessarily represent the rates in routine practice.


METHODS
Baseline and 1-year follow-up angiographic data from a cardiac catheterization laboratory data registry with 31 participating hospitals were analyzed.


RESULTS
In 17 hospitals 14,459 eligible patients had a BMS implanted between 1998 and 2003, and in 20 hospitals 9,575 eligible patients had a DES implanted in 2005. DES patients had more multivessel disease and diabetes than BMS patients, but fewer DES patients had all diseased vessels stented. Over the subsequent year, there were significantly fewer repeat procedures in the initially stented region after DES than BMS (4.7% vs. 8.1%), but significantly more procedures in previously unstented remote segments (7.8% vs. 4.3%). Consequently, the overall rate of additional percutaneous coronary intervention admissions was not reduced by DES (12.5% vs. 12.3%; p > 0.7).


CONCLUSIONS
In this sample of routine clinical practice DES reduced repeat intervention of the stented segment to a lesser extent than has been reported in randomized trials. For our cohort, the reduction in restenosis was offset by increased use of additional interventional procedures to treat remote segments, predominantly within the first 2 months after initial stenting.
Development of a high-speed CNC cutting machine using linear motors

The traditional approach to construct CNC machine tools has been to use rotary drive motors and ballscrews to achieve table motion. Linear motors offer several advantages over this approach, including low inertia, better performance, increased accuracy and reduced complexity. This article describes how a low cost, high-speed cutting machine was built using linear motors in order to conduct machining tests on a composite material. The machine configuration was a gantry type X/Y motion system on which a high-speed electrospindle was mounted. Both were interfaced with a standalone CNC controller for which a Microsoft Windows based interface was written in C++. The machine has the usual functionality of a CNC router and is capable of table speeds of over 40 m/min and a spindle speed of 30,000 rev/min. The machine is used to carry out tests on tool wear monitoring as part of an ongoing research project in the university. ©
CA 19-9 as a biomarker in advanced pancreatic cancer patients randomised to gemcitabine plus axitinib or gemcitabine alone

Background:Response assessment in advanced pancreatic cancer (APC) is difficult and predictive markers are needed. There are insufficient data on the value of carbohydrate antigen 19–9 (CA 19-9) and cytostatic-targeted therapies. Axitinib, a selective vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptors 1, 2, 3 inhibitor, may increase overall survival (OS) in APC.Methods:We assessed serum CA 19-9, clinical outcomes and diastolic blood pressure (dBP) in APC patients receiving gemcitabine plus axitinib (Gem+A) or gemcitabine alone.Results:In the total population (N=95), median OS was significantly longer in patients with baseline CA 19-9 values at or below the median than in those with values above it (12.2 months [95% confidence interval (CI), 8.6–16.6%] vs 5.0 months [95% CI, 3.9–5.7%]; P<0.0001). This also reached significance in the Gem+A arm (median OS, 12.5 months [95% CI, 8.6–16.6%] vs 4.9 months [95% CI, 3.6–5.6%]; P<0.0001). Patients with any dBP>90 mmHg had significantly longer OS than those who did not. However, there was no predictive significance of CA 19-9.Conclusion:Baseline CA 19-9 levels had prognostic value for OS, but caution is advised in interpreting CA 19-9 as a predictive biomarker for novel cytostatic agents such as VEGF-targeted therapies in phase II studies.
European literature and theology in the twentieth century : ends of time

General Editor's Preface - Introduction - List of the Contributors - Music, Madness and Mephistopheles: Art and Nihilism in Thomas Mann's Doctor Faustus G.Pattison - The Appropriation of Dostoevsky in the Early Twentieth Century: Cult, Counter-cult and Incarnation C.Crowder - After Apocalypse: Some Elements in Late Lawrence D.Mackenzie - Wyndham Lewis on Time M.Jarrett-Kerr,Cr - Re-writing The Waste Land M.Edwards - T.S.Eliot: Poetry, Silence and the Vision of God P.Walker - The Very Dead of Winter: Notes Towards an Enquiry into English Poetry after Eliot M.Alexander - Visions of Hell: Lowry and Beckett F.Doherty - Samuel Beckett's Negative Way: Intimations of the 'Via Negativa' in His Late Plays M.Buning - Redemption and Narrative: Refiguration of Time in Postmodern Literature I.Makarushka - Apocalyptic Fiction and the End(s) of Realism R.Detweiler - Index