LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Kangaroo mother care: a randomized controlled trial on effectiveness of early kangaroo mother care for the low birthweight infants in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

A randomized controlled trial was conducted over a 1-year period (November 2001-November 2002) in Addis Ababa to study the effectiveness of early Kangaroo mother care before stabilization of low birthweight infants as compared with the conventional method of care. There were 259 babies weighing less than 2000 g during the study period and a total of 123 (47.5 per cent) low birthweight infants were included in to the study. Sixty-two infants were enrolled as Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) and the remaining 61 were Conventional Method of Care (CMC) cases. The demographic and socioeconomic characteristics for both groups were comparable. The mean age at the time of enrollment was 10 and 9.8 h for KMC and CMC, respectively (p>0.05 with 95 per cent confidence interval). The mean birthweight was 1514.8 g (range 1000-1900 g) for KMC and 1471.8 g (range 930-1900 g) for CMC (p>0.05 with 95 per cent CI) and the mean gestational age was 32.42 and 31.59 weeks for KMC and CMC cases, respectively. Fifty-eight per cent of KMC and 52 per cent of CMC cases were on i.v. fluid. Twenty-one of 62 (34 per cent) of KMC and 23/61 (37 per cent) of CMC babies were on oxygen through nasopharyngeal catheter. The mean age at exit from the study was 4.6 days for KMC and 5.4 days for CMC. Ninety-one per cent and 88 per cent of babies in KMC and CMC were discharged from the study in the first 7 days of life, respectively. The study showed that 14/62 (22.5 per cent) of KMC vs. 24/63 (38 per cent) CMC babies died during the study (p<0.05 and CI of 95 per cent.) The majority of deaths occurred during the first 12 h of life. Survival for the preterm low birthweight infants was remarkably better for the early kangaroo mother care group than the babies in the conventional method of care in the first 12 h and there after. More than 95 per cent of mothers reported that they were happy to care for their low birthweight babies using the early Kangaroo mother method. It was recommended to study the feasibility and effectiveness of Kangaroo mother care at the community level.
Structural causes of the global financial crisis: a critical assessment of the ‘new financial architecture’

The main thesis of this paper is that the ultimate cause of the current global financial crisis is to be found in the deeply flawed institutions and practices of what is often referred to as the New Financial Architecture (NFA) – a globally integrated system of giant bank conglomerates and the so-called ‘shadow banking system’ of investment banks, hedge funds and bank-created Special Investment Vehicles. The institutions are either lightly and badly regulated or not regulated at all, an arrangement defended by and celebrated in the dominant financial economics theoretical paradigm – the theory of efficient capital markets. The NFA has generated a series of ever-bigger financial crises that have been met by larger and larger government bailouts. After a brief review of the historical evolution of the NFA, the paper analyses its structural flaws. The problems discussed in order are: 1) the theoretical foundation of the NFA – the theory of efficient capital markets – is very weak and the celebratory narrative of the NFA accepted by regulators is seriously misleading; 2) widespread perverse incentives embedded in the NFA generated excessive risk-taking throughout financial markets; 3) mortgage-backed securities central to the boom were so complex and nontransparent that they could not possibly be priced correctly; their prices were bound to collapse once the excessive optimism of the boom faded; 4) contrary to the narrative, excessive risk built up in giant banks during the boom; and 5) the NFA generated high leverage and high systemic risk, with channels of contagion that transmitted problems in the US subprime mortgage market around the world. Understanding the profound problems of the NFA is a necessary step toward the creation of a new and improved set of financial institutions and practices likely to achieve core policy objectives such as faster real sector growth with lower inequality.
Growth Performance and Meat Quality of Broiler Chickens Supplemented with Bacillus licheniformis in Drinking Water

A feeding trial was conducted to investigate effects of Bacillus licheniformis on growth performance and meat quality of broilers. Nine hundred one-d-old broiler chicks were randomly assigned to 3 experimental groups with three replicate pens of 100 broiler chicks. Three treatments were i) control, ii) basal diets supplemented with 1 ml of B. licheniformis for each in feed water per day iii) basal diets supplemented with 2 ml of B. licheniformis per chick in feed water per day. The supplementation of B. licheniformis significantly increased body weight in grower chickens (p<0.05), and significantly improved the feed conversion in 3 to 6 and 0 to 6 wk feeding period compared with the control group (p<0.05). Additionally, the supplement also resulted in increased protein and free amino acid contents, and decreased fat content in chicken breast fillet (p<0.05). Furthermore, improvement in sensory attributes was observed in broilers fed with the probiotic. In conclusion, B. licheniformis treatments resulted in a significant increase (p<0.05) in broiler productivity based on an index taking into account daily weight gain and feed conversion rate. Meanwhile, the probiotic contributed towards an improvement of the chemical, nutritional and sensorial characteristics of breast fillet. Overall, the study indicates that B. licheniformis can be used as a growth promoter and meat quality enhancer in broiler poultry.
The Gravitational Red Shift as a Test of General Relativity: History and Analysis

The agreement of the observed advance of Mercury’s perihelion and of the eclipse results of the British expeditions of 1919 with the deductions from the Einstein law of gravitation gives an increased importance to the observations on the displacements of the absorption lines in the solar spectrum relative to terrestrial sources, as the evidence on this deduction from the Einstein theory is at present contradictory. Particular interest, moreover, attaches to such observations, inasmuch as the mathematical physicists are not in agreement as to the validity of this deduction, and solar observations must eventually furnish the criterion.’
A phase II trial of imatinib mesylate in merkel cell carcinoma (neuroendocrine carcinoma of the skin): A Southwest Oncology Group study (S0331).

BACKGROUND
Imatinib mesylate (Gleevec) was evaluated as a treatment for Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC, neuroendocrine carcinoma of the skin) based on the identification of strong c-KIT staining of these neoplasms.


METHODS
Eligibility included patients with measurable metastatic or unresectable MCC, c-KIT (CD117) expression and a Zubrod performance status of 0 to 2. Imatinib 400 mg daily was administered orally in 28-day cycles to 23 patients.


RESULTS
Overall, imatinib was well tolerated with grade 1 or 2 nausea, diarrhea, and hematologic toxicity as the most frequent side effects. A partial response was seen in 1 patient (4%; 95% CI: 0%-22%). Median progression-free survival was 1 month (95% CI: 1-2 months). Median overall survival was 5 months (95% CI: 2-8 months). One patient achieved a partial response and another had prolonged disease stabilization while receiving treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
The majority of patients progressed rapidly within 1 to 2 cycles of treatment. The observed progression-free survival and overall survival were not adequate to conclude that this agent was active in advanced MCC, and thus the planned second stage of patient accrual was not opened.
Increased oxidative stress in women with pregnancy-induced hypertension.

OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) may increase oxidative stress in women with PIH, and to explore the mechanisms by which PIH may increase oxidative stress and potential free radical damage.


METHODS
Seventy women with PIH and seventy women with uncomplicated normotensive pregnancy (UNP) whose age, nutritional conditions, levels of hemoglobin and albumin were all matched, were enrolled in a randomized controlled trial. Their plasma concentrations of nitric oxide (NO), vitamin C (VC), vitamin E (VE), and beta-carotene (beta-CAR) as well as their erythrocyte malondialdehyde (MDA), and activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) were determined by spectrophotometry.


RESULTS
Compared with average values of the above experimental parameters in the women with UNP, the average value of erythrocyte MDA in the women with PIH significantly increased (P<0.0001), while the average values of plasma NO, VC, VE, and beta-CAR as well as those of erythrocyte SOD, CAT, and GPX in the women with PIH significantly decreased (P<0.0005-0.0001). The findings from partial correlation analysis (controlling for age) for 70 women with PIH showed that with elevated systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), MDA value gradually increased (P<0.001), and NO, VC, VE, beta-CAR, SOD, CAT, and GPX values gradually decreased (P<0.02-0.001). The findings from reliability analysis for NO, VC, VE, beta-CAR, SOD, CAT, GPX, and MDA values used to reflect increased oxidative stress and potential free radical damage in women with PIH showed that the reliability coefficients (alpha, 8 items) = 0.7062, P<0.0001, and the standardized item alpha = 0.9116, P<0.0001.


CONCLUSION
The findings in the present research suggest that pregnancy-induced hypertension can increase oxidative stress and potential free radical damage in women with pregnancy-induced hypertension.
What Do Budget Deficits Do

No issue in economic policy has generated more debate over the past decade than the effects of g vernment budget defici ts. Politicians of various ideolog ies argue t hat deficit reduction is critical to the future of the United St a es and other major economies. Although the economics profession is more divided over the issue, many economists share the view that deficits are harmful, and perhaps even disastrous.
Decellularized aortic homografts for aortic valve and aorta ascendens replacement†

OBJECTIVES
The choice of valve prosthesis for aortic valve replacement (AVR) in young patients is challenging. Decellularized pulmonary homografts (DPHs) have shown excellent results in pulmonary position. Here, we report our early clinical results using decellularized aortic valve homografts (DAHs) for AVR in children and mainly young adults.


METHODS
This prospective observational study included all 69 patients (44 males) operated from February 2008 to September 2015, with a mean age of 19.7 ± 14.6 years (range 0.2-65.3 years). In 18 patients, a long DAH was used for simultaneous replacement of a dilated ascending aorta as an extended aortic root replacement (EARR). Four patients received simultaneous pulmonary valve replacement with DPH.


RESULTS
Thirty-nine patients (57%) had a total of 62 previous operations. The mean aortic cross-clamp time in isolated cases was 129 ± 41 min. There was 1 conduit-unrelated death. The mean DAH diameter was 22.4 ± 3.7 mm (range, 10-29 mm), the average peak gradient was 14 ± 15 mmHg and the mean aortic regurgitation grade (0.5 = trace, 1 = mild) was 0.6 ± 0.5. The mean effective orifice area (EOA) of 25 mm diameter DAH was 3.07 ± 0.7 cm(2). DAH annulus z-values were 1.1 ± 1.1 at implantation and 0.7 ± 1.3 at the last follow-up. The last mean left ventricle ejection fraction and left ventricle end diastolic volume index was 63 ± 7% and 78 ± 16 ml/m(2) body surface area, respectively. To date, no dilatation has been observed at any level of the graft during follow-up; however, the observational time is short (140.4 years in total, mean 2.0 ± 1.8 years, maximum 7.6 years). One small DAH (10 mm at implantation) had to be explanted due to subvalvular stenosis and developing regurgitation after 4.5 years and was replaced with a 17 mm DAH without complication. No calcification of the explanted graft was noticed intraoperatively and after histological analysis, which revealed extensive recellularization without inflammation.


CONCLUSIONS
DAHs withstand systemic circulation, provide outstanding EOA and appear as an alternative to conventional grafts for AVR in young patients. EARR using DAH is a further option in aortic valve disease associated with aorta ascendens dilatation as it avoids the use of any prosthetic material.
Principles of survey research part 4: questionnaire evaluation

This article discusses how to avoid biased questions in survey instruments, how to motivate people to complete instruments and how to evaluate instruments. In the context of survey evaluation, we discuss how to assess survey reliability i.e. how reproducible a survey's data is and survey validity i.e. how well a survey instrument measures what it sets out to measure.
The Elusive Relationship Between Teacher Characteristics and Student Academic Growth: A Longitudinal Multilevel Model for Change

Teacher characteristics and student achievement growth are currently a significant topic of investigation in the educational accountability arena. Given the environment of high-stakes accountability associated with the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation and state accountability systems, staffing all classrooms with highly qualified teachers is a critical national concern. A new era of research is needed to understand the complexity of teacher quality when defined by student learning growth. The present study evaluated the effects of teacher characteristics (i.e., experience, education, and race) in high school reading achievement gains using a multi-level growth model in an urban school district in Kentucky. Findings showed significant effects of time, but non-significant effects of teacher characteristics in high school reading achievement growth. Implications for educational policy and future research are discussed.
Multicentre randomised controlled study comparing carvedilol with variceal band ligation in the prevention of variceal rebleeding.

BACKGROUND & AIMS
Rebleeding after an initial oesophageal variceal haemorrhage remains a significant problem despite therapy with band ligation, non-selective β-blockers or a combination of these. Carvedilol is a vasodilating non-selective β-blocker with alpha-1 receptor and calcium channel antagonism. A recent study has suggested it is effective in the prevention of a first variceal bleed. Our aim was to compare oral carvedilol with variceal band ligation (VBL) in the prevention of rebleeding following a first variceal bleed.


METHODS
Patients who were stable 5 days after presentation with a first oesophageal variceal haemorrhage and had not been taking β-blockers were randomised to oral carvedilol or VBL. Patients were followed-up after one week, monthly, then every 3 months. The primary end point was variceal rebleeding on intention-to-treat analysis.


RESULTS
64 patients were randomised, 33 to carvedilol and 31 to VBL. 58 (90.6%) patients had alcohol related liver disease. Age and Child-Pugh score were similar in both groups at baseline. Median follow-up was 26.3 (interquartile range [IQR] 10.2-46.6)months. Compliance was 68% and 65% for carvedilol and VBL respectively (p=0.993) and serious adverse events between the two groups were similar (p=0.968). Variceal rebleeding occurred during follow-up in 12 (36.4%) and 11 (35.5%) patients in the carvedilol and VBL groups, respectively (p=0.857), with 9 (27.3%) and 16 (51.6%) deaths in each group, respectively (p=0.110).


CONCLUSIONS
Carvedilol is not superior to VBL in the prevention of variceal rebleeding. The trend to a survival benefit for patients taking this drug compared with those undergoing banding requires further exploration.
Cross-Calibration of GF-1/WFV over a Desert Site Using Landsat-8/OLI Imagery and ZY-3/TLC Data

The wide field of view (WFV) is an optical imaging sensor on-board the Gao Fen 1 (GF-1). The WFV lacks an on-board calibrator, so on-orbit radiometric calibration is required. Zhong et al. proposed a method for cross-calibrating the charge-coupled device on-board the Chinese Huan Jing 1 (HJ-1/CCD) that can be applied to the GF-1/WFV. However, the accuracy is limited because of the wider radiometric dynamic range and the higher spatial resolution of the GF-1/WFV. Therefore, Landsat-8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) imagery with a radiometric resolution similar to that of the GF-1/WFV and DEM extracted from ZY-3 three-line array panchromatic camera (TLC) with a higher spatial resolution were used. A calibration site with uniform surface material and a natural topographic variation was selected, and a model of this site’s bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) was developed. The model has excellent agreement with the real situation, as shown by the comparison of the simulations to the actual OLI surface reflectance. Then, the model was used to calibrate the WFV. Compared with the TOA reflectance from synchronized Landsat-8/OLI images, all errors calculated with the calibration coefficients retrieved in this paper are less than 5%, much less than the errors OPEN ACCESS Remote Sens. 2015, 7 10764 calculated with the calibration coefficients given by the China Centre for Resource Satellite Data and Application (CRESDA).
Chest radiography in general practice: indications, diagnostic yield and consequences for patient management.

BACKGROUND
Chest radiography (CXR) is frequently performed in Western societies. There is insufficient knowledge of its diagnostic value in terms of changes in patient management decisions in primary care.


AIM
To assess the influence of CXR on patient management in general practice.


DESIGN OF STUDY
Prospective cohort study.


SETTING
Seventy-eight GPs and three general hospitals in the Netherlands.


METHOD
Patients (n = 792) aged > or =18 years referred by their GPs for CXR were included. The main outcome was change in patient management assessed by means of questionnaires filled in by GPs before and after CXR.


RESULTS
Mean age of the patients was 57.3+/-16.2 years and 53% were male. Clinically relevant abnormalities were found in 24% of the CXRs. Patient management changed in 60% of the patients following CXR. Main changes included: fewer referrals to a medical specialist (from 26 to 12%); reduction in initiation or change in therapy (from 24 to 15%); and more frequent reassurance (from 25 to 46%). However, this reassurance was not perceived as such in a quarter of these patients. A change in patient management occurred significantly more frequently in patients with complaints of cough (67%), those who exhibited abnormalities during physical examination (69%), or those with a suspected diagnosis of pneumonia (68%).


CONCLUSION
Patient management by the GP changed in 60% of patients following CXR. CXR substantially reduced the number of referrals and initiation or change in therapy, and more patients were reassured by their GP. Thus, CXR is an important diagnostic tool for GPs and seems a cost-effective diagnostic test.
Chat reference communication patterns and implications: applying politeness theory

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine the use of formality indicators in chat reference interchanges within the context of politeness theory, with its corollaries of face-threat and social relationship development. Design/methodology/approach – This discourse analysis identifies the syntactic and content indicators and patterns of formality levels in a purposive sample of 402 chat transcripts (covering 6,572 minutes) from one academic year at a large, US, public university. Findings – Syntactic formality markers include regular use of contractions, slang, sentence fragments, and non-standard punctuation as well as limited use of acronyms and abbreviations with rare use of emoticons. Content-based markers included apologies, self-disclosure, and expressions of extreme need. Use patterns are related to the level of responsibility assumed by the librarian as well as the interview stages. Research limitations/implications – A limited data source and potential coder bias are the two limitations of this study. The research implications point to the need for chat reference librarians to assume greater control of formality nuances in order to encourage a more effective search for the user. Practical implications – The fundamentals of politeness theory, particularly in terms of formality indicators, should be incorporated into staff training and behavioral standards for reference librarians. While future research is needed to determine the most effective means of employing this theoretical construct, this study implies that a self-reflective, culturally sensitive use of the nuances of formality can enhance the user’s experience. Originality/value – This study is the first to systematically examine formality indicators in the context of politeness theory. The use of two coders, a full academic year’s worth of data, and a substantial sample provide great depth.
Characterisation and Comparison of Lactating Mouse and Bovine Mammary Gland miRNomes

BACKGROUND
The mammary gland is a dynamic organ that undergoes important physiological changes during reproductive cycles. Until now, data regarding the characterisation of miRNA in the mammary gland have been scarce and mainly focused on their abnormal expression in breast cancer. Our goal was to characterise the microRNA (miRNA) involved in mechanisms regulating the mammary function, with particular focus on the lactation stage.


METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS
Using high-throughput sequencing technology, the exhaustive repertoires of miRNA expressed (miRNome) in mouse and bovine mammary glands during established lactation were identified, characterized and compared. Furthermore, in order to obtain more information on miRNA loading in the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC), the miRNome was compared with that obtained from RNA associated with the AGO2 protein (AGO2-miRNome) in mouse lactating mammary gland. This study enabled the identification of 164 and 167 miRNA in mouse and bovine, respectively. Among the 30 miRNA most highly expressed in each species, 24 were common to both species and six of them were preferentially highly expressed in lactating than non-lactating mammary gland. The potential functional roles of these 24 miRNA were deduced using DIANA-miRPath software, based on miRNA/mRNA interactions. Moreover, seven putative novel miRNA were identified. Using DAVID analysis, it was concluded that the predicted targets of two of these putative novel miRNA are involved in mammary gland morphogenesis.


CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE
Our study provides an overview of the characteristics of lactating mouse and bovine mammary gland miRNA expression profiles. Moreover, species-conserved miRNA involved in this fundamental biological function were identified. These miRNomes will now be used as references for further studies during which the impact of animal breeding on the miRNA expression will be analysed.