LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Application of a continuous regression model of restenosis to saphenous vein grafts after successful percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty or directional coronary atherectomy.

OBJECTIVES
To evaluate a quantitative model of restenosis in patients with vein graft disease undergoing percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) or directional coronary atherectomy (DCA).


BACKGROUND
A quantitative relationship between acute gain and late loss has been developed to describe the late changes in lumen dimension after native vessel coronary intervention. This same relationship may also be seen after treatment of saphenous vein graft disease.


METHODS
Patients with native coronary artery stenoses (CAVEAT-I) or saphenous vein graft lesions (CAVEAT-II) were randomized to either DCA or PTCA, and data from these trials were analyzed retrospectively. Angiographic results of the target lesions were reviewed, and each lesion was assessed for vessel caliber and reference diameter, absolute minimal lumen diameter, percent diameter stenosis, percent stenosis of the cross-sectional area, acute gain and late loss. Linear regression models were used to determine late loss and to detect differences in angiographic outcomes.


RESULTS
Vein grafts had significantly larger reference vessel diameters than native coronary arteries; they also had significantly more acute gain and more late loss. Directional coronary atherectomy was associated with a larger acute gain in both studies. Patients undergoing DCA also experienced greater late loss although the effect was statistically significant only in the CAVEAT-I study. After adjusting for the acute gain, the treatment effect on late loss became nonsignificant in both studies.


CONCLUSIONS
In patients undergoing DCA or PTCA of saphenous vein graft narrowings, the relationship between late loss and acute gain is also demonstrated, similar to the device-independent relationships seen in native coronary lesions. In CAVEAT-II, larger degrees of acute gain were also associated with higher degrees of late lumen loss.
Assessment of coronary reperfusion in patients with myocardial infarction using fatty acid binding protein concentrations in plasma.

OBJECTIVE
To examine whether successful coronary reperfusion after thrombolytic treatment in patients with confirmed acute myocardial infarction can be diagnosed from the plasma marker fatty acid binding protein (FABP), for either acute clinical decision making or retrospective purposes.


DESIGN
Retrospective substudy of the GUSTO trial.


SETTING
10 hospitals in four European countries.


PATIENTS
115 patients were treated with thrombolytic agents within six hours after the onset of acute myocardial infarction. Patency of the infarct related artery was determined by angiography within 120 minutes of the start of thrombolysis.


MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
First hour rate of increase in plasma FABP concentration after thrombolytic treatment, compared with increase in plasma myoglobin concentration and creatine kinase isoenzyme MB (CK-MB) activity. Infarct size was estimated from the cumulative release of the enzyme alpha hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase in plasma during 72 hours, or from the sum of ST segment elevations on admission. Logistic regression analyses were performed to construct predictive models for patency.


RESULTS
Complete reperfusion (TIMI 3) occurred in 50 patients, partial reperfusion (TIMI 2) in 36, and no reperfusion (TIMI 0+1) in 29. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses showed that the best performance of FABP was obtained when TIMI scores 2 and 3 were grouped and compared with TIMI score 0+1. The performance of FABP as a reperfusion marker was improved by combining it with alpha hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase infarct size, but not with an early surrogate of infarct size (ST segment elevation on admission). In combination with infarct size FABP performed as well as myoglobin (areas under the ROC curve 0.868 and 0.857, respectively) and better than CK-MB (area = 0.796). At optimum cut off levels, positive predictive values were 97% for FABP, 95% for myoglobin, and 89% for CK-MB (without infarct size, 87%, 88%, and 87%, respectively), and negative predictive values were 55%, 52%, and 50%, respectively (without infarct size, 44%, 42%, and 34%).


CONCLUSIONS
FABP and myoglobin perform equally well as reperfusion markers, and successful reperfusion can be assessed, with positive predictive values of 87% and 88%, or even 97% and 95% when infarct size is also taken into account. However, identification of non-reperfused patients remains a problem, as negative predictive values will generally remain below 70%.
Progress in Mid-IR Lasers Based on Cr and Fe-Doped II–VI Chalcogenides

Transition metal (TM) doped II-VI chalcogenide laser materials offer a unique blend of physical, spectroscopic, and technological parameters that make them the gain media of choice for cost effective broadly tunable lasing in the Mid-IR. The II-VI semiconductor hosts provide a low phonon cut-off, broad IR transparency, and high thermal conductivity. When doped with transition metal ions, these materials feature ultrabroadband gain, low saturation intensities, and large pump absorption coefficients. This combined with the low-cost mass production technology of crystal fabrication by postgrowth thermal diffusion, as well as broad availability of convenient pump sources, make these materials ideal candidates for broadly tunable mid-IR lasing in CW, gain-switched, free running, and mode-locked regimes of operation. This review summarizes experimental results on optically pumped lasers based on Cr and Fe doped II-VI wide band semiconductors providing access to the 1.9-6 μm spectral range with a high (exceeding 60%) efficiency, multi-Watt-level (18 W in gain switch and 30 W in pure CW) output powers, tunability in excess of 1000 nm, short-pulse (<;50 fs) multi-watt oscillation, multi-Joule long-pulse output energy, and narrow spectral linewidth (<;100 kHz).
Feeling labeled, judged, lectured, and rejected by family and friends over depression: Cautionary results for primary care clinicians from a multi-centered, qualitative study

BACKGROUND
Family and friends may help patients seek out and engage in depression care. However, patients' social networks can also undermine depression treatment and recovery. In an effort to improve depression care in primary care settings, we sought to identify, categorize, and alert primary care clinicians to depression-related messages that patients hear from friends and family that patients perceive as unhelpful or detrimental.


METHODS
We conducted 15 focus groups in 3 cities. Participants (n = 116) with a personal history or knowledge of depression responded to open-ended questions about depression, including self-perceived barriers to care-seeking. Focus group conversations were audio-recorded and analyzed using iterative qualitative analysis.


RESULTS
Four themes emerged related to negatively-received depression messages delivered by family and friends. Specifically, participants perceived these messages as making them feel labeled, judged, lectured to, and rejected by family and friends when discussing depression. Some participants also expressed their interpretation of their families' motivations for delivering the messages and described how hearing these messages affected depression care.


CONCLUSIONS
The richness of our results reflects the complexity of communication within depression sufferers' social networks around this stigmatized issue. To leverage patients' social support networks effectively in depression care, primary care clinicians should be aware of both the potentially beneficial and detrimental aspects of social support. Specifically, clinicians should consider using open-ended queries into patients' experiences with discussing depression with family and friends as an initial step in the process. An open-ended approach may avoid future emotional trauma or stigmatization and assist patients in overcoming self-imposed barriers to depression discussion, symptom disclosure, treatment adherence and follow-up care.
MATLAB Implementation of Memristorbased Chua ’ s Circuit and its Chaos Control

Abstract—Recently, there has been an extensive interest in research on the analysis and control of chaotic behaviour in nonlinear systems. Various control problems can be defined for such systems, such as targeting the trajectories to a desired point, stabilizing unstable periodic orbits etc. In this paper, necessity of Chaos control in Memristor based circuit is discussed. A MATLAB Simulink model is presented for a Memristor based Chua’s circuit & feedback control method is implemented for the purpose of Chaos control in the same model.
For the Special issue on Qualitative Software Engineering Research

Almost twenty years have passed since the first qualitative research study in software engineering was published [14]. Using qualitative methods and a qualitative analytical framework, Curtis, et al. found communication and cooperation to be critical factors in developing large-scale software systems. Given the importance of this study, it is perhaps surprising that research publications using qualitative methods are still scarce. Therefore, our goal in creating this special issue is to make existing qualitative research more visible and further the understanding of qualitative research and its importance in the software engineering community. Qualitative research has its main strength in exploring and illuminating the in situ practice of software engineering. This is the everyday practice where software engineers interpret, appropriate, and implement the methods, techniques and processes of the trade. A better understanding of these in situ methods can – in turn – provide a base for their improvement. From 23 submissions we selected eleven articles. The articles represent a diverse set of theoretical frameworks and methods, while focusing on a wide range of software engineering activities from requirements engineering, project management to software process improvement. The selected articles illustrate the richness of existing research and showcase important and applicable results which will further the discussion of qualitative methods – not only about the concrete results but importantly so, on the value of qualitative research in software engineering in general. To make the papers more accessible to an audience that may not be used to qualitative research, we introduce this special issue more thoroughly than what is normally seen. By doing so we answer a number of questions related to the practice of qualitative research in the software engineering domain. In turn, each article selected for this special issue addresses some or all of the questions in the context of real research problems. The editorial proceeds as follows. First qualitative research is introduced and related to the tradition of software engineering. Then we present an overview of the different discourses in which qualitative research on software engineering is published followed by a discussion of potential quality criteria for qualitative research. We end with an introduction to the articles published in this special issue. There is no 'one way' of doing qualitative research. The only common denominator of qualitative research is that it is based on qualitative data. Some see the possibility to develop an understanding of the software engineering process from a …
Sit-to-Stand and Stand-to-Sit Transfer Support for Complete Paraplegic Patients with Robot Suit HAL

Physical support of lower limbs during sit-to-stand and stand-to-sit transfers is important for an independent life of paraplegic patients. The purpose of this study is, therefore, to realize the control method of complete paraplegic patients during sit-to-stand and stand-to-sit transfers by using a ‘robot suit HAL’. It is the most challenging issue because the HAL should start supporting the wearer’s motions synchronizing his/her intention. Our proposed algorithm infers the intention based on a preliminary motion that is observed just before a desired motion so the patient could start the sit-to-stand or stand-to-sit transfers without any operation. When the HAL detects the intention to stand up and sit down, the HAL starts to support the wearer’s weight and to control their body posture for stability during their transfer. The proposed algorithms embedded in the HAL were applied to a complete spinal cord injury patient in a clinical trial to confirm the effectiveness. The experimental results indicate that the proposed algorithms could support his sit-to-stand and stand-to-sit transfers safely and conveniently by keeping his stability and by reflecting his intentions. Consequently, we confirmed that the proposed method successfully supported the sit-to-stand and stand-to-sit transfers of the complete paraplegic patient with the HAL. © Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden and The Robotics Society of Japan, 2010
Early Temperament and Attachment Security with Mothers and Fathers as Predictors of Toddler Compliance and Noncompliance

This longitudinal study (n=106) examined associations between temperament, attachment, and styles of compliance andnoncompliance. Infant negative temperamental reactivitywas reportedbymothers at 3, 5 and 7months. Infant attachment was assessed (Strange Situation) at 12 (mothers) and 14months (fathers). Toddlers’ styles of compliance/ noncompliance were measured using two laboratory contexts (cleanup/delay) at 20months. Results indicated that temperament and attachment predicted toddler behaviour. Toddlerswhowere securewith mothers and low in temperamental negative reactivity showed more committed compliance than those who were insecure and low in negative reactivity or secure and high in negative reactivity. In addition, interactions revealed that relations between infant–mother attachment and defiance depended on infant–father attachment security, temperament and context. Findings highlight the differential and complex roles of temperament and attachment as potential precursors of later social competence. Copyright © 2013 JohnWiley & Sons, Ltd.
Support and assessment for fall emergency referrals (SAFER 2) research protocol: cluster randomised trial of the clinical and cost effectiveness of new protocols for emergency ambulance paramedics to assess and refer to appropriate community-based care

INTRODUCTION
Emergency calls to ambulance services are frequent for older people who have fallen, but ambulance crews often leave patients at the scene without ongoing care. Evidence shows that when left at home with no further support older people often experience subsequent falls which result in injury and emergency-department attendances. SAFER 2 is an evaluation of a new clinical protocol which allows paramedics to assess and refer older people who have fallen, and do not need hospital care, to community-based falls services. In this protocol paper, we report methods and progress during trial implementation. SAFER 2 is recruiting patients through three ambulance services. A successful trial will provide robust evidence about the value of this new model of care, and enable ambulance services to use resources efficiently.


DESIGN
Pragmatic cluster randomised trial.


METHODS AND ANALYSIS
We randomly allocated 25 participating ambulance stations (clusters) in three services to intervention or control group. Intervention paramedics received training and clinical protocols for assessing and referring older people who have fallen to community-based falls services when appropriate, while control paramedics deliver care as usual. Patients are eligible for the trial if they are aged 65 or over; resident in a participating falls service catchment area; and attended by a trial paramedic following an emergency call coded as a fall without priority symptoms. The principal outcome is the rate of further emergency contacts (or death), for any cause and for falls. Secondary outcomes include further falls, health-related quality of life, 'fear of falling', patient satisfaction reported by participants through postal questionnaires at 1 and 6 months, and quality and pathways of care at the index incident. We shall compare National Health Service (NHS) and patient/carer costs between intervention and control groups and estimate quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained from the intervention and thus incremental cost per QALY. We shall estimate wider system effects on key-performance indicators. We shall interview 60 intervention patients, and conduct focus groups with contributing NHS staff to explore their experiences of the assessment and referral service. We shall analyse quantitative trial data by 'treatment allocated'; and qualitative data using content analysis.


ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION
The Research Ethics Committee for Wales gave ethical approval and each participating centre gave NHS Research and Development approval. We shall disseminate study findings through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.


TRIAL REGISTRATION
ISRCTN 60481756.
Antifungal activity of Syzygium cumini against Ascochyta rabiei-the cause of chickpea blight.

Aqueous, ethanol and n-hexane extracts from leaves, fruit, root-bark and stem-bark of Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels were tested for their antifungal activity against Ascochyta rabiei (Pass.) Lab., the cause of blight disease of the chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.). Different concentrations, namely 1, 2, ..., 5% of both aqueous and the two organic solvent extracts were used in this study. Aqueous extracts of all the four test plant parts, namely leaves, fruit, stem-bark and root-bark, showed significant antifungal activity resulting in 7-30%, 22-59%, 23-39% and 21-64% reduction in fungal growth, respectively. Similarly, n-hexane stem-bark extract, and ethanol root- and stem-bark extracts also significantly suppressed the growth of target fungal species, resulting in 17-39%, 24-30% and 12-32% suppression in fungal growth.
Information, affordances, and the control of action in sport.

The theory of affordances, a conceptual pillar of the ecological approach to perception and action, has the potential to become a guiding principle for research on perception and action in sport. Affordances are opportunities for action. They describe the environment in terms of behaviors that are possible at a given moment under a given set of conditions. Affordances capture the tight coupling between perception and action, and allow for the prospective and moment-to-moment control of activity that is characteristic of fluent, fast-paced behavior on the playing field. We begin with an overview of the ecological approach and the principle of direct perception, using past research on interceptive action to illustrate how this principle has been put to work to capture information-movement relations in perceptualmotor skill. We then review theory and research on body-scaled, action-scaled, and social affordances, highlighting outstanding questions that provide opportunities for new research on affordances in the context of sport. We conclude with consideration of affordances as providing a functional semantics for sports.
Parental Involvement in Primary Children's Homework in Hong Kong

This study draws upon an ecological perspective to examine parental involvement in homework and its relationship with primary school children’s educational outcomes within the Chinese sociocultural context of Hong Kong. Data were collected using homework diaries and questionnaires administered to 1,309 pairs of students and parents spanning all six primary grade levels in 36 primary schools in Hong Kong. Results show that primary children across grade levels devote a substantial amount of time each day after school to homework assignments and revision, while parents’ involvement in the homework process varies. Such variation in parental involvement is found to relate to the child’s grade level as well as the parent’s educational attainment. Gain in children’s academic efficacy with higher parental involvement level is observed among junior primary students as well as those with parents of lower educational attainment. Implications for the school’s role in involving parents in the homework process are discussed.
Efficacy of telbivudine in Taiwanese chronic hepatitis B patients compared with GLOBE extension study and predicting treatment outcome by HBV DNA kinetics at Week 24

BACKGROUND
The aims of this study were to compare results from a Taiwanese sub-study of the GLOBE 2303 telbivudine study and evaluate the HBV DNA kinetics.


METHODS
Forty-one Taiwanese patients were treated for an additional 2 years with telbivudine. Efficacy endpoints were the same as the GLOBE study. The correlations of reductions in HBV DNA levels at Week 24 were evaluated.


RESULTS
All 7 HBeAg-positive patients with undetectable HBV DNA levels at Week 24 sustained this response at Year 4 with rates of ALT normalization 71%, HBeAg seroconversion 57%, and cumulative resistance 0%. Out of 16 HBeAg-negative patients with undetectable HBV DNA levels at Week 24, 11 (78%) sustained this response at Year 4 with rates of ALT normalization 83% and cumulative resistance 8.7%. There were significant correlations between reductions of DNA of ≥5 log10 copies/mL at Week 24 with maintained PCR negativity at Years 2-4 and a lack of resistance at Year 2.


CONCLUSIONS
Long-term telbivudine efficacy in Taiwanese patients was comparable to the GLOBE 2303 study. A reduction in HBV DNA levels by ≥5 log10 copies/mL at Week 24 represented the optimal cut-off point, which may predict favourable outcomes in patients with high baseline HBV DNA levels.


TRIAL REGISTRATION
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00142298 (http://clinicaltrials.gov/).