LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
On Policies to Reward the Value Added by Educators

One current educational reform seeks to reward the value added by teachers and schools based on the average change in pupil test scores over time. In this paper, we outline the conditions under which the average change in scores is sufficient to rank schools in terms of value added. A key condition is that socioeconomic outcomes be a linear function of test scores. Absent this condition, one can still derive the optimal value-added policy if one knows the relationship between test scores and socioeconomic outcomes, and the distribution of test scores both before and after the intervention. Using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, we find a nonlinear relationship between test scores and one important outcome: log wages. We find no consistent pattern in the curvature of log wage returns to test scores (whether percentiles, scaled, or raw scores). This implies that, used alone, the average gain in test scores is an inadequate measure of school performance and current value-added methodology may misdirect school resources.
Thermal degradation of DRAM retention time: Characterization and improving techniques

Variation of DRAM retention time and reliability problem induced by thermal stress was investigated. Most of the DRAM cells revealed 2-state retention time with thermal stress. The effects of hydrogen annealing condition and fluorine implantation on the variation of retention time and reliability are discussed.
Leadership Challenges in the Implementation of ICT in Public Secondary Schools, Kenya.

Many authors argue that school leadership determines how Information Communication Technology (ICT) is implemented and its subsequent impact on teaching and learning. This involves Principal as a school leader to lead in implementation. A positive attitude of school leader towards implementation of ICT will encourage the school community to be actively involved in its implementation. Kenya is in the process of implementing ICT in schools. However, there are many challenges that hinder effective ICT implementation including school leadership challenge. This paper reports that school leader’s interest, their commitment and championing implementation of ICT programs in schools positively influences the whole process. The Paper recommends that all school leaders consider using ICT in their day-to-day activities of running their schools. ICT curriculum and managerial skills should be incorporated to training of school leaders in Kenya. Implementation of ICT is becoming more important to schools and the success of such implementation is often due to presence of effective school leadership. To a large extent, school leaders have been relying on government and development partners to equip schools with ICT infrastructure. This Paper recommends besides sensitizing development partners and waiting for their contributions, school leadership should consider ICT a priority in school and allocate budgets that would promote its implementation. A descriptive survey was used to collect data by administering questionnaires to selected sample of ICT/curriculum teachers, Principals and Board of Governors (BOG) chairpersons from 105 public secondary schools in Meru County, Kenya.
Multicenter Comparison of Lung and Oral Microbiomes of HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected Individuals.

RATIONALE
Improved understanding of the lung microbiome in HIV-infected individuals could lead to better strategies for diagnosis, therapy, and prophylaxis of HIV-associated pneumonias. Differences in the oral and lung microbiomes in HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected individuals are not well defined. Whether highly active antiretroviral therapy influences these microbiomes is unclear.


OBJECTIVES
We determined whether oral and lung microbiomes differed in clinically healthy groups of HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected subjects.


METHODS
Participating sites in the Lung HIV Microbiome Project contributed bacterial 16S rRNA sequencing data from oral washes and bronchoalveolar lavages (BALs) obtained from HIV-uninfected individuals (n = 86), HIV-infected individuals who were treatment naive (n = 18), and HIV-infected individuals receiving antiretroviral therapy (n = 38).


MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS
Microbial populations differed in the oral washes among the subject groups (Streptococcus, Actinomyces, Rothia, and Atopobium), but there were no individual taxa that differed among the BALs. Comparison of oral washes and BALs demonstrated similar patterns from HIV-uninfected individuals and HIV-infected individuals receiving antiretroviral therapy, with multiple taxa differing in abundance. The pattern observed from HIV-infected individuals who were treatment naive differed from the other two groups, with differences limited to Veillonella, Rothia, and Granulicatella. CD4 cell counts did not influence the oral or BAL microbiome in these relatively healthy, HIV-infected subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
The overall similarity of the microbiomes in participants with and without HIV infection was unexpected, because HIV-infected individuals with relatively preserved CD4 cell counts are at higher risk for lower respiratory tract infections, indicating impaired local immune function.
Training care givers of stroke patients: economic evaluation.

BACKGROUND
Training care givers reduces their burden and improves psychosocial outcomes in care givers and patients at one year. However, the cost effectiveness of this approach has not been investigated.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the cost effectiveness of caregiver training by examining health and social care costs, informal care costs, and quality adjusted life years in care givers.


DESIGN
A single, blind, randomised controlled trial.


SETTING
Stroke rehabilitation unit.


SUBJECTS
300 stroke patients and their care givers.


INTERVENTIONS
Caregiver training in basic nursing and facilitation of personal care techniques compared with no care giver training.


MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Health and social care costs, informal care costs, and quality adjusted life years in care givers over one year after stroke.


RESULTS
Total health and social care costs over one year for patients whose care givers received training were significantly lower (mean difference -4043 pounds sterling (7249 dollars; 6072 euros), 95% confidence interval -6544 pounds sterling to -595 pounds sterling). Inclusion of informal care costs, which were similar between the two groups, did not alter this conclusion. The cost difference was largely due to differences in length of hospital stay. The EQ-5D did not detect changes in quality adjusted life years in care givers.


CONCLUSION
Compared with no training, caregiver training during rehabilitation of patients reduced costs of care while improving overall quality of life in care givers at one year.
DETECTING FRAUD IN THE REAL WORLD

Finding telecommunications fraud in masses of call records is more difficult than finding a needle in a haystack. In the haystack problem, there is only one needle that does not look like hay, the pieces of hay all look similar, and neither the needle nor the hay changes much over time. Fraudulent calls may be rare like needles in haystacks, but they are much more challenging to find. Callers
Simvastatin treatment reduces heat shock protein 60, 65, and 70 antibody titers in dyslipidemic patients: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial.

OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to evaluate the effects of statin therapy on serum levels of antibodies to several specific heat shock proteins (HSPs) in dyslipidemic patients.


DESIGN AND METHODS
Participants (n=102) were treated with simvastatin (40mg/day), or placebo in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial. Anti-HSP60, 65, 70, and hs-CRP levels were measured before and after each treatment period. Seventy-seven subjects completed the study.


RESULTS
Treatment with simvastatin was associated with significant reductions in serum anti-HSP60, 65, and 70 titers in the dyslipidemic patients (10%, 14%, and 15% decrease, respectively) (p<0.001). There have been previous reports of reductions in serum CRP with statin treatment, and although median CRP levels were 9% lower on simvastatin treatment, this did not achieve statistical significance.


CONCLUSION
While it is unclear whether HSP antibodies are directly involved in atherogenesis, our findings suggest that simvastatin inhibits autoimmune responses that may contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease.
Effect of chemotherapy counseling by pharmacists on quality of life and psychological outcomes of oncology patients in Malaysia: a randomized control trial

BACKGROUND
Cancer is now becoming a leading cause of death. Chemotherapy is an important treatment for cancer patients. These patients also need consultation during their treatment to improve quality of life and decrease psychological disorders. The objectives of the study were to develop, implement and evaluate the effectiveness of a chemotherapy counseling module by pharmacists among oncology patients on their quality of life and psychological outcomes in Malaysia.


METHOD
A single-blind randomized controlled trial was carried out among 162 oncology patients undergoing chemotherapy from July 2013 to February 2014 in a government hospital with oncology facilities in Malaysia. Participants were randomized to either the intervention group or the control group. Chemotherapy counseling using the module on 'Managing Patients on Chemotherapy' by Pharmacists was delivered to the intervention group. The outcome measures were assessed at baseline, first follow-up and second follow-up and third follow-up post-intervention. Chi-square, independent samples t-test and two-way repeated measures ANOVA were conducted in the course of the data analyses.


RESULTS
In assessing the impact of the chemotherapy counseling module, the study revealed that the module along with repetitive counseling showed significant improvement of quality of life in the intervention group as compared to the control group with a large effect size in physical health (p = 0.001, partial Ƞ2 = 0.66), psychological (p = 0.001, partial Ƞ2 = 0.65), social relationships (p = 0.001, partial Ƞ2 = 0.30), and environment (p = 0.001, partial Ƞ2 = 0.67) and decrease in the anxiety (p = 0.000; partial Ƞ2 = 0.23), depression (p = 0.000; partial Ƞ2 = 0.40).


CONCLUSION
The module on 'Managing Patients on Chemotherapy' along with repetitive counseling by pharmacists has been shown to be effective in improving quality of life and decreasing anxiety and depression among oncology patients undergoing chemotherapy.


TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER
National Medical Research Register (NMRR) of Malaysia and given a registration number NMRR-12-1057-12,363 on 21 December 2012.
Low-pressure pneumoperitoneum combined with intraperitoneal saline washout for reduction of pain after laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a prospective randomized study

We designed a prospective randomized clinical trial to investigate whether intraperitoneal saline washout combined with a low-pressure pneumoperitoneum (LPSW) was superior to low-pressure pneumoperitoneum (LP) alone as a means of reducing postoperative pain and analgesic consumption in the early recovery period after laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). A total of 124 consecutive patients undergoing LC due to uncomplicated symptomatic gallstones were randomized to the LP or LPSW group. In the LPSW group, normal saline at body temperature (25 ml/kg of body weight) was irrigated under the diaphragm. The fluid was evacuated via the passive-flow method through a 16-F closed drain left under the liver for 24 h. We then assessed the intensity of total abdominal postoperative pain using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), including the incidence of shoulder-tip pain (STP), total daily analgesia demand rate, analgesic consumption. Quality of life (QOL) within 7 days after the operation was assessed using the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36). A p value of <0.05 was considered significant. The mean postoperative pain score was lower by 2.64 ± 0.86 in the LPSW; the difference equaled 9.64% (p < 0.05). The incidence of STP was lower in the LPSW group (LP 11.29% vs LPSW 1.6%; p = 0.028). The analgesia demand rate was remarkably lower in LPSW vs LP within 24 and 48 h postoperatively (70.96% vs 90.32%; p = 0.006 and 64.51% vs. 83.87%; p = 0.013, respectively). After LPSW vs LP, QOL was better in terms of physical functioning, role limitations due to physical problems, and bodily pain (90.32% vs 77.42%; p = 0.05, 90.32% vs 75.8%; p = 0.03, 91.93% vs 74.19%; p = 0.008, respectively). In terms of lower postoperative pain and a better QOL within the early recovery period, LPSW is superior to LP alone. The saline washout procedure should be recommended during LC because it is a simple way to reduce pain intensity, even after LP operations.
Collision avoidance of unmanned ships based on artificial potential field

The collision avoidance problem of autonomous ships is analyzed in this paper. Firstly, the background and the difficulties are reviewed. Then an improved artificial potential field method is designed to solve the collision avoidance problem of unmanned ships, and the system characteristics are investigated. Finally, simulation results demonstrate the ship's control effectiveness in the obstacle environment.
Two year follow-up of clinical and inflammation parameters in children monosensitized to mites undergoing subcutaneous and sublingual immunotherapy.

BACKGROUND
Both SCIT (subcutaneous immunotherapy) and SLIT (sublingual immunotherapy) have clinical and immunologic efficacy in children with rhinitis and asthma but comparative studies are scarce.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the clinical and immunological efficacy of mite-specific SLIT and SCIT in children with rhinitis and asthma.


METHOD
Thirty children monosensitized to house dust mite were randomized to receive either active SCIT or SLIT or placebo for 1 yr in a double-blind double-dummy placebo controlled design (Yukselen A et al., Int Arch Allergy Immunol 2012; 157:288-298). Thereafter, the placebo group was randomized to receive SCIT or SLIT, and for 1 yr all patients received active treatment with SCIT or SLIT. Symptom scores, drug usage, titrated skin prick tests, nasal and bronchial allergen provocation doses, serum house dust mite-specific immunglobulin E, sIgG4, IL-10 and IFN- g levels were evaluated.


RESULTS
The reduction of clinical scores with SLIT was more evident after 2 years of treatment in comparison to both the baseline and DBPC phase of the study. The change in titrated skin prick tests and nasal provocative doses was more prominent with both SCIT and SLIT at the end of the open phase. Although the increase inbronchial provocative doses was not significant at the end of the first year of treatment with SLIT, it reached a statistically significant difference after two years of treatment.


CONCLUSION
The clinical efficacy of SLIT is more prominent at the end of the second year, although this improvement is observed from the first year of treatment with SCIT in mite-sensitive children.
Ultrasound assessment of increased capsular width in temporomandibular joint internal derangements: relationship with joint pain and magnetic resonance grading of joint effusion.

OBJECTIVE
The relationship between radiologic evidence of effusion in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and the occurrence of clinical symptoms (e.g., pain) is still unclear. Increased capsular width (CW) measured in ultrasonographic imaging (USI) of the TMJ was considered to be an indirect marker of TMJ effusion. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the grades of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-depicted joint effusion (JE), increased CW measured in USI, and joint pain in TMJ internal derangement (ID) patients.


STUDY DESIGN
During a 4-year period, 91 patients clinically diagnosed with TMJ ID according to the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders classification were included in the study. Those with mainly myogenic complaints were excluded. In clinical examination, the severity of pain was assessed by visual analog scale (VAS, 0 to 10). All TMJs (n = 182) were evaluated to detect the presence of joint effusion by means of USI and MRI. MRI-depicted effusion was classified as no effusion, moderate effusion, and severe effusion. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to depict the critical cutoff value for TMJ CW. USI sensitivity was evaluated by means of MRI effusion, and a cutoff value was depicted that was considered to be the threshold to discriminate the TMJs with and without effusion. The relationship between the joint pain and USI and MRI findings of effusion were evaluated with Friedman and Wilcoxon tests.


RESULTS
The average VAS scores of the TMJs without effusion was found to be 2.55, with moderate effusion 2.92, and with severe effusion 4.80. A significant positive correlation was found between the VAS scores and the intensity of MRI JE (P = .003). The most accurate cutoff value of CW is found to be 1.65 mm. The average VAS score with CW <1.65 was found to be 2.10 and the average VAS score with CW >1.65 was found to be 3.75. A significant positive correlation was found between the clinical pain scores and CW measured in USI (P = .001).


CONCLUSIONS
Both MRI-depicted effusion and USI assessment of CW were found to be related to the pain in TMJ ID patients.
Equity and justice in climate change adaptation amongst natural-resource-dependent societies

Issues of equity and justice are high on international agendas dealing with the impacts of global climate change. But what are the implications of climate change for equity and justice amongst vulnerable groups at local and sub-national levels? We ask this question for three reasons: (a) there is a considerable literature suggesting that the poorest and most vulnerable groups will disproportionately experience the negative effects of 21st century climate change; (b) such changes are likely to impact significantly on developing world countries, where natural-resource dependency is high; and (c) international conventions increasingly recognise the need to centrally engage resource stakeholders in agendas in order to achieve their desired aims, as part of more holistic approaches to sustainable development. These issues however have implications for distributive and procedural justice, particularly when considered within the efforts of the UNFCCC. The issues are examined through an evaluation of key criteria relating to climate change scenarios and vulnerability in the developing world, and second through two southern African case studies that explore the ways in which livelihoods are differentially impacted by (i) inequitable natural-resource use policies, (ii) community-based natural-resource management programmes. Finally, we consider the placement of climate change amongst the package of factors affecting equity in natural-resource use, and whether this placement creates a case for considering climate change as ‘special’ amongst livelihood disturbing factors in the developing world. r 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
A Panel Data Analysis of the Brain Gain

In this paper, we revisit the impact of skilled emigration on human capital accumulation using new panel data covering 147 countries on the period 1975-2000. We derive testable predictions from a stylized theoretical model and test them in dynamic regression models. Our empirical analysis predicts conditional convergence of human capital indicators. Our ndings also reveal that skilled migration prospects foster human capital accumulation in low-income countries. In these countries, a net brain gain can be obtained if the skilled emigration rate is not too large (i.e. does not exceed 20 to 30 percent depending on other country characteristics). On the contrary, we nd no evidence of a signicant incentive mechanism in middle-income and, unsuprisingly, in high-income countries. JEL Classications: O15-O40-F22-F43 Keywords: human capital, convergence, brain drain We thank anonymous referees for their helpful comments. Suggestions from Barry Chiswick, Hubert Jayet, Joel Hellier and Fatemeh Shadman-Mehta were also appreciated. This article beneted from comments received at the SIUTE seminar (Lille, January 2006), the CReAM conference on Immigration: Impacts, Integration and Intergenerational Issues (London, March 2006), the Spring Meeting of Young Economists (Sevilla, May 2006), the XIV Villa Mondragone International Economic Seminar (Rome, July 2006) and the ESPE meeting (Chicago, 2007). The third author is grateful for the nancial support from the Belgian French-speaking Communitys programme Action de recherches concertées (ARC 03/08 -302) and from the Belgian Federal Government (PAI grant P6/07 Economic Policy and Finance in the Global Equilibrium Analysis and Social Evaluation). The usual disclaimers apply. Corresponding author: Michel Beine (michel.beine@uni.lu), University of Luxembourg, 162a av. de la Faiencerie, L-1511 Luxembourg.
Alluvial sediment sources in a glaciated catchment: The voidomatis basin, Northwest Greece

X-ray diffraction (XRD) of the fine matrix component of four alluvial units and modern channel sediments in the Voidomatis River Basin of northwest Greece shows that fine sediment sources have changed considerably during the late Quaternary. The matrix fraction of the modern channel sediments is derived predominantly from erosion of local flysch rocks and soils. During the last glaciation, however, the fine sediment load of the Voidomatis River was dominated by glacially-ground, finely comminuted limestone materials. Limestone-derived fine sediment is not produced in significant amounts under modern climatic conditions. By combining this XRD work with a detailed programme of clast lithologic 1 analysis we have reconstructed former bedload and fine sediment load composition. The lithological properties of both the coarse (8-256 mm) and fine ( < 63 pm) elements of the sediment load have varied markedly during the late Quaternary. A simple, semiquantitative assessment of fine sediment mineralogy, using diffractogram peak-height data, has provided a valuable complement to the information gathered from more traditional clast lithological techniques. Together, in favourable geological settings, fine fraction mineralogy and clast lithological analysis can provide a valuable tool for the reconstruction of late Quaternary alluvial environments.
Train longer, generalize better: closing the generalization gap in large batch training of neural networks

Background: Deep learning models are typically trained using stochastic gradient descent or one of its variants. These methods update the weights using their gradient, estimated from a small fraction of the training data. It has been observed that when using large batch sizes there is a persistent degradation in generalization performance known as the "generalization gap" phenomenon. Identifying the origin of this gap and closing it had remained an open problem. Contributions: We examine the initial high learning rate training phase. We find that the weight distance from its initialization grows logarithmically with the number of weight updates. We therefore propose a "random walk on a random landscape" statistical model which is known to exhibit similar "ultra-slow" diffusion behavior. Following this hypothesis we conducted experiments to show empirically that the "generalization gap" stems from the relatively small number of updates rather than the batch size, and can be completely eliminated by adapting the training regime used. We further investigate different techniques to train models in the large-batch regime and present a novel algorithm named "Ghost Batch Normalization" which enables significant decrease in the generalization gap without increasing the number of updates. To validate our findings we conduct several additional experiments on MNIST, CIFAR-10, CIFAR-100 and ImageNet. Finally, we reassess common practices and beliefs concerning training of deep models and suggest they may not be optimal to achieve good generalization.