LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Rationale and design of the myocardial microinjury and cardiac remodeling extension study in the sodium lowering in dialysate trial (Mac-SoLID study)

BACKGROUND
The Sodium Lowering in Dialysate (SoLID) trial is an ongoing a multi-center, prospective, randomised, single-blind (assessor), controlled, parallel assignment clinical trial, enrolling 96 home and self-care hemodialysis (HD) patients from 7 centers in New Zealand. The trial will evaluate the hypothesis that lower dialysate [Na+] during HD results in lower left ventricular (LV) mass. Since it's inception, observational evidence has suggested increased mortality risk with lower dialysate [Na+], possibly due to exacerbation of intra-dialytic hypotension and subsequent myocardial micro-injury. The Myocardial Micro-injury and Cardiac Remodeling Extension Study in the Sodium Lowering In Dialysate Trial (Mac-SoLID study) aims to determine whether lower dialysate [Na+] results in (i) increased levels of high-sensitivity Troponin T (hsTnT), a well-established marker of intra-dialytic myocardial micro-injury in HD populations, and (ii) increased fixed LV segmental wall motion abnormalities, a marker of recurrent myocardial stunning and micro-injury, and (iii) detrimental changes in LV geometry due to maladaptive homeostatic mechanisms.


METHODS/DESIGN
The SoLID trial and the Mac-SoLID study are funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand. Key exclusion criteria: patients who dialyse > 3.5 times per week, pre-dialysis serum sodium <135 mM, and maintenance haemodiafiltration. In addition, some medical conditions, treatments or participation in other dialysis trials that contraindicate the study intervention or confound its effects, will be exclusion criteria. The intervention and control groups will receive dialysate sodium 135 mM and 140 mM respectively, for 12 months. The primary outcome measure for the Mac-SOLID study is repeated measures of [hsTnT] at 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. The secondary outcomes will be assessed using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and comprise LV segmental wall motion abnormality scores, LV mass to volume ratio and patterns of LV remodeling at 0 and 12 months.


DISCUSSION
The Mac-SoLID study enhances and complements the SoLID trial. It tests whether potential gains in cardiovascular health (reduced LV mass) which low dialysate [Na+] is expected to deliver, are counteracted by deterioration in cardiovascular health through alternative mechanisms, namely repeated LV stunning and micro-injury.


TRIAL REGISTRATION
Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry number: ACTRN12611000975998.
A pre-post pilot study of a brief, web-based intervention to engage disadvantaged smokers into cessation treatment

BACKGROUND
People with low education and/or income are more likely to smoke, less likely to quit, and experience disparately poor health outcomes compared to those with education and income advantage. Cost-effective strategies are needed to inform and engage this group into effective cessation treatments. We developed a novel, web-based, motivational, decision-support system that was designed to engage disadvantaged smokers into tobacco cessation treatment. We piloted the system among smokers in a primary care safety net clinic.


METHODS
Thirty-nine eligible subjects were assessed at baseline and used the decision-support system; 38 were assessed 2 months later. Chi-square or Fisher's exact tests were used to assess whether participants who used the program were more likely to use cessation treatment than a randomly selected group of 60 clinic patients.


RESULTS
Thirty-nine percent of smokers initiated cessation treatment after using the decision-support system, compared to 3 percent of the comparison group (Fisher's exact = 21.2; p = 0.000). Over 10 percent achieved continuous abstinence over the 2-month follow-up. Users were satisfied with the program - 100 percent stated they would recommend it to a friend.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data indicate that this web-based, motivational, decision-support system is feasible, satisfactory, and promising in its ability to engage smokers into cessation treatment in a primary care safety net clinic. Further evaluation research is warranted.
Treatment of postmastectomy lymphedema with low-level laser therapy: a double blind, placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND
The current study describes the results of a double blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, single crossover trial of the treatment of patients with postmastectomy lymphedema (PML) with low-level laser therapy (LLLT).


METHODS
Participants received placebo or one cycle or two cycles of LLLT to the axillary region of their affected arm. They were monitored for reductions in affected limb volume, upper body extracellular tissue fluid distribution, dermal tonometry, and range of limb movement.


RESULTS
There was no significant improvement reported immediately after any of the treatments. However, the mean affected limb volume was found to be significantly reduced at 1 month or 3 months of follow-up after 2 cycles of active laser treatment. Approximately 31% of subjects had a clinically significant reduction in the volume of their PML-affected arm (> 200 mLs) approximately 2-3 months after 2 cycles of treatment. There was no significant effect of placebo treatment, or one cycle of laser treatment, on affected limb volume. The extracellular fluid index of the affected and unaffected arms and torso were reported to be significantly reduced at 3 months after 2 cycles of laser therapy, and there was significant softening of the tissues in the affected upper arm. Treatment did not appear to improve range of movement of the affected arm.


CONCLUSIONS
Two cycles of laser treatment were found to be effective in reducing the volume of the affected arm, extracellular fluid, and tissue hardness in approximately 33% of patients with postmastectomy lymphedema at 3 months after treatment.
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY Control and Dynamical Systems

1. Identify 5 feedback systems that you encounter in your everyday environment. For each system, identify the sensing mechanism, actuation mechanism, and control law. Describe the uncertainty that the feedback system provides robustness with respect to and/or the dynamics that are changed through the use of feedback. At least one example should correspond to a system that comes from your own discipline or research activities.
Experimental study of bone response to hydroxyapatite coating implants: bone-implant contact and removal torque test.

OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to evaluate the early osseointegration of hydroxyapatite (HA)-coated implant.


STUDY DESIGN
Twelve adult male miniature pigs were used in this study. The removal torque of implants placed in the tibia of miniature pigs was measured. For implants placed in the mandible, histomorphometric evaluation was performed for the evaluation of the bone-implant contact (BIC) ratio.


RESULTS
After 4, 8, and 12 weeks, removal torque values were increased. Among the 3 groups, the HA-coated group showed the highest values (P < .05). At 4 and 8 weeks, the BIC ratio of HA was significantly higher than that of resorbable blast medium or sand blasted with alumina and acid etched (P < .05).


CONCLUSIONS
It was concluded that HA-coated implants are relatively favorable in early loading stages.
Time trends in drug resistant HIV-1 infections in the United Kingdom up to 2009: multicentre observational study

OBJECTIVE
To evaluate whether the prevalence of HIV-1 transmitted drug resistance has continued to decline in infections probably acquired within the United Kingdom.


DESIGN
Multicentre observational study.


SETTING
All UK public laboratories conducting tests for genotypic HIV resistance as a part of routine care.


PARTICIPANTS
14,584 patients infected with HIV-1 subtype B virus, who were first tested for resistance before receiving antiretroviral therapy between January 2002 and December 2009.


MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE
Prevalence of transmitted drug resistance, defined as one or more resistance mutations from the surveillance list recommended by the World Health Organization.


RESULTS
1654 (11.3%, 95% confidence interval 10.8% to 11.9%) patients had one or more mutations associated with transmitted HIV-1 drug resistance; prevalence was found to decline from 15.5% in 2002 to 9.6% in 2007, followed by a slight increase to 10.9% in 2009 (P=0.21). This later rise was mainly a result of increases in resistance to nucleos(t)ide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (from 5.4% in 2007 to 6.6% in 2009, P=0.24) and protease inhibitors (1.5% to 2.1%, P=0.12). Thymidine analogue mutations, including T215 revertants, remained the most frequent mutations associated with nucleos(t)ide reverse transcriptase inhibitors, despite a considerable fall in stavudine and zidovudine use between 2002 and 2009 (from 29.4% of drug regimens in 2002 to 0.8% in 2009, from 47.9% to 8.8%, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
The previously observed decline in the prevalence of transmitted drug resistance in HIV-1 infections probably acquired in the UK seems to have stabilised. The continued high prevalence of thymidine analogue mutations suggests that the source of this resistance may be increasingly from patients who have not undergone antiretroviral therapy and who harbour resistant viruses. Testing of all newly diagnosed HIV-1 positive people should be continued.
Arendt: A Guide for the Perplexed

1. Introduction 2. Totalitarianism and the Banality of Evil 3. Philosophical Thought and the Human Condition 4. Freedom and Practical Politics 5. Life of the Mind and Political Judgment 6. Arendt's Critics Bibliography Index.
Collagen types VIII and X, two non-fibrillar, short-chain collagens. Structure homologies, functions and involvement in pathology.

Collagens can be divided into two groups, i.e., fibrillar and non-fibrillar collagens. Short-chain collagens, a subgroup of non-fibrillar collagens, comprises collagen type VIII and type X. These two collagen types show several similarities in structure and possibly also in function. Type VIII collagen appears to be secreted by rapidly proliferating cells. It can be found in basement membranes and may serve as a molecular bridge between different types of matrix molecules. In different tissues this collagen type may serve different functions. Stabilization of membranes, angiogenesis, and interactions with other extracellular matrix molecules. Since collagen type X is produced by hypertrophic chondrocytes, this collagen type can only be found in matrix of the hypertrophic zone of the epiphyseal growth plate cartilage. Collagen type X is probably involved in the process of mineralization, endochondral ossification, and is also proposed to play a role in angiogenesis. Collagen types VII and X may be involved in matrix and bone disorders. Their structure, function, and involvement in pathology are discussed in this review.
Software Measurement Activities in Small and Medium Enterprises: an Empirical Assessment

An empirical study for evaluating the proper implementation of measurement/metric programs in software companies in one area of Turkey is presented. The research questions are discussed and validated with the help of senior software managers (more than 15 years’ experience) and then used for interviewing a variety of medium and small scale software companies in Ankara. Observations show that there is a common reluctance/lack of interest in utilizing measurements/metrics despite the fact that they are well known in the industry. A side product of this research is that internationally recognized standards such as ISO and CMMI are pursued if they are a part of project/job requirements; without these requirements, introducing those standards to the companies remains as a long-term target to increase quality.
Interim Results of Sentinel Node Biopsy during Laparoscopic Gastrectomy: Possible Role in Function-Preserving Surgery for Early Cancer

Intraoperative detection of sentinel nodes (SNs) has been used clinically to predict regional lymph node (LN) metastasis in patients with breast cancer and malignant melanoma. Intraoperative lymphatic mapping and SN biopsy can potentially be combined with minimally invasive surgery. However, few reports have demonstrated the validity of SN biopsy during laparoscopic gastrectomy. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility and accuracy of laparoscopic lymphatic mapping in predicting LN status in patients with gastric cancer. A total of 35 patients with gastric cancer diagnosed preoperatively as T1, N0 were enrolled. Endoscopic injection of technetium-99m-radiolabeled tin colloid was completed 16 hours before surgery, and radioactive SNs were identified with a gamma probe intraoperatively. Isosulfan blue dye was injected endoscopically during the operation. Laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy with LN dissection was performed. All resected LNs were evaluated by routine pathology examination. SNs were detected in 33 (94.3%) of 35 patients. The mean number of SNs was 3.9, and the diagnostic accuracy according to SN status was 97.0% (32/33), as one patient with a false-negative result was observed. The patient with the false-negative specimen was finally diagnosed as having advanced gastric cancer with invasion into the proper muscular layer and severe lymphatic vessel invasion, causing destruction of normal lymphatic flow by the tumor. Radio-guided SN mapping during laparoscopic gastrectomy is an accurate diagnostic tool for detecting lymph node metastasis in patients with early-stage gastric cancer. Validation of this method requires further studies on technical issues, including indications, tracers, methods of lymph node retrieval, and diagnostic modalities of metastasis.
Identification of nestin-positive putative mammary stem cells in human breastmilk

Stem cells in mammary tissue have been well characterised by using the mammary stem cell marker, cytokeratin (CK) 5 and the mature epithelial markers CK14, CK18 and CK19. As these markers have never been reported in cells from breastmilk, the aim of this study has been to determine whether mammary stem cells are present in expressed human breastmilk. Cultured cells from human breastmilk were studied by using immunofluorescent labelling and reverse transcription/polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). We found a heterogeneous population of cells with differential expression of CK5, CK14, CK18 and CK19. Further, by using the multipotent stem cell marker, nestin, we identified cells in culture that were positive only for nestin or double-positive for CK5/nestin, whereas no co-staining was observed for CK14, CK18 and CK19 with nestin. When cells isolated from breastmilk were analysed by using RT-PCR prior to culture, only nestin and CK18 were detected, thereby indicating that breastmilk contained differentiated epithelial and putative stem cells. Furthermore, fluorescence-activated cell-sorting analysis demonstrated, in breastmilk, a small side-population of cells that excluded Hoechst 33342 (a key property of multipotent stem cells). When stained for nestin, the cells in the side-population were positive, whereas those not in the side-population were negative. The presence of nestin-positive putative mammary stem cells suggests that human breastmilk is a readily available and non-invasive source of putative mammary stem cells that may be useful for research into both mammary gland biology and more general stem cell biology.
Differences in sensitivity to the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis among amphibian populations.

Contributing to the worldwide biodiversity crisis are emerging infectious diseases, which can lead to extirpations and extinctions of hosts. For example, the infectious fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is associated with worldwide amphibian population declines and extinctions. Sensitivity to Bd varies with species, season, and life stage. However, there is little information on whether sensitivity to Bd differs among populations, which is essential for understanding Bd-infection dynamics and for formulating conservation strategies. We experimentally investigated intraspecific differences in host sensitivity to Bd across 10 populations of wood frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus) raised from eggs to metamorphosis. We exposed the post-metamorphic wood frogs to Bd and monitored survival for 30 days under controlled laboratory conditions. Populations differed in overall survival and mortality rate. Infection load also differed among populations but was not correlated with population differences in risk of mortality. Such population-level variation in sensitivity to Bd may result in reservoir populations that may be a source for the transmission of Bd to other sensitive populations or species. Alternatively, remnant populations that are less sensitive to Bd could serve as sources for recolonization after epidemic events.
A Novel Approach for the Detection & Analysis of Brain Tumor

Medical image processing is the most challenging and emerging field now a day’s. In this field, detection of brain tumor from MRI brain scan has become one of the most challenging problems, due to complex structure of brain. The quantitative analysis of MRI brain tumor allows obtaining useful key indicators of disease progression. A computer aided diagnostic system has been proposed here for detecting the tumor texture in biological study. This is an attempt made which describes the proposed strategy for detection of tumor with the help of segmentation techniques in MATLAB; which incorporates preprocessing stages of noise removal, image enhancement and edge detection. Processing stages includes segmentation like intensity and watershed based segmentation, thresholding to extract the area of unwanted cells from the whole image. Here algorithms are proposed to calculate area and percentage of the tumor. Keywords— MRI, FCM, MKFCM, SVM, Otsu, threshold, fudge factor
Japan assessment of pitavastatin and atorvastatin in acute coronary syndrome (JAPAN-ACS): rationale and design.

BACKGROUND
Many trials have shown that 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors reduce the incidence of cardiovascular events and mortality. One method of decreasing the incidence of cardiovascular events could be to reduce the progression of coronary atherosclerosis, and a recent study found that atorvastatin can cause coronary plaque to regress. To generalize this finding, using conventional HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors at many Japanese centers, randomized trials of pitavastatin and atorvastatin will be conducted with patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).


METHODS AND RESULTS
Patients with ACS who have undergone successful percutaneous coronary intervention under intravascular ultrasound guidance will be studied. They will be randomly allocated to pitavastatin or atorvastatin groups and followed up for 8-12 months. The primary endpoint will be the percent change in coronary plaque volume, and secondary endpoints will include absolute changes in coronary plaque volume, serum lipid levels and inflammatory markers. The safety profile will also be evaluated.


CONCLUSIONS
This study will examine the ability of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors to regress coronary plaque in Japanese patients with ACS and the findings should help to improve the prognosis of such patients and clarify the involved mechanisms.
Efficient traffic simulator coupling in a distributed V2X simulation environment

For the simulation of all aspects of V2X Communication scenarios, different simulators have to be combined and an interaction among them at runtime of the simulation has to be enabled. Hence, we have developed the V2X Simulation Runtime Infrastructure (VSimRTI) which couples discrete event-based simulators, e.g. for communication network, traffic, and V2X application simulation. The flexibility of VSimRTI allows us to vary the composition of integrated simulators depending on the specific requirements of a scenario. Moreover, optimistic synchronisation mechanisms enable us to decrease simulation time. In this paper, we combine both traffic simulators VISSIM and SUMO. VISSIM is used to achieve a highly accurate simulation of the most interesting region, whereas the more efficient traffic simulator SUMO simulates surrounding areas. We shall show that this simulator coupling reduces the overall simulation time without any decrease in accuracy. This work has been carried out within the PRE-DRIVE C2X project.
COFI RANK - Maximum Margin Matrix Factorization for Collaborative Ranking

In this paper, we consider collaborative filtering as a ranking problem. We present a method which uses Maximum Margin Matrix Factorization and optimizes ranking instead of rating. We employ structured output prediction to optimize directly for ranking scores. Experimental results show that our method gives very good ranking scores and scales well on collaborative filtering tasks.
A comparison of phenytoin-loading techniques in the emergency department.

OBJECTIVES
To compare the effectivenesses of three phenytoin-loading techniques.


METHODS
Patients with subtherapeutic phenytoin concentrations who presented within 48 hours of a seizure were randomized to receive either 20 mg/kg of oral phenytoin (PO), divided in maximum doses of 400 mg every two hours, 18 mg/kg of intravenous phenytoin (IVP) at an initial infusion rate of 50 mg/min, or 18 mg/kg (phenytoin equivalents) of intravenous fosphenytoin (IVF) at an initial infusion rate of 150 mg/min.


RESULTS
A total of 45 patients were enrolled: 16 in the PO group, 14 in the IVP group, and 15 in the IVF group. The times required to reach therapeutic drug concentrations were (mean +/- standard deviation [SD]) 5.62 +/- 0.28 hours, 0.24 +/- 0.3 hours, and 0.21 +/- 0.28 hours, respectively. A total of 17, 27, and 32 adverse drug events were observed in the PO, IVP, and IVF groups, respectively, with significantly fewer events in the PO group (p = 0.02, p = 0.01). No significant difference was found between the numbers of necessary adjustments to the infusions in the two IV groups. The average time to safe emergency department discharge was significantly shorter for the IV groups compared with the PO group (p < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Oral loading has fewer adverse drug events than either IV loading method, but its use may be limited when therapeutic concentrations are required quickly. Although IVF loading is faster, from an adverse-drug event perspective, no advantage of IVF over IVP was apparent.
Chapter # FOUNDATIONS FOR A CORE ONTOLOGY OF MANUFACTURING

An initial fragment of a core ontology for the manufacturing domain is presented and motivated. It consists of an ontological classification of ADACOR concepts according to the DOLCE foundational ontology. The ontology is conceptually transparent and semantically explicit thus suitable for information communication, sharing, and retrieval. The system here described considers entities performing the manufacturing scheduling and control operations only.