LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Intravenous ibandronate injections given every three months: a new treatment option to prevent bone loss in postmenopausal women.

OBJECTIVE
To investigate the efficacy, safety, and dose response of three doses of ibandronate, given intermittently by intravenous (IV) injection every three months, in preventing postmenopausal osteoporosis.


PATIENTS AND METHODS
629 postmenopausal women, categorised according to time since menopause and baseline lumbar spine (L1-4) bone mineral density (BMD), were enrolled into a multicentre, double blind, placebo controlled trial. They were randomly allocated to receive IV ibandronate 0.5 mg, 1 mg or 2 mg, or placebo every three months. All women received daily calcium supplementation.


RESULTS
One year's treatment with intermittent IV ibandronate injections produced a dose dependent gain in mean (SD) lumbar spine BMD from baseline of 2.5 (2.5)%, 1.8 (2.6)%, and 1.0 (2.8)% in the groups receiving 2 mg, 1 mg, and 0.5 mg ibandronate, respectively, compared with a loss of BMD of 0.4 (2.4)% in the women in the placebo group; p=0.0001 for each ibandronate dose v placebo. Highest BMD gains occurred in women with osteopenia receiving 2 mg ibandronate. Similarly, at the hip, all three doses of ibandronate produced significantly better gains in BMD than placebo (p<0.05), with the greatest gains in the women with osteopenia receiving the 2 mg dose. Ibandronate concomitantly and dose dependently suppressed markers of bone turnover in comparison with placebo, and injections were well tolerated.


CONCLUSION
IV ibandronate injections, given every three months, may be an effective alternative to oral bisphosphonates and hormonal therapy in the prevention of bone loss in postmenopausal women.
Variability of Antithrombotic Dosing Among Veterans Presenting With Acute Coronary Syndrome

BACKGROUND
Antithrombotic therapy for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients is recommended by clinical practice guidelines. Appropriate dosing of antithrombotic therapy is necessary to ensure effectiveness and safety and is an American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association ST elevated myocardial infarction/non-ST elevated myocardial infarction performance measure. This study describes the variability in dosing of unfractionated heparin (UH) and low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) in an integrated health care system with electronic medical records and computerized physician order entry (CPOE).


METHODS AND RESULTS
This was a mixed-methods study of veterans presenting with ACS at 135 Veterans Health Administration hospitals from 2009 to 2011. Patients hospitalized with ACS and received antithrombotic therapy were included (n=36 682). The cohort was 98% male with an average age of 66 years and median body mass index (BMI) of 28.6. The average percentage of patients by hospital who received an above-recommended dose of either antithrombotic was 7.5% and ranged 0% to 32.0%. By individual therapy, the average percentage of patients by hospital who received an above-recommended dose of UH was 1.2% and LMWH was 12.9%. Risk-adjusted analyses demonstrated that older age and higher BMI were associated with lower risk for receiving a dose above recommended levels. Additionally, there was an association between antithrombotic ordered by a resident and higher risk of the patient receiving an above-recommended dose. Qualitative interviews supported the quantitative findings by highlighting the need to use current patient weight and the need to adequately train providers on the use of CPOE to improve antithrombotic dosing.


CONCLUSION
This study found wide hospital variability in dosing of antithrombotics above the recommended level for patients treated for ACS.
Mandibular second molar eruption difficulties related to the maintenance of arch perimeter in the mixed dentition.

INTRODUCTION
In this prospective longitudinal study, we compared the prevalence of mandibular second molar eruption difficulties in patients treated with appliances to maintain mandibular arch perimeter. Other independent variables (age, molar angulation, space-width ratio, treatment time, and sex) were tested for their value as predictors of eruption difficulty.


METHODS
Three hundred one patients and subjects were divided into 4 groups: patients treated with a Schwarz appliance, patients treated with a mandibular lingual holding arch, patients treated with a combination of both appliances, and subjects who received no treatment (controls). Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the statistical significance of the possible predictors of eruption difficulty. Panoramic radiographs were analyzed at 2 times--before and after treatment. The radiograph before treatment was evaluated for the angulation of the mandibular second molars and space available for these unerupted teeth. The radiograph after treatment was used to determine the incidence of mandibular second molar eruption difficulty.


RESULTS
All 3 treatment groups had higher incidences of mandibular second molar eruption difficulty when compared with the controls; the increased prevalence was significant for the protocols incorporating the Schwarz appliance. Initial molar angulation, space-width ratio, age, and sex of the patient were not significant predictors of disturbances in the eruption pattern of the mandibular second molars.


CONCLUSIONS
Orthodontic appliances intended to maintain mandibular arch perimeter in the mixed dentition increase the probability of eruption disturbances of the mandibular second molars. Clinicians should monitor these patients carefully to prevent impaction of the second molars.
Representing the existence and the location of hidden objects: Object permanence in 6- and 8-month-old infants

The present experiment investigated two facets of object permanence in young infants: the ability to represent the existence and the location of a hidden stationary object, and the ability to ‘represent the existence and the trajectory of a hidden moving object. Sixand B-month-old infants sat in front of a screen; to the left of the screen was an inclined ramp. The infants watched the following event: the screen was raised and lowered, and a toy car rolled down the ramp, passed behind the screen, and exited the apparatus to the right. After the infants habituated to this event, they saw two test events. These were identical to the habituation event, except that a box was placed behind the screen. In one event (possible event), the box stood in back of the car’s tracks; in the other (impossible event), it stood on top of the tracks, blocking the car’s path. Infants looked longer at the impossible than at the possible event, indicating that they were surprised to see the car reappear from behind the screen when the box stood in its path. A control experiment in which the box was placed in front (possible event) or on top (impossible event) of the car’s tracks yielded similar results. Together, the results of these experiments suggest that infants understood that (I) the box continued to exist, in its same location, after it was occluded by the screen; (2) the car continued to exist, and pursued its trajectory, after it disappeared behind the screen; and (3) the car could not roll through the space occupied by the box. These results have implications for theory and research on the development of infants’ knowledge about objects and infants’ reasoning abilities. *The research reported in this manuscript was supported by a grant from the University Research Institute of the University of Texas at Austin. I thank Judy Deloache and Gwen Gustafson, for their careful reading of the paper; Marty Banks, Kathy Cain, Carol Dweck, Marcia Graber, and Liz Spelke, for helpful comments on different versions of the paper; and Stanley Wasserman and Dawn Iaccobucci for their help with the statistical analyses. I also thank the undergraduates who served as observers and experimenters, and the parents who kindly allowed their infants to participate in the studies. Reprint requests should be sent to Renee Baillargeon, Psychology Department, University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign 603 E Daniel Street, Champaign, IL. 61820, U.S.A. OOlO-0277/86/$6.80
The effects of sensorimotor-based intervention versus therapeutic practice on improving handwriting performance in 6- to 11-year-old children.

OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of two interventions (sensorimotor and therapeutic practice) on handwriting and selected sensorimotor components in elementary-age children.


METHOD
Thirty-eight children 6 to 11 years of age with handwriting dysfunction but no identified educational need were randomly assigned to one of the two intervention groups or a control group. Intervention groups met four times per week over 5 weeks. Handwriting was measured pre- and postintervention using the Test of Handwriting Skills. Visual perception (motor-reduced), visual-motor integration, proprioception, and in-hand manipulation were also measured.


RESULTS
Children receiving therapeutic practice moderately improved handwriting whereas children receiving sensorimotor intervention declined in handwriting performance. The control group did not change significantly. Sensorimotor impairment was noted at pretest in three or four components and selected sensorimotor component function improved with intervention.


CONCLUSION
Therapeutic practice was more effective than sensorimotor-based intervention at improving handwriting performance. Children who received sensorimotor intervention improved in some sensorimotor components but also experienced a clinically meaningful decline in handwriting performance.
Scaffolding for Success in Problem-Based Learning

Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is based on an alternative pedagogical model to the conventional, didactic one, and offers benefits to the quality of student learning. The approach has been adopted by many institutions. The focus of this paper is on the influence of the learning support structure in an environment (such as the typical PBL environment) that encourages student independence as one of its basic tenets. The immediate reaction might be to assume that it takes on a reduced importance in such circumstances. That assumption is challenged in this paper. The concept of "scaffolding" may take many forms; here it is used in a wide context to refer to all forms of learning support, whether or not they be cognitively-based, logistical, etc. Thus, the term is used to broadly refer to the range of services provided to assist learning. This is of interest as Problem-Based Learning (PBL) approaches to education suggest a strong role for factors such as authenticity and student independence. With the shift of emphasis that moving towards a PBL approach implies, a re-examination of the nature of what it means to offer meaningful support to learners is important. In this paper the relationship of scaffolding to the success of PBL programs is examined. In this context, "success" is measured largely in terms of those benefits with which PBL is associated, principally in the encouragement of "deep" (or personally meaningful and potentially transformative) approaches to learning. Elsewhere, deep approaches to learning have been described in terms of higher levels of integration of knowledge and greater tolerance to complexity. The paper begins by briefly referring to the definitional dilemma that hinders attempts to compare PBL programs. A working definition is established. Desirable outcomes of PBL are then presented, with an emphasis on "deep" learning approaches. This is then countered by raising some concerns about the performance of existing PBL programs, while hinting that appropriate scaffolding may offer relief from some of these concerns. An account of the role of the tutor in PBL follows, as an obvious source of scaffolding. Scaffolding is then discussed in terms of improving the likelihood of successfully encouraging meaningful approaches to learning in PBL students.
Physician-patient communication on cost and affordability in asthma care. Who wants to talk about it and who is actually doing it.

RATIONALE
Patient perceptions of financial burden and rates of cost-related nonadherence are high among individuals with asthma across the socioeconomic spectrum. Little is known about preferences and frequency of physician-patient discussions about cost/affordability among individuals managing respiratory conditions.


OBJECTIVES
To examine who has a preference to discuss the cost of their asthma care with their physician, how often physician-patient communication about cost/affordability actually is occurring, and what clinical and demographic characteristics of patients are predictive of communication.


METHODS
Data came from 422 African American adult women with asthma who were asked about communication preferences and practices around cost and affordability with their physician. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple variable logistic regression models.


MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS
Fifty-two percent (n = 219) of this sample perceived financial burden. Seventy-two percent (n = 300) reported a preference to discuss cost with their health-care provider. Thirty-nine percent (n = 163) reported actually having a conversation with their physician about cost. Among the 61% who reported no discussion, 40% (n = 103) reported financial burden, and 55% (n = 140) reported a preference for discussion. Lower household income (P < 0.001), perception of financial burden (P < 0.001), and higher out-of-pocket expenses for medicines (P < 0.05) were significantly predictive of greater preference to communicate about cost/affordability with the doctor when adjusted for clinical and demographic characteristics. Perception of financial burden (P < 0.001), preference to discuss affordability (P < 0.001), and greater number of chronic conditions (P < 0.001) were significantly predictive of greater likelihood of communication about cost/affordability with the doctor when adjusted for clinical and demographic characteristics. Bivariate analyses revealed that patients who reported a discussion of cost were more likely to report worse asthma control and lower asthma-related quality of life.


CONCLUSIONS
An imbalance is evident between patients who would like to discuss cost with their doctor and those who actually do. Patients are interested in low-cost options and a venue for addressing their concerns with a care provider; therefore, a greater understanding is needed in how to effectively and efficiently integrate these conversations and viable solutions into the delivery of health care. Additional research is necessary to determine whether communication about the cost of therapy is associated with health outcomes.
A case-controlled validation study of a blood-based seven-gene biomarker panel for colorectal cancer in Malaysia

BACKGROUND
Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening is key to CRC prevention and mortality reduction, but patient compliance with CRC screening is low. We previously reported a blood-based test for CRC that utilizes a seven-gene panel of biomarkers. The test is currently utilized clinically in North America for CRC risk stratification in the average-risk North American population in order to improve screening compliance and to enhance clinical decision making.


METHODS
In this study, conducted in Malaysia, we evaluated the seven-gene biomarker panel validated in a North American population using blood samples collected from local patients. The panel employs quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) to analyze gene expression of the seven biomarkers (ANXA3, CLEC4D, TNFAIP6, LMNB1, PRRG4, VNN1 and IL2RB) that are differentially expressed in CRC patients as compared with controls. Blood samples from 210 patients (99 CRC and 111 controls) were collected, and total blood RNA was isolated and subjected to quantitative RT-PCR and data analysis.


RESULTS
The logistic regression analysis of seven-gene panel has an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.76 (95% confidence interval: 0.70 to 0.82), 77% specificity, 61% sensitivity and 70% accuracy, comparable to the data obtained from the North American investigation of the same biomarker panel.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results independently confirm the results of the study conducted in North America and demonstrate the ability of the seven biomarker panel to discriminate CRC from controls in blood samples drawn from a Malaysian population.
Beauty tech nails: interactive technology at your fingertips

Looking for wearables that are fashionable, smart and augment human interaction, we introduce the term Beauty Technology as an emergent field in Wearable Computing. It is an on-body computing approach that turns non-invasive, wireless and without power required electromagnetic devices into beauty products for interacting with different surfaces and devices. This paper describes the materials and the prototyping process used in the making of Beauty Tech Nails exemplifying its application in everyday beauty products.
New IEEE standards for ships

This paper provides update on the latest active and in-work IEEE standards for ships as well as ship's applicable IEC and military standards. It emphases that the knowledge of these standards as accumulated experience of generations of electrical engineers is necessary tool for every engineer to secure reliable, safe and cost effective operation of the marine vessels.
What is to blame for postnatal pelvic floor dysfunction in primiparous women-Pre-pregnancy or intrapartum risk factors?

BACKGROUND
The aetiology of pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) is still poorly understood. However childbearing is recognized as a major risk factor.


OBJECTIVES
To elucidate the natural history of PFD by investigating the impact of the mode of delivery on postnatal pelvic floor dysfunction in primiparas, when PFD existing before the first pregnancy is taken into consideration.


STUDY DESIGN
4P-study (Prevalence and Predictors of Pelvic floor dysfunction in Primips) is a prospective cohort study, nested within the Screening for Pregnancy Endpoints (SCOPE) study set in a tertiary referral teaching hospital with 9000 deliveries annually. Established and proposed risk factors for urinary, fecal, prolapse and sexual dysfunction and the severity of symptoms for each of these outcomes were assessed using the Australian Pelvic Floor Questionnaire in 1482 nulliparous women, who each completed the questionnaire in early pregnancy. Of these, 1060 (72%) repeated the questionnaire 12 months postpartum.Outcomes were analyzed using multivariate ordinal logistic regression.


RESULTS
Significant (p<0.05) risk factors for postpartum PFD were pre-pregnancy presence of similar symptoms Odds Ratio (OR) (5.0-30.0), smoking (OR 2.2-4.6), recurrent UTI (OR 2.2-17.3), high hip circumference (OR1.4-1.6), vigorous exercising (OR 3.1-17.9), induction of labor (OR 1.5-2.3), forceps delivery (OR 1.8-8.8), and 3rd degree perineal tear (OR 2.4-2.7). Cesarean section was associated with a lower risk of stress urinary incontinence (OR 0.3-0.5). Other common pre-pregnancy significant (p<0.05) risk factors for various PFD types prior to the first pregnancy were: diagnosed depression - (OR 1.6-2.1), high BMI (OR 3.1), strenuous exercising (OR 1.3-2.2), recurrent UTI (OR 1.5-2.5) and lower educational achievement (OR 1.5-1.6).


CONCLUSIONS
Pre-pregnancy PFD was mainly associated with modifiable risk factors such as smoking and exercising. The main risk factor for postpartum PFD was the presence of similar symptoms prior to pregnancy, followed by anthropometric and intrapartum factors. Hip circumference seems to be a better predictor of PFD compared to BMI. When pre-pregnancy PFD was included in the analysis, Cesarean section was protective only for stress urinary incontinence, while delivery by forceps increased the risk of prolapse.
A rule-based CBR approach for expert finding and problem diagnosis

It is important to find the person with right expertise and the appropriate solutions in the specific field to solve a critical situation in a large complex system such as an enterprise level application. In this paper, we apply the experts’ knowledge to construct a solution retrieval system for expert finding and problem diagnosis. Firstly, we aim to utilize the experts’ problem diagnosis knowledge which can identify the error type of problem to suggest the corresponding expert and retrieve the solution for specific error type. Therefore, how to find an efficient way to use domain knowledge and the corresponding experts has become an important issue. To transform experts’ knowledge into the knowledge base of a solution retrieval system, the idea of developing a solution retrieval system based on hybrid approach using RBR (rule-based reasoning) and CBR (case-based reasoning), RCBR (rule-based CBR), is proposed in this research. Furthermore, we incorporate domain expertise into our methodology with role-based access control model to suggest appropriate expert for problem solving, and build a prototype system with expert finding and problem diagnosis for the complex system. The experimental results show that RCBR (rule-based CBR) can improve accuracy of retrieval cases and reduce retrieval time prominently. 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Differences in routine esophagogastroduodenoscopy between Japanese and international facilities: A questionnaire survey.

BACKGROUND AND AIM
The mortality rate of gastric cancer (GC) is close to the incidence rate worldwide. However, in Korea and Japan, the mortality rate of GC is less than half of the incidence rate. We hypothesized that good-quality routine esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) contributes to a high detection rate for early GC (EGC) and improves mortality in these countries.


METHODS
To clarify the differences in routine EGD, a questionnaire survey was conducted in 98 Japanese and 53 international institutions.


RESULTS
Prevalence of screening examination among routine EGD was higher in Japanese than in international institutions. Japanese endoscopists noted that endoscopic mucosal atrophy was the most significant risk factor for GC, whereas international endoscopists paid more attention to clinical information such as age, symptoms and family history. Antispasmodics, mucolytics and defoaming agents were used more frequently in Japanese institutions. The examination time was similar (mostly 5-10 min) between Japanese and international institutions. Japanese endoscopists took more pictures (>20 in almost all institutions) than international endoscopists (≤20 in two-thirds of institutions). In Japanese institutions, biopsy specimens were more frequently taken from areas of mucosal discoloration, unevenness or spontaneous bleeding rather than from obvious endoscopic lesions such as ulceration or polyps. In most Japanese institutions, one or two biopsy specimens were taken per lesion, compared with ≥three in international institutions.


CONCLUSION
There were some discrepancies between Japanese and international institutions for routine EGD. Thus, standardization is required for adequate risk assessment, proper techniques, and knowledge of endoscopic diagnosis of EGC.