LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
A Randomized Trial Comparing Cisplatin Plus 5-fluorouracil With or Without Levamisole in Operable Gastric Cancer

OBJECTIVES
To determine the effectiveness and toxicity when levamisole was added to the adjuvant combination chemotherapy in patients with operable gastric cancer.


METHODS
After en bloc resection of gastric cancer without gross or microscopic evidence of residual disease from April 1991 to December 1992, 100 patients were randomized to 6 months of 5-fluorouracil 1,000 mg/m2/day administered as continuous infusion for 5 days, cisplatin 60 mg/m2/day as intravenous infusion for 1 day with or without levamisole (50 mg every eight hours P.O for a period of three days every 2 weeks for 6 months). This chemotherapy treatment was begun within 2 to 4 weeks after the surgery. The chemotherapy consisted of discrete 5-day courses administered at 4-weeks intervals. All 100 patients are assessable.


RESULTS
The fifty patients were assigned to each treatment group. There was no statistical difference and no bias in the distribution of characteristics of the 100 evaluable patients between the two groups. A total of 274 courses of treatment were given in the levamisole group and 260 courses of treatment in non-levamisole group. Eleven patients in each group did not finish planned 6 courses of treatment mainly due to non-compliance. At median follow up of 39 months, 32 patients relapsed 19 in the levamisole group and 13 in the non-levamisole group (p = 0.284). Twenty five patients died of relapsed diseases, 15 in the levamisole group and 10 in the non-levamisole group. The levamisole group tended to show more risk of overall death rate and recurrence than the non-levamisole group. However, this result was not statistically significant at 3 years. The treatment was well tolerated in both treatment groups. The grade 2-3 toxicities were nausea/ vomiting (levamisole, non-levamisole group; 31.7%, 29.3% of treatment courses respectively), diarrhea (7.6%, 8.4%), mucositis (11.6%, 12.3%), and leukopenia (9.8%, 9.6%).


CONCLUSION
Levamisole had negative effects on disease-free survival and overall survival when added to adjuvant combination chemotherapy of cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil in patients with operable gastric cancer. Both treatment arms were generally well tolerated and the toxicity profile was similar with or without levamisole.
Systematic approach in testing the viability of mechanical partial-cut singulation process towards tin-plateable sidewalls for wettable flank on automotive QFN technology

Satisfying stringent customer requirement of visually detectable solder joint termination for high reliability applications requires the implementation of robust wettable flank strategies. One strategy involves the exposition of the sidewall via partial-cut singulation, where the exposed surface could be made wettable through tin (Sn) electroplating process. Herein, we report our systematic approach in evaluating the viability of mechanical partial-cut singulation process to produce Sn-plateable sidewalls, enabling the wettable flank technology using an automotive QFN package are technology carrier. Optimization DOE produced robust set of parameters showing that mechanical partial cut is a promising solution to produce sidewalls appropriate for Sn electroplating, synergistically yielding excellent wettable flanks.
American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association clinical practice guidelines: Part II: evolutionary changes in a continuous quality improvement project.

Case Presentation: A 50-year-old male presents to your office for evaluation of a recent episode of atrial fibrillation. The patient had no prior history of atrial fibrillation until 3 days ago. At that time, he was working in his home woodworking shop on a large cabinet. The cabinet slipped out of the clamps holding it and fell on his right great toe. The patient was having moderate to severe toe pain when he noticed that his heart was beating rapidly and irregularly. His palpitations were not associated with any chest pain, shortness of breath, or lightheadedness. He went to his local emergency room. His blood pressure was 135/80, and his pulse was rapid and irregularly irregular. An ECG showed that he was in atrial fibrillation with a ventricular response rate of 160. There were no ST segment changes. Before the patient received any therapy, he converted to normal sinus rhythm. The total duration of his episode of atrial fibrillation was 2 hours. A subsequent ECG was entirely normal. X-rays of his right foot did not show any fracture. He was discharged from the local emergency room and advised to see you. The patient is physically active. He denies any history of chest pain or chest pressure. He has no history of hypertension, diabetes, or tobacco use. His only other medical problem is mild asthma, treated with occasional inhalers. Both his mother and father lived into their late 80s and died of cancer. His two siblings are both alive and well without any cardiovascular disease. On physical examination, his blood pressure is 120/ 80 mm Hg. His heart rate is 70 bpm and regular. His cardiac examination is normal. On lung examination, there are rare wheezes over both lung fields. His right great toe is badly bruised. His ECG from the local emergency room is available and is normal. What are the appropriate next steps in the evaluation of this patient, as outlined in the American College of Cardiology (ACC)/American Heart Association (AHA)/European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Guidelines for the Management of Patients With Atrial Fibrillation?1 Appropriate clinical evaluation is shown in Table 1. This patient merits a chest x-ray (to evaluate his rare wheezes), a transthoracic echocardiogram, and blood tests of thyroid function. None of the additional tests listed, ie, exercise testing, Holter monitoring, transesophageal echocardiography, or electrophysiological study, are appropriate at this time.
Timing of first alcohol use and alcohol dependence: evidence of common genetic influences.

AIMS
To estimate the magnitude of genetic and environmental influences on timing of first alcohol use and alcohol dependence (AD) and to quantify the overlap in these influences across the two alcohol-related outcomes.


PARTICIPANTS
The sample consisted of 5382 twins (2691 complete pairs), aged 24-36 years, from the Australian Twin Registry.


MEASUREMENTS
History of alcohol use and DSM-IV alcohol dependence were assessed by structured telephone interview.


FINDINGS
In both sexes, the relationship between age at first alcohol use and risk for AD followed a linear trend, such that the highest rates of AD were observed in individuals who began drinking at an earlier than average age (14 years or younger). Heritability estimates for timing of first alcohol use and AD were 36% and 53%, respectively. Shared environmental factors accounted for 15% of variance in initiation. There was no evidence of shared environmental influences on AD. The genetic correlation between timing of first alcohol use and AD was 0.59.


CONCLUSIONS
Findings highlight the substantial role of genetics in the development of AD and the early manifestation of that genetic risk in the timing of alcohol use initiation which, unlike AD, is also influenced to a modest degree by shared environmental factors. The considerable overlap in heritable influences-and the virtual absence of overlap in individual-specific environmental influences-on initiation of alcohol use and AD indicates that the association between age at first drink and AD is attributable in large part to common genetic sources of variance.
Focus on Extracellular Vesicles: Therapeutic Potential of Stem Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles

The intense research focus on stem and progenitor cells could be attributed to their differentiation potential to generate new cells to replace diseased or lost cells in many highly intractable degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer disease, multiple sclerosis, and heart diseases. However, experimental and clinical studies have increasingly attributed the therapeutic efficacy of these cells to their secretion. While stem and progenitor cells secreted many therapeutic molecules, none of these molecules singly or in combination could recapitulate the functional effects of stem cell transplantations. Recently, it was reported that extracellular vesicles (EVs) could recapitulate the therapeutic effects of stem cell transplantation. Based on the observations reported thus far, the prevailing hypothesis is that stem cell EVs exert their therapeutic effects by transferring biologically active molecules such as proteins, lipids, mRNA, and microRNA from the stem cells to injured or diseased cells. In this respect, stem cell EVs are similar to EVs from other cell types. They are both primarily vehicles for intercellular communication. Therefore, the differentiating factor is likely due to the composition of their cargo. The cargo of EVs from different cell types are known to include a common set of proteins and also proteins that reflect the cell source of the EVs and the physiological or pathological state of the cell source. Hence, elucidation of the stem cell EV cargo would provide an insight into the multiple physiological or biochemical changes necessary to affect the many reported stem cell-based therapeutic outcomes in a variety of experimental models and clinical trials.
Strain rate imaging after dynamic stress provides objective evidence of persistent regional myocardial dysfunction in ischaemic myocardium: regional stunning identified?

OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether persistent ischaemic dysfunction of the myocardium after dynamic stress can be diagnosed from changes in ultrasonic strain rate and strain.


DESIGN
Prospective observational study, with age matched controls.


SETTING
University hospital.


PATIENTS AND METHODS
26 patients (23 men, mean (SD) age 58.9 (8.1) years) with coronary artery disease but no infarction and 12 controls (9 men, aged 56.1 (8.8) years) with normal coronary arteriography and negative exercise test underwent treadmill exercise (Bruce protocol). Tissue Doppler echocardiography was performed at baseline, at peak exercise, and at intervals up to one hour. Systolic and diastolic velocity, strain, and strain rate were recorded in the basal anterior segment of 16 patients with proximal left anterior descending coronary artery disease.


RESULTS
Patients developed ischaemia, since they experienced angina, exercised for less time, and reached a lower workload than the control group, and had ST segment depression (-2.4 mm). Myocardial systolic velocity immediately after exercise increased by 31% and strain rate fell by 25% compared with increases of 92% and 62%, respectively, in the control group (p < 0.05). During recovery, myocardial systolic velocity and strain rate normalised quickly, whereas systolic strain remained depressed at 30 and 60 minutes after exercise, by 21% and 23%, respectively, compared with baseline (p < 0.05 versus controls). Myocardial diastolic velocities and strain rate normalised but early diastolic strain remained depressed by 32% compared with controls for 60 minutes (p < 0.05). Strain during atrial contraction was abnormal for 30 minutes.


CONCLUSIONS
Myocardial strain shows regional post-ischaemic dysfunction in systole and diastole and may become a useful diagnostic tool in patients presenting with chest pain with a normal ECG.
Electronic media use and adolescent health and well-being: cross-sectional community study.

OBJECTIVE
To describe time adolescents spend using electronic media (television, computer, video games, and telephone); and to examine associations between self-reported health/well-being and daily time spent using electronic media overall and each type of electronic media.


METHODS
Design-Cross-sectional data from the third (2005) wave of the Health of Young Victorians Study, an Australian school-based population study. Outcome Measures-Global health, health-related quality of life (HRQoL; KIDSCREEN), health status (Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0; PedsQL), depression/anxiety (Kessler-10), and behavior problems (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire). Exposure Measures-Duration of electronic media use averaged over 1 to 4 days recalled with the Multimedia Activity Recall for Children and Adolescents (MARCA) computerized time-use diary. Analysis-Linear and logistic regression; adjusted for demographic variables and body mass index z score.


RESULTS
A total of 925 adolescents (mean +/- standard deviation age, 16.1+/-1.2 years) spent, on average, 3 hours 16 minutes per day using electronic media (television, 128 minutes per day; video games, 35; computers, 19; telephone, 13). High overall electronic media use was associated with poorer behavior, health status, and HRQoL. Associations with duration of specific media exposures were mixed; there was a favorable association between computer use (typing/Internet) and psychological distress, whereas high video game use was associated with poorer health status, HRQoL, global health, and depression/anxiety. Television and telephone durations were not associated with any outcome measure.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite television's associations with obesity, time spent in other forms of media use appear more strongly related to adolescent health and well-being. This study supports efforts to reduce high video game use and further exploration of the role of computers in health enhancement.
Ganglion cyst of the wrist treated with electroacupuncture: a case report.

Objective
To illustrate the clinical management of a ganglion cyst presenting on the right dorsal wrist.


Clinical Features
A 38-year-old female complaining of a symptomatic right dorsal wrist ganglion of four years duration.


Intervention and Outcome
The patient was treated with high-frequency electroacupuncture in six consecutive treatments over a four week period and reported symptomatic improvement and a decrease in the size of the cyst following therapeutic intervention.


Conclusion
Ganglion cysts of the wrist are rather common benign connective tissue masses with variable treatment interventions. Electroacupuncture may be a novel and non-invasive conservative approach for the treatment of ganglion cysts. Further evaluation of the efficacy is warranted.
Artificial intelligence, machine learning and deep learning

It is increasingly recognized that artificial intelligence has been touted as a new mobile. Because of the high volume of data that being generated by devices, sensors and social media users, the machine can learn to distinguish the pattern and makes a reasonably good prediction. This article will explore the use of machine learning and its methodologies. Furthermore, the field of deep learning which is being exploited in many leading IT providers will be clarified and discussed.
Myostatin negatively regulates satellite cell activation and self-renewal

Satellite cells are quiescent muscle stem cells that promote postnatal muscle growth and repair. Here we show that myostatin, a TGF-beta member, signals satellite cell quiescence and also negatively regulates satellite cell self-renewal. BrdU labeling in vivo revealed that, among the Myostatin-deficient satellite cells, higher numbers of satellite cells are activated as compared with wild type. In contrast, addition of Myostatin to myofiber explant cultures inhibits satellite cell activation. Cell cycle analysis confirms that Myostatin up-regulated p21, a Cdk inhibitor, and decreased the levels and activity of Cdk2 protein in satellite cells. Hence, Myostatin negatively regulates the G1 to S progression and thus maintains the quiescent status of satellite cells. Immunohistochemical analysis with CD34 antibodies indicates that there is an increased number of satellite cells per unit length of freshly isolated Mstn-/- muscle fibers. Determination of proliferation rate suggests that this elevation in satellite cell number could be due to increased self-renewal and delayed expression of the differentiation gene (myogenin) in Mstn-/- adult myoblasts. Taken together, these results suggest that Myostatin is a potent negative regulator of satellite cell activation and thus signals the quiescence of satellite cells.
Fuzzy portfolio selection using fuzzy analytic hierarchy process

Financial problems have been the subject of much research. A widely used approach in recent work on these problems is the use of fuzzy set theory, where fuzzy terms are used to model the uncertain environments. The purpose of this work is to combine the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (AHP) with the portfolio selection problem. More specifically, the decision-making problem is to decide which stocks are to be chosen for investment and in what proportions they will be bought. To do this, we first dealt with two constrained fuzzy AHP methods given by Enea and Piazza [M. Enea, T. Piazza, Project selection by constrained fuzzy AHP, Fuzzy Optimization and Decision Making 3 (2004) 39–62]. We revised the first of these methods, addressing some of its fallacies, and called it revised constrained fuzzy AHP method (RCFAHP). Then we applied these two methods, namely, RCFAHP and the secondmethod of Enea and Piazza (2004), to the problem of choosing stocks on the Istanbul Stock Exchange (ISE). The methodology used for the hierarchy construction is based on the paper of Satty et al. [T.L. Saaty, P.C. Rogers, R. Bell, Portfolio selection through hierarchies, The Journal of Portfolio Management (1980) 16–21]. In this paper, we show that both of the models provide both ranking and weighting information, via fuzzy AHP, to the investors in this financial scenario. Finally, we discuss the relative advantages and disadvantages of these methods in comparison to existing methods in the literature. 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
The relationships between organisational citizenship behaviour, job satisfaction and turnover intention.

AIM
This study aims to explore the relationships between organisational citizenship behaviour, job satisfaction and turnover intention.


BACKGROUND
Because of the changing health policies landscape, Taiwan's hospital administrators are facing major cost reduction challenges. Specifically, the high turnover rate of nurses represents a hindrance and a human resource cost. This study focuses on ways of reducing the employee turnover rate through enhanced organisational citizenship behaviour and job satisfaction.


DESIGN
A cross-sectional study.


METHODS
This study focuses on hospital nurses in Taiwan. Our research samples were obtained from one medical centre, three regional hospitals and seven district hospitals. Out of 300 questionnaires distributed among samples, 237 were completed and returned. Pearson's correlation was used to test for relationships among the main variables. One-way analysis of variance and Scheffé's post hoc analysis were employed to test the influence of demographic data on the main variables.


RESULTS
The results reveal that the nurses' job satisfaction has a significantly positive correlation with organisational citizenship behaviour and a negative correlation with turnover intention.


CONCLUSIONS
This study has proven that the turnover intention of clinical nurses is related to their organisational citizenship behaviour and job satisfaction. Hospital administrators can reduce the turnover intention by meeting nurses' needs and by promoting their organisational citizenship behaviour.


RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE
Organisational citizenship behaviour involves behaviour that encourages staff to endeavour to voluntarily improve organisational performance without lobbying for compensation. Employees' job satisfaction includes satisfaction with the working environment or welfare programme in the context of human resource initiatives. Similarly, human resource protocols may serve as the starting point for promoting staff organisational citizenship behaviour. Administrators in clinical healthcare are encouraged to meet their employees' working needs through human resource practices.
Effect of Diamel in patients with metabolic syndrome: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study.

BACKGROUND
The aim of the present study was to determine whether the administration of Diamel, marketed as a food supplement by Catalysis Laboratories (Madrid, Spain) could improve any of the components of metabolic syndrome (MS), as well as insulin resistance and sensitivity.


METHODS
In all, 100 patients with MS (19-70 years of age) who satisfied the World Health Organization criteria for MS were included in the study. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either oral Diamel or a placebo (while maintaining a diet appropriate to their weight and physical activity) at a dose of two capsules before each of the three main meals each day for 1 year. Anthropometric indices, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, lipid profile, insulin, creatinine, and uric acid (UA) were determined. Insulin resistance (IR) was assessed and three indirect indices were used to calculate insulin sensitivity (IS).


RESULTS
Compared with placebo, Diamel improved fasting insulin concentrations, IS, and IR and reduced UA concentrations from 6 months until the end of treatment (P < 0.05 for all). In addition, after 12 months treatment with Diamel, significant changes from baseline were seen for mean fasting insulin (P < 0.05), UA (P < 0.05), IR (P < 0.001), and IS (P < 0.001), whereas no such changes were seen in the placebo-treated group. Improvements were noted in body mass index, IR, and IS in both groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Long-term Diamel treatment, combined with lifestyle changes, was beneficial for IR and IS, and reduced serum UA levels in patients with MS.
Pressure vs flow triggering during pressure support ventilation.

BACKGROUND
Adult mechanical ventilators have traditionally been pressure- or time-triggered. More recently, flow triggering has become available and some adult ventilators allow the choice between pressure or flow triggering. Prior studies have supported the superiority of flow triggering during continuous positive airway pressure, but few have compared pressure and flow triggering during pressure support ventilation (PSV). The purpose of this study was to compare pressure and flow triggering during PSV in adult mechanically ventilated patients.


METHODS
The study population consisted of 10 adult patients ventilated with a mechanical ventilator (Nellcor-Puritan-Bennett 7200ae) in the PSV mode. In random order, we compared pressure triggering of -0.5 H2O, pressure triggering -1 cm H2O, flow triggering of 5/2 L/min, and flow triggering 10/3 L/min. Pressure was measured for 5 min at the proximal endotracheal tube using a data acquisition rate of 100 Hz. From the airway pressure signal, trigger pressure (deltaP) was defined as the difference between positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) and the maximum negative deflection prior to onset of the triggered breath. Pressure-time product (PTP) was defined as the area produced by the pressure waveform below PEEP during onset of the triggered breath. Trigger time (deltaT) was defined as the time interval below PEEP during onset of the triggered breath.


RESULTS
A pressure trigger of -0.5 cm H2O was significantly more sensitive than the other trigger methods for deltaP, PTP, and deltaT (p<0.001). There was also a significant difference between patients for deltaP, deltaT, and PTP for each trigger method (p<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
For this group of patients, flow triggering was not superior to pressure triggering at -0.5 cm H2O during PSV.