LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Radiation induced oral mucositis: a review of current literature on prevention and management

Oral mucositis (OM) is a major limiting acute side effect of radiotherapy for head and neck cancer. The spectrum of problems associated with mucositis includes oral pain, odynophagia, reduced oral intake, and secondary infections. Incidence of mucositis is increased with addition of concurrent chemotherapy as well as altered fractionation schedules. This leads to treatment interruption and suboptimal disease control. Hence, prevention as well as timely management of OM is necessary for optimum tumor control. We reviewed the English literature with key words “Radiation induced mucositis, Mucositis, Oral Mucositis” to find relevant articles describing incidence, pathophysiology, prophylaxis, and treatment of oral mucositis. Prevention and treatment of OM is an active area of research. Maintenance of oral hygiene is an important part in prevention of OM. A battery of agents including normal saline and alkali (soda bicarbonate) mouth washes, low level laser therapy, and benzydamine (non-steroidal analgesic and anti-inflammatory) have effectiveness in the prevention and treatment of radiation induced oral mucositis. Chlorhexidine mouth gargles are recommended for prevention of chemotherapy induced oral mucositis but is not recommended for radiotherapy associated mucositis. Treatment of co-existing infection is also important and both topical (povidone iodine) and systemic anti fungals should be used judiciously. Radiation induced oral mucositis is a common problem limiting the efficacy of radiation by increasing treatment breaks. Adequate prophylaxis and treatment may limit the severity of radiation mucositis and improve compliance to radiation which may translate in better disease control and survival.
Steel-making process scheduling using Lagrangian relaxation

The steel-making process, including steel-making and continuous casting, is usually the bottleneck in iron and steel production. E ective scheduling of this process is thus critical to improve productivity of the entire production system. Unlike the production scheduling in the machinery industry, steel-making process scheduling is characterized by the following features: job grouping and precedence constraints, set-up and removal times on the machines, and high job waiting costs. These features add extra di culties to the scheduling problem. The objective is to ensure continuity of the production process and just-in-time delivery of ®nal products. In this paper, a novel integer programming formulation with a `separable’ structure is constructed considering all the above-mentioned features. A solution methodology is developed combining Lagrangian relaxation, dynamic programming and heuristics. After relaxing two sets of `coupling constraints’, the relaxed problem is decomposed into smaller subproblems, each involving one job only. These subproblems are solved e ciently by using dynamic programming at the low level while the Lagrangian multipliers are iteratively updated at the high level by using a subgradient method. At the termination of such iterations, a two-stage heuristic is then used to adjust subproblem solutions to obtain a feasible schedule. A numerical experiment demonstrates that the method generates high quality schedules in a timely fashion.
Application of summative content analysis to a postal questionnaire.

BACKGROUND
Content analysis of replies to closed questions in questionnaires can be undertaken to understand remarks that may explain the responses, provide illustrative examples of issues raised in the questionnaire, define new issues or issues of importance that were not covered in the questionnaire and inform the design of new questions in future surveys.


AIM
To discuss the usefulness of summative content analysis to free text in postal questionnaires.


DISCUSSION
Content analysis provides useful comparative insights between two respondent groups in the case example provided. Five themes emerged: poor understanding of the concept of 'patient lateral transfer work technique' and the direct instrument nursing observation (DINO) instrument's key directions; outcomes of patient transfer; positive responses; manual handling risk; and poor translation into English of DINO.


CONCLUSION
Respondents need an opportunity to clarify their responses to questionnaires using free text, to provide insight into their understanding of the question being asked, understanding of the concept or construct being discussed, and data triangulation through the confirmation of item responses and free-text comments.


IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE
Responses to questions in a postal questionnaire and the opportunity for free-text commentary by respondents enable the identification of hidden meanings behind tickbox responses to questions.
FMCW radar for life-sign detection

In this paper we investigate the use of Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) radars for detecting life-sign of people, i.e. breathing and heartbeat. An optimum frequency has been selected to observe life-sign, taking into consideration also design factors, such as bandwidth availability and interference with other systems. A new compact X-band FMCW radar has been built at TNO laboratories and experimental results are presented here, which demonstrate the ability of this new system to detect life-sign.
The impact of frontline risk-adapted strategy on the overall survival of patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma: an analysis of the Singapore multiple myeloma study group.

INTRODUCTION
Risk stratification is vital for prognostication and informing treatment decisions in multiple myeloma (MM). We study the prognostic values of the International Staging System (ISS) and underlying cytogenetics in the bortezomib era and assess the impacts of an upfront risk-adapted approach in the treatment of MM.


METHODS
We compare the overall survival (OS) of 221 patients with MM diagnosed from 2006 to 2009 (era 2) where upfront bortezomib combination was approved for high-risk MM with the OS of 262 patients diagnosed from 2000 to 2005 (era 1) where bortezomib could only be administered at relapse. High-risk MM is defined by the presence of ISS III disease with renal impairment or adverse cytogenetics.


RESULTS
Baseline characteristics were comparable between the 2 eras. At median follow-up of 20 months, 0% and 26% of patients had received frontline bortezomib in eras 1 and 2, respectively. The median OS were 4.2 yrs and not reached for eras 1 and 2, respectively (P = 0.03). On multivariate analysis stratified by era, the most significant prognostic factor shifts from cytogenetics in era 1 to the quality of response in era 2.


CONCLUSION
Frontline use of bortezomib in a risk-adapted manner may avert early mortality and is better able to overcome adverse risks compared to its sequential use.
Bradykinin contributes to the systemic hemodynamic effects of chronic angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition in patients with heart failure.

BACKGROUND
Bradykinin is an endogenous vasodilator that may contribute to the systemic effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor therapy. Using B9340, a bradykinin receptor antagonist, we determined the contribution of bradykinin to the systemic hemodynamic effects of long-term ACE inhibition in patients with chronic heart failure.


METHODS AND RESULTS
Fourteen patients with heart failure received enalapril (10 mg twice daily) or losartan (50 mg twice daily) in a randomized double-blind crossover trial. After 6 weeks treatment, patients underwent right heart catheterization and were randomized to an intravenous infusion of B9340 (2 to 20 microg/kg per minute) or saline placebo. After B9340 infusion in patients treated with enalapril, mean arterial pressure (+5.2 mm Hg), systemic vascular resistance (+315 dynes x s/cm5), pulmonary arterial wedge pressure (-1.4 mm Hg), and mean pulmonary arterial pressure (-1.3 mm Hg) were greater compared with losartan (P<0.005, P=0.07, P<0.0001, and P<0.05 respectively) or placebo infusion (P< or =0.005 for all). There was a reduction in cardiac output after B9340 with enalapril compared with placebo (P<0.001) but not losartan.


CONCLUSIONS
Bradykinin contributes to the systemic hemodynamic effects of long-term ACE inhibition in patients with heart failure. This mechanism may explain the apparent clinical differences between ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers in the treatment of heart failure.
Racial Group Membership Is Associated to Gaze-Mediated Orienting in Italy

Viewing a face with averted gaze results in a spatial shift of attention in the corresponding direction, a phenomenon defined as gaze-mediated orienting. In the present paper, we investigated whether this effect is influenced by social factors. Across three experiments, White and Black participants were presented with faces of White and Black individuals. A modified spatial cueing paradigm was used in which a peripheral target stimulus requiring a discrimination response was preceded by a noninformative gaze cue. Results showed that Black participants shifted attention to the averted gaze of both ingroup and outgroup faces, whereas White participants selectively shifted attention only in response to individuals of their same group. Interestingly, the modulatory effect of social factors was context-dependent and emerged only when group membership was situationally salient to participants. It was hypothesized that differences in the relative social status of the two groups might account for the observed asymmetry between White and Black participants. A final experiment ruled out an alternative explanation based on differences in perceptual familiarity with the face stimuli. Overall, these findings strengthen the idea that gaze-mediated orienting is a socially-connoted phenomenon.
A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing the Effects of Counseling and Alarm Device on HAART Adherence and Virologic Outcomes

BACKGROUND
Behavioral interventions that promote adherence to antiretroviral medications may decrease HIV treatment failure. Antiretroviral treatment programs in sub-Saharan Africa confront increasing financial constraints to provide comprehensive HIV care, which include adherence interventions. This study compared the impact of counseling and use of an alarm device on adherence and biological outcomes in a resource-limited setting.


METHODS AND FINDINGS
A randomized controlled, factorial designed trial was conducted in Nairobi, Kenya. Antiretroviral-naïve individuals initiating free highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in the form of fixed-dose combination pills (d4T, 3TC, and nevirapine) were randomized to one of four arms: counseling (three counseling sessions around HAART initiation), alarm (pocket electronic pill reminder carried for 6 months), counseling plus alarm, and neither counseling nor alarm. Participants were followed for 18 months after HAART initiation. Primary study endpoints included plasma HIV-1 RNA and CD4 count every 6 months, mortality, and adherence measured by monthly pill count. Between May 2006 and September 2008, 400 individuals were enrolled, 362 initiated HAART, and 310 completed follow-up. Participants who received counseling were 29% less likely to have monthly adherence <80% (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.71; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.49-1.01; p = 0.055) and 59% less likely to experience viral failure (HIV-1 RNA ≥5,000 copies/ml) (HR 0.41; 95% CI 0.21-0.81; p = 0.01) compared to those who received no counseling. There was no significant impact of using an alarm on poor adherence (HR 0.93; 95% CI 0.65-1.32; p = 0.7) or viral failure (HR 0.99; 95% CI 0.53-1.84; p = 1.0) compared to those who did not use an alarm. Neither counseling nor alarm was significantly associated with mortality or rate of immune reconstitution.


CONCLUSIONS
Intensive early adherence counseling at HAART initiation resulted in sustained, significant impact on adherence and virologic treatment failure during 18-month follow-up, while use of an alarm device had no effect. As antiretroviral treatment clinics expand to meet an increasing demand for HIV care in sub-Saharan Africa, adherence counseling should be implemented to decrease the development of treatment failure and spread of resistant HIV.
Application of BCI systems in neurorehabilitation: a scoping review.

PURPOSE
To review various types of electroencephalographic activities of the brain and present an overview of brain-computer interface (BCI) systems' history and their applications in rehabilitation.


METHODS
A scoping review of published English literature on BCI application in the field of rehabilitation was undertaken. IEEE Xplore, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar and Scopus databases were searched since inception up to August 2012. All experimental studies published in English and discussed complete cycle of the BCI process was included in the review.


RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
In total, 90 articles met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed. Various approaches that improve the accuracy and performance of BCI systems were discussed. Based on BCI's clinical application, reviewed articles were categorized into three groups: motion rehabilitation, speech rehabilitation and virtual reality control (VRC). Almost half of the reviewed papers (48%) concentrated on VRC. Speech rehabilitation and motion rehabilitation made up 33% and 19% of the reviewed papers, respectively. Among different types of electroencephalography signals, P300, steady state visual evoked potentials and motor imagery signals were the most common.


CONCLUSIONS
This review discussed various applications of BCI in rehabilitation and showed how BCI can be used to improve the quality of life for people with neurological disabilities. It will develop and promote new models of communication and finally, will create an accurate, reliable, online communication between human brain and computer and reduces the negative effects of external stimuli on BCI performance. Implications for Rehabilitation The field of brain-computer interfaces (BCI) is rapidly advancing and it is expected to fulfill a critical role in rehabilitation of neurological disorders and in movement restoration in the forthcoming years. In the near future, BCI has notable potential to become a major tool used by people with disabilities to control locomotion and communicate with surrounding environment and, consequently, improve the quality of life for many affected persons. Electrical field recording at the scalp (i.e. electroencephalography) is the most likely method to be of practical value for clinical use as it is simple and non-invasive. However, some aspects need future improvements, such as the ability to separate close imagery signal (motion of extremities and phalanges that are close together).
Irregular Bipolar Fuzzy Graphs

In this paper, we define irregular bipolar fuzzy graphs and its various classifications. Size of regular bipolar fuzzy graphs is derived. The relation between highly and neighbourly irregular bipolar fuzzy graphs are established. Some basic theorems related to the stated graphs have also been presented.
Capillary force seeding of hydrogels for adipose-derived stem cell delivery in wounds.

Effective skin regeneration therapies require a successful interface between progenitor cells and biocompatible delivery systems. We previously demonstrated the efficiency of a biomimetic pullulan-collagen hydrogel scaffold for improving bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell survival within ischemic skin wounds by creating a "stem cell niche" that enhances regenerative cytokine secretion. Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs) represent an even more appealing source of stem cells because of their abundance and accessibility, and in this study we explored the utility of ASCs for hydrogel-based therapies. To optimize hydrogel cell seeding, a rapid, capillary force-based approach was developed and compared with previously established cell seeding methods. ASC viability and functionality following capillary hydrogel seeding were then analyzed in vitro and in vivo. In these experiments, ASCs were seeded more efficiently by capillary force than by traditional methods and remained viable and functional in this niche for up to 14 days. Additionally, hydrogel seeding of ASCs resulted in the enhanced expression of multiple stemness and angiogenesis-related genes, including Oct4, Vegf, Mcp-1, and Sdf-1. Moving in vivo, hydrogel delivery improved ASC survival, and application of both murine and human ASC-seeded hydrogels to splinted murine wounds resulted in accelerated wound closure and increased vascularity when compared with control wounds treated with unseeded hydrogels. In conclusion, capillary seeding of ASCs within a pullulan-collagen hydrogel bioscaffold provides a convenient and simple way to deliver therapeutic cells to wound environments. Moreover, ASC-seeded constructs display a significant potential to accelerate wound healing that can be easily translated to a clinical setting.
The development of opportunism in cross-sector alliances

Over the last two decades, strategic alliances and partnerships across industrial and global boundaries have become an important means to competitive positioning. Despite increases in partnership activity, alliances continue to face problems fuelled by partner opportunism, and cultural incompatibility. This paper seeks to contrast literature examining individual or firm level triggers to opportunism in partnerships with group based triggers. The paper also highlights the emergence of opportunism arising from cross-sectoral partners' differences in cultural values and norms. The literature indicates that cultural differences across industrial sectors are important factors for understanding the behaviour of partners within a collaborative alliance. [Received 26 August 2009; Revised 10 May 2010; Accepted 10 May 2010]
Patellar resurfacing in total knee arthroplasty: functional outcome differs with different outcome scores

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Recent research on outcomes after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has raised the question of the ability of traditional outcome measures to distinguish between treatments. We compared functional outcomes in patients undergoing TKA with and without patellar resurfacing, using the knee injury and osteoarthritis outcome score (KOOS) as the primary outcome and 3 traditional outcome measures as secondary outcomes.


PATIENTS AND METHODS
129 knees in 115 patients (mean age 70 (42-82) years; 67 female) were evaluated in this single-center, randomized, double-blind study. Data were recorded preoperatively, at 1 year, and at 3 years, and were assessed using repeated-measures mixed models.


RESULTS
The mean subscores for the KOOS after surgery were statistically significantly in favor of patellar resurfacing: sport/recreation, knee-related quality of life, pain, and symptoms. No statistically significant differences between the groups were observed with the Knee Society clinical rating system, with the Oxford knee score, and with visual analog scale (VAS) for patient satisfaction.


INTERPRETATION
In the present study, the KOOS--but no other outcome measure used--indicated that patellar resurfacing may be beneficial in TKA.
Pro-calcitonin and inflammation in chronic hemodialysis.

UNLABELLED
Procalcitonin (PCT) has emerged as a marker of infection, a frequent complication in hemodialysis (HD). We analyzed PCT levels in chronic non-acutely infected HD subjects, assessed its correlation with inflammatory and nutritional markers and propose a PCT reference value for non-infected HD patients. In an observational cross-sectional study, 48 chronic HD patients and 36 controls were analyzed.


VARIABLES
age, gender, time on HD; diabetes; vascular access, PCT, C-reactive protein (CRP), albumin, malnutrition inflammatory score (MIS), hematocrit, leukocyte count, and body mass index (BMI). Subsequently, control (G1, n = 36, 43%) vs. non-infected patients (G2, n = 48, 57%) groups were compared. In control subjects (G1), age: 54.3 ± 13.7 years, range (r): 30-81; males: 19 (53%); median PCT 0.034 ng/ml (r: 0.02-0.08); median CRP 0.80 mg/ dl (r: 0.36-3.9); p95 PCT level: 0.063 ng/ml. In G2, age: 60.2 ± 15.2 years; males 32 (67%), time on HD: 27.0 ± 24.4; diabetics: 19 (32%); median PCT: 0.26 ng/ml (r: 0.09-0.82); CRP: 1.1 mg/dl (r: 0.5-6.2); p95 PCT level: 0.8 ng/ml. In control subjects, PCT and CRP were significantly lower than in G2: PCT: 0.034 vs. 0.26 ng/ml, p = 0.0001; CRP: 0.8 vs. 1.1 mg/dl, p = 0.0004. PCT-CRP correlation in G2: p = 0.287, p = 0.048. PCT and CRP concentrations are elevated in chronic non-acutely infected HD subjects, independently of infection, diabetes and vascular access. A p95 PCT level of 0.8 ng/ml may be considered as the upper normal reference value in non-acutely infected HD subjects. The PCT cut-off level in HD is yet to be determined in HD.
Inguinal hernia after radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer: results from a randomized setting and a nonrandomized setting.

BACKGROUND
Observational data indicate that retropubic radical prostatectomy (RRP) for prostate cancer (PCa) may induce inguinal hernia (IH) formation. Little is known about the influence of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RALP) on IH risk.


OBJECTIVE
To compare the incidence of IH after RRP and RALP to that of nonoperated patients with PCa and to a population control.


DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
We studied two groups. All 376 men included in the Scandinavian Prostate Cancer Group Study Number 4 constitute study group 1. Patients were randomly assigned RRP or watchful waiting (WW). The 1411 consecutive patients who underwent RRP or RALP at Karolinska University Hospital constitute study group 2. Men without PCa, matched for age and residence to each study group, constitute controls.


MEASUREMENTS
Postoperative IH incidence was detected through a validated questionnaire. The participation rates were 82.7% and 88.4% for study groups 1 and 2, respectively.


RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS
The Kaplan-Meier cumulative occurrence of IH development after 48 mo in study group 1 was 9.3%, 2.4%, and 0.9% for the RRP, the WW, and the control groups, respectively. There were statistically significant differences between the RRP group and the WW and control groups, but not between the last two. In study group 2 the cumulative risk of IH development at 48 mo was 12.2%, 5.8%, and 2.6% for the RRP, the RALP, and the control group, respectively. There were statistically significant differences between the RRP group and the RALP and control groups, but not between the last two.


CONCLUSIONS
RRP for PCa leads to an increased risk of IH development. RALP may lower the risk as compared to open surgery.