LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Maternal mortality at the State Specialist Hospital Bauchi, Northern Nigeria.

OBJECTIVE
To analyse and document our experiences with maternal mortality with the view of finding the trends over the last seven years, common causes and attributing socio-demographic factors.


DESIGN
A prospective analysis of maternal mortality.


SETTING
State Specialists Hospital Bauchi, Bauchi Northeastern Nigeria.


MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
These include maternal mortality ratio for the period under review and the annual trends, age and parity most affected the direct and indirect causes of maternal mortality in our environment.


RESULTS
The Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) for the period under review was 1,732 per 100, 000 live births. Six hundred and twenty one of the deaths (81.0%) occurred in 12,067 unbooked deliveries giving a maternal mortality ratio of 5,146 per 100,000 for unbooked mothers. This ratio is approximately eleven times that obtained in booked live deliveries. Age range was 14-44 years and the mean age was 27.8 years. The highest maternal death was in the adolescent mothers. The primigravidas had the highest maternal mortality of 28.9%. The direct obstetric causes of maternal death accounted for 79.4% of the deaths. The major causes of deaths were eclampsia 31.9%, haemorrhage 19.2% and sepsis 10.4%. Amongst the indirect causes of maternal death, anaemia was the leading cause accounting for 12.1%. The annual MMR was highest for the year 2006 (2,586 per 100,000).


CONCLUSION
Maternal mortality is unacceptably high in our environment. The provision of more health facilities where basic and comprehensive antenatal care are provided, skilled attendants at birth, community mobilisation to improve antenatal attendance and the use of TBAs as a link between the pregnant women, families and communities providing important messages for a healthy pregnancy, and safe birth remain the bedrock of containing maternal mortality in our environment.
Incremental Regression Testing

The purpose of regression testing is to ensure that bug xes and new functionality introduced in a new version of a software do not adversely a ect the correct functionality inherited from the previous version. This paper explores e cient methods of selecting small subsets of regression test sets that may be used to es-
The Application of Neural Networks , Image Processing and Cad-based Environments Facilities in Automatic Road Extraction and Vectorization from High Resolution Satellite Images

In this article a new procedure that was designed to extract road centerline from high resolution satellite images, is presented. The results (road Networks) are fully structured in vector formed in Computer Aided Design (CAD) based system that could be used in Geographical Information System (GIS) with minimum edit. The designed procedure is the combination of image processing algorithms and exploiting CAD-based facilities. In the first step, artificial neural networks are used to discriminate between road and non-road pixels. Then road centerlines are extracted using image processing algorithms such as morphological operators, and a road raster map is produced. Some cleaning algorithms were designed to reduce the existing noises and improve the obtained results. Finally, the edited raster map was vectorized using the CAD-based facilities. Obtained results showed that the structured vector based road centerlines are confirming when compared with road network in the reference map. * Corresponding author.
Risk prediction by genetic risk scores for coronary heart disease is independent of self-reported family history

AIMS
Genetic risk scores (GRSs) have been associated with coronary heart disease (CHD) in large studies. We asked whether expanding an established 27-variant GRS (GRS27) to a 50-variant GRS (GRS50) improved CHD prediction and whether GRSs are independent of self-reported family history of CHD.


METHODS AND RESULTS
The association between GRSs and incident CHD was assessed in Cox models adjusting for established risk factors in 23 595 participants of the Malmö Diet and Cancer study--a prospective, population-based study. During a median follow-up of 14.4 years, 2213 participants experienced a first CHD event. After adjustment for established risk factors, both GRS27 and GRS50 were associated with incident CHD [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.70 for high (top quintile) vs. low (bottom quintile) of GRS27; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.48-1.94; Ptrend = 1.6 × 10(-15) and HR = 1.92 for GRS50; 95% CI: 1.67-2.20; Ptrend = 6.2 × 10(-22)]. Adding 23 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to GRS27 improved risk prediction (P = 3 × 10(-6)). Further adjustment for self-reported family history did not appreciably change the risk estimates of either GRS27 (HR = 1.65; 95% CI: 1.45-1.89) or GRS50 (HR = 1.87; 95% CI: 1.63-2.14). The addition of GRS50 to established risk factors, including self-reported family history, improved discrimination (P < 0.0001) and reclassification (continuous net reclassification improvement index = 0.17, P < 0.0001). In young participants (below median age), those with high GRS50 had 2.4-fold greater risk (95% CI: 1.85-3.12) than those with low GRS50.


CONCLUSION
The addition of 23 SNPs to an existing GRS27 improved CHD risk prediction and was independent of self-reported family history. Coronary heart disease risk assessment by GRS could be particularly useful in young individuals.
Exercise reduces the intensity and prevalence of low back pain in 12-13 year old children: a randomised trial.

QUESTION
Does an eight-week exercise program reduce the intensity and prevalence of low back pain in 12-13 year old children? Does it decrease the childhood physical risk factors for low back pain and promote a sense of well-being?


DESIGN
Randomised trial with concealed allocation and assessor blinding.


PARTICIPANTS
Seventy-two 12-13 year old children, who had complained of low back pain in the past three months.


INTERVENTION
The experimental group completed eight exercise classes of 40-45 minutes duration over eight weeks conducted by a physiotherapist, whilst the control group received no intervention.


OUTCOME MEASURES
The primary outcome was pain intensity measured on a 10-cm visual analogue scale. Secondary outcomes included 3-month prevalence of pain, childhood physical risk factors for low back pain, and sense of well-being. Measures were taken at baseline (Month 0), post-intervention (Month 3), and three months later (Month 6).


RESULTS
Pain intensity over the past month had decreased by 2.2 cm (95% CI 1.0 to 3.5) more for the experimental group than the control group at Month 3 and was still 2.0 cm (95% CI 0.5 to 3.5) less than the control group at Month 6. The absolute risk reduction for 3-month prevalence in low back pain in the experimental group was 24% (95% CI 4 to 41) compared with the control group at Month 3, and 40% (95% CI 18 to 57) at Month 6. There were also statistically-significant between-group differences in neural mobility.


CONCLUSION
Exercise is effective in reducing the intensity and prevalence of low back pain in children.


TRIAL REGISTRATION
Clinical trials NCT00786864.
The influence of organizational factors on successful ERP implementation

Purpose – This study aims to examine organizational factors (i.e. top management support, training and education, enterprise-wide communication) that may influence the enterprise resource planning system implementation success in Iran. Design/methodology/approach – Empirical data were collected via a survey questionnaire. The questionnaires were distributed to selected managers of companies adopting ERP systems in Iran. Findings – The results indicate that the companies’ top management must provide full support and commitment to the project if the system is to be successful. In addition, management must also ensure the plans are communicated and understood by the entire company. Finally it is also illustrated that adequate training and education pertaining to the systems must be given to all users to ensure that they are able to use the system effectively and efficiently thus contributing to their satisfaction which will subsequently influence the implementation success. Research limitations/implications – The ERP implementation success dimensions were measured using subjective and perceptual measures. This was due to the difficulty in securing the related factual data from the participating organizations. Practical implications – The findings may help companies planning to implement an ERP system to strategise their efforts and process to ensure successful implementation. Originality/value – This study examines how organizational factors, namely top management support, training and education as well as enterprise wide communication among ERP users, affect ERP implementation success in Iran.
The efficacy of octreotide LAR (long acting release) treatment in patients with somatotropinoma, and mixed pituitary tumours

Objective: The efficacy of somatostatin analogues in the treatment of acromegaly is not always equal and therefore we wanted to evaluate the efficacy of therapy with octreotide long acting release (LAR) in patients with monohormonal tumours (somatotropinomas) in comparison to individuals with mixed pituitary tumours secreting alphasubunit. Method: The 35 acromegalic patients (18 males and 17 females), aged 41.8 ± 8.8 years, were divided into 2 groups according to the secreted hormones: 1 with mixed pituitary tumours with elevated growth hormone and alpha-subunit concentrations, the other with isolated growth hormone hypersecretion and normal alpha-subunit levels. The groups included 19 patients (9 males and 10 females), aged 40.1 ± 7.1 years (mean ± SD), and 16 patients (9 males and 7 females) aged 43.8 ± 8.8 years (mean ± SD), respectively. Results: The decrease of GH and IGF-I levels after octreotide LAR treatment were observed in both groups. However, the reduction of GH and IGF-I concentrations was not equal in both groups and the differences between both groups were statistically significant (P=0.01 for GH levels, and P=0.047 for IGF-I levels). Conclusions: After octreotide LAR treatment, the decrease of GH level and of mean IGF-I values was greater in patients with mixed pituitary tumours and high alpha-subunit concentrations than in patients with isolated GH hypersecretion and normal alpha-subunit levels.
Transformational leadership and leader moral orientation: Contrasting an ethic of justice and an ethic of care

Previous research on the moral foundations of transformational leadership has focused on a Kohlbergian (1969, 1976) ethic of justice. However, proposed associations between level of justice reasoning and transformational leadership have received only partial support. We reasoned that an ethic of care would be more consistent with the nature of transformational leadership than would be an ethic of justice. Multilevel regression analyses on data obtained from a sample of leaders (N=55) and followers (N=391) at a Canadian university supported our predictions. Specifically, leader propensity toward using an ethic of care was significantly, positively related to follower perceptions of transformational (but not transactional) leadership. Leader propensity toward an ethic of justice was significantly, positively related to follower perceptions of transactional (but not transformational) leadership. Conceptual, research, and practical implications are discussed. © 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
What factors influence knowledge sharing in organizations? A social dilemma perspective of social media communication

Purpose:  Enterprise  social  media  platforms  provide  new  ways  of  sharing  knowledge  and communicating within organizations to benefit  from the social capital and valuable knowledge that employees have. Drawing on social dilemma and self‐determination theory, the aim of the study is to understand what factors drive employees’ participation and what factors hamper their participation in enterprise social media. Methodology:  Based  on  a  literature  review,  a  unified  research  model  is  derived  integrating demographic,  individual,  organizational  and  technological  factors  that  influence  the motivation of employees  to  share knowledge. The model  is  tested using  statistical methods on a  sample of 114 respondents  in  Denmark.  Qualitative  data  is  used  to  elaborate  and  explain  quantitative  results‘ findings. Practical implications: The proposed knowledge sharing framework helps to understand what factors impact  engagement  on  social  media.  Furthermore  the  article  suggests  different  types  of interventions to overcome the social dilemma of knowledge sharing. Findings:  Our findings pinpoint towards the general drivers and barriers to knowledge sharing within organizations.  The  significant  drivers  are:  enjoy  helping  others, monetary  rewards, management support, change of knowledge sharing behavior and recognition. The significant identified barriers to knowledge sharing are: change of behavior, lack of trust and lack of time. Originality: The study contributes to an understanding of factors leading to the success or failure of enterprise social media drawing on self‐determination and social dilemma theory.
Impact of pulmonary rehabilitation on psychosocial morbidity in patients with severe COPD.

STUDY OBJECTIVE
To assess the effect of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) on psychosocial morbidity, functional exercise capacity, and health-related quality of life (HRQL) in patients with severe COPD.


DESIGN
A prospective, randomized, controlled trial with blinding of outcome assessment and data analysis.


SETTING
A tertiary-care respiratory service.


PATIENTS
Forty patients (mean age, 65 +/- 8 years [+/- SD]) with severe chronic flow limitation (FEV(1), 35 +/- 13%) without respiratory failure (Pao(2), 72 +/- 9 mm Hg; Paco(2), 42 +/- 5 mm Hg) were randomized either to a control group or to a PR group (PRG).


INTERVENTIONS
Sixteen weeks of PR that included breathing retraining and exercise.


MEASUREMENTS
At baseline and 16 weeks, we evaluated psychosocial morbidity using two questionnaires (the Millon Behavior Health Inventory [MBHI] and the Revised Symptom Checklist [SCL-90-R]) and measured 6-min walk distance (6WMD) and HRQL using the Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire (CRQ).


RESULTS
We found differences in favor of the PRG in the following MBHI domains: introversive, forceful, and sensitive personality styles (all p </= 0.05) and chronic tension (p </= 0.01). Results of the depression, hostility, global severity, positive symptom distress index (all p </= 0.01), somatization, anxiety, psychoticism, and positive symptom (all p </= 0.05) domains of the SCL-90-R favored the PRG. We also found statistically and clinically significant differences between groups in 6MWD (85 m; p < 0.01) and in two domains of the CRQ: dyspnea (1.0; p < 0.01) and mastery (0.6; p < 0.05). The other two domains of CRQ showed strong trends in favor of PRG: 0.7 for both fatigue and emotional function (minimal important difference, 0.5).


CONCLUSIONS
PR may decrease psychosocial morbidity in COPD patients even when no specific psychological intervention is performed. Findings from this study also confirm the positive impact of PR on functional exercise capacity and HRQL.
ASYMMETRIC LEAVES1 regulates abscission zone placement in Arabidopsis flowers

The sepals, petals and stamens of Arabidopsis flowers detach via abscission zones formed at their boundaries with the underlying receptacle. The ASYMMETRIC LEAVES1 (AS1) MYB transcription factor plays a critical role in setting boundaries between newly formed leaf primordia and the shoot meristem. By repressing expression of a set of KNOTTED1-LIKE HOMEODOMAIN (KNOX) genes from developing leaf primordia, AS1 and its partner ASYMMETRIC LEAVES2 allow the patterning and differentiation of leaves to proceed. Here we show a unique role for AS1 in establishing the positions of the sepal and petal abscission zones in Arabidopsis flowers. In as1 mutant flowers, the sepal abscission zones are displaced into inverted V-shaped positions, leaving behind triangular stubs of tissue when the organs abscise. Movement of the petal abscission zones is also apparent. Abscission of the medial sepals is delayed in as1 flowers; loss of chlorophyll in the senescing sepals contrasts with proximal zones that remain green. AS1 has previously been shown to restrict expression of the KNOX gene, BREVIPEDICELLUS (BP), from the sepals. We show here that loss of BP activity in as1 flowers is sufficient to restore the positions of the sepal and petal abscission zones, the sepal-receptacle boundary of the medial sepals and the timing of their abscission. Our results indicate that AS1 activity is critical for the proper placement of the floral organ abscission zones, and influences the timing of organ shedding.
Improved Anaerobic Fermentation of Wheat Straw by Alkaline Pre-Treatment and Addition of Alkali-Tolerant Microorganisms

The potential of two alkali-tolerant, lignocellulolytic environmental enrichment cultures to improve the anaerobic fermentation of Ca(OH)₂-pre-treated wheat straw was studied. The biomethane potential of pre-treated straw was 36% higher than that of untreated straw. The bioaugmentation of pre-treated straw with the enrichment cultures did not enhance the methane yield, but accelerated the methane production during the first week. In acidogenic leach-bed fermenters, a 61% higher volatile fatty acid (VFA) production and a 112% higher gas production, mainly CO₂, were observed when pre-treated instead of untreated straw was used. With one of the two enrichment cultures as the inoculum, instead of the standard inoculum, the VFA production increased by an additional 36% and the gas production by an additional 110%, again mainly CO₂. Analysis of the microbial communities in the leach-bed processes revealed similar bacterial compositions in the fermenters with pre-treated straw, which developed independently of the used inoculum. It was suggested that the positive metabolic effects with the enrichment cultures observed in both systems were due to initial activities of the alkali-tolerant microorganisms tackling the alkaline conditions better than the standard inocula, whereas the latter dominated in the long term.
Cerebral Venous Thrombosis : Diagnostic Accuracy of Combined , Dynamic and Static , Contrast-Enhanced 4 D MR Venography

S. Meckel C. Reisinger J. Bremerich D. Damm M. Wolbers S. Engelter K. Scheffler S.G. Wetzel BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: MR including MRV is an established method to diagnose CVT. However, it remains unsettled which MR imaging modalities offer the highest diagnostic accuracy. We evaluated the accuracy of a combined, dynamic (1.5 seconds per dataset) and static (voxel size, 1.1 0.9 1.5 mm), contrast-enhanced MRV method (combo-4D MRV) relative to other established MR/MRV modalities.
Adding banding ligation is effective as rescue therapy to prevent variceal rebleeding in haemodynamic non-responders to pharmacological therapy.

BACKGROUND
It is unknown which is the best therapy to treat haemodynamic non-responders to pharmacological therapy after variceal bleeding.


AIM
To evaluate the efficacy of adding banding ligation to drugs to prevent variceal rebleeding in haemodynamic non-responders to drugs.


METHODS
Fifty-three cirrhotic patients with variceal bleeding underwent a hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) measurement 5 days after the episode. Nadolol and nitrates were then titrated to maximum tolerated doses. A second HVPG was taken 14 days later. Responders (HVPG ≤12 mm Hg or ≥20% decrease from baseline) were maintained on drugs and non-responders had banding ligation added to drugs.


RESULTS
Mean follow-up was 28 months. In 5 patients the second HVPG could not be performed because of early rebleeding. The remaining 48 patients were classified as responders (n=24) and non-responders (n=24), who had banding added. No baseline differences were observed between groups. Variceal rebleeding occurred in 12% of the 48 patients whose haemodynamic response was assessed. Responders on drug therapy presented a 16% rebleeding rate, whilst non-responders rescued with banding showed an 8% rebleeding rate. Rebleeding-related mortality was not different between groups.


CONCLUSION
In a HVPG-guided strategy, adding banding ligation to drugs is an effective rescue strategy to prevent rebleeding in haemodynamic non-responders to drug therapy.
Off-state breakdown in power pHEMTs: the impact of the source

Summary form only given. Conventional wisdom suggests that in pseudomorphic high electron mobility transistors (pHEMTs), the field between the drain and the gate determines off-state breakdown, and that the drain to gate voltage therefore sets the breakdown voltage of the device. Thus, the two terminal breakdown voltage is a widely used figure of merit, and most models for breakdown focus on the depletion region in the gate-drain gap, while altogether ignoring the source. We present new measurements and simulations that demonstrate that for power pHEMTs, the electrostatic interaction of the source seriously degrades the device's gate-drain breakdown, and must be taken into consideration in device design. As a vehicle for this study we have used a state-of-the-art L/sub G/=0.25 /spl mu/m double heterostructure pHEMT with excellent power performance (P/sub 0/= 1W, Gain= 11 dB, and PAE=60% at 10 GHz for W/sub G/=1200 /spl mu/m) and high breakdown voltage (BV/sub DG/=21 V at I/sub D/=1 mA/mm).
Microfluidic co-culture of pancreatic tumor spheroids with stellate cells as a novel 3D model for investigation of stroma-mediated cell motility and drug resistance

BACKGROUND
Pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs), a major component of the tumor microenvironment in pancreatic cancer, play roles in cancer progression as well as drug resistance. Culturing various cells in microfluidic (microchannel) devices has proven to be a useful in studying cellular interactions and drug sensitivity. Here we present a microchannel plate-based co-culture model that integrates tumor spheroids with PSCs in a three-dimensional (3D) collagen matrix to mimic the tumor microenvironment in vivo by recapitulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition and chemoresistance.


METHODS
A 7-channel microchannel plate was prepared using poly-dimethylsiloxane (PDMS) via soft lithography. PANC-1, a human pancreatic cancer cell line, and PSCs, each within a designated channel of the microchannel plate, were cultured embedded in type I collagen. Expression of EMT-related markers and factors was analyzed using immunofluorescent staining or Proteome analysis. Changes in viability following exposure to gemcitabine and paclitaxel were measured using Live/Dead assay.


RESULTS
PANC-1 cells formed 3D tumor spheroids within 5 days and the number of spheroids increased when co-cultured with PSCs. Culture conditions were optimized for PANC-1 cells and PSCs, and their appropriate interaction was confirmed by reciprocal activation shown as increased cell motility. PSCs under co-culture showed an increased expression of α-SMA. Expression of EMT-related markers, such as vimentin and TGF-β, was higher in co-cultured PANC-1 spheroids compared to that in mono-cultured spheroids; as was the expression of many other EMT-related factors including TIMP1 and IL-8. Following gemcitabine exposure, no significant changes in survival were observed. When paclitaxel was combined with gemcitabine, a growth inhibitory advantage was prominent in tumor spheroids, which was accompanied by significant cytotoxicity in PSCs.


CONCLUSIONS
We demonstrated that cancer cells grown as tumor spheroids in a 3D collagen matrix and PSCs co-cultured in sub-millimeter proximity participate in mutual interactions that induce EMT and drug resistance in a microchannel plate. Microfluidic co-culture of pancreatic tumor spheroids with PSCs may serve as a useful model for studying EMT and drug resistance in a clinically relevant manner.