LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
The 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12): translation and validation study of the Iranian version

BACKGROUND
The objective of this study was to translate and to test the reliability and validity of the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) in Iran.


METHODS
Using a standard 'forward-backward' translation procedure, the English language version of the questionnaire was translated into Persian (Iranian language). Then a sample of young people aged 18 to 25 years old completed the questionnaire. In addition, a short questionnaire containing demographic questions and a single measure of global quality of life was administered. To test reliability the internal consistency was assessed by Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Validity was performed using convergent validity. Finally, the factor structure of the questionnaire was extracted by performing principal component analysis using oblique factor solution.


RESULTS
In all 748 young people entered into the study. The mean age of respondents was 21.1 (SD = 2.1) years. Employing the recommended method of scoring (ranging from 0 to 12), the mean GHQ score was 3.7 (SD = 3.5). Reliability analysis showed satisfactory result (Cronbach's alpha coefficient = 0.87). Convergent validity indicated a significant negative correlation between the GHQ-12 and global quality of life scores as expected (r = -0.56, P < 0.0001). The principal component analysis with oblique rotation solution showed that the GHQ-12 was a measure of psychological morbidity with two-factor structure that jointly accounted for 51% of the variance.


CONCLUSION
The study findings showed that the Iranian version of the GHQ-12 has a good structural characteristic and is a reliable and valid instrument that can be used for measuring psychological well being in Iran.
Hemodynamics of cerebral aneurysm initiation: the role of wall shear stress and spatial wall shear stress gradient.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Cerebral aneurysms are preferentially located at arterial curvatures and bifurcations that are exposed to major hemodynamic forces, increasingly implicated in the life cycle of aneurysms. By observing the natural history of aneurysm formation from its preaneurysm state, we aimed to examine the hemodynamic microenvironment related to aneurysm initiation at certain arterial segments later developing an aneurysm.


MATERIALS AND METHODS
The 3 patients included in the study underwent cerebral angiography with 3D reconstruction before a true aneurysm developed. The arterial geometries obtained from the 3D-DSA models were used for flow simulation by using finite-volume modeling. The WSS and SWSSG at the site of the future aneurysm and the flow characteristics of the developed aneurysms were analyzed.


RESULTS
The analyzed regions of interest demonstrated significantly increased WSS, accompanied by an increased positive SWSSG in the adjacent proximal region. The WSS reached values of >5 times the temporal average values of the parent vessel, whereas the SWSSG approximated or exceeded peaks of 40 Pa/mm in all 3 cases. All patients developed an aneurysm within 2 years, 1 of which ruptured.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this hemodynamic study, in accordance with the clinical follow-up, suggest that the combination of high WSS and high positive SWSSG focused on a small segment of the arterial wall may have a role in the initiation process of aneurysm formation.
A field usability evaluation of a wearable system

This empirical field study describes the wearable system, the study method used, and summarizes the experiences of aircraft maintenance specialists who participated in a field usability evaluation conducted at their United States Air Force Reserve facility in the summer of 1996. This usability evaluation aimed at collecting accurate, detailed information for use in the evolutionary design and development of wearable systems for vehicle maintenance workers. All participants were able to complete their tasks using the wearable prototype and they expressed willingness to use such a system in the future. Also, we report on future requirements for wearable maintenance aids elicited from these users.
Mortality rates among Kanyawara chimpanzees.

Demographic data from wild chimpanzees are of considerable interest for understanding the evolution of the human life history. Published mortality data, however, come primarily from chimpanzee populations that have recently suffered dramatic, human-induced declines, and exhibit rates of reproduction well below replacement. Here we present a life table for chimpanzees living in the Kanyawara community of Kibale National Park, comprising 1129 individual risk years and 56 deaths. This community has shown modest growth over the past 25 years, avoiding some of the worst impacts of human contact. Sex differences in mortality at Kanyawara appeared similar to those reported from other sites. However, overall mortality rates were significantly lower than those reported from the long-term study sites of Gombe, Taï and Mahale. Kanyawara chimpanzees in this sample had a life expectancy at birth of 19 years, and individuals living to age 14 could expect to live for another 24 years. Life table data from Kanyawara indicate a mean mortality rate of 3.9% per year over the ages of 10-35, substantially less than the equivalent figure of 6.8% from a sample of other long-term chimpanzee study sites. The comparable adult mortality rate from a range of human foraging societies is ∼2%. The Kanyawara data thus suggest an important downward revision in adult mortality rates for wild chimpanzees, but they do not challenge the existence of an important difference in adult mortality between humans and chimpanzees.
Evidence-based interventions in dementia: A pragmatic cluster-randomised trial of an educational intervention to promote earlier recognition and response to dementia in primary care (EVIDEM-ED)

BACKGROUND
The National Dementia Strategy seeks to enhance general practitioners' diagnostic and management skills in dementia. Early diagnosis in dementia within primary care is important as this allows those with dementia and their family care networks to engage with support services and plan for the future. There is, however, evidence that dementia remains under-detected and sub-optimally managed in general practice. An earlier unblinded, cluster randomised controlled study tested the effectiveness of educational interventions in improving detection rates and management of dementia in primary care. In this original trial, a computer decision support system and practice-based educational workshops were effective in improving rates of detecting dementia although not in changing clinical management. The challenge therefore is to find methods of changing clinical management. Our aim in this new trial is to test a customised educational intervention developed for general practice, promoting both earlier diagnosis and concordance with management guidelines.


DESIGN/METHOD
The customised educational intervention combines practice-based workshops and electronic support material. Its effectiveness will be tested in an unblinded cluster randomised controlled trial with a pre-post intervention design, with two arms; normal care versus the educational intervention. Twenty primary care practices have been recruited with the aim of gaining 200 patient participants. We will examine whether the intervention is effective, pragmatic and feasible within the primary care setting. Our primary outcome measure is an increase in the proportion of patients with dementia who receive at least two dementia-specific management reviews per year. We will also examine important secondary outcomes such as practice concordance with management guidelines and benefits to patients and carers in terms of quality of life and carer strain.


DISCUSSION
The EVIDEM-ED trial builds on the earlier study but the intervention is different in that it is specifically customised to the educational needs of each practice. If this trial is successful it could have implications for the implementation of the National Dementia Strategy.


TRIAL REGISTRATION
NCT00866099.
Some physicochemical parameters of potable water supply in Warri, Niger Delta area of Nigeria

Some physiochemical parameters of potable water supply in relation to surface water, shallow well and borehole water in Warri area of Niger Delta region of Nigeria were assessed to determine their pollution profiles. Parameters such pH, turbidity, total suspended solids (TSS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), dissolved oxygen (DO), sulphate, phosphate, chloride and bicarbonate in the different water supply were determined. With few exceptions, the ranking of physicochemical parameters is in the order: surface water > shallow well water > borehole water. Some of the parameters were above WHO standard for drinking water, so there is need for strict monitoring to ensure quality water supply for human health.
Tightly coupled UWB/IMU pose estimation

In this paper we propose a 6DOF tracking system combining Ultra-Wideband measurements with low-cost MEMS inertial measurements. A tightly coupled system is developed which estimates position as well as orientation of the sensor-unit while being reliable in case of multipath effects and NLOS conditions. The experimental results show robust and continuous tracking in a realistic indoor positioning scenario.
Nonlinear Dynamic Modeling of a Single-Phase Permanent-Magnet Brushless DC Motor Using 2-D Static Finite-Element Results

A nonlinear dynamic model is proposed for a single-phase permanent-magnet brushless DC (SP PM BLDC) motor to reduce simulation time compared to transient finite-element model and finite-element co-simulation model. The model uses a lookup table of EMF constant and cogging torque obtained from two-dimensional static finite-element analyses. A machine model based on a lookup table is coupled to an inverter model and a load model to form a complete motor model. Nonlinear effects such as cogging torque, magnetic saturation, armature reaction, and switching transients are considered in the model. The simulated results are validated experimentally with a prototype SP PM BLDC external rotor ceiling fan motor.
Differential susceptibility of blue catfish, Ictalurus furcatus (Valenciennes), channel catfish, I. punctatus (Rafinesque), and blue x channel catfish hybrids to channel catfish virus.

Channel catfish virus (CCV), also known as ictalurid herpesvirus-1 (IHV-1), primarily affects juvenile channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque), that are less than 6 months old and was first reported by Fijan (1968). CCV outbreaks can be sporadic, and are usually associated with fry and fingerlings when the water temperature is above 25 C (Plumb 1978). The virus has been reported to be transmitted vertically (Wise, Harrell, Busch & Boyle 1988) and horizontally (reviewed in Plumb 1978). The external signs of CCV disease (CCVD) include exophthalmia, distended abdomen and haemorrhages at the bases of fins. The trunk kidney may exhibit oedema and necrosis, and this tissue is commonly used to confirm the presence of the virus using a tissue culture assay (reviewed in Wolf 1988). In addition, the virus appears to maintain a latent state in leucocytes (Bowser, Munson, Jarboe, Francis-Floyd & Waterstrat 1985), which raises the possibility that latent CCV infection may alter the immune response to other pathogens. It has been over 30 years since it was determined that different strains of catfish exhibited differential resistance to CCV when the virus was mixed with their feed (Plumb, Green, Smitherman & Pardue 1975). A subsequent study by Plumb & Chappell (1978) examined the relative susceptibility of blue catfish, I. furcatus (Valenciennes), and reciprocal blue · channel hybrids to CCV. Since Plumb s (1978) study, there have been no reports on the relative susceptibility of blue catfish or hybrids to CCV. The present study was conducted to determine the relative susceptibility of four different groups of fish: blue catfish, a blue · channel hybrid, a group of channel catfish obtained from 10 farms in the Mississippi Delta, hereafter referred to as the industry pool (IP), and a new strain of catfish produced by the Catfish Genetics Research Unit of USDA at Stoneville, MS (USDA 102 · 103). For each strain of fish, nine replicate tanks were stocked with 40 fish per tank; eight tanks were used for virus challenge while the remaining tank was used as an uninfected control. Fish were placed in 38 L tanks that were filled to 11 L and had a flowthrough rate of 1.8 L min and allowed to acclimatize for 8 days. Fish were fed to satiation twice per day beginning the day after stocking and feeding continued throughout the course of the study. The blue catfish (avg. wt. 3.45 0.18 g) used in this study were of the D and B strain. Fry from seven different spawns were pooled and raised communally in tanks until used in the challenge. The hybrid catfish (avg. wt. 4.10 0.21 g) were produced by crossing female USDA 103 strain channel catfish and D and B strain blue catfish. Twelve hybrid spawns were pooled and used in this Journal of Fish Diseases 2008, 31, 77–79
Accuracy of diagnostic tests for Cushing's syndrome: a systematic review and metaanalyses.

CONTEXT
The diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome (CS) requires the use of tests of unregulated hypercortisolism that have unclear accuracy.


OBJECTIVE
Our objective was to summarize evidence on the accuracy of common tests for diagnosing CS.


DATA SOURCES
We searched electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, Scopus, and citation search for key articles) from 1975 through September 2007 and sought additional references from experts.


STUDY SELECTION
Eligible studies reported on the accuracy of urinary free cortisol (UFC), dexamethasone suppression test (DST), and midnight cortisol assays vs. reference standard in patients suspected of CS.


DATA EXTRACTION
Reviewers working in duplicate and independently extracted study characteristics and quality and data to estimate the likelihood ratio (LR) and the 95% confidence interval (CI) for each result.


DATA SYNTHESIS
We found 27 eligible studies, with a high prevalence [794 (9.2%) of 8631 patients had CS] and severity of CS. The tests had similar accuracy: UFC (n = 14 studies; LR+ 10.6, CI 5.5-20.5; LR- 0.16, CI 0.08-0.33), salivary midnight cortisol (n = 4; LR+ 8.8, CI 3.5-21.8; LR- 0.07, CI 0-1.2), and the 1-mg overnight DST (n = 14; LR+ 16.4, CI 9.3-28.8; LR- 0.06, CI 0.03-0.14). Combined testing strategies (e.g. a positive result in both UFC and 1-mg overnight DST) had similar diagnostic accuracy (n = 3; LR+ 15.4, CI 0.7-358; LR- 0.11, CI 0.007-1.57).


CONCLUSIONS
Commonly used tests to diagnose CS appear highly accurate in referral practices with samples enriched with patients with CS. Their performance in usual clinical practice remains unclear.
Mobility Metric based LEACH-Mobile Protocol

Cluster based protocols like LEACH were found best suited for routing in wireless sensor networks. In mobility centric environments some improvements were suggested in the basic scheme. LEACH-Mobile is one such protocol. The basic LEACH protocol is improved in the mobile scenario by ensuring whether a sensor node is able to communicate with its cluster head. Since all the nodes, including cluster head is moving it will be better to elect a node as cluster head which is having less mobility related to its neighbours. In this paper, LEACH-Mobile protocol has been enhanced based on a mobility metric “remoteness” for cluster head election. This ensures high success rate in data transfer between the cluster head and the collector nodes even though nodes are moving. We have simulated and compared our LEACH-Mobile-Enhanced protocol with LEACHMobile. Results show that inclusion of neighbouring node information improves the routing protocol.
Algorithms for Advanced Battery-Management Systems

Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are ubiquitous sources of energy for portable electronic devices. Compared to alternative battery technologies, Li-ion batteries provide one of the best energy-to-weight ratios, exhibit no memory effect, and have low self-discharge when not in use. These beneficial properties, as well as decreasing costs, have established Li-ion batteries as a leading candidate for the next generation of automotive and aerospace applications. In the automotive sector, increasing demand for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in HEVs (PHEVs), and EVs has pushed manufacturers to the limits of contemporary automotive battery technology. This limitation is gradually forcing consideration of alternative battery technologies, such as Li-ion batteries, as a replacement for existing leadacid and nickel-metal-hydride batteries. Unfortunately, this replacement is a challenging task since automotive applications demand large amounts of energy and power and must operate safely, reliably, and durably at these scales. The article presents a detailed description and model of a Li-ion battery. It begins the section "Intercalation-Based Batteries" by providing an intuitive explanation of the fundamentals behind storing energy in a Li-ion battery. In the sections "Modeling Approach" and "Li-Ion Battery Model," it present equations that describe a Li-ion cell's dynamic behavior. This modeling is based on using electrochemical principles to develop a physics-based model in contrast to equivalent circuit models. A goal of this article is to present the electrochemical model from a controls perspective.
A DUAL-BAND RF ENERGY HARVESTING USING FREQUENCY LIMITED DUAL-BAND IMPEDANCE MATCHING

Abstract—In this paper, a novel dual-band RF-harvesting RF-DC converter with a frequency limited impedance matching network (M/N) is proposed. The proposed RF-DC converter consists of a dual-band impedance matching network, a rectifier circuit with villard structure, a wideband harmonic suppression low-pass filter (LPF), and a termination load. The proposed dual-band M/N can match two receiving band signals and suppress the out-of-band signals effectively, so the back-scattered nonlinear frequency components from the nonlinear rectifying diodes to the antenna can be blocked. The fabricated circuit provides the maximum RF-DC conversion efficiency of 73.76% and output voltage 7.09 V at 881MHz and 69.05% with 6.86V at 2.4GHz with an individual input signal power of 22 dBm. Moreover, the conversion efficiency of 77.13% and output voltage of 7.25V are obtained when two RF waves with input dual-band signal power of 22 dBm are fed simultaneously.
Understanding the cognitive impact on children who are treated for medulloblastoma.

OBJECTIVE
Risk-adapted treatment approaches employed within contemporary medulloblastoma treatment protocols aim to reduce the neurotoxicity directed at the central nervous system. Despite these important steps to reduce radiation dose exposure, an overwhelming majority of medulloblastoma survivors continue to experience academic failure and significant learning delays.


METHODS
A review of the current literature is presented.


RESULTS
Deficits in intellectual function, academic achievement, memory, attention, and processing speed are reported. Finally, intervention programs, including pharmacotherapy and experimental cognitive intervention studies, are discussed. A review of neuroimaging studies shows changes in brain tissue following chemotherapy and radiation treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
Declining IQ and academic struggles may be predated by difficulties with attention, memory, and processing speed. More clinical trials directed at treating and preventing neurocognitive late effects through cognitive rehabilitation are needed.
Managerial perceptions of political risk in international projects

This paper examines the vulnerability of international projects to political risks. A brief review of the literature on general risks – natural, financial, cultural and political – is undertaken and then a more detailed review of the literature on political risk is presented. It was found that relatively few studies of political risk, particularly in the context of international projects, have been carried out. More particularly the focus has been almost exclusively on developed, rather than developing, countries. Questionnaires were distributed therefore to the entire target population of Jordanian international projects. The findings suggest that the political risk associated with international projects poses a threat to the majority of respondents and that the vulnerability to political risk is related to a firm’s degree of internationalisation. International projects are more concerned about host-society and interstate related risks than host-government related risks.
StreamScope: Continuous Reliable Distributed Processing of Big Data Streams

STREAMSCOPE (or STREAMS) is a reliable distributed stream computation engine that has been deployed in shared 20,000-server production clusters at Microsoft. STREAMS provides a continuous temporal stream model that allows users to express complex stream processing logic naturally and declaratively. STREAMS supports business-critical streaming applications that can process tens of billions (or tens of terabytes) of input events per day continuously with complex logic involving tens of temporal joins, aggregations, and sophisticated userdefined functions, while maintaining tens of terabytes inmemory computation states on thousands of machines. STREAMS introduces two abstractions, rVertex and rStream, to manage the complexity in distributed stream computation systems. The abstractions allow efficient and flexible distributed execution and failure recovery, make it easy to reason about correctness even with failures, and facilitate the development, debugging, and deployment of complex multi-stage streaming applications.
Efficacy and safety of torcetrapib, a novel cholesteryl ester transfer protein inhibitor, in individuals with below-average high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels.

OBJECTIVES
This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of torcetrapib, a cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) inhibitor, in subjects with low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels.


BACKGROUND
Evidence suggests HDL-C is atheroprotective. A proven mechanism for increasing the level of HDL-C is the inhibition of CETP.


METHODS
A total of 162 subjects with below-average HDL-C (men <44 mg/dl; women <54 mg/dl) who were not taking lipid-modifying therapy were randomized to double-blind treatment with torcetrapib 10, 30, 60, or 90 mg/day or placebo ( approximately 30 subjects per group).


RESULTS
The percent change from baseline to Week 8 with torcetrapib (least-squares mean difference from placebo) was dose-dependent and ranged from 9.0% to 54.5% for HDL-C (p < or = 0.0001 for 30 mg and higher doses) and from 3.0% to -16.5% for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (p < 0.01 for 90-mg dose). Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol lowering was less in subjects with higher (>150 mg/dl) versus lower levels of baseline triglycerides; at 60 mg, the change in LDL-C was 0.1% versus -22.2% (p < 0.0001), respectively. Particle size for both HDL and LDL increased with torcetrapib. There were no dose-related increases in the frequency of adverse events. Significant blood pressure increases were noted in 2 of 140 subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
Torcetrapib resulted in substantial dose-dependent elevations in HDL-C, accompanied by moderate decreases in LDL-C at the higher doses. Torcetrapib was generally well tolerated.