LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Water for Life: The Impact of the Privatization of Water Services on Child Mortality

While most countries are committed to increasing access to safe water and thereby reducing child mortality, there is little consensus on how to actually improve water services. One important proposal under discussion is whether to privatize water provision. In the 1990s Argentina embarked on one of the largest privatization campaigns in the world, including the privatization of local water companies covering approximately 30 percent of the country’s municipalities. Using the variation in ownership of water provision across time and space generated by the privatization process, we find that child mortality fell 8 percent in the areas that privatized their water services and that the effect was largest (26 percent) in the poorest areas. We check the robustness of these estimates using cause-specific mortality. While privatization is associated with significant reductions in deaths from infectious and parasitic diseases, it is uncorrelated with deaths from causes unrelated to water conditions.
A recommender agent based on learning styles for better virtual collaborative learning experiences

Almost unlimited access to educational information plethora came with a drawback: finding meaningful material is not a straightforward task anymore. Based on a survey related to how students find additional bibliographical resources for university courses, we concluded there is a strong need for recommended learning materials, for specialized online search and for personalized learning tools. As a result, we developed an educational collaborative filtering recommender agent, with an integrated learning style finder. The agent produces two types of recommendations: suggestions and shortcuts for learning materials and learning tools, helping the learner to better navigate through educational resources. Shortcuts are created taking into account only the user’s profile, while suggestions are created using the choices made by the learners with similar learning styles. The learning style finder assigns to each user a profile model, taking into account an index of learning styles, as well as patterns discovered in the virtual behavior of the user. The current study presents the agent itself, as well as its integration to a virtual collaborative learning environment and its success and limitations, based on users’ feedback. 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Altered sodium channel behaviour causes myotonia in dominantly inherited myotonia congenita

The cause of increased excitability in autosomal dominant myotonia congenita (MyC) was studied in resealed greater than 3-cm long segments of muscle fibres from eight patients. Three hours after biopsy only about 50% of the fibre segments had regained a normal resting potential. This differs from our experiences with normal muscle or other disorders of myotonia (e.g. recessive generalized myotonia) where nearly all cut fibres reseal and repolarize during this time. When the depolarized MyC fibre segments were placed in a solution containing 1 microM tetrodotoxin (TTX) they repolarized to -80 to -90 mV. In fibre segments with normal resting potential, in the absence of TTX, spontaneous myotonic runs were recorded intracellularly, occasionally with double spikes. For only one of the eight patients, the Cl- conductance was reduced (50% of the total membrane conductance vs the usual 75%), for the rest of the patients the steady-state current-voltage relationship was normal. Sodium currents through single membrane channels were recorded with a patch clamp. For every patient re-openings of the Na+ channels were observed throughout 10-ms depolarizing pulses. These are very uncommon in normal muscle. At potentials positive to the resting potential, the duration of the re-openings increased, but the current amplitude was the same. It is concluded that in myotonia congenita re-openings of Na+ channels are the major cause of hyperexcitability and that Cl- conductance is normal. If it is reduced in rare cases, it may potentiate the myotonia.
Clinical, radiographic, and histological observation of a human immature permanent tooth with chronic apical abscess after revitalization treatment.

INTRODUCTION
Revitalization procedures have been widely used for the treatment of immature permanent teeth with apical periodontitis. The treatment procedures appear to be capable of encouraging continued root development and thickening of the canal walls. The nature of tissues formed in the canal space and at the root apex after revitalization has been shown histologically in several animal studies; similar studies in humans were recently reported.


METHODS
A 9-year-old boy had a traumatic injury to his upper anterior teeth. Tooth #9 suffered a complicated crown fracture with a pulp exposure, which was restored with a composite resin. The tooth developed a chronic apical abscess. Revitalization procedures were performed on tooth #9 because it was an immature permanent tooth with an open apex and thin canal walls. Twenty-six months after revitalization, the tooth had a horizontal crown fracture at the cervical level and could not be restored. The tooth was extracted and processed for routine histological and immunohistochemical examination to identify the nature of tissues formed in the canal space.


RESULTS
Clinically and radiographically, the revitalization of the present case was successful because of the absence of signs and symptoms and the resolution of periapical lesion as well as thickening of the canal walls and continued root development. The tissue formed in the canal was well-mineralized cementum- or bone-like tissue identified by routine histology and immunohistochemistry. No pulp-like tissue characterized by the presence of polarized odontoblast-like cells aligning dentin-like hard tissue was observed.


CONCLUSIONS
The tissues formed in the canal of revitalized human tooth are similar to cementum- or bone-like tissue and fibrous connective tissue.
Analysis of skin erythema using true-color images

This article presents a new method for analyzing the spreading of skin erythemas. These occur as a result of the cutaneous vascular axon reflex which can be evoked by a noxious stimulation of the skin. Series of true-color images of the observed skin patch were recorded using a video camera. The images were digitized and stored on computer disk. The delineation of the reddening was segmented for every image of the sequence by a newly developed image processing method. Each image taken after the noxious stimulation was compared with the baseline before the stimulation and each image point was classified as: "unchanged" or "changed skin color." To improve the classification the CIE L/sup */a/sup */b/sup */ color space was used. The boundaries of the erythema were extracted from the resulting binary images. Every image of a sequence was analyzed in the same way in order to follow the time course of the flare response. The erythema reaction could be determined in an objective way using this methods. The automatically detected flare sizes were independent of human observers and had a high spatial and temporal resolution. It was used for a crossover study to assess the power of new drugs which modify the blood flow of the skin induced by an intradermal histamine application.
Angiotensin inhibition enhances drug delivery and potentiates chemotherapy by decompressing tumour blood vessels

Cancer and stromal cells actively exert physical forces (solid stress) to compress tumour blood vessels, thus reducing vascular perfusion. Tumour interstitial matrix also contributes to solid stress, with hyaluronan implicated as the primary matrix molecule responsible for vessel compression because of its swelling behaviour. Here we show, unexpectedly, that hyaluronan compresses vessels only in collagen-rich tumours, suggesting that collagen and hyaluronan together are critical targets for decompressing tumour vessels. We demonstrate that the angiotensin inhibitor losartan reduces stromal collagen and hyaluronan production, associated with decreased expression of profibrotic signals TGF-β1, CCN2 and ET-1, downstream of angiotensin-II-receptor-1 inhibition. Consequently, losartan reduces solid stress in tumours resulting in increased vascular perfusion. Through this physical mechanism, losartan improves drug and oxygen delivery to tumours, thereby potentiating chemotherapy and reducing hypoxia in breast and pancreatic cancer models. Thus, angiotensin inhibitors -inexpensive drugs with decades of safe use - could be rapidly repurposed as cancer therapeutics.
Neuroendocrine alterations in lung cancer patients.

BACKGROUND
A number of qualitative and quantitative changes in hormonal secretion pattern have been found in subjects suffering from neoplastic disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of alterations in neuro-endocrine system function and in the pattern of endocrine secretion in patients with lung cancer.


METHODS
Cortisol, melatonin, growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), thyroid-stimulating-hormone (TSH), and free thyroxine (FT4) serum levels were measured on blood samples collected every four hours for 24 hours from ten healthy old subjects aged 65-79 years (mean age +/- s.e. 67.28 +/- 3.11) and from ten subjects suffering from untreated non small cell lung cancer aged 65-78 years (mean age +/- s.e. 68.57 +/- 1.81). Areas under the curve and mean diurnal and nocturnal levels were compared and the presence of circadian rhythmicity was evaluated.


RESULTS
When hormone levels were expressed as area under the curve GH levels were higher (p=0.004) and IGF-I levels were lower (p=0.006) in patients with lung cancer than in normal subjects. The evaluation of melatonin/cortisol ratio in all subjects showed a significant difference between the control group and the group of cancer patients (p<0.05). When we compared mean diurnal levels (mean of 06.00-10.00-14.00h) GH levels were higher (p<0.0001) and IGF I levels were lower (p<0.0001) in cancer patients; when we compared mean nocturnal levels (mean of 18.00-22.00-02.00h) cortisol (p=0.03), TRH (p=0.02), and GH (p=0.001) levels were higher in cancer patients, while melatonin (p=0.04), TSH (p=0.04) and IGF I (p<0.0001) levels were higher in control subjects. A clear circadian rhythm was validated for time related changes of cortisol, melatonin, TRH, TSH and GH in control subjects and for time related changes of melatonin in cancer patients.


CONCLUSION
These data suggest that lung cancer patients show alterations of hormone secretion and neuroendocrine system function.
Adverse outcomes in fibrinolytic-based facilitated percutaneous coronary intervention: insights from the ASSENT-4 PCI electrocardiographic substudy.

AIMS
Patients in ASSENT-4 PCI undergoing tenecteplase-facilitated percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) had more adverse events than those undergoing primary PCI. We analysed this to gain further insights.


METHODS AND RESULTS
A total of 549 patients with facilitated PCI and 541 undergoing primary PCI were characterized according to the extent of ST resolution. We also examined the relationship between time from symptom onset, presence of baseline Q waves, and 90 day events. Irrespective of treatment, 90 day mortality was lowest among 186 patients with complete ST resolution at both 60 and 180 min (1.8% facilitated; 0% primary PCI group) and highest in those 502 patients without complete ST resolution at either 60 or 180 min (6.7% facilitated; 5.2% primary PCI group, all P < or = 0.05). Patients undergoing facilitated PCI presenting >3 h with baseline Q waves also had higher 90 day mortality compared with those without Q waves (10.4 vs. 2.5%, P = 0.056). No significant differences were found within primary PCI patients on the basis of time from symptom onset or presence of initial Q waves.


CONCLUSION
In this post hoc analysis, our data suggest that a fibrinolysis-facilitated PCI strategy was especially harmful in patients presenting beyond 3 h from symptom onset with established Q waves on their baseline ECG. This may relate to the convergence of later, less effective pre-procedural reperfusion but persisting exposure to the pro-thrombotic and bleeding risks of fibrinolysis.
Effect of Kangaroo Mother Care on Vital Physiological Parameters of The Low Birth Weight Newborn

OBJECTIVES
Low birth weight (LBW; <2500 g), which is often associated with preterm birth, is a common problem in India. Both are recognized risk factors for neonatal mortality. Kangaroo mother care (KMC) is a non-conventional, low-cost method for newborn care based upon intimate skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby. Our objective was to assess physiological state of LBW babies before and after KMC in a teaching hospital setting.


MATERIALS AND METHODS
Study cohort comprised in-born LBW babies and their mothers - 300 mother-baby pairs were selected through purposive sampling. Initially, KMC was started for 1 hour duration (at a stretch) on first day and then increased by 1 hour each day for next 2 days. Axillary temperature, respiration rate (RR/ min), heart rate (HR/ min), and oxygen saturation (SpO2) were assessed for 3 consecutive days, immediately before and after KMC.


RESULTS
Data from 265 mother-baby pairs were analyzed. Improvements occurred in all 4 recorded physiological parameters during the KMC sessions. Mean temperature rose by about 0.4°C, RR by 3 per minute, HR by 5 bpm, and SpO2 by 5% following KMC sessions. Although modest, these changes were statistically significant on all 3 days. Individual abnormalities (e.g. hypothermia, bradycardia, tachycardia, low SpO2) were often corrected during the KMC sessions.


CONCLUSIONS
Babies receiving KMC showed modest but statistically significant improvement in vital physiological parameters on all 3 days. Thus, without using special equipment, the KMC strategy can offer improved care to LBW babies. These findings support wider implementation of this strategy.
Social Union, Convergence and Migration

The forces of the market and systems competition bring about economic and social convergence in Europe, and there is no need for social policies at the EU level. Social harmonization would distort migration flows and slow down the speed of economic convergence. National welfare states will be threatened by the free migration of people in Europe. The race to the bottom is a serious risk. However, to contain this risk, neither harmonization of welfare payments nor constraints on migration are needed. The adoption of the principle of selectively delayed integration is a better alternative.
Endothelial dysfunction in erectile dysfunction: role of the endothelium in erectile physiology and disease.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is defined as the consistent inability to obtain or maintain an erection for satisfactory sexual intercourse. Basic science research on erectile physiology has been devoted to investigating the pathogenesis of ED and has led to the conclusion that ED is predominately a disease of vascular origin. The incidence of ED dramatically increases in men with diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, and cardiovascular disease. Loss of the functional integrity of the endothelium and subsequent endothelial dysfunction plays an integral role in the occurrence of ED in this cohort of men. This communication reviews the role of the vascular endothelium in erectile physiology and the influence of endothelial dysfunction in the pathogenesis of ED. Future pharmacological and gene therapy interventions to restore endothelial function may represent exciting new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of ED. Penile erection is a neurovascular phenomenon that depends upon neural integrity, a functional vascular system, and healthy cavernosal tissues (Giuliano et al, 1995). Normal erectile function involves 3 synergistic and simultaneous processes: 1) neurologically mediated increase in penile arterial inflow, 2) relaxation of cavernosal smooth muscle, and 3) restriction of venous outflow from the penis. The corpus cavernosum of the penis is composed of a meshwork of interconnected smooth muscle cells lined by vascular endothelium. Of note, endothelial cells and underlying smooth muscle also line the small resistance helicine arteries that supply blood to the corpus cavernosum during penile tumescence. Pathological alteration in the anatomy of the penile vasculature or impairment of any combination of neurovascular processes can result
Sampling decomposable graphs using a Markov chain on junction trees

Full Bayesian computational inference for model determination in undirected graphical models is currently restricted to decomposable graphs or other special cases, except for small scale problems, say up to 15 variables. In this paper we develop new, more efficient methodology for such inference, by making two contributions to the computational geometry of decomposable graphs. The first of these provides sufficient conditions under which it is possible to completely connect two disconnected complete subsets of vertices, or perform the reverse procedure, yet maintain decomposability of the graph. The second is a new Markov chain Monte Carlo sampler for arbitrary positive distributions on decomposable graphs, taking a junction tree representing the graph as its state variable. The resulting methodology is illustrated with numerical experiments on three specific models. Some key words: conditional independence graph, graphical model, Markov chain Monte Carlo, Markov random field, model determination. 1 Graphical modelling and decomposable graphs
Professional assistance during birth and maternal mortality in two Indonesian districts.

OBJECTIVE
To examine determinants of maternal mortality and assess the effect of programmes aimed at increasing the number of births attended by health professionals in two districts in West Java, Indonesia.


METHODS
We used informant networks to characterize all maternal deaths, and a capture-recapture method to estimate the total number of maternal deaths. Through a survey of recent births we counted all midwives practising in the two study districts. We used case-control analysis to examine determinants of maternal mortality, and cohort analysis to estimate overall maternal mortality ratios.


FINDINGS
The overall maternal mortality ratio was 435 per 100,000 live births (95% confidence interval, CI: 376-498). Only 33% of women gave birth with assistance from a health professional, and among them, mortality was extremely high for those in the lowest wealth quartile range (2303 per 100,000) and remained very high for those in the lower middle and upper middle quartile ranges (1218 and 778 per 100,000, respectively). This is perhaps because the women, especially poor ones, may have sought help only once a serious complication had arisen.


CONCLUSION
Achieving equitable coverage of all births by health professionals is still a distant goal in Indonesia, but even among women who receive professional care, maternal mortality ratios remain surprisingly high. This may reflect the limitations of home-based care. Phased introduction of fee exemption and transport incentives to enable all women to access skilled delivery care in health centres and emergency care in hospitals may be a feasible, sustainable way to reduce Indonesia's maternal mortality ratio.
Cycling efficiency and pedalling frequency in road cyclists

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of pedalling rate on cycling efficiency in road cyclists. Seven competitive road cyclists participated in the study. Four separate experimental sessions were used to determine oxygen uptake (V˙O2) and carbon dioxide output (V˙CO2) at six exercise intensities that elicited a V˙O2 equivalent to 54, 63, 73, 80, 87 and 93% of maximum V˙O2 (V˙O2max). Exercise intensities were administered in random order, separated by rest periods of 3–5 min; four pedalling frequencies (60, 80, 100 and 120 rpm) were randomly tested per intensity. The oxygen cost of cycling was always lower when the exercise was performed at 60 rpm. At each exercise intensity, V˙O2 showed a parabolic dependence on pedalling rate (r = 0.99–1, all P < 0.01) with a curvature that flattened as intensity increased. Likewise, the relationship between power output and gross efficiency (GE) was also best fitted to a parabola (r = 0.94–1, all P < 0.05). Regardless of pedalling rate, GE improved with increasing exercise intensity (P < 0.001). Conversely, GE worsened with pedalling rate (P < 0.001). Interestingly, the effect of pedalling cadence on GE decreased as a linear function of power output (r = 0.98, n = 6, P < 0.001). Similar delta efficiency (DE) values were obtained regardless of pedalling rate [21.5 (0.8), 22.3 (1.2), 22.6 (0.6) and 23.9 (1.0)%, for the 60, 80, 100 and 120 rpm, mean (SEM) respectively]. However, in contrast to GE, DE increased as a linear function of pedalling rate (r = 0.98, P < 0.05). The rate at which pulmonary ventilation increased was accentuated for the highest pedalling rate (P < 0.05), even after accounting for differences in exercise intensity and V˙O2 (P < 0.05). Pedalling rate per se did not have any influence on heart rate which, in turn, increased linearly with V˙O2. These results may help us to understand why competitive cyclists often pedal at cadences of 90–105 rpm to sustain a high power output during prolonged exercise.
Perceived e-service quality ( PeSQ ) Measurement validation and effects on consumer satisfaction and web site loyalty

Purpose – The objectives of this article are to develop a multiple-item scale for measuring e-service quality and to study the influence of perceived quality on consumer satisfaction levels and the level of web site loyalty. Design/methodology/approach – First, there is an explanation of the main attributes of the concepts examined, with special attention being paid to the multi-dimensional nature of the variables and the relationships between them. This is followed by an examination of the validation processes of the measuring instruments. Findings – The validation process of scales suggested that perceived quality is a multidimensional construct: web design, customer service, assurance and order management; that perceived quality influences on satisfaction; and that satisfaction influences on consumer loyalty. Moreover, no differences in these conclusions were observed if the total sample is divided between buyers and information searchers. Practical implications – First, the need to develop user-friendly web sites which ease consumer purchasing and searching, thus creating a suitable framework for the generation of higher satisfaction and loyalty levels. Second, the web site manager should enhance service loyalty, customer sensitivity, personalised service and a quick response to complaints. Third, the web site should uphold sufficient security levels in communications and meet data protection requirements regarding the privacy. Lastly, the need for correct product delivery and product manipulation or service is recommended. Originality/value – Most relevant studies about perceived quality in the internet have focused on web design aspects. Moreover, the existing literature regarding internet consumer behaviour has not fully analysed profits generated by higher perceived quality in terms of user satisfaction and loyalty.
Subcoronal rod penile prosthesis placement with scrotoplasty.

This procedure may be considered when inserting a semi-rigid prosthesis in men with a scrotal web, requiring only a single scrotal skin incision to achieve both subcoronal corporotomies and a reduction scrotoplasty. The reduction scrotoplasty procedure might enhance patient perception of penile length and improve overall satisfaction with penile implant surgery. Using the scrotal skin incision prevents the need for circumcision but allows for minimal-sized subcoronal corporotomies, and permits a multilayered closure with nonoverlapping suture lines. Artificial erection is developed with saline via butterfly needle using a penile tourniquet. A penoscrotal incision is used to avoid circumcision and to remove scrotal web Typical location of incision for circumcision Scrotal web