LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Pathological features and inhaled corticosteroid response of eosinophilic and non-eosinophilic asthma.

BACKGROUND
Non-eosinophilic asthma is a potentially important clinicopathological phenotype since there is evidence that it responds poorly to inhaled corticosteroid therapy. However, little is known about the underlying airway immunopathology and there are no data from placebo-controlled studies examining the effect of inhaled corticosteroids.


METHODS
Airway immunopathology was investigated using induced sputum, bronchial biopsies, bronchial wash and bronchoalveolar lavage in 12 patients with symptomatic eosinophilic asthma, 11 patients with non-eosinophilic asthma and 10 healthy controls. The patients with non-eosinophilic asthma and 6 different patients with eosinophilic asthma entered a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study in which the effects of inhaled mometasone 400 microg once daily for 8 weeks on airway responsiveness and asthma quality of life were investigated.


RESULTS
Patients with non-eosinophilic asthma had absence of eosinophils in the mucosa (median 4.4 cells/mm(2) vs 23 cells/mm(2) in eosinophilic asthma and 0 cells/mm(2) in normal controls; p = 0.03) and normal subepithelial layer thickness (5.8 microm vs 10.3 microm in eosinophilic asthma and 5.1 microm in controls, p = 0.002). Non-eosinophilic and eosinophilic asthma groups had increased mast cell numbers in the airway smooth muscle compared with normal controls (9 vs 8 vs 0 cells/mm(2), p = 0.016). Compared with placebo, 8 weeks of treatment with inhaled mometasone led to less improvement in methacholine PC(20) (0.5 vs 5.5 doubling concentrations, 95% CI of difference 1.1 to 9.1; p = 0.018) and asthma quality of life (0.2 vs 1.0 points, 95% CI of difference 0.27 to 1.43; p = 0.008).


CONCLUSIONS
Non-eosinophilic asthma represents a pathologically distinct disease phenotype which is characterised by the absence of airway eosinophilia, normal subepithelial layer thickness and a poor short-term response to treatment with inhaled corticosteroids.
The Odorant Binding Protein Gene Family from the Genome of Silkworm, Bombyx mori

Chemosensory systems play key roles in the survival and reproductive success of insects. Insect chemoreception is mediated by two large and diverse gene superfamilies, chemoreceptors and odorant binding proteins (OBPs). OBPs are believed to transport hydrophobic odorants from the environment to the olfactory receptors. We identified a family of OBP-like genes in the silkworm genome and characterized their expression using oligonucleotide microarrays. A total of forty-four OBP genes were annotated, a number comparable to the 57 OBPs known from Anopheles gambiae and 51 from Drosophila melanogaster. As seen in other fully sequenced insect genomes, most silkworm OBP genes are present in large clusters. We defined six subfamilies of OBPs, each of which shows lineage-specific expansion and diversification. EST data and OBP expression profiles from multiple larvae tissues of day three fifth instars demonstrated that many OBPs are expressed in chemosensory-specific tissues although some OBPs are expressed ubiquitously and others exclusively in non-chemosensory tissues. Some atypical OBPs are expressed throughout development. These results reveal that, although many OBPs are chemosensory-specific, others may have more general physiological roles. Silkworms possess a number of OBPs genes similar to other insects. Their expression profiles suggest that many OBPs may be involved in olfaction and gustation as well as general carriers of hydrophobic molecules. The expansion of OBP gene subfamilies and sequence divergence indicate that the silkworm OBP family acquired functional diversity concurrently with functional constraints. Further investigation of the OBPs of the silkworm could give insights in the roles of OBPs in chemoreception.
An Evaluation of the Effect of a Mental Health Clinical Placement on the Mental Health Attitudes of Student Nurses

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of a mental health clinical placement on student nurses attitudes towards mental illness and mental health nursing. Health holds different definitions for different people. The term health can mean wellness or a state of being. Mental health in our society still is wrought with stigma. It is the use of negative labels to identify someone living with a mental illness. Stigma can be a barrier and may discourage families and individuals from seeking help. In the health care system, these barriers need to be broken, from the first contact with the health profession, these being the nurses. Nurse’s attitudes can develop for many different reasons, these being, and lack of knowledge, stigma, and prior experience with mental illness. As a health care profession, we need to start at the beginning, with assessing and encouraging more understanding and tolerance of mental illness with our student nurses. This study used a longitudinal descriptive pre-post survey design to determine the degree to which a clinical placement with a psychiatric/mental health agency changed student nurses’ attitudes towards mental illness and mental health/psychiatric nursing. Bachelor of nursing students are required to complete a mental health unit of study within the Bachelor of Nursing Degree. This unit of study required student nurses to complete a 4 week clinical placement in a mental health facility. Students were invited to complete a survey before the clinical placement and at the completion of the clinical placement. Of the (n=184) nurses invited to participate in this study, 65 completed the pre and post clinical placement surveys, giving a response rate of 35%.The results show that there is a statistical significance of .001 in the mean attitude scores towards mental illness for pre and post placement. The attitudes towards psychiatric nursing show a statistical significance of .01.Results from this study support recent literature towards a positive change in student nurses attitudes towards mental illness and mental health nursing on the completion of a clinical placement in a mental health facility.
Risk factors for and impact of online sexual solicitation of youth.

CONTEXT
Health care professionals, educators, and others are increasingly called upon to advise parents and policymakers about risks posed to children by Internet use. However, little scientific information exists on the experiences of children online.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the risk factors surrounding online sexual solicitations of youth and distress due to solicitation.


DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
Telephone survey (August 1999-February 2000) of a random sample of 1501 youth aged 10 through 17 years who were regular Internet users.


MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Demographic and behavioral characteristics associated with solicitation risk and distress due to solicitation.


RESULTS
Nineteen percent of youth who used the Internet regularly were the targets of unwanted sexual solicitation in the last year. Girls (P<.001), older teens (P =.005), troubled youth (P =.004), frequent Internet users (P =.01), chat room participants (P<.001), and those who communicated online with strangers (P<.001) were at greater risk. Twenty-five percent of the solicited youth reported high levels of distress after solicitation incidents. Risk of distress was more common among the younger youth (P =.005), those who received aggressive solicitations (the solicitor attempted or made offline contact) (P =.001), and those who were solicited on a computer away from their home (P =.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Many young people who use the Internet encounter unwanted sexual overtures. Health care professionals, educators, and parents should be prepared to educate youth about how to respond to online sexual solicitations, including encouraging youth to disclose and report such encounters and to talk about them.
Comparison of the New Cardioselective Beta-Blocker Nebivolol with Bisoprolol in Hypertension: The Nebivolol, Bisoprolol Multicenter Study (NEBIS)

Objective: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antihypertensive efficacy of the highly beta1-selective adrenergic antagonist nebivolol in comparison with bisoprolol in the treatment of mild to moderate essential hypertension. Methods: This multicenter, single-blind, randomized, parallel-group 16-week study involved a 4-week placebo run-in, followed by a 12-week treatment period (5 mg nebivolol or 5 mg bisoprolol). Patients (n = 273) eligible for the study had a sitting diastolic blood pressure (DBP) between 95 and 110 mm Hg and a systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≤180 mm Hg at the end of the placebo run-in period. The primary endpoint of the study was the percentage of responders achieving DBP normalization (≤90 mm Hg) or a DBP reduction of at least 10 mm Hg. Results: The baseline SBP and DBP were similar in the two groups. Both SBP and DBP decreased gradually and significantly upon treatment. The two treatments had similar effects on the mean change from the baseline for both DBP (nebivolol −15.7 ± 6.4 mm Hg vs. bisoprolol −16.0 ± 6.8 mm Hg) and SBP. A high proportion of responders was noted in both groups (nebivolol 92.0% vs. bisoprolol 89.6%) and there was no significant difference between the treatments. The overall number and incidence of spontaneously reported adverse events were slightly, but not significantly lower for nebivolol (8 events; 5.8%) than for bisoprolol (12 events; 8.9%). Conclusions: The findings of the present trial indicate that 5 mg nebivolol once daily is an effective antihypertensive agent. It can therefore be recommended as a useful alternative first-line treatment option for the management of patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension.
Lack of effect of motivation on the adherence of HIV-positive/AIDS patients to antiretroviral treatment.

UNLABELLED
As a result of the potent drug combinations of reverse transcriptase inhibitors and protease inhibitors currently available, it is now possible to achieve extreme reductions in the numbers of viral particles in the peripheral blood of HIV-positive patients undergoing treatment, to the point that they are undetectable. Moreover, the immunological recovery resulting from continued and prolonged use of these drugs significantly reduces both mortality and the incidence of opportunistic infections. However, the strict therapeutic regimens required, the number of pills, adverse events and the stigma of a disease that requires the patient to introduce pill-taking into his/her lifestyle brings into question one aspect of mental health, which is motivation to do that which is being proposed. We investigated the influence of each of the components of the adherence trilogy: information, motivation and behavioral abilities, as risk factors in a population of HIV-positive/AIDS patients undergoing antiretroviral treatment in the city of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.


MATERIAL AND METHODS
An intervention study was carried out by introducing motivational assistance into the routine recommendations for the treatment of patients who were initiating antiretroviral (ARV) therapy. Seventy-six treatment-naive patients, who had been selected to initiate ARV therapy, were included. These patients were divided into two groups. Group A, in which the regular routine of the institution was followed, received information on the disease and its treatment;patients in group B had the same routine, but they were also followed-up fortnightly and given motivational intervention. Evaluations of viral load and CD4 count before and following treatment were used to measure adherence.


RESULTS
There was no significant difference between the two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
As the rates of non-adhesion were at the lower limits of the ranges reported in the literature, it would appear that providing motivation and information can be of help to the patient.
Combinatorial constructions for maximum optical orthogonal signature pattern codes

An (m, n, k, λa, λc) optical orthogonal signature pattern code (OOSPC) is a family C of m × n (0, 1)-matrices of Hamming weight k satisfying two correlation properties. OOSPCs find application in transmitting two-dimensional image through multicore fiber in CDMA networks. Let Θ(m, n, k, λa, λc) denote the largest possible number of codewords among all (m, n, k, λa, λc)-OOSPCs. An (m, n, k, λa, λc)-OOSPCwithΘ(m, n, k, λa, λc) codewords is said to be maximum. For the case λa = λc = λ, the notations (m, n, k, λa, λc)-OOSPC and Θ(m, n, k, λa, λc) can be briefly written as (m, n, k, λ)-OOSPC and Θ(m, n, k, λ). In this paper, some direct constructions for (3, n, 4, 1)-OOSPCs, which are based on skew starters and an application of the Theorem of Weil on multiplicative character sums, are given for some positive integer n. Several recursive constructions for (m, n, k, 1)-OOSPCs are presented by means of incomplete different matrices and group divisible designs. By utilizing those constructions, the number of the codewords of a maximum (m, n, 4, 1)OOSPC is determined for any positive integers m, n such that gcd(m, 18) = 3 and n ≡ 0 (mod 12). It is established that Θ(m, n, 4, 1) = (mn − 12)/12 for any positive integers m, n such that gcd(m, 18) = 3 and n ≡ 0 (mod 12). © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Replicating Kernels with a Short Stride Allows Sparse Reconstructions with Fewer Independent Kernels

In sparse coding it is common to tile an image into nonoverlapping patches, and then use a dictionary to create a sparse representation of each tile independently. In this situation, the overcompleteness of the dictionary is the number of dictionary elements divided by the patch size. In deconvolutional neural networks (DCNs), dictionaries learned on nonoverlapping tiles are replaced by a family of convolution kernels. Hence adjacent points in the feature maps (V1 layers) have receptive fields in the image that are translations of each other. The translational distance is determined by the dimensions of V1 in comparison to the dimensions of the image space. We refer to this translational distance as the stride. We implement a type of DCN using a modified Locally Competitive Algorithm (LCA) to investigate the relationship between the number of kernels, the stride, the receptive field size, and the quality of reconstruction. We find, for example, that for 16x16-pixel receptive fields, using eight kernels and a stride of 2 leads to sparse reconstructions of comparable quality as using 512 kernels and a stride of 16 (the nonoverlapping case). We also find that for a given stride and number of kernels, the patch size does not significantly affect reconstruction quality. Instead, the learned convolution kernels have a natural support radius independent of the patch size.
Cost effectiveness of treatment for alcohol problems: findings of the randomised UK alcohol treatment trial (UKATT).

OBJECTIVE
To compare the cost effectiveness of social behaviour and network therapy, a new treatment for alcohol problems, with that of the proved motivational enhancement therapy.


DESIGN
Cost effectiveness analysis alongside a pragmatic randomised trial.


SETTING
Seven treatment sites around Birmingham, Cardiff, and Leeds.


PARTICIPANTS
742 clients with alcohol problems; 617 (83.2%) were interviewed at 12 months and full economic data were obtained on 608 (98.5% of 617). Main economic measures Quality adjusted life years (QALYs), costs of trial treatments, and consequences for public sector resources (health care, other alcohol treatment, social services, and criminal justice services).


RESULTS
Both therapies saved about five times as much in expenditure on health, social, and criminal justice services as they cost. Neither net savings nor cost effectiveness differed significantly between the therapies, despite the average cost of social behaviour and network therapy (221 pounds sterling; 385 dollars; 320 euros) being significantly more than that of motivational enhancement therapy (129 pounds sterling). If a QALY were worth 30,000 pounds sterling, then the motivational therapy would have 58% chance of being more cost effective than the social therapy, and the social therapy would have 42% chance of being more cost effective than the motivational therapy.


CONCLUSION
Participants reported highly significant reductions in drinking and associated problems and costs. The novel social behaviour and network therapy did not differ significantly in cost effectiveness from the proved motivational enhancement therapy.
Higher latitude is significantly associated with an earlier age of disease onset in multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND
Age at onset (AAO) in multiple sclerosis (MS) is an important marker of disease severity and may have prognostic significance. Understanding what factors can influence AAO may shed light on the aetiology of this complex disease, and have applications in the diagnostic process.


METHODS
The study cohort of 22 162 eligible patients from 21 countries was extracted from the MSBase registry. Only patients with MS aged ≥16 years were included. To reduce heterogeneity, only centres of largely European descent were included for analysis. AAO was defined as the year of the first symptom suggestive of inflammatory central nervous system demyelination. Predictors of AAO were evaluated by linear regression.


RESULTS
Compared with those living in lower latitudes (19.0-39.9°), onset of symptoms was 1.9 years earlier for those at higher latitudes (50.0-56.0°) (p=3.83×10-23). A reciprocal relationship was seen for ambient ultraviolet radiation (UVR), with a significantly increasing AAO for patients with MS per each quartile increment of ambient UVR (p=1.56×10-17). We found that the AAO of female patients was ∼5 months earlier than male patients (p=0.002). AAO of progressive-onset patients with MS were ∼9 years later than relapsing-onset patients (p=1.40×10-265).


CONCLUSIONS
An earlier AAO in higher latitude regions was found in this worldwide European-descent cohort and correlated inversely with variation in latitudinal UVR. These results suggest that environmental factors which act at the population level may significantly influence disease severity characteristics in genetically susceptible populations.
Peginterferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin compared with interferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin for initial treatment of chronic hepatitis C: a randomised trial

BACKGROUND
A sustained virological response (SVR) rate of 41% has been achieved with interferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin therapy of chronic hepatitis C. In this randomised trial, peginterferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin was compared with interferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin.


METHODS
1530 patients with chronic hepatitis C were assigned interferon alfa-2b (3 MU subcutaneously three times per week) plus ribavirin 1000-1200 mg/day orally, peginterferon alfa-2b 1.5 microg/kg each week plus 800 mg/day ribavirin, or peginterferon alfa-2b 1.5 microg/kg per week for 4 weeks then 0.5 microg/kg per week plus ribavirin 1000-1200 mg/day for 48 weeks. The primary endpoint was the SVR rate (undetectable hepatitis C virus [HCV] RNA in serum at 24-week follow-up). Analyses were based on patients who received at least one dose of study medication.


FINDINGS
The SVR rate was significantly higher (p=0.01 for both comparisons) in the higher-dose peginterferon group (274/511 [54%]) than in the lower-dose peginterferon (244/514 [47%]) or interferon (235/505 [47%]) groups. Among patients with HCV genotype 1 infection, the corresponding SVR rates were 42% (145/348), 34% (118/349), and 33% (114/343). The rate for patients with genotype 2 and 3 infections was about 80% for all treatment groups. Secondary analyses identified bodyweight as an important predictor of SVR, prompting comparison of the interferon regimens after adjusting ribavirin for bodyweight (mg/kg). Side-effect profiles were similar between the treatment groups.


INTERPRETATION
In patients with chronic hepatitis C, the most effective therapy is the combination of peginterferon alfa-2b 1.5 microg/kg per week plus ribavirin. The benefit is mostly achieved in patients with HCV genotype 1 infections.
A signature for immune response correlates with HCV treatment outcome in Caucasian subjects

UNLABELLED
Broad proteomic profiling was performed on serum samples of phase 2 studies (PROVE1, PROVE2, and PROVE3) of the direct-acting antiviral drug telaprevir in combination with peg-interferon and ribavirin in subjects with HCV. Using only profiling data from subjects treated with peg-interferon and ribavirin, a signature composed of pretreatment levels of 13 components was identified that correlated well (R(2)=0.68) with subjects' underlying immune response as measured by week 4 viral decline and was highly predictive of sustained virologic response in non-African American subjects (AUC=0.99). The signature was validated by predicting in an independent cohort of non-African American subjects treated with telaprevir, peg-interferon and ribavirin (AUC=0.854). Samples from extreme responders were over-represented in these analyses. Proteins identified as differentially-expressed between responders and non-responders to HCV treatment were quantified using multiple reaction monitoring in samples from all Caucasian subjects in the peg-interferon and ribavirin arms of PROVE1 and PROVE2, revealing 15 proteins that were significantly differentially expressed between treatment responders and non-responders. Seven of the proteins are part of focal adhesions or other macromolecular assemblies that form structural links between integrins and the actin cytoskeleton and are involved in antiviral response.


BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE
HCV is a significant health problem. We describe a novel approach for identifying markers that predicts HCV treatment response different treatment regimens and use this approach to identify a novel HCV treatment response signature. The signature has potential to guide optimization of HCV treatment regimens.
The development of a patient-centered program based on the relaxation response: the Relaxation Response Resiliency Program (3RP).

BACKGROUND
Chronic daily stress has significant physical, emotional, and financial implications; levels of stress are increasing in the US. Dr. Benson highlighted how the mind and body function together in one's experience of the stress response and proposed the existence of the relaxation response (RR).


OBJECTIVE
The current paper describes the foundation and development of an 8-session multimodal treatment program for coping with chronic stress: the Relaxation Response Resiliency Program (3RP).


METHODS
We review the past decades of RR research, outline the development of the 3RP treatment, and provide an overview of the program's theory and content.


RESULTS
Extensive research and clinical work have examined how eliciting the RR may combat stress through down-regulation of the sympathetic nervous system. Related to this work are the multidimensional constructs of resiliency and allostatic load. The 3RP is based on principles from the fields of stress management, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and positive psychology, and has three core target areas: (1) elicitation of the RR; (2) stress appraisal and coping; and (3) growth enhancement. An 8-week patient-centered treatment program has been developed, with the purpose of assisting patients with a variety of psychological and medical issues to better cope with chronic stress.


CONCLUSIONS
Mastery of the RR is theorized to maximize one's ability to benefit from multimodal mind body strategies. The goal of the 3RP is to enhance individuals' adaptive responses to chronic stress through increasing awareness and decreasing the physiological, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral effects of the stress response, while simultaneously promoting the effects of being in the RR.