Predicting Medical Subject Headings Based on Abstract Similarity and Citations to MEDLINE Records

We describe a classifier-enhanced nearest neighbor approach to assigning Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) to unlabeled documents using a combination of abstract similarities and direct citations to labeled MEDLINE records. The approach frames the classification problem by decomposing it into sets of siblings in the MeSH hierarchy (e.g., training a classifier for predicting "Heterocyclic Compounds, 2-Ring" vs. other "Heterocyclic Compounds"). Preliminary experiments using a small but diverse set of MeSH terms shows the highest performance when using both abstracts and citations compared to each alone, and coupled with a non-naive classifier: 90+% precision and recall with 10-fold cross-validation. NLM's Medical Text Indexer (MTI) tool achieves similar overall performance but varies more across the terms tested. For example, MTI performs better on "Heterocyclic Compounds, 2-Ring", while our approach performs better on Alzheimer Disease and Neuroimaging. Our approach can be applied broadly to documents with abstracts that are similar to (or cite) MEDLINE abstracts, which would help linking and searching across bibliographic databases beyond MEDLINE.Ope

Struggles of Governance and Autonomy in the Field of Kulturskole

The Norwegian extracurricular schools of music and performing arts, kulturskolen, largely govern themselves. In contrast to other types of law obliged schools, kulturskolen receives no clear signals from either state levels, or municipality/county municipality levels, but rather are left to informal steering mechanisms on individual or collective levels. This leads to a wide diversity of what disciplines that are offered, what collaborations that are conducted, what aims, intentions, profiles, and competences that are managed, and thus to very different conditions for what the pupils might learn and experience. This article is a theoretical discussion of this finding, investigating diverse forms of conduct that are identified on (i) state, (ii) community, and (iii) individual school level. The article particularly looks at the identified steering mechanisms, with Michel Foucault’s thoughts of governmentality and power/knowledge as its basis. This discussion on how the kulturskole regulates itself is a contribution to the body of research about kulturskole, cultural policy, and about extracurricular arts education in the kulturskole that aims to be “for all.”

The Dutch disease revisited : absorption constraint and learning by doing

This paper revisits the Dutch disease by analyzing the general equilibrium effects of a resource shock on a dependent economy, both in a static and dynamic set- ting. The novel aspect of this study is to incorporate in one coherent framework two distinct features of the Dutch disease literature that have previously been analyzed in isolation: capital accumulation with absorption constraint, and productivity growth induced by learning-by-doing. The result of long run exchange rate appreciation is maintained in line with part of the Dutch Disease literature. In addition, a permanent change in the employment shares occurs after the resource windfall, in favor of the non-traded sector and away from the traded sector growth engine of the economy. In other words, in the long run both of the classic symptoms of the Dutch Disease remain in place.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Genetic Architecture of Plasma Adiponectin Overlaps With the Genetics of Metabolic Syndrome–Related Traits

OBJECTIVE - Adiponectin, a hormone secreted by adipose tissue, is of particular interest in metabolic syndrome, because it is inversely correlated with obesity and insulin sensitivity. However, it is not known to what extent the genetics of plasma adiponectin and the genetics of obesity and insulin sensitivity are interrelated. We aimed to evaluate the heritability of plasma adiponectin and its genetic correlation with the metabolic syndrome and metabolic syndrome-related traits and the association between these traits and 10 ADIPOQ single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS - We made use of a family-based population, the Erasmus Rucphen Family study (1,258 women and 967 men). Heritability analysis was performed using a polygenic model. Genetic correlations were estimated using bivariate heritability analyses. Genetic association analysis was performed using a mixed model. RESULTS - Plasma adiponectin showed a heritability of 55.1%. Genetic correlations between plasma adiponectin HDL cholesterol and plasma insulin ranged from 15 to 24% but were not significant for fasting glucose, triglycerides, blood pressure, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and C-reactive protein. A significant association with plasma adiponectin was found for ADIPOQ variants rs17300539 and rs182052. A nominally significant association was found with plasma insulin and HOMA-IR and ADIPOQ variant rs17300539 after adjustment for plasma adiponectin. CONCLUSIONS - The significant genetic correlation between plasma adiponectin and HDL cholesterol and plasma insulin should be taken into account in the interpretation of genome-wide association studies. Association of ADIPOQ SNPs with plasma adiponectin was replicated, and we showed association between one ADIPOQ SNP and plasma insulin and HOMA-IR

Joint factorial structure of psychopathology and personality

Background Normative and pathological personality traits have rarely been integrated into a joint large-scale structural analysis with psychiatric disorders, although a recent study suggested they entail a common individual differences continuum. Methods We explored the joint factor structure of 11 psychiatric disorders, five personality-disorder trait domains (DSM-5 Section III), and five normative personality trait domains (the 'Big Five') in a population-based sample of 2796 Norwegian twins, aged 19-46. Results Three factors could be interpreted: (i) a general risk factor for all psychopathology, (ii) a risk factor specific to internalizing disorders and traits, and (iii) a risk factor specific to externalizing disorders and traits. Heritability estimates for the three risk factor scores were 48% (95% CI 41-54%), 35% (CI 28-42%), and 37% (CI 31-44%), respectively. All 11 disorders had uniform loadings on the general factor (congruence coefficient of 0.991 with uniformity). Ignoring sign and excluding the openness trait, this uniformity of factor loadings held for all the personality trait domains and all disorders (congruence 0.983). Conclusions Based on our findings, future research should investigate joint etiologic and transdiagnostic models for normative and pathological personality and other psychopathology.Peer reviewe

Association of comorbidity burden with abnormal cardiac mechanics: Findings from the HyperGEN study

BACKGROUND: Comorbidities are common in heart failure (HF), and the number of comorbidities has been associated with poor outcomes in HF patients. However, little is known about the effect of multiple comorbidities on cardiac mechanics, which could impact the pathogenesis of HF. We sought to determine the relationship between comorbidity burden and adverse cardiac mechanics. METHODS AND RESULTS: We performed speckle‐tracking analysis on echocardiograms from the HyperGEN study (n=2150). Global longitudinal, circumferential, and radial strain, and early diastolic (e') tissue velocities were measured. We evaluated the association between comorbidity number and cardiac mechanics using linear mixed effects models to account for relatedness among subjects. The mean age was 51±14 years, 58% were female, and 47% were African American. Dyslipidemia and hypertension were the most common comorbidities (61% and 58%, respectively). After adjusting for left ventricular (LV) mass index, ejection fraction, and several potential confounders, the number of comorbidities remained associated with all indices of cardiac mechanics except global circumferential strain (eg, β=−0.32 [95% CI −0.44, −0.20] per 1‐unit increase in number of comorbidities for global longitudinal strain; β=−0.16 [95% CI −0.20, −0.11] for e' velocity; P≤0.0001 for both comparisons). Results were similar after excluding participants with abnormal LV geometry (P<0.05 for all comparisons). CONCLUSIONS: Higher comorbidity burden is associated with worse cardiac mechanics, even in the presence of normal LV geometry. The deleterious effect of multiple comorbidities on cardiac mechanics may explain both the high comorbidity burden and adverse outcomes in patients who ultimately develop HF

TCF7L2 polymorphisms and inflammatory markers before and after treatment with fenofibrate

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Inflammation is implicated in causing diabetes. We tested whether transcription factor 7 like-2 (TCF7L2) gene polymorphisms (rs12255372 and rs7903146), consistently associated with type 2 diabetes, are associated with plasma concentrations of inflammatory markers before and after three weeks of daily treatment with fenofibrate.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Men and women in the Genetics of Lipid-Lowering Drugs and Diet Network study (n = 1025, age 49 ± 16 y) were included. All participants suspended use of lipid-lowering drugs for three weeks and were then given 160 mg/day of fenofibrate for three weeks. Inflammatory markers and lipids were measured before and after fenofibrate. ANOVA was used to test for differences across TCF7L2 genotypes.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Under the additive or dominant model, there were no significant differences (<it>P </it>> 0.05) in the concentrations of inflammatory markers (hsCRP, IL-2, IL-6, TNF-α and MCP-1) across TCF7L2 genotypes in the period before or after treatment. For both rs12255372 and rs7903146, homozygote T-allele carriers had significantly higher (<it>P </it>< 0.05) post-fenofibrate concentrations of MCP-1 in the recessive model. No other significant associations were detected.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Overall these data show no association between TCF7L2 polymorphisms and the inflammatory markers suggesting that the effects of TCF7L2 on diabetes may not be via inflammation.</p

Validation of Doloplus-2 among nonverbal nursing home patients - an evaluation of Doloplus-2 in a clinical setting

In the present study, more patients were categorized as having pain while using Doloplus-2 compared with nurses' estimation of pain without using any tools. The fact that nurses could not report if the patients were in pain in one third of the patients supports the claim that Doloplus-2 is a useful supplement for estimating pain in this population. However, nurses must use their clinical experience in addition to the use of Doloplus-2, as behaviour can have different meaning for different patients. Further research is still needed about the use of Doloplus-2 in patients not able to self-report their pain.THE WORK (AS DEFINED BELOW) IS PROVIDED UNDER THE TERMS OF THIS BIOMED CENTRAL OPEN ACCESS LICENSE ("LICENSE"). THE WORK IS PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT AND/OR OTHER APPLICABLE LAW. ANY USE OF THE WORK OTHER THAN AS AUTHORIZED UNDER THIS LICENSE IS PROHIBITED.BY EXERCISING ANY RIGHTS TO THE WORK PROVIDED HERE, YOU ACCEPT AND AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THE TERMS OF THIS LICENSE. THE LICENSOR GRANTS YOU THE RIGHTS CONTAINED HERE IN CONSIDERATION OF YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF SUCH TERMS AND CONDITIONS