LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Anti-infliximab and anti-adalimumab antibodies in relation to response to adalimumab in infliximab switchers and anti-tumour necrosis factor naive patients: a cohort study.

OBJECTIVE
To investigate how antibodies against anti-tumour necrosis factor (anti-TNF) agents influence response after switching from infliximab to adalimumab in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).


METHODS
This cohort study consisted of 235 patients with RA, all treated with adalimumab. At baseline 52 patients (22%) had been previously treated with infliximab ('switchers'), and 183 (78%) were anti-TNF naive. Disease activity (using the 28-joint count Disease Activity Score (DAS28)) and presence of antibodies against infliximab and adalimumab were assessed. Clinical response to adalimumab was compared between switchers and anti-TNF naive patients and their anti-infliximab and anti-adalimumab antibody status.


RESULTS
After 28 weeks of adalimumab treatment the decrease in DAS28 (Delta DAS28) for the 235 patients was 1.6+/-1.5 (mean+/-SD). Anti-adalimumab antibodies were detected in 46 patients (20%). Delta DAS28 was 1.8+/-1.4 in patients without anti-adalimumab and 0.6+/-1.3 in patients with anti-adalimumab (p<0.0001). Thirty-three of the 52 switchers (63%) had anti-infliximab antibodies. Patients with anti-infliximab more often developed anti-adalimumab than anti-TNF naive patients (11 (33%) vs 32 (18%); p=0.039). Delta DAS28 was greater for anti-TNF naive patients (1.7+/-1.5) than for switchers without anti-infliximab antibodies (Delta DAS28=0.9+/-1.4) (p=0.009). Delta DAS28 for switchers with anti-infliximab was 1.2+/-1.3 and did not differ significantly from anti-TNF naive patients (p=0.262).


CONCLUSION
Switchers with anti-infliximab antibodies more often develop antibodies against adalimumab than anti-TNF naive patients. Response to adalimumab was limited in switchers without anti-infliximab antibodies, which raises the question whether a second anti-TNF treatment should be offered to patients with RA for whom an initial treatment with an anti-TNF blocker fails, in the absence of anti-biological antibodies.
The unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT): a literature review

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to perform a systematic review of articles that have used the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT). Design/methodology/approach: The results produced in this research are based on the literature analysis of 174 existing articles on the UTAUT model. This has been performed by collecting data including demographic details, methodological details, limitations, and significance of relationships between the constructs from the available articles based on the UTAUT. Findings: The findings were categorised by dividing the articles that used the UTAUT model into types of information systems used, research approach and methods employed, and tools and techniques implemented to analyse results. We also perform the weight analysis of variables and found that performance expectancy and behavioural intention qualified for the best predictor category. The research also analysed and presented the limitations of existing studies. Research limitations/implications: The search activities were centered on occurrences of keywords to avoid tracing a large number of publications where these keywords might have been used as casual words in the main text. However, we acknowledge that there may be a number of studies, which lack keywords in the title, but still focus upon UTAUT in some form. Originality/value: This is the first research of its type, which has extensively examined the literature on the UTAUT and provided the researchers with the accumulative knowledge about the model.
Relevant knowledge helps in choosing right teacher: active query selection for ranking adaptation

Learning to adapt in a new setting is a common challenge to our knowledge and capability. New life would be easier if we actively pursued supervision from the right mentor chosen with our relevant but limited prior knowledge. This variant principle of active learning seems intuitively useful to many domain adaptation problems. In this paper, we substantiate its power for advancing automatic ranking adaptation, which is important in web search since it's prohibitive to gather enough labeled data for every search domain for fully training domain-specific rankers. For the cost-effectiveness, it is expected that only those most informative instances in target domain are collected to annotate while we can still utilize the abundant ranking knowledge in source domain. We propose a unified ranking framework to mutually reinforce the active selection of informative target-domain queries and the appropriate weighting of source training data as related prior knowledge. We select to annotate those target queries whose documents' order most disagrees among the members of a committee built on the mixture of source training data and the already selected target data. Then the replenished labeled set is used to adjust the importance of source queries for enhancing their rank transfer. This procedure iterates until labeling budget exhausts. Based on LETOR3.0 and Yahoo! Learning to Rank Challenge data sets, our approach significantly outperforms the random query annotation commonly used in ranking adaptation and the active rank learner on target-domain data only.
Pulmonary Rehabilitation in COPD: Effect of 2 Aerobic Exercise Intensities on Subject-Centered Outcomes--A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND
Exercise training is an important component of pulmonary rehabilitation, but it remains questionable how training intensity affects patient-centered outcomes. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of 2 aerobic training intensities on health-related quality of life (HRQOL), symptom control, and exercise tolerance in subjects with COPD.


METHODS
Thirty-four subjects with mild to very severe COPD participated in an equivalence/non-inferiority randomized controlled trial with a parallel group blinded to 60 or 80% maximum work rate (W max) aerobic training intensity. The intervention was an out-patient pulmonary rehabilitation program conducted 3 times/week for 8 weeks. Outcomes were assessed with the St George Respiratory Questionnaire (primary outcome), Mahler's dyspnea index, London Chest Activity of Daily Living scale, 6-min walk test, and constant-load and incremental exercise tests.


RESULTS
Subjects were randomly allocated to aerobic training intensity of 60% W max (group 1, n = 17) or 80% W max (group 2, n = 17). Although there were significant improvements in all outcomes for both groups, there were no between-group differences in mean change in the St George Respiratory Questionnaire (P = .31, 95% CI -12.0 to 3.9), Mahler's dyspnea index (P = .38), London Chest Activity of Daily Living scale (P = .92), 6-min walk test (P = .50, 95% CI 6.2-71.1), constant-load exercise test (P = .50), and incremental exercise test (P = .12). There was only one exercise-related adverse event of cardiac symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
Aerobic training intensity of at least 60% W max has a positive impact on COPD patient-centered outcomes, with no additional benefit of increasing intensity to 80% W max in HRQOL, symptom control, and exercise tolerance, challenging the present clinical attitude of rehabilitation professionals. (ClinicalTrials.gov registration NCT01944072.).
The power of feelings : personal meaning in psychoanalysis, gender, and culture

In this pathbreaking book a leading contemporary thinker brings together psychoanalysis, anthropology, and gender analysis to create an original theory about the ways in which we look at ourselves. The "power of feelings" -- the individual subjective meaning we bring to our experiences -- are at least as important as their cultural and social meanings, claims Nancy J. Chodorow.
Speed torque characteristics of brushless DC motor in either direction on load using ARM controller

This paper presents the speed torque characteristics of BLDC motor on load in forward and reverse direction. The Hall sensors of the BLDC motor is bestowed as the input to the ARM controller. The PWMs are produced depending upon the input of the controller. In order to convert DC to three phase AC, three phase bridge inverter with MOSFET as switches is used. The generated PWMs are inputted to the gate of the MOSFETs in the inverter. The output of the inverter is the energization sequence of BLDC motor and only two phases energizes at once. Dynamometer is used for encumbering the motor. The results are acquired for variable load torque and Speed torque characteristics are observed.
Altruism and the Demand for Environmental Quality May 22 , 2000

This paper asks whether individuals consider the value future generations will receive from environmental quality when deciding what level of environmental protection to provide. Using data on life expectancy, I develop two tests for altruism towards future generations. One, a test for strong altruism, asks whether individual motives are purely altruistic when deciding to provide environmental quality. The second, a test for weak altruism, combines an individual’s concern for both self-interest and the interest of future generations. Using data from a Washington Post survey on environmental attitudes to implement the test, I find evidence of weak altruism. The author would like to thank William Nordhaus, Dietrich Earnhart, and two anonymous referees for helpful comments. As usual, any remaining errors are the responsibility of the author. Altruism and the Demand for Environmental Quality
Family support unit improves care and support to HIV-infected children and their caregivers in Cameroon

Results It was initially difficult for the affected clients to join the FSU due to low awareness of HIV/AIDS and high stigma attached to it. However over the years we have established a multi disciplinary HIV care and support team, which includes pediatricians, clinical officers, nurses, counselors, nutritionists and medical social workers. The team has trained the followed health care providers. It has reorganized TB and malnutrition followed up clinics, which have many HIV infected children. Guidelines are developed in the prevention of opportunistic infections. Effort is made to involved both the parents in the care of their children. Total number of clients counseled has increased from 349 in 1999 to 1.614 in 2004. Post-test clubs to the caregivers and various recreational and educational activities to HIV infected and affected children have assisted in improving care and support.
A novel network architecture for train-to-wayside communication with quality of service over heterogeneous wireless networks

In the railway industry, there are nowadays different actors who would like to send or receive data from the wayside to an onboard device or vice versa. These actors are e.g., the Train Operation Company, the Train Constructing Company, a Content Provider, etc. This requires a communication module on each train and at the wayside. These modules interact with each other over heterogeneous wireless links. This system is referred to as the Train-to-Wayside Communication System (TWCS). While there are already a lot of deployments using a TWCS, the implementation of quality of service, performance enhancing proxies (PEP) and the network mobility functions have not yet been fully integrated in TWCS systems. Therefore, we propose a novel and modular IPv6-enabled TWCS architecture in this article. It jointly tackles these functions and considers their mutual dependencies and relationships. DiffServ is used to differentiate between service classes and priorities. Virtual local area networks are used to differentiate between different service level agreements. In the PEP, we propose to use a distributed TCP accelerator to optimize bandwidth usage. Concerning network mobility, we propose to use the SCTP protocol (with Dynamic Address Reconfiguration and PR-SCTP extensions) to create a tunnel per wireless link, in order to support the reliable transmission of data between the accelerators. We have analyzed different design choices, pinpointed the main implementation challenges and identified candidate solutions for the different modules in the TWCS system. As such, we present an elaborated framework that can be used for prototyping a fully featured TWCS.
Creating and Validating an Algorithm to Measure AIDS Mortality in the Adult Population using Verbal Autopsy

BACKGROUND
Vital registration and cause of death reporting is incomplete in the countries in which the HIV epidemic is most severe. A reliable tool that is independent of HIV status is needed for measuring the frequency of AIDS deaths and ultimately the impact of antiretroviral therapy on mortality.


METHODS AND FINDINGS
A verbal autopsy questionnaire was administered to caregivers of 381 adults of known HIV status who died between 1998 and 2003 in Manicaland, eastern Zimbabwe. Individuals who were HIV positive and did not die in an accident or during childbirth (74%; n = 282) were considered to have died of AIDS in the gold standard. Verbal autopsies were randomly allocated to a training dataset (n = 279) to generate classification criteria or a test dataset (n = 102) to verify criteria. A rule-based algorithm created to minimise false positives had a specificity of 66% and a sensitivity of 76%. Eight predictors (weight loss, wasting, jaundice, herpes zoster, presence of abscesses or sores, oral candidiasis, acute respiratory tract infections, and vaginal tumours) were included in the algorithm. In the test dataset of verbal autopsies, 69% of deaths were correctly classified as AIDS/non-AIDS, and it was not necessary to invoke a differential diagnosis of tuberculosis. Presence of any one of these criteria gave a post-test probability of AIDS death of 0.84.


CONCLUSIONS
Analysis of verbal autopsy data in this rural Zimbabwean population revealed a distinct pattern of signs and symptoms associated with AIDS mortality. Using these signs and symptoms, demographic surveillance data on AIDS deaths may allow for the estimation of AIDS mortality and even HIV prevalence.
Effect of intra-dialytic, low-intensity strength training on functional capacity in adult haemodialysis patients: a randomized pilot trial.

BACKGROUND
Kidney failure is associated with muscle wasting and physical impairment. Moderate- to high-intensity strength training improves physical performance, nutritional status and quality of life in people with chronic kidney disease and in dialysis patients. However, the effect of low-intensity strength training has not been well documented, thus representing the objective of this pilot study.


METHODS
Fifty participants (mean +/- SD, age 69 +/- 13 years) receiving long-term haemodialysis (3.7 +/- 4.2 years) were randomized to intra-dialytic low-intensity strength training or stretching (attention-control) exercises twice weekly for a total of 48 exercise sessions. The primary study outcome was physical performance assessed by the Short Physical Performance Battery score (SPPB) after 36 sessions, if available, or carried forward from 24 sessions. Secondary outcomes included lower body strength, body composition and quality of life. Measurements were obtained at baseline and at completion of 24 (mid), 36 (post) and 48 (final) exercise sessions.


RESULTS
Baseline median (IQR) SPPB score was 6.0 (5.0), with 57% of the participants having SPPB scores below 7. Exercise adherence was 89 +/- 15%. The primary outcome could be computed in 44 participants. SPPB improved in the strength training group compared to the attention-control group [21.1% (43.1%) vs. 0.2% (38.4%), respectively, P = 0.03]. Similarly, strength training participants exhibited significant improvements from baseline compared to the control group in knee extensor strength, leisure-time physical activity and self-reported physical function and activities of daily living (ADL) disability; all P < 0.02. Adverse events were common but not related to study participation.


CONCLUSIONS
Intra-dialytic, low-intensity progressive strength training was safe and effective among maintenance dialysis patients. Further studies are needed to establish the generalizability of this strength training program in dialysis patients.
The StrongWomen-Healthy Hearts program: reducing cardiovascular disease risk factors in rural sedentary, overweight, and obese midlife and older women.

OBJECTIVES
We tested a community-based intervention designed to reduce cardiovascular disease risk in sedentary midlife and older women who were overweight or obese.


METHODS
In a randomized controlled trial conducted in 8 counties in Arkansas and Kansas, counties were assigned to the intervention (a 12-week twice-weekly heart health program) group or to the delayed-intervention control group. Ten to fifteen women were selected from each site, and participants' weight, waist circumference, diet, physical activity, and self-efficacy were measured before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed with multiple regressions.


RESULTS
Compared with the control group, participants in the intervention group had a significant decrease in body weight (-2.1 kg; 95% confidence interval [CI] = -3.2, -1.0), waist circumference (-2.3 in; 95% CI = -4.2, -0.5), and energy intake (-390 kcal/day; 95% CI = -598, -183); an increase in activity (+1637 steps/day; 95% CI = 712, 2562); and an increase in self-efficacy for dietary and physical activity behaviors.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that a community-based program can improve self-efficacy, increase physical activity, and decrease energy intake, resulting in decreased waist circumference and body weight among at-risk women.
Municipal solid waste management in China: status, problems and challenges.

This paper presents an examination of MSW generation and composition in China, providing an overview of the current state of MSW management, an analysis of existing problems in MSW collection, separation, recycling and disposal, and some suggestions for improving MSW systems in the future. In China, along with urbanization, population growth and industrialization, the quantity of municipal solid waste (MSW) generation has been increasing rapidly. The total MSW amount increased from 31.3 million tonnes in 1980 to 212 million tonnes in 2006, and the waste generation rate increased from 0.50 kg/capita/day in 1980 to 0.98 kg/capita/year in 2006. Currently, waste composition in China is dominated by a high organic and moisture content, since the concentration of kitchen waste in urban solid waste makes up the highest proportion (at approximately 60%) of the waste stream. The total amount of MSW collected and transported was 148 million tonnes in 2006, of which 91.4% was landfilled, 6.4% was incinerated and 2.2% was composted. The overall MSW treatment rate in China was approximately 62% in 2007. In 2007, there were 460 facilities, including 366 landfill sites, 17 composing plants, and 66 incineration plants. This paper also considers the challenges faced and opportunities for MSW management in China, and a number of recommendations are made aimed at improving the MSW management system.
A Two-step Information Accumulation Strategy for Learning from Highly Imbalanced Data

Highly imbalanced data is common in the real world and it is important but difficult to train an effective classifier. In this paper, Our major point is that the imbalance is the observed phenomenon but not the cause of the problem. The challenge is that useful information is been overshadowed in the large scale of data in both majority and minority classes. We propose a novel two-step strategy, Information Accumulation, which first selects the most discriminative data by the Zooming-in phase, and then leverages unlabeled data by pseudo active learning and self-training in the phase of Learning from Learned Results. Comparative experiments are conducted on large-scale highly imbalanced real customer service data on complaint detection task (where less than 2% of data is positive). The results on eight state-of-the-art classification algorithms show that significant improvements are observed on the performances of all algorithms with Information Accumulation(for example, the F-Measure score of Xgboost is increased by 197% from 0.115 to 0.347), which demonstrates the effectiveness and general applicability of the proposed strategy. This work explores a new idea on dealing with highly imbalanced data that we do not aim to balance the training examples as usual, but focus on finding the most discriminative information from labeled data and the learning results of unlabeled data.
Properties of furfurylated wood (Pinus pinaster)

Sapwood samples of Pinus pinaster wood were treated with a 70% furfuryl alcohol mixture. Weight percent gain (WPG), equilibrium moisture content, dimensional stability, MOE, bending strength, hardness, density and durability were determined. WPG was on average 38%. Equilibrium moisture content decreased more than 40%. Dimensional stability increased reaching an ASE of 45%. MOE was little affected by the treatment but bending strength increased by about 6%. Hardness increased by about 50%, and density by 37%. Mass loss due to Postia placenta and Coniophora puteana decreased by 96% and 86%, respectively. Furfurylation of Pinus pinaster wood shows an interesting potential to improve the wood quality for solid timber products. Kiefernsplintholzproben (Pinus pinaster) wurden mit einer 70% Furfurylalkohol-Mischung behandelt und die prozentuale Massezunahme (WPG), die Gleichgewichtsfeuchte, die Dimensionsstabilität, der Elastizitätsmodul, die Biegefestigkeit, die Härte, die Dichte und die Dauerhaftigkeit wurden bestimmt. Die prozentuale Massezunahme lag im Durchschnitt bei 38%. Die Gleichgewichtsfeuchte nahm mehr als 40% ab. Die Dimensionsstabilität nahm zu und erreichte ein Quellresistenzvermögen (ASE) von 45%. Die Behandlung hatte nur wenig Einfluss auf den Elastizitätsmodul, während die Biegefestigkeit um 6% zunahm. Die Härte erhöhte sich um ca. 50% und die Dichte um 37%. Der Masseverlust durch Postia placenta und Coniophora puteana ging um 96% bzw. 86% zurück. Die Furfurylierung von Pinus pinaster Holz zeigt ein hohes Potential zur Verbesserung der Holzqualität von Massivholzprodukten.
A Novel RCD Level Shifter for Elimination of Spurious Turn-on in the Bridge-Leg Configuration

With the increase in the switching speed and power level in the bridge-leg configuration, the spurious triggering pulse in the synchronous switch is prone to exceed the threshold voltage and cause spurious turn-on. Eliminating the spurious turn-on phenomenon plays an important role in preventing excessive switching loss, self-oscillation, and shoot-through in the bridge-leg configuration. A novel resistor-capacitor-diode ( RCD) level shifter is proposed to generate a negative gate voltage so that the spurious triggering pulse can be shifted below the threshold voltage, and thereby, the spurious turn-on can be avoided. The merits of the devised auxiliary circuit lie not merely in that it consists only of passive components and can easily be co-packaged with the existing gate driver, but also in that the negative voltage level is tunable and independent of the duty cycle of the converter. The effectiveness of this circuit has been verified by the experimental results. It is shown that when the spurious turn-on occurs in a bridge-leg configuration, the adoption of the proposed circuit can eliminate the spurious turn-on and reduce the turn-off switching loss by more than 40%.