LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Body piercing: medical consequences and psychological motivations

Body piercing is increasing in popularity around the world. In this review, I describe the history, origins, and peculiarities of various forms of body piercing, and procedures involved, variations in healing time, legal aspects and regulations, and complications and side-effects. I have also included a discussion of the motivation for and psychological background behind body piercing. In presenting research results, I aim to raise awareness of the many risks associated with body piercing. In presenting psychological data, I intend to create an understanding of the multifaceted and often intense motivations associated with body piercing, and, thus, to diminish any prejudices held by health professionals against people with piercings.
Community adherence support improves programme retention in children on antiretroviral treatment: a multicentre cohort study in South Africa

BACKGROUND
HIV-positive children in low-income settings face many challenges to adherence to antiretroviral treatment (ART) and have increased mortality on treatment compared to children in developed countries. Adult ART programmes have demonstrated benefit from community support to improve treatment outcomes; however, there are no empirical data on the effectiveness of this intervention in children. This study compared clinical, virological and immunological outcomes between children who received and who did not receive community-based adherence support from patient advocates (PAs) in four South African provinces.


METHODS
A multicentre cohort study of ART-naïve children was conducted at 47 public ART facilities. Outcome measures were mortality, patient retention, virological suppression and CD4 percentage changes on ART. PAs are lay community health workers who provide adherence and psychosocial support for children's caregivers, and they undertake home visits to ascertain household challenges potentially impacting on adherence in the child. Corrected mortality estimates were calculated, correcting for deaths amongst those lost to follow-up (LTFU) using probability-weighted Kaplan-Meier and Cox functions.


RESULTS
Three thousand five hundred and sixty three children were included with a median baseline age of 6.3 years and a median baseline CD4 cell percentage of 12.0%. PA-supported children numbered 323 (9.1%). Baseline clinical status variables were equivalent between the two groups. Amongst children LTFU, 38.7% were known to have died. Patient retention after 3 years of ART was 91.5% (95% CI: 86.8% to 94.7%) vs. 85.6% (95% CI: 83.3% to 87.6%) amongst children with and without PAs, respectively (p = 0.027). Amongst children aged below 2 years at baseline, retention after 3 years was 92.2% (95% CI: 76.7% to 97.6%) vs. 74.2% (95% CI: 65.4% to 81.0%) in children with and without PAs, respectively (p = 0.053). Corrected mortality after 3 years of ART was 3.7% (95% CI: 1.9% to 7.4%) vs. 8.0% (95% CI: 6.5% to 9.8%) amongst children with and without PAs, respectively (p = 0.060). In multivariable analyses, children with PAs had reduced probabilities of both attrition and mortality, adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) 0.57 (95% CI: 0.35 to 0.94) and 0.39 (95% CI: 0.15 to 1.04), respectively.


CONCLUSION
Community-based adherence support is an effective way to improve patient retention amongst children on ART. Expanded implementation of this intervention should be considered in order to reach ART programmatic goals in low-income settings as more children access treatment.
A Normally-off AlGaN/GaN Transistor with RonA=2.6mΩcm2 and BVds=640V Using Conductivity Modulation

We report a normally-off GaN-based transistor using conductivity modulation, which we call GIT (gate injection transistor). This new device principle utilizes hole-injection from p-AlGaN to AlGaN/GaN heterojunction, which increases electron density in the depleted channel resulting in dramatic increase of the drain current owing to the conductivity modulation. The fabricated GIT exhibits the threshold voltage of 1.0V with high maximum drain current of 200mA/mm. The obtained on-state resistance (Ron·A) and off-state breakdown voltage (BVds) are 2.6mΩ·cm2 and 640V, respectively. These values are the best ones ever reported for GaN-based normally-off transistors
On physics of the Poynting-Robertson effect

Detailed discussion of university textbook statements (Harwit 1988) concerning the Poynting-Robertson effect (P-R effect) is presented. Discussion is concentrated on better physical understanding of the P-R effect. References to complete correct equation of motion for real dust particle are also presented.
Development and validation of a model to predict the risk of exacerbations in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

PURPOSE
Prediction models for exacerbations in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are scarce. Our aim was to develop and validate a new model to predict exacerbations in patients with COPD.


PATIENTS AND METHODS
The derivation cohort consisted of patients aged 65 years or over, with a COPD diagnosis, who were followed up over 24 months. The external validation cohort consisted of another cohort of COPD patients, aged 50 years or over. Exacerbations of COPD were defined as symptomatic deterioration requiring pulsed oral steroid use or hospitalization. Logistic regression analysis including backward selection and shrinkage were used to develop the final model and to adjust for overfitting. The adjusted regression coefficients were applied in the validation cohort to assess calibration of the predictions and calculate changes in discrimination applying C-statistics.


RESULTS
The derivation and validation cohort consisted of 240 and 793 patients with COPD, of whom 29% and 28%, respectively, experienced an exacerbation during follow-up. The final model included four easily assessable variables: exacerbations in the previous year, pack years of smoking, level of obstruction, and history of vascular disease, with a C-statistic of 0.75 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.69-0.82). Predictions were well calibrated in the validation cohort, with a small loss in discrimination potential (C-statistic 0.66 [95% CI 0.61-0.71]).


CONCLUSION
Our newly developed prediction model can help clinicians to predict the risk of future exacerbations in individual patients with COPD, including those with mild disease.
Mobile Visual Search

Mobile phones have evolved into powerful image and video processing devices equipped with high-resolution cameras, color displays, and hardware-accelerated graphics. They are also increasingly equipped with a global positioning system and connected to broadband wireless networks. All this enables a new class of applications that use the camera phone to initiate search queries about objects in visual proximity to the user (Figure 1). Such applications can be used, e.g., for identifying products, comparison shopping, finding information about movies, compact disks (CDs), real estate, print media, or artworks.
Application of Optimal Fuzzy PID Controller Design: PI Control for Nonlinear Induction Motor

We present in this paper a novel method (called PID design through numerical optimization) for the design of adaptive fuzzy PID controllers to achieve optimal control performance. By applying the numerical optimization, the fuzzy PID design problem is transferred to a numerical optimization problem. First, a fuzzy parameter tuner is built to generate initial PID parameters, including positions and shapes of fuzzy membership functions and scaling factors. Then the gradient-based Sequential Quadratic programming (SQP) algorithm is employed to iteratively minimize the cost function by iterating the parameters. Unlike conventional PID design, this method is capable of reaching the desired control performance, such as minimum overshoot or long term stability. Another unique feature is that the optimized adaptive PID controller is applicable to a wide variety of time-varying and nonlinear systems. The proposed method is applied to the induction motor control problem and the experimental results are presented to demonstrate its effectiveness and performance
Effects of amlodipine and lisinopril on intima-media thickness in previously untreated, elderly hypertensive patients (the ELVERA trial).

OBJECTIVE
To compare the effects of the calcium channel blocker amlodipine and the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor lisinopril on intima-media thickness (IMT) in elderly, previously untreated hypertensive individuals.


DESIGN
A double-blind randomized parallel-group trial (the ELVERA trial).


PATIENTS
The study population comprised 166 newly diagnosed hypertensive individuals (aged 60-75 years) with diastolic blood pressure between 95 and 115 mmHg or systolic blood pressure between 160 and 220 mmHg, or both.


INTERVENTION
Patients were allocated randomly to groups to receive amlodipine 5-10 mg or lisinopril 10-20 mg for 2 years.


MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Before and after 1 and 2 years of treatment, IMT was measured in three carotid and two femoral arterial sites by B-mode ultrasound. The primary endpoint was the change from baseline of the combined mean maximum far wall IMT of carotid and femoral arteries, evaluated by repeated measurement analysis of the treatment effect in an intention-to-treat analysis.


RESULTS
After 2 years of treatment, amlodipine decreased IMT by 0.089 mm [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.144 to 0.037]. Lisinopril decreased IMT by 0.065 mm (95% CI 0.124 to 0.010). No differences between the two drugs were found (P = 0.18). Both treatment regimens achieved the greatest reduction of IMT after 1 year, with a slight increase after the second year, whereas the reduction in blood pressure was maintained. Comparing the carotid and femoral arteries, a significant treatment difference in the change from baseline in favour of amlodipine was observed in the IMT of the elastic common carotid artery (P < 0.05). The effects of the two drugs on the muscular common femoral artery were not different.


CONCLUSION
In a long-term study, amlodipine and lisinopril reduce IMT to a similar extent in newly diagnosed elderly hypertensive patients. It is suggested that the two drugs have different effects on arteries that are not prone to atherosclerosis.
Plasma adiponectin levels and sonographic phenotypes of subclinical carotid artery atherosclerosis: data from the SAPHIR Study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Adipose tissue produces and secretes a number of bioactive molecules, conceptualized as adipocytokines. Adiponectin has been identified as one of the adipocytokines, and hypoadiponectinemia was demonstrated in patients with obesity, diabetes mellitus, and coronary artery disease. Whether decreased adiponectin levels are cause or consequence is an important issue in the discussion on the association between adiponectin and atherosclerosis. In the present study, we investigated the association of plasma adiponectin levels with sonographic phenotypes of subclinical atherosclerosis, which may represent different stages of disease as well as common and distinct determinants.


METHODS
A total of 1515 middle-aged healthy white subjects (940 males and 575 females) were included. Common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) and presence of atherosclerotic plaques were assessed by B-mode ultrasound.


RESULTS
After adjustment for established risk factors, per 1 microg/mL decrease in adiponectin CIMT increased on the average by 3.48 microm in males (95% CI, 1.23 to 5.73 microm) and by 2.39 microm in females (95% CI, 0.50 to 4.27 microm). After dichotomizing adiponectin levels at the median and adjustment for established risk factors, the mean difference of CIMT between subjects with low and high adiponectin levels was 20.42 microm in men (95% CI, 6.80 to 34.04; P=0.003) and 20.75 microm in women (95% CI, 1.08 to 40.42; P=0.039). No significant relationship was found between adiponectin levels and presence of atherosclerotic plaques.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results demonstrate an independent negative association of adiponectin levels and CIMT, whereas no relationship with presence of atherosclerotic plaques was found, thus suggesting hypoadiponectinemia as a risk factor in the development of early atherosclerosis.
A Taiwanese text-to-speech system with applications to language learning

The paper describes a Taiwanese text-to-speech (TTS) system for Taiwanese language learning by using Taiwanese/Mandarin bilingual lexicon information. The TTS system is organized as three functional modules, which contain a text analysis module, a prosody module, and waveform synthesis modules. And then we set an experiment to evaluate the text analysis and tone-sandhi. An 89% labeling and 65% tone-sandhi accuracy rate can be achieved. With adopting proposed Taiwanese TTS component, talking electronic lexicon system, Taiwanese interactive spelling learning tool and Taiwanese TTS system can be built to help those who want to learn Taiwanese.
Biologically oriented preparation technique (BOPT) 
for implant-supported fixed prostheses

A patient of 58 years of age without medical problems came to the clinic due to missing teeth in the upper posterior region and to change the partial fixed prosthesis in the upper anterior area. Proposed treatment: surgical phase of three conical shape tapering implants with prosthetic platform in occlusal direction with mechanize collar tissue level with fixtures to place implant-supported metal-ceramic restorations. In the anterior area, a zirconium oxide fixed partial prosthesis was vertical preparation of the tooth's. When preparing teeth to receive fixed prostheses, the definition and shape of finish lines has been a subject of endless discussion, modification, and change ever since the beginnings of restorative prosthetic dentistry. The BOPT technique (biologically oriented preparation technique) was first described in the context of tooth-supported restorations but has recently been applied to dental implants with the aim of ensuring healthy peri-implant tissue and creating the possibility of modeling the peri-implant sulcus by modifying prosthetic emergence profiles. Vertical preparation of teeth and abutments without finish line on implants is a technique which was found to be adequate for ensuring the remodeling and stability of peri-implant tissues. Key words:Peri-implant tissue health, shoulderless abutments.
Students’ epistemologies about experimental physics: Validating the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey for experimental physics

Student learning in instructional physics labs represents a growing area of research that includes investigations of students’ beliefs and expectations about the nature of experimental physics. To directly probe students’ epistemologies about experimental physics and support broader lab transformation efforts at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU) and elsewhere, we developed the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey for Experimental Physics (E-CLASS). Previous work with this assessment has included establishing the accuracy and clarity of the instrument through student interviews and preliminary testing. Several years of data collection at multiple institutions has resulted in a growing national data set of student responses. Here, we report on results of the analysis of these data to investigate the statistical validity and reliability of the ECLASS as a measure of students’ epistemologies for a broad student population. We find that the E-CLASS demonstrates an acceptable level of both validity and reliability on measures of, item and test discrimination, test-retest reliability, partial-sample reliability, internal consistency, concurrent validity, and convergent validity. We also examine students’ responses using Principal Component Analysis and find that, as expected, the E-CLASS does not exhibit strong factors (a.k.a. categories).
Phase I-II study of irinotecan combined with mitomycin-C in patients with advanced gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND
Irinotecan (CPT-11) shows synergism with mitomycin-C (MMC) in a preclinical setting. The goals of this study were to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), the dose limiting toxicity, the recommended dose (RD), and preliminary anti-tumor activity in a combined CPT-11 and MMC treatment of advanced gastric cancer.


PATIENTS AND METHODS
The study was designed to evaluate escalated doses of CPT-11 and MMC administered every two weeks. Five escalating dose levels were studied (CPT-11/ MMC: 100/5; 125/5; 150/5; 150/7; 150/10 mg/m2).


RESULTS
Thirty-one patients were enrolled. Thirty patients were assessable for toxicity and tumor response for 89 treatment cycles. The median age was 60 years (32-73 years), and most patients (90%) had a performance status of 0 to 1. Fourteen patients were previously treated and 17 were chemotherapynaive. The MTD was CPT-11 150 mg/m2 plus MMC 10 mg/m2, in which all three patients experienced grade 4 neutropenia. including one episode of prolonged and one of febrile neutropenia, and one patient experienced grade 3 diarrhea during the first cycle. Fifteen partial responses were observed.


CONCLUSIONS
The RD based on this phase I-II study was CPT-11 150 mg/m2 plus MMC 5 mg/m2 administered every two weeks. This combination demonstrates promising activity against advanced gastric cancer and warrants further investigation in another phase II study.
A haptic/acoustic application to allow blind the access to spatial information

This paper describes a multi-modal application, based on haptic/acoustic interaction, to allow visually impaired people to access media with high spatial information content, extending the visual and auditory-verbal data with the tactile sensory channel. Haptic interfaces are exploited to enable the use of touch on 3D virtual objects which have a larger and greater flexibility with respect to physical artefacts. The system allows to interact with haptic/acoustic active objects and to select the information that must be shown on the basis of the user requirements. Two different tests, involving the exploration of indoor environment and of complex geographical areas, are presented. Several experiments, with users with different stories and different level of visual disability, have been done. They showed that the haptic/acoustic interaction and the modularity in the information representation help blind people to cope with the serious and challenging task of managing spatial data
Urban freight policies and distribution channels

Urban areas are vital centers of economic activity and innovation generating large economies of density and proximity. Yet, procuring and distributing goods in an urban context is fraught with difficulties because of infrastructure congestion, external costs, conflicting objectives among stakeholders, and asymmetric information. In order to improve the performance of the urban goods transport system many policies have been proposed, including goods vehicle time windows, vehicle-type restrictions, loading\unloading policies, fiscal policies, the promotion urban transhipment and consolidation centres. Unfortunately, not much is known concerning how these policies affect the existing distribution practices. It is quite likely that the impact is differentiated by type of product and distribution channel. The aim of this paper is to explore this issue. Drawing on the existing literature and on the empirical evidence from some Italian cities, the paper identifies and discusses the relationship between each of the above-mentioned policies and the distribution channels of some goods (fresh food sold in retail stores, food distributed by Hotels, Restaurants and Catering (Ho.Re.Ca.), pharmaceutical products and clothing&footwear) which are commonly distributed in Italian urban centers. It is found that the distribution of pharmaceutical products is unaffected by these policies, whereas the distribution of fresh food is negatively affected especially by access time regulation and loading\unloading policies. The Ho.Re.Ca. and the clothing&footwear channels are likely to be impacted the most by fiscal policies and by the promotion of urban transhipment and consolidation centres.
Influence of FE model variability in predicting brain motion and intracranial pressure changes in head impact simulations

In order to create a useful computational tool that will aid in the understanding and perhaps prevention of head injury, it is important to know the quantitative influence of the constitutive properties, geometry and finite element formulations of the intracranial contents upon the mechanics of a head impact event. The University College Dublin Brain Trauma Model (UCDBTM) [1] has been refined and validated against a series of cadaver tests and the influence of different finite element formulations has been investigated. In total six different model configurations were constructed: (i) the baseline model, (ii) a refined baseline model which explicitly differentiates between grey and white neural tissue, (iii) a model with three elements through the thickness of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) layer, (iv) a model simulating a sliding boundary, (v) a projection mesh model (which also distinguishes between neural tissue) and (vi) a morphed model. These models have been compared against a cadaver test of Trosseille [2] and of Hardy [3]. The results indicate that, despite the fundamental differences between these six model formulations, the comparisons with the experimentally measured pressures and relative displacements were largely consistent and in good agreement. These results may prove useful for those attempting to model real life accident scenarios, especially when the time to construct a patient specific model using traditional mesh generation approaches is taken into account.
Evaluation of stabilized blood cell products as candidate preparations for quality assessment programs for CD4 T-cell counting.

BACKGROUND
Exceptionally robust cell preparations are needed for quality assessment programs (QAPs) such as the International Program for Quality Assessment and Standardization for Immunological Measures (QASI) relevant to HIV/AIDS. A suitable product must withstand environmental stress related to transportation for a minimum of 6 days. The two objectives of this study are (1) to evaluate the performance of various commercial preparations with multicenter participation and (2) to evaluate the robustness of stabilized blood cell products.


METHODS
Phase 1: The performance of stabilized blood cell products was evaluated in a multicenter QAP utilizing various staining procedures and flow cytometers. Absolute cell enumeration was achieved using single-platform T-cell subset methodology. Phase 2: The robustness of stabilized blood cell products was evaluated by monitoring T-cell subset values from samples stored at 4 degrees C, 22 degrees C, and 37 degrees C for up to 10 days.


RESULTS
The largest interlaboratory variation in both absolute and relative T-cell values was 16% in samples with CD4 levels > or =400 cells per microliter and 21% in samples with CD4 levels <400 cells per microliter. Six preparations retained their phenotypic expression for 7 days at 4 degrees C and 22 degrees C. However, only two preparations remained stable for 4 days at 37 degrees C.


CONCLUSION
Some stabilized cell preparations are more robust and therefore more suitable for quality assessment purposes.