LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
European experience with methotrexate treatment in Crohn's disease: a multicenter retrospective analysis.

INTRODUCTION
Methotrexate (MTX) has been utilized for the treatment of Crohn's disease (CD) for decades. Nevertheless, current data provide equivocal evidence on the efficacy of MTX in CD.The aims of this study were to describe the efficacy of MTX for maintenance of remission in CD and to identify the factors associated with the probability of steroid-free clinical remission in a multicenter European referral center cohort.


PATIENTS AND METHODS
This was a retrospective cohort analysis. Consecutive patients treated with MTX for CD were included from 11 referral centers. Patients receiving concomitant treatment with tumor necrosis factor inhibitors or thiopurines were excluded. The main outcome was steroid-free clinical remission; the secondary outcomes included the rate of complications leading to MTX discontinuation and duration of relapse-free survival in patients achieving the main outcome.


RESULTS
Between July 1992 and January 2012, 118 patients were identified for inclusion. MTX administration route was oral for induction in 31.4% and for maintenance in 49.1% of the patients. Steroid-free remission was achieved in 44/118 (37.2%) patients and was maintained relapse free by 28/44 (63.6%) for a median of 12 (3.5-18.5) months. At least one adverse effect was reported by 28.9% of the patients. No clinical or demographic factors were associated with either likelihood of achieving a clinical response or duration of relapse-free survival.


CONCLUSION
MTX treatment induced steroid-free clinical remission in over a third of CD patients and maintained it for a year in almost two-thirds of the responders. MTX should be considered a viable therapeutic option in CD patients refractory to other therapies.
A Randomized Controlled Study of the Efficacy of Pregabalin in the Treatment of Opiate Withdrawal Syndrome

Objective. To study the efficacy and safety of pregabalin (Lyrica) in the complex therapy of opioid withdrawal syndrome (OWS). Materials and methods. The study design was a randomized, symptom-controlled, simple, blind study with active controls. A total of 34 patients with OWS were randomized to two groups. Patients of group 1 (19 subjects) received pregabalin at a dose of up to 600 mg/day as the main substance for treating OWS, in combination with symptomatic treatment (basal and symptom-triggered). Patients of group 2 (15 subjects) received clonidine (Clofelin, up to 600 mg/day) as the main treatment agent, in combination with basal and symptom-triggered treatment. The severity of OWS, cravings for opiates, sleep disorders, anxiety, depression, and side effects were assessed daily using international validated quantified assessment scales. Results. In group 1, 15 patients (79%) completed OWS treatment, compared with seven (47%) in group 2 (p = 0.05, Fisher’s exact test). There were no statistically significant differences between groups in terms of the dynamics of the severity of OWS (perhaps because of the limited number of patients). In the pregabalin-treated group, measures of the intensity of opiate cravings decreased during treatment as compared with group 2 (p = 0.05), and similar changes were seen in relation to anxiety (p = 0.05) and depression (p < 0.05); self-assessments of wellbeing increased (p < 0.05). There were no significant between-group differences in the overall incidence of side effects, though treatment tolerance was better in group 1. Conclusions. The treatment scheme including pregabalin was effective and safe and was well tolerated by patients, providing more successful completion of detoxification programs.
A longitudinal study of children with Down syndrome who experienced early intervention programming.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
The long-term motor, cognitive, and adaptive functioning of a sample of adolescents with Down syndrome who experienced an early intervention program was examined in this descriptive study.


SUBJECTS
Ten children with Down syndrome (7 girls, 3 boys) who had participated in an early intervention program constituted the early intervention (EI) group. An age-matched group of children with Down syndrome (6 girls, 4 boys) who had not experienced an early intervention program served as a comparison group.


METHODS
The EI group's motor functioning was compared with that of a normative sample used in the development of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency. The cognitive and adaptive skills of the EI group were compared with those of the comparison group. The children were assessed using the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale, the Vineland Social Maturity Scale, and the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency.


RESULTS
The EI group subjects fell below their chronological age levels in gross and fine motor skills; however, their mean gross motor skill levels exceeded their mean fine motor skill levels. The specific deficits in gross motor and fine motor skills, which were documented in a previous follow-up study on the same sample, continued to be areas of deficits (visual motor coordination, running speed, balance, and reaction time). The EI group subjects had significantly higher scores on measures of intellectual and adaptive functioning than did the children in the comparison group. The EI group subjects did not show the decline typically seen with age in adaptive functioning in individuals with Down syndrome.


CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSION
Because of the design limitations, the differences between the groups should be interpreted with caution.
Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage

This report provides information for policy makers, scientists and engineers in the field of climate change and reduction of CO2 emissions. It describes sources, capture, transport, and storage of CO2, as well as the costs, economic potential, and societal issues of the technology, including public perception and regulatory aspects.
An Internet of things approach for motion detection using Raspberry Pi

Internet of things is the communication of anything with any other thing, the communication mainly transferring of use able data, for example a sensor in a room to monitor and control the temperature. It is estimated that by 2020 there will be about 50 billion internet-enabled devices. This paper aims to describe a security alarm system using low processing power chips using Internet of things which helps to monitor and get alarms when motion is detected and sends photos and videos to a cloud server. Moreover, Internet of things based application can be used remotely to view the activity and get notifications when motion is detected. The photos and videos are sent directly to a cloud server, when the cloud is not available then the data is stored locally on the Raspberry Pi and sent when the connection resumes. Therefore, advantages like these make this application ideal for monitoring homes in absence.
Patent Foramen Ovale Closure or Antiplatelet Therapy for Cryptogenic Stroke.

BACKGROUND
The efficacy of closure of a patent foramen ovale (PFO) in the prevention of recurrent stroke after cryptogenic stroke is uncertain. We investigated the effect of PFO closure combined with antiplatelet therapy versus antiplatelet therapy alone on the risks of recurrent stroke and new brain infarctions.


METHODS
In this multinational trial involving patients with a PFO who had had a cryptogenic stroke, we randomly assigned patients, in a 2:1 ratio, to undergo PFO closure plus antiplatelet therapy (PFO closure group) or to receive antiplatelet therapy alone (antiplatelet-only group). Imaging of the brain was performed at the baseline screening and at 24 months. The coprimary end points were freedom from clinical evidence of ischemic stroke (reported here as the percentage of patients who had a recurrence of stroke) through at least 24 months after randomization and the 24-month incidence of new brain infarction, which was a composite of clinical ischemic stroke or silent brain infarction detected on imaging.


RESULTS
We enrolled 664 patients (mean age, 45.2 years), of whom 81% had moderate or large interatrial shunts. During a median follow-up of 3.2 years, clinical ischemic stroke occurred in 6 of 441 patients (1.4%) in the PFO closure group and in 12 of 223 patients (5.4%) in the antiplatelet-only group (hazard ratio, 0.23; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.09 to 0.62; P=0.002). The incidence of new brain infarctions was significantly lower in the PFO closure group than in the antiplatelet-only group (22 patients [5.7%] vs. 20 patients [11.3%]; relative risk, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.29 to 0.91; P=0.04), but the incidence of silent brain infarction did not differ significantly between the study groups (P=0.97). Serious adverse events occurred in 23.1% of the patients in the PFO closure group and in 27.8% of the patients in the antiplatelet-only group (P=0.22). Serious device-related adverse events occurred in 6 patients (1.4%) in the PFO closure group, and atrial fibrillation occurred in 29 patients (6.6%) after PFO closure.


CONCLUSIONS
Among patients with a PFO who had had a cryptogenic stroke, the risk of subsequent ischemic stroke was lower among those assigned to PFO closure combined with antiplatelet therapy than among those assigned to antiplatelet therapy alone; however, PFO closure was associated with higher rates of device complications and atrial fibrillation. (Funded by W.L. Gore and Associates; Gore REDUCE ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00738894 .).
Improving BCI-based emotion recognition by combining EEG feature selection and kernel classifiers

Current emotion recognition computational techniques have been successful on associating the emotional changes with the EEG signals, and so they can be identified and classified from EEG signals if appropriate stimuli are applied. However, automatic recognition is usually restricted to a small number of emotions classes mainly due to signal’s features and noise, EEG constraints and subject-dependent issues. In order to address these issues, in this paper a novel feature-based emotion recognition model is proposed for EEGbased Brain–Computer Interfaces. Unlike other approaches, our method explores a wider set of emotion types and incorporates additional features which are relevant for signal pre-processing and recognition classification tasks, based on a dimensional model of emotions: Valence and Arousal. It aims to improve the accuracy of the emotion classification task by combining mutual information based feature selection methods and kernel classifiers. Experiments using our approach for emotion classification which combines efficient feature selection methods and efficient kernel-based classifiers on standard EEG datasets show the promise of the approach when compared with state-of-the-art computational methods. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Engineering Time-Expanded Graphs for Faster Timetable Information

We present an extension of the well-known time-expanded approach for timetable information. By remodeling unimportant stations, we are able to obtain faster query times with less space consumption than the original model. Moreover, we show that our extensions harmonize well with speed-up techniques whose adaption to timetable networks is more challenging than one might expect.
DESIGN OF 2 X 4 MICROSTRIP MONOPULSE PATCH ANTENNA IN

The design of array antenna is vital study for today’s Wireless communication system to achieve higher gain, highly directional beam and also to counteract the effect of fading while signal propagates through various corrupted environments. In this paper, the design and analysis of a 2x4 microstrip patch antenna array is introduced and a rat-race coupler is incorporated. The antenna array is designed to function in the C-band and is used to receive signals from the telemetry link of an Unmanned Air Vehicle. The transmitter in the aircraft radiates two other directional beams adjacent to the main lobe, called the left lobe (L) and the right lobe (R). The rat race coupler generates the sum and difference patterns by adding and subtracting the left lobe signals with the right lobe signals respectively to generate L+R and L-R signals. The array of square patch antenna provides frequency close to the designed operating frequency with an acceptable Directivity and Gain. The proposed antenna array is a high gain, low-cost, low weight Ground Control Station (GCS) antenna. This paper, aims at a VSWR less than 2 and bandwidth greater than 50 MHz and a high antenna gain. The simulation has been done by using Advanced Design System (A.D.S) software. Keywords— 2x4 microstrip patch antenna, Rat-race coupler, Inset feed, Square patch antenna
Empirical Validation of the Information–Motivation–Behavioral Skills Model of Diabetes Medication Adherence: A Framework for Intervention

OBJECTIVE
Suboptimal adherence to diabetes medications is prevalent and associated with unfavorable health outcomes, but it remains unclear what intervention content is necessary to effectively promote medication adherence in diabetes. In other disease contexts, the Information-Motivation-Behavioral skills (IMB) model has effectively explained and promoted medication adherence and thus may have utility in explaining and promoting adherence to diabetes medications. We tested the IMB model's hypotheses in a sample of adults with type 2 diabetes.


RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
Participants (N = 314) completed an interviewer-administered survey and A1C test. Structural equation models tested the effects of diabetes medication adherence-related information, motivation, and behavioral skills on medication adherence and the effect of medication adherence on A1C.


RESULTS
The IMB elements explained 41% of the variance in adherence, and adherence explained 9% of the variance in A1C. As predicted, behavioral skills had a direct effect on adherence (β = 0.59; P < 0.001) and mediated the effects of information (indirect effect 0.08 [0.01-0.15]) and motivation (indirect effect 0.12 [0.05-0.20]) on adherence. Medication adherence significantly predicted glycemic control (β = -0.30; P < 0.001). Neither insulin status nor regimen complexity was associated with adherence, and neither moderated associations between the IMB constructs and adherence.


CONCLUSIONS
The results support the IMB model's predictions and identify modifiable and intervenable determinants of diabetes medication adherence. Medication adherence promotion interventions may benefit from content targeting patients' medication adherence-related information, motivation, and behavioral skills and assessing the degree to which change in these determinants leads to changes in medication adherence behavior.
Prognostic analysis of pre-transplant peripheral T-cell levels in patients receiving an autologous hematopoietic progenitor-cell transplant

Summary:The purpose of this study was to evaluate pre-transplant T-cell status in autologous hematopoietic progenitor-cell transplantation (HPCT) recipients. Between 1999 and 2002 we prospectively enrolled 85 autologous HPCT recipients with solid tumors (N=50) or hematological malignancies (n=35). Patient diagnoses included breast cancer (N=49), non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (N=20), myeloma (N=11), Hodgkin's disease (N=3), germ-cell tumor (N=1) and amyloidosis (N=1). Levels of CD3, CD4, CD8, memory and naïve CD4, and CD8 T-cell subsets were analyzed before autologous HPCT. Autologous HPCT recipients presented with lower pre-transplant counts of CD3, CD4, but not CD8 T cells, as compared to healthy controls. Pre-transplant CD4 T-cell levels correlated with progression-free survival (PFS) (P=0.002) and overall survival (OS) (P=0.05), in patients with hematologic malignancies (P=0.02) and breast cancer (P=0.04). Specifically, pre-transplant memory CD4 + CD45RA − CD62L − T-cell levels correlated with PFS (P=0.01). The prognostic effects of pre-transplant CD4 and CD4 + CD45RA − CD62L − T cells were independent of tumor diagnosis, tumor stage, tumor sensitivity, and, for breast cancer patients, Her2 / neu status. Our results suggest that pre-transplant CD4 T-cell status, specifically CD4 + CD45RA − CD62L − memory T cells, correlates with the outcome of autologous HPCT recipients. These observations suggest the feasibility of prospective identification of those patients at higher risk of relapse, based on their immune status.
Upper-Limb Powered Exoskeleton Design

An exoskeleton is an external structural mechanism with joints and links corresponding to those of the human body. With applications in rehabilitation medicine and virtual reality simulation, exoskeletons offer benefits for both disabled and healthy populations. A pilot database defining the kinematics and dynamics of the upper limb during daily living activities was one among several factors guiding the development of an anthropomorphic, 7-DOF, powered arm exoskeleton. Additional design inputs include anatomical and physiological considerations, workspace analyses, and upper limb joint ranges of motion. The database was compiled from 19 arm activities of daily living. The cable-actuated dexterous exoskeleton for neurorehabilitation (CADEN)-7 offers remarkable opportunities as a versatile human-machine interface and as a new generation of assistive technology. Proximal placement of motors and distal placement of cable-pulley reductions were incorporated into the design, leading to low inertia, high-stiffness links, and backdrivable transmissions with zero backlash. The design enables full glenohumeral, elbow, and wrist joint functionality. Potential applications of the exoskeleton as a wearable robot include: 1) a therapeutic and diagnostics device for physiotherapy, 2) an assistive (orthotic) device for human power amplifications, 3) a haptic device in virtual reality simulation, and 4) a master device for teleoperation.
Natural Eye Movement & its application for paralyzed patients

The noble aim behind this project is to study and capture the Natural Eye movement detection and trying to apply it as assisting application for paralyzed patients those who cannot speak or use hands such disease as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Guillain-Barre Syndrome, quadriplegia & heniiparesis. Using electrophySiological genereted by the voluntary contradictions of the muscles around the eye. The proposed system which is based on the design and application of an electrooculogram (EOG) based an efficient human–computer interface (HCI). Establishing an alternative channel without speaking and hand movements is important in increasing the quality of life for the handicapped. EOG-based systems are more efficient than electroencephalogram (EEG)-based systems as easy acquisition, higher amplitude, and also easily classified. By using a realized virtual keyboard like graphical user interface, it is possible to notify in writing the needs of the patient in a relatively short time. Considering the bio potential measurement pitfalls, the novel EOG-based HCI system allows people to successfully communicate with their environment by using only eye movements. [1] Classifying horizontal and vertical EOG channel signals in an efficient interface is realized in this study. The nearest neighbourhood algorithm will be use to classify the signals. The novel EOG-based HCI system allows people to successfully and economically communicate with their environment by using only eye movements. [2] An Electrooculography is a method of tracking the ocular movement, based on the voltage changes that occur due to the medications on the special orientation of the eye dipole. The resulting signal has a myriad of possible applications. [2] In this dissertation phase one, the goal was to study the Eye movements and respective signal generation, EOG signal acquisition and also study of a Man-Machine Interface that made use of this signal. As per our goal we studied eye movements and design simple EOG acquisition circuit. We got efficient signal output in oscilloscope. I sure that result up to present stage will definitely leads us towards designing of novel assisting device for paralyzed patients. Thus, we set out to create an interface will be use by mobility impaired patients, allowing them to use their eyes to call nurse or attended person and some other requests. Keywords— Electro Oculogram, Natural Eye movement Detection, EOG acquisition & signal conditioning, Eye based Computer interface GUI, Paralysed assisting device, Eye movement recognization
Treatment of infraorbital dark circles using a low-fluence Q-switched 1,064-nm laser.

OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the low-fluence 1,064-nm Q-switched neodymium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet (QSNY) laser in treating infraorbital dark circles.


PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS
Thirty women with infraorbital dark circles (predominant color dark brown) participated in this open-label study. Participants underwent eight sessions of low-fluence QSNY laser treatment at 4.2 J/cm(2) at 3- to 4-day intervals. A spot size of 3.5 mm was used, with a pulse duration of 8 ns. The melanin deposition in the lesional skin was observed in vivo using reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM). Morphologic changes were evaluated using a global evaluation, an overall self-assessment, a narrow-band reflectance spectrophotometer, and a skin hydration measurement instrument.


RESULTS
Twenty-six of 30 patients showed global improvement that they rated as excellent or good. Twenty-eight rated their overall satisfaction as excellent or good. The melanin index indicated a substantial decrease, from 225.84 at baseline to 182.65 (p < .05). RCM results showed a dramatic decrease of melanin deposition in the upper dermis. Adverse effects were minimal.


CONCLUSIONS
The characteristic finding for dark-brown infraorbital dark circles is melanin deposition in the upper dermis. Treatment of infraorbital dark circles using low-fluence 1,064-nm QSNY laser is safe and effective. The authors have indicated no significant interest with commercial supporters.
Structured Nonsurgical Asian Rhinoplasty

The Asian nose is characterized by a flat nasal bridge, indistinct dorsal aesthetic line, an underprojected and broad nasal tip, and a short columella. Cosmetic procedures to enhance these features are popular in Asians and surgical rhinoplasty is the therapeutic gold standard for individuals seeking to enhance the appearance of their nose. However, in recent years, there appears to be an increasing number of Asians seeking nonsurgical rhinoplasty and this tendency is seen in both primary and revision cases. The biggest strength of filler rhinoplasty is that it is minimally invasive, has a good safety record, provides immediately visible results, and can be done conveniently in the office setting without the downtime of surgery. Despite its temporary longevity, it is popular because it is simple, effective, and economical. This article describes a “structured” nonsurgical Asian rhinoplasty approach using dermal fillers that can produce a comprehensive cosmetic enhancement of the Asian nose.
Payday Loans and Consumer Financial Health

The annualized interest rate for a payday loan often exceeds 10 times that of a typical credit card, yet this market grew immensely in the 1990s and 2000s, elevating concerns about the risk payday loans pose to consumers and whether payday lenders target minority neighborhoods. This paper employs individual credit record data, and Census data on payday lender store locations, to assess these concerns. Taking advantage of several state law changes since 2006 and, following previous work, within-state-year differences in access arising from proximity to states that allow payday loans, I find little to no effect of payday loans on credit scores, new delinquencies, or the likelihood of overdrawing credit lines. The analysis also indicates that neighborhood racial composition has little influence on payday lender store locations conditional on income, wealth and demographic characteristics. JEL Codes: D14, G2