LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Onychomycosis: pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management.

Although not life-threatening, onychomycosis (a fungal infection of the nail, usually caused by a dermatophyte) constitutes an important public health problem because of its high prevalence (about 10% of the U.S. population) and associated morbidity. The disease can have certain negative consequences for patients, such as pain, and can potentially undermine work and social lives. This review discusses the etiology, classification, diagnosis, and treatment of onychomycosis. Four types of onychomycosis are recognized based on the site and pattern of fungal invasion. Dermatophyte fungi are the predominant pathogens, but yeasts (especially Candida albicans) and nondermatophyte molds may also be implicated. Accurate diagnosis requires direct microscopy and fungal culture. The differential diagnosis includes psoriasis, lichen planus, onychogryphosis, and nail trauma. Onychomycosis is more difficult to treat than most dermatophytoses because of the inherent slow growth of the nail. Older antifungal agents (ketoconazole and griseofulvin) are unsuitable for onychomycosis because of their relatively poor efficacy and potential adverse effects. Three recently developed antimycotic agents (fluconazole, itraconazole, and terbinafine) offer high cure rates and good safety profiles. In addition, the short treatment times (< 3 months) and intermittent dosing schedules are likely to enhance compliance and reduce the costs of therapy.
The advantage of 3D conformal treatment of lumbar spine metastases in comparison to traditional PA or AP-PA techniques: restoring an intermediate niche of therapeutic sophistication

BACKGROUND
To evaluate the effect of the 3D radiation field design on normal tissues compared with commonly used appositional fields in patients with lumbar spine metastases.


METHODS AND MATERIALS
Ten comparative treatment plans for radiation of lumbar spine metastases were compared for posterior and anterior- posterior fields with 3D plans.


RESULTS
The PTV coverage in all comparative plans was similar. V 15 of the bowel in 3D, AP-PA and PA plans was 6.7 Gy (SD 6.47), 39.8 Gy (SD 11.4) and 37.3 Gy (SD15.7), respectively (p < 0.0001). The mean dose to both kidneys was 9.6 Gy (SD 4.8), 4.1 Gy (SD 3.9) and 4.6 Gy (SD 4.4) for appropriate plans (p = 0.002). Maximal dose to the spinal cord was 30.6 Gy (SD 2.1), 33.1 Gy (SD 9.8) and 37.7 Gy (SD 2) for 3D, AP-PA and PA plans.


CONCLUSION
3D conformal treatment planning of lumbar vertebral metastases was significantly better in term of bowel and spinal cord exposure compared to AP-PA and PA techniques. The exposure of the kidneys in 3D plans, while greater than in the comparative plans, did not violate accepted dose-volume thresholds.
Probability Distributions and Estimation of Ali-Mikhail-Haq Copula

Abstract The Pearson product-moment correlation commonly used as statistical dependence measure was developed assuming normal marginal and addresses only linear dependence. In most applications, the distribution is assumed to be a multivariate normal or lognormal for tractable calculus even if the assumption may not be appropriate. A copula based approach couples marginal distributions to form flexible multivariate distribution functions. The appeal of copula approach lies in the fact that it eliminates the implied reliance on the multivariate normal or the assumption that dimensions are independent. We present Ali-MikhailHaq (AMH) copula and its statistical properties to show that AMH copula could be extensively used in data analysis.
A Randomized Controlled Trial of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure on Glucose Tolerance in Obese Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

STUDY OBJECTIVES
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with an increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS), even in patients with morbid obesity. Our goal was to address whether continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment improved glucose metabolism in this population.


METHODS
A prospective randomized controlled trial was performed in severe OSA patients with morbid obesity without diabetes in two university referral hospitals. Patients received conservative (CT) versus CPAP treatment for 12 weeks. MetS components, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and oral glucose tolerance were assessed at baseline and after treatment.


RESULTS
A total of 80 patients completed the study (42 CPAP and 38 CT patients). After 12 w of CPAP treatment, weight loss was similar in both groups and physical activity, prevalence of MetS, and HOMA-IR did not change in either group. In the CPAP group impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) reversed in nine patients and IGT developed in none, whereas IGT reversed in five patients and IGT developed in five patients in the CT group (P = 0.039 in the Fisher test). Changes in 2-h plasma glucose after glucose load were greater in the CPAP group than in the CT group (CPAP: -0.5 ± 1.5 versus CT: 0.33 ± 1.9, P = 0.007).


CONCLUSIONS
The improvement of glucose tolerance in morbidly obese patients with severe obstructive sleep apnea, without changes in homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, supports an improvement in peripheral insulin resistance after continuous positive airway pressure treatment.


CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION
NCT 01029561.
Helix: Accelerating Human-in-the-loop Machine Learning

Data application developers and data scientists spend an inordinate amount of time iterating on machine learning (ML) workflows— by modifying the data pre-processing, model training, and postprocessing steps—via trial-and-error to achieve the desired model performance. Existing work on accelerating machine learning focuses on speeding up one-shot execution of workflows, failing to address the incremental and dynamic nature of typical ML development. We propose HELIX, a declarative machine learning system that accelerates iterative development by optimizing workflow execution end-to-end and across iterations. HELIX minimizes the runtime per iteration via program analysis and intelligent reuse of previous results, which are selectively materialized—trading off the cost of materialization for potential future benefits—to speed up future iterations. Additionally, HELIX offers a graphical interface to visualize workflow DAGs and compare versions to facilitate iterative development. Through two ML applications, in classification and in structured prediction, attendees will experience the succinctness of HELIX’s programming interface and the speed and ease of iterative development using HELIX. In our evaluations, HELIX achieved up to an order of magnitude reduction in cumulative run time compared to state-of-the-art machine learning tools. PVLDB Reference Format: Doris Xin, Litian Ma, Jialin Liu, Stephen Macke, Shuchen Song, Aditya Parameswaran. Helix: Accelerating Human-in-the-loop Machine Learning. PVLDB, 11 (12): 1958 1961, 2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.14778/3229863.3236234
The effect of testosterone replacement therapy on adipocytokines and C-reactive protein in hypogonadal men with type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE
Serum testosterone levels are known to inversely correlate with insulin sensitivity and obesity in men. Furthermore, there is evidence to suggest that testosterone replacement therapy reduces insulin resistance and visceral adiposity in type 2 diabetic men. Adipocytokines are hormones secreted by adipose tissue and contribute to insulin resistance. We examined the effects of testosterone replacement treatment on various adipocytokines and C-reactive protein (CRP) in type 2 diabetic men.


DESIGN
Double-blinded placebo-controlled crossover study in 20 hypogonadal type 2 diabetic men. Patients were treated with testosterone (sustanon 200 mg) or placebo intramuscularly every 2 weeks for 3 months in random order followed by a washout period of 1 month before the alternate treatment phase.


METHODS
Leptin, adiponectin, resistin, tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin (IL)-6 and CRP levels were measured before and after each treatment phase. Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference were also recorded.


RESULTS
At baseline, leptin levels significantly correlated with BMI and waist circumference. There was a significant inverse correlation between baseline IL-6 and total testosterone (r=-0.68; P=0.002) and bioavailable testosterone levels (r=-0.73; P=0.007). CRP levels also correlated significantly with total testosterone levels (r=-0.59; P=0.01). Testosterone treatment reduced leptin (-7141.9 +/- 1461.8 pg/ml; P=0.0001) and adiponectin levels (-2075.8 +/- 852.3 ng/ml; P=0.02). There was a significant reduction in waist circumference. No significant effects of testosterone therapy on resistin, TNF-alpha, IL-6 or CRP levels were observed.


CONCLUSION
Testosterone replacement treatment decreases leptin and adiponectin levels in type 2 diabetic men. Moreover, low levels of testosterone in men are associated with pro-inflammatory profile, though testosterone treatment over 3 months had no effect on inflammatory markers.
Stable lead isotopic analyses of historic and contemporary lead contamination of San Francisco Bay estuary

Pb, 208 Variations in stable lead isotopic composition ŽPb, Pb, Pb. in three sediment cores from the San Francisco Bay estuary document temporal changes in sources of lead during the past two centuries. Sediment, with lead from natural geologic sources, and relatively homogeneous lead isotopic compositions are overlain by sediments whose isotopic compositions indicate change in the sources of lead associated with anthropogenic modification of the estuary. The first perturbations of lead isotopic composition in the cores occur in the late 1800s concordant with the beginning of 207 industrialization around the estuary. Large isotopic shifts, toward lower Pbr Pb, occur after the turn of the century in both Richardson and San Pablo Bays. A similar relationship among lead isotopic compositions and lead concentrations in both Bays suggest contamination from the same source Ža lead smelter . The uppermost sediments Žpost 1980 . of all cores . also have a relatively homogenous lead isotopic composition distinct from pre-anthropogenic and recent aerosol signatures. Lead isotopic compositions of leachates from fourteen surface sediments and five marsh samples from the estuary were also analyzed. These analyses suggest that the lead isotopic signature identified in the upper horizons of the cores is spatially homogeneous among recently deposited sediments throughout the estuary. Current aerosol lead isotopic compositions wSmith, D.R., Niemeyer, S., Flegal, A.R., 1992. Lead sources to California sea otters: industrial inputs circumvent natural lead biodepletion mechanisms. Environmental Research 57, 163–175 x are distinct from the isotopic compositions of the surface sediments, suggesting that the major source of lead is cycling of historically contaminated sediments back through the water column. Both the upper core sediments and surface sediments apparently derive their lead predominantly from sources internal to the estuary. These results support the idea that geochemical cycling of lead between sediments and water accounts for persistently elevated lead concentrations in the water column despite 10-fold reduction of external source inputs w ̃ to San Francisco Bay Flegal, A.R., Rivera-Duarte, I., Ritson, P.I., Scelfo, G., Smith, G.J., Gordon, M., Sanudo-Wilhelmy, S.A., 1996. Metal contamination in San Francisco Waters: historic perturbations, contemporary concentrations, and future considerations in San Francisco Bay. In: Hollobaugh, J.T. ŽEd. , The Ecosystem. AAAS, pp. 173–188 . q 1999 Elsevier . x Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Determinants of long acting and permanent contraceptive methods utilization among married women of reproductive age groups in western Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION
In Ethiopia information on the level of utilization of the long term and permanent contraceptive methods and associated factorsis lacking. The aim of this study was to understand the determinant factors of long acting and permanent contraceptive methods use among married women of reproductive age in Western Ethiopia.


METHODS
A community based cross-sectional study design was employed. Multi stage sampling was used to select 1003 study participants. Data was collected from April 10 to April 25,2014 using a pre- tested structured questionnaire. The data were entered using Epi-info version 3.5.1 and exported to SPSS version 20 for analysis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was done to identify predictors of long acting and permanent contraceptive methods at 95% CL.


RESULTS
Use of long acting and permanent contraceptive methods in this study was found to be 20%. Survey results showed a significant positive association between utilization of long acting and permanent contraceptive methods and women's education (AOR=1.72, 95%CI=1.02-3.05), women's occupation (AOR=2.01, 95% CI=1.11-3.58), number of live children (AOR=2.42, 95% CI: 1.46-4.02), joint fertility related decision (AOR=6.11, 95% CI: 2.29-16.30), having radio/TV (AOR=2.31, 95% CI: 1.40-3.80), and discussion with health care provider about long acting and permanent contraceptive methods (AOR=13.72, 95% CI: 8.37-22.47).


CONCLUSION
Efforts need to be aimed at women empowerment, health education, and encouraging open discussion of family planning by couples.
Acute phase Peyronie's disease management with traction device: a nonrandomized prospective controlled trial with ultrasound correlation.

INTRODUCTION
Outcome data of penile traction therapy (PTT) for the acute phase (AP) of Peyronie's disease (PD) have not been specifically studied.


AIM
The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a penile extender device for the treatment of patients with AP of PD.


METHODS
A total of 55 patients underwent PTT for 6 months and were compared with 41 patients with AP of PD who did not receive active treatment ("no intervention group" [NIG]).


MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES
Pre- and posttreatment variables included degree of curvature, penile length and girth, pain by 0-10 cm visual analog scale (VAS), erectile function (EF) domain of the International Index of Erectile Function questionnaire, Erection Hardness Scale, Sexual Encounter Profile 2 question, and penile sonographic evaluation (only patients in the intervention group).


RESULTS
The mean curvature decreased from 33° at baseline to 15° at 6 months and 13° at 9 months with a mean decrease 20° (P < 0.05) in the PTT group. VAS score for pain decreased from 5.5 to 2.5 after 6 months (P < 0.05). EF and erection hardness also improved significantly. The percentage of patients who were not able to achieve penetration decreased from 62% to 20% (P < 0.03). In the NIG, deformity increased significantly, stretched flaccid penile length decreased, VAS score for pain increased, and EF and erection hardness worsened. PTT was associated with the disappearance of sonographic plaques in 48% of patients. Furthermore, the need for surgery was reduced in 40% of patients who would otherwise have been candidates for surgery and simplified the complexity of the surgical procedure (from grafting to plication) in one out of every three patients.


CONCLUSIONS
PTT seems an effective treatment for the AP of PD in terms of pain reduction, penile curvature decrease, and improvement in sexual function.
Intelligent Phase Plane Switching Control of Pneumatic Artificial Muscle Manipulators with Magneto-Rheological Brake Tu Diep

The pneumatic artificial muscle (PAM) is undoubtedly the most promising artificial muscle for the actuation of new types of industrial robots such as rubber actuator and PAM manipulators because it provides these advantages such as high strength and high power/ weight ratio, low cost, compactness, ease of maintenance, cleanliness, readily available and cheap power source, inherent safety and mobility assistance to humans performing tasks. However, some limitations still exist, such as the air compressibility and the lack of damping ability of the actuator bring the dynamic delay of the pressure response and cause the oscillatory motion. In addition, the nonlinearities in the PAM manipulator still limit the controllability. Therefore, it is not easy to realize motion with high accuracy and high speed and with respect to various external inertia loads in order to realize a human-friendly therapy robot. To overcome these problems a novel controller which harmonizes a phase plane switching control method (PPSC) with conventional PID controller and the adaptabilities of neural network, is newly proposed. In order to realize satisfactory control performance a variable damper, magneto-rheological brake (MRB), is equipped to the joint of the manipulator. Superb mixture of conventional PID controller and an intelligent phase plane switching control using neural network (IPPSC) brings us a novel controller. The experiments were carried out in practical PAM manipulator and the effectiveness of the proposed control algorithm was demonstrated through experiments, which had proved that the stability of the manipulator can be improved greatly in a high gain control by using MRB with IPPSC and without regard for the changes of external inertia loads. 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Building better batteries

Batteries are currently being developed to power an increasingly diverse range of applications, from cars to microchips. How can scientists achieve the performance that each application demands? How will batteries be able to power the many other portable devices that will no doubt be developed in the coming years? And how can batteries become a sustainable technology for the future? The technological revolution of the past few centuries has been fuelled mainly by variations of the combustion reaction, the fire that marked the dawn of humanity. But this has come at a price: the resulting emissions of carbon dioxide have driven global climate change. For the sake of future generations, we urgently need to reconsider how we use energy in everything from barbecues to jet aeroplanes and power stations. If a new energy economy is to emerge, it must be based on a cheap and sustainable energy supply. One of the most flagrantly wasteful activities is travel, and here battery devices can potentially provide a solution, especially as they can be used to store energy from sustainable sources such as the wind and solar power. Because batteries are inherently simple in concept, it is surprising that their development has progressed much more slowly than other areas of electronics. As a result, they are often seen as being the heaviest, costliest and least-green components of any electronic device. It was the lack of good batteries that slowed down the deployment of electric cars and wireless communication, which date from at least 1899 and 1920, respectively (Fig. 1). The slow progress is due to the lack of suitable electrode materials and electrolytes, together with difficulties in mastering the interfaces between them. All batteries are composed of two electrodes connected by an ionically conductive material called an electrolyte. The two electrodes have different chemical potentials, dictated by the chemistry that occurs at each. When these electrodes are connected by means of an external device, electrons spontaneously flow from the more negative to the more positive potential. Ions are transported through the electrolyte, maintaining the charge balance, and electrical energy can be tapped by the external circuit. In secondary, or rechargeable, batteries, a larger voltage applied in the opposite direction can cause the battery to recharge. The amount of electrical energy per mass or volume that a battery can deliver is a function of the cell's voltage and capacity, which are dependent on the …
A History of Metaheuristics

This chapter describes the history of metaheuristics in five distinct periods, starting long before the first use of the term and ending a long time in the future.
96 Week Follow-Up of HIV-Infected Patients in Rescue with Raltegravir Plus Optimized Backbone Regimens: A Multicentre Italian Experience

BACKGROUND
Long term efficacy of raltegravir (RAL)-including regimens in highly pre-treated HIV-1-infected patients has been demonstrated in registration trials. However, few studies have assessed durability in routine clinical settings.


METHODS
Antiretroviral treatment-experienced patients initiating a RAL-containing salvage regimen were enrolled. Routine clinical and laboratory follow-up was performed at baseline, week 4, 12, and every 12 weeks thereafter. Data were censored at week 96.


RESULTS
Out of 320 patients enrolled, 292 (91.25%) subjects maintained their initial regimen for 96 weeks; 28 discontinued prematurely for various reasons: death (11), viral failure (8), adverse events (5), loss to follow-up (3), consent withdrawal (1). Eight among these 28 subjects maintained RAL but changed the accompanying drugs. The mean CD4+ T-cell increase at week 96 was 227/mm(3); 273 out of 300 patients (91%), who were still receiving RAL at week 96, achieved viral suppression (HIV-1 RNA <50 copies/mL). When analyzing the immuno-virologic outcome according to the number of drugs used in the regimen, 2 (n = 45), 3 (n = 111), 4 (n = 124), or >4 (n = 40), CD4+ T-cell gain was similar across strata: +270, +214, +216, and +240 cells/mm(3), respectively, as was the proportion of subjects with undetectable viral load. Laboratory abnormalities (elevation of liver enzymes, total cholesterol and triglycerides) were rare, ranging from 0.9 to 3.1%. The mean 96-week total cholesterol increase was 23.6 mg/dL.


CONCLUSIONS
In a routine clinical setting, a RAL-based regimen allowed most patients in salvage therapy to achieve optimal viral suppression for at least 96 weeks, with relevant immunologic gain and very few adverse events.
The influence of system characteristics on e-learning use

The benefits of an e-learning system will not be maximized unless learners use the system. This study proposed and tested alternative models that seek to explain student intention to use an e-learning system when the system is used as a supplementary learning tool within a traditional class or a stand-alone distance education method. The models integrated determinants from the well-established technology acceptance model as well as system and participant characteristics cited in the research literature. Following a demonstration and use phase of the e-learning system, data were collected from 259 college students. Structural equation modeling provided better support for a model that hypothesized stronger effects of system characteristics on e-learning system use. Implications for both researchers and practitioners are discussed. 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.