LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Microstructure and mechanical properties of a CoCrFeMnNi high entropy alloy processed by milling and spark plasma sintering

Abstract Powder metallurgy is a promising processing path to produce high entropy alloys (HEA) with improved mechanical properties. According to this, a bulk CoCrFeMnNi alloy was milled with a wide range of conditions. It was shown that a powder which is micronic, approximately spherical and with nanometric crystallites could be produced by a cryo-milling which was followed by a short duration planetary milling. Next, this powder was fully densified by spark plasma sintering. According to X-ray diffraction, the single phase of the bulk alloy remains stable during both milling and sintering. However, carbides and oxides precipitate during sintering, as shown by scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy. Electron backscattered diffraction evidences that those precipitates limit the growth of grains. By nanoindentation measurements, it was shown that preparing a CoCrFeMnNi HEA by milling and sintering significantly increases the hardness compared to conventional processing by melting and casting. Moreover, the different strengthening contributions were calculated and analyzed. It revealed that grains have a strengthening contribution as described by the Hall & Petch law, contrary to crystallites.
Body-Insensitive Multimode MIMO Terminal Antenna of Double-Ring Structure

In this paper, we propose a novel multimode multi-input multi-output (MIMO) antenna system composed of a dual-element MIMO cellular antenna and dual-element MIMO Wi-Fi antenna for mobile terminal applications. The antenna system has a double-ring structure and can be integrated with the metal frame of mobile terminals. With the multimode excitation, the MIMO cellular antenna can operate at 830-900 MHz, 1700-2200 MHz, and 2400-2700 MHz, for 2G, 3G, and LTE bands, respectively. The MIMO Wi-Fi antenna can cover two Wi-Fi bands from 2.4 to 2.5 GHz and from 5.2 to 5.8 GHz. The effect of a user's body on the MIMO cellular antenna is investigated on CTIA standard phantoms and a real user. Since our antenna mainly operates in the loop mode, it has a much lower efficiency loss than conventional mobile antennas in both talking and data modes. Our theoretical analysis and experiments have shown that our design has low body loss and an attractive industrial design.
Cholestasis-induced pruritus treated with ultraviolet B phototherapy: an observational case series study.

BACKGROUND & AIMS
Pruritus is a disabling complication of cholestatic liver disorders. Its management remains challenging. Ultraviolet B (UVB) phototherapy has been successfully used to treat pruritus in other indications.


METHODS
This is an observational case series. The study population consists of 13 patients (10 females, mean age 52 years) with pruritus due to different cholestatic liver disorders: PBC (n=4), PSC (n=2), drug-induced (n=3) and persistent cholestasis after liver transplantation (LT) (n=4). Serum alkaline phosphatase levels were: 686 ± 363 μ/L and serum bile acids levels: 147 ± 15 μmol/L. In all patients, conventional medical treatment had failed to control pruritus. Perception of pruritus was recorded by the visual analogue scale (VAS).


RESULTS
The mean follow-up was 3 years. Ten patients (77%) had more than 60% reduction in perceived pruritus of which 4 had more than an 80% reduction. Median [25-75% percentiles] VAS score before and after treatment decreased from 8.0 [8.0-10] to 2.0 [1.5-2.1] (p<0.001). The mean number of irradiations required to obtain this effect was 26 ± 17 (average duration of phototherapy: 8 weeks). No significant changes in cholestatic serum markers were observed. Four patients (30%) needed an additional phototherapy course because of recurrent pruritus and in all of them again a marked improvement of pruritus was observed. The therapy was well tolerated, except in two patients who developed, during retreatment, pronounced erythema in one case and paresthesia in the other case.


CONCLUSIONS
UVB phototherapy appears to be a promising and well tolerated treatment also for cholestasis-associated pruritus.
Design & Electro-Thermal Analysis of Microheater for Low Temperature MEMS based Gas Sensor

The advent of nanocrystalline metal oxide semiconductor permits microheater to be incorporated into integrated gas sensors to heat the sensing layer to a low temperature. The low temperature sensing allows the use of a relatively thin silicon membrane instead of zero Silicon membrane resulting into temperature uniformity across the entire active area (2mmx2mm)
Can a tailored exercise and home hazard reduction program reduce the rate of falls in community dwelling older people with cognitive impairment: protocol paper for the i-FOCIS randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND
The rate of falls in community dwelling older people with cognitive impairment (CI) is twice that of a cognitively intact population, with almost two thirds of people with CI falling annually. Studies indicate that exercise involving balance and/or a home hazard reduction program are effective in preventing falls in cognitively intact older people. However the potential benefit of these interventions in reducing falls in people with CI has not been established.This randomised controlled trial will determine whether a tailored exercise and home hazard reduction program can reduce the rate of falls in community dwelling older people with CI. We will determine whether the intervention has beneficial effects on a range of physical and psychological outcome measures as well as quality of life of participants and their carers. A health economic analysis examining the cost and potential benefits of the program will also be undertaken.


METHODS AND DESIGN
Three hundred and sixty people aged 65 years or older living in the community with CI will be recruited to participate in the trial. Each will have an identifiable carer with a minimum of 3.5 hours of face to face contact each week.Participants will undergo an assessment at baseline with retests at 6 and 12 months. Participants allocated to the intervention group will participate in an exercise and home hazard reduction program tailored to their cognitive and physical abilities.The primary outcome measure will be the rate of falls which will be measured using monthly falls calendars. Secondary outcome measures will include the risk of falling, quality of life, measures of physical and cognitive function, fear of falling and planned and unplanned use of health services. Carers will be followed up to determine carer burden, coping strategies and quality of life.


DISCUSSION
The study will determine the impact of this tailored intervention in reducing the rate of falls in community dwelling older people with CI as well as the cost-effectiveness and adherence to the program. The results will have direct implications for the design and implementation of interventions for this high-risk group of older people.


TRIAL REGISTRATION
The protocol for this study is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry - ACTRN12614000603617.
Pharmacokinetic Profile, Safety, and Tolerability of Crisaborole Topical Ointment, 2% in Adolescents with Atopic Dermatitis: An Open-Label Phase 2a Study.

BACKGROUND
Phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4) is an emerging target in treating inflammatory skin diseases. Crisaborole topical ointment, 2% is a novel, boron-based, topical PDE4 inhibitor under investigation for treatment of mild to moderate atopic dermatitis (AD).


METHODS
Adolescent patients aged 12 to 17 years with treatable AD lesions involving ≥ 10% to ≤ 35% body surface area (BSA) were enrolled into a phase 2a, open-label study comprising pharmacokinetic (PK), safety, tolerability, and efficacy assessments. Crisaborole topical ointment, 2% was applied twice daily to affected areas for 28 days, with dosage based on baseline treatable BSA. PK blood samples were collected on days 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 9. Safety assessments included adverse events (AEs), laboratory parameters, and vital signs. Efficacy assessments included the Investigator's Static Global Assessment (ISGA) score and severity of AD signs and symptoms.


RESULTS
Twenty-three patients were enrolled; 22 completed the study (1 patient discontinued due to an AE [application site dermatitis]). PK analysis demonstrated limited exposure to crisaborole topical ointment, 2% after 8 days of dosing. Ten patients reported a total of 19 AEs, most commonly application site pain and nasopharyngitis (3 patients each). There were no clinically meaningful changes in laboratory or vital sign parameters. Efficacy was demonstrated by reductions in mean ISGA and AD sign and symptom severity scores. At day 29, eight patients (35%) had achieved an ISGA score ≤ 1 with ≥ 2-grade improvement. Mean treatable BSA declined from 17.6% to 8.2%.


CONCLUSION
These results provide preliminary evidence for the limited systemic exposure, safety, and effectiveness of crisaborole topical ointment, 2% in adolescents with mild to moderate AD.
The Impact of Patient Self-Testing of Prothrombin Time for Managing Anticoagulation: Rationale and Design of VA Cooperative Study #481—The Home INR Study (THINRS)

Background: Anticoagulation (AC) with warfarin reduces the risk of thromboembolism (TE) in a variety of applications, yet despite compelling evidence of the value and importance of high quality AC, warfarin remains underused, and dosing is often suboptimal. Approaches to improve AC quality include (1) an AC service (ACS), which allows the physician to delegate day-to-day details of AC management to another provider dedicated to AC care, and (2) incorporating into the treatment plan patient self-testing (PST) under which, after completing a training program, patients perform their own blood testing (typically, using a finger-stick blood analyzer), have dosage adjustments guided by a standard protocol, and forward test results, dosing and other information to the provider. Studies have suggested that PST can improve the quality of AC and perhaps lower TE and bleed rates. The purpose of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Cooperative Studies Program (CSP) #481, “The Home INR Study” (THINRS) is to compare AC management with frequent PST using a home monitoring device to high quality AC management (HQACM) implemented by an ACS with conventional monitoring of prothrombin time by international normalized ratio (INR) on major health outcomes. PST in THINRS involves use of an INR monitoring device that is FDA approved for home use. Study design: Sites are VA Medical Centers where the ACS has an active roster of more than 400 patients. THINRS includes patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and/or mechanical heart valve (MHV) expected to be anticoagulated indefinitely. THINRS has two parts. In Part 1, candidates for PST are evaluated for 2 to 4 weeks for their ability to use home monitoring devices. In Part 2, individuals capable of performing PST are randomized to (1) HQACM with testing every 4 weeks and as indicated for out of range values, medication/clinical changes, or (2) PST with testing every week and as indicated for out of range values, medication/clinical changes. The primary outcome measure is event rates, defined as the percent of patients who have a stroke, major bleed, or die. Secondary outcomes include total time in range (TTR), other events (myocardial infarction (MI), non-stroke TE, minor bleeds), competence and compliance with PST, satisfaction with AC, AC associated quality of life (QOL), and cost-effectiveness. To assess the effect of PST frequency on TTR and other outcomes, at selected sites patients randomized to perform PST are assigned one of three test frequencies (weekly, twice weekly, or once every four weeks).
Software engineering issues for mobile application development

This paper provides an overview of important software engineering research issues related to the development of applications that run on mobile devices. Among the topics are development processes, tools, user interface design, application portability, quality, and security.
Verbal autopsies of maternal deaths in Koppal, Karnataka: lessons from the grave

Introduction Maternal deaths bear important lessons for death prevention, as they occur mostly due to failures to prevent and respond to obstetric emergencies. These lessons are worth taking. Verbal autopsies can enable such learning and become useful resources for programme managers and policy makers if they identify lapses in death prevention in ways that suggest what corrective actions can be taken. A review of worldwide literature shows that most verbal autopsy applications to date focus solely on identifying the medical causes of maternal mortality. While such autopsies reveal how the different causes of death are clustered, they do not directly address health system issues. A smaller group of studies examine social causes using the ‘three delays model’ to classify the factors that prevent timely access to medical care in an emergency. However, the model does not directly identify the operational issues that constrain health system functioning nor familial and community-level barriers. Given this, the Gender and Health Equity (GHE) Project developed a qualitative methodology that departs from existing approaches in significant ways and enables in-depth analysis of the social and medical causes of pregnancy-related deaths. In this paper, we aim to (1) to describe the methodology developed by the GHE project to analyse and learn from maternal deaths, (2) to identify from the autopsies the types of failures that result in preventable maternal death, as well as the factors that drive them, and (3) to make suggestions for how death prevention measures by public health services can be strengthened. Methods The GHE project tracks on an on-going basis all pregnancy-related deaths that occur in 67 villages of Koppal district, Karnataka. Of these, 23 deaths were investigated using its qualitative methodology through six stages: (1) death notification, (2) data gathering, (3) construction of the narrative and timeline, (4 & 5) analysis of the social and medical causes of death using flow charts and standard guidelines, and (6) identification of corrective actions.
Maintenance treatment of adolescent bipolar disorder: open study of the effectiveness and tolerability of quetiapine

BACKGROUND
The purpose of the study was to determine the effectiveness and tolerability of quetiapine as a maintenance treatment preventing against relapse or recurrence of acute mood episodes in adolescent patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder.


METHODS
Consenting patients meeting DSM-IV lifetime criteria for a bipolar disorder and clinically appropriate for maintenance treatment were enrolled in a 48-week open prospective study. After being acutely stabilized (CGI-S < or = 3 for 4 consecutive weeks), patients were started or continued on quetiapine and other medications were weaned off over an 8-week period. Quetiapine monotherapy was continued for 40-weeks and other mood stabilizers or antidepressants were added if clinically indicated. A neurocognitive test battery assessing the most reliable findings in adult patients was administered at fixed time points throughout the study to patients and matched controls.


RESULTS
Of the 21 enrolled patients, 18 completed the 48-week study. Thirteen patients were able to be maintained without relapse or recurrence in good quality remission on quetiapine monotherapy, while 5 patients required additional medication to treat impairing residual depressive and/or anxiety symptoms. According to symptom ratings and global functioning scores, the quality of remission for all patients was very good.Neurocognitive test performance over treatment was equivalent to that of a matched control group of never ill adolescents. Quetiapine was generally well tolerated with no serious adverse effects.


CONCLUSION
This study suggests that a proportion of adolescent patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder can be successfully maintained on quetiapine monotherapy. The good quality of clinical remission and preserved neurocognitive functioning underscores the importance of early diagnosis and effective stabilization.


CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRY
D1441L00024.
Predictors of self-referral into a cancer genetics registry.

UNLABELLED
Recruitment is a challenging part of developing and maintaining any population-based disease registry and different methods are used to increase enrollment. However, recruitment methods may attract different subgroups of individuals, so examining characteristics of samples recruited using different methods can help detect threats to the external validity of research results.


OBJECTIVES
There were two main objectives of this study: to examine differences between participants who were self-referred and those who were recruited into a cancer genetics registry and to identify predictors of self-referral status.


METHODS
A cross-sectional survey was done with two groups of cancer genetics registry members (n = 268): (a) members recruited through self-referral and (b) members recruited through population-based sampling.


RESULTS
There were no significant differences in demographic variables between the two samples except for education (higher in the self-referral group; P < 0.01). The self-referral group showed significantly higher levels of anxiety, depression, and cancer history and was more likely to report the strongest response to statements about cancer risk, screening intentions, and views on genetic testing. Logistic regression modeling indicated these predictors of self-referral status: previous cancer diagnosis, viewing self as a candidate for genetic testing, education higher than high school, and wanting assistance with personal future risk (R2 = 0.41).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that whereas groups recruited via different strategies may seem to be the same based on demographic variables, underlying psychosocial variables differ between those self-referring and those recruited via population-based screening. To accurately estimate the generalizability of population-based studies or studies conducted using a cancer genetics registry, method of recruitment should be examined when interpreting and analyzing results.
Adaptable, metadata rich IO methods for portable high performance IO

Since IO performance on HPC machines strongly depends on machine characteristics and configuration, it is important to carefully tune IO libraries and make good use of appropriate library APIs. For instance, on current petascale machines, independent IO tends to outperform collective IO, in part due to bottlenecks at the metadata server. The problem is exacerbated by scaling issues, since each IO library scales differently on each machine, and typically, operates efficiently to different levels of scaling on different machines. With scientific codes being run on a variety of HPC resources, efficient code execution requires us to address three important issues: (1) end users should be able to select the most efficient IO methods for their codes, with minimal effort in terms of code updates or alterations; (2) such performance-driven choices should not prevent data from being stored in the desired file formats, since those are crucial for later data analysis; and (3) it is important to have efficient ways of identifying and selecting certain data for analysis, to help end users cope with the flood of data produced by high end codes. This paper employs ADIOS, the ADaptable IO System, as an IO API to address (1)–(3) above. Concerning (1), ADIOS makes it possible to independently select the IO methods being used by each grouping of data in an application, so that end users can use those IO methods that exhibit best performance based on both IO patterns and the underlying hardware. In this paper, we also use this facility of ADIOS to experimentally evaluate on petascale machines alternative methods for high performance IO. Specific examples studied include methods that use strong file consistency vs. delayed parallel data consistency, as that provided by MPI-IO or POSIX IO. Concerning (2), to avoid linking IO methods to specific file formats and attain high IO performance, ADIOS introduces an efficient intermediate file format, termed BP, which can be converted, at small cost, to the standard file formats used by analysis tools, such as NetCDF and HDF-5. Concerning (3), associated with BP are efficient methods for data characterization, which compute attributes that can be used to identify data sets without having to inspect or analyze the entire data contents of large files.
Metabolic and functional diversity of saponins, biosynthetic intermediates and semi-synthetic derivatives

Saponins are widely distributed plant natural products with vast structural and functional diversity. They are typically composed of a hydrophobic aglycone, which is extensively decorated with functional groups prior to the addition of hydrophilic sugar moieties, to result in surface-active amphipathic compounds. The saponins are broadly classified as triterpenoids, steroids or steroidal glycoalkaloids, based on the aglycone structure from which they are derived. The saponins and their biosynthetic intermediates display a variety of biological activities of interest to the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food sectors. Although their relevance in industrial applications has long been recognized, their role in plants is underexplored. Recent research on modulating native pathway flux in saponin biosynthesis has demonstrated the roles of saponins and their biosynthetic intermediates in plant growth and development. Here, we review the literature on the effects of these molecules on plant physiology, which collectively implicate them in plant primary processes. The industrial uses and potential of saponins are discussed with respect to structure and activity, highlighting the undoubted value of these molecules as therapeutics.
Secondary prevention in coronary artery disease. Achieved goals and possibilities for improvements.

AIM
To describe presence of risk indicators of recurrence 6 months after hospitalisation due to coronary artery disease at a university clinic.


METHODS
The presence of risk indicators, including tobacco use, lipid levels, blood pressure and glucometabolic status, including 24-hour blood pressure monitoring and an oral glucose-tolerance test, was analysed.


RESULTS
Of 1465 patients who were screened, 402 took part in the survey (50% previous myocardial infarction and 50% angina pectoris). Mean age was 64 years (range 40-85 years) and 23% were women. Present medications were: lipid lowering drugs (statins; 94%), beta-blockers (85%), aspirin or warfarin (100%) and ACE-inhibitors or angiotensin II blockers (66%). Values above target levels recommended in guidelines were: a) low density lipoprotein (LDL) in 40%; b) mean blood pressure (day or night) in 38% and c) smoking in 13%. Of all patients, 66% had at least one risk factor (LDL or blood pressure above target levels or current smoking). An abnormal glucose-tolerance test was found in 59% of patients without known diabetes. If no history of diabetes, 85% had either LDL or blood pressure above target levels, current smoking or an abnormal glucose-tolerance test. However, with treatment intensification to patients with elevated risk factors 56% reached target levels for blood pressure and 79% reached target levels for LDL.


CONCLUSION
Six months after hospitalisation due to coronary artery disease, despite the high use of medication aimed at prophylaxis against recurrence, the majority were either above target levels for LDL or blood pressure or continued to smoke.
Deep Learning for Predicting Human Strategic Behavior

My primary research interest is in using data-driven machine learning models to predict human strategic behaviour; that is, behaviour in interactions where each participant’s rewards depend partially on the actions of other participants. My long-term research agenda is to build a general theory for optimally designing algorithms for mediating interactions between humans rather than idealized, perfectly rational game theoretic agents.