Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fecal Incontinence: A Woman's View

Fecal incontinence (FI) has a prevalence of 2–7% in the general community and increases substantially in hospitalized patients and nursing home residents. Incontinent patients often isolate themselves from society for fear of having an incontinent episode in public. Few of these patients ever discuss this ailment with their doctor, despite a significant increase in depression and anxiety. Women have gender-specific medical and surgical conditions that predispose them to FI such as pregnancy, scleroderma, MS, IBS, childbirth, and pelvic surgeries. This article will address multiple facets of FI, but will focus specifically on issues related to women.
Determining the Severity of Atopic Dermatitis in Children Presenting in General Practice: An Easy and Fast Method

Assessment of the severity of atopic dermatitis (AD) is necessary to evaluate the disease process. This study evaluates and validates the TIS in children with AD presenting in general practice. Independent investigators determined the severity of AD using the TIS and the objective SCORAD. The interobserver agreement for the TIS and SCORAD was calculated, as was the correlation between TIS and SCORAD. The mean time to assess the TIS was less than one minute. A moderate-to-good agreement between the observers was found for the TIS (κ = 0.604 or 0.464), or SCORAD (κ = 0.695 or 0.700). There was an excellent correlation between TIS and SCORAD (r s = 0.755–0.839). In conclusion, the TIS is an easy and fast method to score AD. Because of the moderate to good interobserver agreement and the high correlation with the SCORAD, we recommend the TIS to determine the severity of AD in general practice.
Powder jet particle density distribution analysis and qualification for the laser metal deposition process

The quality of the Laser Metal Deposition process depends on several factors and components. One of them and also one of the most important is the powder jet. Regular monitoring of the different variables involved on the powder jet need to be performed in order to assure the demanded high stability and quality standards of the produced coating layers. This monitoring is done through process monitoring techniques, where the powder jet is illuminated from the side, by a laser line, and recorded by a coaxially aligned camera through the powder feed nozzle. Symmetry, geometry and position of different levels of the powder jet can be analyzed through relevant algorithms. They also provide calculations of the particle density distribution the recorded images. The spatial particle density distribution of the powder jet can be calculated by superimposing individual levels along the jet. The measurement and monitoring principle was successfully tested with various nozzles and powder properties, making it possible to fully characterize a powder jet.
Damage to the Fronto-Polar Cortex Is Associated with Impaired Multitasking

Background A major question in understanding the functional organization of the brain is to delineate the functional divisions of the prefrontal cortex. Of particular importance to the cognitive capacities that are uniquely human is the fronto-polar cortex (Brodmann's area 10), which is disproportionally larger in humans relative to the rest of the brain than it is in the ape's brain. The specific function of this brain region remains poorly understood, but recent neuroimaging studies have proposed that it may hold goals in mind while exploring and processing secondary goals. Principal Findings Here we show that the extent of damage to the fronto-polar cortex predicts impairment in the management of multiple goals. This result reveals that the integrity of the fronto-polar cortex is necessary to perform tasks that require subjects to maintain a primary goal in mind while processing secondary goals, an ability which is crucial for complex human cognitive abilities. Conclusion/Significance These results provide important new insights concerning the cerebral basis of complex human cognition such as planning and multitasking.
Asymptotic stabilization via output feedback for lower triangular systems with output dependent incremental rate

We study the global asymptotic stabilization by output feedback for systems whose dynamics are in a feedback form where the nonlinear terms admit an incremental rate depending only on the measured output. The output feedback we consider is of the observer-controller type where the design of the controller follows from standard robust backstepping. As far as we know, the novelty is in the observer which is high-gain like with a gain coming from a Riccatti equation.
Laboratory Evaluation of Flurox, a Chitin Synthesis Inhibitor, on the Termite, Microcerotermes diversus

Abstract Microcerotermes diversus (Silvestri) (Isoptera: Termitidae) is the most economically destructive termite in structures in southwest Iran. One sustainable control strategy that usually helps to reduce subterranean termite damage in buildings, is the use of insect growth regualtors in a suitable bait matrix that are safe to the user and the environment. In the laboratory assays described here, the delayed toxicity of Flurox, a chitin synthesis inhibitor, to M. diversus was evaluated under force-feeding and choice trials. Flurox induced worker and nymph mortality and incomplete ecdysis in nymphs of M. diversus under no-choice and two-choice feeding tests. These adverse effects may cause disruption of the caste balance in M. diversus, leading to the collapse of the colony. These assays determined concentrations of Flurox that can be used in bait formulations.
Cancer of the stomach: A review of 854 patients

A review is presented of 854 patients suffering from cancer of the stomach who attended St Bartholomew's Hospital between 1948 and 1962. The presentations and methods of investigations showed little change over the 15‐year period, which is similar to other large series. The symptoms of anaemia and indigestion appear to be paramount in making an early diagnosis, and negative barium meal studies should not be accepted when these two symptoms are present. There are indications that early laparotomy and a more aggressive surgical approach may increase the 5‐year survival rate.
How to be patient. The ability to wait for a reward depends on menstrual cycle phase and feedback-related activity

Dopamine (DA) plays a major role in reinforcement learning with increases promoting reward sensitivity (Go learning) while decreases facilitate the avoidance of negative outcomes (NoGo learning). This is also reflected in adaptations of response time: higher levels of DA enhance speeding up to get a reward, whereas lower levels favor slowing down. The steroid hormones estradiol and progesterone have been shown to modulate dopaminergic tone. Here, we tested 14 women twice during their menstrual cycle, during the follicular (FP) and the luteal phase (LP), applying functional magnetic resonance imaging while they performed a feedback learning task. Subsequent behavioral testing assessed response time preferences with a clock task, in which subjects had to explore the optimal response time (RT) to maximize reward. In the FP subjects displayed a greater learning-related change of their RT than during the LP, when they were required to slow down. Final RTs in the slow condition were also predicted by feedback-related brain activation, but only in the FP. Increased activation of the inferior frontal junction and rostral cingulate zone was thereby predictive of slower and thus better adapted final RTs. Conversely, final RT was faster and less optimal for reward maximization if activation in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex was enhanced. These findings show that hormonal shifts across the menstrual cycle affect adaptation of response speed during reward acquisition with higher RT adjustment in the FP in the condition that requires slowing down. Since high estradiol levels during the FP increase synaptic DA levels, this conforms well to our hypothesis that estradiol supports Go learning at the expense of NoGo learning. Brain-behavior correlations further indicated that the compensatory capacity to counteract the follicular Go bias may be linked to the ability to more effectively monitor action outcomes and suppress bottom-up reward desiring during feedback processing.
The Prevalence and Predictive Value of Abnormal Preoperative Laboratory Tests in Elderly Surgical Patients

Because data to determine which preoperative laboratory tests are important in elderly surgical patients are limited, we performed a prospective cohort study to evaluate the prevalence and predictive value of abnormal preoperative laboratory tests in consecutive patients ≥70 yr old who were undergoing noncardiac surgery. Patients presenting for surgery requiring only local anesthesia or monitored anesthesia care were excluded. Preoperative risk factors and laboratory test results were measured and evaluated for their association with the occurrence of predefined in-hospital postoperative adverse outcomes. In 544 patients, the prevalence of preoperative electrolytes and platelet count abnormalities (<115 ×109/L) was small (0.5%–5%), and abnormal creatinine (>1.5 mg/dL), hemoglobin (<10 g/dL), and glucose (>200 mg/dL) values were 12%, 10%, and 7%, respectively. Univariate predictors for adverse outcome of abnormal sodium and creatinine were not as predictive as ASA classification and surgical risk. By multivariate logistic regression, only ASA classification (>II) (odds ratio [OR], 2.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.56–4.19;P < 0.001) and surgical risk (OR, 3.48; 95% CI, 2.31–5.23;P < 0.001) were significant independent predictors of postoperative adverse outcomes. The prevalence of abnormal preoperative electrolyte values and thrombocytopenia was small and had low predictive values. Although more prevalent, abnormal hemoglobin, creatinine, and glucose values were also not predictive of postoperative adverse outcomes. Routine preoperative testing for hemoglobin, creatinine, glucose, and electrolytes on the basis of age alone may not be indicated in geriatric patients. Rather, selective laboratory testing, as indicated by history and physical examination, which will determine patient’s comorbidities and surgical risk, seems to be indicated.
On convexity of MQAM's and MPAM's bit error probability functions

For MQAM and MPAM with practical values of M and Gray mapping, we provide a rigorous proof that the associated bit error probability (BEP) functions are convex of the signal‐to‐noise ratio per symbol. The proof employs Taylor series expansions of the BEP functions' second derivatives and term‐by‐term comparisons between positive and negative terms. Convexity results are useful for optimizing communication systems as in optimizing adaptive transmission policies. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Integrative Predictive Model of Coronary Artery Calcification in Atherosclerosis

Background— Many different genetic and clinical factors have been identified as causes or contributors to atherosclerosis. We present a model of preclinical atherosclerosis based on genetic and clinical data that predicts the presence of coronary artery calcification in healthy Americans of European descent 45 to 84 years of age in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). Methods and Results— We assessed 712 individuals for the presence or absence of coronary artery calcification and assessed their genotypes for 2882 single-nucleotide polymorphisms. With the use of these single-nucleotide polymorphisms and relevant clinical data, a Bayesian network that predicts the presence of coronary calcification was constructed. The model contained 13 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (from genes AGTR1, ALOX15, INSR, PRKAB1, IL1R2, ESR2, KCNK1, FBLN5, PPARA, VEGFA, PON1, TDRD6, PLA2G7, and 1 ancestry informative marker) and 5 clinical variables (sex, age, weight, smoking, and diabetes mellitus) and achieved 85% predictive accuracy, as measured by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. This is a significant (P<0.001) improvement on models that use just the single-nucleotide polymorphism data or just the clinical variables. Conclusions— We present an investigation of joint genetic and clinical factors associated with atherosclerosis that shows predictive results for both cases, as well as enhanced performance for their combination.
Effect of the degree of crosslinking on the interfacial layer structure of poly(vinyl chloride) dispersed with crosslinked poly(n-butyl methacrylate) particles

Abstract The interfacial layer structure of a model incompatible polymer blend system was analyzed using 1H pulse nuclear magnetic resonance (pulse NMR) spectroscopy. Non-crosslinked and crosslinked poly(n-butyl methacrylate) particles with a mean size of ca. 0.9 μm were prepared by seeded emulsion polymerization, and the degree of crosslinking was varied. The particles were powdered using a freeze-dry method and dispersed in poly(vinyl chloride) by melt blending. Dynamic mechanical analysis indicated that the non-crosslinked particles were completely compatible. In contrast, mutual diffusion of the polymer chains in the crosslinked particles was restricted within the particle/matrix interfacial layer. As a result, an incompatible phase structure in which the crosslinked particles were dispersed in the continuous phase was formed. Pulse NMR analysis indicated that the interfacial layer thickness was in the range of 17–98 nm. The thickness decreased with an increase in the degree of crosslinking in the particles. The interfacial layer thickness in the particles was approximately 10 times larger than that for the incompatible polymer pair. Tensile test results indicated that the elongation at break was dependent on the thickness of the interfacial layer. The yield stress was developed for the particles with high hardness that was independent of the interfacial thickness.
Neuropsychological indicators of preclinical Alzheimer’s disease among depressed older adults

ABSTRACT Older adults with major depressive disorder (MDD) may also have preclinical Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Differential diagnosis is quite challenging due to the overlapping symptoms of MDD and AD. In the current study, we predicted that impaired long-term memory (an area most affected in early AD), but not executive function (an area affected in MDD and AD), would distinguish older depressed patients who developed AD from those who did not. Patients (N = 120) assessed as having MDD but not dementia at baseline were administered tests of cognitive function and followed longitudinally for subsequent diagnosis of AD. Using structural equation modeling we found a latent construct of long-term memory to be associated with AD to a greater extent than executive functioning. Additional analyses to enhance clinical utility of findings indicated that individual tests of episodic memory were most predictive of AD status. Tests of long-term memory can be utilized by the clinician when assessing for preclinical AD among depressed elderly.
Expression of Survivin, CD117, and C-erbB-2 in Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of the Uterine Cervix

Objective: To evaluate the expression and prognostic significance of survivin, CD117, and C-erbB-2 in neuroendocrine carcinoma of the uterine cervix. Materials and Methods: Immunohistochemical stains of survivin, CD117, and C-erbB-2 were evaluated in 100 cases of cervical neuroendocrine carcinoma. The findings were correlated with clinicopathologic variables and disease-free survival. Results: Expressions of survivin, CD117, and C-erbB-2 were detected in 27.0%, 12.0%, and 2.0% of the cases, respectively. Survivin-positive patients had a significantly younger mean age than the survivin-negative group (P = 0.033). In early-stage cases, tumor recurrence was significantly associated with lymph node metastasis (P = 0.005), depth of invasion (P = 0.028), and the presence of lymphovascular space invasion (P = 0.031) but not with the expression of survivin or CD117. Subgroup analysis in early-stage cases without lymph node metastasis (n = 32) showed that only survivin expression had a significant association with decreased disease-free survival (P = 0.041). Conclusions: Survivin expression may be a prognostic indicator for survival in early-stage neuroendocrine carcinoma of the uterine cervix without lymph node metastasis. Adjuvant survivin-targeted therapy may have potential benefit in patients with this tumor.
Do the Benefits of Participation in a Hypertension Self-Management Trial Persist After Patients Resume Usual Care?

Background—Hypertension self-management has been shown to improve systolic blood pressure (BP) control, but longer-term economic and clinical impacts are unknown. The purpose of this article is to examine clinical and economic outcomes 18 months after completion of a hypertension self-management trial. Methods and Results—This study is a follow-up analysis of an 18-month, 4-arm, hypertension self-management trial of 591 veterans with hypertension who were randomized to usual care or 1 of 3 interventions. Clinic-derived systolic blood pressure obtained before, during, and after the trial were estimated using linear mixed models. Inpatient admissions, outpatient expenditures, and total expenditures were estimated using generalized estimating equations. The 3 telephone-based interventions were nurse-administered health behavior promotion, provider-administered medication adjustments based on hypertension treatment guidelines, or a combination of both. Intervention calls were triggered by home BP values transmitted via telemonitoring devices. Clinical and economic outcomes were examined 12 months before, 18 months during, and 18 months after trial completion. Compared with usual care, patients randomized to the combined arm had greater improvement in proportion of BP control during and after the 18-month trial and estimated proportion of BP control improved 18 months after trial completion for patients in the behavioral and medication management arms. Among the patients with inadequate baseline BP control, estimated mean systolic BP was significantly lower in the combined arm as compared with usual care during and after the 18-month trial. Utilization and expenditure trends were similar for patients in all 4 arms. Conclusions—Behavioral and medication management can generate systolic BP improvements that are sustained 18 months after trial completion. Clinical Trial Registration—URL: http://www.clinicaltrials. gov. Unique identifier: NCT00237692.
Software Persistent Memory

Persistence of in-memory data is necessary for many classes of application and systems software. We propose Software PersistentMemory (SoftPM), a new memory abstraction which allows malloc style allocations to be selectively made persistent with relative ease. Particularly, SoftPM's persistent containers implement automatic, orthogonal persistence for all in-memory data reachable from a developer-defined root structure. Writing new applications or adapting existing applications to use SoftPM only requires identifying such root structures within the code. We evaluated the correctness, ease of use, and performance of SoftPM using a suite of microbenchmarks and real world applications including a distributedMPI application, SQLite (an in-memory database), and memcachedb (a distributed memory cache). In all cases, SoftPM was incorporated with minimal developer effort, was able to store and recover data successfully, and provide significant performance speedup (e.g., up to 10X for memcachedb and 83% for SQLite).
Esaim: Control, Optimisation and Calculus of Variations the Squares of the Laplacian-dirichlet Eigenfunctions Are Generically Linearly Independent

The paper deals with the genericity of domain-dependent spectral properties of the Laplacian-Dirichlet operator. In particular we prove that, generically, the squares of the eigenfunctions form a free family. We also show that the spectrum is generically non-resonant. The results are obtained by applying global perturbations of the domains and exploiting analytic perturbation properties. The work is motivated by two applications: an existence result for the problem of maximizing the rate of exponential decay of a damped membrane and an approximate controllability result for the bilinear Schrödinger equation.
Applying a fracture mechanics approach to material testing and structural analysis of FRC beams

The presented work has been focused on strain-softening FRC and the interrelationship between material properties and structural behaviour. The main purpose of this work was to establish a procedure for structural analysis of flexural members with a combination of conventional reinforcement and steel fibres. A systematic approach for material testing and structural analysis, based on fracture mechanics has been used, this covers: (1) material testing; (2) inverse analysis; (3) adjustment of the -w relationship for fibre efficiency; and (4) cross-sectional and structural analysis. The results suggest that the approach used for the material testing provides the necessary properties to perform analyses based on non-linear fracture mechanics. The structural behaviour could be predicted with good agreement, using both FEM and an analytical model, and when comparing the peak loads obtained in the experiments with the results from the analyses, the agreement was good, with a high correlation. Hence, this demonstrates the strength of the fracture-mechanical approach for material testing and structural analysis.
Preoperative Gabapentin: The Effect on Ropivacaine Subarachnoid Block and Hemodynamics

BACKGROUND:Gabapentin is an adjuvant analgesic and may enhance the spread of subarachnoid block. We investigated the effects of pretreatment with gabapentin on subarachnoid block characteristics and hemodynamics. METHODS:Seventy patients undergoing transurethral procedures under subarachnoid anesthesia with 2.2 mL of 0.75% ropivacaine were randomly assigned to receive preoperatively 400 mg of gabapentin 6 hourly, up to a total dose of 1200 mg, or placebo. Sensory and motor blocks were assessed every 30 min until regression of sensory block to L4. At the same time intervals, systolic and diastolic arterial blood pressures and heart rate were recorded. RESULTS:There were no differences between groups in the sensory block levels or degree of motor block. Sensory block 150 min after the subarachnoid injection had regressed to L4 in 26 of 32 patients in the gabapentin group and in 25 of the 33 patients in the control group. Systolic arterial blood pressure was decreased in the gabapentin group (P = 0.002 for the main effect of group, and P = 0.03 at 60 min between the groups). The diastolic arterial blood pressure did not differ between the groups, but overall, the heart rate was more rapid in the gabapentin group (P = 0.002, but only for baseline values between the groups, P = 0.036). CONCLUSION:Pretreatment with gabapentin had no effect on the spread of sensory block or the regression of motor block but was associated with lower systolic arterial blood pressure values in patients undergoing subarachnoid anesthesia with ropivacaine.
Image Retrieval Based on MPEG-7 Dominant Color Descriptor

The dominant color descriptor (DCD) is widely applied in the image retrieval taken as one of MPEG-7 color descriptors. DCD describes the representative color distributions and features in an image or a region of interest through an effective, compact and intuitive format. A novel image retrieval method based on the fixed number's MPEG-7 dominant color descriptor is proposed. The feature extraction process does not need the intervention of the threshold value and the dominant color number is fixed as eight. The histogram intersection algorithm is used to measure features, simplifies the similarity computation complexity. The experiment results show that the precision and recall rate of this method is higher than that of non-fixed number's dominant color retrieval method.