Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mortality among contraceptive pill users: cohort evidence from Royal College of General Practitioners’ Oral Contraception Study

Objective To see if the mortality risk among women who have used oral contraceptives differs from that of never users. Design Prospective cohort study started in 1968 with mortality data supplied by participating general practitioners, National Health Service central registries, or both. Setting 1400 general practices throughout the United Kingdom. Participants 46 112 women observed for up to 39 years, resulting in 378 006 woman years of observation among never users of oral contraception and 819 175 among ever users. Main outcome measures Directly standardised adjusted relative risks between never and ever users for all cause and cause specific mortality. Results 1747 deaths occurred in never users of oral contraception and 2864 in ever users. Compared with never users, ever users of oral contraception had a significantly lower rate of death from any cause (adjusted relative risk 0.88, 95% confidence interval 0.82 to 0.93). They also had significantly lower rates of death from all cancers; large bowel/rectum, uterine body, and ovarian cancer; main gynaecological cancers combined; all circulatory disease; ischaemic heart disease; and all other diseases. They had higher rates of violent deaths. No association between overall mortality and duration of oral contraceptive use was observed, although some disease specific relations were apparent. An increased relative risk of death from any cause between ever users and never users was observed in women aged under 45 years who had stopped using oral contraceptives 5-9 years previously but not in those with more distant use. The estimated absolute reduction in all cause mortality among ever users of oral contraception was 52 per 100 000 woman years. Conclusion Oral contraception was not associated with an increased long term risk of death in this large UK cohort; indeed, a net benefit was apparent. The balance of risks and benefits, however, may vary globally, depending on patterns of oral contraception usage and background risk of disease.
Reliable, deniable and hidable communication

Alice wishes to potentially communicate covertly with Bob over a Binary Symmetric Channel while Willie the wiretapper listens in over a channel that is noisier than Bob's. We show that Alice can send her messages reliably to Bob while ensuring that even whether or not she is actively communicating is (a) deniable to Willie, and (b) optionally, her message is also hidable from Willie. We consider two different variants of the problem depending on the Alice's “default” behavior, i.e., her transmission statistics when she has no covert message to send: 1) When Alice has no covert message, she stays “silent”, i.e., her transmission is 0; 2) When has no covert message, she transmits “innocently”, i.e., her transmission is drawn uniformly from an innocent random codebook; We prove that the best rate at which Alice can communicate both deniably and hid ably in model 1 is O(1/√n). On the other hand, in model 2, Alice can communicate at a constant rate.
Hepatic portal cholangiocarcinoma: a clinical analysis of 70 cases.

BACKGROUND The incidence of hepatic portal cholangiocarcinoma is increasing and it is always associated with poor survival. This study analyzed an effective therapeutic method. METHODS A retrospective analysis was made on 70 patients with hepatic portal cholangiocarcinoma admitted between January 2004 and February 2007 to the General Hospital of Air Force PLA. RESULTS Forty-seven patients had hepatic duct-jejunum anastomosis after resection of hepatic portal cholangiocarcinoma. Internal or external biliary drainage and canals for internal radiation were performed in those patients unfit for operation. Among the 70 patients, 5 died within 15 months, 27 survived more than 24 months, and the others survived 4-18 months. CONCLUSION Surgery is the primary therapeutic method for hepatic portal cholangiocarcinoma. Internal or external biliary drainage can prolong the life-span.
Meta-Analysis: Impact of Drug Class on Adherence to Antihypertensives

Background— Observational studies suggest that there are differences in adherence to antihypertensive medications in different classes. Our objective was to quantify the association between antihypertensive drug class and adherence in clinical settings. Methods and Results— Studies were identified through a systematic search of English-language articles published from the inception of computerized databases until February 1, 2009. Studies were included if they measured adherence to antihypertensives using medication refill data and contained sufficient data to calculate a measure of relative risk of adherence and its variance. An inverse-variance–weighted random-effects model was used to pool results. Hazard ratios (HRs) and odds ratios were pooled separately, and HRs were selected as the primary outcome. Seventeen studies met inclusion criteria. The pooled mean adherence by drug class ranged from 28% for &bgr;-blockers to 65% for angiotensin II receptor blockers. There was better adherence to angiotensin II receptor blockers compared with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (HR, 1.33; 95% confidence interval, 1.13 to 1.57), calcium channel blockers (HR, 1.57; 95% confidence interval, 1.38 to 1.79), diuretics (HR, 1.95; 95% confidence interval, 1.73 to 2.20), and &bgr;-blockers (HR, 2.09; 95% confidence interval, 1.14 to 3.85). Conversely, there was lower adherence to diuretics compared with the other drug classes. The same pattern was present when studies that used odds ratios were pooled. After publication bias was accounted for, there were no longer significant differences in adherence between angiotensin II receptor blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or between diuretics and &bgr;-blockers. Conclusion— In clinical settings, there are important differences in adherence to antihypertensives in separate classes, with lowest adherence to diuretics and &bgr;-blockers and highest adherence to angiotensin II receptor blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. However, adherence was suboptimal regardless of drug class.
Methodologies and Software Maintenance

There are a multitude of information systems methodologies available to practitioners to aid them in the development of new sytstems. In contrast, however, there are very few information systems methodologies aimed specifically at software maintenance, and of the systems development methodologies few pay much attention to software maintenance. This paper is based on case studies in 31 UK IT departments. The research reported in this paper aimed to uncover how information systems methodologies are applied to software maintenance in current practice. The different approaches to applying methodologies to software maintenance are examined together with the reasons for and against using such approaches. Overall methodologies were found to be applied with less rigour and less consistency in software maintenance than in software development. In addition, government and academic initiatives to improve the software maintenance process such as TickiT and the SEI process maturity model appeared to have made little impact on the organizations studied.
Relationship between leaf functional traits and productivity in Aquilaria crassna (Thymelaeaceae) plantations: a tool to aid in the early selection of high-yielding trees

Physiological traits are frequently used as indicators of tree productivity. Aquilaria species growing in a research planting were studied to investigate relationships between leaf-productivity traits and tree growth. Twenty-eight trees were selected to measure isotopic composition of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) and monitor six leaf attributes. Trees were sampled randomly within each of four diametric classes (at 150 mm above ground level) ensuring the variability in growth of the whole population was represented. A model averaging technique based on the Akaike's information criterion was computed to identify whether leaf traits could assist in diameter prediction. Regression analysis was performed to test for relationships between carbon isotope values and diameter and leaf traits. Approximately one new leaf per week was produced by a shoot. The rate of leaf expansion was estimated as 1.45 mm day-1. The range of δ13C values in leaves of Aquilaria species was from -25.5‰ to -31‰, with an average of -28.4 ‰ (±1.5‰ SD). A moderate negative correlation (R2 = 0.357) between diameter and δ13C in leaf dry matter indicated that individuals with high intercellular CO2 concentrations (low δ13C) and associated low water-use efficiency sustained rapid growth. Analysis of the 95% confidence of best-ranked regression models indicated that the predictors that could best explain growth in Aquilaria species were δ13C, δ15N, petiole length, number of new leaves produced per week and specific leaf area. The model constructed with these variables explained 55% (R2 = 0.55) of the variability in stem diameter. This demonstrates that leaf traits can assist in the early selection of high-productivity trees in Aquilaria species.
Multiple Mechanisms Are Involved in Ah Receptor-Mediated Cell Cycle Arrest

The liver is the only solid organ that can respond to major tissue loss or damage by regeneration to restore liver biomass. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonist 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) can disrupt the regenerative process, as evidenced by suppression of DNA synthesis in rat primary hepatocytes in culture and in vivo liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy. Independent observations demonstrated that AhR-mediated G1 phase cell cycle arrest depends on an interaction with the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor protein (pRb), but differences exist regarding proposed mechanisms of action. Two distinct models have been proposed, one supporting the AhR-pRb interaction functioning in corepression of E2F activity and the other favoring an AhR-pRb interaction participating in transcriptional coactivation of genes encoding G1 phase regulatory proteins. In the present study, experiments in rat hepatoma cells using dominant-negative DNA-binding-defective AhR and Ah receptor nuclear translocator (Arnt) mutants provided evidence that TCDD-induced AhR-mediated G1 arrest is only partially regulated by direct AhR transcriptional activity, suggesting that both coactivation and corepression are involved. Studies using a small interfering RNA to down-regulate Arnt protein expression revealed that TCDD-induced G1 arrest is absolutely dependent on the Arnt protein.
Immunohistochemical comparison of cyclin D1 and P16 in odontogenic keratocyst and unicystic ameloblastoma

Background: The different growth mechanism and biologic behavior of the odontogenic keratocyst (OKC) compared to other odontogenic cysts might be related to the proliferating capacity of its epithelium. In this study, the aim was to evaluate and compare the distribution and staining intensity of P16 and cyclin D1 in OKC and unicystic ameloblastoma (UA). Materials and Methods: In this descriptive analytic study, hematoxylin- and eosin-stained slides of OKCs and UAs available from the archives of the oral pathology laboratory of the Esfahan School of Dentistry were examined. Twenty-five noninflamed solitary odontogenic keratocysts and 25 unicystic ameloblastomas (of either type) were selected and stained immunohistochemically. Distribution and staining intensity score (SID score) for P16- and cyclin D1-positive cells was calculated in both groups. Results were analyzed statistically with Wilcoxon, Friedman, and Mann-Whitney tests; P < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: The highest expression of Cyclin D1-positive cells was seen in the suprabasal layer of keratocysts (P < 0.05) and in the peripheral layer of UAs (P < 0.05). Likewise, the highest expression of P16-positive cells was observed in the basal and suprabasal layers of keratocysts (P > 0.05) and central portions of UAs (P > 0.05). Expression of Cyclin D1 was higher in UAs compared to keratocyts (P < 0.05), although P16 did not show a significant difference between the two study groups (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Cyclin D1 did show a higher staining intensity in UAs compared to the keratocysts, although the expression of P16 was similar in the studied groups. The invasive growth of OKC might be related to the state of expression of cyclin D1 and P16 in the epithelium of this cyst.
Nonlinear analysis of movement-related changes in human subthalamic local field potentials

Movement-related changes such as event-related desynchronizationcan (ERD) and event-related synchronization (ERS) can be found in human subthalamic nucleus (STN) with analysis on local field potentials (LFP) recorded from Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. Besides traditional time-frequency (TF) analysis, we introduced nonlinear analysis, bispectral and approximate entropy (ApEn), to measure the signal nonlinear correlation and regularity in neural activities. Movement-related changes were found in the beta band, bicoherence and ApEn, and variation during stationary movement is more available by nonlinear methods. Therefore, we suggest nonlinear analysis for further related studies.
Factors Affecting Online Advertising Recall

In this study we examine factors that might impact on web advertising recall and recognition. These factors include the viewing mode, duration of page viewing and web page context factors, being text and page background complexity and the style of the banner ad. Via an experimental design we manipulate these factors over several levels. The key finding is that the longer a person is exposed to a web page containing a banner advertisement, the more likely they are to remember the banner advertisement. We also find that recognition scores are much higher than both unaided and aided recall scores. Lastly, web users in a goal-directed mode are much less likely to recall and recognize banner advertisements than users who are surfing a site.
Patient Experiences With Full Electronic Access to Health Records and Clinical Notes Through the My HealtheVet Personal Health Record Pilot: Qualitative Study

Background Full sharing of the electronic health record with patients has been identified as an important opportunity to engage patients in their health and health care. The My HealtheVet Pilot, the initial personal health record of the US Department of Veterans Affairs, allowed patients and their delegates to view and download content in their electronic health record, including clinical notes, laboratory tests, and imaging reports. Objective A qualitative study with purposeful sampling sought to examine patients’ views and experiences with reading their health records, including their clinical notes, online. Methods Five focus group sessions were conducted with patients and family members who enrolled in the My HealtheVet Pilot at the Portland Veterans Administration Medical Center, Oregon. A total of 30 patients enrolled in the My HealtheVet Pilot, and 6 family members who had accessed and viewed their electronic health records participated in the sessions. Results Four themes characterized patient experiences with reading the full complement of their health information. Patients felt that seeing their records positively affected communication with providers and the health system, enhanced knowledge of their health and improved self-care, and allowed for greater participation in the quality of their care such as follow-up of abnormal test results or decision-making on when to seek care. While some patients felt that seeing previously undisclosed information, derogatory language, or inconsistencies in their notes caused challenges, they overwhelmingly felt that having more, rather than less, of their health record information provided benefits. Conclusions Patients and their delegates had predominantly positive experiences with health record transparency and the open sharing of notes and test results. Viewing their records appears to empower patients and enhance their contributions to care, calling into question common provider concerns about the effect of full record access on patient well-being. While shared records may or may not impact overall clinic workload, it is likely to change providers’ work, necessitating new types of skills to communicate and partner with patients.
Joint Multi-Pitch Detection Using Harmonic Envelope Estimation for Polyphonic Music Transcription

In this paper, a method for automatic transcription of music signals based on joint multiple-F0 estimation is proposed. As a time-frequency representation, the constant-Q resonator time-frequency image is employed, while a novel noise suppression technique based on pink noise assumption is applied in a preprocessing step. In the multiple-F0 estimation stage, the optimal tuning and inharmonicity parameters are computed and a salience function is proposed in order to select pitch candidates. For each pitch candidate combination, an overlapping partial treatment procedure is used, which is based on a novel spectral envelope estimation procedure for the log-frequency domain, in order to compute the harmonic envelope of candidate pitches. In order to select the optimal pitch combination for each time frame, a score function is proposed which combines spectral and temporal characteristics of the candidate pitches and also aims to suppress harmonic errors. For postprocessing, hidden Markov models (HMMs) and conditional random fields (CRFs) trained on MIDI data are employed, in order to boost transcription accuracy. The system was trained on isolated piano sounds from the MAPS database and was tested on classic and jazz recordings from the RWC database, as well as on recordings from a Disklavier piano. A comparison with several state-of-the-art systems is provided using a variety of error metrics, where encouraging results are indicated.
Performance evaluation and adaptability of lactating dairy cows fed soybean and its by-products

Aiming to evaluate the lactation performance and adaptability of confined dairy cows fed diets containing soybean and its by-products, this study used 12 Holstein cows with initial production of 30 kg milk -1 day -1 in feedlot system distributed in a 4 x 4 Latin square design. The experimental period lasted 84 days. The dry matter intake (DMI) and meteorological variables were recorded daily. Milk production was measured from the 15 th to the 21 st day, with milk analysis twice in each period, and physiological variables collected on the 15, 17 th and 21 st days of each experimental period. The thermal comfort indices and rectal temperature were considered normal, however the respiratory frequency and heart rate were different between the periods. Total milk production and percentage of crude protein were not affected. The thermal environment had influence on the CMS and on the percentage of milk fat in warmer periods, but the mechanism of heat dissipation was efficient for the animals to maintain homeothermy without affecting milk production.
A coverage algorithm for a class of non-convex regions

The paper describes a framework for solving the coverage problem for a class of non-convex domains. In we have shown how a diffeomorphism can be used to transform a non-convex coverage problem to a convex one to which the Lloyd¿s algorithm can be applied. In this paper we show how a diffeomorphism can be constructed for convex regions with obstacles in its interior, so that the solution of the transformed problem yields the solution of the original non-convex problem. As part of this investigation we also identify stationary points of the Lloyd¿s algorithm in non-convex domains. We provide the formal analysis of the approach and demonstrate its effectiveness through simulations.
Perception of glottalization in varying pitch contexts across languages

Glottalization is often associated with low pitch in intonation languages, but evidence from many languages indicates that this is not an obligatory association. We asked speakers of German, English and Swedish to compare glottalized stimuli with several pitch contour alternatives in an AXB listening test. Although the low F0 in the glottalized stimuli tended to be perceived as most similar to falling pitch contours, this was not always the case, indicating that pitch perception in glottalization cannot be predicted by F0 alone. We also found evidence for cross-linguistic differences in the degree of flexibility of pitch judgments in glottalized stretches of speech.
Compartmentalized Bone Regeneration of Cranial Defects with Biodegradable Barriers: An Animal Model

In bony defects of the cranium, bone healing may be complicated by prolapse of surrounding tissue into the defect. This tissue acts as an impediment to prevent the migration of osteogenic cells, leading to impaired bone formation. It has been previously shown that a membrane placed over the bony defect inhibits the connective tissue cells from entering the wound and theoretically improves bone formation. The use of a proven resorbable material, Lactosorb, is used in this animal model and has shown a significant increase in autogenous bony formation. The majority of previous work was accomplished with nonresorbable material that resulted in foreign body formation. This paper is unique because resorbable material in the animal model is relatively inexpensive and easy to use and has allowed successful autogenous bony regeneration.
Phylogenetic diversity of termite gut spirochaetes.

A molecular phylogenetic analysis was done of not-yet-cultured spirochaetes inhabiting the gut of the termite, Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar). Ninety-eight clones of near-full-length spirochaetal 16S rDNA genes were classified by ARDRA pattern and by partial sequencing. All clones grouped within the genus Treponema, and at least 21 new species of Treponema were recognized within R. flavipes alone. Analysis of 190 additional clones from guts of Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki and Zootermopsis angusticollis (Hagen), as well as published data on clones from Cryptotermes domesticus (Haviland), Mastotermes darwiniensis Froggatt, Nasutitermes lujae (Wasmann) and Reticulitermes speratus(Kolbe), revealed a similar level of novel treponemal phylogenetic diversity in these representatives of five of the seven termite families. None of the clones was closely related (i.e. all bore < or = 91% sequence similarity) to any previously recognized treponeme. The data also revealed the existence of two major phylogenetic groups of treponemes: one containing all of the currently known isolates of Treponema and a large number of phylotypes from the human gingival crevice, but only a minority of the termite gut spirochaete clones; another containing the majority of termite spirochaete clones and two Spirochaeta (S. caldaria and S. stenostrepta), which, although free living, group within the genus Treponema on the basis of 16S rRNA sequence. Signature nucleotides that almost perfectly distinguished the latter group, herein referred to as the 'termite cluster', occurred at the following (E. coli numbering) positions: 289-G x C-311; A at 812; and an inserted nucleotide at 1273. The emerging picture is that the long-recognized and striking morphological diversity of termite gut spirochaetes is paralleled by their phylogenetic diversity and may reflect substantial physiological diversity as well.
Novel Intertypic Recombinants of Epstein-Barr Virus in the Chinese Population

ABSTRACT Among 34 Epstein-Barr virus isolates from nonimmunocompromised Chinese donors, we identified three intertypic recombinants with type 1 sequences at the EBNA2 locus and type 2 sequences at some or all of the EBNA3A, -3B, and -3C loci. These appear to have arisen from independent, evolutionarily recent recombination events; such events may be commoner in nonimmunocompromised populations than hitherto imagined.