Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Postoperative Bone Re‐growth in Lumber Spinal Stenosis A Multivariate Analysis of 48 Patients

Study Design Forty-eight patients who underwent posterior decompressive surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis were studied. The effect of bone re-growth after posterior decompression in lumbar spinal stenosis on clinical outcome and the factors promoting the bone re-growth were investigated with a multivariate analysis model. Methods Bone re-growth at the sites operated upon was evaluated as a percentage of re-growth of the original laminectomy site based upon plain radiographs. The degree of bone re-growth was classified into four groups: 1) no significant re-growth (Group I, bone regrowth rate 10% or less); mild (Group II, 11% to 40%), moderate (Group III, 41% to 70%), and marked (Group IV, 71% to 100%). The average follow-up period was 4.5 years (range, 2 to 7 years). Results No significant bone re-growth was shown in 6% of the patients. Mild re-growth was shown in 50%, moderate re-growth in 29%, and marked re-growth in 15%. A multivariate analysis indicated that a total block in the preoperative myelogram, a follow-up period of more than 5 years, decompression at more than three spinal levels, and age under 60 years were associated with moderate or marked bone re-growth. Spinal instability accelerated the bone re-growth mainly in the mid and later follow-up intervals. Spinal levels adjacent to a fusion showed more bone re-growth. Patients with moderate and marked bone re-growth had poorer clinical outcomes than those with no significant and mild bone re-growth. Conclusion Bone re-growth in a surgical defect will occur in most patients after posterior decompression. Moderate and marked postoperative bone re-growth are possibly related to recurrence of neurologic symptoms in the middle of and later on in follow-up periods.
Effect of oropharyngeal decontamination by povidone-iodine on ventilator-associated pneumonia in patients with head trauma*

Objective:To evaluate the effect of a regular oropharyngeal application of povidone-iodine on the prevalence of ventilator-associated pneumonia in patients with severe head trauma. Design:Prospective randomized study. Setting:A surgical intensive care unit of a university hospital. Interventions:Patients with severe head trauma (Glasgow Coma Score of ≤8) expected to need ventilation for ≥2 days were prospectively randomized into three groups: those receiving nasopharynx and oropharynx rinsing with 20 mL of a 10% povidone-iodine aqueous solution, reconstituted in a 60-mL solution with sterile water (povidone-iodine group); those receiving nasopharynx and oropharynx rinsing with 60 mL of saline solution (saline group); or those undergoing a standard regimen without any instillation but with aspiration of oropharyngeal secretions (control group). Measurements and Main Results:The prevalence of ventilator-associated pneumonia was compared among the three groups. A total of 98 patients were analyzed (povidone-iodine group, n = 36; saline group, n = 31; and control group, n = 31). A total of 28 cases of ventilator-associated pneumonia were diagnosed. There was a significant decrease in the rate of ventilator-associated pneumonia in the povidone-iodine group when compared with the saline and control groups (3 of 36 patients [8%] vs. 12 of 31 patients [39%] and 13 of 31 patients [42%], respectively; p = .003 and .001, respectively). The length of stay and mortality in the surgical intensive care unit were not statistically different between the three groups. Conclusions:The regular administration of povidone-iodine may be an effective strategy for decreasing the prevalence of ventilator-associated pneumonia in patients with severe head trauma.
Reducing the Size of Hollow Terahertz Waveguides

Small diameter hollow-core terahertz waveguide designs based on inhibited coupling hollow-core optical fibers are investigated. Rather than scaling up the entire structure, only resonant features in the cladding were scaled, shifting the transmission windows to longer wavelengths but not increasing the overall diameter of the waveguide by the same factor. Trade-offs between structure size and loss using this approach are quantified through numerical simulations. An idealized waveguide consisting of a simplified capillary structure is also investigated for comparison.
Immune response deficiency of BSVS mice. II. Generalized deficiency to thymus‐dependent antigens

BSVS mice gave abnormally low IgG responses to 5 thymus‐dependent antigens as well as a weak delayed‐type hypersensitivity (DTH) response to sheep red blood cells. In contrast to IgG, the IgM antibody responses of these mice were normal to three T‐independent antigens as well as to all five T‐dependent antigens. The low immune responsiveness of BSVS mice was also reflected in the low levels of IgG2a, IgG2b and IgG3 in their normal serum. The low T‐dependent immune responses may result from BSVS mice having been selectively bred for susceptibility to infection with St. Louis encephalitis virus and Salmonella. C57BL/6J mice, which are also highly susceptible to Salmonella, gave low immune responses similar to, but genetically distinct from, those of BSVS mice. The levels of Ig‐positive and theta‐positive cells were normal in BSVS and C57BL/6J mice.
Food Production and the Energy Crisis

The principal raw material of modern U.S. agriculture is fossil fuel, whereas the labor input is relatively small (about 9 hours per crop acre). As agriculture is dependent upon fossil energy, crop production costs will also soar when fuel costs increase two- to fivefold. A return of 2.8 kcal of corn per 1 kcal of fuel input may then be uneconomical. Green revolution agriculture also uses high energy crop production technology, especially with respect to fertilizers and pesticides. While one may not doubt the sincerity of the U.S. effort to share its agricultural technology so that the rest of the world can live and eat as it does, one must be realistic about the resources available to accomplish this mission. In the United States we are currently using an equivalent of 80 gallons of gasoline to produce an acre of corn. With fuel shortages and high prices to come, we wonder if many developing nations will be able to afford the technology of U.S. agriculture. Problems have already occurred with green revolution crops, particularly problems related to pests (57). More critical problems are expected when there is a world energy crisis. A careful assessment should be made of the benefits, costs, and risks of high energy-demand green revolution agriculture in order to be certain that this program will not aggravate the already serious world food situation (58). To reduce energy inputs, green revolution and U.S. agriculture might employ such alternatives as rotations and green manures to reduce the high energy demand of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. U.S. agriculture might also reduce energy expenditures by substituting some manpower currently displaced by mechanization. While no one knows for certain what changes will have to be made, we can be sure that when conventional energy resources become scarce and expensive, the impact on agriculture as an industry and a way of life will be significant. This analysis is but a preliminary investigation of a significant agricultural problem that deserves careful attention and greater study before the energy situation becomes more critical.
Quality of colonoscopy and advances in detection of colorectal lesions: a current overview

Colonoscopy is the gold standard for the detection of colorectal cancer and its precursors. Nevertheless multiple studies have demonstrated a significant miss-rate for polyps and, more importantly, demonstrated the occurrence of interval cancers in the years after colonoscopy. This imperfect protection against colorectal cancer can be explained by multiple factors related to both the endoscopist and the equipment. To ensure the quality of colonoscopy, several quality indicators have been described. These include bowel preparation, cecal intubation rate, withdrawal time, adenoma detection rate and complication rate. Measurement of these quality indicators, followed by awareness, benchmarking and additional training will hopefully optimize daily practice. If these basic quality parameters are well taken care of, advanced colonoscopic techniques will aim at further increasing the detection and differentiation of colonic lesions. In this review, the authors discuss the literature on quality indicators for colonoscopy and give a comprehensive overview of the advanced colonoscopic techniques currently available.
Video diaries: a discussion of their use for researching the learner experience in higher education

This paper considers the rationale for using video diaries as a method of qualitative data gathering for research into students' experiences of higher education HE. In particular, the paper considers how video diaries have been employed for researching students' views and attitudes to their own learning and development. The paper examines the literature on the purpose of reflective video diary research as the method has moved beyond its initial primary development in medical research and specifically into their use in HE. The particular benefits of personal video-diary compilation are considered in terms of the autonomy of the participant. A methodology for employing video diaries as a research method for data collection is discussed within the context of three case studies with undergraduate students at a UK university. The conclusions highlight the unique value of participant-generated video diaries for researching the nature of the student learning experience in HE.
Breast-feeding, fertility, and family planning.

Studies show that breastfeeding is ideal for infant nutrition and is an important means of spacing births. Breast milk provides some immunological protection to the infant protects against infection and malnutrition satisfies the infants nutritional needs and costs less than other feeding substitutes. Breastfeeding also protects against pregnancy although the length of the contraceptive effect cannot be predicted. Analysis of breastfeeding trends and patterns shows that although most women in developing countries initially breastfeed their children the length of breastfeeding is declining especially in urban areas. The practice of breastfeeding in contrast appears to be increasing in some developed countries after several decades of decline. Breastfeeding trends and patterns may be influenced by the following sociodemographic factors: 1) urban-rural residence 2) parental education and socioeconomic status 3) mothers age and parity 4) support from family and friends 5) mothers employment and 6) contraceptive use. Biological scientists and demographers are unanimous in concluding that although breastfeeding substantially contributes to birth spacing and fertility control in many areas it is an unreliable means of contraception. Breastfeeding women are therefore advised to seek alternative means of contraception to avoid pregnancy. The effects of hormonal contraception on breastfeeding have not been established but the following points can be made: 1) combined estrogen-progestin oral pills decrease milk volume in some cases 2) progestin-only contraception does not affect milk volume or increase it 3) small doses of hormones used for contraception do not appear to prevent initiation of lactation and 4) minute amounts of hormones are transmitted to the infant in breast milk and although no serious effects have been observed the long-term effects are unknown. Determining the appropriate contraception during breastfeeding requires consideration of the womans personal preference availability and convenience of various methods impact on fertility of starting different methods at different times after delivery and possible effects on lactation. Implications for family planning programs and research needs are also discussed.
Stem cells in normal breast development and breast cancer

Abstract. The main focus of this review is the role of mammary stem cells in normal breast development and carcinogenesis. We have developed a new in vitro culture system that permits, for the first time, the propagation of mammary stem and progenitor cells in an undifferentiated state, which should facilitate the elucidation of pathways that regulate normal mammary stem‐cell self‐renewal and differentiation. Furthermore, we propose a model in which transformation of stem cells, or early progenitor cells, results in carcinogenesis. A key event in this process is the deregulation of normal self‐renewal in these cells. Transformed mammary stem or progenitor cells undergo aberrant differentiation processes that result in generation of the phenotypic heterogeneity found in human and rodent breast cancers. This phenotypic diversity is driven by a small subset of mammary tumour stem cells. We will discuss the important implications of this mammary tumour stem‐cell model.
Convergence to nash equilibrium in continuous games with noisy first-order feedback

This paper examines the convergence of a broad class of distributed learning dynamics for games with continuous action sets. The dynamics under study comprise a multi-agent generalization of Nesterov's dual averaging (DA) method, a primal-dual mirror descent method that has recently seen a major resurgence in the field of large-scale optimization and machine learning. To account for settings with high temporal variability and uncertainty, we adopt a continuous-time formulation of dual averaging and we investigate the dynamics' long-run behavior when players have either noiseless or noisy information on their payoff gradients. In both the deterministic and stochastic regimes, we establish sublinear rates of convergence of actual and averaged trajectories to Nash equilibrium under a variational stability condition.
Balance and Joint Stability: The Relative Contributions of Proprioception and Muscular Strength

Objectives: To determine whether proprioception or muscular strength is the dominant factor in balance and joint stability and define what type of ankle rehabilitation is most effective for these purposes. Setting: The University of North Carolina Sports Medicine Research Laboratory. Subjects: Thirty-two healthy volunteers free of head injury, dominant leg injury, and vestibular deficits. Design: Subjects were divided into control, strength-training, proprioceptive-training, and strength-proprioception combination training groups. Balance was assessed before and after 6-week training programs. Measurements: Static, semidynamic, and dynamic balance were assessed. Results: Subjects showed no improvement for static balance but improved significantly for semidynamic (P = .038) and dynamic (P = .002) balance. No significant differences were observed between groups. Conclusions: Enhancement of proprioception and muscular strength are equally effective in promoting joint stability and balance maintenance. In add.
Risk of malaria among febrile patients: retrospective analysis of a hospital-based study in an endemic area of northeast India.

BACKGROUND Febrile illness is the most common symptom experienced by patients suspected of having malaria, especially in the malaria endemic areas of northeast India. Hospital-based data from two districts of upper Assam, namely Golaghat and Tinsukia, were analysed to assess the prevalence of malaria among inpatients who reported to health centres with febrile illness. METHODS A total of 16 hospitals were selected for the study. These included six government hospitals (three in rural and three in urban areas) and 10 private hospitals, which included four tea-garden hospitals. Selection was dependant on the availability of patients and inpatient treatment facilities. During the study, a total of 350 inpatients reported to the selected hospitals with fever; 324 were suspected of having malaria and were interviewed and included in the study. RESULTS The average age of patients was 24.2±15.2 years and 63.3% (205/324) of them were male. The majority of patients (77.5%; 251/324) belonged to the lower household income category (<5000 Indian rupees) and travelled to the nearest town or city for treatment. Overall, the prevalence of malaria (as diagnosed by clinical examination and blood tests) across the different categories such as location, types of hospitals and household income was found to be 29.9% (97/324). Multivariate analysis revealed that the adjusted odds ratios (AOR) of malaria cases was higher based on location (2.13), type of health centre (1.75) and the distance travelled to a health centre (2.09). The mean duration of hospital treatment was 4.2±3.6 days and the delay in reporting to hospital was 3.9±2.6 days. CONCLUSION The study emphasises the need to strengthen and improve the treatment facilities for malaria in government hospitals, and to create more awareness among people regarding early treatment, especially in the rural periphery villages of the endemic areas.
Intelligibility enhancement of synthetic speech in noise

Speech technology can facilitate human-machine interaction and create new communication interfaces. Text-To-Speech (TTS) systems provide speech output for dialogue, notification and reading applications as well as personalized voices for people that have lost the use of their own. TTS systems are built to produce synthetic voices that should sound as natural, expressive and intelligible as possible and if necessary be similar to a particular speaker. Although naturalness is an important requirement, providing the correct information in adverse conditions can be crucial to certain applications. Speech that adapts or reacts to different listening conditions can in turn be more expressive and natural. In this work we focus on enhancing the intelligibility of TTS voices in additive noise. For that we adopt the statistical parametric paradigm for TTS in the shape of a hidden Markov model (HMM-) based speech synthesis system that allows for flexible enhancement strategies. Little is known about which human speech production mechanisms actually increase intelligibility in noise and how the choice of mechanism relates to noise type, so we approached the problem from another perspective: using mathematical models for hearing speech in noise. To find which models are better at predicting intelligibility of TTS in noise we performed listening evaluations to collect subjective intelligibility scores which we then compared to the models’ predictions. In these evaluations we observed that modifications performed on the spectral envelope of speech can increase intelligibility significantly, particularly if the strength of the modification depends on the noise and its level. We used these findings to inform the decision of which of the models to use when automatically modifying the spectral envelope of the speech according to the noise. We devised two methods, both involving cepstral coefficient modifications. The first was applied during extraction while training the acoustic models and the other when generating a voice using pre-trained TTS models. The latter has the advantage of being able to address fluctuating noise. To increase intelligibility of synthetic speech at generation time we proposed a method for Mel cepstral coefficient modification based on the glimpse proportion measure, the most promising of the models of speech intelligibility that we evaluated. An extensive series of listening experiments demonstrated that this method brings significant intelligibility gains to TTS voices while not requiring additional recordings of clear or Lombard speech. To further improve intelligibility we combined our method with noise-independent enhancement approaches based on the acoustics of highly intelligible speech. This combined solution was as effective for stationary noise as for the challenging com-
Complete remission of gestational choriocarcinoma with choroidal metastasis treated with systemic chemotherapy alone: case report and review of literature.

BACKGROUND Gestational choriocarcinoma is a malignant tumor that frequently metastasizes to the highly vascularized organs such as the lung, brain, and liver via hematogenous spread. However, this tumor rarely metastasizes to the eye and only a few cases of metastasis to the choroid have been reported. CASE A 17-year-old woman presented with visual field defects, decreased vision, and increasing pain in her left eye. She had undergone evacuation of a complete hydatidiform mole 32 months prior to the presentation. Ophthalmologic evaluation revealed a metastatic choroidal tumor, and a CT scan showed a metastatic tumor in the left lung. The serum hCG level was elevated at 7780 mIU/ml. A clinical diagnosis of metastatic gestational choriocarcinoma involving the choroid and lung was made. The patient received 13 courses of combination chemotherapy, resulting in complete remission. Radiotherapy and surgical treatment were unnecessary. CONCLUSION This is a very rare case of the successful treatment of gestational choriocarcinoma metastatic to the choroid using systemic chemotherapy alone.
The impact of education intervention on the Health Belief Model constructs regarding anxiety of nulliparous pregnant women

Background: According to investigations, pregnant women hypothesized that anxiety is a common factor that will improve spontaneously; they are not aware of its side effects on the fetus, baby, and pregnancy outcome, as a whole. Other studies have also not tried to design a theoretical framework based on Health Education Models (HBMs) to overcome this problem. The current study aimed at exploring the effectiveness of education on the anxiety of nulliparous women based on a HBM. Materials and Methods: An experimental study on 88 eligible nulliparous women (n = 44 per group), from Doroud city, was performed in 2012. The data was collected using a researcher made questionnaire. Education was conducted in three sessions tailored with HBM constructs with the help of lectures, group discussions, inquiries, Power Point presentations, and booklets. Evaluation performed using a posttest four and eight weeks after last session. The collected data were analyzed using statistical tests, including Chi-square, independent t-test, and repeated measure Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) by the significance level of 0.05. Results: The mean score of knowledge, perceived sensitivity, perceived severity, perceived benefits and barriers, cues to action, self efficacy, and behavior, four weeks after intervention (P < 0.001) and eight weeks after intervention (P < 0.001) were significantly more in the case group Than the control group. ANOVA with repeated measures showed a significant increase in the case group in knowledge (from 32.1 to 89.1), perceived sensitivity (from 34.8 to 91.5), perceived severity (from 31.82 to 88.48), perceived benefits (from 39.28 to 92.41), perceived barriers (from 26.93 to 88.61), cues to action (from24.65 to 92.03), self efficacy (from 29.71 to 88.75), and behavior (from 28.83 to 94.63). Changes were not significant in the control group. Conclusion: The effect of HBM and education on increasing knowledge and changing people's beliefs and behavior, in terms of anxiety based pregnancy, should make health planners and authorities pay more attention to these issues. Moreover, it will help in the betterment of the health of mothers and babies.