Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The use of intraoperative cystoscopy in major vaginal and urogynecologic surgeries.

OBJECTIVE Our purpose was to examine the frequency of significant intraoperative cystoscopic findings during major vaginal reconstructive and urogynecologic surgeries. STUDY DESIGN The records of 526 consecutive women who underwent routine cystoscopy with intravenous injection of indigo carmine at the time of their urogynecologic and major vaginal reconstructive procedures between January 1, 1997, and April 20, 2001, were reviewed. We determined the incidence of significant cystoscopic findings and their effect on intraoperative management. Two-tailed t tests and logistic regression analyses were used to compare characteristics between the groups with and without significant cystoscopic findings. RESULTS During the 526 operations, 26 significant findings (4.9%) were unsuspected before cystoscopy and 15 (2.9%) of these findings were operative injuries that required intervention. Seventy-nine subjects (15.0%) had no anti-incontinence operation performed. Of these patients, there was one partial ureteral obstruction from an anterior colporrhaphy (1.3%). Seven of 184 Burch procedures (3.8%) resulted in injuries to the lower urinary tract, of which 3 (1.6%) required intervention that were unrecognized before cystoscopy. Seven of the 15 cases resulting in changes in intraoperative management were caused by anterior colporrhaphy sutures (2.0% of all anterior colporrhaphies). There were no unrecognized injuries that caused morbidity after surgery. There were no significant differences between patients with abnormal and normal cystoscopic findings in regard to mean age, weight, parity, estimated blood loss, previous surgery, or previous incontinence surgeries. No complications or morbidity occurred as a direct result of intraoperative cystoscopy. CONCLUSION Intraoperative cystoscopy with intravenous indigo carmine is a safe and effective way to detect injury of the lower urinary tract. Cystoscopy detected unsuspected operative injuries in 2.9%. In cases that did not involve anti-incontinence procedures, the rate of injury was 1.3%. With a significant rate of detection, cystoscopy allows for immediate recognition and easier repair of lower urinary tract injury, lowering the patient's risk for morbidity. Anterior colporrhaphy was the most common cause of unrecognized ureteral compromise.
Experimental Intervertebral Disc Degeneration Induced by Chondroitinase ABC in the Goat

Study Design. In 2 studies, the injection of chondroitinase ABC into intervertebral discs of mature goats was evaluated as an experimental disc degeneration model. The first study analyzed the development of degeneration in time; the second study determined the optimal enzyme concentration. Objectives. To develop reproducible, slowly progressive disc degeneration in a large animal model. Summary of Background Data. Currently available, small animal models of intervertebral disc degeneration have shortcomings in the comparability to humans in terms of size, geometry, and cell population. Also, the methods to induce degeneration in the current models do not mimic human degeneration, which starts with the loss of proteoglycans. Injecting the enzyme chondroitinase ABC into the nucleus pulposus mimics the loss of proteoglycans. Methods. In Study 1, lumbar intervertebral discs of 17 goats were injected with chondroitinase ABC (0.25 U/mL) or phosphate-buffered saline. Degeneration was analyzed with radiograph analysis, MR imaging, and macroscopic and histologic scoring at 5 different time points (4, 8, 12, 18, and 26 weeks). Six control goats were analyzed. The second study used 6 goats in which 4 different concentrations of chondroitinase ABC (0.2–0.35 U/mL) or phosphate-buffered saline were injected. After 12 weeks, similar analyses as in Study 1 were performed. Results. After 12 weeks, degenerative signs were observed in all parameters in Study 1. The degeneration increased up to 18 weeks and leveled off after 26 weeks. The variability, however, was high. The second study showed a concentration dependent effect of chondroitinase ABC with all analyzed parameters. The injection of 0.25 U/mL chondroitinase ABC resulted in disc degeneration after 12 weeks without signs of severe degeneration. Conclusion. Injection of chondroitinase ABC in the caprine intervertebral disc results in mild, slowly progressive disc degeneration. This effect was optimal at a concentration of 0.25 U/mL. This is a promising model of disc degeneration that deserves further study.
Long-term outcome of learning and memory in children following severe closed head injury

Seventeen children aged 5-16 years old ( M = 11.3, SD = 2.97, Range= 6.25-16.00) were assessed between 4-5 years post-severe closed head injury, using the Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning (WRAML). Compared to age and sex matched controls, this group demonstrated deficits in the ability to learn new information, particularly their rate of learning. Deficits were more apparent with verbal than visual material. There were no indications of differences in delayed recall as measured by the amount of information lost nor in recognition memory. Results indicate that retrieval deficits may be an important component of memory difficulties in severe closed head injury. Educational implications are considered.
Technetium-99 m-MIBI scintimammography by planar and SPECT imaging in the diagnosis of breast carcinoma and axillary lymph node involvement

BACKGROUND: We compared SPECT and planar 99mTc-MIBI scintimammography (SMM) in the detection of primary breast cancer and metastatic axillary lymph node involvement, and the scintigraphic results with the histopathological/cytological findings. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 303 consecutive patients with 308 suspicious or indeterminate lesions observed in mammographies were entered in this study. After an intravenous injection of 740 MBq of 99mTc-MIBI, anterior supine, right and left lateral planar images in a prone position and a SPECT study were acquired. RESULTS: 85 malignant and 223 benign breast lesions were confirmed by histopathology/cytology. The overall sensitivity in the detection of breast cancer was 92% (78/85) for SPECT and 82% (70/85) for planar imaging (p = NS), respectively; overall specificity was 91% (204/223) for SPECT and 91% (202/223) for planar scans (p = NS), respectively. Metastatic axillary lymph node involvement was seen in 35 patients; per-axilla overall sensitivity was 66% (23/35) for SPECT and 54% (19/35) for planar images (NS), respectively; overall specificity was 76% (38/ /50) and 86% (43/50), respectively (NS). CONCLUSIONS: Our results confirm the high diagnostic accuracy of 99mTc-MIBI scintimammography in the diagnosis of breast cancer, and show SPECT to be slightly more sensitive than planar imaging, especially in detecting malignant breast lesions. We found the sensitivity of both imaging modalities to be quite low in the detection of metastatic axillary lymph node involvement. SPECT provides additional information to planar SMM with respect to the localization of 99mTc-MIBI uptake and tumour extent and improves diagnostic certainty. Our experience suggests that SPECT combined with planar SMM should be used more widely.
Foreign Bank Entry and Business Volatility: Evidence from U.S. States and Other Countries

Theory suggests that bank integration (financial integration generally) can magnify or dampen the business cycles, depending on the importance of shocks to firm collateral versus shocks to the banking sector. In this paper, we show empirically that bank integration across U.S. states over the late 1970s and 1980 dampened economic volatility within states. Internationally, however, we find that foreign bank integration, which advanced widely during the 1990s, has been either unrelated to volatility of firm investment spending or positively related to that volatility. The results suggest the possibility that business spending may become more volatile as countries open their banking sectors to foreign entry.
On Job Training: Automated Interpersonal Behavior Assessment & Real-Time Feedback

In the service industry, customers often form first impressions about the organization based on the behavior, perceived personality, and other attributes of the front-line service employees they interact with. Literature has has demonstrated that as a major component of interpersonal communication, nonverbal behavior (NVB) contributes towards shaping the outcome of these interactions and thus is key to determine customer satisfaction and perceived service quality. In this doctoral thesis, we aim to develop a computational framework for hospitality students with the goal of providing feedback for improving the impressions that other people make about them. Towards this, we collected a dataset of 169 laboratory sessions consisting of two role-plays, job interviews and reception desk scenarios, a total of 338 interactions. We present our approaches, results, works in progress, and planned future directions on these problems.
Geodesic restrictions of arithmetic eigenfunctions

Let X be an arithmetic hyperbolic surface, \psi a Hecke-Maass form, and l a geodesic segment on X. We obtain a power saving over the local bound of Burq-G\'erard-Tzvetkov for the L^2 norm of \psi restricted to l, by extending the technique of arithmetic amplification developed by Iwaniec and Sarnak. We also improve the local bounds for various Fourier coefficients of \psi along l.
Mechanisms Regulating Prostaglandin F 2 a Secretion from the Bovine Endometrium 1

The mechanism that regulates luteolytic PGF2a secretion as stimulated by oxytocin is thought to involve induction of the inositol (1,4,5)-trisphosphatediacylglycerol second messenger system, which mobilizes intracellular calcium and activates protein kinase C. In Experiment 1, endometrial explants taken from heifers on d 18.5 to 19.5 postestrus had increased PGF2a secretion after treatment with 1 mM calcium ionophore A23187 to increase intracellular calcium, 100 nM phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate to activate protein kinase C, and 100 nM oxytocin. The stimulatory effects of oxytocin and calcium ionophore A23187 plus phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate did not differ from each other. In Experiment 2, endometrial explants taken from cows on d 18.5 to 19.5 postestrus had increased PGF2a secretion after treatment with 0.2 and 2 mM thapsigargin to mobilize intracellular calcium that was sensitive to inositol (1,4,5)trisphosphate. Secretion of PGF2a was also increased by 100 nM oxytocin and was influenced by the interaction of thapsigargin and oxytocin such that 100 nM oxytocin did not further increase the secretion of PGF2a in the presence of 2 mM thapsigargin. In Experiment 3, 100 nM oxytocin stimulated greater production of inositol trisphosphate and total inositol phosphates in the endometrium of cyclic cows than in the endometrium of pregnant cows on d 16.5 to 17.0 postestrus, although luteolysis was not yet initiated in the cyclic cows. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the activation of the inositol (1,4,5)-trisphosphate-diacylglycerol second messenger system by oxytocin is involved in the stimulation of PGF2a secretion from the endometrium during late diestrus in cows. (
The ratio between CD4 + and CD8 + cells in the peripheral blood of patients with hematological malignancies is not altered by thalidomide

Thalidomide is thought to have anti-angiogenic and immunomodulatory properties, including suppression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, effects on interleukins and interferons, down-regulation of some cell adhesion molecules, and changes in the proportion of lymphocyte subsets. It is unclear whether the clinical response to thalidomide in patients with multiple myeloma (MM), idiopathic myelofibrosis (IM), and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) is related to its ability to inhibit angiogenesis or its immunomodulatory effects. We examined the effect of thalidomide on T-lymphocyte subsets in 18 patients with MDS, 6 patients with MM, 4 patients with IM, and 3 patients with angioimmunoblastic lymphoma (AILD). These patients had either a relapse or progressive disease following cytotoxic chemotherapy including high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell support. Thalidomide was first administered at 100 mg/day p.o. and increased to 400 mg/day. T-lymphocyte subsets (CD4+, CD8+) were measured by fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS) before and during treatment with thalidomide. Twenty-six of 31 patients responded to thalidomide, most of them achieving partial remission. The median concentration of CD4+ cells was 443/microl, the median of CD8+ cells was 359/microl (CD3 992/microl). In our cohort, no significant changes in absolute numbers or proportions of CD3+ (P = 0.12), CD4+ (P = 0.668), or CD8+ (P = 0.143) cells were observed following the treatment with thalidomide. Although the CD4/CD8 ratio declined from 1.6 to 1.0 during 3 months of thalidomide treatment, this had no statistical significance (P = 0.1). Our findings show that an effect of thalidomide on the T lymphocytes studied is unlikely to be of major importance for the clinical effects.
The Special Function Field Sieve

Let p be a prime number and n a positive integer, and let q=pn. Adleman and Huang [Inform. and Comput. , 151 (1999), pp. 5--16] have described a version of the function field sieve which is conjectured to compute a logarithm in the field of q elements in expected time Lq[1/3;(32/9)1/3+o(1)], where Lq[s;c]=exp(c(log q)s(log log q)1-s) and the o(1) is for $q\to\infty$ under the constraint that p6\leq n$. In this paper, we present a modification of their method which runs conjecturally in expected time Lq[1/3;(32/9)1/3+o(1)] so long as $q\to\infty$ with $p\leq n^{o(\sqrt{n})}$. The technique we use can also be applied to the special number field sieve and results in an algorithm which, in expected time Lp[1/3;(32/9)1/3+o(1)], is conjectured to compute a logarithm in a prime field whose cardinality p is of the form $r^e-s$, with r and s small in absolute value.
Immunological aspects of urinary Schistisomiasis in Ibadan, southwestern Nigeria

SUMMARY Humans infected with Schistosoma parasite demonstrate substantial immune responses against both the intravascular adult worms and the schistosoma eggs retained in the tissue. However, no immunologically mediated adverse effect on the adult worms has been described. Also, the strong cellular responses directed to the eggs are modulated during the course of chronic infection. Thus continued exposure of the host to worm and egg antigens usually lead to regulation of the engendered responses and maintenance of a stable chronic host-parasite relationship.This review aims at providing background information on the immunological status of Nigerian school children (especially in Ibadan) with urinary schistosomiasis.
Knowledge of Indications and Utilization of EUS: A Survey of Oncologists in the United States

Background Since its advent, endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) has emerged as an invaluable tool in the diagnosis and management of gastrointestinal and adjacent cancers. Yet, it remains unclear how non-gastroenterologists who manage these malignancies use EUS in their practices. Methods A link to a self-administered questionnaire, hosted on our university website, was emailed to 650 practicing medical, radiation, and surgical oncologists in the United States. Results Data were analyzed from 100 responses. When available, the overall utilization of EUS for staging nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was significantly low (19.0%), although available. When EUS was unavailable, majority of the patients with pancreatobiliary cancer (79%; P<0.01) were not referred for staging, unlike those with esophageal (57.9%) and rectal cancer (73.7%) were. EUS availability did not impact its use in staging gastric cancer. Majority of the respondents thought EUS made an impact in managing patients with rectal (89.5%), esophageal (84.5%), and pancreatobiliary cancers (58.5%) but not gastric (54.7%) or NSCLC (61.5%). In staging NSCLC, endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspirate (35.7%) and mediastinoscopy (34.7%) were noted as the most accurate for tissue sampling of lymph nodes in levels 5, 7, and 8. EUS was deemed better than computerized tomography or magnetic resonance imaging by 42% in detecting small pancreatic tumors. Majority have not referred patients for EUS-guided celiac plexus neurolysis for palliation of pain in unresectable pancreatic cancer. Conclusions These data highlight the utilization of EUS that did not necessarily follow established guidelines. Further research is essential to evaluate obstacles to utilization of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspirate.
Green Chemistry in California: A Framework for Leadership in Chemicals Policy and Innovation

This article summarizes a University of California chemicals policy report commissioned by the California Legislature. The report makes the case that long-standing weaknesses in the Toxic Substances Control Act have produced a flawed chemicals market in the U.S. that “undervalues” the hazardous properties of chemicals relative to their function, price, and performance. These market conditions have dampened industry interest in cleaner chemical technologies, such as green chemistry. A new U.S. chemicals policy will need to improve the flow of chemical information; enhance the capacity of government to control chemical hazards; and increase public investments in green chemistry research and education.
Carcinogenic risk of dark VS. light liquor

A previous report suggested that the cancer risk associated with hard liquor is greater among users of dark liquors, which may contain more potentially carcinogenic compounds than light liquors. To test this hypothesis, we examined alcohol consumption data obtained by interview with 921 cases and 900 controls who participated in 1984–1985 in a population‐based case‐controls study of oral and pharyngeal cancer conducted in 4 areas of the United States. Among heavy liquor drinkers (30+ drinks/week), odds ratios were 13.2 (95% Cl = 5.2–33.5) for those who usually drank light liquors vs. 4.6 (95% Cl = 2.7–7.9) for those who usually drank dark liquors, with higher risks for light vs., dark liquors at each anatomical subsite. This analysis provides no support for the notion that dark liquors are more carcinogenic than light liquors or that non‐ethanolic ingredients of alcoholic beverages are major contributors to the excess risk of oral and pharyngeal cancer. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A relational model of data for large shared data banks

Future users of large data banks must be protected from having to know how the data is organized in the machine (the internal representation). A prompting service which supplies such information is not a satisfactory solution. Activities of users at terminals and most application programs should remain unaffected when the internal representation of data is changed and even when some aspects of the external representation are changed. Changes in data representation will often be needed as a result of changes in query, update, and report traffic and natural growth in the types of stored information. Existing noninferential, formatted data systems provide users with tree-structured files or slightly more general network models of the data. In Section 1, inadequacies of these models are discussed. A model based on n-ary relations, a normal form for data base relations, and the concept of a universal data sublanguage are introduced. In Section 2, certain operations on relations (other than logical inference) are discussed and applied to the problems of redundancy and consistency in the user's model.
Utilization of Fungal Treated Wheat Straw in the Diet of Late Lactating Cow

Eight primiparous Holstein cows, in late lactation (255±10 days in milk) and yielding 10.3±1.3 kg/d of 4% fat corrected milk (FCM) were allocated into two groups randomly. Two diets containing 30% wheat straw either untreated (UWS) or treated with Pleurotus ostreatus (FTWS) were offered as total mixed ration (TMR). In vivo digestibility of the diets was determined, using acid insoluble ash as a marker. Daily milk production was recorded and milk samples were collected and analysed. Diet FTWS resulted in significantly (p<0.05) higher dry matter intake (DMI) (12.2±0.86 vs. 10.6±1.3), DM digestibility (58.8 vs. 52.3) and milk yield (9 vs. 7.5 kg). Milk fat contents were 34.2 and 35.6 g/liter that did not differ between cows fed treated or untreated straw. However, the concentrations of lactose, solid non fat, total solids and milk protein for diets UWS and FTWS were 57.3 and 54.9, 98.9 and 93.2, 134.5 and 127.4, 35.7 and 32.3 g/l, respectively, which differed significantly (p<0.05). The average body weights gain (BWG) for UWS and FTWS were 272 and 743 g/d, respectively (p<0.05). The FCM yield per kg of DMI was similar (0.68 and 0.67 liter) for the two groups, but BWG/kgDMI was higher in the FTWS diet. (Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 2004. Vol 17, No. 4 : 467-472)
Transforming growth factor-β type II receptor in pulmonary arteries of patients with very severe COPD

A mild-to-moderate increase in pulmonary arterial pressure is often associated with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β is a cytokine involved in the maintenance of integrity of vasculature. The aim of the study was to investigate whether the TGF-β pathway might be involved in the development of pulmonary hypertension associated with COPD. Surgical specimens from 14 patients undergoing lung transplantation for very severe COPD (forced expiratory volume in one second 17±2% of the predicted value) and from seven donors were examined. The expression of TGF-β1 and TGF-β type II receptor (TGF-βRII), cell proliferation index and structural changes in pulmonary arteries were quantified immunohistochemically. In severe COPD patients, increased expression of TGF-βRII was observed in both the tunica media and intima, which was associated with a normal proliferation index in both layers. Conversely, significant thickening of the tunica intima, which was not present in the tunica media, was observed, suggesting that mechanisms other than cell proliferation may be involved in intimal thickening. In conclusion, in the pulmonary arteries of patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, there is upregulation of transforming growth factor-β type II receptor expression associated with a normal proliferation index. These findings suggest the activation of an antiproliferative pathway, which might explain the relatively low degree of pulmonary hypertension observed in these subjects.