Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stage I and II Mobile Tongue Carcinomas Treated by External Radiation and Gold Seed Implantation

The purpose of this study was to analyze the influence of a protocol modification, in which the use of gold seeds was extended and elective neck irradiation was applied, on the treatment results of early carcinoma of the tongue. We analyzed 225 patients with Stage I (93 patients) and Stage II (132 patients) squamous cell carcinomas of the oral tongue. We compared the results between the two periods before (171 patients) and after (54 patients) the modification. The main alterations were the expanded use of gold seeds for tumors less than 5 mm in thickness and the application of elective irradiation for T2 tumors. The 5-year primary control and survival rates improved from 81% to 97% and from 81% to 93%, respectively. The occurrence of late complications—lingual muscle and mandibular bone necroses—was found not to deteriorate after the modification. We concluded that the modification was adequate.
Characteristics of patients with bipolar disorder managed in VA primary care or specialty mental health care settings.

OBJECTIVES This study compared the clinical characteristics, use of guideline-concordant pharmacotherapy, and outcomes of patients diagnosed as having bipolar disorder who were exclusively seen in Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) primary care settings with those of patients with bipolar disorder who received any VA mental health services. METHODS Data from the 1999 Large Health Survey of Veterans were linked to VA data from the National Psychosis Registry to identify patients diagnosed as having bipolar disorder (N=14,643). Multivariable analyses adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and clinical and severity factors determined whether exclusive primary care use versus any mental health care use was associated with poor clinical and services outcomes. RESULTS Overall, 7.6% used primary care services exclusively. Compared with persons who used specialty care services, those who used primary care exclusively were more likely to be diagnosed as having cardiovascular disease (odds ratio [OR]=1.26, p<.05) or hypertension (OR=1.31, p<.01), less likely to receive guideline-concordant pharmacotherapy (OR=.18, p<.001), more likely to have an inpatient medical visit (OR=1.36, p<.01), and less likely to have an inpatient psychiatric visit (OR=.36, p<.001). Persons who received only primary care were more likely to have worse physical health and better mental health, as measured by the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey. CONCLUSIONS Patients with bipolar disorder treated in primary care settings were more likely than those who received some care in a mental health specialty setting to have comorbid general medical disorders. Optimal care settings for patients with bipolar disorder may require strategies that address gaps in general medical as well as psychiatric care.
Chlamydia trachomatis genotypes associated with pneumonia in Chilean infants

We determined the serovar distribution and genetic variability of the omp1 gene of C. trachomatis in nasopharyngeal aspirates from consecutive infants with pneumonia. C. trachomatis was detected by PCR in 17/94 (18.1%) specimens. Serovar E (47.1%) was the most frequent, followed by serovars F (17.6%), Ja (17.6%), D (11.8%), and G (5.9%). Nucleotide sequence analysis showed polymorphism of Omp1.
eNOS haplotypes associated with gestational hypertension or preeclampsia.

AIMS Polymorphisms in the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene have been inconsistently associated with preeclampsia. We compared genotype and haplotype frequencies of three eNOS gene polymorphisms in normotensive and hypertensive pregnancies. METHODS Genotypes and haplotypes for eNOS polymorphisms (T-786C, Glu298Asp and intron 4 b/a) were determined in 326 pregnant women (110 healthy pregnancies, 103 gestational hypertensives and 113 preeclamptic). RESULTS No differences were observed in the frequencies of genotypes and alleles of the three polymorphisms among the groups (all p > 0.05). However, the haplotype 'T Glu a' was more common in healthy pregnancies than in gestational hypertensives or preeclamptic (20 vs 6 and 6%, respectively; p < 0.0032). Conversely, the haplotype 'C Glu a' was more common in gestational hypertensives and preeclamptic than in healthy pregnancies (17 vs 17 and 5%; p = 0.0061). CONCLUSION These findings suggest a contribution of eNOS haplotypes to the development of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy that is obscured when specific eNOS genotypes alone are considered.
Acquired Coronary Cameral Fistula Due to Post Stent Balloon Dilatation: Dual Coronary Artery Perforations into the Left Ventricle—What Is the Right Treatment?

A fifty-year-old female with recent history of LAD stent placement for instent restenosis, presented with chest pain and ventricular fibrillatory arrest. Angiography revealed total occlusion of her LAD stent. She underwent IVUS study, balloon angioplasty and stent placements. Post balloon dilatation of the under-deployed distal stent resulted in dual coronary artery perforations with extravasation of contrast into the LV cavity, a Type 4 Ellis coronary artery perforation (CAP). No extravasation was noted into the pericardium. Immediately a covered stent was deployed which completely sealed both perforation sites with resultant TIMI grade 3 flow. Under-deployment of stents is a common occurrence and is underappreciated. It can happen due to various reasons. Not many options exist at that time but to use a high pressure balloon and post dilate the stent. One rare complication is CAP due to post stent dilatation, with incidence reported as 0.1% to 3.0% of PCI procedures. Among the various type of CAP, Ellis Type 4 is of the least frequent however no studies have looked at its exact incidence rate. Prompt recognition and quick intervention are essential to good patient outcome. We chose to deploy a covered stent over the perforation with interim balloon tamponading. Deployment of the stent successfully sealed both the CAPs. Remarkably the patient remained stable and did not complain of chest pain throughout the procedure. The patient did well; she was discharged on dual antiplatelet therapy and is continuing to do well. We report a rare case of 2 distal LAD perforations that drained into the LV (an Ellis Type 4 CAP) caused by post stent dilatation that were successfully treated with a single covered stent. We report successful management of this case along with review of literature about management and dilemmas encountered is such instances.
Randomized trial of a hypnosis intervention for treatment of hot flashes among breast cancer survivors.

PURPOSE Hot flashes are a significant problem for many breast cancer survivors. Hot flashes can cause discomfort, disrupted sleep, anxiety, and decreased quality of life. A well-tolerated and effective mind-body treatment for hot flashes would be of great value. On the basis of previous case studies, this study was developed to evaluate the effect of a hypnosis intervention for hot flashes. PATIENTS AND METHODS Sixty female breast cancer survivors with hot flashes were randomly assigned to receive hypnosis intervention (five weekly sessions) or no treatment. Eligible patients had to have a history of primary breast cancer without evidence of detectable disease and 14 or more weekly hot flashes for at least 1 month. The major outcome measure was a bivariate construct that represented hot flash frequency and hot flash score, which was analyzed by a classic sums and differences comparison. Secondary outcome measures were self-reports of interference of hot flashes on daily activities. RESULTS Fifty-one randomly assigned women completed the study. By the end of the treatment period, hot flash scores (frequency x average severity) decreased 68% from baseline to end point in the hypnosis arm (P < .001). Significant improvements in self-reported anxiety, depression, interference of hot flashes on daily activities, and sleep were observed for patients who received the hypnosis intervention (P < .005) in comparison to the no treatment control group. CONCLUSION Hypnosis appears to reduce perceived hot flashes in breast cancer survivors and may have additional benefits such as reduced anxiety and depression, and improved sleep.
A novel joint sparse partial correlation method for estimating group functional networks

Advances in graph theory have provided a powerful tool to characterize brain networks. In particular, functional networks at group‐level have great appeal to gain further insight into complex brain function, and to assess changes across disease conditions. These group networks, however, often have two main limitations. First, they are popularly estimated by directly averaging individual networks that are compromised by confounding variations. Secondly, functional networks have been estimated mainly through Pearson cross‐correlation, without taking into account the influence of other regions. In this study, we propose a sparse group partial correlation method for robust estimation of functional networks based on a joint graphical models approach. To circumvent the issue of choosing the optimal regularization parameters, a stability selection method is employed to extract networks. The proposed method is, therefore, denoted as JGMSS. By applying JGMSS across simulated datasets, the resulting networks show consistently higher accuracy and sensitivity than those estimated using an alternative approach (the elastic‐net regularization with stability selection, ENSS). The robustness of the JGMSS is evidenced by the independence of the estimated networks to choices of the initial set of regularization parameters. The performance of JGMSS in estimating group networks is further demonstrated with in vivo fMRI data (ASL and BOLD), which show that JGMSS can more robustly estimate brain hub regions at group‐level and can better control intersubject variability than it is achieved using ENSS. Hum Brain Mapp 37:1162–1177, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
An overview of the role of bread in the UK diet

Summary Despite being a staple food in the UK for centuries, bread consumption has fallen steadily over the last few decades. Average consumption now equates to only around 2–3 slices of bread a day. As well as providing energy, mainly in the form of starch, bread contains dietary fibre and a range of vitamins and minerals. The National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) of adults suggests that it still contributes more than 10% of our daily intake of protein, thiamine, niacin, folate, iron, zinc, copper and magnesium; one-fifth of our fibre and calcium intakes; and more than one-quarter of our manganese intake. Therefore, eating bread can help consumers to meet their daily requirements for many nutrients, including micronutrients for which there is evidence of low intake in some groups in the UK, such as zinc and calcium. This paper gives an overview of the role of bread in the UK diet, its contribution to nutrient intakes and current consumption patterns in different population groups.
Differential incision of the Grand Canyon related to Quaternary faulting—Constraints from U-series and Ar/Ar dating

Incision of the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon, widely thought to have happened between ca. 6 and 1.2 Ma, has continued at variable rates along the canyon over the past ;500 k.y. , based on measurements of bedrock incision combined with U-series and 40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages. River incision rates downstream of the Toroweap fault in the western Grand Canyon are about half the ;140 m/m.y. incision rate calculated for a distance of at least 200 km upstream of the fault. We hypothesize that this differential incision is due to westdown slip on the Toroweap fault of 94 6 6 m/m.y. based on measured offset of the newly dated Upper Prospect basalt flow, which is the major middle-late Quaternary slip evident along the river. Regional incision has been driven mostly by base-level fall related to drainage reversal off the Colorado Plateau ca. 6 Ma. Because local normal faulting is lower in rate than this regional incision and is likely an expression of Basin and Range extension and subsidence rather than uplift, this is a case where active faulting diminishes, but does not drive, incision. Quaternary incision rates are insufficient to have carved the Grand Canyon in 6 m.y. , suggesting either that rates have decreased through time as the original base-level signal has attenuated, or that some component of the canyon relief we see today existed prior to Colorado River integration.
EYE MOVEMENT RECORDINGS AS A DIAGNOSTIC TOOL IN A CASE OF CONGENITAL NYSTAGMUS*

ABSTRACT Objective recordings of eye movements in a patient with congenital pendular nystagmus showed only tiny superimposed saccades. Also, in tracking movements and in special “variable feedback” experiments, where a normal subject would ordinarily exhibit mainly fair‐sized saccades, the patient showed only markedly decreased saccades. However, these small saccades showed maximal velocities appropriate to their reduced amplitudes; thus suggesting normal “time‐optimal” motor control signal shapes and a normal extra‐ocular muscular system. The increase in pursuit movements seems to be a compensatory effect secondary to the basic defect in saccades. Prisms were prescribed to minimize the amplitude of the nystagmus since it had shown dependence upon angle of gaze and amount of vergence. Excellent subjective results were obtained and indicated that the sensory visual mechanism was normal. Since the efferent signal shape, the muscular system, and the afferent visual system are all normal, and the smooth pursuit system better than normal (compensatory adjustment), we suggest that the basic defect in our patient is early in the generation of intermittent control signals for saccades from the central nervous system dual‐mode controller.
Asymmetric Dimethylarginine does not Predict Early Access Events in Hemodialysis Patients with Brachiocephalic Fistula Access

Background Vascular access for hemodialysis is best provided by an arteriovenous fistula (AVF). AVF fail primarily because of neointimal hyperplasia. Asymmetric dimethlyarginine (ADMA) is a naturally occurring analogue of L-arginine, which is elevated in renal failure and impairs endothelial cell function. ADMA inhibits nitric oxide synthetase, leading to impaired nitric oxide production and contributing to the development of neointimal hyperplasia. ADMA was measured at the time of AVF placement to evaluate associations with access failure. Methods ADMA was measured at the time of brachiocephalic access placement. Patients were followed for up to 12 months with end-points of access thrombosis or venous stenosis. Results Sixty patients with primary brachiocephalic fistulas were included in the study cohort. The median value for ADMA drawn at the time of AVF creation was 3.1 µmol/L. ADMA was not significantly associated with early thrombosis or venous stenosis events (P>0.05). Conclusion Preoperative ADMA levels, as a surrogate for endothelial cell dysfunction and predictor of adverse access event (thrombosis or stenosis), were not associated with subsequent access events Future studies that identify markers of endothelial cell dysfunction are warranted.
Long-term results of radiofrequency turbinoplasty for allergic rhinitis refractory to medical therapy.

OBJECTIVE To study the long-term outcomes of radiofrequency (RF) turbinate surgery for the treatment of allergic rhinitis refractory to medical therapy. DESIGN A retrospective review of a prospective data set. SETTING Tertiary referral center. PATIENTS A total of 146 patients with allergic rhinitis refractory to medical therapy undergoing RF turbinoplasty were included. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES A standard 0 to 10 visual analog scale (VAS) was used to assess the allergic symptoms including nasal obstruction, rhinorrhea, sneezing, itchy nose, and itchy eyes prior to RF turbinoplasty and at 6 months and 5 years postoperatively. The long-term clinical benefits and complications were reviewed. Statistical analysis was determined by repeated measures of analysis of variance. RESULTS No adverse reactions such as bleeding, infection, adhesions, or olfactory change were encountered. Of the 146 patients, 119 were followed up at least 5 years postoperatively. Five years after treatment, 101 patients had complete data available for analysis. They reported improvement of nasal obstruction, with the mean (SD) VAS score decreasing from 6.65 (1.92) to 4.45 (2.54). The mean (SD) VAS score changed from 5.90 (2.79) to 3.79 (2.97) for rhinorrhea; from 5.15 (2.77) to 3.50 (2.77) for sneezing; from 3.67 (3.03) to 2.41 (2.30) for itchy nose; and from 2.94 (3.02) to 2.02 (2.42) for itchy eyes (all P < .001, paired t test with Bonferroni correction). CONCLUSION This long-term study has demonstrated that the RF turbinoplasty for allergic rhinitis appears to be an effective and safe tool for treating allergic rhinitis refractory to medical therapy.
Adoption of patient-centered care practices by physicians: results from a national survey.

BACKGROUND Little is known about the extent to which primary care physicians (PCPs) practice patient-centered care, 1 of the Institute of Medicine's 6 dimensions of quality. This article describes the adoption of patient-centered practice attributes by PCPs. METHODS Mail survey; nationally representative physician sample of 1837 physicians in practice at least 3 years postresidency. RESULTS Eighty-three percent of PCPs surveyed are in favor of sharing of medical records with patients. Most physicians (87%) support team-based care. But, only 16% of PCPs communicate with their patients via e-mail; only 36% get feedback from their patients. Seventy-four percent of PCPs still experience problems with availability of patients' medical records or test results; less than 50% have adopted patient reminder systems. Thirty-three percent of physicians practicing in groups of 50 or more have adopted 6 to 11 of the 11 patient-centered care practices targeted in the survey compared with 14% of solo physicians. CONCLUSION Although some patient-centered care practices have been adopted by most PCPs, other practices have not yet been adopted as broadly, especially those targeting coordination, team-based care, and support from appropriate information systems.
Effect of Plasma Process for SiO2 Film on Sidewall

We evaluated the physical and electrical characteristics of SiO2 treated by plasma oxidation on top and sidewall. The plasma process is less effective for SiO2 on sidewall than on top and further less for small pattern. Both the characteristics for SiO2 on sidewall are sensitive to plasma condition in deposition sequence, while not for SiO2 on top. When the plasma process is used as post treatment on SiO2 with high coverage and the poor characteristics, they are also not dependent on the condition. Moreover, the post plasma treatment can improve electrical characteristic beyond the level of SiO2 deposited by the same plasma oxidation condition.
Termination rates after prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome, spina bifida, anencephaly, and Turner and Klinefelter syndromes: a systematic literature review

The aims of this systematic literature review are to estimate termination rates after prenatal diagnosis of one of five conditions: Down syndrome, spina bifida, anencephaly, and Turner and Klinefelter syndromes, and to determine the extent to which rates vary across conditions and with year of publication. Papers were included if they reported (i) numbers of prenatally diagnosed conditions that were terminated, (ii) at least five cases diagnosed with one of the five specified conditions, and (iii) were published between 1980 and 1998. 20 papers were found which met the inclusion criteria. Termination rates varied across conditions. They were highest following a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome (92 per cent; CI: 91 per cent to 93 per cent) and lowest following diagnosis of Klinefelter syndrome (58 per cent; CI: 50 per cent to 66 per cent). Where comparisons could be made, termination rates were similar in the 1990s to those reported in the 1980s. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
P1–12: Analysis of quick start-up test on an S-band high average power klystron

A measurement about 4 minutes quick start-up is done on a kind of S-band high average power klystron. The test requires that the filament warms up only 4 minutes, and then the klystron starts up immediately. The results show that the klystron can work steadily, but in the 5th minute the output power is about 93 % of the full power and the beam average current is about 97 % of the full current. Then the power and beam current are gradually increased, until the 15th minute the klystron produces the full power and full beam average current. In conclusion, the 4mins quick start-up of the klystron will decrease the lifetime of the cathode, therefore the measurement isn't used often, but when meeting an emergency
Internationalisation of e-commerce: a comparison of online shopping preferences among Korean, Turkish and US populations

International e-commerce has been developed as an efficient means of global transaction, and it may be further improved, especially in B2C, if adapted to the conditions of local markets, such as economy, infrastructure and culture. To obtain the insight in the internationalisation of e-commerce, we investigated online shopping preferences in three nations – the US (well developed in e-commerce), Korea (fast growing with good infrastructure) and Turkey (developing with good potentials). A survey of 205 Korean university students was conducted, and its results were compared with the results of Turkish and US surveys in Lightner et al. (2002). We found significant cross-national differences in online shopping preferences, especially in information accuracy, security and product-price comparison, and discussed those differences in terms of economic, infrastructural and cultural factors. Several practical guidelines were provided for website design in the Korean online market.
Contribution Residential Proximity to Traf fi c-Related Pollution and Atherosclerosis in 4 Vascular Beds Among African-American Adults : Results From the Jackson Heart Study

To our knowledge, no study has investigated the association of long-term exposure to traffic pollution with markers of atherosclerosis in 4 vascular beds simultaneously in an all-African-American cohort. Among participants in the Jackson Heart Study (Jackson, Mississippi; baseline mean age = 55.5 (standard deviation, 12.7) years), we used linear regression to estimate percent differences in carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) at baseline (2004) and used modified Poisson regression (robust error variance) to estimate prevalence ratios for peripheral artery disease (PAD), coronary artery calcification (CAC), and abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) at the first follow-up visit (2005–2008) for persons living less than 150m (versus more than 300m) from major roadways, adjusting for confounders. Living less than 150m from such roadways was associated with a significant 6.67% (95% confidence interval: 1.28, 12.35) increase in CIMT (4,800 participants). PAD prevalence among persons living less than 150m from a major roadway was 1.17 (95% confidence interval: 0.73, 1.86) times that of persons living more than 300m away (4,443 participants), but this result was not statistically significant. There was no association for CAC or AAC. The association with CIMT was stronger in participants with a cardiovascular disease history than in those without one (P = 0.04). We observed an association in the carotid vascular beds but not the coronary, abdominal, or peripheral vascular beds. Our results highlight the need to consider residential proximity to roadways as a potential cardiovascular disease risk factor for blacks.