Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effectiveness of Internal Sphincterotomy in reducing PostOpen Hemorrhoidectomy Pain: A RandomizedComparative Clinical Study

Background: Hemorrhoids are one of the most common disorders of anus. Various treatment modalities have been described over the periods. However, open hemorrhoidectomy; mainly for grade 3 and 4 haemorrhoids is still widely used. The main drawback of hemorrhoidectomy is the pain in the early postoperative period. Studies have showed that internal Sphincterotomy along with Hemorrhoidectomy significantly reduces the post operative pain without any major complications. Aim & Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of internal Sphincterotomy in reduction of post open hemorrhoidectomy pain. Methods: Over a period of two years 50 patients (38 male, 12 female) aged between 24 & 50 years) treated for 3rd and 4th degree haemorrhoids were included in this prospective randomised study. Patients were randomly divided in to two equal groups. Group I (control group) were subjected to classical open hemorrhoidectomy and group II (study group) were subjected to classical open hemorrhoidectomy with internal Sphincterotomy. Patients above 50 years of age and any patients associated with other colo-rectal or anal diseases were not included in our study. Results: Mean post-operative pain score in study group (Gr- II) was 1.60 and in control group (Gr- I) it was 2.32 (P<0.01). Postoperative complications, like urinary retention was seen in 8 patients from Gr-I and in 1 patient from Gr-II. From Gr-II; as late complications, faecal soiling was present for 3 weeks in 1 patient and impaired control of flatus was present in 2 patients for 7-10 days. One patient from Gr-I developed anal stenosis which was managed conservatively. Conclusion: Addition of Internal sphincterotomy to open hemorrhoidectomy is an effective method to reduce post open hemorrhoidectomy pain without significant morbidity.
Invitation to a population-based cohort study: differences between subjects recruited using various strategies

Aim: The present study compares subjects recruited to a population-based prospective cohort study by community versus personal invitation, and subjects responding late versus early to personal invitation. Subjects were compared with respect to sociodemographic characteristics, selected lifestyle factors, cancer incidence and mortality. Methods: The Malmö Diet and Cancer Study recruited a total of 28,098 subjects between 1991 and 1996. Entire birth-year cohorts, born 1923-50, were recruited using community directed (passive) invitation, and a personal letter of invitation (active recruitment). Information on sociodemography and lifestyle was obtained using a self-administered questionnaire. Anthropometric measurements were assessed at a physical examination. Cancer incidence and cause of death were retrieved using record linkage with national registries. Results: Subjects responding to community directed invitation were older, and more often females, than participants recruited using personal invitation. Furthermore, participants recruited through passive invitation had a comparably more favourable situation with regard to sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. They also had a lower frequency of prevalent disease, lower incidence of cancer and lower mortality. Contrary to this, men were more likely to respond late to a personal letter of invitation and late responders were also older, as compared with subjects responding early to personal invitation. Furthermore, those who responded late had a comparatively unfavourable socioeconomic situation and were characterized by a high prevalence of current smoking, obesity, weight change, and prevalent disease. Conclusions: Subjects who are recruited using different strategies in population-based cohort studies may have different sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics, and may vary with regard to prevalent disease, cancer incidence and subsequent mortality.
Aphrodisiac potential and phytochemical profile of Ekebergia capensis (Cape ash) in male albino rats Ekebergia capensis' in erkek albino siçanlarda afrodizyak potansiyeli ve fitokimyasal profili

SUMMARY AIM: Erectile dysfunction affects more than a third of the adult male and female population worldwide. Although a large number of patients with erectile dysfunction use modern pharmaceutical agents for treatment, a vast majority still preferably use herbal preparations like Ekebergia capensis stem extract. This study therefore, was designed to evaluate the aphrodisiac potential of 70% ethanolic extract of Ekebergia capensis in male albino rats, as a candidate for treatment of erectile dysfunction in human beings. METHODS: In June 2012, ethanolic stem extract of the plant Ekerbegia capensis was screened for phytochemical constituents. Fifteen male albino rats were orally dosed with the extract at dose rates of 300 mg/kg (5 rats), 400 mg/kg (5 rats) and 500 mg/kg (5 rats) body weight consecutively. Five male albino rats were administered with sildenafil citrate (5mg/kg) orally as positive controls and 5 male albino rats received distilled water (1ml) orally as negative controls. The mounting and intromission frequency were evaluated at days1, 3 and 5 and serum testosterone concentration determined on day 6. RESULTS: Phytochemical screening revealed strong presence of saponins and steroid glycosides. Alkaloids, tannins, carotenoids, anthraquinones, flavanoids and anthracyanosides were weakly present in the extract. All the extract doses caused significant (p<0.05) increase in mounting frequency. The testosterone level increased to 2.380±0.02 ng/ml, 7.680±0.660 ng/ml and 14.5±0.777 ng/ml at a dose rate of 300 mg/kg, 400 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg respectively while 0.51±0.27 ng/ml and 5.095±0.40 ng/ml were obtained for negative and positive control animals respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The ethanolic extract of Ekebergia capensis stem bark has an aphrodisiac activity comparable to sildenafil citrate. The 70% ethanol extract of Ekebergia capensis may be used to alleviate sexual dysfunction in humans and animals.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Parainfluenzavirus, Metapneumovirus, Rhinovirus, and Coronavirus

Community-acquired respiratory virus (CARV) infections have been recognized as a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with leukemia and those undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Progression to lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) with clinical and radiological signs of pneumonia and respiratory failure appears to depend on the intrinsic virulence of the specific CARV as well as factors specific to the patient, the underlying disease and its treatment. To better define the current state of knowledge of CARVs in leukemia and HSCT patients, and to improve CARV diagnosis and management, a working group of the 4 European Conference on Infections in Leukaemia (ECIL-4) 2011 reviewed the literature on CARVs, graded the available quality of evidence and made recommendations according to the IDSA grading system. Due to differences in screening, clinical presentation and therapy for influenza and adenovirus, ECIL-4 recommendations are summarized for CARVs other than influenza and adenovirus.
Methylprednisolone or tirilazad mesylate administration after acute spinal cord injury: 1-year follow up: Results of the third National Acute Spinal Cord Injury Randomized Controlled Trial

Object. A randomized double-blind clinical trial was conducted to compare neurological and functional recovery and morbidity and mortality rates 1 year after acute spinal cord injury in patients who had received a standard 24-hour methylprednisolone regimen (24MP) with those in whom an identical MP regimen had been delivered for 48 hours (48MP) or those who had received a 48-hour tirilazad mesylate (48TM) regimen. Methods. Patients for whom treatment was initiated within 3 hours of injury showed equal neurological and functional recovery in all three treatment groups. Patients for whom treatment was delayed more than 3 hours experienced diminished motor function recovery in the 24MP group, but those in the 48MP group showed greater 1-year motor recovery (recovery scores of 13.7 and 19, respectively, p = 0.053). A greater percentage of patients improving three or more neurological grades was also observed in the 48MP group (p = 0.073). In general, patients treated with 48TM recovered equally when compared .
5 Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Zinc Phenolsulfonate

Zinc Phenolsulfonate is a substituted phenol used in cosmetic products as an antimicrobial and astringent at concentrations up to 5%. This compound was moderately toxic when administered orally. No deaths or growth inhibition were reported in a 91-day rat feeding study. No significant toxicity was reported when Zinc Phenolsulfonate was applied dermally in acute and sub-chronic studies. A single insult patch test of a 5% aqueous Zinc Phenolsulfonate solution was negative for skin irritation in rabbits. Minimal skin irritation was reported when 100% Zinc Phenolsulfonate was tested. The Buehler test for delayed sensitization was negative. No eye irritation was observed in rabbits exposed to 5% aqueous Zinc Phenolsulfonate and only moderate irritation at 100%. No mutagenicity was observed when Zinc Phenolsulfonate was tested with and without metabolic activation in five Salmonella strains. Clinical assessment of Zinc Phenolsulfonate with product formulations indicated that Zinc Phenolsulfonate was at most a mild skin irritant in normal use, but not a sensitizer. It is concluded that Zinc Phenolsulfonate is safe as a cosmetic ingredient in the present practices of use and concentration.
MRI/TRUS Fusion for Prostate Biopsy: Early Results and Clinical Feasibility

Prostate cancer is multifocal and lesions are not distributed uniformly within the gland, and up to 40% of cancers are isoechoic. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is being increasingly used in the assessment of prostate cancer. The excellent soft tissue contrast and easily discernible zones within the prostate provides high sensitivity to cancers. T2-weighted imaging using an endorectal coil combined with a pelvic phased-array coil has been shown to provide high resolution images of the prostate, while coregistered MRSI has been shown to have improved specificity. A key challenge in using preoperative MRI and other emerging functional modalities for prostate biopsy in combination with transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) is the registration of these datasets. During an MRI exam the gland is pushed in the anterior direction against the pubic bone due to inflation of the rectal probe. Additional shape changes due to patient motion, or drugs can induce further differences in glandular shape between preoperative MRI and ultrasound during biopsy. In the proposed work, we model the deformation relating MRI and ultrasound nonlinearly so as to enable analysis of MRI in conjunction with ultrasound (color blended or side-by-side) to enable the planning of biopsy targets visually using multimodality information. To the best of the author’s knowledge this is the first time MRI and TRUS volumes of the prostate were registered using a nonlinear deformation model.
Inferior Canine Hindlimb Ischemia and Reperfusion Impairs Femoral Artery Endothelium-Dependent Wall Relaxation

This experimental investigation was carried out to study the endothelium-dependent ischemiareperfusion injury upon the release of nitric oxide (NO) in the canine femoral artery. The tested experimental model was the inferior canine hindlimb ischemia induced by infrarenal abdominal aortic clamping followed by reperfusion. The research protocol was standardized in four experimental groups (n=6): (1) Control group; (2) Ischemia (120 minutes) group; (3) Ischemia (90 minutes) and reperfusion (60 minutes) group; and (4) Ischemia (120 minutes) and reperfusion (90 minutes) group. The femoral artery vascular reactivity was studied in vitro with the aid of an eight “organ chambers” setup, where segments from 4 to 5 mm, with and without endothelium, were suspended and connected to force transducers. The fundamental data of this study were as follows: (1) Ischemia caused by 120 minutes of infrarenal aortic clamping did not cause femoral artery endothelium dysfunction. (2) Ischemia caused by 90 minutes of clamping followed by 60 minutes of reperfusion also did not cause endothelium dysfunction, with an observed tendency to signal transduction impairment (studied by the sodium fluoride dose response curves). (3) Ischemia caused by 120 minutes of clamping followed by 90 minutes of reperfusion caused endothelium dysfunction, observed by the femoral artery impaired capacity of the endothelium-dependent NO release evoked by acetylcholine, adenosine diphosphate, and sodium fluoride. The present pharmacologic in vitro observations are concordant with the evidence that the NO-release impairment, caused by inferior canine hindlimb ischemia followed by reperfusion, is a consequence of endothelium cell membrane receptors, and G-proteins signal transduction dysfunction.
Common Mistakes Committed and Challenges Faced in Research Proposal Writing by University of Zambia Postgraduate Students

Proposal writing is an important part of postgraduate studies at the University of Zambia. The aim of this study was to establish the common mistakes committed and challenges faced by postgraduate students in the school of education at the University of Zambia. The study was purely qualitative. A total of 100 respondents were randomly sampled 80 of which were masters students while 20 were lecturers. Data was collected through face to face interviews with lecturers and focus group discussions with masters’ students. To do so, interview guides and focus group discussion guides were used. Data was analysed qualitatively through categorisation of data into identified themes according to research objectives. The findings of the study showed that students’ mistakes in writing the proposal included: broad and unclear topics, failure to state the problem, failure to identify the gap in the literature, using wrong methodology, misunderstanding research terminology, wrong referencing style and plagiarism. The challenges which students faced included: unavailability of lecturers for consultations, negative comments from supervisors, and limited time in which to write the proposal, lack of materials and lack of co-ordination between DRGS, Assistant Dean- School of Education and the Lecturers/ supervisors. The paper concludes that there is need to review the way the methodology course (EDR) is taught in the school of education. Further, there is need for students, lecturers, and the office of the Assistant Dean responsible for postgraduate studies and the Directorate of Research and Graduate Studies to work cohesively for the good of postgraduate studies.
ON BEING A HUMAN SUBJECT: INTEREST AND OBLIGATION IN THE EXPERIMENTAL TREATMENT OF INCURABLE DISEASE

Many patients with chronic incurable diseases wish to participate in clinical research, yet opportunities to do so are scarce. Like other victims of incurable diseases, these patients feel driven to such measures as unsupervised selfexperimentation, enrollment in unconventional treatment programs, and the formation of patient organizations to raise funds for scientific research. In their eyes experimentation is a legitimate form of treatment for incurable disease, a form of treatment from which they feel arbitrarily excluded by the medical community and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Until quite recently, most physicians and ethicists dismissed this view of experimentation as irrational. But the regulation of research on human subjects has been weakened dramatically by acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients. The current trend tends to confirm the intuition of those patients and physician investigators who, long before the present turmoil began, concluded that the ethical obligation to the patient is better fulfilled by extraordinary efforts to achieve a higher quality of consent rather than by restricting opportunities to participate in research. If this obligation is taken seriously, then physicians and patients with chronic incurable illnesses will be able to find relief from the tensions surrounding experimental participation in the more permissive environment now emerging. The purpose of this paper is to consider the medical and ethical implications of this changed approach to clinical research for patients with AIDS and other similar diseases. I treat this problem simultaneously from a social and a philosophical standpoint. Too often questions about medical ethics are posed against an unexamined background consensus concerning medical procedures, physician-patient relations, and other institutional aspects of medicine (Lowy 1987,
Reusable components for seasonal adjustment: a new implementation of Tramo-Seats

Using TRAMO-SEATS as a guideline, we have developed an object-oriented software library in the time series domain, around the problems of ARIMA modeling and unobserved components estimation. The algorithms of Gomez-Maravall-Caporello have been split in small reusable blocks and enriched with related features, like structural models and Kalman filters/smoothers. In that way, the library provides a versatile framework to tackle a large set of time series problems, including seasonal adjustment. The modules, available in . NET and Java, can be easily plugged in any software or development tool that support one of those standard technologies. We give in the paper an overview of the contents of the library, with an emphasis on the components related to seasonal adjustment. Our implementation of TRAMO-SEATS, which is the most finished part, is also presented in detail. Finally, some examples that show how to use the library in user defined programs are provided. The set of modules, including a rich graphical interface for TRAMO-SEATS, will be freely available.
Thrombus Characterization with Intravascular Ultrasound: Potential to Predict Successful Thrombolysis

Purpose: To define analysis methods using radiofrequency (RF) data from intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) to characterize thrombus so that the success or failure of thrombolysis can be predicted. Methods: Experimentation was done in 2 phases: first, 40 clots created from platelet-rich (n520) and platelet-poor (n520) plasma were imaged with 20 and 30-MHz IVUS probes. The digitized RF signals were analyzed to determine the attenuation and slope of attenuation characteristics as a reference standard for the second part of the study. In this phase, 20 perfusion trials were performed with 10 platelet-rich and 10 platelet-poor samples in an in vitro arterial perfusion model; the composition of the samples was blinded during interrogation with IVUS. Alteplase (0.1 mg) was then infused directly into the thrombus for 1 hour; restoration of flow and amount of lysis were quantified. Results: Significant differences were detected for the integrated attenuation value (p,0.001) between platelet-poor and platelet-rich clots interrogated with a 30-MHz probe, but no differences were noted using the 20-MHz catheter. However, both transducers were capable of differentiating platelet-rich and platelet-poor clots using a slope of attenuation analysis, which was successful in identifying all 20 (100%) of the blinded clots in the in vitro model. The speed and completeness of lysis were significantly higher (p,0.05) for platelet-rich (78%) than platelet-poor (21%) clots. Conclusions: IVUS preprocessed imaging is capable of differentiating various types of thrombus. This information can be used to predict the success or failure of pharmacological lysis techniques. J Endovasc Ther 2003;10:90–98
Firmware Support for Reliable Communication and Dynamic System Configuration in System Area Networks

Research efforts to provide fast multicomputer interconnection networks for clusters of workstations (SANs) at low cost has lead to the design of network interfaces that support minimal standard functionality in the network interface and use powerful basic blocks that allow communication system designers to implement the functionality needed by different paradigms and systems using these basic blocks. These network interfaces usually encompass a general purpose processor, use simple switches to route packets to their destination, and allow for arbitrary network topologies. These characteristics result in the absence of reliability in the network interface hardware and the need to support routing for arbitrary, dynamic topologies in the communication system. There are many ways to deal with these problems. However, if performance is not to be compromised, these problems are highly non-trivial and many issues need to be considered. Data copies need to be avoided, algorithms and protocols need to be simple and memory requirements must be low, since the network interface has limitations in both network processor speed and memory. In this work we address these two issues by presenting the extensions we did to our communication system, called Virtual Memory Mapped Communication (VMMC), to support reliable communication in the network interface and dynamic system configuration. We propose and implement reliable communication in the firmware that runs on the network interface processor with minimal cost; less than 2.5 s for latency and less than 10% for all different types of bandwidth Moreover, we propose a new scheme for dynamically determining the network topology. This mechanism relies on the retransmission mechanism that is used to provide reliable communication. Since the support for dynamic system configuration is not on the common path, there is no effect on system performance when no changes in the system topology occur.
Knowledge as Open Space

The paper addresses the role that knowledge metaphors play in reflecting ambitions to manage knowledge and intellectual capital development as clearly regulated processes. This is contrasted with the focus on knowledge formation in intra-organizational and inter-organizational open spaces. Transfer of knowledge and open space as knowledge metaphors are emotionally attractive, but assume organizational and technological prerequisites in order to be embedded into daily management practices. The paper reflects the experience gained discussing knowledge management metaphors with MBA students and management practitioners: different ways of understanding the prerequisites of knowledge management are revealed through metaphors. Metaphors disclose conflicts between basic IT-centred and people-centred assumptions that guide efforts to accumulate intellectual capital. The desire to clarify knowledge spaces for employees as experts, and to align face-to-face knowledge sharing with virtual knowledge sharing tools in an open virtual space, are challenges in today‘s rapidly changing societies and organizations that face intensifying competition and staff mobility. Open space can be treated as a specific technology for blending different knowledge sources and as a broader knowledge metaphor that focuses on self-regulating knowledge processes. The paper briefly outlines the experience of applying the open space technology in a large-scale civic society initiative, My Estonia, that on 1 May 2009 involved more than 11,000 participants in 527 think tanks. The experience demonstrated that diversity and virtual networking are critical success factors of the open space, but are not easy to sustain in more closed communities where participants have a pre-determined status and shared experiences of non-productive conversations. The paper goes on to specify the limitations of the open space metaphor from the point of view of society and organizations. Knowledge metaphors can be applied to link intra-organizational knowledge management to the global village vision. The paper discusses some related metaphors and development practices that support the concept of knowledge as open space. It is a metaphor that reveals the contradictions between traditional knowledge management initiatives inside organizations and open space practices that can be found in civic society initiatives.