Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Use of frameless intrauterine devices and systems in young nulliparous and adolescent women: results of a multicenter study

Background The purpose of this study was to provide additional data on the experience with frameless copper and levonorgestrel (LNG) intrauterine devices (IUDs) in nulliparous and adolescent women. Methods Nulliparous and adolescent women, 25 years of age or younger, using the frameless copper IUD or the frameless LNG-releasing intrauterine system (IUS), were selected from previous studies and a current multicenter post-marketing study with the frameless copper IUD. The small copper-releasing GyneFix® 200 IUD consists of four copper cylinders, each 5 mm long and only 2.2 mm wide. The frameless FibroPlant® LNG-IUS consists of a fibrous delivery system releasing the hormone levonorgestrel (LNG-IUS). The main features of these intrauterine contraceptives are that they are frameless, flexible, and anchored to the fundus of the uterus. Results One hundred and fifty-four nulliparous and adolescent women participated in the combined study. One pregnancy occurred with the GyneFix 200 IUD after unnoticed early expulsion of the device (cumulative pregnancy rate 1.1 at one year). Two further expulsions were reported, one with the GyneFix 200 IUD and the other with the FibroPlant LNG-IUS. The cumulative expulsion rate at one year was 1.1 with the copper IUD and 2.2 with the LNG-IUS. The total discontinuation rate at one year was low (3.3 and 4.3 with the copper IUD and LNG-IUS, respectively) and resulted in a high rate of continuation of use at one year (96.7 with the copper IUD and 95.7 with the LNG-IUS, respectively). Continuation rates for both frameless copper IUD and frameless LNG-IUS remained high at 3 years (>90%). There were no cases of perforations or pelvic inflammatory disease reported during or following insertion. Conclusion This report confirms earlier studies with frameless devices and suggests that the high user continuation rate is attributable to the optimal relationship between the IUD and the uterine cavity. IUD studies have shown that an IUD that does not fit well will often lead to side effects (ie, pain, bleeding, embedment, expulsion) and subsequent removal of the IUD. Early discontinuation is not the aim of long-acting reversible contraception.
Association between the SERPINE 1 ( PAI-1 ) 4 G / 5 G insertion / deletion promoter polymorphism ( rs 1799889 ) and pre-eclampsia : a systematic review and meta-analysis

The SERPINE1 2675 4G/5G promoter region insertion/deletion polymorphism (rs1799889) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia (PE), but the genetic association has been inconsistently replicated. To derive a more precise estimate of the association, a systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted. This study conformed to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. PubMed (MEDLINE), Scopus and HuGE Literature Finder literature databases were systematically searched for relevant studies. Summary odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for the allelic comparison (4G versus 5G) and genotypic comparisons following the co-dominant (4G/4G versus 5G/5G and 4G/5G versus 5G/5G), dominant (4G/4G+4G/5G versus 5G/5G) and recessive (4G/4G versus 4G/5G+5G/5G) genetic models. Between-study heterogeneity was quantified by I statistics and publication bias was appraised with funnel plots. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to evaluate the robustness of meta-analysis findings. Meta-analysis of 11 studies involving 1297 PE cases and 1791 controls found a significant association between the SERPINE1 2675 4G/5G polymorphism and PE for the recessive genetic model (OR 1⁄4 1.36, 95% CI: 1.13–1.64, P 1⁄4 0.001), a robust finding according to sensitivity analysis. A low level of between-study heterogeneity was detected (I 1⁄4 20%) in this comparison, which may be explained by ethnic differences. Funnel plot inspection did not reveal evidence of publication bias. In conclusion, this study provides a comprehensive examination of the available literature on the association between SERPINE1 2675 4G/5G and PE. Meta-analysis results support this polymorphism as a likely susceptibility variant for PE.
Paradigm for integrating Web Services and agent technology with RSA and Digigeo

The advent of Internet has brought down geographical distances but proportionally increased the digital geographical distances with masses of data and information that demands more than a mind to comprehend. Every digital megabyte is a mile of physical distance. Getting the wrong information is like taking a wrong turn. It wastes time, energy, productivity and money. This growth has led to the demanding needs of effectively using Digital Geography.
Thomson's formulation of the second law: an exact theorem and limits of its validity

Thomson’s formulation of the second law ‐ no work can be extracted from a system coupled to a bath through a cyclic process ‐ is believed to be a fundamental principle of nature. For the equilibrium situation a simple proof is presented, valid for macroscopic sources of work. Thomson’s formulation gets limited when the source of work is mesoscopic, i.e. when its number of degrees of freedom is large but finite. Here work‐extraction from a single equilibrium thermal bath is possible when its temperature is large enough. This result is illustrated by means of exactly solvable models. Finally we consider the Clausius principle: heat goes from high to low temperature. A theorem and some simple consequences for this statement are pointed out.
Generalizing Topology via Chu Spaces

By using the representational power of Chu spaces we define the notion of a generalized topological space (or GTS, for short), i.e., a mathematical structure that generalizes the notion of a topological space. We demonstrate that these topological spaces have as special cases known topological spaces. Furthermore, we develop the various topological notions and concepts for GTS. Moreover, since the logic of Chu spaces is linear logic, we give an interpretation of most linear logic connectives as operators that yield topological spaces.
Reduced Adipose Tissue Oxygenation in Human Obesity

OBJECTIVE— Based on rodent studies, we examined the hypothesis that increased adipose tissue (AT) mass in obesity without an adequate support of vascularization might lead to hypoxia, macrophage infiltration, and inflammation. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS— Oxygen partial pressure (AT pO2) and AT temperature in abdominal AT (9 lean and 12 overweight/obese men and women) was measured by direct insertion of a polarographic Clark electrode. Body composition was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and insulin sensitivity was measured by hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp. Abdominal subcutaneous tissue was used for staining, quantitative RT-PCR, and chemokine secretion assay. RESULTS— AT pO2 was lower in overweight/obese subjects than lean subjects (47 ± 10.6 vs. 55 ± 9.1 mmHg); however, this level of pO2 did not activate the classic hypoxia targets (pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase and vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF]). AT pO2 was negatively correlated with percent body fat (R = −0.50, P < 0.05). Compared with lean subjects, overweight/obese subjects had 44% lower capillary density and 58% lower VEGF, suggesting AT rarefaction (capillary drop out). This might be due to lower peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor γ1 and higher collagen VI mRNA expression, which correlated with AT pO2 (P < 0.05). Of clinical importance, AT pO2 negatively correlated with CD68 mRNA and macrophage inflammatory protein 1α secretion (R = −0.58, R = −0.79, P < 0.05), suggesting that lower AT pO2 could drive AT inflammation in obesity. CONCLUSIONS— Adipose tissue rarefaction might lie upstream of both low AT pO2 and inflammation in obesity. These results suggest novel approaches to treat the dysfunctional AT found in obesity.
Resistance to neonicotinoid insecticides in field populations of the Colorado potato beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).

BACKGROUND Neonicotinoid insecticides were first used commercially for Colorado potato beetle [Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae] control in the United States in 1995, and since then have been critical for management of this pest. Field populations from the northeastern and midwestern United States were tested from 1998 to 2010 for susceptibility to imidacloprid and thiamethoxam using standard topical dose assays with adults. RESULTS From 1998 to 2001, imidacloprid resistance was present in only a few locations in the eastern United States. By 2003, imidacloprid resistance was common in the northeastern Unites States. In 2004, imidacloprid resistance in Colorado potato beetle was detected for the first time in the midwestern United States. In 2003, the first case of resistance to thiamethoxam was found in a population from Massachusetts. Neonicotinoid resistance in summer-generation adults was higher than in overwintered adults from the same locations. By 2009, 95% of the populations tested from the northeastern and midwestern United States had significantly higher LD(50) values for imidacloprid than the susceptible population. CONCLUSIONS The increasing resistance to neonicotinoid insecticides raises concerns for the continued effective management of Colorado potato beetles in potatoes and highlights the need for more rigorous practice of integrated pest management methods.
Online hotel's sales strategies with emphasis on web booking

The purpose of this paper is reflected in the detailed study of world achievements in the context of Information Communication Technology (ICT) development in online hotel sales matching empirical findings which consist of the entire process of designing and setting up rates and sales strategies. Today’s hospitality industry development, in the form of hotel software solutions as well as hotel websites that participate in the sales strategies of individual hotels and hotel chains, determines the business policy of creating a rate with respect to the season, occupancy. One of the biggest challenges hoteliers regularly meet is setting currently valid rates on Online Tourist Agencies (OTA's). The reason is that any rate change must be sent to all these websites at the same time because of rate parity. Case study is based on research planned to explore the frequency of use of ICT in Croatian hotels and their online sales strategy to answer the question of where the Croatian hotels are in relation to global trends in the context of online sales and marketing. The reservation process is dependent on a large number of dynamic parameters. The synchronization process of rate placement with reservation processes depends on a number of variables that need to be considered and matched in real time with the use of the existing programs. Since the OTA's are prevalent because of their financial power to invest in marketing campaigns on the Internet, hotels are forced to cooperate with them in order to be visible. In terms of the exponential growth of online sales, investment in ICT and the use of modern online sales channels are necessary not only to enable a hotel to perform well, but also to enable it to survive on the market. The paper aims to show the importance of the implementation and modernization of the latest software solutions in the hospitality industry.
Coding of Facial Image Sequences by Model-Based Optical Flow

model-based method for estimating the shape d motion of 3D objects appearing in a video described. This technique is used for modelsed video coding (video compression). The thod is based on a new variant of optical ow d uses 3D computer graphics to represent and play an object. Though the algorithm is genl, this work concentrates on videos depicting e human head and face because of its relevance videotelephony and teleconferencing. Rigid dy motion of the head and facial expressions ening the mouth) are accommodated. Relts obtained from videos of a moving person e described.
The Cycle Construction

We give a direct generating function construction for cycles of combinatorial structures. Let A be a class of combinatorial structures, with A(z) its corresponding ordinary generating function: A(z) = P 2A z jj. We use corresponding letters for classes and generating functions. Consider the class C whose elements are cycles of elements of A. The following result is classical 6], 1]: C(z) = X k1 (k) k log 1 1 ? A(z k) ; (0) where (k) is the Euler totient function. This result is proved by Read 6] using PP olya theory 5] and a classical computation of the Zyklenzeichner of the cyclic group. De Bruijn and Klarner 1] have another derivation, which amounts to the Lyndon factorization of free monoids 4, p. 64]. Our purpose in this note is to show that equality (0) follows directly from basic principles of combinatorial analysis 3], using elementary concepts of combinatorics on words from Lothaire 4]. Principle 1. Every non-empty word over A has a unique root which is a primitive word. For instance with ; 2 A, word decomposes into jj and its root is the primitive (also called aperiodic) word. Let S = A + be the set of non-empty words formed with elements of A, and PS the set of primitive words. From Principle 1, we havez S(z; u) uA(z) 1 ? uA(z) = X k1 PS(z k ; u k) : (1a) From Moebius inversion applied to (1a), we get an explicit form for PS(z; u): PS(z; u) = X k1 (k)S(z k ; u k) = X k1 (k) u k A(z k) 1 ? u k A(z k) : (1b) Principle 2. Every primitive k-cycle has k distinct primitive word representations. A cycle is said to be primitive ii any associated word is primitive. We use the notation. ] to denote a cycle. Then, for instance, the 5-cycle ababb] = babba] =. = babab] is primitive, while the 6-cycle abbabb] is not. We let PC denote the class of primitive cycles. Principle 2 permits to express the bivariate generating function PC(z; u) via the transformation u k 7 ! u k =k applied to PS(z; u): PC(z; u) = Z u 0 PS(z; t) dt t : (2a) Integrating with respect to u, we derive PC(z; u) = X k1 (k) k log 1 1 ? u k A(z k) : (2b) y …
How do motivational factors influence entrepreneurs’ perception of business opportunities in different stages of entrepreneurship?

ABSTRACT The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, it analyses the relationship between optimism about the emergence of future entrepreneurial opportunities and the length of the entrepreneurial experience; second, it aims to identify the external factors that can moderate this relationship. Our empirical analysis is conducted on a cross-national sample of 450,000 individuals drawn from the Adult Population Survey (APS), which is collected by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) consortium and covers the period from 2009 to 2011. Our results find an inverted U-shaped relationship between the length of the entrepreneurial experience and our indicator of optimism. Additionally, the relationship between optimism and length of entrepreneurial experience is conditioned by a set of external-factor moderators, such as social capital and the individuals’ perception of how valued entrepreneurship is as a career choice in their country.
Preparation of Paralympic Athletes; Environmental Concerns and Heat Acclimation

High ambient temperature and relative humidity (rh) are of great importance when considering athletic performance. Such factors are of particular interest when considering that the majority of Paralympic Games have been hosted at locations with potentially challenging environmental conditions (e.g., Atlanta, Sydney, Athens, Beijing) and a range of Paralympic athletes exhibit conditions manifesting thermal dysfunction. Prior to the Atlanta Games in 1996, Nielsen (1996) considered the “fight against physics” with respect to high ambient temperature (30–38°C) and relative humidity (rh; 40–80%) on endurance performance for able-bodied athletes. It was noted that with such potentially severe conditions outdoor endurance based performances could be severely reduced, especially in spells of high humidity. Strategies to prevent heat illness were recommended including events being scheduled at times of lower thermal stress or re-scheduled if temperatures were above 35°C. However, how these conditions may affect Paralympic athletes has not yet been reported. This article will consider what is known regarding enhancing (or maintaining) performance in the heat in athletes with motor disabilities in preparation for Rio 2016.
Neuromodulation of the locust frontal ganglion during the moult: a novel role for insect ecdysis peptides

SUMMARY In insects, continuous growth requires the periodic replacement of the exoskeleton during the moult. A moulting insect displays a stereotypical set of behaviours that culminate in the shedding of the old cuticle at ecdysis. Moulting is an intricate process requiring tightly regulated physiological changes and behaviours to allow integration of environmental cues and to ensure the proper timing and sequence of its components. This is under complex hormonal regulation, and is an important point of interaction between endocrine and neural control. Here, we focus on the locust frontal ganglion (FG), an important player in moulting behaviour, as a previously unexplored target for ecdysis peptides. We show that application of 10-7 mol l-1 ecdysis-triggering hormone (ETH) or 10-7 mol l-1 and 10-6 mol l-1 Pre-ecdysis-triggering hormone (PETH) to an isolated FG preparation caused an increase in bursting frequency in the FG, whereas application of 10-6 mol l-1 eclosion hormone (EH) caused an instantaneous, though temporary, total inhibition of all FG rhythmic activity. Crustacean cardioactive peptide (CCAP), an important peptide believed to turn on ecdysis behaviour, caused a dose-dependent increase of FG burst frequency. Our results imply a novel role for this peptide in generating air-swallowing behaviour during the early stages of ecdysis. Furthermore, we show that the modulatory effects of CCAP on the FG motor circuits are dependent on behavioural state and physiological context. Thus, we report that pre-treatment with ETH caused CCAP-induced effects similar to those induced by CCAP alone during pre-ecdysis. Thus, the action of CCAP seems to depend on pre-exposure to ETH, which is thought to be released before CCAP in vivo.
Lung-heart sound separation using noise assisted multivariate empirical mode decomposition

Separating lung sound (LS) from breath sound (BS) recording has been of interest to doctors and researchers in the last two decades. Many algorithms have been developed to solve this question, one of them is based on the empirical mode decomposition (EMD). Due to the notorious mode mixing issue in the standard EMD, this paper surveys LS extraction based on EMD extensions, including ensemble EMD (EEMD), multivariate EMD (M-EMD), and noise assisted M-EMD (NAM-EMD). In this study, the algorithm for LS extraction is composed of heart sound (HS) segmentation, LS separation, and segments reconstruction. The performance evaluation by auditory and numerical analyses reveals that NAM-EMD based LS extraction is superior to the standard EMD and its extensions.
Case Report of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound Features of Primary Hepatic Neuroendocrine Tumor

AbstractPrimary hepatic neuroendocrine tumors (PHNETs) are very rare and their clinical features and treatment outcomes are not well understood. It is difficult to reach a proper diagnosis before biopsy or resection. The aim of this study was to analyze the imaging features of PHNETs on contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS). The clinical characteristics, CEUS findings, pathological features, treatment and prognosis of 6 patients with PHNET treated in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed.Most PHNETs occurred in middle-aged patients, and the most common clinical manifestation was right upper quadrant palpable mass and abdominal pain. Multiple small anechoic intralesional cavities occurred frequently in PHNET. Multilocular cystic with internal septation or monolocular with wall nodule could also be detected. On contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS), heterogeneous hyperenhancement in the arterial phase and wash-out hypoenhancement were observed in most patients, while computed tomography scanning yielded similar results. Diagnosis of PHNET was confirmed by immunohistochemical result and follow-up with the absence of extrahepatic primary sites. Five patients received surgical resection and 2 cases exhibited recurrence. Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization was performed in 1 patient with recurrence. Only 1 patient received conservative care. The median overall survival in 5 patients who underwent surgical treatment was 27 months (18–36 months). PHNET is a rare tumor, and its diagnosis is difficult. The CEUS features reported in this series may enrich the knowledge base for characterization of PHNET.
Managing big data by directed graph node similarity

This paper shows a novel algorithm based on the theory of fuzzy sets for discovering similar nodes in very large directed graphs (millions of nodes with billions of connections), if provided with a sample of representative nodes that are highly affiliated with some feature. This approach is practically verified on Twitter social network case study to discover influential Twitter users in the field of science.
The impact of maternal anemia and labor on the obstetric Shock Index in women in a developing country

Background The Shock Index is a clinical tool to evaluate the hemodynamic status during hemorrhage. The impact of labor and pre-existing anaemia is unknown. The objective was to describe and discuss its clinical utility in this context. Methods This was a prospective cross-sectional study. The Shock Index (ratio between heart rate and systolic blood pressure) was measured in pregnant women at term, before or during labor. They were stratified according to the presence of anemia. Results The median Shock Index was significantly lower in women in labor than in those not in labor (0.72 (IQR: 0.64–0.83) vs. 0.85 (IQR: 0.80–0.94); p < 0.001). In women in labor, the Shock Index was not significantly different if anemia was present (0.72 (0.63–0.83) vs. 0.73 (0.65–0.82); p = 0.67). Conclusions Values of the Shock Index are affected by labor, which may hinder its utility in identifying hemorrhage during this period. However, the values were not altered by maternal anaemia. Therefore, an abnormal postpartum Shock Index should not be attributed to an abnormal antepartum Shock Index due to mild/moderate anemia.
Summarization for Oil and Gas News Article

Information is increasing in volumes; companies are overloaded with information that they may lose track in getting the intended information. It is a time consuming task to scan through each of the lengthy document. A shorter version of the document which contains only the gist information is more favourable for most information seekers. Therefore, in this paper, we implement a text summarization system to produce a summary that contains gist information of oil and gas news articles. The summarization is intended to provide important information for oil and gas companies to monitor their competitor’s behaviour in enhancing them in formulating business strategies. The system integrated statistical approach with three underlying concepts: keyword occurrences, title of the news article and location of the sentence. The generated summaries were compared with human generated summaries from an oil and gas company. Precision and recall ratio are used to evaluate the accuracy of the generated summary. Based on the experimental results, the system is able to produce an effective summary with the average recall value of 83% at the compression rate of 25%. Keywords—Information retrieval, text summarization, statistical approach.