Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Outcome of the first 220 cases of endometrial balloon ablation using Cavaterm™plus

The objective of this prospective study was to evaluate the effectiveness of day-case Cavaterm™plus thermal balloon endometrial ablation in the treatment of therapy-resistant menorrhagia. The study included 220 patients with a mean age of 41 years, mean parity of 2.1 and mean duration of menorrhagia of 3.2 years. A 6-mm diameter Cavaterm™plus catheter with a silicone balloon at its tip was used. The ablation time was 10 minutes at a temperature of 78°C. No procedure-related operative or immediate postoperative complications were encountered. The mean follow-up period was 19 months (range 6 - 24 months). The amenorrhoea - hypomenorrhoea rates at the various follow-up periods ranged between 74% and 83%. At the end of follow-up, 83% of patients were satisfied with the procedure. We conclude that Cavaterm™plus is a safe and effective treatment for menorrhagia and has good patient acceptability.
Sibutramine produces dose-related weight loss.

OBJECTIVE Sibutramine is a weight control drug that inhibits the reuptake of both serotonin and norepinephrine. In animals, it reduces food intake and increases thermogenesis and preliminary data in human beings showed weight loss. This paper reports a 24-week dose-ranging study to determine the effect of sibutramine on body weight of patients with obesity. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES Seven clinical centers screened 1463 patients with obesity and randomized 1047 to 24 weeks of treatment with 1 of 6 doses of sibutramine (1, 5, 10, 15, 20, or 30 mg) or placebo once daily. Six hundred eighty-three patients completed the study. A two-week placebo run-in period was used to initiate a standardized program of diet, physical activity, and lifestyle changes. RESULTS Weight loss was dose-related and statistically significant vs. placebo (p<0.05) across all time-points for a 5 mg/day to 30 mg/day dosage of sibutramine. At week 24, percent weight loss from baseline for completers was: placebo, 1.2%; 1 mg, 2.7%; 5 mg, 3.9%; 10 mg, 6.1%; 15 mg, 7.4%; 20 mg, 8.8%; and 30 mg, 9.4%. Weight loss achieved at week 4 was predictive of weight loss achieved at week 24. Patients losing weight demonstrated an increase in serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol and reductions in serum triglycerides, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, and uric acid. Small mean increases in blood pressure and pulse rate (with considerable individual variability) were observed in patients treated with sibutramine. The most frequent adverse events were dry mouth, anorexia, and insomnia. DISCUSSION Sibutramine administered once daily for 24 weeks in the weight loss phase of treatment for uncomplicated obesity produced dose-related weight loss and was well tolerated. Improvements in serum lipids and uric acid accompany sibutramine-induced weight loss. Most of the adverse events observed on sibutramine are related to its pharmacology, including small mean increases in blood pressure and heart rate.
Evaluation of Transnasal Esophagogastroduodenoscopy as a Surveillance Endoscopy in a General Medical Checkup

The Korean Journal of Helicobacter and Upper Gastrointestinal Research is an Open-Access Journal. All articles are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. ORIGINAL ARTICLE ISSN 1738-3331, http://dx.doi. org/10.7704/kjhugr.2014. 14.4. 255 The Korean Journal of Helicobacter and Upper Gastrointestinal Research, 2014;14(4):255-260
Improved Reproduction of Stops in Noise Reduction Systems with Adaptive Windows and Nonstationarity Detection

A new block-based noise reduction system is proposed which focuses on the preservation of transient sounds like stops or speech onsets. The power level of consonants has been shown to be important for speech intelligibility. In single-channel noise reduction systems, however, these sounds are frequently severely attenuated. The main reasons for this are an insufficient temporal resolution of transient sounds and a delayed tracking of important control parameters. The key idea of the proposed system is the detection of non-stationary input data. Depending on that decision, a pair of spectral analysis-synthesis windows is selected which either provides high temporal or high spectral resolution. Furthermore, the decision-directed approach for the estimation of the a priori SNR is modified so that speech onsets are tracked more quickly without sacrificing performance in stationary signal regions. The proposed solution shows significant improvements in the preservation of stops with an overall system delay (input-output, excluding group delay of noise reduction filter) of only 10 milliseconds.
Experiments in the dynamics of phase coupled oscillators when applied to graph colouring

This paper examines the capacity of networks of phase coupled oscillators to coordinate activity in a parallel, distributed fashion. To benchmark these networks of oscillators, we present empirical results from a study of the capacity of such networks to colour graphs. We generalise the update equation of Aihara et al. (2006) to an equation that can be applied to graphs requiring multiple colours. We find that our simple multi-phase model can colour some types of graphs, especially complete graphs and complete k-partite graphs with equal or a near equal number of vertices in each partition. A surprising empirical result is that the effectiveness of the approach appears to be more dependent upon the topology of the graph than the size of the graph.
Impact of the first national campaign against the stigma of mental illness

Background Egypt experienced its first nationally televised antistigma campaign in 2007. This independent study aims at a scientific evaluation of the potential benefits of this campaign. Methods Two educational clips lasting 1 or 2 min each were aired daily on prime time television between 1 and 31 October 2007. Five messages were relayed as the clip rolled on. A specially designed questionnaire covering six areas was used; these included demographics, identifying those who have seen the clips, memory and opinion about each message, stigma-related attitudes, and behavior toward the mentally ill persons. Twenty mental health workers with experience in field work ranging in training from 1 to 13 years received two training sessions. The questionnaire was piloted on 82 participants and subsequently modified. A total of 3000 participants who consented to being interviewed were selected to participate. The data of 2274 participants from the Greater Cairo region are reported in this study (75.8%). Results The study sample is more representative of the younger, as only 21% of the sample were above 46 years, educated, as only 18% were illiterate, married, as 55% of the sample were married, and employed sections of the population. A total of 55% reported that daily life stressors were the cause of mental illness. Only 17% of the study sample actually acknowledged seeing the antistigma adverts (campaign exposed, CE) and 83% were campaign unexposed. There were no statistically significant demographic differences between both groups. Among those who saw the campaign adverts, a significant proportion reported a number of positive effects on attitude and behavior. However, when CE and campaign unexposed participants were compared, no statistically significant differences emerged. A total of 50% of the participants remembered that mental illness is curable. The question that psychiatric patients are dangerous to self or others showed a statistically significant difference between participants who were CE and those who were not exposed. Conclusion The public were willing to express their opinions as they showed significant cooperativeness and validity of their answers, especially those exposed to the campaign. The television is the medium of choice that the public prefer is the evidence stated in the paper. The antistigma media campaign leads to changes in the attitude of participants who are exposed to mental illness. Positive messages influenced attitude change more.
Pro v Con Debate: Role of sugar sweetened beverages in obesity Resolved: there is sufficient scientific evidence that decreasing sugar-sweetened beverage consumption will reduce the prevalence of obesity and obesity-related diseases

Summary Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are the single largest source of added sugar and the top source of energy intake in the U.S. diet. In this review, we evaluate whether there is sufficient scientific evidence that decreasing SSB consumption will reduce the prevalence of obesity and its related diseases. Because prospective cohort studies address dietary determinants of long-term weight gain and chronic diseases, whereas randomized clinical trials (RCTs) typically evaluate short-term effects of specific interventions on weight change, both types of evidence are critical in evaluating causality. Findings from well-powered prospective cohorts have consistently shown a significant association, established temporality and demonstrated a direct dose‐response relationship between SSB consumption and long-term weight gain and risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D). A recently published meta-analysis of RCTs commissioned by the World Health Organization found that decreased intake of added sugars significantly reduced body weight (0.80 kg, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.39‐1.21; P < 0.001), whereas increased sugar intake led to a comparable weight increase (0.75 kg, 0.30‐1.19; P = 0.001). A parallel meta-analysis of cohort studies also found that higher intake of SSBs among children was associated with 55% (95% CI 32‐82%) higher risk of being overweight or obese compared with those with lower intake. Another metaanalysis of eight prospective cohort studies found that one to two servings per day of SSB intake was associated with a 26% (95% CI 12‐41%) greater risk of developing T2D compared with occasional intake (less than one serving per month). Recently, two large RCTs with a high degree of compliance provided convincing data that reducing consumption of SSBs significantly decreases weight gain and adiposity in children and adolescents. Taken together, the evidence that decreasing SSBs will decrease the risk of obesity and related diseases such as T2D is compelling. Several additional issues warrant further discussion. First, prevention of long-term weight gain through dietary changes such as limiting consumption of SSBs is more important than short-term weight loss in reducing the prevalence of obesity in the population. This is due to the fact that once an individual becomes obese, it is difficult to lose weight and keep it off. Second, we should consider the totality of evidence rather than selective pieces of evidence (e.g. from short-term RCTs only). Finally, while recognizing that the evidence of harm on health against SSBs is strong, we should avoid the trap of waiting for absolute proof before allowing public health action to be taken.
Newborn piglet model for campylobacteriosis

An in vivo model system for human campylobacteriosis has been developed in which colostrum-deprived newborn piglets are orally challenged with an invasive strain of Campylobacter jejuni. Piglets developed clinical symptoms and histopathological lesions similar to those observed in humans infected with C. jejuni. Gross lesion examination at autopsy revealed the presence of edema, hyperemia, and mucus. Histopathologic examinations by light and transmission electron microscopy demonstrated damage to surface epithelial cells with the presence of intracellular bacteria, mainly in the large intestine. Similar lesions were not demonstrated in control piglets.
Treatment of diabetes mellitus: beyond glycaemic control.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus has emerged as the leading metabolic disorder worldwide, affecting more than 350 million individuals as of 2007. India is the ‘diabetic capital’ of the world, with 41 million people afflicted with the disease. The clinical importance of diabetes lies mainly in its propensity to produce macrovascular and microvascular complications, leading to cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy and foot problems, which account for considerable morbidity and mortality throughout the world.
A 2 – 1600-MHz CMOS Clock Recovery PLL with Low-Capability

A general-purpose phase-locked loop (PLL) with programmable bit rates is presented demonstrating that large frequency tuning range, large power supply range, and low jitter can be achieved simultaneously. The clock recovery architecture uses phase selection for automatic initial frequency capture. The large period jitter of conventional phase selection is eliminated through feedback phase selection. Digital control sequencing of the feedback enables accurate phase interpolation without the traditional need of analog circuitry. Circuit techniques enabling low-V dd operation of a PLL with differential delay stages are presented. Measurements show a PLL frequency range of 1–200 MHz at V dd = 1:2 V linearly increasing to 2–1600 MHz atV dd = 2:5 V, achieved in a standard process technology without low threshold voltage devices. Correct operation has been verified down to V dd= 0:9 V, but the lower limit of differential operation with improved supply-noise rejection is estimated to be 1.1 V.
[Hemodynamic, immunologic and systemic stress response during surgery under total intravenous anesthesia with midazolam-ketamine-fentanyl or remifentanil-midazolam: a randomized clinical trial].

OBJECTIVE To assess the effect of stress from surgery on hemodynamics, white cell count, and systemic markers during cholecystectomies performed under 2 intravenous anesthetic techniques. PATIENTS AND METHOD Randomized clinical trial in patients classified ASA 1 or 2. The patients received 0.15 mg x kg(-1) of midazolam, 1 mg x kg(-1) x h(-1) of ketamine, and 2 microg x kg(-1) of fentanyl (MKF group) or 1 microg x kg(-1) x min of remifentanil and 0.15 mg x kg(-1) of midazolam (RM group). Hemodynamic parameters, white cell counts in circulating blood, and serum levels of cortisol, prolactin, and interleukin-6 were recorded before surgery, after intubation, and at the end of surgery. RESULTS Thirty-two patients were enrolled. Hemodynamic stability was good in both groups. After intubation, mean (SD) heart rate (75 [14] beats x min(-1)) and systolic (96 [14] mm Hg) and diastolic (60 [7] mm Hg) blood pressures were lower in the RM group than in the MKF group (99 [17] beats x min(-1); 121 [29] mm Hg; and 79 [14] mm Hg, respectively, P<0.01). After surgery whi- te cell (10528 [6480] microL(-1)) and neutrophil (8155 [5657] microL(-1)) counts and cortisol concentration (225 [257] ng x mL(-1)) were significantly lower in the RM patients than in the MKF patients (white cell count, 14,002 [5927] cells x micromL(-1); neutrophil count, 11530 [5657] cells x microL(-1), and 788.8 [146] ng x mL(-1); P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS The 2 intravenous anesthesia regimens compared differ slightly with regard to their effects on surgical stress. Anesthesia with remifentanil and midazolam contributes to reducing the inflammatory response through modulation of the neurohumoral response to stress.
Automatic assembly of quartz tuning fork and microcantilever

Conventional atomic force microscopes (AFMs) detect microcantilever deflection using an optical lever system. However, the complex mechanism of the optical lever system and the alignment of the laser spot on the microcantilever prevent such AFM systems from scanning large samples. AFM systems using a quartz tuning fork (QTF) as a force sensor have been proven feasible, and enhance compactness of the AFM system. This paper presents the automatic assembly of the QTF sensor and the microcantilever of commercial AFM probe using a visual servo method.
Measuring the Effectiveness of Nonprofit Boards

The Board Self-Assessment Questionnaire (BSAQ) was developed to assess board performance in six areas that previous research has shown to characterize highly effective boards. Data from 623 board members in 34 nonprofit organizations were used to examine this instrument's reliability, validity, and sensitivity, including the relationship between board scores and selected indicators of the organization's financial performance. Results indicate that the BSAQ is a sound and useful tool for evaluating board performance.
Latina College Students: Issues and Challenges for the 21st Century

A neglected yet increasing student population in higher education at the threshold of the 21st Century, Latina college and university students face distinct challenged and barriers to participation. This manuscript explores various Latina student issues - including "labeling," barriers, and factors contributing to success - and examines effective strategies for student and academic affairs administrators to support Latina success in higher education (ie, financial aid, academic support, social/cultural support, and campus environment).
Telomere Biology and Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm

Ascending aortic aneurysms are mostly asymptomatic and present a great risk of aortic dissection or perforation. Consequently, ascending aortic aneurysms are a source of lethality with increased age. Biological aging results in progressive attrition of telomeres, which are the repetitive DNA sequences at the end of chromosomes. These telomeres play an important role in protection of genomic DNA from end-to-end fusions. Telomere maintenance and telomere attrition-associated senescence of endothelial and smooth muscle cells have been indicated to be part of the pathogenesis of degenerative vascular diseases. This systematic review provides an overview of telomeres, telomere-associated proteins and telomerase to the formation and progression of aneurysms of the thoracic ascending aorta. A better understanding of telomere regulation in the vascular pathology might provide new therapeutic approaches. Measurements of telomere length and telomerase activity could be potential prognostic biomarkers for increased risk of death in elderly patients suffering from an aortic aneurysm.
Interactive Japanese-European text generation - an approach to multilingual export translation based

The translation quality of current machine translation systems is limited by restriction to syntactic and semantic factors. A wider range of factors, including pragmatic and discourse factors, needs to be extracted from the source text and transferred to the target text. However, correct generation of the target text often requires factors which are not present in the source text. One way to add these factors is by interactive inquiries to the user. Systemic Functional Grammar (SFG) includes the necessary wider range of factors. It is also orientated explicitly towards the organization of choices in the values of these factors. The aim of the thesis is therefore to investigate the possible advantages in the use of SFG in machine translation. This investigation is in two parts: a survey of the theory and practice of SFG in both monolingual and multilingual generation, with reference to related issues in machine translation, and an implementation of a demonstration prototype showing an SFG-based approach to the inclusion of the wider range of factors by interactive inquiries. The demonstration prototype is an interactive generation system, in which inquiries concerning factors needed in the generation of complex English modal and auxiliary verb groups are presented in Japanese to a Japanese user. The necessary factors are organized as an SFG network of choices, and the inquiries are based on felicity conditions for the appropriateness of the choices. The prototype system can be used for iterative revision of the generated sentences, under the control of the grammar. This suggests an approach to knowledge-based post-editing. The thesis concludes with a brief comparison of the strong and weak points of SFG and HPSG, and considers the bene ts if their strong points could be combined. 1 Declaration No portion of the work referred to in the thesis has been submitted in support of an application for another degree or quali cation of this or any other university or other institution of learning. Acknowledgements This work was done as a visiting researcher of Sharp Corporation at UMIST. I wish to thank Mr Mikio Ohsaki and Mr Shigeki Kuga of Sharp Corporation, and Prof Juan Sager and Prof Jun-ichi Tsujii of UMIST, for giving me this opportunity. Many thanks to my supervisor, Bill Black, and to John Bateman, Brian Chandler, Robin Fawcett, Kristiina Jokinen, Takashi Kamiko, Osamu Nishida, John Phillips, Erich Steiner, Pete Whitelock, Kenji Yoshimura and others for their help and valuable discussions. To Pat Olver, and to Jiri and Susan Jelinek, I owe more than thanks.
EVM analysis of amplify-and-forward relaying under I/Q imbalance

We analyze the EVM performance of OFDM-based relay-assisted amplify-and-forward systems in the presence of I/Q imbalance. We show analytically that the MRC detector suffers from an error floor due to mutual interference between image subcarriers. We prove analytically that a simple zero-forcing two-tap per subcarrier equalizer eliminates this error floor. Simulation results demonstrate its significant performance gain over MRC detection for different I/Q imbalance levels, SNR levels, and relay positions.
Longitudinal Course of Schizophrenia

Abstract: Background: Understanding the course of schizophrenia is essential to improve prophylaxis, early diagnosis, diagnostic validity, and prognosis. Method : We completed a comprehensive literature search for longitudinal, prospective and retrospective studies of schizophrenia. As studies span over almost a century and use different diagnostic criteria to decrease the effect of studies heterogeneity we reviewed the data organized according to historical periods (institutionalization and deinstitutionaliza-tion, pre and post neuroleptic periods) Results : The majority of the longitudinal studies of schizophrenia report that up to 30-50% of patients present with a sta-ble or favorable course. Interestingly, this moderately positive outcome is de-emphasized in the literature, which most times focuses on the bleaker outcome of the rest of the patients (50-70%). A number of putative course predictors at the time of the initial diagnosis have been proposed. However, the current level of evidence about risk and protective factor is putative rather than clear and convincing.
Optimization of biodiesel production process from papaya (Carica papaya) seed oil

Optimization of biodiesel production from non-edible Carica papaya seed oil was experimentally investigated in this study. Biodiesel production process parameters such as methanol: oil molar ratio, catalyst type and their concentrations, reaction temperature and reaction time were evaluated. It was found that the optimum process parameters for transesterification of the Carica papaya seed oil at an agitation speed of 600 rpm were: methanol: oil molar ratio 10.0:1; KOH catalyst concentration 1% (of oil weight); reaction temperature of 45°C and reaction time of 60 min. At these reaction conditions, the experimental biodiesel yield was found to be 96.5%. The biodiesel properties were characterized and the results obtained were found to satisfy ASTM D6751 standards. It was therefore concluded that the papaya seed oil biodiesel could be used as an alternative biofuel for diesel engines without any major engine modification.