Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The benefits of hormone replacement therapy in pre-menopausal women with oestrogen deficiency on haemodialysis.

BACKGROUND Impaired sexual function is an important cause of depression in uraemic females. Hyperprolactinaemia is frequent, and often associated with decreased serum oestradiol concentration, which can significantly contribute to accelerated bone loss. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on sexual function, serum 17beta-oestradiol and prolactin, and bone mineral density (BMD) in pre-menopausal women undergoing haemodialysis. METHODS Among 63 women on haemodialysis, aged 18-45 years, 23 with secondary amenorrhoea and serum oestradiol < 30 pg/ml were enrolled into the 1 year study. They were divided into: group I (n = 13) treated with transdermal oestradiol with cyclic addition of noretisterone acetate, and control group II (n = 10). BMD was measured with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). RESULTS No important changes in sexual function and hormonal profile were observed in the control group, whereas in all women from group I the treatment induced regular menses and a marked improvement of libido and sexual activity. Serum 17beta-oestradiol increased after the first month from 20.5 +/- 11.7 to 46.8 +/- 13.6 pg/ml (P < 0.001) and remained at that level until the end of the study, accompanied by a decrease of serum prolactin (from 1457 +/- 1045 to 691 +/- 116 mIU/ml after 12 months; P < 0.001). In group I, the treatment induced an increase in BMD, although significant only in L2-L4 (P < 0.05), whereas in group II a mild insignificant decrease was observed. However, a comparison of BMD values after 12 months in both groups revealed marked (P < 0.01-P < 0.05) differences at all studied sites. CONCLUSIONS Transdermal HRT allows sustained physiological serum oestradiol concentrations in pre-menopausal women with oestrogen deficiency on haemodialysis, with the restoration of regular menses and a marked improvement in their sexual function. The treatment inhibits bone demineralization and can play an important role in the prevention of early osteoporosis in this group of patients.
Seroepidemiology of hepatitis B, delta and human immunodeficiency virus infections in Hamadan province, Iran: a population based study.

The epidemiologic features of HBV, HDV and HIV in the general population of Hamadan province of Iran were studied. A total of 4930 subjects (1649 males and 3281 females) constituted the study population. Seropositivity for any HBV marker was found in 25.72% of the subjects. Of these, 2.49% were carriers of HBsAg, 18.09% were positive for anti-HBs and 5.13% for anti-HBc alone. HBeAg, anti-HBC IgM, and anti-HDV were present in 13.8, 6.5 and 2.4% of HBSAg carriers, respectively. Antibody to HIV was detected in none of the 4930 sera tested. Prevalence of HBV infection was lowest in children and young adults < 19 years and highest in adults > 60 years. No significant difference was observed between the rates in males and females. Family size and prevalence of HBV infection were unrelated but an inverse relation was found between HBV infection and education. Unmarried men and women showed the lowest (18.26%) and widows and divorcees the highest (51.59%) rate of HBV infection. Our results suggest that horizontal transmission is likely to be the primary mode of acquisition of HBV infection in children and young adults. Also infection is partly transmitted before or soon after birth to babies of HBsAg-carrier mothers. Socioeconomic and demographic variables have a greater impact on the prevalence of HBV infection than blood or medical care variables in our population.
A focus on reward in anorexia nervosa through the lens of the activity‐based anorexia rodent model

Patients suffering anorexia nervosa (AN) become anhedonic, unable or unwilling to derive normal pleasures and tend to avoid rewarding outcomes, most profoundly in food intake. The activity‐based anorexia model recapitulates many of the pathophysiological and behavioural hallmarks of the human condition, including a reduction in food intake, excessive exercise, dramatic weight loss, loss of reproductive cycles, hypothermia and anhedonia, and therefore it allows investigation into the underlying neurobiology of anorexia nervosa. The use of this model has directed attention to disruptions in central reward neurocircuitry, which may contribute to disease susceptibility. The purpose of this review is to demonstrate the utility of this unique model to provide insight into the mechanisms of reward relevant to feeding and weight loss, which may ultimately help to unravel the neurobiology of anorexia nervosa and, in a broader sense, the foundation of reward‐based feeding.
An adjustable fetal weight standard

The monitoring of fetal weight is an important aspect of antenatal care. To construct an individually adjustable standard, we developed a model to link the predicted birth weight to a fetal weight curve which outlines how this weight is to be reached in an uncomplicated pregnancy. A formula was derived which describes the median fetal weight at each gestation as a proportion of the optimal term weight, and also defines the 90th and 10th centile curves as normal limits.
Post-traumatic stress disorder in children and adolescents following road traffic accidents

Background Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be a persistent and disabling psychiatric disorder. There is little systematic research into the psychiatric consequences of road traffic accidents (RTAs) in children and adolescents. Method A consecutive sample of 8–16-year-olds attending an accident and emergency department following RTAs were screened for PTSD. Potential cases and their parent(s) were interviewed with semi-structured research instruments about six weeks and six months after the accident. Results Fifty-three (45%) of the 119 subjects fell above PTSD cut-off on the Frederick's Reaction Index. Thirty-three (75%) of the 44 cases met DSM–IV criteria for PTSD. In half of these other psychiatric disorders were present, including major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders. Being female, involvement in car accidents and pre-existing depression and anxiety were associated with developing PTSD. Seventeen per cent of the sample continued to be symptomatic six months after the accident. Conclusions PTSD is a common consequence of RTAs. Liaison with accident and emergency departments would enhance the early detection and follow-up of children at risk of developing PTSD.
Automatic Matrix Partitioning Algorithm Underlying Iterative Substructuring Methods for Finite Element Analysis

This paper deals with a non-overlapping domain decomposition method involving additional augmented terms along the interface between the sub-domains. The goal of these additional terms is to prevent the singularity of the sub-domain matrix problems, such as rigid body motion in mechanics or resonance frequencies in acoustics. If the definition of these augmented terms requires minor intrusion inside an existing computational code, the sub-domain matrices are however assembled in parallel and the sub-domain meshes are required for this purpose. To cope with these requirements, a small modification of the algorithm is proposed, which helps to partition automatically every global assembly matrix and helps in the development of the method as a 'black box' package. Details of the algorithms, implementation aspects and computational cost are clearly described in order to help the reader to implement this new algorithm. New numerical results performed on interior and exterior acoustics problems illustrate the performance and efficiency of the proposed methods.
Combining FMEA with DEMATEL models to solve production process problems

Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) is an analysis tool for identifying and preventing flaws or defects in products during the design and process planning stage, preventing the repeated occurrence of problems, reducing the effects of these problems, enhancing product quality and reliability, saving costs, and improving competitiveness. However, FMEA can only analyze one influence factor according to its priority, rendering this method ineffective for systems containing multiple FMs whose effects are simultaneous or interact with one another. Accordingly, when FMEA fails to identify the influence factors and the factors being influenced, the most crucial problems may be placed in lower priority or remain unresolved. Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) facilitates the determination of cause and effect factors; by identifying the causal factors that should be prioritized, prompt and effective solutions to core problems can be derived, thereby enhancing performance. Using the photovoltaic cell manufacturing industry in China as the research target, the present study combined FMEA with DEMATEL to amend the flaws of FMEA and enhance its effectiveness. First, FMEA was used to identify items requiring improvement. Then, DEMATEL was employed to examine the interactive effects and causal relationships of these items. Finally, the solutions to the problems were prioritized. The proposed method effectively combined the advantages of FMEA and DEMATEL to facilitate the identification of core problems and prioritization of solutions in the Chinese photovoltaic cell industry.
Capturing interface toughness parameters from shear testing using different fracture mechanics approaches

Simple adhesion tests like the pull-out test or the button shear tests have been used in industry for decades. They offer a great potential for comparison of different molding compounds, encapsulants, or adhesives on different types of substrates with or without surface treatment. However, for theoretical prediction purposes, interface fracture mechanics parameters are needed. Quantitative evaluations of the test applied to molding compound (MC)-button on Cu-leadframe by different fracture- and damage mechanical approaches are the subjects of the paper. Defect tolerant methodologies like the "virtual crack closure technique" (VCCT) and the J-inter-action integral approach, which consider the interface initially delaminated, are compared to the damage methodology “cohesive zone modelling (CZM)”, which needs no initial crack and can track the delamination progress. Calculated fracture parameters, in particular the energy release rates and mode mixity are compared. Effects on these parameters are discussed for different button shapes. In-situ tracking of dela-mination progress for a cubic button is shown using the optical correlation technique microDAC.
Increasing Incidences of Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Decreasing Surgery Rates in Copenhagen City and County, 2003–2005: A Population-Based Study from the Danish Crohn Colitis Database

OBJECTIVES:A continuous increase in the incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Crohn's disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC), and indeterminate colitis (IC) has been suggested. Since Denmark provides excellent conditions for epidemiological research, we aimed to describe contemporary IBD incidence rates and patient characteristics in Copenhagen County and City.METHODS:All patients diagnosed with IBD during 2003–2005 were followed prospectively. Demographic and clinical characteristics, such as disease extent, extraintestinal manifestations, smoking habits, medical treatment, surgical interventions, cancer, and death, were registered.RESULTS:Five-hundred sixty-two patients were diagnosed with IBD, resulting in mean annual incidences of 8.6/105 for CD, 13.4/105 for UC, and 1.1/105 for IC. Time from onset to diagnosis was 8.3 months in CD and 4.5 months in UC patients. A family history of IBD, smoking, and extraintestinal manifestations was significantly more common in CD than in UC patients. Only 0.6% of UC patients had primary sclerosing cholangitis. In CD, old age at diagnosis was related to pure colonic disease, whereas children significantly more often had proximal and extensive involvement. Twelve percent of CD patients and 6% of UC patients underwent surgery during the year of diagnosis, significantly less than earlier reported.CONCLUSIONS:The incidence of IBD in Copenhagen increased noticeably during the last decades. Time from onset of symptoms until diagnosis decreased markedly, extent of CD was related to age at diagnosis, and the risk of surgery was low in UC.
Primal and dual stability criteria for systems with time-varying gains

Primal and dual stability criteria are derived for systems with uncertain or time-varying components that can be characterized using mixed multipliers. The constant part of the multiplier is used to model time-varying components while the frequency varying multiplier is used to model linear time-invariant uncertainties. It is shown that the dual criterion sometimes reduces to easy-to-use criteria that reveal the structure of the problem.
Infliximab as rescue therapy in severe to moderately severe ulcerative colitis: a randomized, placebo-controlled study.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Despite treatment with corticosteroids, severe to moderately severe attacks of ulcerative colitis have a high colectomy rate. We intended to find a rescue therapy other than cyclosporin A, which imposes a high risk of side effects and cyclosporine-related mortality. METHODS This was a randomized double-blind trial of infliximab or placebo in severe to moderately severe ulcerative colitis not responding to conventional treatment. Patients were randomized to infliximab/placebo either on day 4 after the initiation of corticosteroid treatment if they fulfilled the index criteria for fulminant ulcerative colitis on day 3 or on day 6-8 if they fulfilled index criteria on day 5-7 for a severe or moderately severe acute attack of ulcerative colitis. Results were analyzed according to the intention-to-treat principle. The primary end point was colectomy or death 3 months after randomization. Secondary end points were clinical and endoscopic remission at that time in patients who did not undergo operation. RESULTS Forty-five patients were included (24 infliximab and 21 placebo). No patient died. Seven patients in the infliximab group and 14 in the placebo group had a colectomy (P = .017; odds ratio, 4.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.4-17) within 3 months after randomization. No serious side effects occurred. Three patients in the placebo group required operation for septic complications. CONCLUSIONS Infliximab 4-5 mg/kg is an effective and safe rescue therapy in patients experiencing an acute severe or moderately severe attack of ulcerative colitis not responding to conventional treatment.
Early postnatal physical and behavioural development of degus (Octodon degus)

Summary 6 litters of Octodon degus were studied from birth to 10 days of age. Newly-born degus (mean weight 14·6 g) had open eyes, upper and lower pigment, für, and teeth. Within 3–4 hours of birth they were able to walk supporting their full weight, right themselves rapidly, sit upright on their haunches, or rear upright with support, and vocalize. By the 1st or 2nd day, the young animals displayed functional grooming (face washing, hind-paw scratching, rapid head-shake). Solid food was ingested from day 6, although newborns chewed wood chips and 3–day olds gnawed dried faeces. Young degus were tested daily in an open field apparatus and showed increased activity and exploration, with repeated testing while decreasing distress vocalization after the 4th or 5th day. Degus are proposed for the study of developmental topics since their degree of development at birth allows for immediate testing. The degus studied here seem to be more fully developed at birth than those studied in Britain.
Muscle Pathologies After Cervical Spine Distortion-Like Exposure—A Porcine Model

Objective: Histological evaluation of porcine posterior cervical muscles after a forceful translational and extensional head retraction simulating high-speed rear end impact. Methods: Four anesthetized pigs were exposed to a cervical spine distortion (CSD)-like motion in a lying position. After 2 different survival times of 4 and 6 h (posttrauma), the pigs were euthanized and tissue sampling of posterior cervical muscles was performed. A standard histological staining method involving paraffin-embedded sections was used to analyze the muscles, focusing on injury signs like hemorrhage and inflammatory cell reaction. A pig that was not subjected to impact was used as a control pig and was subjected to the same procedure to exclude any potential artifacts from the autopsy. Results: The differentiation of 8 different posterior neck muscles in the dissection process was successful in more than 50 percent for each muscle of interest. Staining and valid analysis was possible from all extracted samples. Muscle injuries to the deepest posterior neck muscles could be found, especially in the musculus obliquus samples, which showed laminar bleedings in 4 out of 4 samples. In addition, in 4 out of 4 samples we were able to see increased cellular reactions. The splenius muscle also showed bleeding in all 4 samples. All animals showed muscle injury signs in more than three quarters of analyzed neck muscles. Differences between survival times of 4 and 6 h in terms of muscular injury were not of primary interest and could not be found. Conclusions: By simulating a CSD-like motion we were able to confirm injuries in the posterior cervical muscles under severe loading conditions. Further studies need to be conducted to determine whether these muscle injuries also occur under lower exposure forces. Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Traffic Injury Prevention to view the supplemental file.
PHOTON SAF CALCULATION BASED ON THE CHINESE MATHEMATICAL PHANTOM AND COMPARISON WITH THE ORNL PHANTOMS

The Chinese mathematical phantom (CMP) is a stylized human body model developed based on the methods of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) mathematical phantom series (OMPS), and data from Reference Asian Man and Chinese Reference Man. It is constructed for radiation dose estimation for Mongolians, whose anatomical parameters are different from those of Caucasians to some extent. Specific absorbed fractions (SAF) are useful quantities for the primary estimation of internal radiation dose. In this paper, a general Monte Carlo code, Monte Carlo N-Particle Code (MCNP) is used to transport particles and calculate SAF. A new variance reduction technique, called the “pointing probability with force collision” method, is implemented into MCNP to reduce the calculation uncertainty, especially for a small-volume target organ. Finally, SAF data for all 31 organs of both sexes of CMP are calculated. A comparison between SAF based on male phantoms of CMP and OMPS demonstrates that the differences apparently exist, and more than 80% of SAF data based on CMP are larger than that of OMPS. However, the differences are acceptable (the differences are above one order of magnitude only in less than 3% of situations) considering the differences in physique. Furthermore, trends in the SAF with increasing photon energy based on the two phantoms agree well. This model complements existing phantoms of different age, sex and ethnicity.
Consistent position uncertainty management in environment modeling for mobile robots

In mobile robotics, environment modeling is an essential element of a navigation system. It must take into account all sources of uncertainties and represent their repercussions with a suitable formalism for the user processes. A general approach for environment modeling, dealing with position uncertainty, is described. The suitability of the approximate transformations for this objective is shown and applications of this environment model for several navigation tasks are analysed, along with simulation results. <<ETX>>
Simulation of banks queuing system based on WITNESS

Queuing in a bank is a common phenomenon and also a knotty problem. This paper first processes collected line data of banks, gets distribution and parameters on customers arriving and the service time interval, then take a simulation by witness and put forward optimization measures. The assessments of two queuing strategies, taking the average length of staying and the average time of queuing in system as indexes, can play a role in the choice of the queuing way of multi-desks servers, at the same time, show it is one of effective measures, to improve efficiency of bank server system, that the calling number machine changed from multi queues and multi desks to single queue and multi desks system.
Colesevelam hydrochloride to treat hypercholesterolemia and improve glycemia in prediabetes: a randomized, prospective study.

OBJECTIVE To assess the effect of the bile acid sequestrant colesevelam hydrochloride in patients with hypercholesterolemia and prediabetes. METHODS In this 16-week, randomized, double-blind study, adults with untreated prediabetes (2-hour postoral glucose tolerance test [OGTT] glucose > or =140 to 199 mg/dL, fasting plasma glucose [FPG] > or =110 to 125 mg/dL, or both), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) > or =100 mg/dL, and triglycerides <500 mg/dL were randomly assigned to receive colesevelam (3.75 g/d) or placebo. The primary end point was percent change in LDL-C from baseline to week 16 with last observation carried forward. Secondary end points included change in FPG, hemoglobin A1c (A1C), and 2-hour post-OGTT glucose level from baseline to week 16 and attainment of LDL-C and FPG targets. RESULTS In total, 216 patients were randomized (colesevelam, 108; placebo, 108). In comparison with placebo, colesevelam significantly reduced LDL-C (mean treatment difference, -15.6%), non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (-9.1%), total cholesterol (-7.2%), apolipoprotein B (-8.1%) (P<.001 for all the foregoing), FPG (median, -2.0 mg/dL; P = .02), and A1C (mean, -0.10%; P = .02). Colesevelam did not significantly change 2-hour post-OGTT glucose (-1.9 mg/dL; P = .75) or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (-0.5%; P = .80). In addition, colesevelam significantly increased triglyceride levels relative to placebo (median, 14.3%; P<.001). The proportion of patients achieving target levels with colesevelam versus placebo, respectively, was as follows: LDL-C <100 mg/dL (29% versus 11%; P<.001), A1C <6.0% (37% versus 25%; P = .05), FPG <110 mg/dL (48% versus 56%; P = .97), and normalization of glucose (FPG <100 mg/dL [40% versus 23%; P = .06]). Colesevelam had a weight-neutral effect and was well tolerated. CONCLUSION Colesevelam is an option for managing the lipid profile and normalizing glucose levels in patients with hypercholesterolemia and prediabetes. Further study is warranted to determine whether colesevelam slows or prevents progression of prediabetes to type 2 diabetes.
Ethical concerns in usability research involving children

There is a trend towards the respectful inclusion of children in the research process because they are a significant group within the community (Flewitt, 2005). It is important to conduct research with children as they can reap significant benefit from these research activities when the results are applied. Furthermore, the findings from research conducted on adults cannot always be assumed to apply to children because of their different preferences and needs which can only be established by conducting research on children directly. According to the Australian National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Research Involving Humans, “Research is essential to advance knowledge about children’s and young peoples’ well-being” (2005: 4.1). It is by researching children that their voices can be heard and their preferences can be taken into consideration (Burmeister, 2001). In educational research children who participate in the research process are considered valuable as their preferences for learning could be considerably different to adult learners. Hedges states, “Views of children affect AbstrAct