Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Factores de riesgo de los casos esporádicos de diarrea por Campylobacter, Salmonella y rotavirus en niños preescolares

Antecedentes Los casos esporadicos de diarrea en ninos pequenos son muy frecuentes, sobre todo por rotavirus, Campylobacter y Salmonella. Se pretende identificar los factores asociados con estos procesos. Material y metodos Estudio de casos y controles. Casos de diarrea hospitalizados menores de 3 anos. Entrevista realizada inmediatamente al ingreso, antes de conocer el resultado del coprocultivo. Se investigaron factores de susceptibilidad, de alimentacion y ambientales. Se ha distinguido en ninos mayores y menores de 1 ano. Resultados Un total de 117 pacientes (rotavirus, 31; Campylobacter, 28; Salmonella, 21; negativos, 37) y 84 controles. Se identificaron varios factores protectores como lactancia materna y toma previa de antibiotico. Factores de riesgo relacionados como la exposicion a productos carnicos (por ingesta o ambiental en la cocina), a algunos animales domesticos o asistencia a guarderias. Hubo diferencias por tipo de germen y por grupo de edad. En el grupo de pacientes con el coprocultivo negativo no se identificaron factores de riesgo. Conclusion Se discuten las dificultades que plantea el estudio epidemiologico de este tipo de casos. Se interpretan los hallazgos por grupos de microorganismos, por grupo de edad, y se plantea su aplicacion en el control y prevencion de estos procesos.
Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome: Historical Perspective and Definition

The adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a sudden, clinical, pathophysiologic syndrome characterized by severe dyspnea, hypoxemia, and dif fuse bilateral pulmonary infiltrations and "stiff lungs" following massive acute lung injury in persons with no prior major lung disease. The clinical presen tation, current understanding of pathogenesis
Quality of life after breast cancer diagnosis and survival.

PURPOSE To examine the association of quality of life (QOL) after diagnosis of breast cancer with mortality and recurrence. PATIENTS AND METHODS From 2002 to 2004, a total of 2,230 breast cancer survivors completed the General Quality of Life Inventory-74 6 months after diagnosis as part of the Shanghai Breast Cancer Survivor Study. Also collected at baseline was information on demographic and clinical characteristics. At 36 months postdiagnosis, 1,845 of these women were re-evaluated for QOL. Outcomes were ascertained by in-person interview and record linkage to the vital statistics registry. The association of QOL with total mortality and cancer recurrence was assessed by using Cox regression analysis. RESULTS During a median follow-up of 4.8 years after the 6-month postdiagnosis QOL assessment, 284 deaths were identified. Recurrence was documented in 267 patients after 108 patients with stage IV breast cancer or recurrence before study enrollment were excluded. Women with the highest tertile of social well-being QOL score, compared with those with the lowest score, had a 38% decreased risk of mortality (95% CI, 0.46 to 0.85; P for trend = .002) and a 48% decreased risk of breast cancer recurrence (95% CI, 0.38 to 0.71; P for trend < .001). QOL assessed at 36 months postdiagnosis was not significantly associated with subsequent risk of mortality or recurrence. CONCLUSION Social well-being in the first year after cancer diagnosis is a significant prognostic factor for breast cancer recurrence or mortality, suggesting a possible avenue of intervention by maintaining or enhancing social support for women soon after their breast cancer diagnosis to improve disease outcomes.
Hugh Cairns: First Nuffield Professor of Surgery, University of Oxford

One of the attractions of this biography of a major English neurosurgeon is an appendix, in which there are, alphabetically arranged, long and short notes on people, places, schools, techniques, etc, noted by asterisks in the text. It contains, for instance, an account of the career and philanthropies of Viscount Nuffield (born William Morris), the successful manufacturer of Morris cars— and munitions. Among the endowments he made was one establishing the Nuffield Professorship in Surgery at Oxford, whose first recipient was Hugh Cairns. How Cairns, born on June 26, 1896, the only child of a village carpenter in South Australia, accomplished this in the early decades of the 20th century is told by Gustave Julius Fraenkel. The author studied medicine at Oxford and was ultimately chosen by Cairns to be Senior Lecturer in Surgery, to give the medical students a good background in general surgery. Cairns finished medical school in
Second primary cancers after an index head and neck cancer: subsite-specific trends in the era of human papillomavirus-associated oropharyngeal cancer.

PURPOSE Patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) are at elevated risk of second primary malignancies (SPM), most commonly of the head and neck (HN), lung, and esophagus. Our objectives were to identify HNSCC subsite-specific differences in SPM risk and distribution and to describe trends in risk over 3 decades, before and during the era of human papillomavirus (HPV) -associated oropharyngeal SCC. METHODS Population-based cohort study of 75,087 patients with HNSCC in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program. SPM risk was quantified by using standardized incidence ratios (SIRs), excess absolute risk (EAR) per 10,000 person-years at risk (PYR), and number needed to observe. Trends in SPM risk were analyzed by using joinpoint log-linear regression. RESULTS In patients with HNSCC, the SIR of second primary solid tumor was 2.2 (95% CI, 2.1 to 2.2), and the EAR was 167.7 cancers per 10,000 PYR. The risk of SPM was highest for hypopharyngeal SCC (SIR, 3.5; EAR, 307.1 per 10,000 PYR) and lowest for laryngeal SCC (SIR, 1.9; EAR, 147.8 per 10,000 PYR). The most common SPM site for patients with oral cavity and oropharynx SCC was HN; for patients with laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer, it was the lung. Since 1991, SPM risk has decreased significantly among patients with oropharyngeal SCC (annual percentage change in EAR, -4.6%; P = .03). CONCLUSION In patients with HNSCC, the risk and distribution of SPM differ significantly according to subsite of the index cancer. Before the 1990s, hypopharynx and oropharynx cancers carried the highest excess risk of SPM. Since then, during the HPV era, SPM risk associated with oropharyngeal SCC has declined to the lowest risk level of any subsite.
Take-Away TV: Recharging Work Commutes With Predictive Preloading of Catch-Up TV Content

Mobile data offloading can greatly decrease the load on and usage of current and future cellular data networks by exploiting opportunistic and frequent access to Wi-Fi connectivity. Unfortunately, Wi-Fi access from mobile devices can be difficult during typical work commutes, e.g., via trains or cars on highways. In this paper, we propose a new approach: to preload the mobile device with content that a user might be interested in, thereby avoiding the need for cellular data access. We demonstrate the feasibility of this approach by developing a supervised machine learning model that learns from user preferences for different types of content, and propensity to be guided by the user interface of the player, and predictively preload entire TV shows. Testing on a data set of nearly 3.9 million sessions from all over the U.K. to BBC TV shows, we find that predictive preloading can save over 71% of the mobile data for an average user.
Influence of antioxidant vitamins supplementation on blood glucose levels and body wastages of alloxan-induced diabetic rats.

There is increasing evidence that in certain pathology states, the increased production and/or ineffective scavenging of reactive oxygen species (ROS) may play a critical role. Therefore, it seems reasonable that antioxidants can play an important role in the management of these diseases. In the current study, antioxidant vitamins A, C and E were supplemented in alloxan-induced diabetic rats for a period of 28 days. Blood glucose level was assayed by the method of Trinder (1969) and digital bench weigh balance was used to measure the weights. Final blood glucose concentrations were 4.16 ± 0.18 mmo/L in control, 5.94 ± 0.21 mmol/L in diabetic treated not supplemented and 4.56 ± 0.61 mmol/L in diabetic rats supplemented with vitamins. There were statistically significance deference,(P<0.05) between the supplemented and unsupplemented. Finally body weights were 157.57 ± 4.16 g in controls, 143.43 ± 8.70 g in diabetic not supplemented and 187.29±4.30 g in diabetic rats supplemented with vitamins. There were statistically significance difference between the supplemented and unsupplemented groups (P< 0.05). These findings suggest, in addition to oral hypoglycaemic agents, supplementation with antioxidant vitamins may improve glycaemic control and alleviates body wastage in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Keywords : Diabetes, Vitamins, Blood Glucose, Body Weight
A new approach to estimating trends in chlamydia incidence

Objectives Directly measuring disease incidence in a population is difficult and not feasible to do routinely. We describe the development and application of a new method for estimating at a population level the number of incident genital chlamydia infections, and the corresponding incidence rates, by age and sex using routine surveillance data. Methods A Bayesian statistical approach was developed to calibrate the parameters of a decision-pathway tree against national data on numbers of notifications and tests conducted (2001–2013). Independent beta probability density functions were adopted for priors on the time-independent parameters; the shapes of these beta parameters were chosen to match prior estimates sourced from peer-reviewed literature or expert opinion. To best facilitate the calibration, multivariate Gaussian priors on (the logistic transforms of) the time-dependent parameters were adopted, using the Matérn covariance function to favour small changes over consecutive years and across adjacent age cohorts. The model outcomes were validated by comparing them with other independent empirical epidemiological measures, that is, prevalence and incidence as reported by other studies. Results Model-based estimates suggest that the total number of people acquiring chlamydia per year in Australia has increased by ∼120% over 12 years. Nationally, an estimated 356 000 people acquired chlamydia in 2013, which is 4.3 times the number of reported diagnoses. This corresponded to a chlamydia annual incidence estimate of 1.54% in 2013, increased from 0.81% in 2001 (∼90% increase). Conclusions We developed a statistical method which uses routine surveillance (notifications and testing) data to produce estimates of the extent and trends in chlamydia incidence.
Colocation Demand Response: Joint Online Mechanisms for Individual Utility and Social Welfare Maximization

Data centers with high yet elastic energy demand are ideal candidates for participation in demand response programs. This paper studies emergency demand response (EDR) at multi-tenant colocation data centers (colocations). While the colocation has no direct control over tenants' servers, we design online mechanisms to incentivize and coordinate tenants' energy reduction. Our mechanism is online in nature, aiming to maximize not only social welfare but also tenant utility. Our main proposal is a truthful incentive auction that provides tenants with monetary remuneration for EDR energy reduction, minimizing social cost, which combines seamlessly with an online primal-dual framework for each tenant to schedule their delay-tolerant workloads. The online optimization at each tenant targets its utility maximization, concurrently reporting valuation functions for the tenant to participate in the auction. Our online algorithms achieve long-term performance guarantees in both tenants' utility and social welfare maximization, while fulfilling the EDR requirement with minimal diesel generation. We validate the efficiency of our algorithms through both the theoretical analysis and real-world trace-driven simulations.
Chlamydia infection in individuals reporting contact with sexual partners with chlamydia: a cross-sectional study of sexual health clinic attendees

Objectives We aimed to ascertain the proportion of positive, and predictive factors of chlamydia infection among females, heterosexual males and men who have sex with men (MSM) presenting to a sexual health service reporting contact with a chlamydia infected sexual partner. Methods A cross-sectional analysis of patients attending the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre from October 2010 to September 2013. Behavioural data obtained using computer assisted self-interview were analysed to determine factors predictive of chlamydia. Results Of the 491 female, 808 heterosexual male, and 268 MSM chlamydia contacts, the proportion diagnosed with chlamydia were 39.9% (95% CI 35.7% to 44.3%), 36.1% (95% CI 32.9% to 39.9%) and 23.5% (95% CI 18.8% to 29.0%), respectively. Female chlamydia contacts were more likely to have chlamydia if age <25 (adjusted OR (AOR) 1.86, 95% CI 1.12 to 3.10) or if they reported inconsistent condom use during vaginal sex with a regular male partner (AOR 2.5, 95% CI 1.12 to 6.14). Heterosexual male contacts were more likely to have chlamydia if age <25 (AOR 1.69, 95% CI 1.25 to 2.28) or if they had a regular female sexual partner (AOR 1.38, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.85). In MSM urethral chlamydia was diagnosed in 8.8%, rectal chlamydia in 20.2%, and 3.9% at both sites. MSM were more likely to have chlamydia if they had a regular male sexual partner (OR 2.12, 95% CI 1.18 to 3.81). Conclusions This study of female, heterosexual male, and MSM presentations with self-reported chlamydia contact provides insight into the likelihood and predictive factors of infection. The data may inform policy and individual clinical decision making regarding presumptive treatment of chlamydia contacts.
Endometriosis‐associated infertility: aspects of pathophysiological mechanisms and treatment options

Endometriosis is a common condition in women of reproductive age. In addition to pain, endometriosis may also reduce fertility. The causes of infertility in women with endometriosis may range from anatomical distortions due to adhesions and fibrosis to endocrine abnormalities and immunological disturbances. In some cases, the various pathophysiological disturbances seem to interact through mechanisms so far not fully understood. Whether surgery should be offered as a treatment option in endometriosis‐associated infertility has become controversial, partly due to its modest or undocumented effect. Medical or hormonal treatment alone has little or no effect and should only be used in conjunction with assisted reproductive technology (ART). Of the various methods of ART, intrauterine insemination, due to its simplicity, can be recommended in women with minimal or mild peritoneal endometriosis, even though insemination may yield a lower success rate than in women without endometriosis. In vitro fertilization (IVF) is an effective treatment option in less‐advanced disease stages, and the success rates are similar to the results in other causes of infertility. However, women with more advanced stages of endometriosis have lower success rates with IVF.
Delivering Bad News: Aspects to Consider When Training Medical Students and Residents

Ultrasound advances have made a tremendous impact in the field of obstetrics and gynecology. The routinely use of this technology has allowed doctors to diagnose medical conditions in real time. When ultrasound reveals a serious diagnosis or a finding of concern (i.e. fetal demise, fetal malformation, a suspicious mass), communicating bad news to the patient and family represents a challenge that most doctors don’t feel comfortable doing. In the following section we will present a clinical vignette, that involves a fetus with multiple structural malformations diagnosed by ultrasound, to show some general principles that can help physicians to break bad news. We also highlight the importance of incorporating formal training in medical school to help students become familiar and more comfortable delivering bad news.
Novel region-based image compression method based on spiking cortical model

To get the high compression ratio as well as the high-quality reconstructed image, an effective image compression scheme named irregular segmentation region coding based on spiking cortical model(ISRCS) is presented. This scheme is region-based and mainly focuses on two issues. Firstly, an appropriate segmentation algorithm is developed to partition an image into some irregular regions and tidy contours, where the crucial regions corresponding to objects are retained and a lot of tiny parts are eliminated. The irregular regions and contours are coded using different methods respectively in the next step. The other issue is the coding method of contours where an efficient and novel chain code is employed. This scheme tries to find a compromise between the quality of reconstructed images and the compression ratio. Some principles and experiments are conducted and the results show its higher performance compared with other compression technologies, in terms of higher quality of reconstructed images, higher compression ratio and less time consuming.
Aging in Women: The Effect of Menopause on Skin Blood Flow and the Response to Electrical Stimulation

The purpose of this study was to investigate skin blood flow at rest and the effects of electrical stimulation on skin blood flow during the menstrual cycle and after menopause. Nineteen subjects participated in the study. Nine volunteers with normal menstrual cycles (mean age = 25.6 ± 3.5 years, height = 162.6 ± 5.8 cm, weight = 55.8 ± 7.6 kg, Body Mass Index (BMI) = 21.1 ± 2.9) and 10 postmenopausal volunteers (mean age 59.2 ± 4.7 years). The effect of electrical stimulation on skin blood flow was studied in a thermoneutral room (25 ± 0.5°C) and a warm room (35 ± 0.5°C) for eight subjects. Electrical stimulation was applied on the right thigh for 15 min at an intensity below the threshold of muscle contraction. Skin blood flow measurements were taken using a Laser Doppler Imager. Sweat rate and skin temperature were monitored at the forehead, chest, and each thigh. Tympanic temperature was taken every 5 min. In the thermoneutral environment, there was no significant effect of electrical stimulation on skin blood flow (p > 0.05). In the warm environment, however, the skin blood flows were significantly different in both groups of subjects (p < 0.01). Here skin blood flow was significantly lower in the older group of subjects and did not vary during the menstrual cycle.
A Time-Domain SAR Smart Temperature Sensor With Curvature Compensation and a 3σ Inaccuracy of −0.4°C ∼ +0.6°C Over a 0°C to 90°C Range

This paper describes a time-domain temperature sensor based on a successive approximation algorithm. Without using any bipolar transistor, a temperature sensor composed of a temperature-dependent delay line (TDDL) is utilized to generate a delay proportional to the measured temperature. A binary-weighted adjustable reference delay line (ARDL) is adopted with an effective delay varied by a SAR control logic to approximate the TDDL delay for output coding. For linearity enhancement, a curvature compensation between both delay lines is invented to achieve the best ever accuracy among inverter-delay-based smart temperature sensors. With two-point calibration, a -0.4°C ˜ +0.6°C inaccuracy (3σ) over a 0°C ˜ 90°C temperature operation range has been measured for 23 test chips. With 10 output bits, the proposed sensor achieves a resolution better than 0.1°C and a chip area of 0.6 mm2 in a TSMC 0.35-μm standard digital CMOS process. The sensor's average current consumption is 11.1 μA at a conversion rate of 2 samples/s.
Comparative study of tympanoplasty with or without cortical mastoidectomy

Introduction: Tympanoplasty with or without cortical mastoidectomy is the subject of debate amongst different otolaryngologists. One theory suggests that tympanoplasty type-I which combined with cortical mastoidectomy in wet or discharging ear is beneficial. Other theory suggests that cortical mastoidectomy adjunct with tympanoplasty type-I, has no significant effects on surgical outcome in any condition of dry or wet ear in tubotympanic variety of CSOM. Aim: The purpose of this study is to compare the surgical outcome of type-I tympanoplasty with or without cortical mastoidectomy. Methods: It is a retrospective, observational, multicentre study conducted in between July 2003 to July 2013 amongst 258 patients of uncomplicated tubotympanic variety of chronic suppurative otits media with age ranging from 18 years to 55 years. 140 patients (54%) were having history of ear discharge (Group-I) and remaining 118 patients (46%), having no complaints of ear discharge (Group-II) within 3 months prior to surgery. 50% of each group were operated with tympanoplasty type-I only and 50% of each group was operated with tympanoplasty type-I with cortical mastoidectomy. Outcome of surgical procedures in different groups were analyzed in terms of graft uptake and hearing improvement. Results: Out of 140 patients with discharging ear, only tympanoplasty procedure (n=70) resulted in successful graft taking in 62 patients (88.6%) and the hearing level within 20dB were achieved in 57 persons (81.4%). Tympanoplasty with cortical mastoidectomy (n=70) resulted in successful graft taking in 61 patients (87%) and the postoperative 69 JAFMC Bangladesh. Vol 10, No 1 (June) 2014 hearing level within 20dB were found in 56 persons (80 %). Out of 118 patients with dry ear, only tympanoplasty procedure (n=59) resulted in successful graft taking in 54 patients (91.5%) and postoperative hearing level within 20dB were achieved in 48 persons (81.36%). Tympanoplasty with cortical mastoidectomy (n=59) resulted in successful graft taking in 53 patients (89.8 %) and the postoperative hearing level within 20dB were achieved in 47 persons (79.7%). Comparison of results in both procedures in dry and wet ear showed no significant statistical difference. Conclusion: Cortical mastoidectomy is not proved to be mandatory or effectively helpful with type-I tympanoplasty for uncomplicated chronic suppurative otitis media, irrespective of its dry or discharging status. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.3329/jafmc.v10i1. 22928 Journal of Armed Forces Medical College Bangladesh Vol.10(1) 2014