Vulvectomy: Indications and Results in the General Surgery Department of the Ignace Deen Chu Hospital in Conakry

Introduction: The aim of this study was to report the indications and evaluate the results of vulvectomy in the general surgery department of Ignace Deen Hospital, CHU Conakry. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective descriptive study, conducted over a period of five (05) years from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2022, in the general surgery department of Ignace Deen Hospital, CHU Conakry. We included in our study all patient records in whom vulvectomy was performed. Results: We recorded 15 cases of vulvectomy out of 453 perineal surgeries, i.e. 3.31%, with a mean age of 43.56 years and extremes of 35 and 69 years. Vulvar cancer was the most common diagnosis (46.67%), followed by Buschke-Lowenstein (33.33%) and anal canal cancer extending to the vulva (20%). Six patients had undergone biopsy (40%). Vulvectomy with lymph node dissection was performed in only 9 patients (60%), and all surgical specimens were sent to anatomical pathology (100%). Conclusion: Vulvectomy is a surgical technique most often indicated for the treatment of vulvar cancer.

Reproducibility of Test-Retest Cortical Evoked Responses in Patients with Focal Epilepsy

This exploratory study examined the short-term reliability of cortical auditory evoked responses recorded from patients undergoing whole-head scalp elec-troencephalography (EEG) monitoring to assess their candidacy for surgical treatment of intractable focal seizures. Participants were 26 patients with either left-sided (N = 13) or right-sided focal epilepsy admitted to the hospital for continuous scalp EEG monitoring for possible epilepsy surgery planning. Cortical auditory evoked responses were recorded over multiple days from scalp EEG electrodes using tones presented binaurally in a passive oddball paradigm. Test-retest intervals were 1 - 6 days (mean 2 days). Test-retest reproducibility of the auditory N1 response was assessed by paired t-test (latency) and cross-correlation analysis (amplitude and latency). Within-patient comparisons of test-retest auditory N1 peak latencies revealed no significant differences. The cross-correlation coefficient indicated high test-retest reproducibility of the N1 waveform (rcc = 0.88). Seizure lateralization was not associated with asymmetries in N1 latencies or amplitudes. An N1 amplitude asymmetry (right > left) in patients with focal seizures originating from the left hemisphere was initially observed, but disappeared when patients with prior resections were excluded, suggesting that reduced left hemisphere tissue volume may account for the smaller N1 amplitudes. Test-retest reliability of cortical auditory evoked responses was unexpectedly high in patients with focal epilepsy regardless of seizure lateralization or localization. These findings challenge the view that neural responses are intrinsically unstable (unreliable) in patients with seizures.

Parameter calculation and result storage for phase-field simulation in α-Mg dendrite growth of Mg-5-wt% Zn alloy

Parameter calculation and result storage, as two necessary steps in phase-field simulation play an important role in ensuring the accuracy of simulation results. A strategy of parameter calculation and result storage is presented for phase-field simulation in α-Mg dendrite growth of Mg-5-wt% Zn alloy under isothermal solidification. Based on the phase diagram and empirical formulas, key parameters of the phase-field model, such as equilibrium partition coefficient k, liquidus slope m, solutal diffusion coefficient in liquid Dl, and solutal diffusion coefficient in solid Ds, can be obtained.Both structured grid method and structured point method can be used to store simulation results, but using the latter method will reduce about 60% storage space and 37.5% storage time compared with the former. Finally, convergent simulation results of α-Mg dendrite growth are obtained and they are in good agreement with the experimental results about optical micrograph, which verify the accuracy of parameters and stability of storage method.

A novel method for geometric quality assurance of rock joint replicas in direct shear testing-Part 1:Derivation of quality assurance parameters and geometric reproducibility

Since each rock joint is unique by nature,the utilization of replicas in direct shear testing is required to carry out experimental parameter studies.However,information about the ability of the replicas to simulate the shear mechanical behavior of the rock joint and their dispersion in direct shear testing is lacking.With the aim to facilitate generation of high-quality direct shear test data from replicas,a novel component in the testing procedure is introduced by presenting two parameters for geometric quality assurance.The parameters are derived from surface comparisons of three-dimensional(3D)scanning data of the rock joint and its replicas.The first parameter,smf,captures morphological deviations between the replica and the rock joint surfaces.smf is derived as the standard deviation of the deviations between the coordinate points of the replica and the rock joint.Four sources of errors introduced in the replica manufacturing process employed in this study could be identified.These errors could be minimized,yielding replicas with smf
0.06 mm.The second parameter is a vector,VHp100,which describes deviations with respect to the shear direction.It is the projection of the 100 mm long normal vector of the best-fit plane of the replica joint surface to the corresponding plane of the rock joint.

VHp100

was found to be less than or equal to 0.36 mm in this study.Application of these two geometric quality assurance parameters demonstrates that it is possible to manufacture replicas with high geometric similarity to the rock joint.In a subsequent paper(part 2),smf and VHp100 are incorporated in a novel quality assurance method,in which the parameters shall be evaluated prior to direct shear testing.Replicas having parameter values below established thresholds shall have a known and narrow dispersion and imitate the shear mechanical behavior of the rock joint.

P&T-Inf: A Result Inference Method for Context-Sensitive Tasks in Crowdsourcing

Context-Sensitive Task(CST)is a complex task type in crowdsourc-ing,such as handwriting recognition,route plan,and audio transcription.The current result inference algorithms can perform well in simple crowd-sourcing tasks,but cannot obtain high-quality inference results for CSTs.The conventional method to solve CSTs is to divide a CST into multiple independent simple subtasks for crowdsourcing,but this method ignores the context correlation among subtasks and reduces the quality of result inference.To solve this problem,we propose a result inference algorithm based on the Partially ordered set and Tree augmented naive Bayes Infer(P&T-Inf)for CSTs.Firstly,we screen the candidate results of context-sensitive tasks based on the partially ordered set.If there are parallel candidate sets,the conditional mutual information among subtasks containing context infor-mation in external knowledge(such as Google n-gram corpus,American Contemporary English corpus,etc.)will be calculated.Combined with the tree augmented naive(TAN)Bayes model,the maximum weighted spanning tree is used to model the dependencies among subtasks in each CST.We collect two crowdsourcing datasets of handwriting recognition tasks and audio transcription tasks from the real crowdsourcing platform.The experimental results show that our approach improves the quality of result inference in CSTs and reduces the time cost compared with the latest methods.

Management Results and Financial Status of Rural Collective Economy under the Background of Rural Revitalization

Based on the analysis of financial statements,the performance and problems of rural collective economic organizations in their business activities were analyzed.It is believed that rural collective economy was developing continuously in a good way,with strong debt paying ability,but the operation ability and management efficiency need to be further improved.The operation was too conservative,and the asset utilization efficiency and profitability were weak.There were many unnecessary liabilities,and they developed mainly relying on their own accumulation.Therefore,it is proposed to crack the"talent dilemma"of rural collective economic operation and management,straighten out and clarify the relationship between rural collective economic organizations and villagers self-governing organizations,correctly handle the relationship between collective accumulation and member distribution,adhere to the financial input of blood replenishment and transfusion,and make liabilities reasonable according to the management development.

Analysis of Toxicological Test Results of 580 Detergents

To evaluate the safety of detergents,the toxicological test results of 580 collected detergents were analyzed.The results showed that,in the acute oral toxicity test,94.4%and 5.6%of the samples were classified as non-toxic and toxic respectively.In skin irritation test,95.1%of the samples were mild irritation or below,and 4.9%were moderate irritation or above.In the vaginal mucosa irritation test,79.0%of the samples were very mild irritation or below,while 21.0%were mild irritation or above.In the acute inhalation toxicity test,the proportion of the samples classified as actually non-toxic and toxic were 87.9%and 12.1%respectively.In the eye irritation test,95.7%of the samples belonged to mild irritation or below,and 4.3%of the samples belonged to moderate irritation or above.The products at risk in category A,B and C products account for 6.3%,7.7%and 14.2%respectively.Of the 580 tested samples,90.9%were relatively safe,while 9.1%were at risk.These data showed that most of the tested samples meet the safety requirements for use.

Vertebroplasty and Kyphoplasty: Indications and Results, a Preliminary Senegalese Experience from the Neurosurgery Department of the CHNU of Fann

Introduction: Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty are percutaneous techniques that consist in injecting an acrylic cement into the body of a pathological vertebra. This work aims to report the experience the of Fann’s neurosurgery department in treating certain spinal pathologies by vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty. Methods: During a 3-year period from July 1, 2019 to July 31, 2022, we conducted a retrospective, descriptive and analytical study, including patients who underwent vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty for dorsolumbar spinal pathology. Results: The mean age of the 13 patients in our study was 51.61 years. Female gender was predominant in 62% (n = 8). The context of spontaneous onset was found in six patients. Nine patients had a VAS (visual analogue scale) ≥ 8 (69.23%). On clinical examination, all patients had a syndrome without neurological deficits. 84.61% of patients had a CT scan (n = 11). The dorsolumbar hinge was most affected with 53.85% of cases. Seven patients had a vertebral compression of between 25% and. The average degree of kyphosis was 8˚ and seven patients had a degree of kyphosis ≥ 10˚. Tumour aetiology accounted for 46.15% of cases. Kyphoplasty was performed in 61.53% (n = 9) of the cases and vertebroplasty was performed in 38.47% (n = 4) of the patients. Kyphoplasty was associated with biopsy in two cases and with osteosynthesis in one patient. Vertebroplasty was always associated with a biopsy. The evolution was favourable with a significant reduction in pain and vertebral kyphosis. The mean VAS decreased from 8.15 to 0.69 three months after treatment and the mean kyphosis decreased from 8˚ to 2˚. Conclusion: Kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty as percutaneous techniques allow consolidation of the vertebral body and pain relief. Kyphoplasty alone not only reduces pain but also restores the height of the compacted vertebral body.

Computational Reproducibility Within Prognostics and Health Management

Scientific research frequently involves the use of computational tools and methods.Providing thorough documentation,open-source code,and data–the creation of reproducible computational research(RCR)–helps others understand a researcher’s work.In this study,we investigate the state of reproducible computational research,broadly,and from within the field of prognostics and health management(PHM).In a text mining survey of more than 300 articles,we show that fewer than 1%of PHM researchers make their code and data available to others.To promote the RCR further,our work also highlights several personal benefits for those engaged in the practice.Finally,we introduce an open-source software tool,called PyPHM,to assist PHM researchers in accessing and preprocessing common industrial datasets.

Results and Application of Soil and Water Conservation Monitoring in the Yellow River Basin

Since water and soil conservation monitoring in the Yellow River Basin entered a new stage at the end of the 20th century,the monitoring scope has been expanding,the monitoring accuracy has been improving,the monitoring content and indicators have been increasing,and the monitoring technology and methods have been improving.This paper mainly analyzes the status of soil and water conservation monitoring in the Yellow River Basin,as well as the construction of the monitoring system and related research,in order to provide a reference for watershed management and development and the scientific research of water and soil conservation.

GoPubMed与Web of Knowledge分析工具Analyze Results的比较研究

GoPubMed是基于本体论的生物医学文献分析工具,它可以对检索到的PubMed文献进行全方位的统计分析,Web of Knowlegde平台的Analyze Results分析功能也可对检索结果进行统计分析。对这2种文献分析工具特点进行对比分析。

ISI Web of Knowledge新增分析工具Results Analysis探讨——BIOSIS Previews检索实践

针对检索结果的信息分析和信息挖掘的分析工具Results Analysis是ISI Web of Knowledge于2004年新增的服务功能。以BIOSIS Previews为检索实例,详细探讨Results Analysis分析工具的使用方法和功能,并提出改进的建议。

ISI Web of Science的Results Analysis功能与使用

详细介绍了美国Web of Science数据库的发展以及该数据库新推出的Results Analysis功能和使用方法。

ISI Proceedings分析工具Results Analysis的功能分析及检索实践

本文以ISI Proceedings的科技版ISTP具体检索为例,探讨了ISI Proceedings个性化服务的分析工具Results Analysis的功能和使用技巧,以及检索结果的信息分析和挖掘对用户的指导意义。

Reproducibility and replicability of systematic reviews

Irreproducibility of research causes a major concern in academia.This concern affects all study designs regardless of scientific fields.Without testing the reproducibility and replicability it is almost impossible to repeat the research and to gain the same or similar results.In addition,irreproducibility limits the translation of research findings into practice where the same results are expected.To find the solutions,the Interacademy Partnership for Health gathered academics from established networks of science,medicine and engineering around a table to introduce seven strategies that can enhance the reproducibility:pre-registration,open methods,open data,collaboration,automation,reporting guidelines,and post-publication reviews.The current editorial discusses the generalisability and practicality of these strategies to systematic reviews and claims that systematic reviews have even a greater potential than other research designs to lead the movement toward the reproducibility of research.Moreover,I discuss the potential of reproducibility,on the other hand,to upgrade the systematic review from review to research.Furthermore,there are references to the successful and ongoing practices from collaborative efforts around the world to encourage the systematic reviewers,the journal editors and publishers,the organizations linked to evidence synthesis,and the funders and policy makers to facilitate this movement and to gain the public trust in research.

The calculation of the Reproducibility Error in the technological system with the clamp on the gas power

The paper deduced a calculation formula by the classic control theory on the Reproducibility Error of parts processing in the technology system,the flexible clamp system, with the clamping device on the gas power,and analyzed its influencing factor with examples,the Reproducibility Error law:\ The larger the diameter of the cylinder,the smaller the error; the slower the tool speed,(k values smaller),the smaller the error.

尿液分析仪打印出现“Invalid Result”的原因探索

Miditrom Junior尿分析仪是定灵曼公司生产的半自动反射光电比色计,用于半定量尿液试纸条读数。它可以提供尿比重、pH、白细胞、红细胞、亚硝酸盐、葡萄糖、蛋白质、尿胆原、尿胆红素和酮体测量结果,是目前临床常规尿液筛选检查的重要仪器。

Role of Program-for-Results Financing System in Infrastructure Sector:Evidence from Egypt and Ethiopia

This study aims are two folds:First is to investigate the role of the World Bank funding through using a novel financing instrument called Program-for-Results(P for R)to strengthen the government programs and second is to assess the P for R programs adopted in countries focusing on the direct effects and the results.The Bank currently has three integral financing options to offer client countries:Investment Project Financing supports specific projects and disburses against specific expenditures and transactions,Development Policy Lending supports policy and institutional reforms and provides general budget support,and P for R Financing supports government programs and disburses against results.Results for the P for R reflect on the new level because disbursements are directly linked to the achievement of measurable and verifiable outcome.As well,the Disbursement-Linked Indicators(DLIs)are used to provide governments with incentives to achieve critical program milestones and enhance the performance of programs.This study structured based on descriptive and observed the behavior of two countries’government(Egypt and Ethiopia)for using P for R financing loan in a national project.On the ground,the field of practices was the main indicator in this stage of the investigation,then one of the P for R programs was compared to observe the effectiveness of this kind of financing system in these two countries specifically in the infrastructure sector,and classifications of DLIs were the main parameter in this comparison.The outcome and the existing literature are analyzed to develop a multibeneficial for country adopting P for R collaborative programs,as they should be applied to mitigate the same challenges and solve the institutional complications for the beneficial countries homogeneously.Furthermore,enhance the profit generated from this kind of program targeting via sustainable management tools.

全媒体融合背景下基于RESULTS模型的南京市口腔医院文化宣传与建设

目的:结合全媒体融合的时代背景,分析南京市口腔医院文化宣传与建设。方法:利用经典传播模型RESULTS模型,从Reach(到达)、Engage(互动)、Sociability(社交)、Usability(易用)、Longevity(长尾)、Transaction(交易)、Sentiment(情感)7个方面分别对南京市口腔医院文化宣传内容的传播效果进行梳理和总结。结果:在全媒体融合背景下,基于RESULTS模型的南京市口腔医院文化宣传与建设取得了一定的成就。结论:经过分析得出相关建议:丰富新媒体种类,增加医院文化传播路径;宣传医院文化理念,设置多途径患者沟通渠道;将大数据、人工智能融入新媒体,提升医院文化建设效率;建立医院文化长效机制,加深媒体融合程度和广度。

Long-term results of paclitaxel plus cisplatin with concurrent radiotherapy for loco-regional esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

AIM To evaluate the long-term effectiveness and late toxicities of paclitaxel(PTX) plus cisplatin(DDP) with concurrent radiotherapy for locally advanced esophageal squamous cancer.METHODS Between 2008 and 2011, 76 patients were enrolled in a phase Ⅱ study on the treatment of loco-regionally advanced esophageal cancer with radiotherapy(68.4 Gy/44 fractions or 61.2 Gy/34 fractions) combined with 4-cycle chemotherapy consisting of DDP(25 mg/m^2 per day for 3 d) and PTX(175 mg/m^2 for 3 h). The primary endpoints were overall survival and progression-free survival, and the secondary endpoints were toxicity and the treatment failure pattern.RESULTS A total of 76 patients were enrolled in this study, of whom 63.2% finished the whole regimen. The 5-year survival rates for the per-protocol population and intent-to-treat population were 25.4% and 26.4%, respectively, and the median survival rates were 23.7 mo and 28.5 mo, respectively. Grade 3 or 4 late toxicity was observed in only one patient(heart failure). In log-rank analysis, the pretreatment stage(stage Ⅱ + Ⅲ: 36.1 mo vs stage Ⅳ: 14.9 mo) and the completed cycle(1-3 cycles: 16.1 mo vs 4 cycles: 35.5 mo) were significant prognostic factors(P = 0.037 < 0.05 and P = 0.013 < 0.05).CONCLUSION Radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy consisting of PTX and DDP is a safe and effective definitive treatment for loco-regionally advanced esophageal squamous cancer.