Question Answering: CNLP at the TREC-2002 Question Answering Track

This paper describes the retrieval experiments for the main task and list task of the TREC-2002 question-answering track. The question answering system described automatically finds answers to questions in a large document collection. The system uses a two-stage retrieval approach to answer finding based on matching of named entities, linguistic patterns, keywords, and the use of a new inference module. In answering a question, the system carries out a detailed query analysis that produces a logical query representation, an indication of the question focus, and answer clue words

Question Answering: CNLP at the TREC-10 Question Answering Track

This paper describes the retrieval experiments for the main task and list task of the TREC-10 question answering track. The question answering system described automatically finds answers to questions in a large document collection. The system uses a two-stage retrieval approach to answer finding based on matching of named entities, linguistic patterns, and keywords. In answering a question, the system carries out a detailed query analysis that produces a logical query representation, an indication of the question focus, and answer clue words

Türkiye'deki Vahşi Kuşlarda Neospora caninum DNA'sının Varlığı

OBJECTIVE: Neospora caninum is a protozoon parasite that has a worldwide distribution and mainly causes abortion in cattle and current serological evidence shows that the disease may be also zoonotic. Wild birds play a role as a reservoir of the disease in nature. The study aimed to determine the prensence of N. caninum in wild birds. METHODS: In this study, the presence of neosporosis in wild birds (n=55) including 22 different species found in the western side of Turkey, was investigated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In addition, PCR positive samples were confirmed by sequencing, BLAST, and phylogenetic analysis using MEGA7. RESULTS: Obtained results showed that the presence of N. caninum DNA was 5.45% (3/55) in brain-heart homogenates wild birds. The bird species which were found positive for N. caninum were little owl (Athene noctua), common buzzard (Buteo buteo), and little tern (Sternula albifrons). According to phylogenetic analysis and BLAST, all samples were compatible with reference N. caninum isolates. CONCLUSION: To the best of authors' knowledge, this is the first study detecting N. caninum in little tern. In future studies, it may be interesting to investigate the prevalence of N. caninum in other wild animals to elucidate the transmission properties.Amaç: Neospora caninum, dünya çapında dağılım gösteren ve esas olarak sığırlarda düşüklere neden olan protozoon bir parazittir ve güncel serolojik kanıtlar hastalığın zoonotik olabileceğini göstermektedir. Yabani kuşlar, doğada hastalığın rezervuarı olarak rol oynamaktadır. Çalışma, yabani kuşlarda N. caninum varlığının belirlenmesini amaçladı. Yöntemler: Bu çalışmada, Türkiye’nin batısındaki 22 farklı yabani kuşta (n=55) neosporosis varlığı polimeraz zincir reaksiyon (PZR) ile araştırılmıştır. Ek olarak, PZR pozitif örnekler sekanslanarak MEGA7 kullanılarak BLAST ve filogenetik analiz ile doğrulanmıştır. Bulgular: Elde edilen sonuçlara göre, yabani kuşların beyin-kalp homojenatlarının %5,45’inde (3/55) N. caninum DNA’sı saptanmıştır. Kukumav (Athene noctua), bayağı şahin (Buteo buteo) ve küçük sumru (Sternula albifrons) N. caninum pozitif bulunan kuş türleridir. Filogenetik analiz ve BLAST sonuçlarına göre, tüm örnekler referans N. caninum izolatları ile uyumlu olarak tespit edilmiştir. Sonuç: Yazarların bildiği kadarıyla bu çalışma, küçük sumruda N. caninum tespit eden ilk çalışmadır. Gelecekteki çalışmalarda N. caninum bulaşma özelliklerini aydınlatmak amacıyla diğer vahşi hayvanlarda prevalansın araştırılması faydalı olabilir. Anahtar Kelimeler: Küçük sumru, Neospora caninum, PZR, Türkiye, vahşi kuşlar

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Development Of A Minimal Inflation Pressure Pneumatic Tourniquet For Extremity Surgeries

Pneumatic tourniquets are widely used in extremity surgery in order to provide a bloodless field. In order to decrease pressure related injuries, use of the lowest possible tourniquet inflation pressure is recommended. In this study, we developed a minimal inflation pressure pneumatic tourniquet. This device includes continuous (approximately at every 15 heart beat) systolic blood pressure monitoring (Vasotrac), an inflatable tourniquet cuff, a pressure regulator mechanism responsive to the blood pressure for activating the pressurizing mechanism and the pressure relief mechanism to maintain a pressure difference between the cuff pressure and the patient's systolic blood pressure. This device has different properties compared with conventional pneumatic tourniquets. Systolic blood pressure monitoring is non-invasive and continuous. This pressure difference is adjusted according to the relationship between the tourniquet inflation pressure and the pressure in the underlying soft tissues in anesthetized adult patients. Thus, pressure regulating mechanism will respond to the patient's systolic blood pressures rapidly and tourniquet cuff pressure will be minimal throughout the surgical period

Characteristics and Voice Outcomes of Ulcerative Laryngitis

Objectives. Ulcerative laryngitis (UL) is challenging in terms of treatment and patient counseling, with few reports in the literature. This study describes UL patients and their clinical course including detailed voice and stroboscopic outcomes after treatment which have not been described in previous literature