1,606 research outputs found

    Generating Query Suggestions to Support Task-Based Search

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    We address the problem of generating query suggestions to support users in completing their underlying tasks (which motivated them to search in the first place). Given an initial query, these query suggestions should provide a coverage of possible subtasks the user might be looking for. We propose a probabilistic modeling framework that obtains keyphrases from multiple sources and generates query suggestions from these keyphrases. Using the test suites of the TREC Tasks track, we evaluate and analyze each component of our model.Comment: Proceedings of the 40th International ACM SIGIR Conference on Research and Development in Information Retrieval (SIGIR '17), 201

    Efficient Pattern Mining for Wireless Sensor Networks Data

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    Wireless Sensor Networks generate a large amount of data in the form of streams. Mining association rules on the sensor data provides useful information for different applications. In this paper, a total from partial (TFP) tree based approach is used to generate the set of all association rules from data. Our experimental results show that TFP techniques perform better result in case of sparse dataset and significantly comparable as SP-tree approach for the dense dataset. Keywords: Association Rule Mining; Wireless Sensor Networks; Frequent Pattern

    Detection of Bacterial Blight on Pomegranate Leaf

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    In india, agricultural field plays vital role in the development of India. Smart farming is about empowering today’s farmers with the decision tools and automation technologies that seamlessly integrate products, knowledge and services for better productivity, quality and profit. In this paper, a solution for the detection of pomegranate leaf disease and also the solution for that disease after detection are proposed. The proposed system mainly consist image preprocessing, feature extraction, clustering and classification. The first steps consists image preprocessing in which images are resized. In second step, feature extraction is carried out. Color, morphology and color coherence vector features are used for the purpose of feature extraction . K-means clustering technique is used for partitioning training dataset into desired number of clusters according the features that has been extracted from the fruit images. Then the next step includes training and classification. Support Vector Machine approach is used for classification. DOI: 10.17762/ijritcc2321-8169.15064

    Healthcare quality and the health system : examining impact and implementation of HIV care interventions in rural South Africa

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    BACKGROUND South Africa has the highest HIV burden in the world. Clinical care guidelines for HIV testing, treatment, monitoring and infant feeding have evolved in recent years. However, there are gaps in guidelines implementation and quality of services, particularly in primary care. This thesis aims to investigate the impact and implementation of HIV care interventions on service quality. METHODS This research is based at nurse-led public sector primary care clinics in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. First, the impact of continuous quality improvement (CQI) on coverage of two key antenatal HIV care tests (VL monitoring among pregnant women living with HIV, and repeat HIV testing among pregnant women not living with HIV) at seven primary care clinics, is examined. These are the primary endpoints of the MONARCH stepped-wedge trial (www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT02626351). Second, the process by which CQI was implemented in the MONARCH trial and determinants of CQI practice and ‘normalisation’, are examined. Third, the association between maternal HIV status and infant feeding (i) knowledge and (ii) practice, among women recruited to the MONARCH trial, is examined. Finally, the impact of Universal Test and Treat (UTT) on mean CD4 count at ART initiation among men and women attending 17 primary care clinics, is examined. RESULTS CQI improved HIV VL monitoring among pregnant women living with HIV, but not repeat HIV testing among pregnant women not living with HIV, and coverage of both endpoints fell short of expected targets. Despite enthusiasm for CQI, staffing shortages, gaps in guidelines knowledge, poor data quality and poor clinical documentation hampered CQI uptake and ‘normalisation’. Although women living with HIV were more knowledgeable about correct infant feeding guidelines, they were less likely to breastfeed than women not living with HIV. Whilst CD4 count at ART initiation increased due to UTT, the long-term effect was modest and men initiated ART at lower CD4 counts than women. CONCLUSIONS Whilst CQI has potential to improve quality of care in resource-poor settings, concurrent health systems strengthening initiatives are necessary for maximum impact and sustainability. More efforts are needed to improve breastfeeding uptake, and to increase early ART initiation particularly among men

    The complicated management of a patient following transarterial chemoembolization for metastatic carcinoid

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    <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Transarterial Chemoembolization (TACE) has been recognized as a successful way of managing symptomatic and/or progressive hepatic carcinoid metastases not amenable to surgical resection. Although it is a fairly safe procedure, it is not without its complications.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>This is a case of a 53 year-old woman with a patent foramen ovale (PFO) and mild pulmonary hypertension who underwent TACE for progressive carcinoid liver metastases. She developed acute heart failure, due to a severe inflammatory response; this resulted in pneumatosis intestinalis due to non-occlusive mesenteric ischemia. We describe the successful non-operative management of her pneumatosis intestinalis and the role of a PFO in this patient's heart failure.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>TACE remains an effective and safe treatment for metastatic carcinoid not amenable to resection, this case illustrates the complexity of complications that can arise. A multi-disciplinary approach including ready access to advanced critical care facilities is recommended in managing such complex patients.</p

    Luteoma in pregnancy: a rare cause of threatened preterm labour!

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    Pregnancy luteoma is a rare non-neoplastic tumor-like mass of the ovary. They are usually asymptomatic and found incidentally during ultrasound imaging or surgery. Rarely do they present with pain abdomen mimicking threatened preterm labor. They regress spontaneously after delivery. We presented a case of a 29-year-old G4A3 with twin pregnancies and chronic hypertension who presented with acute flank pain, constipation, and occasional hardening of the uterus. A provisional diagnosis threatened preterm labor with suspected ureteric colic and cystitis was made. The patient was initially managed on the same line but on a detailed in-patient evaluation her ultrasound revealed bilateral multicystic ovaries with few hypoechoic areas inside it mostly suggestive of ‘luteoma of pregnancy’. The patient had acne, hirsutism, and chronic hypertension well controlled on antihypertensives. The patient delivered twins successfully by cesarean section and luteoma and symptoms were resolved postpartum after 4 months. Recognition of this entity is important so that malignancy can be ruled out and unnecessary surgery, with concomitant risk to both the mother and the fetus, is avoided

    Hydatid cyst of ovary: an unusual site

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    Discovering a hydatid cyst in pelvic region, especially as primary localization, is a rare event; as a matter of fact according to data provided by literature the incidence is between 0.2 and 2.25%. The ovarian involvement is often secondary to a cyst's dissemination localized in a different site. When possible the optimal treatment is represented by radical laparotomic cystectomy. We report a case of an old postmenopausal woman presented with intermittent dull aching pain with 16 weeks cystic pelvic mass which mimicked the ovarian malignancy even after imaging techniques. We treated the case with laprotomic cystectom

    Disseminating the best available evidence: New challenges in public reporting of health care

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    As a direct benefit of the Health Care Reform Act (2010), concerted effort has been deployed to define and characterize the process by which the best available evidence for diagnosis or treatment intervention prognosis can be obtained. The science of research synthesis in health care has established the systematic research protocol by which randomized clinical trials and other clinical studies must be reviewed and compared for the level and quality of the evidence presented, as well as the consensus of the best available evidence synthesized and shared. This process of systematic review yields a reliable and valid approach in comparing different interventions and strategies to prevent, diagnose, treat and monitor health conditions in terms of efficacy, and or of effectiveness. The resulting bioinformation outcome of comparative effectiveness and efficacy research review of the available clinical data is expressed as a consensus of the best available evidence, which finds its way in evidence-based clinical practice guidelines, standards of care and eventually, in policies: hence, the acronym CEERAP (comparative effectiveness and efficacy review and policy). The methodological and the procedural criteria that determine and regulate the public reporting dissemination of this sort of bioinformation, and the extent of benefit to the patient's health literacy, which have remained a bit more elusive to this date, are investigated and discussed in this paper

    Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) as predictor of ovarian reserve

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    Background: Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is produced by the granulosa cells of preantral and small antral follicles and its levels can be assessed in serum. Since the number of ovarian follicles declines with increasing age, AMH levels might be used as a marker for ovarian ageing. Therefore, we studied the relationship between AMH levels and ovarian response during ovarian stimulation for In vitro fertilization.Methods: A total of 100 patients who have undergone their ICSI treatment cycle using a GnRH antagonist protocol were retrospectively included. Co-relation between AMH and antral follicular count (AFC) was assessed.Results: In present study, 36% patients had normal AMH, 18% patients were in low normal range, 5% patients had low values and 2% patients had very low values. 41% of patients had values in high range suggestive of PCOS. Amongst this, 21% had values between 4 to 8 ng/ml where we got good AFC count and good result in terms of pregnancy. 80% were good responders while 20% were poor responders. When we evaluated the relationship of retrieved oocyte counts with the parameters included, we found that only basal AMH levels and the number of antral follicles were statistically correlated.Conclusions: High AMH levels correlated with low cancellation rates, retrieval of more eggs, higher live birth rates and a high chance for freezing of embryos. Low AMH levels (alone) do not predict low success rates in women under 35 years of age
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