99 research outputs found
Karakterisation af oversættelse for de til Chomsky-hierarkiet hørende automater
This publication is the author's master's thesis. It treats the following problem: If one takes a ''Chomsky-automaton'' (i. e. a finite state automaton, a push-down automaton, a linear bounded automaton or a Turing Machine) and equips it with output one obtains the corresponding translator. Define the graph of a translator as the set of pairs (x, y) where input x belongs to the language accepted by the automaton and y is the ouput produced while processing x . How can such graphs be characterized ?A characterization is given for all Chomsky types in terms of pair grammars generating the graphs as well as in terms of homomorphic images of a language of corresponding type. The publication was intended to be used as material in connection with a course on automata theory and hence it contains proofs of theorems appearing elsewhere in the literature
The risk of oesophago-gastric cancer in symptomatic patients in primary care: A large case-control study using electronic records
BACKGROUND:
Over 15 000 new oesophago-gastric cancers are diagnosed annually in the United Kingdom, with most being advanced disease. We identified and quantified features of this cancer in primary care.
METHODS:
Case-control study using electronic primary-care records of the UK patients aged ≥40 years was performed. Cases with primary oesophago-gastric cancer were matched to controls on age, sex and practice. Putative features of cancer were identified in the year before diagnosis. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated for these features using conditional logistic regression, and positive predictive values (PPVs) were calculated.
RESULTS:
A total of 7471 cases and 32 877 controls were studied. Sixteen features were independently associated with oesophago-gastric cancer (all P5% in patients ≥55 years was for dysphagia. In patients <55 years, all PPVs were <1%.
CONCLUSION:
Symptoms of oesophago-gastric cancer reported in secondary care were also important in primary care. The results should inform guidance and commissioning policy for upper GI endoscopy
Prevalence of Therapeutic use of Opioids in Chronic non-Cancer Pain Patients and Associated Factors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Objectives: To determine the prevalence and factors associated with the use of opioids among patients with chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP).
Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Comprehensive literature searches in Medline-PubMed, Embase and SCOPUS databases. Original studies published between 2009 and 2019 with a cross-sectional design were included. The quality of the studies was assessed with Critical Appraisal Checklist for Studies Reporting Prevalence Data from the Joanna Briggs Institute. Protocol registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews with reference number: CRD42019137990.
Results: Out of the 1,310 potential studies found, 25 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Most of the studies were of high quality. High levels of heterogeneity were found in the studies included. In the general population, the prevalence of long-term opioid use was 2.3% (95% CI: 1.5-3.6%), the prevalence of short-term opioid use was 8.1% (95% CI: 5.6-11.6%), and among people with chronic low back pain it was 5.8% (95% CI: 0.5-45.5%). The prevalence of opioid use among patients from the health records or medical surveys was 41% (95% CI: 23.3-61.3%). Finally, in patients with musculoskeletal pain, the prevalence was 20.5% (95% CI: 12.9-30.9%) and in patients with fibromyalgia, 24.5% (95% CI: 22.9-26.2%). A higher prevalence of opioid use was observed among men, younger people, patients receiving prescriptions of different types of drugs, smokers and patients without insurance or with noncommercial insurance. In addition, non-white and Asian patients were less likely to receive opioids than non-Hispanic white patients.
Conclusions: The prevalence of opioid use among patients with CNCP was higher in subjects with short or occasional use compared to those with long-term use. Men, younger people, more chronic pain conditions, and patients without insurance or with noncommercial insurance were most related to opioid use. However, non-white and Asian patients, and those treated by a physician trained in complementary medicine were less likely to use opioids
Lifestyle factors affecting gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms: a cross-sectional study of healthy 19864 adults using FSSG scores
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a very common disorder worldwide, comprised of reflux esophagitis (RE) and non-erosive reflux disease (NERD). As more than half of GERD patients are classified into the NERD group, precise evaluation of bothersome epigastric symptoms is essential. Nevertheless, compared with many reports targeting endoscopic reflux esophagitis, large-scale studies focusing on GERD symptoms have been very scarce.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>To elucidate lifestyle factors affecting GERD symptoms, 19,864 healthy adults in Japan were analyzed. Sub-analyses of 371 proton pump inhibitor (PPI) users and 539 histamine H<sub>2</sub>-receptor antagonist (H<sub>2</sub>RA) users were also performed. Using the FSSG (Frequency Scale for the Symptoms of GERD) score as a response variable, 25 lifestyle-related factors were univariately evaluated by Student's <it>t</it>-test or Pearson's correlation coefficient, and were further analyzed with multiple linear regression modelling.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Average FSSG scores were 4.8 ± 5.2 for total subjects, 9.0 ± 7.3 for PPI users, and 8.2 ± 6.6 for H<sub>2</sub>RA users. Among the total population, positively correlated factors and standardized coefficients (β) for FSSG scores are inadequate sleep (β = 0.158), digestive drug users (β = 0.0972 for PPI, β = 0.0903 for H<sub>2</sub>RA, and β = 0.104 for others), increased body weight in adulthood (β = 0.081), dinner just before bedtime (β = 0.061), the habit of midnight snack (β = 0.055), lower body mass index (β = 0.054), NSAID users (β = 0.051), female gender (β = 0.048), lack of breakfast (β = 0.045), lack of physical exercise (β = 0.035), younger age (β = 0.033), antihyperglycemic agents non-users (β = 0.026), the habit of quick eating (β = 0.025), alcohol drinking (β = 0.025), history of gastrectomy (β = 0.024), history of cardiovascular disease (β = 0.020), and smoking (β = 0.018). Positively correlated factors for PPI users are female gender (β = 0.198), inadequate sleep (β = 0.150), lack of breakfast (β = 0.146), antihypertensive agent non-users (β = 0.134), and dinner just before bedtime (β = 0.129), whereas those for H<sub>2</sub>RA users are inadequate sleep (β = 0.248), habit of midnight snack (β = 0.160), anticoagulants non-users (β = 0.106), and antihypertensive agents non-users (β = 0.095).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Among many lifestyle-related factors correlated with GERD symptoms, poor quality of sleep and irregular dietary habits are strong risk factors for high FSSG scores. At present, usual dose of PPI or H<sub>2</sub>RA in Japan cannot fully relieve GERD symptoms.</p
An economic model of long-term use of celecoxib in patients with osteoarthritis
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Previous evaluations of the cost-effectiveness of the cyclooxygenase-2 selective inhibitor celecoxib (Celebrex, Pfizer Inc, USA) have produced conflicting results. The recent controversy over the cardiovascular (CV) risks of rofecoxib and other coxibs has renewed interest in the economic profile of celecoxib, the only coxib now available in the United States. The objective of our study was to evaluate the long-term cost-effectiveness of celecoxib compared with nonselective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (nsNSAIDs) in a population of 60-year-old osteoarthritis (OA) patients with average risks of upper gastrointestinal (UGI) complications who require chronic daily NSAID therapy.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We used decision analysis based on data from the literature to evaluate cost-effectiveness from a modified societal perspective over patients' lifetimes, with outcomes expressed as incremental costs per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained. Sensitivity tests were performed to evaluate the impacts of advancing age, CV thromboembolic event risk, different analytic horizons and alternate treatment strategies after UGI adverse events.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Our main findings were: 1) the base model incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) for celecoxib versus nsNSAIDs was 19,309 for a model in which UGI ulcer and ulcer complication event risks increased with advancing age; 3) the ICER per QALY was $17,120 in sensitivity analyses combining serious CV thromboembolic event (myocardial infarction, stroke, CV death) risks with base model assumptions.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our model suggests that chronic celecoxib is cost-effective versus nsNSAIDs in a population of 60-year-old OA patients with average risks of UGI events.</p
T is associated with severe dyspepsia
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Succinctness of Descriptions of Context-Free, Regular, and Finite Languages
This thesis analyzes the descriptional power of finite automata, regular expressions, pushdown automata, and certain generalized models of macro grammars. For finite automata and pushdown automata the emphasis is on ambiguity. It is shown that ambiguous nondeterminism allows more succinct definitions than unambiguous nondeterminism which in turn allows more succinct definitions than determinism. The succinctness gain is nonrecursive for pda's and nonpolynomial for finite automata.The succinctness of regular expressions and macro grammars is measured in terms of complexity theory. It is shown that the inequivalence problem for Ol macro grammars generating finite languages is hard for nondeterministic double exponential time, and that the ''nonemptiness of complement'' problem for unambiguous regular expressions is in NP. This implies that unambiguous regular expressions are ''easier'' than general regular expressions (unless NP is equal to PSPACE)
Space-Restricted Attribute Grammars
Restricting the size of attribute values, relative to the length of the string under consideration, leads to a model of attribute grammars in which grammars with both inherited and synthesized attributes can be significantly more economical than grammars with synthesized attributes only
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