Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pulmonary involvement in Erdheim-Chester disease: a single-center study of thirty-four patients and a review of the literature.

OBJECTIVE Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD) is a rare form of non-Langerhans' cell histiocytosis that may present with pulmonary involvement. We undertook the current study to evaluate the characteristic features of pulmonary involvement in ECD, in the largest single-center series of patients reported to date. METHODS We performed a retrospective study of the characteristics of 34 consecutive patients with biopsy-proven ECD who were referred to the internal medicine department of Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital between 1981 and November 2008. RESULTS Data were obtained from 23 men and 11 women. The median age at the time of diagnosis was 53.7 years (range 16-73 years), and the median followup was 3.5 years (1.4-5.3 years). Eight patients (24%) had pulmonary symptoms. High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scans of the chest revealed involvement of lung parenchyma in 18 patients (53%) and of the pleura in 14 patients (41%). Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid analysis revealed the presence of an opalescent aspirate in all the patients studied. Treatment with corticosteroids and/or interferon-α (IFNα) resulted in a marked improvement of the pulmonary lesions in only a single patient. Comparison of the survival between patients with and those without pulmonary involvement yielded no significant difference between the groups (P = 0.82). CONCLUSION Pulmonary involvement in ECD has been overlooked in previous studies. HRCT reveals typical lesions in most patients. There is no clear response of these lesions to corticosteroids and IFNα. The overall prognosis of the disease is poor, but pulmonary involvement does not appear to be a major prognostic factor in ECD.
Musculoskeletal pain among Polish music school students.

OBJECTIVE To assess the prevalence and intensity of musculoskeletal pain and to estimate probability of developing playing-related musculoskeletal disorders, depending on risk factors, including gender, years of playing the musical instrument, frequency of practice (number of days per week), average daily practice time, and habitual physical activity level, in young instrumentalists. METHODS A total of 225 instrumentalists aged 10-18 years, including 107 string-players, 64 keyboardists, and 54 wind-players, were investigated. The Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) together with a numerical visual-analogue pain intensity scale (VAS) was used to assess the participants' musculoskeletal pain. RESULTS The young instrumentalists most often complained of pain located in the neck (60.4%), wrists (44.4%), and upper (41.7%) and lower back (38.2%) areas. Girls complained of musculoskeletal pain significantly more often than the boys. A probability of the pain symptoms was increased with each consecutive year of practice (OR 1.135; 95%CI 1.021-1.261). CONCLUSIONS Musculoskeletal pain in various body parts had already commenced at a young age in our sample of music students, and there was a gender difference (girls were more often affected). Results of our study suggest that an early prophylaxis of playing-related musculoskeletal disorders is needed among young musicians playing the various instruments.
Return migration: the experience of Eastern Europe

Over the last decade, a significant share of the labour force in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) has been exposed to work spells abroad followed by return migration. Although there is a growing literature on CEE return migration, most previous studies are country-specific and no enquiry for the region as a whole has been undertaken so far. In this paper, we attempt to fill this gap. We collate data from the European Union (EU) Labour Force Survey (EU-LFS) for a cross-country analysis of return migration in CEE countries. The aim of the paper is threefold. We first review the available evidence and literature on the characteristics and labour market behaviour of return migrants in CEE countries. Second, we provide a descriptive analysis of recent returnees using EU-LFS data. Third, we specifically analyse the income premia for work experience abroad, the occupational choices and the selectivity patterns of recent returnees in CEE countries from a cross-country perspective. Consistent with previous results, we find that the average income premia for work abroad range between 10 per cent and 45 per cent. Migrants are less likely to actively participate in the labour market upon return. They are, however, more likely to choose self-employment rather than dependent employment upon return. Recent migrants are also more likely to experience spells of unemployment in the first year after their return. The latter two findings are reversed, however, when adjusting for the unobserved heterogeneity of return migrants and for regional effects.
Bad for Practice: A Critique of the Transaction Cost Theory

Transaction cost economics (TCE), and more specifically the version of TCE that has been developed by Oliver Williamson (1975, 1985, 1993b), has become an increasingly important anchor for the analysis of a wide range of strategic and organizational issues of considerable importance to firms. As argued by some of its key proponents, the theory aims not only to explain but also to influence practice (Masten, 1993). In this article, we argue that prescriptions drawn from this theory are likely to be not only wrong but also dangerous for corporate managers because of the assumptions and logic on which it is grounded. Organizations are not mere substitutes for structuring efficient transactions when markets fail; they possess unique advantages for governing certain kinds of economic activities through a logic that is very different from that of a market. TCE is “bad for practice” because it fails to recognize this difference. We identify some of the sources of the “organizational advantage” and argue for the .
Pensions and Consumption Decisions: Evidence from the Lab

Pensioners have increasingly more control over their income streams as a result of pension reforms, which gives them more freedom to save for their old age. We devise an experiment where subjects face a life-cycle optimization task with lifetime uncertainty and a given lifetime income. The aims are to test whether subjects' saving and consumption behaviour is affected by: (i) the steepness of the income profile; and (ii) the freedom to choose the steepness of the income prole before the optimization task. In general, subjects' consumption decisions deviate systematically from the optimal ones in the sense that they are overly sensitive to current income and financial wealth. Subject behavior is unaffected by the steepness of the income. When subjects are given such a flexibility their consumption decisions are relatively more sensitive to current income and financial wealth.
Health Status Index Models: A Unified Mathematical View

A general mathematical formulation of the health status index model is developed. Equations are given for three types of population health indexes and for the determination of the amount of health improvement created by a health care program. Fourteen of the major health status index models from the literature are analyzed, and it is shown that each can be viewed as a special case of the general formulation. It is hoped that the paper will help to unify the health status index concept, will serve to standardize terminology and notation, and will facilitate comparisons of the various models.
Exploring effects of a natural combination medicine on exercise‐induced inflammatory immune response: A double‐blind RCT

Traumeel (Tr14) is a natural, combination drug, which has been shown to modulate inflammation at the cytokine level. This study aimed to investigate potential effects of Tr14 on the exercise‐induced immune response. In a double‐blind, randomized, controlled trial, healthy, untrained male subjects received either Tr14 (n = 40) or placebo (n = 40) for 24 h after a strenuous experimental exercise trial on a bicycle (60 min at 80%VO2max). A range of antigen‐stimulated cytokines (in vitro), white blood cell count, lymphocyte activation and apoptosis markers, and indicators of muscle damage were assessed up to 24 h following exercise. The area under the curve with respect to the increase (AUCI) was compared between both groups. The Tr14 group showed a reduced exercise‐induced leukocytosis and neutrocytosis (P < 0.01 for both), a higher AUCI score of antigen‐stimulated IL‐1β and IL‐1α (absolute and per monocyte, all P < 0.05), a lower AUCI score of antigen‐stimulated GM‐CSF (P < 0.05) and by trend a lower AUCI score of antigen‐stimulated IL‐2 and IL‐4 as well as a higher AUCI score of antigen‐stimulated IL‐6 (all P < 0.1). Tr14 might promote differentiated effects on the exercise‐induced immune response by (a) decreasing the inflammatory response of the innate immune system; and (b) augmenting the pro‐inflammatory cytokine response.
Integration Analysis of Latin American Stock Markets 1993-2007

This paper studies the time varying relationships between seven Latin America stock markets, the United States and a regional benchmark. Our interest is motivated by the completion of financial liberalization across major Latin America countries in the early 1990s. Starting with correlation analysis, we find relatively strong short-term co-movements between larger Latin America markets and the regional benchmark and U.S. market. We extend our analysis by applying a number of cointegration tests to examine the long-term equilibrium relations. The results are strongly in agreement that the Latin America equity markets have not become integrated either within the region or the United States, which suggests long-run diversification benefits to U.S and other international investors. Two recursive analyses are also implemented to unveil the dynamics of the regional and international integration.
Strategic Divestments in Family Firms: Role of Family Structure and Community Culture

Timely acquisition and divestment of resources is essential for sustaining the competitive advantage and longevity of family firms. A combination of past successes, emotional attachments, and path dependencies can lead to extensive inertia toward divestment in these firms. This article develops a framework to understand the influence of community culture and family structure on divestment decisions in family firms. Propositions on the varying levels of inertia to divest—depending on the values held by the owning family and the culture prevailing in their community—are developed. Research and practical implications are discussed.
Diagnosis of Atrial Fibrillation Using Electrograms from Chronic Leads: Evaluation of Computer Algorithms

This study compares the performance of three detection algorithms for the recognition of atrial fibrillation in chronic pacing leads. Multiple serial recordings were obtained of wideband and filtered electrograms from chronic atrial and ventricular leads in dogs for a period up to 55 days following implantation. Each dog was recorded in sinus rhythm and induced atrial fibrillation. Four days were chosen for processing: The day of implantation and a day in the first, second or third, and fifth weeks. Three signal processing methods were assessed for performance in detection of atrial fibrillation: software recognition of rate with automatic threshold control, amplitude distribution, and frequency spectral analysis. A software trigger for rate determination was adjusted to thresholds of 10, 20, and 30% of maximum baseline‐to‐peak amplitude. At 10%, a rate boundary anywhere between 420 and 560 beats per minute (bpm) perfectly separated atrial fibrillation from sinus rhythm even though atrial electrograms were contaminated with large QRS deflections and double‐sensing was present. At 20% and 30%, a rate boundary around 300 bpm could be used, but sensitivity and specificity were reduced to 90%. In amplitude distribution analysis, a percent of time within a baseline window provided perfect separation of atrial fibrillation from sinus rhythm. In all cases, the signal was within this window Jess than 43% of the time in atrial fibrillation, and more than 43% in sinus rhythm. In spectral analysis, frequency bands were examined for power content. In the 6 to 30 Hz band atrial fibrillation contained the greater power. Choosing 58% of total power as a discriminant, sensitivity and specificity of atrial fibrillation detection were 100% and 95% respectively.
Nonmonetary Factors in the Demand for Medical Services: Some Empirical Evidence

Nonmonetary factors are expected to assume an increasingly important role in determining the demand for medical care as the out-of-pocket money price falls (due to spreading health insurance coverage or the enactment of the federal health insurance legislation). A utility maximization model is used to develop predictions for the demand for "free" and nonfree care. A simultaneous-equation system is estimated on a survey of users of New York City's "free" outpatient departments and municipal hospitals. The empirical results support the major predictions that nonmonetary factors such as travel distance will function as prices in discouraging demand and that earned and nonearned income have different impacts. A number of implications for public policy are suggested, including the possibility of substituting income maintenance for the direct provision or insurance of medical care.
Imaging flow cytometry assays for quantifying pigment grade titanium dioxide particle internalization and interactions with immune cells in whole blood

Pigment grade titanium dioxide is composed of sub‐micron sized particles, including a nanofraction, and is widely utilized in food, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and biomedical industries. Oral exposure to pigment grade titanium dioxide results in at least some material entering the circulation in humans, although subsequent interactions with blood immune cells are unknown. Pigment grade titanium dioxide is employed for its strong light scattering properties, and this work exploited that attribute to determine whether single cell–particle associations could be determined in immune cells of human whole blood at “real life” concentrations. In vitro assays, initially using isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells, identified titanium dioxide associated with the surface of, and within, immune cells by darkfield reflectance in imaging flow cytometry. This was confirmed at the population level by side scatter measurements using conventional flow cytometry. Next, it was demonstrated that imaging flow cytometry could quantify titanium dioxide particle‐bearing cells, within the immune cell populations of fresh whole blood, down to titanium dioxide levels of 10 parts per billion, which is in the range anticipated for human blood following titanium dioxide ingestion. Moreover, surface association and internal localization of titanium dioxide particles could be discriminated in the assays. Overall, results showed that in addition to the anticipated activity of blood monocytes internalizing titanium dioxide particles, neutrophil internalization and cell membrane adhesion also occurred, the latter for both phagocytic and nonphagocytic cell types. What happens in vivo and whether this contributes to activation of one or more of these different cells types in blood merits further attention. © 2017 The Authors. Cytometry Part A Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of ISAC.
[Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis in childhood. Report of 10 cases].

INTRODUCTION Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) is a postinfectious encephalitis that is usually preceded by an infectious disease or vaccination. The clinical presentation has a wide spectrum and complementary exams are none specific, except magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings showing multifocal white-matter lesions similar to those seen en multiple sclerosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS We report 10 children with the diagnosis of ADEM. We describe the clinical course and response to treatment. RESULTS The prodroms were fever in all cases except one. The most common neurological symptoms were consciousness impairment, headache and seizures. The cerebrospinal fluid examination was abnormal in 9 patients with positive serologic test to enterovirus in one of them. MRI showed hyperintense multifocal subcortical white-matter lesions on T2-mediated images. Treatment with steroids was given to 5 patients, steroids and immunoglobulins to one patient and symptomatic treatment to the rest. From the last group one patient relapsed and then received corticosteroid treatment. The follow up revealed a complete recovery in 6/7 patients that received steroids. Three patients have sequelae and of these, 2 received only symptomatic treatment. CONCLUSIONS The diagnosis of ADEM is based on clinical and radiologic features, once other entities have been excluded. At the moment of suspicious of ADEM a brain-spinal chord MRI should be done, seeing that TAC brings not much information at the beginning. The treatment with steroids seems to be the most effective and the prognosis good, specially in cases that respond rapidly to it.
The Differential Impact of the Bank-Firm Relationship on IPO Underpricing: Evidence from China

This study investigates the impact of the bank–firm relationship on IPO underpricing in China, an emerging economy with a bank-dominated financial system. Utilizing a hand-collected loan data for 902 Chinese IPO firms from 2004 to 2011, we document that the bank–firm relationship reduces the degree of IPO underpricing. Both the lender's and the borrower's firm characteristics affect the signal quality of the bank–firm relationship, resulting in differential impacts on IPO underpricing. The relationship between firms and banks with high credit quality or the relationship between politically unconnected firms and banks has a more positive impact on mitigating IPO underpricing.
Assessing the Risk of Liquidity Suppliers on the Basis of Excess Demand Intensities

In this article we introduce the concept of excess volume durations, which are defined as the time until a given amount of buy or sell excess volume is traded on the market. Excess volume durations indicate the one-sided intensity of liquidity demand and characterize the risk of a market maker with respect to asymmetric information and inventory problems. By modeling excess volume durations based on Box--Cox-type autoregressive conditional duration (ACD) models, it is shown that market microstructure variables are predictors for the expected liquidity demand intensity. Moreover, the length of excess volume durations is found to be positively correlated with the magnitude of the corresponding price impact and thus the market depth. , .
Evolution of high‐performance swimming in sharks: Transformations of the musculotendinous system from subcarangiform to thunniform swimmers

In contrast to all other sharks, lamnid sharks perform a specialized fast and continuous “thunniform” type of locomotion, more similar to that of tunas than to any other known shark or bony fish. Within sharks, it has evolved from a subcarangiform mode. Experimental data show that the two swimming modes in sharks differ remarkably in kinematic patterns as well as in muscle activation patterns, but the morphology of the underlying musculotendinous system (red muscles and myosepta) that drives continuous locomotion remains largely unknown. The goal of this study was to identify differences in the musculotendinous system of the two swimming types and to evaluate these differences in an evolutionary context. Three subcarangiform sharks (the velvet belly lantern shark, Etmopterus spinax, the smallspotted catshark, Scyliorhinus canicula, and the blackmouth catshark, Galeus melanostomus) from the two major clades (two galeans, one squalean) and one lamnid shark, the shortfin mako, Isurus oxyrhinchus, were compared with respect to 1) the 3D shape of myomeres and myosepta of different body positions; 2) the tendinous architecture (collagenous fiber pathways) of myosepta from different body positions; and 3) the association of red muscles with myoseptal tendons. Results show that the three subcarangiform sharks are morphologically similar but differ remarkably from the lamnid condition. Moreover, the “subcarangiform” morphology is similar to the condition known from teleostomes. Thus, major features of the “subcarangiform” condition in sharks have evolved early in gnathostome history: Myosepta have one main anterior‐pointing cone and two posterior‐pointing cones that project into the musculature. Within a single myoseptum cones are connected by longitudinally oriented tendons (the hypaxial and epaxial lateral and myorhabdoid tendons). Mediolaterally oriented tendons (epineural and epipleural tendons; mediolateral fibers) connect vertebral axis and skin. An individual lateral tendon spans only a short distance along the body (a fraction between 0.05 and 0.075 of total length, L, of the shark). This span is similar in all tendons along the body. Red muscles insert into the midregion of the lateral tendons. The shortfin mako differs substantially from this condition in several respects: Red muscles are internalized and separated from white muscles by a sheath of lubricative connective tissue. They insert into the anterior part of the hypaxial lateral tendon. Rostrocaudally, this tendon becomes very distinct and its span increases threefold (0.06L anteriorly to 0.19L posteriorly). Mediolateral fibers do not form distinct epineural/epipleural tendons in the mako. Since our morphological findings are in good accordance with experimental data it seems likely that the thunniform swimming mode has evolved along with the described morphological specializations. J. Morphol. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A Comparison of Budgeting and Accounting Reforms in the National Governments of France, Germany, the UK and the US

This paper compares technical aspects of accrual-based budgeting and accounting reforms of the national governments of France, Germany, the UK and the US. It shows that there is no consensus among the four countries about the complete package of technical reform possibilities that is most appropriate; there is also no consensus among the four countries about each one of the possibilities that is most appropriate. What is clear is the resilience of traditional budgetary accounting systems. It is also clear that, in the fundamental context and content of the reforms, the UK is the striking exception.