Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Successful conversion of wrist prosthesis to arthrodesis in 11 patients

From 2001 to 2015, 11 wrists in 11 patients with osteoarthritis of the wrist had failed wrist arthroplasties, which were subsequently converted to arthrodesis using intercalated corticocancellous autograft from the iliac crest and fixation with an arthrodesis plate or a customized peg. Clinical and radiological bone union was achieved in all the operated wrists. At final follow-up of ten patients after 6 years, they had a substantial reduction in pain and improvement in daily function and grip strength compared with those before arthrodesis. We conclude from outcomes of this series that the conversion to arthrodesis after failed wrist arthroplasty is worthwhile and reliably improve wrist function over failed wrist arthroplasty. The results suggest that the patients who will have wrist arthroplasty can be assured that in case of failure the conversion to arthrodesis will produce outcomes comparable with those after primary arthrodesis. Level of evidence: IV
Employees' reactions to IT-enabled process innovations in the age of data analytics in healthcare

Purpose Interorganizational business process standards (IBPS) are IT-enabled process specifications that standardize, streamline, and improve business processes related to interorganizational relationships. There has been much interest in IBPS as organizations from different industries implement these process standards that lead to successful organizational outcomes by integrating and standardizing intra- and inter-organizational business processes. These process standards enable data analytics capabilities by facilitating new sources of interorganizational process data. The purpose of this paper is to unearth employees’ reactions to a new type of supply chain process innovations that involved an implementation of new IBPS, a supply chain management (SCM) system, and associated analytics capabilities. Design/methodology/approach The authors gathered and analyzed qualitative data for a year from the employees of a healthcare supplier, a high-tech manufacturing organization, during the implementation of a SCM system and RosettaNet-based IBPS. Findings In what the authors termed the initiation stage, there was quite a bit of confusion and unrest among employees regarding the relevance of the new process standards and associated analytics capabilities. With the passage of time, in the institutionalization stage, although the situation improved slightly, employees found workarounds that allowed them to appropriate just part of specific processes and the analytics capabilities. Finally, once routinized, employees felt comfortable in the situation but still did not appropriate the new supply chain processes faithfully. Overall, employees’ reactions toward the SCM system and associated analytics capabilities were different from their reactions toward the new business processes. Originality/value The paper contributes to the literature by offering novel insights on how employees react to and appropriate process innovations that change their work processes.
Regional Business Cycle Accounting and The Great Recession ⇤

I extend the business cycle accounting methodology to a setting of a monetary union. I create a novel dataset on prices, wages, employment, net assets, and consumption that using both aggregate and regional data allows for the application of the methodology at three di↵erent levels of geographic aggregation: states, MSAs, and counties. Applied to the Great Recession at the state level, the business cycle accounting exercise provides two main findings. First, for 40 out of 48 states the labor wedge played a primary role in accounting for the di↵erences between employment at the state level and employment at the aggregate level. Second, for 42 states the intertemporal wedge played a prominent role in accounting for the di↵erences between consumption at the state level and consumption at the aggregate level. These results suggest that models using regional variation to study the business cycle of the Great Recession would need mechanisms generating fluctuations in more than one wedge to account for relative fluctuations in employment and consumption of a given region; however, in principle, such mechanisms need not be di↵erent for di↵erent regions.
Colorectal and other cancer risks for carriers and noncarriers from families with a DNA mismatch repair gene mutation: a prospective cohort study.

PURPOSE To determine whether cancer risks for carriers and noncarriers from families with a mismatch repair (MMR) gene mutation are increased above the risks of the general population. PATIENTS AND METHODS We prospectively followed a cohort of 446 unaffected carriers of an MMR gene mutation (MLH1, n = 161; MSH2, n = 222; MSH6, n = 47; and PMS2, n = 16) and 1,029 their unaffected relatives who did not carry a mutation every 5 years at recruitment centers of the Colon Cancer Family Registry. For comparison of cancer risk with the general population, we estimated country-, age-, and sex-specific standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) of cancer for carriers and noncarriers. RESULTS Over a median follow-up of 5 years, mutation carriers had an increased risk of colorectal cancer (CRC; SIR, 20.48; 95% CI, 11.71 to 33.27; P < .001), endometrial cancer (SIR, 30.62; 95% CI, 11.24 to 66.64; P < .001), ovarian cancer (SIR, 18.81; 95% CI, 3.88 to 54.95; P < .001), renal cancer (SIR, 11.22; 95% CI, 2.31 to 32.79; P < .001), pancreatic cancer (SIR, 10.68; 95% CI, 2.68 to 47.70; P = .001), gastric cancer (SIR, 9.78; 95% CI, 1.18 to 35.30; P = .009), urinary bladder cancer (SIR, 9.51; 95% CI, 1.15 to 34.37; P = .009), and female breast cancer (SIR, 3.95; 95% CI, 1.59 to 8.13; P = .001). We found no evidence of their noncarrier relatives having an increased risk of any cancer, including CRC (SIR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.33 to 2.39; P = .97). CONCLUSION We confirmed that carriers of an MMR gene mutation were at increased risk of a wide variety of cancers, including some cancers not previously recognized as being a result of MMR mutations, and found no evidence of an increased risk of cancer for their noncarrier relatives.
Applications of Autologous Serum Eye Drops in Aniridic Keratopathy

Aniridia is an uncommon congenital bilateral disease that involves the cornea, anterior chamber, lens, retina and optic nerve. Corneal changes in aniridic keratopathy include recurrent erosions of corneal epithelium, tear film instability, chronic pain, corneal vascularisation, dry eye, progressive corneal opacification and blindness. The autologous serum contains a variety of growth factors, vitamins and immunoglobulins, some of which are in higher concentrations than in natural tears. The growth factors and protein found in the serum may help the proliferation, migration and adhesion of epithelial corneal cells. They are by nature non-allergenic and their biochemical and biomechanical properties are similar to those of normal tears. The ocular surface, including corneal impression cytology and tear film evaluation, of patients with congenital aniridia was studied prior to and after treatment with autologous serum eye drops.
Vitamin C and N-Acetyl-L-cysteine prevent ethanol induced cultured cerebellar granule neurons apoptosis through Nuclear Factor-kappa B pathway

Objective: Oxidative stress is a candidate mechanism for ethanol neuropathology in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Our overall objective was to investigate the hypothesis that ethanol neurotoxicity involves production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) with negative downstream consequences for mitochondrial membrane potential and neuron survival. Methods: We use P4 cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs) as the cell model. Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay and Hoechst 33258 staining were used to investigate the apoptosis induced by ethanol. Hydroxyl radical and lipid peroxidation or glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity assay were used to study the effect of oxidative stress. Luciferase assay and western blot were used to show the mechanism of cell death caused by ethanol exposure or the function of antioxidants in CGNs after ethanol treatment. Results: Ethanol exposure can cause oxidative stress by increasing the content of hydroxyl radical and the level of lipid peroxidation, and decreasing GSH-Px activity in cultured CGNs. Ethanol also decreases the expression of Nuclear Factor-kappa B (NF-KB) and reduces its downstream genes expression such as Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL in CGNs. The inhibition of ethanol can be rescued by anti-oxidative reagent ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) and N-Acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC). It is likely that oxidative stress is the principal mechanism of ethanol neurotoxicity for CGNs during the stage of the brain development. Conclusion: Our data show that ethanol exposure can promote cell death by increasing oxidative stress and lowering the ability of both anti-oxidation and anti-apoptosis in CGNs. This damage can be attenuated by anti-oxidative reagents.
Sarcoidosis involving the musculoskeletal system.

Although sarcoidosis can affect virtually any organ, musculoskeletal involvement is infrequent. Early in the course of the disease, acute polyarthritis may be observed in up to 40% of patients, but this is often self-limited. Chronic or recurrent sarcoid arthritis is rare, affecting only 1 to 4% of patients. Asymptomatic involvement of muscles has been reported in 25 to 75% of patients in small series, but symptomatic involvement of muscles is rare. Although prospective studies assessing the prevalence of muscle involvement in sarcoidosis have not been done, several large retrospective studies suggest that symptomatic muscle involvement occurs in < 0.5% of patients with sarcoidosis. Patterns of sarcoid muscle involvement include chronic, progressive myopathy; nodular or tumorous sarcoidosis affecting muscles; and an acute polymyositis-like syndrome. Corticosteroid therapy is usually efficacious for the acute myositis variant but is less consistently helpful in the other forms (e.g., chronic myopathy or nodules). Similarly, clinically significant involvement of bone is rare (< 2-5%), and is often associated with chronic multisystemic disease, lupus pernio, and chronic uveitis. Unfortunately, osseous sarcoidosis is often unresponsive to therapy. In this review, we discuss the prevalence, clinical features, and management of sarcoidosis involving muscle, joints, and bones.
Short-term variability of blood pressure and heart rate in Guillain-Barré syndrome without respiratory failure.

The effect of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) on the short-term variability of blood pressure and heart rate was evaluated in six patients presenting with a moderate form of the syndrome, i.e. unable to stand up unaided and without respiratory failure, at the height of the disease and during recovery. The patients were compared with six age-matched healthy volunteers. During the acute phase of the syndrome, GBS patients exhibited a significant heart rate elevation (+26 beats/min compared with healthy subjects), but the acceleratory response to atropine, or to 60 degrees head-up tilt, was maintained. Resting plasma noradrenaline levels were high in acute GBS, but the secretory response to tilt was preserved. Desensitization to noradrenaline was observed in acute GBS with a reduced pressor action of this alpha-adrenoceptor agonist. Blood pressure levels were normal and head-up tilt did not induce orthostatic hypotension in this moderate form of GBS. Power spectral analysis demonstrated marked alterations in cardiovascular variability. The overall heart period variability was markedly reduced with the reduction predominantly in the high-frequency (respiratory) range (-73%). The low-frequency component of heart period variability was also reduced (-54%). This cardiovascular profile of moderate GBS at the height of the disease could result from a demyelination of the reflex loop controlling respiratory oscillations in heart rate and from a desensitization of the arterial tree to an elevated plasma noradrenaline. Sympathetic nervous activation may contribute to the high resting heart rate in acute GBS.
A Low-Loss and High Isolation D-Band SPDT Switch Utilizing Deep-Saturated SiGe HBTs

A single-pole double-throw switch, utilizing double-shunt, deep-saturated HBTs is implemented in a 0.13 μm SiGe BiCMOS technology, occupying 0.36 mm2 of IC area. A superior switch performance is identified when HBTs are operated in saturation regime, and state of the art performance is achieved at D-band frequencies from 96 to 163 GHz. Measurements show a minimum insertion loss of 2.6 dB at 120 and 150 GHz, a highest isolation of 29 dB at 120 GHz and an input 1 dB compression point of 17 dBm at 94 GHz, outperforming similar implementations in deep-scaled CMOS technologies.
Existence and Iterative Approximation Methods for Generalized Mixed Vector Equilibrium Problems with Relaxed Monotone Mappings

We first consider an auxiliary problem for the generalized mixed vector equilibrium problem with a relaxed monotone mapping and prove the existence and uniqueness of the solution for the auxiliary problem. We then introduce a new iterative scheme for approximating a common element of the set of solutions of a generalized mixed vector equilibrium problem with a relaxed monotone mapping and the set of common fixed points of a countable family of nonexpansive mappings. The results presented in this paper can be considered as a generalization of some known results due to Wang et al. (2010).
Towards 3 D structure prediction of large RNA molecules : an integer programming framework to insert local 3 D motifs in RNA secondary structure

Motivation: The prediction of RNA 3D structures from its sequence only is a milestone to RNA function analysis and prediction. In recent years, many methods addressed this challenge, ranging from cycle decomposition and fragment assembly to molecular dynamics simulations. However, their predictions remain fragile and limited to small RNAs. To expand the range and accuracy of these techniques, we need to develop algorithms that will enable to use all the structural information available. In particular, the energetic contribution of secondary structure interactions is now well documented, but the quantification of non-canonical interactions—those shaping the tertiary structure—is poorly understood. Nonetheless, even if a complete RNA tertiary structure energy model is currently unavailable, we now have catalogues of local 3D structural motifs including non-canonical base pairings. A practical objective is thus to develop techniques enabling us to use this knowledge for robust RNA tertiary structure predictors. Results: In this work, we introduce RNA-MoIP, a program that benefits from the progresses made over the last 30 years in the field of RNA secondary structure prediction and expands these methods to incorporate the novel local motif information available in databases. Using an integer programming framework, our method refines predicted secondary structures (i.e. removes incorrect canonical base pairs) to accommodate the insertion of RNA 3D motifs (i.e. hairpins, internal loops and k-way junctions). Then, we use predictions as templates to generate complete 3D structures with the MC-Sym program. We benchmarked RNA-MoIP on a set of 9 RNAs with sizes varying from 53 to 128 nucleotides. We show that our approach (i) improves the accuracy of canonical base pair predictions; (ii) identifies the best secondary structures in a pool of suboptimal structures; and (iii) predicts accurate 3D structures of large RNA molecules. Availability: RNA-MoIP is publicly available at: http:// csb.cs.mcgill.ca/RNAMoIP. Contact: jeromew@cs.mcgill.ca
Citation classics in patient safety research: an invitation to contribute to an online bibliography

Background: There has been a documented massive increase in published papers on patient safety over the past 20 years or so. Aims: To ascertain the most influential papers over these last two decades. Method: We obtained citation counts on papers which seemed to have been the most important in influencing opinion and practice. Our original source of papers were based on a systematic review of patient safety literature carried out by Shojania and colleagues and supplemented by other papers that we had come across in the course of our work directing the Department of Health Patient Safety Research Programme. Results: We have listed 62 papers on our full report found on our website (http://www.pcpoh.bham.ac.uk/publichealth/psrp/PS_review.htm) and present the top 10 most highly cited papers here. Conclusion: We are aware that the results were influenced by our subjective assessment and therefore invite readers to send us their favourite papers so we can include them in our interactive bibliography.
Linearized Doherty amplifier using a new digital predistorter compensating frequency-dependent intermodulation distortion for mobile radio

A linearized Doherty amplifier is proposed that employs a digital predistorter to compensate the frequency-dependent intermodulation distortion, the so-called memory effect. This scheme effectively reduces intermodulation distortion and makes it possible for the Doherty amplifier to operate near its saturation output power. A 2-GHz band 1-W class linear amplifier is investigated that has a Doherty amplifier with Class-F operation and a digital predistorter designed to cancel third-order intermodulation distortion. In an experiment, the drain efficiency and the third-order intermodulation distortion at 3-dB output back-off from saturation output power are improved to 55% and less than -60 dB, respectively. The proposed technique can be extended to cover higher-order intermodulation distortion and will minimize the power consumption of the base station amplifiers in cellular communications systems.
Serotypes, Antimicrobial Susceptibility, and gyr A Gene Mutation of Campylobacter jejuni Isolates from Humans and Chickens in Thailand

In Thailand, 51% (36/70) Campylobacter jejuni isolates from humans and 68% (47/69) isolates from poultry were classified into 10 Penner serotypes (serotype B, C, R, E, G, A, K, D, I, and L) and 9 serotypes (serotype A, C, I, K, B, E, S, D, and L), respectively. The rate of antimicrobial drug resistance to nalidixic acid, ciprofloxacin, ampicillin, tetracycline, and erythromycin shown by human isolates were 96%, 96%, 29%, 57%, and 14%, while that shown by poultry isolates were 77%, 77%, 22%, 26%, and 17%, respectively. All quinolone‐resistant strains contained a mutation in the gyrA gene (T86→I86), suggesting that the strains were already widespread in Thailand.
Passthrough Efficiency in the Fed ’ s New Monetary Policy Setting ? ( Preliminary )

We show how the current institutional setting of U.S.-dollar money markets limits the passthrough effectiveness of the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy. We focus on frictions associated with imperfect competition, regulation, infrastructure, and other forms of institutional segmentation within money markets. We model how imperfect competition is exacerbated by costs to cash investors associated with search and information attention. We show that passthrough is further dampened by the supplementary leverage ratio (SLR) rule, which distorts repo intermediation incentives for bank-affiliated securities dealers, and the Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR) rule, which can inhibit the creation of short-term bank liabilities, also reducing passthrough effectiveness. We explain how these impediments to passthrough efficiency are mitigated by the Fed’s reverse repurchase (RRP) facility, but mainly through the disintermediation of banks, which has some costs that we discuss.
Spinal Dorsal Horn Cell Receptive Field Size is Increased in Adult Rats Following Neonatal Hindpaw Skin Injury

Local tissue damage in newborn rats can lead to changes in skin sensitivity that last into adulthood and this is likely to be due to plasticity of developing peripheral and central sensory connections. This study examines the functional connections of dorsal horn neurons in young and adult rats that have undergone local skin damage at birth. Newborn rat pups were halothane anaesthetised and received either a unilateral subcutaneous plantar injection of 1 % λ‐carrageenan or a unilateral plantar foot injury made by removal of 2 mm × 2 mm of skin. At 3 weeks, (postnatal day (P) 19–23) and 6 weeks (P40–44) in vivo extracellular recordings of single dorsal horn cells with plantar cutaneous receptive fields were made under urethane anaesthesia (2 g kg−1) and responses to mechanical and electrical stimulation of the skin were assessed. Following neonatal carrageenan inflammation, dorsal horn neuron properties and receptive field sizes at 3 weeks were the same as those of controls. In contrast, following neonatal skin injury, dorsal horn cell receptive field sizes were significantly greater than those of controls at 3 weeks (2.5‐fold) and at 6 weeks (2.2‐fold). Mechanical thresholds, mechanical response magnitudes and evoked responses to single and repeated A and C fibre stimulation remained unaffected. These results show that early skin injury can cause prolonged changes in central sensory connections that persist into adult life, long after the skin has healed. Enlarged dorsal horn neuron receptive field sizes provide a physiological mechanism for the persistent behavioural hypersensitivity that follows neonatal skin injury in rats and for the prolonged sensory changes reported in human infants after early pain and injury.
Effective dynamics of disordered quantum systems

We derive general evolution equations describing the ensemble-average quantum dynamics generated by disordered Hamiltonians. The disorder average affects the coherence of the evolution and can be accounted for by suitably tailored effective coupling agents and associated rates which encode the specific statistical properties of the Hamiltonian's eigenvectors and eigenvalues, respectively. Spectral disorder and isotropically disordered eigenvector distributions are considered as paradigmatic test cases.
Patient Satisfaction With Primary Care: Does Type of Practitioner Matter?

Objective:The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of patient satisfaction with type of practitioner attending visits in the primary care practice of a managed care organization (MCO). Study Design:We conducted a retrospective observational study of 41,209 patient satisfaction surveys randomly sampled from visits provided by the pediatrics and adult medicine departments from 1997 to 2000. Logistic regression, with practitioner and practice fixed effects, of patient satisfaction versus dissatisfaction was estimated for each of 3 scales: practitioner interaction, care access, and overall experience. Models were estimated separately by department. Independent variables were type of practitioner attending the visit and other patient and visit characteristics. Results:Adjusted for patient and visit characteristics, patients were significantly more likely to be satisfied with practitioner interaction on visits attended by physician assistant/nurse practitioners (PA/NPs) than visits attended by MDs in both the adult medicine and pediatrics practices. Patient satisfaction with care access or overall experience did not significantly differ by practitioner type. In adult medicine, patients were more satisfied on diabetes visits provided by MDs than by PA/NPs. Otherwise, patient satisfaction for the combined effects of practitioner type and specific presenting condition did not differ. Conclusions:Averaged over many primary care visits provided by many physicians and midlevel practitioners, patients in this MCO were as satisfied with care provided by PA/NPs as with care provided by MDs.