Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Extramedullary compared with intramedullary implants for intertrochanteric hip fractures: thirty-day outcomes of 4432 procedures from the ACS NSQIP database.

BACKGROUND For more than thirty-five years, the sliding hip screw, an extramedullary implant, has been the standard treatment for the stabilization of intertrochanteric fractures. Over the last decade, intramedullary implants have replaced extramedullary implants as the most commonly used type of implant in the United States for the treatment of this condition, without strong evidence of superior outcomes. METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study with use of the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) database. Patients seventy years of age or older who had sustained an intertrochanteric fracture treated with extramedullary or intramedullary implant during 2009 to 2012 were identified. General surgical outcomes were compared between implant types, with adjustment for demographic data and comorbidities. RESULTS A total of 4432 patients were identified; 1612 (36.4%) were treated with an extramedullary implant, and 2820 (63.6%) with an intramedullary implant. The rates of the composite outcomes "serious adverse events" and "any adverse events" did not differ by implant type. The mean postoperative length of stay was shorter for patients treated with an intramedullary implant compared with those treated with an extramedullary implant (5.4 compared with 6.5 days; p < 0.001). Operation time, operating room time, and the rate of hospital readmission did not differ by implant type. CONCLUSIONS These results reinforce the results of previous randomized trials, demonstrating little difference in rates of general surgical adverse events between implant types. The present study presents an important departure from previous trials in its finding that patients treated with intramedullary implants have, on average, a shorter postoperative length of stay (by 1.1 days). The finding may negate the perceived excess cost associated with intramedullary treatment. Limitations regarding the ACS NSQIP database include a lack of detail regarding fracture subtype, outcomes beyond thirty days, and orthopaedic-specific outcomes.
Zinc alpha-2-glycoprotein is expressed by malignant prostatic epithelium and may serve as a potential serum marker for prostate cancer.

Zinc alpha-2-glycoprotein (ZAG) is a M(r) 41,000 glycoprotein secreted by a variety of normal epithelia. ZAG was recently shown to stimulate lipolysis in adipocytes, leading to the development of cachexia in animals with ZAG-producing tumors. To understand the possible contribution of ZAG to the development of cachexia in men with prostate cancer, ZAG production by normal and malignant prostate tissue was investigated using immunohistochemical assays. Anti-ZAG monoclonal antibodies reacted strongly with normal prostate epithelium but not with other components of prostate or seminal vesicles. The majority of prostate cancers tested (35 of 48; 73%) also reacted with anti-ZAG antibodies. High-grade tumors expressed significantly less ZAG than moderate-grade tumors (mean ZAG score 1.1 versus 1.9; P < 0.01). Men with ZAG-producing prostate carcinomas had elevated levels of serum ZAG relative to their normal age- and race-matched controls (P < 0.02). Furthermore, s.c. growth of human ZAG-producing murine tumors in syngeneic mice and orthotopic growth of ZAG-producing human prostate carcinomas in nude rats resulted in readily detectable levels of human ZAG in the serum. Taken together, these studies show that ZAG production by prostate cancer can lead to systemically elevated serum ZAG levels that may be useful diagnostically. The effects of elevated systemic ZAG on cachexia-associated complications in patients with advanced prostate cancer deserves additional investigation.
Patterns of persistence: Intergenerational mobility and education in South Africa

How should the correlation between the earnings of parents and children in South Africa be calculated in the presence of high unemployment, and what is the role of education in determining this relationship? We use the first four waves of the National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS) for 2008 to 2014/15, and the 1993 Project for Statistics on Living Standards and Development (PSLSD) to investigate the shape of the association between parental and child earnings across the earnings distribution, and find that the correlation is strongest at the ends of the distribution. We correct for possible biases that arise from co-resident parent-child pairs, and from selection into labour market participation in South Africa's high-unemployment society. We find that correcting for selection into employment increases the intergenerational elasticity of earnings by approximately 10 per cent. We unpack the role of education in determining the association of intergenerational earnings and find that the impact is strongest at the bottom of the earnings distribution, and that education accounts for approximately 40 percent of the total intergenerational earnings elasticity.
Antiproliferative, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of hydroxytyrosol on human hepatoma HepG2 and Hep3B cell lines.

BACKGROUND Olive oil intake has been shown to induce beneficial effect on health. This study aimed to investigate the effects of olive oil polyphenol hydroxytyrosol (HT) on cell proliferation and its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacity in human hepatoma Hep3B and HepG2 cell lines. MATERIALS AND METHODS Cell growth after HT treatment was measured by 3-(4,5 di-methylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) test. Lipogenic enzyme activity was evaluated by radiochemical assay. Cell total antioxidant activity and cell interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels were measured by enyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methods. RESULTS HT caused an evident antiproliferative effect mediated by inhibition of lipogenic enzymes. Moreover, HT induced activation of the cell antioxidant system and reduced cellular IL-6 levels. CONCLUSION Our findings provide insights into the mechanisms of action of HT in the context of inhibition of cancer cell proliferation and prevention of oxidative stress in human hepatoma cells. Our results also show a down-regulation of lipogenic enzymes involved in cell proliferation.
The Need for a Center Tailored Treatment Protocol for Peritonitis

Objective Despite many improvements in connectology, peritonitis continues to be a major burden in peritoneal dialysis. Because of the high variety in causative organisms and of the differences in their sensitivity patterns, surveillance of the epidemiology of peritonitis and the appropriate adaptation of the therapy are necessary. This study was performed to evaluate the influence of the nature of causative bacteria on the effectiveness of empirical treatment protocols. Based on this information, a new empiric treatment protocol was proposed. Setting Peritoneal dialysis program of a university hospital. Design All episodes of peritonitis at the University Hospital Gent between 1 January 1994 and 31 December 1996 were analyzed retrospectively. Results of microbiological cultures, microscopic evaluation of dialysate, and clinical course were noted. Results During 1240 patient-months at risk, 50 episodes of peritonitis with identifiable responsible bacteria were observed. Gram-positive organisms were cultured in 34 episodes, and gram-negative organisms were found in 16 episodes. No responsible organism could be identified in 25 additional cases. Resistance to methicillin was registered in 33% of the cultures with staphylococci. There was no resistance to vancomycin. A new empirical treatment protocol was proposed, using a single dose of vancomycin and gentamicin intraperitoneally the first day, followed by oral treatment with ciprofloxacin. With this protocol, a 96% coverage rate is obtained, as opposed to a 78% coverage by using the Ad Hoc Advisory Committee protocol (p < 0.01). Conclusion Individual centers should continue to monitor the epidemiology of peritoneal dialysis-related peritonitis and the epidemiology of the causative organisms and their sensitivity patterns in order to adapt general guidelines into a center-tailored empirical treatment protocol.
Hemodynamic effects of intermittent manual lung hyperinflation in patients with septic shock.

OBJECTIVE The purposes of this study were to investigate the hemodynamic changes induced by intermittent manual lung hyperinflation (MHI) and to assess if these changes are adverse enough to warrant prohibition of MHI as a routine procedure in the care of patients with septic shock. DESIGN The study's design was experimental prospective. SETTING The settings were university hospital intensive care units. PATIENTS Subjects included 13 consecutive mechanically ventilated patients with septic shock who met the inclusion criteria. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS Phasic MHI-related increments in mean inspiratory airway pressure were concordant to changes in mean pulmonary artery pressure (MPAP) (r(2) = 0.67) with a 0.6 mm Hg rise in MPAP per cm H(2)O airway pressure. The magnitude of MPAP changes was not reflected in magnitude of stroke volume index (SVI) (r(2) = 0.06). On average, MHI did not induce statistically significant hemodynamic changes and mean values returned to baseline level within 15 minutes. SVI during MHI increased slightly in 9 patients, from 37 +/- 15 (mean +/- SD) to 41 +/- 17 mL/m(2) (P <.05), and decreased in 4, from 60 +/- 10 to 50 +/- 14 mL/m(2) (not significant). Patients with an increase in SVI had lower baseline values for SVI, cardiac index, and left ventricular stroke work index (P <.05) and higher values for systemic vascular resistance index compared with patients with a decrease in SVI (P <.05). Left ventricular stroke work index was higher in patients with a decrease in SVI than in patients with an increase in SVI (52 +/- 9 vs 34 +/- 8; P <.05). Tidal volume increased from 499 +/- 176 mL before MHI to 587 +/- 82 mL, 5 minutes after MHI (P <.05) with a return to baseline values within 15 minutes after the procedure. CONCLUSION The hemodynamic effects of intermittent MHI in patients with septic shock are relatively small and insignificant and seem to be related to the cardiovascular state before the procedure. The risk of inducing hemodynamic changes with MHI should not be considered as a contraindication in patients with septic shock who are mechanically ventilated.
‘Real’ flexicurity worlds in action: evidence from Denmark and Greece

A renewed discussion has triggered on if and how flexicurity strategies could tackle the explosion of unemployment, increasing poverty rates, and precarious employment. Do flexicurity policies withstand during crisis times and shelter labor markets from shocks? Are the ongoing reforms being characterized by the well-balanced development of both flexibility and security? The paper attempts to investigate the implementation of flexicurity policies as a labor market tool during the years of crisis in different flexicurity regimes. The study will focus its attention on employment policies adopted in Denmark which is considered as one of the two birthplaces of flexicurity concept and Greece which is one of the countries that has been hit the worst by the crisis.
Genetic Classification and Differentiation of Bartonella Species Based on Comparison of Partial ftsZ Gene Sequences

ABSTRACT Currently, 19 species are recognized in the genus Bartonella, 7 of which are involved in an increasing variety of human diseases. Development of molecular tools for detection, identification, and subtyping of strains and isolates has promoted research on Bartonella spp. We amplified and sequenced the portion of the ftsZ gene encoding the N-terminal region of the cell division protein for 13 Bartonella species: Bartonella alsatica, B. birtlesii, B. doshiae, B. elizabethae, B. grahami, B. koehlerae, B. schoenbuchensis, B. taylorii, B. tribocorum, Bartonella vinsonii subsp. arupensis, Bartonella vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii, Bartonella vinsonii subsp. vinsonii, and B. bovis Bermond et al.(“B. weissii”). Phylogenetically derived trees revealed four statistically supported groups, indicating that sequencing of the ftsZ gene is a useful tool for identifying evolutionary relationships among Bartonella species. Furthermore, we amplified and sequenced the portion of the ftsZ gene encoding the C-terminal region of the protein for 4 B. bacilliformis isolates, 14 B. clarridgeiae isolates, 14 B. quintana isolates, and 30 B. henselae isolates that were obtained from different geographic regions, hosts, and clinical specimens. B. clarridgeiae and B. quintana sequences were highly conserved, while those of the four B. bacilliformis isolates differed from the type strain at 5 positions. Among B. henselae strains isolated from cats and patients, only two genotypes were detected: Houston and Marseille. Among 80 clinical samples we detected Bartonella spp. in 35 (43.75%) and found the assay to be comparable to that of a combined intergenic-spacer-region- and pap31-based PCR assay. Our results show the usefulness of the portion of the ftsZ gene encoding the C-terminal region for diagnosis of Bartonella infections. More samples should be tested to study its usefulness for epidemiological investigations.
Us vs. Them: Understanding Artificial Intelligence Technophobia over the Google DeepMind Challenge Match

Various forms of artificial intelligence (AI), such as Apple's Siri and Google Now, have permeated our everyday lives. However, the advent of such "human-like" technology has stirred both awe and a great deal of fear. Many consider it a woe to have an unimaginable future where human intelligence is exceeded by AI. This paper investigates how people perceive and understand AI with a case study of the Google DeepMind Challenge Match, a Go match between Lee Sedol and AlphaGo, in March 2016. This study explores the underlying and changing perspectives toward AI as users experienced this historic event. Interviews with 22 participants show that users tacitly refer to AlphaGo as an "other" as if it were comparable to a human, while dreading that it would come back to them as a potential existential threat. Our work illustrates a confrontational relationship between users and AI, and suggests the need to prepare for a new kind of user experience in this nascent socio- technological change. It calls for a collaborative research effort from the HCI community to study and accommodate users for a future where they interact with algorithms, not just interfaces.
Internet accessibility and disability policy: lessons for digital inclusion and equality from Australia

Abstract In the fifth decade of the internet, accessibility for all, especially those with disabilities, is central to digital inclusion. Yet internationally, the score card on internet and accessibility remains mixed, at best; and woefully inadequate, at worst. Via an Australian case study, we argue that it is imperative to better understand how internet technology interacts with the life worlds and dynamics of disability, and we suggest how policy can be articulated and improved to put people with disabilities on an equal basis to others in digital societies.
What Determines Vacation Leave? The Role of Gender

Vacation leave is introduced in workplaces to improve the working environment. Surprisingly, it has been observed that a large number of workers do not use all of their entitled vacation days. This paper provides a novel set of facts about the gender differences in taking vacation time using the Canadian Workplace Employee Survey, which is a linked longitudinal employerâ€ employee dataset. The results show considerable differences between men and women in the estimated effects of some demographic characteristics after controlling for job and workplace characteristics. However, they reveal significant implications of work arrangements (e.g., partâ€ time work, flexible work schedules, and homeâ€ based work), job promotion, supervisory tasks, and union membership for vacation use, for both men and women. This paper provides further insights on the use of fringe benefits that may be useful to policymakers and businesses.
Using Landsat Time Series to Understand How Management and Disturbances Influence the Expansion of an Invasive Tree

Invasive plant management is both challenging and expensive and as such strategic and well-informed decisions may contribute for a more effective management. Remote sensing time series can inform decision-making, improving management strategies. Acacia longifolia is one of the most widespread invasive plants in Portuguese coastal areas. We used this species to test a new approach to assess how different management practices and disturbances may influence invasive plants’ distribution. The Mann–Kendall statistical test was applied to a 15-year time series (2000–2015) of Landsat TM/ETM+ derived normalized difference vegetation index to detect statistically significant vegetation trends. These maps were interpreted together with a land-cover map derived from a combined rule-based and supervised classification of a Landsat OLI image from November 27th 2013; this interpretation was then complemented with information about management practices and disturbances allowing to identify the processes influencing the current distribution of A. longifolia. The overall accuracy of the classification was 0.785 (Kappa 0.753) and A. longifolia was detected in 9% (8691 ha) of the study area. Of the nine processes of land cover change identified, “vegetation cover intensification” and “vegetation recovery after removal” were the main drivers of expansion. Pine forests were vulnerable to invasion but offered resistance to conversion into A. longifolia monospecific stands, while herbaceous and shrub habitats seemed less resistant to invasion. Some interventions aiming to control A. longifolia were shown to aggravate the invasion. This approach facilitates monitoring the invasion and allows managers to allocate resources to areas where management may be most effective.
How Advertising Intensity and Promotion Costs Effect Operating Profit in Four Type Indonesian Banking Industry

Kotler research found that there are four strategy in placing advertising i.e., uniform pulsing, maintenance pulsing, and impulse pulsing. There is relationship between sales and intensity advertising. This research is to find relationshipintensity bank advertising and bank promotion cost to bank operational profit. Intensity advertising obtained from a national daily newspaper, promotion cost and operating profit obtained from bank quarterly report publicly. Research object divided to four kind of bank i.e. state enterprise bank, private bank, regional bank, and Sharia bank. Research found that advertising behavior of the four banks same with Kotler theory, but promotion costs and operating profit not followed the theory. Quantititive analysis found that regional bank advertising did not effect the operational profit. Sharia banks did not determinate behavior advertising and promotion costs as an important thing to made operating profit. Recommendation as one shot research, it must be done in longitudinal research. It is better find another kind of promotion bank that could be analyzed.
Equivalent Circuit Model of a Bundle of Cables for Bulk Current Injection (BCI) Test

A "simulation program with integrated circuit emphasis" (SPICE) model for the evaluation, in frequency and time domain, of the coupling of a bundle of shielded coaxial cables with an external electromagnetic source such as a bulk current injection clamp, is developed. The proposed equivalent circuit takes into account the presence of the transfer impedance and the presence of the transfer admittance, and it does not need the subdivision in elementary cells. Intermediate results are validated by comparing the exact numerical solutions with the output of the SPICE circuit, and the final results are validated by means of comparison with measurements carried out on an experimental setup. The feature selective validation (FSV) technique is used as a measure of the comparisons
Interleukin-6/Glycoprotein 130-dependent Pathways Are Protective during Liver Regeneration*

After tissue loss the liver has the unique capacity to restore its mass by hepatocyte proliferation. Interleukin-6 (IL6)-deficient mice show a lack in DNA synthesis after partial hepatectomy (PH). To define better the role of IL6 and its family members for liver regeneration after PH, we used conditional knockout mice for glycoprotein 130 (gp130), the common signal transducer of all IL6 family members. We show that gp130-dependent pathways control Stat3 activation after PH. By using gene array analysis, we demonstrate that c-jun, NF-κB, c-myc, and tumor necrosis factor receptor expression is gp130-dependent. However, in gp130-deleted mice only minor effects on cell cycle and on the maximum of DNA synthesis after PH were found compared with controls. As in conditional gp130 animals, the acute phase response was completely abolished, we considered that other means are essential to define the role of gp130-dependent pathways for liver regeneration. LPS stimulation in gp130-deleted and also IL6 −/− animals after PH leads to a significant reduction in survival and DNA synthesis, which was associated with decreased Bcl-xL expression and higher apoptosis in the liver. These results indicate that the phenotype concerning the reduction in DNA synthesis might be linked to the degree of infection after PH. Thus our results suggest that the role of gp130-dependent signaling is not a direct influence on cell cycle progression after partial hepatectomy but is to activate protective pathways important to enable hepatocyte proliferation.
Low Complexity Post-Distorter for Visible Light Communications

In this letter, a visible light communication (VLC) link affected by the light emitting diode (LED) nonlinearity and dispersion due to the IEEE 802.15 PAN channel impulse response is considered. To mitigate severe intersymbol interference and LED nonlinearity, computationally complex classical post-distortion techniques fall short in terms of applicability to massively connected 5G deployments (as in a VLC attocell) due to increased demand on resources and intractability of implementation. To address these issues, this letter proposes a low-complexity reproducing kernel Hilbert space-based post-distorter using a better sparsification technique equipped with an adaptive kernel width optimized by a minimum symbol error rate (MSER) criterion. Use of the proposed MSER metric for kernel width optimization reduces the computational complexity at the receiver, without compromising on the bit error rate. An upper bound on step-size to guarantee convergence of the proposed post-distorter is analytically derived, and the steady-state mean square error is also analyzed theoretically and validated by simulations. Furthermore, analytical upper bounds for bit error rate and steady-state dictionary size are also derived.