Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Survival of cementless and cemented porous-coated anatomic knee replacements: retrospective cohort study.

AIM To evaluate the effect of cement use in porous-coated anatomic (PCA) total knee prosthesis on its survival. METHODS The study was a retrospective analysis of 142 PCA total condylar arthroplasties performed in 124 patients from 1985 to 1991. Uncemented prostheses were used in 87 knees, the prostheses were cemented in 44 knees, and hybrid prosthesis components were used in 11 knees. The average follow-up time was 88 months (range 66-140). The survival of prosthesis was assessed using the Kaplan-Meier's method. The Baltimore score was evaluated as a measure of clinical performance in 115 replacements. RESULTS The overall cumulative survival rate of a PCA total knee prosthesis was 77% over the average follow-up period of 88 months. No significant differences in survival rates among cementless, cemented, or hybrid fixations could be demonstrated. The survival rate of the prostheses in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (82.5%) was significantly higher than in patients with osteoarthritis (73.8%). Revision was necessary in 29 (20.4%) replacements. CONCLUSION The survival of PCA endoprosthesis, regardless of the components used for implantation, is not satisfactory.
The Australian Mesothelioma Surveillance Program 1979‐1985

The Australian Mesothelioma Surveillance Program was planned in 1977 in order to improve diagnostic criteria, to monitor the incidence of the disease, to develop methods of counting lung fibres, and to explore occupational and other associations of mesothelioma. This paper presents a preliminary analysis of data that were collected between January 1,1980 and December 31, 1985 on the pathological findings and the work and environmental history of 858 cases of mesothelioma. The annual incidence rate of mesothelioma in Australia was 15 per million population who were aged 20 years and over. This is more than the incidence rate of mesothelioma in any other country for which data are available. However, uncertainty over diagnostic criteria and the degree of ascertainment of cases places doubt on the validity of such comparisons. In 69% of cases, a history of work with or other exposure to asbestos was obtained. Due to the long interval between the first exposure to asbestos and the provisional diagnosis of a mesothelioma (up to 60 years), more than three‐quarters of the 456 exposed cases first contacted asbestos in the years of its heavy use between 1930 and 1959. This article analyses cases by the industry and the occupation in which exposure to asbestos first occurred.
Combination of tenofovir and lamivudine versus tenofovir after lamivudine failure for therapy of hepatitis B in HIV-coinfection

Objective:At present sequential monotherapy for chronic hepatitis B with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-polymerase inhibitors is clinical practice. It is unknown to date whether combination therapy with lamivudine plus tenofovir could be superior to sequential therapy with tenofovir after the occurrence of lamivudine resistance. Methods:We conducted a multicenter, 1: 2 matched pair analysis comparing patients with HBV/HIV-coinfection starting an antiretroviral regimen including tenofovir plus lamivudine with patients who had highly replicative, lamivudine resistant HBe-antigen positive chronic hepatitis B and started with tenofovir as the only active HBV polymerase inhibitor subsequent to lamivudine. Results:At baseline patients on tenofovir plus lamivudine (n = 25) had a median HBV DNA of 5.9 × 107 copies/ml compared to 1.37 × 108copies/ml in the tenofovir arm (n = 50; P = 0.32). A sustained undetectable HBV DNA < 1000 copies/ml was achieved in 19/25 (76%) patients on tenofovir plus lamivudine and in 42/50 (84%) on tenofovir (P = 0.53). A loss of HBe-antigen was observed in 9/25 (36%) patients on tenofovir plus lamivudine and in 12/50 (24%) patients on tenofovir (P = 0.29). HBs-antigen loss was found in 1/25 (4%) and 3/50 (6%) patients. Conclusions:In this cohort of HBV/HIV-coinfected individuals, full HBV DNA suppression was achieved in the majority of patients independent of treatment allocation. Loss of HBe- and HBs-antigen was not different between the two study arms. Over a median treatment period of 116 weeks tenofovir was as effective as tenofovir plus lamivudine. Longer treatment periods may be needed to evaluate potential benefits of first-line combination therapy for chronic hepatitis B.
METABOLIC AND THYROIDAL RESPONSES TO MILD COLD ARE ABNORMAL IN OBESE DIABETIC WOMEN

Mild cold exposure (22°C, with reference to 28°C, thermoneutral) was studied by overnight whole‐body indirect calorimetry in euthyroid women. Basal, sleeping, energy expenditure (EE) was significantly increased (+ 3.8%, P < 0.05) in six normal weight women but reduced (−3.5%, P < 0.05) in five obese type II diabetic women. Mixed responses were found in five women with simple obesity. Biochemical measurements were made on fasting blood samples taken at 0900 h after 12 h exposure to the two temperatures. Serum T4, free T3 and TSH were within the normal reference range in all subjects. Serum T4 did not show any differences between the groups, nor any effect from temperature. There was a significant increase in free T3 (P < 0.05) at 22°C in the control subjects, but no differences in the obese diabetic women. Serum thyroglobulin fell significantly in the diabetic group. Both TSH and free T3 responses to mild cold were significantly different between the groups, but both correlated positively (P<0.05) with the changes in sleeping energy expenditure at 22°C with reference to 28°C. Changes in TSH and free T3 were themselves significantly correlated within individuals (P<0.01). The normal physiological non‐shivering thermogenesis of adult humans on exposure to a cool environment may thus be mediated by a pituitary‐thyroid mechanism. The abnormal response of obese diabetic women was associated with impaired TSH and thyroid hormone responses, and may be a factor contributing to weight gain.
Which Risk Factors Drive Oil Futures Price Curves?

We develop a consistent estimation framework, which builds on the familiar two-factor model of Schwartz and Smith (2000), to allow for an investigation of the influence of observable covariates, such as inventories, production or hedging pressure, on the term structure of crude oil futures prices.Using this novel Hybrid Multi-Factor (HMF) model, we can obtain closed form futures prices under standard risk neutral pricing formulations, and we can incorporate state-space model estimation techniques to consistently estimate both the structural features related to the convenience yield and spot price dynamics (long and short term stochastic dynamics) and also the structural parameters that relate to the influence on the spot price of the observed exogenous covariates.We can utilise such models to gain significant insight into the futures and spot price dynamics in terms of interpretable observed factors that influence speculators and hedgers differently, which is not attainable with existing modelling approaches.
Firm Entry and Wages: Impact of Wal-Mart Growth on Earnings Throughout the Retail Sector

This paper estimates the effect of Wal-Mart expansion on wages, benefits, and skill-composition of retail workers during the 1990s. We exploit the spatial pattern of Wal-Mart diffusion, radiating outward from the original store in Benton county, Arkansas, to control for potential endogeneity in store openings using both instrumental variable and control function approaches. Estimates from state and county level data suggest that store openings reduced both the average earnings and health benefits of retail workers. At the county level, a new Wal-Mart is found to reduce retail earnings, on average, by . 5 to . 9 percent. Moreover, we find that changes in skill-composition explain only a small part of compensation reduction, indicating that the decline in retail wages reflect a reduction in labor market rents.
First report on passive exoskeleton for easy running: PEXER IV

This paper proposes a passive-type exoskeleton called PEXER IV (Passive Exoskeleton for Easy Running, version IV) as shown Fig. 1 and its design objectives for development. PEXER IV is a wearable-type device, aiming reduction of physical load of a runner. The development of the assistive exoskeleton for running has some difficulties. The exoskeleton must sufficiently exert force to support a part of his/her upper body weight in the stance phase. It also allows the wearer to flex or extend his/her leg without any friction in the swing phase. Moreover, it should be a lightweight because the weight increases a gravitational and inertial effect. This paper therefore conducts preliminary experiments for investigation of the relationship between physical load, the support force and the weight of the exoskeleton. Results of preliminary experiments derive two necessary conditions for design of the exoskeleton. One is about the support force. The other is about limitation of weight of the exoskeleton. A variable length brace, including lock/unlock mechanism, allows the exoskeleton to support a part of the wearer's body weight in stance phase and to freely swing his/her leg in the swing phase. Developed PEXER IV satisfies the conditions and this paper estimates decrease of physical load of 11.2 % at 6 [km/h].
The Determinants of Debt and (Private) Equity Financing: The Case of Young, Innovative SMEs from Germany

Financial theory creates a puzzle. Some authors argue that high-risk entrepreneurs choose debt contracts instead of equity contracts since risky but high returns are of relatively more value for a loan-financed firm. Conversely, authors who focus explicitly on start-up finance predict that entrepreneurs are the more likely to seek equity-like venture capital contracts, the more risky their projects are. Our paper is an initial step towards resolving this puzzle empirically. We present microeconometric evidence on the determinants of debt and equity financing in young and innovative SMEs. We pay special attention to the role of risk for the choice of the method of financing. Since risk is not directly observable we use different indicators for financial and project risk. It turns out that our data generally confirms the hypothesis that the probability that a young high-tech firm receives equity financing is an increasing function of the financial risk. With regard to the intrinsic project risk, our results are less conclusive, as some of our indicators of a risky project are found to have a negative effect on the likelihood to be financed by private equity.
FsFKS1, the 1,3-β-Glucan Synthase from the Caspofungin-Resistant Fungus Fusarium solani

ABSTRACT The cell wall, a mesh of carbohydrates and proteins, shapes and protects the fungal cell. The enzyme responsible for the synthesis of one of the main components of the fungal wall, 1,3-β-glucan synthase, is targeted by the antifungal caspofungin acetate (CFA). Clinical isolates of Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus are much more sensitive to CFA than clinical isolates of Fusarium species. To better understand CFA resistance in Fusarium species, we cloned and sequenced FsFKS1, which encodes the Fusarium solani f. sp. pisi β(1,3)-d-glucan synthase, used RNA interference to reduce its expression and complemented deletion of the essential fks gene of the CFA-sensitive fungus A. fumigatus with FsFKS1. Reduction of the FsFKS1 message in F. solani f. sp. pisi reduced spore viability and caused lysis of spores and hyphae, consistent with cell wall defects. Compensating for the loss of A. fumigatus fks1 with FsFKS1 caused only a modest increase in the tolerance of A. fumigatus for CFA. Our results suggest that FsFKS1 is required for the proper construction of F. solani cell walls and that the resistance of F. solani to CFA is at best only partially due to resistance of the FsFKS1 enzyme to this antifungal agent.
Trends in Farm Sector Debt Vary by Type of Debt and Lender

Following a period of decline due to the farm financial crisis in the 1980s, farm sector debt has trended upward since the mid-1990s but at a slower pace than growth in the 1970s. However, after multiple years of falling net farm income and tempered expectations for farm sector asset values, there is increased focus on farm debt and comparisons to the 1980s farm financial crisis. ERS’s Farm Income and Wealth Statistics data product provides detailed information on historical farm sector debt. The debt data included in the farm sector balance sheet are designed to measure year-end You are here: Home / Amber Waves / Trends in Farm Sector Debt Vary by Type of Debt and Lender Stay Connected United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service
The Utility of Basal Cell—Specific Anti‐Cytokeratin Antibody (34βE12) in the Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer: A Review of 228 Cases

Basal cell-specific anti-cytokeratin antibody (34βE12) decorates the basal cells of benign prostatic epithelium by standard immunohistochemical techniques, whereas adenocarcinoma of the prostate lacks immunoreactivity with this antibody. We reviewed our experience with this antibody to determine its utility in the diagnosis of adenocarcinoma of the prostate as well as its pattern of usage at a tertiary medical center. In all, 7,242 prostate specimens from 5.262 men were seen at Johns Hopkins Hospital between 1/89 and 4/93. Immunostaining for basal cell-specific cytokeratin (34βE12) was originally used for diagnostic purposes in 289 questionable areas from 228 cases; 45% of these cases were seen in consultation. The distribution of cases using 34βE12 was 52% needle biopsies, 32% transurethral prostatic resections (TURPs), 13% radical prostatectomies, and 3% open enucleations. These procedures constituted 2.8% of all needle biopsies, 7.2% of all TURPs, 1.7% of all radical prostatectomies, and 3.5% of all enucleations seen during this time period. For this study the hematoxylin and eosin stain was reviewed without knowledge of the original diagnosis, a diagnosis was favored, the 34βE12 stain was examined, and a final diagnosis was determined. The 34βE12 stain established (14%), confirmed (58%), or changed (2%) our favored diagnoses, while 18% remained or became equivocal. The 34βE12 stain was of no use in 8% of the cases, yet we felt we were still able to render a final diagnosis even without the help of the stain. The differential diagnoses in the questionable foci using 34βE12 were cancer versus focus of atypical glands (44%), adenosis (39%), prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) (8%), basal cell hyperplasia (5%), and atrophy (4%). However, 34βE12 was used in only 15–20% of all cases of adenosis and basal cell hyperplasia and in < 2% of PIN and atrophy cases seen during this time. Reasons for equivocal results were loss of suspicious glands on cut downs used for staining (49%), too few glands to rely on negative staining (23%), technical problems (15%), limited number of positive staining glands in a small focus (7%), and cautery artifact (6%). Although equivocal cases tended to have fewer negative stained glands than cases diagnosed with cancer, there was no minimum number of negative stained glands required to establish a diagnosis of cancer. From these data we conclude that 34βE12 staining is a useful tool in confirming, establishing, or changing the diagnosis in questionable foci seen in the everyday practice of surgical pathology. We feel that it is most useful in the workup of foci of atypical glands on needle biopsy and in differentiating low-grade adenocarcinoma from adenosis on TURP. Staining with 34βE12 is a cost-effective means to work up a needle biopsy as compared with ultrasound-guided re-biopsy.
Ankle–Brachial Index as an Indicator of Arterial Stiffness in Patients Without Peripheral Artery Disease

We tested the hypothesis that the Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI) in patients without peripheral arterial disease ([PAD] ABI > 1.0) is an indicator of arterial stiffness. Fifty-five patients had measurement of carotid pulse wave contour, pulse wave velocity (PWV), and ABI. Vascular stiffness as assessed by augmentation index (AIx) showed a significant (P = .002) inverse correlation with ABI. Dichotomizing ABI into groups above and below the median showed that persons with a lower ABI, >1.0 to 1.5 (n = 27) had a significantly (P < .01) higher AIx than those with a higher ABI > 1.5 (n = 28). In contrast, vascular stiffness assessed by brachial-ankle or carotid femoral PWV did not correlate with ABI. In summary, ABI is an indicator of arterial stiffness assessed by AIx. Vascular changes detected by AIx are not the same as those detected by PWV. Assessment of ABI may have utility in cardiovascular risk assessment in patients without PAD.
Advanced Economy Inflation: The Role of Global Factors

A number of studies document the prominent role of global factors in domestic inflation developments (e.g. Borio and Filardo, 2007; Ciccarelli and Mojon, 2010). In this paper we investigate global dimensions of advanced economy inflation. We estimate open-economy Phillips curves for 19 advanced economies. We include backwardand forward-looking survey measures of inflation expectations and augment Phillips curves with global factors including global economic slack, global inflation and commodity prices. Our results provide little support for the existence of direct effects of global economic slack on domestic inflation. Moreover, the results suggest that the importance of global inflation in forecasting domestic inflation has its roots solely in its ability to capture slow-moving trends in inflation rates. In the Phillips curve context much the same role is performed by domestic forward-looking inflation expectations. With the exception of commodity prices therefore our results reveal little reason to include global factors into traditional reduced form Phillips curves. JEL Classification: E31, E32, E37
Spironolactone for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

BACKGROUND Mineralocorticoid-receptor antagonists improve the prognosis for patients with heart failure and a reduced left ventricular ejection fraction. We evaluated the effects of spironolactone in patients with heart failure and a preserved left ventricular ejection fraction. METHODS In this randomized, double-blind trial, we assigned 3445 patients with symptomatic heart failure and a left ventricular ejection fraction of 45% or more to receive either spironolactone (15 to 45 mg daily) or placebo. The primary outcome was a composite of death from cardiovascular causes, aborted cardiac arrest, or hospitalization for the management of heart failure. RESULTS With a mean follow-up of 3.3 years, the primary outcome occurred in 320 of 1722 patients in the spironolactone group (18.6%) and 351 of 1723 patients in the placebo group (20.4%) (hazard ratio, 0.89; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.77 to 1.04; P=0.14). Of the components of the primary outcome, only hospitalization for heart failure had a significantly lower incidence in the spironolactone group than in the placebo group (206 patients [12.0%] vs. 245 patients [14.2%]; hazard ratio, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.69 to 0.99, P=0.04). Neither total deaths nor hospitalizations for any reason were significantly reduced by spironolactone. Treatment with spironolactone was associated with increased serum creatinine levels and a doubling of the rate of hyperkalemia (18.7%, vs. 9.1% in the placebo group) but reduced hypokalemia. With frequent monitoring, there were no significant differences in the incidence of serious adverse events, a serum creatinine level of 3.0 mg per deciliter (265 μmol per liter) or higher, or dialysis. CONCLUSIONS In patients with heart failure and a preserved ejection fraction, treatment with spironolactone did not significantly reduce the incidence of the primary composite outcome of death from cardiovascular causes, aborted cardiac arrest, or hospitalization for the management of heart failure. (Funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; TOPCAT ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00094302.).
Continuous action reinforcement learning for control-affine systems with unknown dynamics

Control of nonlinear systems is challenging in realtime. Decision making, performed many times per second, must ensure system safety. Designing input to perform a task often involves solving a nonlinear system of differential equations, which is a computationally intensive, if not intractable problem. This article proposes sampling-based task learning for control-affine nonlinear systems through the combined learning of both state and action-value functions in a model-free approximate value iteration setting with continuous inputs. A quadratic negative definite state-value function implies the existence of a unique maximum of the action-value function at any state. This allows the replacement of the standard greedy policy with a computationally efficient policy approximation that guarantees progression to a goal state without knowledge of the system dynamics. The policy approximation is consistent, i.e., it does not depend on the action samples used to calculate it. This method is appropriate for mechanical systems with high-dimensional input spaces and unknown dynamics performing Constraint-Balancing Tasks. We verify it both in simulation and experimentally for an Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) carrying a suspended load, and in simulation, for the rendezvous of heterogeneous robots.
Cumulative absolute breast cancer risk for young women treated for Hodgkin lymphoma.

BACKGROUND Many women develop breast cancer after treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) at a young age. We estimated this future risk, taking into account age and calendar year of HL diagnosis, HL treatment information, population breast cancer incidence rates, and competing causes of death. METHODS Relative risks of breast cancer for categories defined by radiation dose to the chest (0, 20- < 40 Gy, or > or = 40 Gy) and use of alkylating agents (yes or no) were estimated from a case-control study conducted within an international population-based cohort of 3817 female 1-year survivors of HL diagnosed at age 30 years or younger from January 1, 1965, through December 31, 1994. To compute cumulative absolute risks of breast cancer, we used modified standardized incidence ratios to relate cohort breast cancer risks to those in the general population, enabling application of population-based breast cancer rates, and we allowed for competing risks by using population-based mortality rates in female HL survivors. RESULTS Cumulative absolute risks of breast cancer increased with age at end of follow-up, time since HL diagnosis, and radiation dose. For an HL survivor who was treated at age 25 years with a chest radiation dose of at least 40 Gy without alkylating agents, estimated cumulative absolute risks of breast cancer by age 35, 45, and 55 years were 1.4% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.9% to 2.1%), 11.1% (95% CI = 7.4% to 16.3%), and 29.0% (95% CI = 20.2% to 40.1%), respectively. Cumulative absolute risks were lower in women treated with alkylating agents. CONCLUSIONS Breast cancer projections varied considerably by type of HL therapy, time since HL diagnosis, and age at end of follow-up. These estimates are applicable to HL survivors treated with regimens of the past and can be used to counsel such patients and plan management and preventive strategies. Projections should be used with caution, however, in patients treated with more recent approaches, including limited-field radiotherapy and/or ovary-sparing chemotherapy.