Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cost-effectiveness of antibiotic-impregnated bone cement used in primary total hip arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND Antibiotic-impregnated bone cement is infrequently used in the United States for primary total hip arthroplasty because of concerns about cost, performance, and the possible development of antibiotic resistance and because it has been approved only for use in revision arthroplasty after infection. The purpose of this study was to model the use of antibiotic-impregnated bone cement in primary total hip arthroplasty for the treatment of osteoarthritis to determine whether use of the cement is cost-effective when compared with the use of cement without antibiotics. METHODS To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of each strategy, we used a Markov decision model to tabulate costs and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) accumulated by each patient. Rates of revision due to infection and aseptic loosening were estimated from data in the Norwegian Arthroplasty Register and were used to determine the probability of undergoing a revision arthroplasty because of either infection or aseptic loosening. The primary outcome measure was either all revisions or revision due to infection. Perioperative mortality rates, utilities, and disutilities were estimated from data in the arthroplasty literature. Costs for primary arthroplasty were estimated from data on in-hospital resource use in the literature. The additional cost of using antibiotic-impregnated bone cement ($600) was then added to the average cost of the initial procedure ($21,654). RESULTS When all revisions were considered to be the primary outcome measure, the use of antibiotic-impregnated bone cement was found to result in a decrease in overall cost of $200 per patient. When revision due to infection was considered to be the primary outcome measure, the use of the cement was found to have an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $37,355 per QALY compared with cement without antibiotics; this cost-effectiveness compares favorably with that of accepted medical procedures. When only revision due to infection was considered, it was found that the additional cost of the antibiotic-impregnated bone cement would need to exceed $650 or the average patient age would need to be greater than seventy-one years before its cost would exceed $50,000 per QALY gained. CONCLUSIONS When revision due to either infection or aseptic loosening is considered to be the primary outcome, the use of antibiotic-impregnated bone cement results in an overall cost decrease. When only revision due to infection is considered, the model is strongly influenced by the cost of the cement and the average age of the patients. With few patients less than seventy years of age undergoing total hip arthroplasty with cement in the United States, the use of antibiotic-impregnated bone cement in primary total hip arthroplasty may be of limited value unless its cost is substantially reduced.
Central limit theorem for stationary processes

This note shows that the central limit theorem (CLT) for some classes of stationary (in the narrow sense of random processes), can be obtained from CLT for stationary martingale-difference sequences. Suppose that a space X is given with an σ-algebra of sets M and a probability measure P . The spaces Lp correspond to the measure P ; |f |p is the norm of the function f in Lp. If a σ-algebra L is contained in M , then H(L) denotes the Hilbert space of those functions from L2 that are measurable with respect to L. The symbol PG denotes an orthogonal projector on a closed subspace G ⊂ H = L2. Let T be an ergodic automorphism of a space X with measure P , M0 a σalgebra such that T(M0) ⊂ M0. The relation Uf(x) = f(Tx) defined in H is a unitary operator. Finally, set Mk = T (M0), Hk = H(Mk) = U (H0), Sk = Hk Hk+1. Let R denote the linear subspace of elements g ∈ H with g ∈ Hk H` for some k and ` with −∞ < k ≤ ` <∞. Theorem 1. Let f ∈ L2 and
Involvement of intramuscular interstitial cells of Cajal in neuroeffector transmission in the gastrointestinal tract

Specialized cells known as interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) are distributed in specific locations within the tunica muscularis of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. ICC serve as electrical pacemakers, provide pathways for the active propagation of slow waves, are mediators of enteric motor neurotransmission and play a role in afferent neural signalling. Morphological studies have provided evidence that motor neurotransmission in the GI tract does not occur through poorly defined structures between nerves and smooth muscle, but rather via specialized synapses that exist between enteric nerve terminals and intramuscular ICC or ICC‐IM. ICC‐IM are coupled to smooth muscle cells via gap junctions and post‐junctional responses elicited in ICC‐IM are conducted to neighbouring smooth muscle cells. Electrophysiological studies from the stomachs and sphincters of wild‐type and mutant animals that lack ICC‐IM have provided functional evidence for the importance of ICC in cholinergic excitatory and nitrergic inhibitory motor neurotransmission. Intraperitoneal injection of animals with Kit neutralizing antibody or organ culture of gastrointestinal tissues in the presence of neutralizing antibody, which blocks the development and maintenance of ICC, has provided further evidence for the role of ICC in enteric motor transmission. ICC‐IM also generate an ongoing discharge of unitary potentials in the gastric fundus and antrum that contributes to the overall excitability of the stomach.
NON-STRUCTURAL CARBOHYDRATE , PROTEIN AND MINERALS FROM SOME NON-CONVENTIONAL SEEDS OF SEMI-ARID REGION OF GUJARAT

Seeds of eleven non conventional plants were selected for the study on the basis of its frequent use by tribal and rural community of semi-arid region of Gujarat. All reported seeds were analyzed for its non structural carbohydrate, protein and minerals like Ca, Mg, Na, K, and Fe. Total carbohydrate ranged from 0.71-33.07 mg/g in Paspalum scrobiculatum L and Citrullus lanatus respectively. Total protein was high in seeds of Cucumis melo (62.11 mg/g) and was low in Paspalum scrobiculatum (8.79 mg/g). Ca was high in H. vulgare (8.0 mg/g) and was low in Seteria italica (4.12 mg/g), Mg was high in Echinocloa colonum (36.24 mg/g) and was low in Echinocloa frumantacea (20.54 mg/g). Seeds of Nymphaea pubescens contained highest Na i.e. 0.29 mg/g amongst all reported plant species. While K was high in seeds of Paspalum crobiculatum (0.8 mg/g) and was low in Echinocloa colonum (0.04 mg/g). Seeds of all reported plant species contained very low amount of Fe. s
Seasonal and Interannual Changes in Ciliate and Dinoflagellate Species Assemblages in the Arctic Ocean (Amundsen Gulf, Beaufort Sea, Canada)

Recent studies have focused on how climate change could drive changes in phytoplankton communities in the Arctic. In contrast, ciliates and dinoflagellates that can contribute substantially to the mortality of phytoplankton have received less attention. Some dinoflagellate and ciliate species can also contribute to net photosynthesis, which suggests that species composition could reflect food web complexity. To identify potential seasonal and annual species occurrence patterns and to link species with environmental conditions, we first examined the seasonal pattern of microzooplankton and then performed an in-depth analysis of interannual species variability. We used high-throughput amplicon sequencing to identify ciliates and dinoflagellates to the lowest taxonomic level using a curated Arctic 18S rRNA gene database. DNA- and RNA-derived reads were generated from samples collected from the Canadian Arctic from November 2007 to July 2008. The proportion of ciliate reads increased in the surface towards summer, when salinity was lower and smaller phytoplankton prey were abundant, while chloroplastidic dinoflagellate species increased at the subsurface chlorophyll maxima (SCM), where inorganic nutrient concentrations were higher. Comparing communities collected in summer and fall from 2003-2010, and found that microzooplankton community composition change was associated with the record ice minimum in the summer of 2007. Specifically, reads from smaller predatory species like Laboea, Monodinium and Strombidium and several unclassified ciliates increased in the summer after 2007, while the other usually summer-dominant dinoflagellate taxa decreased. The ability to exploit smaller prey, which are predicted to dominate the future Arctic, could be an advantage for these smaller ciliates in the wake of the changing climate.
[Aetiology and therapeutic considerations in chronic otitis media. Analysis of a 5 year period].

BACKGROUND This study provides an update on the bacterial aetiology of chronic otitis media in our area and the antibiotic sensivity of the bacteria involved in this pathology. METHODS A retrospective study from 2000 to 2004, is carried out in a total of 127 adults diagnosed of chronic otitis media. Isolated bacteria were tested in vitro regarding sensitivity to fluoroquinolones, aminoglyosides, colistin, oxacilin, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and cephalosporins. RESULTS The most common pathogens we found were gram-negative organisms, especially Pseudomonas aeruginosa (47.7%), but among gram positive organisms, Staplhylococcus aureus, was involved in a significant number of infections (21%). The main findings that we found were as follows: 18% of P. aeruginosa strains were resistant to ciprofloxacin and 21.8% S. aureus strains were resistant to levofloxacin. 10.8% of S. aureus strains showed resistance to beta-lactams. CONCLUSION The most important pathogen in our study was P. aeruginosa along with a variety of other gram-negative organisms and S. aureus. There is growing concern over the use of antibiotics and the development of resistance. We need to evaluate the antimicrobial activity by determining the susceptibility of a particular antibiotic against a specific bacterial strain.
[Importance of heterotrimeric G proteins in prostate cancer molecular biology].

OBJECTIVE To deep in the knowledge of the involvement of G-protein alphas and alphai subunits in human prostate cancer. METHODS Prostate tissue from 9 patients undergoing radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer and 5 controls undergoing cystoprostatectomy for bladder carcinoma. G-protein alphas and alphai subunits were studied for expression (mRNA by RT-PCR and protein by Western-blot), functionality (adenylyl cyclase activity, AC) and possibility of mutations (analysis with restriction enzymes and cDNA sequentiation). RESULTS At mRNA level, the expression of alphas, alphai1, alphai2 y alphai3 was detected in healthy and cancerous tissues. At protein level, the expression of alphas y alphai1,2 diminished (25% and 40%, respectively) in prostate cancer. The expression of alphai3/0 also diminished, whereas that of beta subunit was not modified. Basal AC activity in adenocarcinoma membranes was 40% inferior to the control. Digestion with restriction enzymes Eag I or AlwN I did not allow to locate mutations in alphas. However, digestion at alphai2 level with BstU I enzyme served to observe a change of Gln205 (CAG triplet) to Pro (CCG). CONCLUSIONS The functionality and expression of heterotrimeric G proteins are selectively modified in human prostate adenocarcinoma, occurring in addition some punctual mutation. The observed substitution of Gln205 by Pro may result in a low GTPase activity for alphai2 that, therefore, is stabilized in its active form.
Phase I trial of histone deacetylase inhibition by valproic acid followed by the topoisomerase II inhibitor epirubicin in advanced solid tumors: a clinical and translational study.

PURPOSE To determine the safety, toxicity, and maximum-tolerated dose of a sequence-specific combination of the histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi), valproic acid (VPA), and epirubicin in solid tumor malignancies and to define the clinical feasibility of VPA as an HDACi. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients were treated with increasing doses of VPA (days 1 through 3) followed by epirubicin (day 3) in 3-week cycles. The study evaluated pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic end points, toxicities, and tumor response. RESULTS Forty-eight patients were enrolled, and 44 received at least one cycle of therapy. Patients (median age, 54 years; range, 39 to 78 years) received the following doses of VPA: 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, 100, 120, 140, and 160 mg/kg/d. Dose-limiting toxicities were somnolence (n = 1), confusion (n = 3), and febrile neutropenia (n = 1). No exacerbation of epirubicin-related toxicities was observed. Partial responses were seen across different tumor types in nine patients (22%), and stable disease/minor responses were seen in 16 patients (39%), despite a median number of three prior regimens (range, zero to 10 prior regimens). Patients received a median number of four treatment cycles (range, one to 10 cycles), and treatment was stopped after reaching maximal epirubicin doses rather than progression in 13 (32%) of 41 patients patients. Total and free VPA plasma concentrations increased linearly with dose and correlated with histone acetylation in peripheral-blood mononuclear cells. CONCLUSION The maximum-tolerated dose and recommended phase II dose was VPA 140 mg/kg/d for 48 hours followed by epirubicin 100 mg/m2. Sustained plasma concentrations of VPA exceeding those required for in vitro synergy were achieved with acceptable toxicity. Noteworthy antitumor activity was observed in heavily pretreated patients and historically anthracycline-resistant tumors.
Combined cerebral blood flow effects of a cholinergic agonist (milameline) and a verbal recognition task in early Alzheimer’s disease

Abstract RU 35926/CI‐979 (milameline) is a partial muscarinic agonist with promnestic effects in animal models. Preliminary animal studies suggest that this agent has the capacity to reverse cholinergic dysfunction and that it may impact on regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF). A total of 10 subjects with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) of mild severity underwent high resolution split‐dose single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) during performance of a verbal recognition and control task, both before and after 18 weeks treatment with melameline or placebo. SPECT images were coregistered with individual’s magnetic resonance imaging scans allowing extraction of rCBF values from multiple anatomical regions of interest (ROI). The effect of milameline was examined in eight individuals who were found after unblinding to be taking active drug. Effects of milameline were most apparent in the frontal regions, basal ganglia and thalamus. In the group as a whole, the greatest increase in rCBF due to milameline treatment was observed in the left globus pallidus. Response to milameline treatment was associated with increases in rCBF in the cingulate gyrus bilaterally, and less so for the left thalamus. Milameline‐related increases in rCBF values were exaggerated by the verbal recognition task. Milameline has a demonstrable effect on cerebral blood flow in mild AD. Consistent with emerging animal data, the effects on rCBF appear most prominent in frontal and subcortical regions in AD subjects. The effects on rCBF appear to be augmented by the performance of a cognitively demanding task, raising the possibility that such tasks could assist in building an awareness of the functional neuropsychopharmacology of drugs designed for cognitive enhancement.
Plasma Testosterone: Correlation with Aggressive Behavior and Social Dominance in Man

&NA; Plasma testosterone was determined in 36 male prisoners; 12 with chronic aggressive behavior, 12 socially dominant without physical aggressiveness and 12 who were not physically aggressive or socially dominant. A battery of psychological tests‐‐the Scale of Susceptibility to Annoyances, the California Personality Inventory, the Adjective Check List, the Garabedian Index of Prison Socialization, the Lykken Measure of Anxiety, and the Buss‐Durkee Hostility Inventory‐‐were administered over the same time period. There was a significantly higher level of plasma testosterone in the aggressive group as compared with the nonaggressive group or with the other two groups combined. The socially dominant group also had a significantly higher level of testosterone than the nonaggressive group.
Correction for bias in meta‐analysis of little‐replicated studies

Meta‐analyses conventionally weight study estimates on the inverse of their error variance, in order to maximize precision. Unbiased variability in the estimates of these study‐level error variances increases with the inverse of study‐level replication. Here, we demonstrate how this variability accumulates asymmetrically across studies in precision‐weighted meta‐analysis, to cause undervaluation of the meta‐level effect size or its error variance (the meta‐effect and meta‐variance). Small samples, typical of the ecological literature, induce big sampling errors in variance estimation, which substantially bias precision‐weighted meta‐analysis. Simulations revealed that biases differed little between random‐ and fixed‐effects tests. Meta‐estimation of a one‐sample mean from 20 studies, with sample sizes of 3–20 observations, undervalued the meta‐variance by c. 20%. Meta‐analysis of two‐sample designs from 20 studies, with sample sizes of 3–10 observations, undervalued the meta‐variance by 15%–20% for the log response ratio (lnR); it undervalued the meta‐effect by c. 10% for the standardized mean difference (SMD). For all estimators, biases were eliminated or reduced by a simple adjustment to the weighting on study precision. The study‐specific component of error variance prone to sampling error and not parametrically attributable to study‐specific replication was replaced by its cross‐study mean, on the assumptions of random sampling from the same population variance for all studies, and sufficient studies for averaging. Weighting each study by the inverse of this mean‐adjusted error variance universally improved accuracy in estimation of both the meta‐effect and its significance, regardless of number of studies. For comparison, weighting only on sample size gave the same improvement in accuracy, but could not sensibly estimate significance. For the one‐sample mean and two‐sample lnR, adjusted weighting also improved estimation of between‐study variance by DerSimonian‐Laird and REML methods. For random‐effects meta‐analysis of SMD from little‐replicated studies, the most accurate meta‐estimates obtained from adjusted weights following conventionally weighted estimation of between‐study variance. We recommend adoption of weighting by inverse adjusted‐variance for meta‐analyses of well‐ and little‐replicated studies, because it improves accuracy and significance of meta‐estimates, and it can extend the scope of the meta‐analysis to include some studies without variance estimates.
On the global estimates of geostrophic and Ekman surface currents

Surface currents in oceanic environments are of crucial importance because they transport momentum, heat, salt, and tracers over large distances that regulate both the local and large-scale climate conditions, and because they contribute to the Lagrangian displacement of floating material, ranging from living resources to marine pollution. In recent decades, the understanding of surface currents has benefited from the opportunity of observing sea level and wind stress via satellite-derived measurements. Combining these parameters into geostrophic and wind-driven components provides an estimate of surface currents with a quarter-degree horizontal resolution at a global scale and at a daily time scale. In the present study, improvements are made on the consideration of the time dependence of the main parameters implied in the determination of the Ekman wind-driven component, and on the treatment of the equatorial singularity. The resulting Geostrophic and Ekman Current Observatory (GEKCO) estimates were validated with independent observations from both Lagrangian and Eulerian perspectives. The statistics of comparison were significant over the globe for the 2000–2008 period. The only exception was the estimation of meridional current along the equator, which requires further developments of the dynamic model and, probably, more accurate measurements. Applications using our GEKCO surface current estimates in cross-disciplinary approaches from physical oceanography to marine ecology are presented and discussed.
Finite element basis functions for nested meshes of nonuniform refinement level

We propose a systematic methodology for the construction of hanging variables to connect finite elements of unequal refinement levels within a nested tetrahedral mesh. While conventional refinement schemes introduce irregular elements at such interfaces which must be removed when the mesh is further refined, the suggested approach keeps the discretization perfectly nested. Thanks to enhanced regularity, mesh-based methods such as refinement algorithms or intergrid transfer operators for use in multigrid solvers can be implemented in a much simpler fashion. This paper covers H/sup 1/ and H(curl) basis functions for triangular or tetrahedral elements.
High-resolution computed tomographic features of bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia.

1992;102;26S-31S Chest Koichi Nishimura and Harumi Itoh Pneumonia Features of Bronchiolitis Obliterans Organizing High-Resolution Computed Tomographic http://chestjournal.chestpubs. org/content/102/1_Supplement/26S.citation can be found online on the World Wide Web at: The online version of this article, along with updated information and services ) ISSN:0012-3692 http://chestjournal.chestpubs. org/site/misc/reprints.xhtml ( without the prior written permission of the copyright holder. reserved. No part of this article or PDF may be reproduced or distributed Chest Physicians, 3300 Dundee Road, Northbrook, IL 60062. All rights of been published monthly since 1935. Copyright1992by the American College is the official journal of the American College of Chest Physicians. It has Chest
The Effect of the Time Management Skills of Students Taking a Financial Accounting Course on their Course Grades and Grade Point Averages

Time is a vital resource everyone possesses equally but fails to utilize at the same level due to a variety of reasons. All the material and human resources possessed by organizations can be enhanced in the course of time or be transformed as time goes on; yet the only asset that cannot be changed or purchased or stored is “time” itself. Driven by this fact, particular emphasis has been paid in the modern education system to time management issues by evaluating students’ attitudes and behaviors related to time and its management. Based on the necessity of effective time management required from students majoring in financial accounting during their academic and professional life, field research has been conducted in the present paper towards the aim of designating their position with respect to effective time management and determining the effect of their time management skills on their GPA and course achievement. It has been concluded in this research that students from Karadeniz Technical University hold “moderate level” time management scores. When the research findings are analyzed with respect to the gender variable, it is revealed that in all sub-dimensions of the questionnaire, female students obtained higher average scores than male students. In a different research finding it has been demonstrated that there exists a positive significant relation between students’ grade point averages and the time attitudes sub-dimension and between financial accounting grades and the long-range planning sub-dimension. It has also been demonstrated by regression analysis that students’ time management skills affect their GPA-course achievement and these skills are one of the predictors of grade point averages and financial accounting grade points.