Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tracheostomy protocol: Experience with development and potential utility*

Objectives:To examine the feasibility and potential utility of a tracheostomy protocol based on a standardized approach to ventilator weaning. Design:Prospective, observational data collection. Setting:Academic medical center. Patients:Surgical intensive care unit patients requiring mechanical ventilatory support. Interventions:None. Measurements and Main Results:Tracheostomy practice in 200 patients was analyzed in relation to spontaneous breathing trial (SBT) weaning. Decision for, and performance of, tracheostomy occurred (median [interquartile range]) 5.0 (3.75–8.0) and 7.0 (5.0–10.0) days following initiation of mechanical ventilation, respectively. Duration of mechanical ventilation was greater in tracheostomy compared with nontracheostomy patients (15.0 [11.0–19.0] vs. 6.0 [4.0–8.0], p < .001). For patients requiring ventilatory support for ≥20 days, 100% of patients were maintained via tracheostomy. A protocol based on weaning performance, which included technical considerations, was developed. Individuals who failed preliminary weaning assessment or SBT for 3 successive days following 5 days (nonreintubated patients) or 3 days (reintubated patients) of ventilatory support met tracheostomy criteria. The protocol was implemented on a pilot basis in 125 individuals. Of the 55 (44.0%) patients undergoing tracheostomy, 25 (45.5%) did so consistent with criteria. Eighteen patients (32.7%) underwent tracheostomy before the time interval of data collection targeting weaning protocol performance, and 12 patients (21.8%) passed SBT on one or more occasions, were not extubated, and proceeded to tracheostomy. Conclusions:A standardized approach in which the decision for tracheostomy is based on objective measures of weaning performance may be a means of using this procedure more consistently and effectively.
Causes of death and relative survival of older women after a breast cancer diagnosis.

PURPOSE To understand the impact of breast cancer on older women's survival, we compared survival of older women diagnosed with breast cancer with matched controls. METHODS Using the linked 1992 to 2003 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) -Medicare data set, we identified women age 67 years or older who were newly diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) or breast cancer. We identified women not diagnosed with breast cancer from the 5% random sample of Medicare beneficiaries residing in SEER areas.We matched patient cases to controls by birth year and registry (99% or 66,039 [corrected] patient cases matched successfully). We assigned the start of follow-up for controls as the patient cases' date of diagnosis. Mortality data were available through 2006. We compared survival of women with breast cancer by stage with survival of controls using multivariable proportional hazards models adjusting for age at diagnosis, comorbidity, prior mammography use, and sociodemographics. We repeated these analyses stratifying by age. RESULTS Median follow-up time was 7.7 years. Differences between patient cases and controls in sociodemographics and comorbidities were small (< 4%). Women diagnosed with DCIS (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 0.7; 95% CI, 0.7 to 0.7) or stage I disease (aHR, 0.8; 95% CI, 0.8 to 0.8) had slightly lower mortality than controls.Women diagnosed with stage II disease or higher had greater mortality than controls (stage II disease:aHR, 1.2; 95% CI, 1.2 to 1.2). The association of a breast cancer diagnosis with mortality declined with age among women with advanced disease [corrected]. CONCLUSION Compared with matched controls, a diagnosis of DCIS or stage I breast cancer in older women is associated with better [corrected] survival, whereas a diagnosis of stage II or higher breast cancer is associated with worse survival.
Credibility of Exchange Rate Policies in Selected EU New Members: Evidence from High Frequency Data

We examine the daily exchange rate dynamics in selected EU new member states (Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia) using GARCH and TARCH models between 1999 and 2004. We show that these countries tried to reduce volatility of the spot exchange rate despite their official policy of free floating and inflation targeting. However, we find that the low credibility of exchange rate policy implied higher volatility of exchange rates when it substantially deviated from the implicit target rates for all countries. Finally, we find significant asymmetric effects of the volatility of exchange rates in all new member states.
UK wage underpayment: implications for the minimum wage

Dynamic monopsony suggests that, due to labour market frictions, workers will be paid below their productivity. This paper uses the stochastic frontier technique to estimate the degree of this underpayment for UK employees. It finds evidence of significant underpayment. The estimates are used to examine whether the predictions of dynamic monopsony are empirically accurate. No conclusive evidence against this theoretical framework is found. The paper also investigates whether payment according to productivity is a sufficient condition for the elimination of the ‘working poor’ problem. Due to the existence of an unemployment barrier, it finds that the minimum wage is not an effective anti-poverty policy.
Changing Patterns of Task Discretion in Britain

Task discretion has held a central place in theories of work organization and the employment relationship. However, there have been sharply differing views about both the factors that determine it and the principal trends over time. Using evidence from three national surveys, this article shows that there has been a decline in task discretion since the early 1990s. This contrasts with an increase in other forms of employee involvement such as direct participation and consultative involvement. Many of the arguments in the literature about the factors that favour higher task discretion are supported by our evidence - in particular those emphasizing the importance of skill levels and the broader organizational ethos with respect to employee involvement. However, such factors do not account for the decline in task discretion, implying that existing theories fail to address some of the crucial determinants. It is tentatively suggested that it may be necessary also to take account of macro factors such as competitive pressure, public sector reform programmes and the growth of accountability structures.
The Impact of Labor Market Regulation on Employment in Low‐Income Countries: A Meta‐Analysis

Controversy over labor market policy often centers on achieving a balance between preventing worker exploitation, and avoiding loss of productivity or employment through excessive regulation. Although the literature documenting the impact of labor market regulation on employment is extensive, there is a dearth of evidence on the impact of such policies in low-income countries (LICs). Since it is easier for workers, especially women, to slip into the informal sector in LICs, regulations are likely to have stronger impacts on formal employment in these countries (but lower impacts on unemployment). We systematically reviewed available research from countries that are, or were until recently, LICs. Most studies document that more stringent labor regulations are associated with lower formal sector employment and higher informal sector employment. We also conducted a metaregression analysis of the impact of minimum wages on formal and informal employment. After controlling for publication bias, higher minimum wages are associated with lower formal employment and a higher share of informal workers.
[Analysis of the development of metformin and sulfonylurea prescriptions in the Czech Republic].

INTRODUCTION In the Czech Republic, patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) are followed and treated predominantly by specialists (approx. 80% at a specialist diabetology clinic), a minor part by general practitioners (up to 20%). Long-term development of the changes in prescribing metformin and sulfonylurea in the Czech Republic and its concordance with recommended procedures has not been evaluated until now. GOAL Comparison of the development of metformin (MET) and sulfonylurea (SU) prescriptions in the period of 2002-2006 with that of 2010-2014 in a representative sample of the patient population with DM kept in the database of the General Health Insurance Company of the Czech Republic (VZP) which provided health care coverage for 63% of Czech Republic population in 2014. METHODOLOGY We identified all individuals in the VZP database who had a record of DM diagnosis (E10-E16 based on ICD 10) or who had any antidiabetic therapy prescribed (ATC group A10) in the periods of 2002-2006 and 2010-2014. A cohort of patients was extracted for analysis, who had an agent from A10 group prescribed at least once in a relevant year (n=308,962 in 2002; n=426,695 in 2014). A number of patients was evaluated for each year, who had at least once MET or SU prescribed. The number of patients treated with MET or SU was then expressed as a percentage of all who had any therapy from A10 group prescribed in the year in question. RESULTS Metformin prescriptions have linearly risen from 43% to 77%, while sulfonylurea prescriptions have linearly decreased from 65% to 37%. CONCLUSION The analysis presents the first evaluation of the development of metformin prescriptions conducted in the Czech Republic and evaluation of its concordance with the recommended procedures for the treatment of DM. The amount of metformin prescribed in the Czech Republic increased from 43% to 77% while the amount of SU prescribed decreased from 65% to 37% between 2002 and 2014. This development and the current ratio between the prescribed amounts of MET and SU demonstrate the implementation of the recommended procedures into practice and prove the high quality of care for patients with DM2T in specialists--diabetologists surgeries.
Capital Structure Dynamics in the UK and Continental Europe

Abstract This paper investigates empirically the effects of institutions and market characteristics on corporate capital structure dynamics. Based on the fact that firms may temporarily deviate from their optimal capital structure due to the existence of adjustment costs, a partial adjustment model is used that links these transaction costs to country-specific characteristics such as the development of the financial markets, legal system, and macroeconomic environment. The sample comprises data from 873 firms in France, Germany, Italy and the UK over the period from 1982 to 2002. The results support the hypotheses that more developed financial markets, greater efficiency of the legal system and better protection of shareholders all have a positive effect on the speed at which firms adjust their capital structure towards the target. Similarly, higher economic growth and a higher inflation rate positively affect the speed of adjustment to the optimal capital structure as well.
Employment and management trends in the biotechnolgy industry

This paper takes a look at the major influences on the biotechnology industry and how they are currently affecting employment and management trends. It takes a brief look at the impact of the economic environment, the pharmaceutical industry, the role of geography, the employment stages faced by the industry and the management issues. The dangers of making predictions are obvious: remember that when IBM was asked in 1947 how many computers the world would need, they thought five main frames would do it. The biotechnology industry is still in nappies. The human genome was only published in February 2001 and we do not really have any concept of where or how fast this will take our scientific knowledge. So, while buffeted by the winds of short-term political and economic agendas, there is an undercurrent of an industry that is learning and growing up.
Evaluation, selection, and follow-up of live kidney donors: a review of current practice in French renal transplant centres.

BACKGROUND A resurgence of interest in the concept of live-donor renal transplantation has prompted a closer look at methods of live donor evaluation, selection, and follow-up. The aim of this study was to describe these methods in all 46 French renal transplant centres. METHODS Questionnaires were sent to all chief renal physicians. RESULTS The survey was completed by 78% of centres, which accounted for 95% of all live-donor renal transplants carried out in France in 1995 and 1996. There was a substantial variation in all three steps of live-donor management. For example, we observed variations in the screening for specific short- or long-term risk factors (especially cardiovascular or thrombotic risk factors and diabetes). In addition the exclusion criteria differed, especially the cut-off age for donation, which ranged from 45 to 75 years. The composition of teams evaluating and selecting potential donors and the role of the potential donors in the decision-making process varied greatly among centres. Finally, we observed less variation in the methods of donor follow-up. CONCLUSIONS The current survey revealed a marked disparity in the management of live donors in France. It raises the question of whether these practices should be codified into a set of guidelines for live-donor transplantation.
Is leisure studies “ethnocentric”? A view from Taichung, Taiwan

Roberts raises an important issue concerning cross-cultural or multi-ethnic comparative studies in leisure. His central thesis is that leisure studies has become more uniformly Anglophone and thus more "ethnocentric" over the past 40 years. Despite this, Roberts observes that the discipline has shown maturity by encouraging international comparative study. While I agree with him, it seems to me that Roberts' emphasis is on larger social entities mostly countries or continents but neglects smaller units: local, folk traditions and their associated cultural differences. In other words, Roberts is in danger of adopting a "top-down" approach to leisure studies.
Sex- and Diagnosis-Dependent Differences in Mortality and Admission Cytokine Levels Among Patients Admitted for Intensive Care*

Objectives:To investigate the role of sex on cytokine expression and mortality in critically ill patients. Design:A cohort of patients admitted to were enrolled and followed over a 5-year period. Setting:Two university-affiliated hospital surgical and trauma ICUs. Patients:Patients 18 years old and older admitted for at least 48 hours to the surgical or trauma ICU. Interventions:Observation only. Measurements and Main Results:Major outcomes included admission cytokine levels, prevalence of ICU-acquired infection, and mortality during hospitalization conditioned on trauma status and sex. The final cohort included 2,291 patients (1,407 trauma and 884 nontrauma). The prevalence of ICU-acquired infection was similar for men (46.5%) and women (44.5%). All-cause in-hospital mortality was 12.7% for trauma male patient and 9.1% for trauma female patient (p = 0.065) and 22.9% for nontrauma male patients and 20.6% for nontrauma female patients (p = 0.40). Among trauma patients, logistic regression analysis identified female sex as protective for all-cause mortality (odds ratio, 0.57). Among trauma patients, men had significantly higher admission serum levels of interleukin-2, interleukin-12, interferon-&ggr;, and tumor necrosis factor-&agr;, and among nontrauma patients, men had higher admission levels of interleukin-8 and tumor necrosis factor-&agr;. Conclusions:The relationship between sex and outcomes in critically ill patients is complex and depends on underlying illness. Women appear to be better adapted to survive traumatic events, while sex may be less important in other forms of critical illness. The mechanisms accounting for this gender dimorphism may, in part, involve differential cytokine responses to injury, with men expressing a more robust proinflammatory profile.
Incentive Schemes, Private Information and the Double-Edged Role of Competition for Agents

This paper examines the effect of imperfect labor market competition on the efficiency of compensation schemes in a setting with moral hazard, private information and risk-averse agents. Two vertically differentiated firms compete for agents by offering contracts with fixed and variable payments. Vertical differentiation between firms leads to endogenous, type-dependent exit options for agents. In contrast to screening models with perfect competition, we find that existence of equilibria does not depend on whether the least-cost separating allocation is interim efficient. Rather, vertical differentiation allows the inferior firm to offer (cross-)subsidizing fixed payments even above the interim efficient level. We further show that the efficiency of variable pay depends on the degree of competition for agents: For small degrees of competition, low-ability agents are under-incentivized and exert too little effort. For large degrees of competition, high-ability agents are over-incentivized and bear too much risk. For intermediate degrees of competition, however, contracts are second-best despite private information.
Measuring China's innovative capacity: a stochastic frontier exercise

We adopt a stochastic frontier analysis of innovative activity to disentangle countries’ patenting capacity from patenting efficiency. We analyse the determinants of innovative capacity of a set of 26 OECD countries plus China, over the period 1992–2007, to show if and how China's technological activity is growing faster than commonly held as compared to the most innovative countries of the world. Our results highlight that both internal and external elements jointly contribute to enhance countries’ innovative capacity and efficiency. In particular, while government-funded R&D is more important for innovative capacity, privately funded R&D as well as foreign direct investments (FDIs) affects technical efficiency (TE). Moreover, as for the whole set of countries, FDIs seem to exert a resource-seeking role (as they negatively affect TE), this does not happen for China, where FDIs exert a positive effect. Results are robust to the use of alternative measures of innovative inputs (such as higher education expenditure in R&D and R&D personnel, but also FDI flows rather than stocks). Finally, human capital measures are generally not very effective in enhancing patenting efficiency, apart from tertiary education.
Superoxide Dismutase in Alveolar Macrophages from Patients with Diffuse Panbronchiolitis

Background: Diffuse panbronchiolitis (DPB) is characterized by chronic neutrophil-mediated inflammation of the airway mediated by oxygen radical production. DPB can be controlled with low-dose and long-term erythromycin therapy based on its anti-inflammatory effect. Objective: In this study, the antioxidant levels were analyzed as an anti-inflammatory effect of erythromycin in the patients. Methods: We investigated the activity and protein level of an antioxidant enzyme, Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD) in alveolar macrophages (AMs) of patients with DPB before and after erythromycin therapy. AMs were obtained from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Results: There was no significant difference in the activity of Cu, Zn-SOD between normal subjects and untreated patients. Erythromycin therapy (600 mg/day) significantly increased the activity of the enzyme relative to that before therapy and normal subjects [18.2 units/106 cells (9.2–26.2) vs. 4.4 units/106 cells (1.1–9.3), p < 0.01 and 10.4 units/106 cells (2.4–20.6), p < 0.05, respectively]. Furthermore, the protein level of Cu, Zn-SOD in AMs in treated patients was significantly higher than in the other two groups [69.4 ng/106 cells (34.2–147.1) vs. 20.1 ng/ 106 cells (16.9–39.8) for untreated patients, p < 0.01 and 43.2 ng/106 cells (32.6–68.2) for normal subjects, p < 0.01], but the levels in the latter groups were not different. Conclusion: Our results suggest that one of the anti-inflammatory effects of erythromycin in DPB may be, in part, mediated by enhancement of antioxidant activity in AMs.
Advances in functional and structural imaging of the human lung using proton MRI

The field of proton lung MRI is advancing on a variety of fronts. In the realm of functional imaging, it is now possible to use arterial spin labeling (ASL) and oxygen‐enhanced imaging techniques to quantify regional perfusion and ventilation, respectively, in standard units of measurement. By combining these techniques into a single scan, it is also possible to quantify the local ventilation–perfusion ratio, which is the most important determinant of gas‐exchange efficiency in the lung. To demonstrate potential for accurate and meaningful measurements of lung function, this technique was used to study gravitational gradients of ventilation, perfusion, and ventilation–perfusion ratio in healthy subjects, yielding quantitative results consistent with expected regional variations.
Household Life-Cycle Stages, Transitions, and Product Expenditures

Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Expenditure Survey provide empirical verification of changes in household spending across a wide variety of products as households pass from one stage of the household life cycle to another. Three spending patterns emerged: (1) a generalized inverted U pattern, with spending rising sharply as households shift from young single to young married, then remaining relatively high, and falling sharply at the older married and/or older single stages, (2) generally increasing expenditures across stages until the last one or two stages, and (3) generally decreasing expenditures across the life cycle. Expenditures are especially influenced by the presence of young children in the household. Copyright 1995 by the University of Chicago.
Application of the balance-of-payments-constrained growth model to Portugal, 1965-2008

The present study aims to verify whether the balance-of-payments-constrained growth approach is suitable for explaining the Portuguese growth performance during the past decades. To smooth cyclical variations, 15-year overlapping periods are considered in the computation of "Thirlwall's law," assuming that income elasticity of imports is either constant or variable over time. It is shown that actual growth can accurately be predicted by the ratio of export growth to the income elasticity of the demand for imports. Evidence also reveals that Portugal grew slightly faster than the rate consistent with the balance-of-payments equilibrium accumulating external deficits over time. Considering the pre- and postaccession periods to the European Union, it is found that Portugal grew at a slower rate in the latter period, explained by a higher income elasticity of imports and lower export growth.
A Ranking of Doctoral Programs by Financial Research Contributions of Graduates

Published scholarly research is asserted to be a major criteria used to judge or assess the quality of a university's faculty. This assertion has been supported in many of the academic disciplines by comparing peer ratings of graduate programs and the research productivity of the faculty of those programs. In the economics area, John J. Siegfried [ 7] found a significant relationship between peer ratings of economics departments, using the ratings of the first American Council on Education study by Cartter, and the number of available pages contributed by the department to the leading economic academic journals. A recent study by Klemkosky and Tuttle [6] found the same relationship between an academic institution's published research productivity and the quality of the institution's graduate finance programs as rated by peers, using the survey results of Brooker and Shinoda [3] to determine peer ratings. The importance of published research in turn is recognized by many academic institutions since the relative quality and quantity of published research is one of the major criteria used in making faculty promotion and tenure decisions.