Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Randomized phase II trials with a prospective control

We consider phase II trials randomizing patients between a prospective control and an experimental therapy. Proposed are two‐stage designs allowing for early termination of the study when the experimental arm does not show promising efficacy at the interim analysis. By using exact binomial distributions, the design characteristics, such as type I error and power, are exactly calculated. Given response probabilities for two arms, we define minimax and optimal designs that satisfy a prespecified restriction on type I and II error probabilities. These designs are randomized phase II trial analogs of Simon's designs that were proposed for single‐arm phase II trials. The methods for two‐arm trials are easily extended to multi‐arm trials with one control and K (⩾2) experimental arms. Some phase II trials are taken as real examples. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The use of a 100 IU starting dose of recombinant follicle stimulating hormone (Puregon) in in-vitro fertilization.

We report the use of an initial low dose (100 IU) ofrecombinant follicle stimulating hormone for ovarianstimulation in a group of 43 unselected patients undergoingIVF or ICSI.Key words: FSH/IVF/low dose stimulation/ovary/ovulationinductionIntroductionDosage regimens currently employed in women undergoingcontrolled ovarian stimulation prior to intracytoplasmic sperminjection (ICSI) or conventional in-vitro fertilization (IVF),include gonadotrophin starting doses of either 150 IU or 225IU. This routine has been based on empirical evidence ratherthan on the results of randomized controlled trials.Recently, recombinant human follicle stimulating hormone(FSH) preparations have become available (Puregon; NVOrganon, Oss, The Netherlands; and Gonal-F; Ares–Serono,Geneva, Switzerland) that will eventually replace the existingurinary-derived compounds. For one of these preparations,Puregon, it has been shown that it has a higher bioactivitythan urinary FSH (Metrodin; Ares–Serono), resulting in ahigher number of oocytes retrieved for IVF and a shorterduration of treatment in clomiphene-resistant anovulatorypatients (Out et al., 1995; Coelingh Bennink et al., 1998). Forthat reason, 75 IU ampoules of that preparation have beenreplaced by 50 IU ampoules in order to decrease the risks ofoverstimulation.In this study, we report for the ﬁrst time results in patientsundergoing ovarian stimulation who have been treated with100 IU of recombinant FSH (Puregon) for the ﬁrst 4 days.Materials and methods
Constraining the couplings of massive pseudoscalars using gravity and optical experiments

Department of Physics, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA~Received 24 June 2003; published 30 September 2003! The simultaneous exchange of two pseudoscalars between fermions leads to a spin-independent force be-tween macroscopic objects. Previous work has demonstrated that one can combine this interaction with tests ofthe weak equivalence principle, gravitational inverse square law, and studies of laser beam propagation inmagnetic ﬁelds, to set signiﬁcant new constraints on the Yukawa couplings of massless pseudoscalars tonucleons. Here we extend these results to massive pseudoscalars, and derive new constraints which relate thestrengths of these couplings to the pseudoscalar mass.DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.68. 062002 PACS number~s! : 04.80. Cc, 14.80. 2jI. INTRODUCTION
The Information Content of Insider Trades around Government Intervention during the Financial Crisis

This paper examines whether insiders at leading financial institutions anticipated the effect of government intervention during the Financial Crisis on their firms’ share prices. While we find no evidence that insiders anticipated the Crisis, we find considerable evidence that insiders anticipated the recovery and bank bailouts. Specifically we find: (i) that the predictive ability of insider trades for future firm performance is higher during the nine months following the announcement of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) than at any other time from 2002 to 2010, (ii) that the increase in predictive ability associated with the announcement of TARP is concentrated in firms that previously performed poorly, and (iii) that insider trades at banks five days before the announcement of TARP capital infusions predict the market reaction to the infusion. Overall, our results suggest that once the government announced it would intervene during the Crisis, insiders of financial institutions anticipated the effect of this intervention on share prices.
A PROSPECTIVE STUDY OF PLASMA ANGIOTENSIN‐CONVERTING ENZYME IN NORMOTENSIVE PRIMIGRAVIDAE AND THEIR INFANTS

Plasma angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE) has been measured prospectively throughout pregnancy, at delivery and in the puerperium in 18 normotensive primi‐gravidae and their infants. Plasma ACE was consistently lower during pregnancy than in comparable, non‐pregnant controls, but rose progressively from about 30 weeks to term. At vaginal delivery maternal and fetal ACE levels did not differ significantly. There was a steady increase in maternal ACE activity up to 6 weeks post partum, when the levels were not significantly different from non‐pregnant controls. No correlation could be found between plasma ACE and plasma renin activity or concentration, or plasma AIL Plasma aldosterone increased in parallel with ACE during the last ten weeks of pregnancy.
The Impact of 401(K) Plans on Retirement

In 1993 38.9 million people were covered by a 401(k) plan, up from 7.1 million in 1983. The rapid growth of 401(k) and other defined contribution pension plans may alter retirement patterns of older workers. Previous research showed that the spread of defined benefit plans, with sharp age-related incentives first discouraging and later encouraging retirement, contributed to the early retirement trend of past decades. Defined contribution plans differ along several dimensions, especially in their smooth rate of pension wealth accrual. We use data from the Health and Retirement Study to show that retirement patterns have begun to change as defined contribution plans have spread. Our estimates indicate that the financial incentives in defined benefit pensions lead people to retire almost two years earlier on average, compared to people with defined contribution plans.
Managing Government Property Assets: International Experiences

Governments own a vast array of real property? from large stretches of land to public housing projects, from water distribution systems and roads to office buildings. Typically, management of public property is highly fragmented, with responsibility for each type of asset falling within a different agency or bureaucracy. In almost all countries, different classes of property are managed according to their own rules, often following traditional practices rather than any assessment of what type of management is appropriate. Over the past decade, however, a new discipline has emerged that examines this important component of public wealth and seeks to apply standards of economic efficiency and effective organizational management. Managing Government Property Assets reviews and analyzes this recent wave of activity. The authors draw upon a wide variety of national and local practices, both in countries that have been leaders in management reforms and in countries just beginning to wrestle with the problem. This comparison reveals that the issues of public property management are surprisingly similar in different countries, despite striking differences in institutional contexts and policy solutions.
Usefulness of Small-bowel Mucosal Transglutaminase-2 Specific Autoantibody Deposits in the Diagnosis and Follow-up of Celiac Disease

Background Diagnosis of celiac disease may be problematic in that small-bowel villous atrophy sometimes occurs in conjunction with other enteropathies, develops gradually and may be patchy. Furthermore, as the often compromised quality of biopsy specimens renders diagnosis difficult, new diagnostic tools are warranted. Goals As the celiac disease-specific autoantibodies are found deposited at their production site, in the small-bowel mucosa, they may be useful in diagnostics, especially in problematic cases. We therefore systematically assessed the occurrence of celiac-specific autoantibody deposits in a large cohort of celiac patients, and established how IgA deposits decline after initiation of a gluten-free diet. Methods Transglutaminase-2 specific mucosal IgA autoantibody deposits were determined from small-bowel mucosal biopsies in 261 untreated, 71 short-term (1 y), and 105 long-term (2 to 41 y) treated celiac disease patients and in 78 nonceliac controls. The presence of the deposits was compared with celiac serology, mucosal villous morphology and density of intraepithelial lymphocytes. Results All untreated celiac disease patients had mucosal autoantibody deposits and their intensity was moderate or strong in 90% of cases. In contrast, 18% of the controls had weak depositions. During a gluten-free diet the intensity of the deposits diminished, but was still faintly positive in 56% of long-term treated celiac patients. The efficiency of the test in determining mucosal autoantibody deposits was superior to serology and inflammatory markers. Conclusions Mucosal transglutaminase-2 specific autoantibody deposits proved to be accurate gluten-dependent markers of celiac disease and would thus be of value in the diagnostics and dietary monitoring of this disorder.
Heart, liver, and skeletal muscle myeloperoxidase activity during exercise.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether contractile activity associated with running exercise was a prerequisite for neutrophil infiltration into rat tissues. H2O2-dependent myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity for rat (n = 8) liver, heart, and gastrocnemius muscles was assayed after 58 +/- 11 min of running to voluntary exhaustion (25 m/min; 0% grade). MPO activity values measured with 0.6 mM H2O2 were 0.988 +/- 0.331 (SD) U/g (skeletal muscle), 1.563 +/- 0.303 U/g (heart), and 1.652 +/- 0.510 U/g (liver) for control samples, compared with 1.690 +/- 0.321, 3.128 +/- 1.221, and 2.752 +/- 0.437 U/g, respectively, for the exercise group (P < or = 0.05). Kinetic analysis revealed that maximum velocity for all tissues increased as a result of the exercise (P < 0.05). The Michaelis constant (Km) values at rest for all tissues were similar (range 0.53-0.57 mM H2O2; P > or = 0.05). Exercise did not alter the Km values for cardiac and liver samples; however, for skeletal muscle, the Km was 28% lower than control (P < or = 0.05). The results of this study show that, with prolonged running, MPO activity is elevated in most rat tissues and not exclusively in skeletal muscle. Moreover, the metabolic status of the tissues may be an important factor for neutrophil infiltration with exercise and not exclusively the type of muscle contraction, as previously hypothesized.
On the dynamics of root canal infections—what we understand and what we don't

Infections of the root canal space and their sequelae can be extremely painful and potentially dangerous, yet they do not necessarily have to be. Chronic, asymptomatic inflammatory lesions around the apex of a tooth with a necrotic dental pulp or an insufficient root canal treatment can develop unnoticed by the patient, and remain so for years. The course of disease is modulated by both the virulence of the microbiota established in the root canal space and the capacity of the immune system to curb the infection. To both ends, highly convincing investigations to help us understand when and why the tissues around an endodontically involved tooth become acutely inflamed are missing. We will discuss how recent advances in molecular identification of microorganisms have altered our understanding of root canal infections, and which information is currently missing to link clinical experience with observations from experimental research.
THE INFORMATION CONTENT OF AUDIT OPINIONS IN THE POST-SOX ERA

vii Chapter 1: Introduction 1 Chapter 2: Literature Review 10 2.1 Market Effects and Audit Qualifications 10 2.1. 1 The Information Content of Audit Opinions on Financial Statements 10 2.1. 2 The Information Content of Internal Control Material Weaknesses 16 2.1. 3 Audit Opinions on Financial Statements and Audit Opinions on Internal Controls over Financial Reporting 19 2.2 Firm Characteristics and Audit Qualifications 20 2.2.1 Going-Concern Qualifications and Firm Characteristics 21 2.2.2 Internal Control Material Weaknesses and Firm Characteristics 23 2.2.3 Auditing Related Factors and Audit Qualifications 26 2.3 Risk Perceptions and Audit Qualifications 28 2.4 Summary and Implications 30 Chapter 3: Theoretical Model and Hypothesis Development 33
Incidence of Stroke in an African City: Results from the Stroke Registry at Ibadan, Nigeria, 1973–1975

Studies based on hospital populations reported from negro communities in several countries in Africa1 suggest that cerebrovascular disease (CBVD) shows increasing mortality and morbidity in Africans although 2 decades ago CBVD was believed to be uncommon. We report the first study in the African to determine the incidence of stroke in an urban area, Ibadan, Nigeria.
Market Segmentation, Advanced Demand Information, and Supply Chain Performance

A monopolist sells a single product to a market where the customers may be enticed to accept a delay as to when their orders are shipped. The enticement is a discounted price for the product. The market consists of several segments with different degrees of aversion to delays. The firm offers a price schedule under which the customers each self-select the price they pay and when their orders are to be shipped. When a customer agrees to wait, the firm gains advanced demand information that can be used to reduce its supply chain costs. This article shows how an optimal pricing-replenishment strategy that balances the costs due to discounted prices and the benefits due to advanced demand information can be determined.
What Do Sensors Know about Your Running Performance?

About 489 000 athletes have finished a marathon in the US in 2009, the average training distance of athletes is 47.5 km per week. While average fitness runners (55.8%) train by self perception, a systematic assessment of kinematic parameters is limited to elite athletes that have access to instrumented environments. This work investigates the potential of wearable sensors to derive kinematic features in running. We equipped 12 runners of different performance levels with each 12 miniature ETHOS units. ETHOS constitutes a miniature inertial measurement unit (IMU) that is optimized for long term monitoring in unconstrained environments. We found that a minimum set of two acceleration sensors attached to the athlete's foot and hip is sufficient to derive kinematic features that allow for distinction of experienced and unexperienced runners. Our work constitutes a first step towards personal training assistance providing runners kinematic metrics for performance improvement and injury risk reduction.
Retrieval of the Sea-Surface Wind Field from Synthetic Aperture Radar Data

In this paper, the CMOD4 and CMOD_IFR2 models used to derive the wind field from scatterometer data are employed to retrieve the wind vector from SAR data. The quality of the retrieval results of the two models is controlled using the variational method. The results are then compared with those of numerical weather predictions. For moderate wind speeds, the two models provide a highly accurate retrieval of the wind field, with CMOD_IFR2 producing slightly more accurate results than CMOD4.
Elevated body mass index and risk of postoperative CSF leak following transsphenoidal surgery.

OBJECT Postoperative CSF leakage can be a serious complication after a transsphenoidal surgical approach. An elevated body mass index (BMI) is a significant risk factor for spontaneous CSF leaks. However, there is no evidence correlating BMI with postoperative CSF leak after transsphenoidal surgery. The authors hypothesized that patients with elevated BMI would have a higher incidence of CSF leakage complications following transsphenoidal surgery. METHODS The authors conducted a retrospective review of 121 patients who, between August 2005 and March 2010, underwent endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal surgeries for resection of primarily sellar masses. Patients requiring extended transsphenoidal approaches were excluded. A multivariate statistical analysis was performed to investigate the association of BMI and other risk factors with postoperative CSF leakage. RESULTS In 92 patients, 96 endonasal endoscopic transsphenoidal surgeries were performed that met inclusion criteria. Thirteen postoperative leaks occurred and required subsequent treatment, including lumbar drainage and/or reoperation. The average BMI of patients with a postoperative CSF leak was significantly greater than that in patients with no postoperative CSF leak (39.2 vs 32.9 kg/m(2), p = 0.006). Multivariate analyses indicate that for every 5-kg/m(2) increase in BMI, patients undergoing a transsphenoidal approach for a primarily sellar mass have 1.61 times the odds (95% CI 1.10-2.29, p = 0.016, by multivariate logistic regression) of having a postoperative CSF leak. CONCLUSIONS Elevated BMI is an independent predictor of postoperative CSF leak after an endonasal endoscopic transsphenoidal approach. The authors recommend that patients with BMI greater than 30 kg/m(2) have meticulous sellar reconstruction at surgery and close monitoring postoperatively.
Alterations in response to somatic pain associated with anaesthesia. VIII. The effects of atropine and hyosine.

IN previous papers from this department, the effects of various premedicants on the response to somatic pain have been reported (Dundee and Moore, 1960; Moore and Dundee, 1961a, b). While opinions vary as to the best form of pre-anaesthetic medication, there is unanimous agreement on the need for an antisialogogue drug before general anaesthesia. Although a large number of these preparations are available, the majority of anaesthetists use atropine or hyoscine. In view of this, it was felt that the effects of these two drugs on the appreciation of pain warranted detailed study. This paper reports the results of such an investigation. The clinical significance of the findings is discussed with particular reference to the action of methohexitone and the relevant literature concerning the mechanisms involved in the effects of these drugs on pain threshold is reviewed. It has been shown by Mushin, Galloon and Lewis-Faning (1953) that the 0.6 mg dose of atropine leaves much to be desired as an effective pre-anaesthetic drying agent. This finding was confirmed by Galloon (1956) and Wyant and Dobkin (1957) although Diamant and Feinmesser (1959) found 0.5 mg of this drug to be satisfactory. However, there is no reliable information on the comparative potency of atropine and hyoscine other than the work of Wyant and Dobkin (1957) who gave 0.2 mg of each drug to volunteers and found hyoscine to be the more effective and reliable antisialogogue.
Faktor-Faktor Penentu Struktur Modal serta Dampaknya Terhadap Nilai Perusahaan (Studi pada Perusahaan Manufaktur yang Terdaftar di Bursa Efek Indonesia dan Bursa Efek Malaysia )

Abstrak: Results of research indicate that the factors of capital structure determiners have significant effect on capital structures such as profitability, size, growth opportunity, asset structure, and cost of financial distress. The exception may be tax shields effects without significant effect at all on capital structure. The latter becomes evident because the depreciation and amortization rates of Indonesia listed manufacturing companies do not seem significant to contribute company cash flow such that it stands out of company debt proportion. In Malaysia, the factors of capital structure determiners with significant effect on capital structures involve profitability, size, asset structure, cost of financial distress and tax shields effects. Size and growth opportunity do not have significant effect on the capital structure because Malaysia manufacturing companies consider little investment rate to finance equity financing to deal with financial risk regardless the size of company. It shows the similarity of these factors of capital structure determiner between manufacturing companies listing at Indonesia Stock Exchange and Malaysia Stock Exchange. The significantly similar determiner factors pertain to growth opportunity, asset structure and company value. Meanwhile, the difference also develops between the factors of capital structure determiner in the manufacturing companies listing at Indonesia Stock Exchange and Malaysia Stock Exchange. The significantly different determiner factors will be profitability, size, cost of financial distress, tax shields effects and capital structure. Keywords : Trade-Off Model, Pecking Order Theory, and The signaling model of financial structure.
Medical and Obstetric Outcomes Among Pregnant Women With Congenital Heart Disease

OBJECTIVE: To estimate nationwide trends in the prevalence of maternal congenital heart disease (CHD) and determine whether women with CHD are more likely than women without maternal CHD to have medical and obstetric complications. METHODS: The 2000–2010 Nationwide Inpatient Sample was queried for International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification codes to identify delivery hospitalizations of women with and without CHD. Trends in the prevalence of CHD were determined and then rates of complications were reported for CHD per 10,000 delivery hospitalizations. For Nationwide Inpatient Sample 2008–2010, logistic regression was used to examine associations between CHD and complications. RESULTS: From 2000 to 2010, there was a significant linear increase in the prevalence of CHD from 6.4 to 9.0 per 10,000 delivery hospitalizations (P<.001). Multivariable logistic regression demonstrated that all selected medical complications, including mortality (17.8 compared with 0.7/10,000 deliveries, adjusted odds ratio [OR] 22.10, 95% confidence interval [CI] 13.96–34.97), mechanical ventilation (91.9 compared with 6.9/10,000, adjusted OR 9.94, 95% CI 7.99–12.37), and a composite cardiovascular outcome (614 compared with 34.3/10,000, adjusted OR 10.54, 95% CI 9.55–11.64) were more likely to occur among delivery hospitalizations with maternal CHD than without. Obstetric complications were also common among women with CHD. Delivery hospitalizations with maternal CHD that also included codes for pulmonary circulatory disorders had higher rates of medical complications compared with hospitalizations with maternal CHD without pulmonary circulatory disorders. CONCLUSION: The number of delivery hospitalizations with maternal CHD in the United States is increasing, and although we were not able to determine whether correction of the cardiac lesion affected outcomes, these hospitalizations have a high burden of medical and obstetric complications. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II
Serodiagnosis of human plague by an anti-F1 capsular antigen specific IgG/IgM ELISA and immunoblot

Plague is a re-emerging disease endemic in at least 24 countries. Non-endemic countries should be able to confirm plague to prevent outbreaks due to imported cases. We established a combination of a IgG/IgM screening ELISA and a confirmation immunoblot employing F1 capsular antigen (CA) for the serodiagnosis of plague in countries where yersiniosis is present. The ELISA and the immunoblot assay showed a specificity of 96·1% and 100% among sera from healthy German blood donors. This group had a seroprevalence of 39% of anti-yersinia outer protein (YOP) antibodies obviously caused by previous Y. enterocolitica infection. The ELISA detected anti-F1 CA antibodies in 22 and the immunoblot in 20 out of 26 sera of plague vaccinees. Five control sera from bacteriologically confirmed plague cases from Madagascar reacted positively. It can be concluded that anti-YOP antibodies do not affect assays based on purified F1 CA.