Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Results of Revision Anterior Cruciate Ligament Surgery

Background Revision anterior cruciate ligament surgery remains challenging. Purpose To analyze the authors’ experience with revision anterior cruciate ligament surgery and determine the association between stability and functional results. Study Design Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods Between 1991 and 2002, 95 of 102 patients who underwent revision anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction at the authors’ institution met the criteria for inclusion in the study. Of those, the 63 (66%) who returned for complete clinical and radiologic evaluation (mean follow-up, 72.7 months) formed the study group. Subjective evaluation focused on return to sports, arthritic symptoms, and subjective International Knee Documentation Committee criteria. Clinical evaluation included examination, KT-1000 arthrometer and functional testing, and radiographic analysis of alignment and arthritis. Results Based on International Knee Documentation Committee subjective scores and return to sports, results were rated as excellent/good in 45 patients (71%), fair in 6 (10%), and poor in 12 (19%). A grade IA or IIA Lachman and a KT-1000 arthrometer side-to-side difference of <3 mm (32/63 patients) was associated with a good/excellent result (P < .05). The mechanical axis was midline in 78% (49/63 patients). Radiographic arthritis (16 patients, 25%) was associated with duration of instability after primary failure (P < .03). Return to sports occurred in 59% (37/63 patients). Sixteen patients (25%) required a second revision surgery. Conclusion Revision anterior cruciate ligament surgery allowed approximately 60% of patients to go back to sports, most of them at lower levels than their prerevision function. Instrumented laxity of <3 mm was associated with a better result. Radiographic arthritis was associated with duration of instability symptoms after primary failure. Patients who undergo revision anterior cruciate ligament surgery should be counseled as to the expected outcome and cautioned that this procedure probably represents a salvage situation and may not allow them to return to their desired levels of function.
Why Does Economic Performance Differ between Domestic and Foreign-Owned Establishments? Evidence from Nigeria

Diversifying its economy away from the oil industry and developing competitive nonagricultural industries are two of Nigeria's most important policy targets. However, the Nigerian economy faces significant challenges, such as educational attainment among workers, soundness of infrastructure, and access to finance. This study investigates how and to what extent these factors affect the output and productivity of domestic establishments (DEs) and foreignowned establishments (FOEs) in Nigeria. Further, it compares the economic performance of these two groups of establishments and analyzes the determinants of ownership differentials. First, the results show that FOEs significantly outperform DEs. Second, access to finance plays a key role, both in improving the economic performance of establishments (regardless of their ownership) and in explaining ownership differentials in economic performance. Third, it is implied that increasing educational attainment amongst workers could improve the performance of DEs by making it easier for them to employ skilled employees. In Nigeria, many reforms are under way under the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, and they aim to develop infrastructure, strengthen the financial system, and improve human capital, to name but a few objectives; however, their rapid and complete implementation are urgently needed.
Evaluation of transdermal fentanyl patch attachment in dogs and analysis of residual fentanyl content following removal.

OBJECTIVE To investigate whether the method used to attach matrix-type fentanyl patches influences the degree of skin attachment and the amount of active drug remaining in patches after use. STUDY DESIGN Prospective, randomised clinical study. STUDY POPULATION Fifteen adult dogs of mixed breeds. METHODS Two equally sized matrix-type fentanyl patches were attached to the dorsal third of the lateral thorax of fifteen dogs for 72 hours. The two patches were attached using different techniques: Method AD used an adhesive dressing in combination with a transparent film. Method TG used tissue adhesive applied to the edges of the patch. After 72 hours the patches were removed and the proportion of the patch attached at this time calculated. The residual content of the patches was analysed using a validated gas chromatography-mass spectrometery (GC-MS) analysis technique. RESULTS After 72 hours of continuous attachment, the mean proportion of drug uptake for method AD was 17.2 (SD ± 11.1)% and for method TG this was 16.9 (SD ± 7.3)%. The median proportion of attachment for method AD was 100% and for method TG was 95.6%. CONCLUSIONS The method of attachment did not significantly influence the uptake of fentanyl from matrix-type patches. The method of attachment resulted in a significant difference in the proportion of the patch attached 72 hours after placement, with method AD resulting in a greater median proportion of attachment than TG. CLINICAL RELEVANCE The method used to attach matrix-type fentanyl patches to dogs should not interfere with drug uptake. The residual fentanyl content remaining in these patches after 72 hours of continuous application is significant and could lead to intoxication if ingested by humans.
A Machine Learning based Music Retrieval and Recommendation System

In this paper, we present a music retrieval and recommendation system using machine learning techniques. We propose a query by humming system for music retrieval that uses deep neural networks for note transcription and a note-based retrieval system for retrieving the correct song from the database. We evaluate our query by humming system using the standard MIREX QBSH dataset. We also propose a similar artist recommendation system which recommends similar artists based on acoustic features of the artists’ music, online text descriptions of the artists and social media data. We use supervised machine learning techniques over all our features and compare our recommendation results to those produced by a popular similar artist recommendation website.
Autologus serum in treatment of dry eye disorder: An evaluation

Dry eye syndrome is a common disorder of the tear film in which eye is unable to maintain a healthy layer of tears to coat it. Despite various conventional treatments such as ocular surface lubrication, artificial tears, protective glasses and punctal occlusion many patients continue to have signs and symptoms of dry eye. That’s why autologous serum eye drops have been indicated for the treatment of dry eye. Therefore, to evaluate the effectiveness of the autologous serum eye drops in dry eye disorder, a total of 34 eyes of 20 patients were included in this study, who used autologus serum eye drops along with artificial tears. Out of 20 patients, 16 were males and 4 were females with M: F ratio of 4:1. The mean age of the patients was 51.95 years. Evaluations of patients were done before and after treatment in follow up, by determining the subjective and objective scores which showed that after follow up of 2 months all the subjective and objective scores were reduced in 28 eyes but 6 eyes did not show any improvement at follow up of 2 months as they stopped the drops after one month of use because of discomfort.
Uterine stretch and progesterone action.

CONTEXT Progesterone administration reduces the risk of preterm labor in high-risk women with singleton pregnancies but has no effect in women with a multiple pregnancy. OBJECTIVE We investigated whether progesterone is able to inhibit stretch-induced gene expression and/or whether stretch in turn inhibits progesterone action, perhaps providing an explanation for the functional progesterone withdrawal associated with human labor. METHODS AND RESULTS In a series of in vitro studies using primary cultures of human myometrial cells, we found that preincubation with progesterone did not block stretch-induced ERK1/2 activation and cyclooxygenase-2 mRNA expression. Furthermore, we found that stretch did not alter the ability of progesterone to: 1) modulate progesterone-responsive gene expression; 2) activate a luciferase-linked progesterone response element; or 3) repress IL-1β-driven cyclooxygenase-2 mRNA expression. We did find that stretch reduced the expression of progesterone receptor mRNA via nuclear factor κB activation but that this did not alter myometrial progesterone response. CONCLUSION These data show that progesterone does not inhibit stretch-induced MAPK activation or gene expression, possibly explaining why progesterone is ineffective in the prevention of preterm labor in multiple pregnancy. Although stretch did reduce progesterone receptor expression in a nuclear factor κB-dependent manner, this was not sufficient to inhibit progesterone action, suggesting that it is not responsible for the functional progesterone withdrawal observed with the onset of human labor.
Cardiovascular Medication Use and Risk for Colorectal Cancer

Objective: To evaluate the association between lipid-lowering agents, antihypertensive medications, and colorectal cancer risk. We hypothesized a reduction in colorectal cancer risk with 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coA reductase inhibitors (statins) and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. Methods: We conducted a case-control study at Group Health Cooperative, an integrated delivery system in Washington State. Incident colorectal cancer cases diagnosed between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2003, were identified from the western Washington Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results cancer registry. Controls were matched by age, sex, and duration of enrollment. Data on medication use and potential confounders were obtained from health plan records. We estimated odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) using multivariate conditional logistic regression. Results: Risk for colorectal cancer was not associated with use of statins (odds ratio, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.65-1.59), other lipid-lowering agents (odds ratio, 1.31; 95% CI, 0.70-2.47), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (odds ratio, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.67-1.43), calcium channel blockers (odds ratio, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.72-1.55), or diuretics (odds ratio, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.70-1.44). Risk did not differ by duration of medication use, including long-term use. Conclusions: Risk for colorectal cancer was not reduced by use of statins or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. Other lipid-lowering and antihypertensive medications were also not associated with colorectal cancer risk. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2008;17(11):3076–80)
The Shelf Life of Incumbent Workers During Accelerating Technological Change: Evidence from a Training Regulation Reform

In periods of accelerating technological change, incumbent workers must continuously update their skills to remain productive. In contrast, high school or college graduates recently entering the labor market often have the most up-to-date skills. We investigate how incumbent workers' careers respond to the increasing labor supply of graduates with more technologically advanced IT skills during a period of accelerating technological change. We identify a supply shock of more technologically advanced IT-skilled graduates by exploiting a reform of a German training regulation, a reform mandating all new apprentices in a large manufacturing occupation to acquire in-depth IT skills. We use a difference-in-differences approach to analyze how this supply shock of IT-skilled workers affected the careers of incumbent workers. The results show that even young incumbents experienced long-lasting earnings losses in the form of lower wage growth after the IT-skilled graduates entered the labor market. A detailed analysis of the mechanisms suggests that incumbents on average forwent promotions and technologically advanced IT-skilled graduates crowded incumbents out of their occupation. However, despite losing their occupation, incumbents experienced relatively little unemployment during the transition period following the supply shock and on average resumed stable careers in other occupations and sectors.
Histopathologic and clinical predictors of kidney outcomes in ANCA-associated vasculitis.

BACKGROUND A predictive histologic classification recently was proposed to determine the prognostic value of kidney biopsy in patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated renal vasculitis (AAV). STUDY DESIGN A dual-purpose retrospective observational cohort study to assess the reproducibility of the new classification and clinical variables that predict outcomes. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS 169 consecutive patients with AAV were identified; 145 were included in the reproducibility study, and 120, in the outcomes study. PREDICTOR Kidney biopsy specimens were classified according to the predominant glomerular lesion: focal, mixed, crescentic, and sclerotic. An assessment of tubular atrophy also was performed. OUTCOMES The primary outcome was time to end-stage kidney disease or all-cause mortality, modeled using Cox regression analysis. MEASUREMENTS Estimated glomerular filtration rate, requirement for renal replacement therapy. RESULTS For the reproducibility study, the overall inter-rater reliability of the classification demonstrated variability among 3 histopathologists (intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.38-0.57; κ statistic=0.46). Although agreement was high in the sclerotic group (κ=0.70), it was less consistent in other groups (κ=0.51, κ=0.47, and κ=0.23 for crescentic, focal, and mixed, respectively). For the clinical outcomes study, patients with sclerotic patterns of glomerular injury displayed the worst outcomes. Patients with focal (HR, 0.26; 95% CI, 0.12-0.58; P=0.001), crescentic (HR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.16-0.69; P=0.003), and mixed (HR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.18-0.81; P=0.01) patterns of injury had lower risk of the primary outcome. Tubular atrophy correlated with outcome, and advanced injury was associated with worse outcomes (HR, 5.9; 95% CI, 2.25-15.47; P<0.001). Level of kidney function at presentation strongly predicted outcome (HR per 10-mL/min/1.73m(2) increase in estimated glomerular filtration rate, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.46-0.81; P<0.001). LIMITATIONS Data availability, given the retrospective nature of the study. CONCLUSIONS Reproducibility of the classification was seen only in patients with sclerotic patterns of glomerular injury. Sclerotic pattern of glomerular injury, advanced chronic interstitial injury, and decreased kidney function all predicted poor outcomes.
A New Error Estimate of the Fast Gauss Transform

The fast Gauss transform of L. Greengard and J. Strain [SIAM J. Sci. Statist. Comput. , 12 (1991), pp. 79--94] reduces the computational complexity of the evaluation of the sum of N Gaussians at M points in d-dimensional space from ${\cal O}(MN)$ to ${\cal O}(M+N)$ floating-point operations. In this note, we provide numerical evidence that the error estimate of Lemma 2.1 in [SIAM J. Sci. Statist. Comput. , 12 (1991), pp. 79--94] is erroneous and then proceed to calculate a replacement error estimate for the fast Gauss transform, incorporating an improved upper bound for Hermite functions.
Characteristics of Second-Career Occupations: A Review and Synthesis

This study is a literature review of research related to the characteristics of second careers undertaken after mid-life. There is a significant lack of literature directly on this topic, so we draw substantially from the literatures about retirement, bridge jobs, encore jobs, and unretirement. First, we provide a working definition of second careers after mid-life. We then provide a brief background of the existing theoretical research related to this topic, which is also in need of updating and synthesis. We find evidence that second careers may already be common, but likely are undertaken by less than half of older workers. For older workers in general, job flexibility and lower stress seem to be particularly prized job characteristics that they seem willing to trade off against earnings, benefits, and prestige. However, individual fit is also likely to be particularly important in learning about second careers. We also find useful information in studies of specific early-retiring occupations and destination second careers. Based on the existing general, late-life labor supply literature and specific occupation literature, we propose new directions for research. An important take-away is that data limitations have been a roadblock; however, forthcoming resources may help open up this area of research.
A Survey on Fast-flux Attacks

ABSTRACT “Fast-flux” refers to rapidly assigning different IP addresses to the same domain name. Although there are some legitimate uses for this technique, recently it has become a favorite tool for cyber criminals to launch collaborative attacks. After it was first observed by Honeynet, it was reported that fast-flux has been used in phishing, malware spreading, spam, and other malicious activities linked to criminal organizations. Combining with peer-to-peer networking, distributed command and control, web-based load balancing, and proxy redirection, fast-flux makes Internet attacks more resistant to discovery and counter-measure. This article aims at giving a comprehensive survey on fast-flux attacks. Some important issues including technical background, classification, characterization, measurement and detection, and mitigation are discussed. Challenges of detecting and mitigating fast-flux attack are also pointed out.
Reactive oxygen species level in follicular fluid--embryo quality marker in IVF?

BACKGROUND The impact of oxidative stress in female reproduction is not clear. Contradictory reports on the effect of various oxidative stress markers on follicular fluid, oocytes and embryo quality and fertilization potential exist. The objectives of this study were to examine reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in follicular fluid of women undergoing IVF and to relate these levels to embryo formation and quality. METHODS AND RESULTS A total of 208 follicular fluid samples were obtained from 78 women undergoing controlled ovarian stimulation and analysed for ROS and lipid peroxidation (LPO). These samples were divided into groups I and II which represented follicular fluid containing grade III and grade II oocytes, respectively. These groups were further subdivided into groups IA, IB, IIA and IIB according to embryo quality. Subgroups IA and IIA consisted of follicular fluid samples corresponding to grade I/II embryo formation. Subgroups IB and IIB represented fertilization failure/pro-nucleolus (PN) arrest/grade III embryos. No significant correlation was observed in ROS levels on comparing groups I and II (P > 0.05). However, ROS levels were observed to be significantly different on comparing groups IA and IB (P < or = 0.01) and groups IIA and IIB (P < or = 0.05). LPO levels further supported our results. CONCLUSION ROS levels in follicular fluid appear to play a significant role in embryo formation and quality.
The impact of development in banking sector and foreign direct investments on economic growth: Sample of Turkey

Article history: Received 26 June 2018 Received in revised form 13 September 2018 Accepted 21 September 2018 The fact that the banking sector with a significant place in the financial system is a dynamic sector and economic growth is important for all countries, have made banks indispensable for modern economies. Banks are the driving force behind economic growth by channeling savings to productive investments. Therefore, it is important to examine the impact of the development of the banking sector on economic growth. In this study, the long-term relationship and causality between the development in the banking sector in Turkey and foreign direct investment and economic growth in the 1960-2017 period were analyzed. In the study, in order to detect the stability of the variables, Zivot-Andrews unit root test allowing only one break, and then the cointegration test based on the ARDL approach were conducted. Finally, the causality test was conducted using TodaYamamoto causality test method. According to ARDL test results, it was identified that both the banking sector and FDI inflows had a positive effect on the growth in long-term. According to Toda Yamamoto test results, it was identified that there was a one-way causality from the development of the banking sector to economic growth and from economic growth to FDI inflows.
Are Blockchain Crowdsales the New 'Gold Rush'? Success Determinants of Initial Coin Offerings

Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) are a new and unregulated form of crowdfunding that raises funds through a blockchain by selling venture-related tokens or coins in exchange for legal tender or cryptocurrencies. In this paper, we establish token or coin tradability as the primary ICO success measure, and we develop a theoretical framework for how venture uncertainty, venture quality, and investor opportunity set interrelate. We use the largest available dataset to date, consisting of 1,009 ICOs from 2015 to March 2018. Our data highlights that venture uncertainty (not being on Github and Telegram, shorter whitepapers, higher percentage of tokens distributed) is negatively correlated, while higher venture quality (better connected CEOs and larger team size) is positively correlated, with ICO success. Moreover, providing a hard cap in a pre-ICO can help investors measure success in the pre-sale. This is another positive signal of funding success.
The tight junction protein ZO‐1 and an interacting transcription factor regulate ErbB‐2 expression

Epithelial tight junctions regulate paracellular diffusion and restrict the intermixing of apical and basolateral plasma membrane components. We now identify a Y‐box transcription factor, ZONAB (ZO‐1‐associated nucleic acid‐binding protein), that binds to the SH3 domain of ZO‐1, a submembrane protein of tight junctions. ZONAB localizes to the nucleus and at tight junctions, and binds to sequences of specific promoters containing an inverted CCAAT box. In reporter assays, ZONAB and ZO‐1 functionally interact in the regulation of the ErbB‐2 promoter in a cell density‐dependent manner. In stably transfected overexpressing cells, ZO‐1 and ZONAB control expression of endogenous ErbB‐2 and function in the regulation of paracellular permeability. These data indicate that tight junctions directly participate in the control of gene expression and suggest that they function in the regulation of epithelial cell differentiation.
Effects of Anger, Guilt, and Envy on Moral Hypocrisy

In the current article the authors examined the impact of specific emotions on moral hypocrisy, the tendency among people to judge others more severely than they judge themselves. In two studies, they found that (a) anger increased moral hypocrisy, (b) guilt eliminated moral hypocrisy, and (c) envy reversed moral hypocrisy. In particular, these findings were observed in two domains. In Study 1, participants responded to moral dilemmas describing unethical behavior and rated how acceptable it would be if others engaged in the unethical behavior, or alternatively, if they themselves engaged in the unethical behavior. In Study 2, participants were asked how much they would like to donate to research on cancer, or alternatively, how much they think others should donate. The results demonstrate that specific emotions influence moral decision making, even when real money is at stake, and that emotions of the same valence have opposing effects on moral judgment.