Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The prognostic value of a nomogram for exercise capacity in women.

BACKGROUND Recent studies have demonstrated that exercise capacity is an independent predictor of mortality in women. Normative values of exercise capacity for age in women have not been well established. Our objectives were to construct a nomogram to permit determination of predicted exercise capacity for age in women and to assess the predictive value of the nomogram with respect to survival. METHODS A total of 5721 asymptomatic women underwent a symptom-limited, maximal stress test. Exercise capacity was measured in metabolic equivalents (MET). Linear regression was used to estimate the mean MET achieved for age. A nomogram was established to allow the percentage of predicted exercise capacity to be estimated on the basis of age and the exercise capacity achieved. The nomogram was then used to determine the percentage of predicted exercise capacity for both the original cohort and a referral population of 4471 women with cardiovascular symptoms who underwent a symptom-limited stress test. Survival data were obtained for both cohorts, and Cox survival analysis was used to estimate the rates of death from any cause and from cardiac causes in each group. RESULTS The linear regression equation for predicted exercise capacity (in MET) on the basis of age in the cohort of asymptomatic women was as follows: predicted MET = 14.7 - (0.13 x age). The risk of death among asymptomatic women whose exercise capacity was less than 85 percent of the predicted value for age was twice that among women whose exercise capacity was at least 85 percent of the age-predicted value (P<0.001). Results were similar in the cohort of symptomatic women. CONCLUSIONS We have established a nomogram for predicted exercise capacity on the basis of age that is predictive of survival among both asymptomatic and symptomatic women. These findings could be incorporated into the interpretation of exercise stress tests, providing additional prognostic information for risk stratification.
Stack Wars: The Node Awakens

As the versatility and popularity of cloud technology increases, with storage and compute services reaching unprecedented scale, great scrutiny is now being turned to the performance characteristics of these technologies. Prior studies of cloud system performance analysis have focused on scale-up and scale-out paradigms and the topic of database performance. However, the server-side runtime environments supporting these paradigms have largely escaped the focus of formal benchmarking efforts. This paper documents a performance study intent on benchmarking the potential of the Node.js runtime environment, a rising star among server-side platforms. We herein describe the design, execution, and results of a number of benchmark tests constructed and executed to facilitate direct comparison between Node.js and its most widely-deployed competitor: the LAMP stack. We develop an understanding of the strengths and limitations of these server technologies under concurrent load representative of the computational behaviour of a heavily utilized contemporary web service. In particular, we investigate each server’s ability to handle heavy static file service, remote database interaction, and common compute-bound tasks. Analysis of our results indicates that Node.js outperforms the LAMP stack by a considerable margin in all single-application web service scenarios, and performs as well as LAMP under heterogeneous server workloads.
Risk Factors for L5–S1 Disk Height Reduction After Lumbar Posterolateral Floating Fusion Surgery

Study Design: This is a retrospective study. Objective: To investigate the risk factors for radiographic L5–S1 disk height reduction after lumbar posterolateral floating fusion surgery. Summary of Background Data: We investigated data from 86 patients (45 men) who underwent posterolateral floating fusion surgery from 2007 to 2010. The follow-up was from 2 to 6 years. The mean age of the patients was 65.4 years. Methods: L5–S1 disk height was calculated and >2 mm reduction was defined as significant. Age, sex, height, weight, body mass index, number of fused levels, grade of disk degeneration, disk height and diameter, sacrolumbar alignment, alignment of fused level, achievement of union, and proximal adjacent segment disorder at final follow-up were compared. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were performed. Results: L5–S1 disk height reduction occurred in 14 patients (30.2%). The number of fused levels was significantly greater (1.8±0.8 vs. 1.4±0.6) in patients without disk height reduction. Radiology showed a significant change of L1–S1 sacrolumbar alignment after surgery in patients without disk height reduction (0.3±6.6 vs. –4.5±7.6 degrees). The height of the disk posterior to the L5–S1 intervertebral disk before surgery was significantly greater (7.3±2.1 vs. 6.1±2.1 mm) in patients without disk height reduction. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, fusion of >3 levels was a significant risk factor for L5–S1 disk height reduction. Conclusions: In posterolateral floating fusion surgery, there was a higher risk of L5–S1 disk height reduction and consequent foraminal stenosis in patients with multiple-level fusion. Surgical methods and fusion levels should be chosen after considering their association with L5–S1 disk height reduction.
2004 SPRING MEETING OF THE WPSA UK BRANCH PAPERS

Experiment 3 subjected 4 groups of three 40-dold broilers to alternating light intensities (5 and 100 lux) of 2-h durations. The activity of the broilers was recorded continuously for the duration of the experiments (1 d for experiment 1, 2 d for experiment 2 and 1 d for experiment 3) via top-view video-cameras describing the overall amount of movement on a group level as a function of time and light intensity. The analyses were hence based upon pen-level activity within each time unit and appreciated the autocorrelating repeated measures of activity. The activity of the birds changed very clearly with the light intensity as shown in the figure, with a significant increase in the activity of the birds during the 100 lux periods over the 5 lux periods (repeated measures analysis, F(1,5682)1⁄4 1738.77, P < 0.0001). The results from experiment 2 suggest that alternating light schedules enhance this effect of light intensity upon activity (repeated measures analysis, F(1,3051)1⁄4 710.35, P < 0.0001). When comparing the dynamic responses of broilers, using data-based mechanistic modelling (Aerts et al., 2000), the broilers responded fastest to the light change at 21-22 d of age (repeated measures analysis, F(2,81)1⁄4 25.08, P < 0.0001). Behavioural scan samples from experiment 1 showed no difference between the number of birds feeding and drinking in the different light intensities (ANOVA, F(1,14)1⁄40.04 and 0.44, P1⁄4 0.8533 and 0.5159, respectively). The results suggest that it may be possible to use changes in light intensity to control the activity of broiler chickens. The results also indicate that the variation in the activity level during an alternating light schedule is higher than in constant light, which may suggest more synchronisation of behaviour in the group. The increasing responsiveness of the broilers towards the end of the photoperiod may reflect an anticipation of the dark period probably enhancing the motivation for visually mediated behaviours such as foraging and increasing the reinforcing effects of light intensity during this period. Overall, the results provide the first evidence that it may indeed be possible to control activity of broiler chickens using step-wise changes in light intensity and also highlights the need to study the dynamics of behavioural responses in the future.
A Novel Weighted Edit Distance-Based Spelling Correction Approach for Improving the Reliability of Devanagari Script-Based P300 Speller System

P300 speller-based brain-computer interface is a direct communication from human-brain to computer machine without any muscular movements. In conventional P300 speller, a display paradigm is used to present alphanumeric characters to users and a classification system is used to detect the target character from the acquired electroencephalographic signals. In this paper, we present an 8 × 8 matrix consisting of Devanagari characters, digits, and special characters as Devanagari script (DS)-based display paradigm. The larger size of the display paradigm as compared with conventional 6 × 6 English row/column (RC) paradigm, involvement of matras and ardha-aksharas and similar looking characters in DS increase the adjacency problem, crowding effect, fatigue, and task difficulty. This results in deteriorated performance at the classification stage. Binary differential evolution algorithm was employed for optimal channel selection and support vector machine was used to classify target verses non target stimuli for the data set collected from ten healthy subjects using the DS-based paradigm. In order to further improve the system reliability in terms of higher accuracy at word prediction level, this paper proposes a novel spelling correction approach based on weighted edit distance (WED). A custom-built dictionary was incorporated and each misspelled word was replaced by a correct word of minimum WED from it. The proposed work is based on the validation of hypothesis that most of the target-error pairs lie in the same RC. Using the proposed spelling correction approach with optimal channel selection, an average accuracy of 99% was achieved at the word prediction level. The statistical analysis carried out in this paper shows that the proposed WED-based method improves the system reliability by significantly increasing in the accuracy of word prediction. This paper also validates that the proposed method performs better as compared to the conventional edit distance-based spelling correction approach.
DID VICARIANCE MOLD PHENOTYPES OF WESTERN NORTH AMERICAN FISHES? EVIDENCE FROM GILA RIVER CYPRINIDS

Pairwise, two‐ and three‐way Mantel tests were used to evaluate a null hypothesis of no significant covariation when morphological features of three cyprinid fish taxa of the genus Gila were compared. Tests involved ecological conditions and past and present hydrography in the Gila River Basin of western North America. A vicariance hypothesis was the only model statistically proficient in explaining diversity of fish phenotypes. Of paleohydrographic reconstructions compared, those of the mid‐Miocene and Pliocene epochs were significantly associated with present‐day distributions of phenotypes. Of these, the Pliocene was paramount.
Product forms for queueing networks with state-dependent multiple job transitions

A general framework of continuous-time queueing networks is studied with simultaneous state dependent service completions such as due to concurrent servicing or discrete-time slotting and with state dependent batch routings such as most typically modelling blocking. By using a key notion of group-local-balance, necessary and sufficient conditions are given for the stationary distribution to be of product form. These conditions and a constructive computation of the product form are based upon merely local solutions of the group-local-balance equations which can usually be solved explicitly for concrete networks. Moreover, a decomposition theorem is presented to separate service and routing conditions. General batch service and batch routing examples yielding a product form are hereby concluded. As illustrated by various examples, known results on both discrete- and continuous-time queueing networks are unified and extended.
Muscle adaptation to exercise: New Saltin’s paradigms

The title assigned for my lecture at the Saltin Symposium was “Muscle adaptation to exercise: new paradigms. ” The title's topic made me remember that some of Saltin's paradigms for his development of a novel exercise model were either originated by him or modified by him from existing information. Therefore, I deemed it would be instructive for future generations to consider one facet of his 54‐year career – human exercise models. I arbitrarily selected to share five examples of new paradigm models initiated by Saltin. They are: bed rest; arms vs legs; one leg vs the other leg; myokine communication from skeletal muscle to other organs/tissues; and 42‐day cross‐country skiing expedition. I arbitrarily selected the above as examples of novel approaches that he used to the study humans during maximal endurance exercise. Noteworthy though is that Saltin's lifetime demeanor, itself, is a model for other scientists. In final analysis, the world is richer due to his passion to study humans to advance medical science by uncovering mechanisms as to how the human body is constructed to perform endurance types of exercise at maximal intensities and durations.
Reduction in length of hospital stay for acute childhood asthma associated with the introduction of casemix funding

OBJECTIVE To examine changes to hospital admission rates, length of stay (LOS), bed use, and unplanned readmission rates for children with acute exacerbations of asthma following the change of the Victorian health care system to casemix funding. SETTING Large university-affiliated children's hospital in Melbourne, Victoria. DESIGN Prospective collection of data from July 1989 to June 1996 for all children admitted with acute asthma (n = 11939). RESULTS The number of admissions for acute asthma showed a rising trend before the introduction of casemix funding in July 1993, and subsequently fell. There was a significant fall in mean LOS (64.5 to 39 hours; -40%; P = 0.001), and hence in bed-hours occupied for asthma (115370 to 61116; -47%; P = 0.001). There were no increases in unplanned readmission rates for asthma within the next seven or 14 days. CONCLUSION LOS and bed use for acute asthma at our hospital have been significantly reduced since the introduction of casemix funding, although this study does not prove a causal relationship. There was no increase in readmission rates, and thus no suggestion of any adverse effects as a result of reducing LOS. The 47% reduction in bed-hours should lead to large reductions in cost to the hospital.
Capecitabine (X) and taxanes in patients (pts) with anthracycline-pretreated metastatic breast cancer (MBC): Sequential vs. combined therapy results from a MOSG randomized phase III trial.

570 Introduction: Capecitabine (Xeloda [X]) shows synergy with taxanes and adding X to docetaxel (T) extends overall survival (OS), response rate (RR) and progression free-survival (PFS) beyond T alone. Sequential single-agent therapy could confer convenience benefits and may be more appropriate than combination chemotherapy for some pts. METHODS Pts with anthracycline-pretreated MBC received 3-weekly cycles of 1 of the following regimens: X→taxane (X 1250mg/m2 bid d1-14, followed after progression (PD) by T 100mg/m2 or paclitaxel [P] 175mg/m2 day 1; X+P (X 825mg/m2 bid days 1-14 + P 175mg/m2 day 1) or X+T (X 825mg/m2 bid days 1-14 + T 75mg/m2 day 1). RESULTS Of the 368 pts enrolled, 91 are either still on therapy or not evaluable. The table shows baseline characteristics, efficacy and safety in evaluable pts. Median follow up is 15.5 months. Median doses for X in each arm (1st cycle vs. 8th cycle, mg/m2 bid): 1218 vs. 1054; 948 vs. 900; 846 vs. 751. Median doses for P and T (1st cycle vs. 8th cycle, mg/m2): 173 vs. 169 and 75 vs. 72, respectively. In the X→taxane arm, 58 pts (64%) received sequential taxane; the remainder did not receive a taxane, either because they were still on X, had CR or had rapid PD. CONCLUSIONS RR is higher with XP and XT, but PFS and OS are similar at a median follow-up of 15.5 months. All regimens were well tolerated with minimal grade 4 AEs. Because there is no clear superiority of sequential vs. combined therapy, pt characteristics are likely to be used to decide which regimen is the most appropriate. [Table: see text] [Table: see text].
An empirical criticism of the "FDI development" convention

Pro-Foreign Domestic Investment (FDI) policies have become a pillar of the development convention. While the literature has provided numerous studies on the effects of FDI on growth and investment in host country, very little is known about how domestic investment itself affects FDI inflows. The paper is an attempt to fill this gap. Evidences from a large cross-country sample (68 countries), over a long period (1984-2004), show that lagged domestic investment has a strong influence on FDI inflows in the host economy, implying that domestic investment is a strong ca- talyst for FDI in developing countries and that multinational companies do follow economic development.
Helicobacter pylori infection rates in relation to age and social class in a population of Welsh men.

The seroprevalence of IgG antibodies to Helicobacter pylon was determined using a standard enzyme linked immunosorbent assay in a population of 749 randomly selected men, aged 30-75 years, from Caerphilly, South Wales. The overall prevalence ofH pylon was 56*9%, increasing sharply in middle age from 29*8% in those aged 30-34 to over 59% in those aged 45 or older (p<00001). Age standardised seroprevalence rates were lowest in combined social class categories I and II (49.2%), intermediate in categories IIIN and M (57.5%), and highest in categories IV and V (62.2%) (p=0.01). In those aged 30-34 years, the prevalence rate for those in combined social class categories IV and V was 57*9% - double the rate for social class categories IIM and N (28.3%) and five times the prevalence rate in those in social class categories I and II (11.1%). These differences in the infection patterns of H pylon by social class are consistent with patterns of peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer.
Relationship between Discrimination Tasks of the Cantab and the Corpus Callosum Morphology in Alzheimer's Disease

The relationship between performances on a simple discrimination task of the Attentional Set Shifting of the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) and morphometry of the corpus callosum is examined in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Analysis showed patients with probable Alzheimer's disease are heterogeneous for the relationship between performances in the attentional test of the CANTAB and the anterior callosal atrophies. Interest in these results for clinical diagnosis of this mental disease is discussed.
Neutrophil–Lymphocyte Ratio May Predict Left Atrial Thrombus in Patients With Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation

Objective: Neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been associated with poor outcomes in patients with cardiovascular diseases. We aimed to compare NLRs among patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF) with or without left atrial (LA) thrombus. Methods: A total of 309 (70.1 ± 9.8 years, 49% male) patients with nonvalvular AF have undergone transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE) to assess the presence of LA thrombus. Baseline NLR was measured by dividing neutrophil count to lymphocyte count. Results: Left atrial thrombus was detected in 32 (10.3%) of 309 patients. Mean NLR (2.2 ± 1.0 vs 2.7 ± 1.1, P = .026) was significantly higher among patients with LA thrombus compared to patients without LA thrombus. On multivariate analysis, NLR (odds ratio 1.59, 95% confidence interval 0.87-4.18; P < .02) was an independent risk factor for the presence of LA thrombus in patients with nonvalvular AF. Conclusion: Neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio, an emerging marker of inflammation, was independently associated with the presence of LA thrombus in patients with nonvalvular AF.
Analysis of covariance in the mixed model: higher-level, nonhomogeneous, and random regressions.

The model generally considered in analysis of covariance has all levels of classification factors and interactions fixed, and also covariate regression coefficients fixed. Mixed models are more appropriate in most applications. A summary of estimation and hypothesis testing for analysis of covariance in the mixed model, including the case of random regression coefficients, is presented. Higher-level covariate regressions (i.e., regressions in which, for all levels of a factor or interaction, all observations on the same level have a common covariate value) are discussed. Nonestimability problems that result from defining such covariates at the levels of fixed effects are illustrated. The case of nonhomogeneous covariate regressions in the mixed model is considered in the context of interpreting predicted future differences among levels of a given factor or interaction. Nonhomogeneous regressions complicate interpretations only when they are associated with the contrast(s) of interest among fixed effects in the model. The question of whether the regressions are homogeneous is itself often of substantive interest. Different random regression coefficients associated with the levels of a random effect are also examined.
Active Immunization of Mice Against Candida albicans ∗

Summary Mice were vaccinated by repeated subcutaneous inoculations of living, merthiolate-killed, or sonically-ruptured cells of C. albicans and were then challenged intravenously with 104 or 105 viable particles of a homologous strain. Although not all of the vaccinated mice survived challenge, a significant degree of resistance was conferred since fewer deaths occurred among vaccinated animals.
Corporate Profitability and the Dynamics of Competition in Emerging Markets: A Time Series Analysis

The paper presents time-series analyses of corporate profitability in seven leading developing countries (DCs) using the common methodology of the persistence of profitability (PP) studies and systematically compares the results with those for advanced countries (ACs). Surprisingly, both short and long-term persistence of profitability for DCs are found to be lower than those for ACs. The paper concentrates on economic explanations for these findings. It also reports the results on the persistence of the two components of profitability - output-capital ratios and profit margins. These too raise important general issues of economic interpretation for PP studies which are outlined. Copyright 2003 Royal Economic Society.
Correlation Between Polymorphisms of the Reduced Folate Carrier Gene (SLC19A1) and Survival After Pemetrexed-Based Therapy in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer: A North Central Cancer Treatment Group-Based Exploratory Study

Purpose: To correlate polymorphisms in genes involved in the transport, activation, and inactivation of pemetrexed with the outcome of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with pemetrexed. Experimental Design: Data from a phase II NSCLC trial evaluating the optimal schedule of gemcitabine and pemetrexed were used. All patients with available DNA were genotyped for polymorphisms in FPGS, GGH, and SLC19A1 genes. Patients with various genotypes were compared for efficacy and adverse events resulting from pemetrexed. Results: Fifty-four patients had genotype results for all polymorphisms studied. Patients with the homozygous variant genotypes for SLC19A1 IVS4(2117) C>T, IVS5(9148) C>A, and wild-type genotype for exon6(2522) C>T had a significantly better overall survival compared with their counterparts (median overall survival in months: 8.9 [CC] versus 14.0 [CT] versus 16.7 [TT]; 9.4 [CC] versus 10.3 [CA] versus 22.7 [AA]; and 22.7 [CC] versus 10.3 [CT] versus 9.4 [TT] respectively; all log rank p = 0.03). Patients with the heterozygous TC genotype for GGH IVS5(1042) T>C had greater rates of confirmed response + stable disease compared with the TT genotype (85% versus 60%; odds ratio = 4.0; p = 0.06). A greater risk for grade 3/4 SGPT (ALT) elevation was observed in patients heterozygous (GA) for the FPGS IVS1 (28) G>A polymorphism compared with the GG genotype (43% versus 13%; odds ratio = 5.0, p = 0.07). All results were largely consistent within patients with nonsquamous (n = 40) histology. Conclusion: Polymorphisms in SLC1A91 seem to predict for survival differences in pemetrexed-treated NSCLC. Additionally, polymorphisms in GGH and FPGS have marginal associations with response and adverse event. These results should be validated in larger prospective studies using pemetrexed.