Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rates and Outcomes of Primary and Revision Total Hip Replacement in the United States Medicare Population

Background: Information on the epidemiology of primary total hip replacement is limited, and we are not aware of any reports on the epidemiology of revision total hip replacement. The objective of this study was to characterize the rates and immediate postoperative outcomes of primary and revision total hip replacement in persons sixty-five years of age and older residing in the United States.Methods: We used Medicare claims submitted by hospitals, physicians, and outpatient facilities between July 1, 1995, and June 30, 1996, to identify individuals who had undergone elective primary total hip replacement for a reason other than a fracture (61,568 patients) or had had revision total hip replacement (13,483 patients). Annual incidence rates of primary and revision total hip replacement were calculated, and multivariate modeling was used to evaluate the association between patient characteristics and surgical rates. The rates of occurrence of five complications within ninety days postoperatively were also evaluated, and relationships between those outcomes and patient characteristics were assessed with use of multivariate models adjusted for hospital and surgeon volume.Results: The rates of primary total hip replacement were three to six times higher than the rates of revision total hip replacement. Women had higher rates than men, and whites had higher rates than blacks. The rates of primary and revision total hip replacement increased with age until the age of seventy-five to seventy-nine years and then declined. The rates of complications occurring within ninety days after primary total hip replacement were 1.0% for mortality, 0.9% for pulmonary embolus, 0.2% for wound infection, 4.6% for hospital readmission, and 3.1% for hip dislocation. The rates after revision total hip replacement were 2.6%, 0.8%, 0.95%, 10.0%, and 8.4%, respectively. Factors associated with an increased risk of an adverse outcome included increased age, gender (men were at higher risk than women), race (blacks were at higher risk than whites), a medical comorbidity, and a low income.Conclusions: Analysis of United States Medicare population data showed that the rates of total hip replacement increased with age up to the age of seventy-five to seventy-nine years and that blacks had a significantly lower rate of total hip replacement than whites. The overall rates of adverse outcomes were relatively low, but they were significantly higher after revision than after primary total hip replacement.Level of Evidence: Prognostic study, Level II-1 (retrospective study). See p. 2 for complete description of levels of evidence.
Coronary Arteries : A Matter of Efficiency ?

Copyright © 2003 American Heart Association. All rights reserved. Print ISSN: 1079-5642. Online 7272 Greenville Avenue, Dallas, TX 72514 Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology is published by the American Heart Association. DOI: 10.1161/01.ATV. 0000051875.41849. 25 12, 2002; 2003;23;251-256; originally published online Dec Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol. Boomsma, Pramod R. Saxena and A.H. Jan Danser Beril Tom, Ingrid M. Garrelds, Elizabeth Scalbert, Alexander P.A. Stegmann, Frans Coronary Arteries: A Matter of Efficiency? ACEVersus Chymase-Dependent Angiotensin II Generation in Human http://atvb.ahajournals. org/cgi/content/full/23/2/251 located on the World Wide Web at: The online version of this article, along with updated information and services, is
Screening and Detecting Salmonella in Different Food Matrices in Southern Tunisia Using a Combined Enrichment/Real-Time PCR Method: Correlation with Conventional Culture Method

A combined enrichment/ newly developed invA TaqMan® real-time PCR (qPCR) method as a screening assay to detect Salmonella spp. in 500 naturally food matrices is evaluated. DNA template for qPCR was extracted from an overnight pre-enriched sample in buffered peptone water using lysis–guanidine isothiocyanate method. Heterologous internal amplification control (IAC) was incorporated during qPCR assays and co-amplified with the invA gene of the target pathogen. InvA qPCR exhibited 100% specificity when testing 94 Salmonella strains (inclusivity) and 32 non-Salmonella strains (exclusivity). The qPCR showed a consistent detection of two copies of the invA gene/PCR reaction, a good intra- and inter-run reproducibility with a good PCR efficiency (89.6%). QPCR was sensitive and showed Salmonella detection at 8.5 × 100 CFU mL-1 of artificially spiked poultry meat -BWP solution in less than 40 cycles. When analyzing 500 different food matrices and comparing the results with the ISO 6579:2002 conventional culture method, the sensitivity and specificity were 100 and 76.6%, respectively. QPCR showed Salmonella spp. DNA in raw poultry meat 27/45 (60%), milk 31/93 (33.3%), raw red meat 5/13 (38.5%), and fish 11/46 (23.9%) samples. The prevalence of Salmonella spp. in cakes, dairy, cooked meals, charcuterie products using qPCR was 11/14 (26.8%), 5/22 (22.7%), 32/150 (21.3%), and 5/20 (25%), respectively, compared to 0% as demonstrated by culture. S. Anatum was the most common serovar found associated with red meat compared to S. kentucky isolated from fish and poultry meat. In conclusion, our study is the first to use a combined enrichment/invA qPCR method as a screening assay to detect Salmonella DNA in different types of commercialized food in Southern Tunisia. QPCR results indicate that Salmonella contamination is common in milk and in other types of food samples.
Fast Reconstruction of Curves with Sharp Corners

We present an algorithm to reconstruct a collection of piecewise smooth simple closed curves in the plane from a set of n sample points in O(n log n) time We prove our algorithm correctly reconstructs the curves assuming certain sampling conditions which are based on the minimum angle made by tangents at any corner point but does not include any assumptions about the uniformity of the sampling.
INTRAVITREAL TOXICITY OF DOXYCYCLINE. A PILOT STUDY TOXICIDAD RETINIANA DE DOXICICLINA INTRAVÍTREA. ESTUDIO PILOTO

Objective: To assess the retinal toxicity of varying concentrations of intravitreally administered doxycycline, a member of tetracycline family. Methods: Fourteen New Zealand albino rabbits, divided into 5 groups, were used for this study. The initial concentration of doxycycline (100 mg) was titrated using 5% dextrose solution to the following concentrations in a volume of 0.1 ml: 2000 µg, 1000 µg, 500 µg, 250 µg, 125 µg, and 62.5 µg. Each concentration was injected into 2 rabbit eyes. Two control eyes received 0.1 ml of 5% dextrose solution. All animals were examined before and after injection using indirect ophthalmoscopy and slit‐lamp biomicroscopy. Electroretinography (ERG) was performed on all animals prior to the intravitreal injection and 2 weeks post-injection. The animals were re-examined at this time by indirect ophthalmoscopy and slit‐lamp biomicroscopy and were then subjected to euthanasia. Their eyes were enucleated and examined using light microscopy. Results: The doxycycline injected group exhibited significant decreases in ERG of the eyes injected with 2000 µg, 1000 µg, 500 µg, and 250 µg/0.1 ml. No significant changes in the ERG were observed
Improving inhaler technique, adherence to therapy and the precision of dosing: major challenges for pulmonary drug delivery

Introduction: The inhaled route has many advantages, but requires the patient to use, and to master the use of, an inhaler device. Poor inhaler technique and non-adherence to therapy lead to a highly variable lung dose in clinical practice, with subsequent loss of clinical efficacy and wastage of economic resources. Areas covered: This paper discusses problems of poor inhaler technique, non-adherence to inhaler therapy, other issues relating to the precision of dose delivery, the consequences of these problems and how they can be addressed. Expert opinion: The precision of dosing by the pulmonary route can be improved by appropriate choice of inhaler device and by education. It is vital to educate patients about their disease, about the importance of taking prescribed medications and about correct inhaler use. One-on-one sessions with healthcare professionals probably represent the most effective educational method. For some drugs and patient groups, inhalers containing small microprocessors may also be used to control inhalation technique, and hence, to obtain a more reproducible lung dose. As the range of drugs delivered by inhalation increases, the need for correct inhaler technique, adherence to therapy and precise dosing becomes more and more important.
A tension-moderating mechanism for promoting speech-based human-robot interaction

We propose a method for promoting human-robot interaction based on emotion recognition with particular focus on tension emotion. There are two types of emotions expressed in a short time. One is autonomic emotion caused by a stimulus, such as joy and fear. The other is self-reported emotion, such as tension, that is relatively independent of a single stimulus. In our preliminary experiment, we observed that tension emotion (self-reported emotion) obstructs the expression of autonomic emotion, which has demerits on speech recognition and interaction. Our method is based on detection and moderation of tension emotion. If a robot detects tension emotion, it tries to ease it so that a person will interact with it more comfortably and express autonomic emotions. It also retrieves nuances from expressed emotions for supplementing insufficient speech recognition, which will also promote interaction.
Grafitter

"Know thyself". Carved in stone in front of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, that was the first thing people saw when they visited the Oracle to find answers. The benefits of knowing oneself are many. It fosters insight, increases self-control, and promotes positive behaviors such as exercise and energy conservation.
Small-Town Sustainability: Prospects in the Second Modernity

Small towns account for a significant fraction of the total population in many regions, but there has been a relative lack of research into small towns, with researchers' attention being drawn more to the effects of globalization and technological change on large cities and city regions. Yet, as the effects of globalization have become increasingly imprinted on small towns, transnational grassroots movements have emerged to address the needs, challenges and opportunities of small-town communities. Many of these movements involve partnerships and networks linking the local and international levels. They are often framed in terms of sustainability of their community, with an emphasis on liveability and quality of life. This article places the emergence of cross-border collaborations between small towns in the broader context of shifts from the “first” to the “second modernity”. Through in-depth case studies of movements such as Italy's Slow Food and Slow City movement, Sweden's eco-cities, economic gardening in the US and the creative cities project in Albania, we highlight four sensibilities that have emerged: local, organic and slow food; environmentalism; entrepreneurship and creativity.
Beyond i.i.d. in Quantum Information Theory

The information spectrum approach gives general formulae for optimal rates of codes in many areas of information theory. In this paper the quantum spectral divergence rates are defined and properties of the rates are derived. The entropic rates, conditional entropic rates, and spectral mutual information rates are then defined in terms of the spectral divergence rates. Properties including subadditivity, chain rules, Araki-Lieb inequalities, and monotonicity are then explored
Bicoronal and metopic craniosynostosis in association with a de novo unbalanced t(2;7) chromosomal translocation

We report the case of a developmentally appropriate infant male with a de novo unbalanced chromosome translocation involving bands 2q32.1 and 7p21.3. The child was noted to have metopic and bicoronal craniosynostosis with closely spaced eyes, turricephaly, and flattening of the forehead. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The effect of pacing-induced heart rate variation on longitudinal and circumferential regional myocardial function after acute beta-blockade--a cardiac ultrasound study.

AIMS To evaluate the effect of acute beta-blockade in combination with differing heart rates on longitudinal and circumferential regional myocardial function using Doppler myocardial imaging and two-dimensional-echocardiography. METHODS AND RESULTS In seven pigs the following echocardiographic indices were measured at baseline, after beta-blockade both without and with atrial pacing: wall thickening fraction, fractional shortening, myocardial peak systolic velocity, transmyocardial velocity gradient and systolic velocity time integral of the posterolateral wall in short-axis view; mitral valve plane excursion, myocardial peak systolic velocity and systolic velocity time integral of the posterolateral wall in an apical five-chamber view. Peak systolic velocities and velocity gradients decreased significantly following acute beta-blockade but no further decay occurred at high heart rate due to pacing. The velocity time integrals and mitral valve plane excursion showed a tendency to decrease following beta-blockade but only after pacing were they significantly reduced. The wall thickening fraction and fractional shortening showed a significant reduction after beta-blockade but no further decay after pacing. CONCLUSION Changes in systolic velocities and velocity gradients were independent of heart rate reduction under high dosage beta-blockade, whereas wall thickening fraction, mitral valve plane excursion and velocity time integrals changed due to pacing.
Tracking error convergence for multi-input multi-output model reference adaptive control with known nonminimum phase zeros

This paper presents a tracking error convergence proof for the multi-input multi-output direct model reference adaptive control problem. The proof is valid for square plants that are potentially nonminimum phase. This work is an extension of the surrogate tracking error adaptive control techniques previously developed, though the assumed plant structure is altered to accommodate a wider range of dynamics. Error convergence is demonstrated using a composite system construction with Lyapunov stability techniques. The performance of the proposed control design is demonstrated through simulation of a linear version of an aircraft wing's aeroelasitc pitch and plunge dynamics.
Fault-based Testing 1 Fault-based Testing

In this chapter, we review the state of the art and practice in fault-based testing. Based on the analysis and the reviews, we propose a comprehensive method for testing and present its main elements. Traditional fault-based testing is concerned with syntactic errors. These errors represent only a small portion of possible errors. Our testing approach is not restricted to these errors. We propose to use fault-tree analysis to determine how certain undesirable states can occur in a system. The results of the analysis expressed in terms of duration calculus formulas are integrated with statechartbased specifications. As a result, we obtain a testing model that provides a representation of the way the system behavior can be compromised by failures or abnormal conditions or interactions. In this way, we can automatically derive fault-based test cases. The example presented in this work illustrates the kinds of problems that arise in Web applications.
Service-Oriented Architecture and Organizational Integration: An Empirical Study of IT-Enabled Sustained Competitive Advantage

Organizational integration is a phenomenon occurring inexorably in recent years due to rapid advances in IT and intense competition. Past research has found organizational integration, between and within firms, to b e positively -related to performance, with IT resources playing a pivotal role in facilitating this trend. In this paper , we argue that IT resources, comprising of IT assets and capabilities, are critical antecedents to organizational integration. We examin e the role of service -oriented architecture (SOA) as an IT asset in enabling organizational integration . As an IT -dependent strategic initiative, IT -enabled organizational integration provides significant barriers to competition and gives rise to sustained competitive advantage. Drawing upon the resource -based and configuration theor ies , we developed a model by conceptualiz ing both SOA and IT capabilities as higher -order constructs comprising of IT standards and IT architectur al design, and IT technical ski lls and managerial skills respectively. Next , we explore the effects of causal ambiguity to further elucidate the relationship between organizational integration and sustained competitive advantage. Our results provide managers and researchers with in valua ble insights to understand the business value of service -oriented computing to achieve organizational integration and to sustain competitive advantage .
0.4V SRAM with bit line swing suppression charge share hierarchical bit line scheme

128kbit SRAM with charge share hierarchical bit line scheme has been fabricated in 65nm foundry technology. By transferring the data between local bit lines and global bit lines with charge sharing, the variation of bit line swing which causes wasted power consumption in low voltage operation has been suppressed. 3. 3µw/MHz of power consumption at 0.4V is achieved.
Autonomous Motivation and Pro-Environmental Behaviours Among Bedouin Students in Israel: A Self-Determination Theory Perspective

Promoting pro-environmental behaviours (PEBs) among students is a major concern for educators. The present article presents an educational program based on a self-determination theory framework (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 2000 ) and a study demonstrating that working according to the theoretical principles presented in the program leads to the desired outcomes. The primary aim of the study was to test whether a hypothesised model in which autonomy support by students’ parents and moderators in a large-scale intervention program would be associated with autonomous motivation, which would in turn lead to PEBs, over and above the contributions of the students’ self-perceived competence and relatedness. The participants were 102 Bedouin high-school students (Grades 8 to 10) sampled from a cultural background characterised by a collectivist-hierarchical society in Israel. The results, based on structural equation modelling, indicated that moderators and parental autonomy support, as well as self-perceived relatedness and competence, were associated with students’ autonomous motivation, which in turn was associated with pro-environmental behaviours (including cleaning behaviours, activism, and preserving behaviours). The study supported the hypothesised model and demonstrated that SDT can be utilised as a theoretical framework for educational programs aimed at improving students’ self-determined PEBs.
Transferred BCR/ABL DNA from K562 Extracellular Vesicles Causes Chronic Myeloid Leukemia in Immunodeficient Mice

Our previous study showed that besides mRNAs and microRNAs, there are DNA fragments within extracellular vesicles (EVs). The BCR/ABL hybrid gene, involved in the pathogenesis of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), could be transferred from K562 EVs to neutrophils and decrease their phagocytic activity in vitro. Our present study provides evidence that BCR/ABL DNAs transferred from EVs have pathophysiological significance in vivo. Two months after injection of K562 EVs into the tail vein of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, they showed some characteristics of CML, e.g., feeble, febrile, and thin, with splenomegaly and neutrophilia but with reduced neutrophil phagocytic activity. These findings were also observed in immunodeficient NOD/SCID mice treated with K562 EVs; BCR/ABL mRNA and protein were found in their neutrophils. The administration of actinomycin D, an inhibitor of de novo mRNA synthesis, prevented the abnormalities caused by K562 EVs in NOD/SCID mice related to CML, including neutrophilia and bone marrow hyperplasia. As a specific inhibitor of tyrosine kinases, imatinib blocked the activity of tyrosine kinases and the expression of phospho-Crkl, induced by the de novo BCR/ABL protein caused by K562 EVs bearing BCR/ABL DNA. Our current study shows the pathophysiological significance of transferred tumor gene from EVs in vivo, which may represent an important mechanism for tumorigenesis, tumor progression, and metastasis.
Comparative Analysis of Multipath Routing Algorithms for Mobile Ad-hoc Networks

A MANET is an interconnection of mobile devices by wireless links, which forms a dynamic topology. Routing protocols play a vital role in transmission of data across the network. Multipath routing allows the establishment of multiple paths between a pair of source and destination node in mobile ad hoc network. It is typically proposed in order to increase the reliability of data transmission or to provide load balancing and has received more and more attentions. In this paper we have compared & evaluated the performance of three multipath algorithms namely AOMDV, MSR and MDART on different parameters such as throughput and delay.
MlrA, a novel regulator of curli (AgF) and extracellular matrix synthesis by Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium

Production of curli (AgF) adhesins by Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. typhimurium) is associated with extracellular matrix production and is optimal at low temperature during stationary phase. Curli and extracellular matrix synthesis involves a complex regulatory network that is dependent on the CsgD (AgfD) regulator. We have identified a novel regulator, termed MlrA, that is required for curli production and extracellular matrix formation. Two cosmids from a genomic library of avian pathogenic E. coliχ7122 conferred mannose‐resistant haemagglutination (HA) and curli production to E. coli HB101, which is unable to produce curli owing to a defective regulatory pathway. The rpoS gene, encoding a known positive regulator of curli synthesis, and the E. coli open reading frame (ORF) of unknown function, yehV, identified on each of these cosmids, respectively, conferred curli production and HA to E. coli HB101. We have designated yehV as the mlrA gene for MerR‐like regulator A because its product shares similarities with regulatory proteins of the MerR family. HA and curli production by strain χ7122 were abolished by disruption of rpoS, mlrA or csgA, the curli subunit gene. Both csgD and csgBA transcription, required for expression of curli, were inactive in an mlrA mutant grown under conditions that promote curli production. An mlrA homologue was identified in S. typhimurium. Analysis of mlrA–lac operon fusions demonstrated that mlrA was positively regulated by rpoS. mlrA mutants of wild‐type S. typhimurium SL1344 or SR‐11 no longer produced curli or rugose colony morphology, and exhibited enhanced aggregation and extracellular matrix formation when complemented with the mlrA gene from either S. typhimurium or E. coli present on a low‐copy‐number plasmid. However, inactivation of mlrA did not affect curli production and aggregative morphology in an upregulated curli producing S. typhimurium derivative containing a temperature‐ and RpoS‐independent agfD promoter region. These results indicate that MlrA is a newly defined transcriptional regulator of csgD/agfD that acts as a positive regulator of RpoS‐dependent curli and extracellular matrix production by E. coli and S. typhimurium.