Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Two-Stage Reconstruction of Head and Neck Defects after Tumor Resection with a Dermal Regeneration Template

Background: Large defects after tumor resection in the head and neck area can be reconstructed with local flaps or skin grafts or heal by secondary intention. Especially in elderly patients, a rapid procedure with an acceptable aesthetic and reliable functional outcome is required. Objective: We investigated an alternative strategy using the Integra Dermal Regeneration Template (IDRT) for the reconstruction of large defects. Methods: In 18 patients (75 ± 3 years), 19 extended head and neck defects were treated with IDRT to enhance healing. Results: The mean defect size was 32 ± 7 cm2. The defects were transplanted within a mean postoperative time of 25 ± 2 days and overall showed good cosmetic results and stable scars. The mean follow-up time was 11 ± 1 months. Minor complications were hyperpigmentation (n = 1), small ulcus (n = 1), one minor ectropion (n = 1), and partial loss of the skin graft after immediate radiotherapy (n = 1). In one patient, the silicon layer had to be removed after 8 days owing to partial destruction of the IDRT. We observed shrinkage of 50 ± 4% within 6 months. Conclusion: IDRT is an alternative technique for the reconstruction of extended head and neck defects. It can be conducted without major complications and with a short healing time and acceptable cosmetic results in elderly patients.
Immunohistochemical Expression of Sperm-Associated Antigen 9 in Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer

Abstract:Sperm-associated antigen 9 (SPAG9) is a scaffold protein for c-Jun-NH2-kinases, which play an important role in cell survival, proliferation, apoptosis, and tumor development. SPAG9 was claimed to be involved in the pathogenesis of carcinoma in different organs. The aim of this work was to investigate its role in the pathogenesis of nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) through its immunohistochemical (IHC) localization in skin biopsies of these tumors. This retrospective and prospective study included 67 cutaneous specimens; 42 of NMSC [20 cases with basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and 22 cases with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)] and 25 normal sun-exposed skin biopsies from age and gender-matched healthy subjects as a control group. SPAG9 expression was evaluated using standard IHC techniques. SPAG9 was expressed in 90% of BCC cases and in 81.8% of SCC cases. Positive expression in inflammatory cells was detected in 100% and 63.6% of BCC and SCC cases, respectively. Positive stromal expression was detected in 20% of BCC cases and was absent in all SCC cases. A significant negative correlation (r = −0.55, P = 0.008) was noted between SPAG9 H score and SCC histological grade and a significant association between SPAG9 H score and tumor grade was also detected where higher values were present in grade I tumors (P = 0.001). SPAG9 was upregulated in NMSC when compared with normal skin. In conclusion, SPAG9 is expressed in NMSC cases. It should be evaluated in large-scale studies to determine if it plays an active pathogenic role or its expression is an epiphenomenon not related to NMSC pathogenesis. Large-scale studies are warranted to determine its potential utility in guiding treatment decisions and following disease progression in theses cases. Its expression in normal skin needs further investigation.
Immunizing Bond Portfolios with Interest Rate Futures

* The concept of duration has attained a significant place in the finance literature since its introduction by Macaulay more than forty years ago. ' During the same time, duration has attained unparalleled acceptance as a practical technique for the management of bond portfolio risk.2 Because of the important role of duration in bond portfolio management, it is crucial that duration oriented strategies be implemented as effectively and efficiently as possible. To that end this paper explains the important role that interest rate futures can play in bond portfolio management. Basically, the strategy advanced here
Compromise and avoidance: the response to new legislation

Purpose– The aim of this paper is to describe, analyze and explain the level of compliance of accounting practices with legislation and generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) within the Swedish water and sewerage sector.Design/methodology/approach– The empirical data are based on a document study of the annual full cost accounting reports for the financial year 2010. We obtained complete data from 250 of Sweden's 290 municipalities. The data are analyzed by statistical methods. The explanations are based on an institutional theory.Findings– Most of the organizations surveyed in this study had taken measures in line with the new regulations, but none of them had adapted fully to the new requirements. Thus, we suggest that the industry has responded to the new regulation by compromise and avoidance. The statistical analyses show that compliance with legislation and GAAP is associated with legal form, minority governance, fee, tax base, population growth and audit firm.Research limitations/implications– This paper provides insight into the factors that explain compliance with accounting regulation. Future research would benefit from researching the decision process when organizations choose to comply or not to comply with specific accounting regulations in the public sector.Originality/value– Few prior studies focus on the actual compliance of accounting practices at the municipal level in relation to accounting regulation and the factors that explain the level of compliance. Knowledge of the factors that explain compliance to accounting regulation will benefit from future policy decisions on regulation and auditing of public sector accounting
Firm Size and Rate of Growth

T wo recent articles-one published in the United States by Simon and Bonini and the other in England by Hart and Prais2-have advanced several important and interesting hypotheses about the firm. In this paper we submit these hypotheses to further testing and clarification, using data we have collected on the growth rates of the one thousand largest manufacturing firms in the United States in the decade between 1946 and 1955. The two articles do not cover exactly the same ground, so it is unfair to treat them as one; but for purposes of our investigation their results may be summarized as follows:
Corporate social responsibility: perspectives of hotel frontline employees

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to examine hotel frontline employees' perceptions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities at the hotel they currently work, and how their perceptions influence their level of organizational identification, an indicator of their relationship quality with the hotel. Design/methodology/approach – This study uses 575 responses of hotel frontline employees in the US, collected through a national online survey. Findings – Results show that hotel employees' perceptions of CSR activities encompass the host community, colleagues, and customers, beyond green practices. Moreover, their perceptions of CSR activities positively and significantly influence the level of organizational identification. Research limitations/implications – The results of this exploratory study should not be generalized to all frontline employees in the US hotel industry. Future studies should extend this study to examine potential relationships among other variables relevant to organizational i.
Comparison of three diagnostic techniques for detection of rotavirus and coronavirus in calf faeces in Australia

Objective Compare real‐time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR), a commercially available enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and lateral flow immunochromatography assay (LAT) for the detection of rotavirus and coronavirus in faecal samples collected from diarrhoeic calves. Design Prospective survey. Method Samples were tested at two separate facilities using a commercial ELISA and an in‐house qRT‐PCR. Simple logistic regression was performed to examine the relationship between the two tests. A subset of samples was screened using qRT‐PCR, ELISA and a commercial LAT dipstick (132 faecal samples were tested for coronavirus and 122 samples for rotavirus). Results Of the 586 samples tested, 131 (22.39%) and 468 (79.86%) were positive for coronavirus and group A rotavirus, respectively, using qRT‐PCR. The number of samples positive on ELISA for coronavirus and rotavirus was 73 (12.46%) and 225 (38.40%), respectively. Using LAT, 30 (22.73%) and 43 (35.35%) samples were positive for coronavirus and rotavirus, respectively. Simple linear regression revealed a statistically significant (P < 0.05) but weak (r2=−0.07 and −0.40) correlation between the rotavirus/coronavirus qRT‐PCR and ELISA, respectively. There was also poor agreement between the LAT and qRT‐PCR assays. Conclusion The sensitivity and specificity of the commercial ELISA and LAT assays evaluated in this study were low compared with qRT‐PCR. The low positive and negative predictive values of the assays suggests that they were of limited diagnostic benefit in the population sampled.
Comparative in vitro activities of selected antimicrobial agents against Edwardsiella tarda

MICs of 14 antimicrobial agents for 29 strains of Edwardsiella tarda were determined by an agar dilution method. Of the agents tested, ciprofloxacin, enoxacin, and norfloxacin were the most active on a weight basis. All strains were also susceptible to clinically achievable concentrations of ampicillin, chloramphenicol, tetracycline, trimethoprim, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim plus sulfamethoxazole, cefotaxime, and gentamicin. Ninety percent of the strains demonstrated high-level resistance to polymyxin B and colistin.
Guanxi human resource management practices as a double‐edged sword: the moderating role of political skill

Drawing on an expectancy theory framework, we examined the moderating effects of political skill on the relationship between guanxi human resource management practices and employee job performance. Analyses of multisource data from 78 management team supervisors and 286 subordinates indicated that guanxi human resource management practices were negatively related to employee job performance with low levels of political skill, whereas guanxi human resource management practices had a positive impact on employee job performance with high levels of political skill.
School Development Planning in Jersey Primary Schools: A Contingency Analysis.

ABSTRACT This paper examines the management of planned change and considers the following question: what effect does a continually shifting balance between environmental turbulence and stability have on the implementation of annual school development plans? In addressing this question the paper has sought to test the generalisability of Wallace & McMahon's (1994) contingency hypothesis. This hypothesis states that to the extent that the environment faced by educational organisations is turbulent, a continual process of creation, monitoring and adjustment of plans is necessary. However, if the environment is stable, a more systematic and cyclic approach to planning may be possible. It will be argued that in a small state where policy makers have sought to avoid the imposition of too many innovations within a restricted time frame, an approach to the management of planned change in schools based on the production and use of annual school development plans is sustainable. However, school development planning.
Leaching properties of electric arc furnace dust prior/following alkaline extraction

This study was carried out to determine the appropriate treatment of electric arc furnace (EAF) dust prior to permanent disposal. The total heavy metal content as well as heavy metal leaching from EAF dust was investigated in five composite samples obtained from three Croatian and Slovenian steelworks. In order to recover zinc and reduce its leaching from the dust, all five samples were submitted to alkaline extraction with 10 M NaOH. Reduction of Cr (VI) to Cr(III) was conducted using FeSO4· 7H2O solution. The elements Mn, Fe, Cu, Ni, and notably Zn and Pb, exhibited highest mobility during toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP). Comparing to TCLP extracts of initial EAF dust, zinc was found to be over 15 times lower and lead over 200 times lower in TCLP extracts of EAF dust processed by the alkaline leaching method. Since Cr (VI) exceeded its permissible level in the DIN 38414-S4 extracts of both initial and alkaline digested dust, its reduction to Cr (III) prior to permanent disposal is necessary. The recovery of zinc from EAF dust treated with alkaline agent ranged from 50.3% to 73.2%. According to phase analysis, recovery yield showed dependence on zincite/franklinite ratio. The results of the study indicate that permanent disposal of EAF dust require the following procedure: alkaline digestion (followed by leachate purification and alkaline zinc electrolyses), chromate reduction (if necessary), solidification of leaching residue and its testing using the leaching analyses.
The Effectiveness of Technical Trading for Arab Stocks

In this paper, we examine the profitability of technical analysis for a cross section of individual Arab stocks. Our analysis, undertaken from the perspective of an Islamic investor, reveals that technical trading rules do not yield economically or statistically significant returns. While our results uncover some scant statistical evidence of technical trading rule profitability, risk adjusting the returns weakens the evidence in favor of predictability. Furthermore, break-even transaction costs do not exceed estimated transaction costs or bid-ask spreads in the markets examined.
Internationalisation of SMEs: European comparative studies

We examine new research on the internationalisation of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in 27 European countries. We find that, in both established market economies and in transition economies, SME international entrepreneurship is driven by internal resources and capabilities, membership in networks or clusters, favourable government policies, economy, competitive market conditions, and industry structure. We then develop a conceptual model and propositions of the drivers of European SME internationalisation. Our findings have important implications for managers in improving their firms' international market performance.
A New Member of Plant CS-lyases

Cystine lyases catalyze the breakdown ofl-cystine to thiocysteine, pyruvate, and ammonia. Until now there are no reports of the identification of a plant cystine lyase at a molecular level, and it is not clear what biological role this class of enzymes have in plants. A cystine lyase was isolated fromBrassica oleracea (L.), and partial amino acid sequencing allowed the corresponding full-length cDNA (BOCL3) to be cloned. The deduced amino acid sequence of BOCL3 showed highest homology to the deduced amino acid sequences of severalArabidopsis thaliana genes annotated as tyrosine aminotransferase-like, including a coronatine, jasmonic acid, and salt stress-inducible gene, CORI3 (78.8% identity), and the unidentified rooty/superroot1 gene (44.8% identity). A full-length expressed sequence tag clone ofCORI3 was obtained and recombinant CORI3 was synthesized inEscherichia coli. Isolated recombinant CORI3 catalyzed a cystine lyase reaction, but no aminotransferase reactions. The present study identifies, for the first time, a cystine lyase from plants at a molecular level and redefines the functional assignment of the only functionally identified member of a group of A. thaliana genes annotated as tyrosine aminotransferase-like.
Comptabilité générationnelle appliquée à la France : quelques facteurs d'instabilité des résultats

L’application de la methodologie de la comptabilite generationnelle a la France conclut a l’existence d’un desequilibre intergenerationnel. Le maintien des politiques fiscales et sociales actuelles conduirait a un paiement net des generations futures plus important que celui des generations actuelles. Cet article met cependant en evidence la sensibilite de l’ampleur de ce desequilibre aux nombreuses hypotheses retenues pour l’exercice. Le desequilibre varie en effet de 1 a 4 selon le choix effectue quant a l’individualisation des divers prelevements, au traitement des interets de la dette, a la ventilation des depenses d’education, a la prise en compte des investissements des administrations publiques, a la mesure de la richesse de l’Etat ou encore aux evolutions des profils de taxes et transferts par âge.
Identification of Macroeconomic Factors in Large Panels

This paper presents a dynamic factor model in which the extracted factors and shocks are given a clear economic interpretation. The economic interpretation of the factors is obtained by means of a set of over-identifying loading restrictions, while the structural shocks are estimated following standard practices in the SVAR literature. Estimators based on the EM algorithm are developped. We apply this framework to a large panel of US monthly macroeconomic series. In particular, we identify nine macroeconomic factors and discuss the economic impact of monetary policy stocks. The results are theoretically plausible and in line with other findings in the literature.
Characterization of an intraperitoneal ovarian cancer xenograft model in nude rats using noninvasive microPET imaging

MicroPET is a noninvasive imaging modality that can potentially track tumor development in nude rats using the radiotracer fluorine 18-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG). Our goal was to determine whether microPET, as opposed to more invasive techniques, could be used to noninvasively monitor the development of ovarian cancer in the peritoneal cavity of nude rats for monitoring treatment response in future studies. Female nude rats were inoculated intraperitoneally with 36 million NIH:OVCAR-3 cells. Imaging was carried out at 2, 4, 6, or 8 weeks postinoculation. Each rat was fasted overnight and intravenously injected with 11.1 MBq (300 μCi) of 18F-FDG in 0.2 mL of saline. Thirty minutes following injection, the rats were placed in the microPET and scanned for 30 min. After imaging, rats were euthanized for ascites and tissue collection for biodistribution and histopathologic correlation. Standard uptake values (SUVs) of 18F-FDG within the peritoneal cavity were also calculated from regions of interest analysis of the microPET images. MicroPET images showed diffuse increased uptake of 18F-FDG throughout the peritoneal cavity of tumor rats (mean SUV = 4.64) compared with control rats (mean SUV = 1.03). Ascites gathered from tumor-bearing rats had increased 18F-FDG uptake as opposed to the peritoneal fluid collected from control rats. Biodistribution data revealed that the percent injected dose per gram (% ID/g) was significantly higher in tumor-bearing rats (6.29%) than in control rats (0.59%) in the peritoneal lymph nodes. Pathology verified that these lymph nodes were more reactive in tumor-bearing rats. By 6 weeks, some rats developed solid masses within the peritoneum, which could be detected on microPET images and confirmed as tumor by histopathology. 18F-FDG uptake in these tumors at necropsy was 2.83% ID/g. These results correlate with previous invasive laparoscopic studies of the same tumor model and demonstrate that microPET using 18F-FDG is a promising noninvasive tool to localize and follow tumor growth in an intraperitoneal ovarian cancer model.
Occupational Exposure to Organophosphate and Carbamate Pesticides Affects Sperm Chromatin Integrity and Reproductive Hormone Levels among Venezuelan Farm Workers

Occupational Exposure to Organophosphate and Carbamate Pesticides Affects Sperm Chromatin Integrity and Reproductive Hormone Levels among Venezuelan Farm Workers: Leticia MIRANDA‐CONTRERAS, et al. Electron Microscopy Center “Dr. Ernesto Palacios Prü”, University of Los Andes, Venezuela—
Using Environmental Emissions Permit Prices to Raise Electricity Prices: Evidence from the California Electricity Market

This paper analyzes the extent to which the conditions in the emissions permit market for oxides of nitrogen (NOx) operated by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) in the Los Angeles metropolitan area interacted with competitive conditions in the California electricity market to enhance the ability of electricity suppliers with some or all of their generation units located in SCAQMD to exercise unilateral market power. We present evidence consistent with the view that NOx emissions permits were a convenient vehicle for enhancing the ability of suppliers to exercise unilateral market power in the California electricity market. We find that generation unit owners with some of their plants located in the SCAQMD paid statistically significantly higher prices for 2000 and 2001 NOx emissions permits than other participants in the SCAQMD emissions market, despite the fact the prices they paid for 1998 and 1999 vintage permits were no different from other SCAQMD participants. We then present evidence consistent with the view that wholesale electricity suppliers did not operate and bid their generation units requiring NOx emissions permits in a manner consistent with higher emission permit prices being a cause of increased production costs. Taken together, this evidence suggests that NOx emission permit prices during 2000 and 2001 were primarily used by these generation unit owners to cost-justify higher bids into the California electricity market that would set higher prices for all electricity they produced.
Long-term speech and language developmental issues among children with Duarte galactosemia

Purpose: There is limited information on long-term outcomes among children with Duarte galactosemia and controversy about treatment of this potentially benign condition. This study examined developmental disabilities and issues that required special education services within a population-based sample of children with Duarte galactosemia.Methods: Children born between 1988 and 2001 who were diagnosed with Duarte galactosemia and resided in the five-county metropolitan Atlanta area at birth and from 3 to 10 years of age were linked to the (1) Metropolitan Atlanta Developmental Disabilities Surveillance Program, an ongoing, population-based surveillance system for selected developmental disabilities and (2) Special Education Database of Metropolitan Atlanta. Special education records were reviewed for children who linked. Clinical genetics records were reviewed to assess laboratory levels at the time of diagnosis and metabolic control during treatment.Results: Of the 59 eligible children, none were found to have intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, hearing loss, vision impairment, or an autism spectrum disorder. However, five, 8.5% of 3 to 10 years or 15.2% of eligible 8 years, were identified as having received special education services, four of whom were confirmed with a speech or language disorder, or were receiving services for speech or language or both compared with 4.5% and 5.9% of children without Duarte galactosemia, respectively.Conclusions: Despite galactose restriction until 1 year, select developmental issues associated with special education, specifically involving speech and language, have been found among some children with Duarte galactosemia.