Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Phase II study of SMILE chemotherapy for newly diagnosed stage IV, relapsed, or refractory extranodal natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type: the NK-Cell Tumor Study Group study.

PURPOSE To explore a more effective treatment for newly diagnosed stage IV, relapsed, or refractory extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type (ENKL), we conducted a phase II study of the steroid (dexamethasone), methotrexate, ifosfamide, L-asparaginase, and etoposide (SMILE) regimen. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients with newly diagnosed stage IV, relapsed, or refractory disease and a performance status of 0 to 2 were eligible. Two cycles of SMILE chemotherapy were administered as the protocol treatment. The primary end point was the overall response rate (ORR) after the protocol treatment. RESULTS A total of 38 eligible patients were enrolled. The median age was 47 years (range, 16 to 67 years), and the male:female ratio was 21:17. The disease status was newly diagnosed stage IV in 20 patients, first relapse in 14 patients, and primary refractory in four patients. The eligibility was revised to include lymphocyte counts of 500/μL or more because the first two patients died from infections. No treatment-related deaths were observed after the revision. The ORR and complete response rate after two cycles of SMILE chemotherapy were 79% (90% CI, 65% to 89%) and 45%, respectively. In the 28 patients who completed the protocol treatment, 19 underwent hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation. The 1-year overall survival rate was 55% (95% CI, 38% to 69%). Grade 4 neutropenia was observed in 92% of the patients. The most common grade 3 or 4 nonhematologic complication was infection (61%). CONCLUSION SMILE chemotherapy is an effective treatment for newly diagnosed stage IV, relapsed or refractory ENKL. Myelosuppression and infection during the treatment should be carefully managed.
Optimal Patterns and Control for Sampling via Mobile Sensor Networks

This thesis concerns optimal patterns and control for sampling using a network of mobile sensors. In the current work we are strongly motivated by coordinated adaptive control of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV’s) for ocean sampling. With some adaptations, however, this work could apply to other sensor platforms. The core value of the work presented in this thesis is in providing guidelines on how to use multiple vehicles for collecting the data. The goal is to use available resources in the best possible way, i.e. collect the richest data set. We make assumptions about the available resources and quantitatively define the notion of ‘richness’ of a data set in terms of a metric. To derive such a metric, we review the methods of Objective Analysis (OA), a powerful data assimilation scheme that is commonly used in evaluating the performance of a sampling experiment. In its usual form, however, the OA method is impractical for metric-driven optimization of the sampling tracks due to the significant computation time. We then present a recent result by Francois Lekien and colleagues which allows us to compute the OA metric much faster. The OA metric is then used to find patterns on a simple domain that would have optimal performance for various experiments. We focus our attention on structured sampling patterns – parameterizable and repeatable elliptical tracks – and compare their performance to the ‘lawn mower patterns’ that are traditionally used for sampling. We present the results of pattern optimization in terms of dimensionless parameters which allows us to apply those results to a range of sampling experiments in the ocean as well as in the air.
The idiosyncrasies of out-of-class language learning: A study of mainland Chinese students studying English at tertiary level in New Zealand

The study proposed that learners studying a language abroad in immersion situations are presented with a rich range of language learning opportunities outside of class. The study further proposed that choices and decisions learners make about learning opportunities determine the extent of their out-ofclass language learning. It was thought that an appreciation of the factors informing the decisions that shaped the out-of-class language learning behaviour of international students would contribute to a broader understanding of differences in the development of individual second language skills, and the different levels of fluency and overall proficiency learners achieve. The insights offered through an increased understanding of out-of-class language learning, aid the implementation of learner autonomy as a goal, and contribute to the effectiveness of guidance given to learners by teachers. Definition Out-of-class learning, as it relates to language learning, has recently been broadly defined as any kind of learning that takes place outside the classroom and involves self-instruction, naturalistic learning or self-directed naturalistic learning (Benson 2001: 62). However, a narrower definition based on what is learnt about the target language (product) and how it is learned (process) was suggested for the VUW study.
Testing the Structure of Public Service Motivation in Korea: A Research Note

Public service motivation (PSM) assumes that civil servants are characterized by an ethic to serve the public. Perry identified a multidimensional scale to measure PSM with four components: attraction to policy making (APM), commitment to public interest, compassion, and self-sacrifice. But there is little research on the generalizability and applicability of the dimensions and scale of PSM in the other countries. This study tests whether the structure of PSM observed in the United States by Perry can be generalized to Korea. Two independent samples (n = 294 and n = 290) are used to validate the scale. The statistical analysis applied confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using Amos 5.0. It was found that the four-factor structure of PSM can be generalized in the Korean context, but it is doubtful whether the APM factor in the second-order model is a valid dimension of PSM. Several reasons for this are discussed, including: (1) rational motives might not be related to PSM in the Korean context, (2) rational motives might not be part of PSM at all, (3) scale items measuring APM might not be appropriate to represent a rational base of PSM, and (4) negatively worded scale items from Perry might not be appropriate to assess APM.
Increased risk of Parkinson’s disease after depression: A retrospective cohort study

BackgroundDepression has been linked to the occurrence of a number of somatic diseases. There are no data for PD. ObjectiveTo determine if depression is associated with a subsequent risk for PD. MethodsA retrospective cohort study design based in general practice was applied. All subjects diagnosed with depression between 1975 and 1990 were included and matched with subjects with the same birth year who were never diagnosed with depression. Follow-up ended at April 30, 2000. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% CI were calculated using Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for age, sex, and socioeconomic status. Subgroups based on sex and age at diagnosis of depression were evaluated separately. ResultsAmong the 1,358 depressed subjects, 19 developed PD, and among the 67,570 nondepressed subjects, 259 developed PD. The HR (95% CI) for depressed vs nondepressed subjects was 3.13 (1.95 to 5.01) in multivariable analysis. Associations in subgroups were comparable with the overall association. ConclusionA strong positive association was found between depression and subsequent incidence of D.
Benefits of Publicity

We investigate whether corporate board members with media expertise influence firms’ media coverage and media slant. We find that firms with a media professional on the board of directors receive more media coverage, and articles written about them include fewer negative words compared with articles on control firms. These findings highlight the importance of the composition of the board of directors as a determinant of information disclosure mechanism.
Nanodiamonds: The intersection of nanotechnology, drug development, and personalized medicine

A method of developing new cancer therapies with nanodiamonds. The implementation of nanomedicine in cellular, preclinical, and clinical studies has led to exciting advances ranging from fundamental to translational, particularly in the field of cancer. Many of the current barriers in cancer treatment are being successfully addressed using nanotechnology-modified compounds. These barriers include drug resistance leading to suboptimal intratumoral retention, poor circulation times resulting in decreased efficacy, and off-target toxicity, among others. The first clinical nanomedicine advances to overcome these issues were based on monotherapy, where small-molecule and nucleic acid delivery demonstrated substantial improvements over unmodified drug administration. Recent preclinical studies have shown that combination nanotherapies, composed of either multiple classes of nanomaterials or a single nanoplatform functionalized with several therapeutic agents, can image and treat tumors with improved efficacy over single-compound delivery. Among the many promising nanomaterials that are being developed, nanodiamonds have received increasing attention because of the unique chemical-mechanical properties on their faceted surfaces. More recently, nanodiamond-based drug delivery has been included in the rational and systematic design of optimal therapeutic combinations using an implicitly de-risked drug development platform technology, termed Phenotypic Personalized Medicine–Drug Development (PPM-DD). The application of PPM-DD to rapidly identify globally optimized drug combinations successfully addressed a pervasive challenge confronting all aspects of drug development, both nano and non-nano. This review will examine various nanomaterials and the use of PPM-DD to optimize the efficacy and safety of current and future cancer treatment. How this platform can accelerate combinatorial nanomedicine and the broader pharmaceutical industry toward unprecedented clinical impact will also be discussed.
THE PREVALENCE OF SLANG USE AMONG THE STUDENTS OF SBRS/ABU FUNTUA AND ITS EFFECTS ON THE TEACHING OF ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE

The author of this paper examines the prevalence of slang use among the students of the school of Basic and Remedial Studies, Ahmadu Bello University, Funtua and how it affects the teaching of English as a second language. She begins by looking at the variability of language as conditioned by certain social factors such as sex, age, ethnicity, and social status among others aimed at accommodating speakers’ needs in order to enhance social interaction. Narrowing it down to slang as an important variety of the English Language, the author discusses the transformation of slang from a variety once associated with vagabonds and criminals to a variety now widely used by students, particularly those of SBRS/ABU, Funtua as an alternate vocabulary encoding their communal values. She further discusses the effects of this prevalence on the teaching of standard British English as a medium
Extracellular Matrix-Associated Protein Sc1 Is Not Essential for Mouse Development

ABSTRACT Sc1 is an extracellular matrix-associated protein whose function is unknown. During early embryonic development, Sc1 is widely expressed, and from embryonic day 12 (E12), Sc1 is expressed primarily in the developing nervous system. This switch in Sc1 expression at E12 suggests an importance for nervous-system development. To gain insight into Sc1 function, we used gene targeting to inactivate mouse Sc1. The Sc1-null mice showed no obvious deficits in any organs. These mice were born at the expected ratios, were fertile, and had no obvious histological abnormalities, and their long-term survival did not differ from littermate controls. Therefore, the function of Sc1 during development is not critical or, in its absence, is subserved by another protein.
Endemic goitre in the Sudan despite long-standing programmes for the control of iodine deficiency disorders.

OBJECTIVE To describe the status of iodine deficiency disorders (IDDs) in the Sudan more than 25 years after the initiation of IDD control programmes and to explore the causes of endemic goitre in the country. METHODS Testing for IDDs was carried out in 6083 schoolchildren 6 to 12 years of age from the capital cities of nine states in different areas of the country using the three indicators recommended by the World Health Organization: the prevalence of goitre, laboratory measurements of urinary iodine concentration in casual urine samples and serum thyroglobulin (Tg) levels. Serum levels of thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), as well as urinary secretion of thiocyanate, which can affect the transport of iodine into thyrocytes, were also measured. FINDINGS The prevalence of goitre in the different samples ranged from 12.2% to 77.7% and was 38.8% overall. The overall median urinary iodine concentration was 6.55 μg/dl, with the lowest median value having been found in Kosti city (2.7 μg/dl), situated in the centre of the country, and the highest (46.4 μg/dl) in Port Sudan, on the Red Sea coast. The highest mean serum Tg level (66.98 ng/ml) was found in Kosti city, which also had the highest prevalence of goitre. CONCLUSION IDDs still constitute a public health problem throughout urban areas in the Sudan and iodine deficiency appears to be the main etiological factor involved.
Serve analysis of professional players in beach volleyball

This study has been developed for the European Beach Volleyball Championship in 2005. The video-recorded analysis was held using Sportcode Pro v.8. 5.2 software. The aim of study was to determine the types of serve used, depending on the time of the set in which they occur. Quantitative analysis with a sample of 10 players that make up 5 teams with a total of four meetings with a total of 327 serves analyzed. The serves were classified depending on the period which they occurred, the period being 1 (items 1 to 7), period 2 (from point 8 to 14) and period 3 (point 15 to 21). he statistical analysis was conducted using the statistical software SPSS 19, Chi-square test established significant differences between the different types of serve for period 1 and 2 (p 0.05). The results showed a decrease of using a serve with jump power at period 1 (89.7%) compared to the period 3 (27.3%), while the floating and floating serve jump respectively increase at period 1 (6.3% -4%) in the period 3 (23.4% -49.4%).
PRAGMATISM, CONSTRUCTIVISM, AND ETHICS

Stojnov (1996) has argued that personal construct psychology furnishes us with a universalist, as opposed to a relativist, ethics. This is a universalism of form rather than content of construing: we have a "personal responsibility of knowledge". The author critiques Stojnov's view, arguing that the Sociality Corollary does indeed provide an ethical basis for Kelly's thought. However, he contends that the construct universalism/relativism is of limited value, and that the apparent relativism in constructivism provides a valuable guide to moral construing. It is argued that the certainty that comes from moral absolutism readily leads not to moral action, but to moralism. The foundationlessness of constructivism provides a valuable counterbalance to this moralism.
Optimal motion and structure estimation

The problem of estimating motion and structure of a rigid scene from two perspective monocular views is studied. The optimization approach presented is motivated by the following observations of linear algorithms: (1) for certain types of motion, even pixel-level perturbations (such as digitization noise) may override the information characterized by epipolar constraint; (2) existing linear algorithms do not use the constraints in the essential parameter matrix E in solving for this matrix. The authors present approaches to estimating errors in the optimal solutions, investigate the theoretical lower bounds on the errors in the solutions and compare them with actual errors, and analyze two types of algorithms of optimization: batch and sequential. The analysis and experiments show that, in general, a batch technique performs better than a sequential technique for any nonlinear problems. A recursive batch processing technique is proposed for nonlinear problems that require recursive estimation. <<ETX>>
Chemical composition and quality of turkey - broiler meat from crosses of layer light (LL) and meat heavy (MH) turkey

The present study was performed in the Turkey Breeding Farm of the Agricultural Institute, Stara Zagora. The experimental birds were crosses of Turkey Layer Light (LL) at 36 weeks of age, used as maternal line, artificially inseminated with semen from Meat Heavy (MH) turkey gobblers. Turkey poults were reared up to 20 weeks of age using a traditional fattening production system. The birds were fed ad libitum with compound feeds according to their category and age. At 20 weeks of age, birds were slaughtered, and samples from breast muscles: m. Pectoralis superficialis, m. Pectoralis profundus and from the thigh muscles (m. Femorotibialis) were obtained. The chemical composition of turkey meat was analyzed – water, proteins, fat, mineral substances and dry matter. Also, meat pH, water holding capacity (WHC %) and the colour of the three studied muscles were investigated. Meat pH was determined by the 24 th post mortem hour. Then carcasses were cooled and stored in a refrigerator at 4 o С. WHC of meat and muscle colour were determined by the 24 th post mortem hour. There were no statistically significant differences between the contents of main chemical substances of meat between the genders. Breast meat had a relatively higher protein and lower fat content than thigh meat. Statistically significant (P<0.05) is the content of protein in the females breast muscles 23.0% relatively 20.73% of the female thigh muscles. Low degree of reliability (P<0.05) is characterized the contents in males thigh muscles to the males breast muscles males. Breast meat in both genders had lower meat рН24 values compared to thigh meat. The values of the L
Scalar fields, energy conditions and traversable wormholes

We describe the different possibilities that a simple and apparently quite harmless classical scalar field theory provides to violate the energy conditions. We demonstrate that a non-minimally coupled scalar field with a positive curvature coupling ξ>0 can easily violate all the standard energy conditions, up to and including the averaged null energy condition (ANEC). Indeed, this violation of the ANEC suggests the possible existence of traversable wormholes supported by non-minimally coupled scalars. To investigate this possibility we derive the classical solutions for gravity plus a general (arbitrary ξ) massless non-minimally coupled scalar field, restricting attention to the static and spherically symmetric configurations. Among these classical solutions we find an entire branch of traversable wormholes for every ξ>0. (This includes and generalizes the case of conformal coupling ξ = (1/6) we considered in 1999 Phys. Lett. B 466 127-34. ) For these traversable wormholes to exist we demonstrate that the scalar field must reach trans-Planckian values somewhere in the geometry. We discuss how this can be accommodated within the current state of the art regarding scalar fields in modern theoretical physics. We emphasize that these scalar field theories, and the traversable wormhole solutions we derive, are compatible with all known experimental constraints from both particle physics and gravity.
Intraoperative fabrication of palatal prosthesis for maxillary resection.

BACKGROUND Immediate placement of a palatal prosthesis has become the standard of care after maxillectomy or palatectomy, except when free-flap reconstruction is used. Palatal prostheses are usually fabricated preoperatively. Infrequently, the surgeon may face a situation where upper jaw resection has been performed and a prefabricated prosthesis is not available. OBJECTIVE To describe a method of rapid intraoperative fabrication of a palatal prosthesis, which allows immediate oral intake and excellent speech. PROCEDURE Two sheets of thermoplastic dressing (Aquaplast; WFR/Aquaplast Corporation, Wyckoff, NJ) were immersed in hot water. As they became soft and pliable, they were applied to the remaining hard palate and alveolar ridge. As the material cooled, it hardened, with its shape conforming to the remaining hard palate, alveolar ridge, and teeth. The rigid stent was then removed, trimmed, and fashioned to cover the palatal and maxillary defect. The stent was then wired to the remaining alveolar ridge and to the ipsilateral zygomatic buttress or lateral orbital rim. Removal of the stent was easily accomplished in an office setting. PATIENTS Twelve patients required partial upper jaw resection without available prefabricated prostheses. Of these, 3 patients underwent emergency surgery for mucormycosis and 2 for bleeding malignant tumors; 3 underwent bone resection more extensive than that anticipated preoperatively; and 4 did not have prefabricated prostheses for other reasons. RESULTS The thermoplastic prosthesis achieved its goals in all 12 patients. Eleven patients achieved oral food intake within 24 hours. One patient remained in a coma after extensive maxillary, orbital, and skull base resection for mucormycosis. The prosthesis was removed after 4 to 12 weeks and replaced with a permanent implant in 11 of the 12 patients. CONCLUSIONS This simple, quick, and inexpensive intraoperative fabrication of palatal prosthesis requires no special expertise and equipment. It allows immediate oral intake and excellent speech.
Constructing test suites for interaction testing

Software system faults are often caused by unexpected interactions among components. Yet the size of a test suite required to test all possible combinations of interactions can be prohibitive in even a moderately sized project. Instead, we may use pairwise or t-way testing to provide a guarantee that all pairs or t-way combinations of components are tested together This concept draws on methods used in statistical testing for manufacturing and has been extended to software system testing. A covering array, CA(N; t, k, v), is an N/spl times/k array on v symbols such that every N x t sub-array contains all ordered subsets from v symbols of size t at least once. The properties of these objects, however do not necessarily satisfy real software testing needs. Instead we examine a less studied object, the mixed level covering array and propose a new object, the variable strength covering array, which provides a more robust environment for software interaction testing. Initial results are presented suggesting that heuristic search techniques are more effective than some of the known greedy methods for finding smaller sized test suites. We present a discussion of an integrated approach for finding covering arrays and discuss how application of these techniques can be used to construct variable strength arrays.
The Global Financial Crisis and Africa's "Immiserizing Wealth"

Before the current global recession, many resource-rich African countries were recording unprecedented levels of growth due to a raw material price boom. However, the collapse in raw material prices and the ensuing severe economic difficulties have again exposed the vulnerability of these countries� natural resource export-focussed economic structures. In this research brief, we describe how Africa�s abundance of natural resources attracted disruptive and predatory foreign forces that have hindered innovation-based growth and economic diversification by delaying the accumulation of sufficient stocks of human capital. We suggest that for their long-term prosperity, resource-rich African countries shift their strategic emphasis from natural to human resources and technological capabilities needed to transform those natural resources into valuable goods and services to compete in the global market.