Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Phase II study of cetuximab as first-line single-drug therapy in patients with unresectable squamous cell carcinoma of the skin.

PURPOSE To evaluate the efficacy and safety of cetuximab, a monoclonal antibody that inhibits the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), as a first-line monotherapy in patients with unresectable squamous cell carcinoma of the skin (SCCS). PATIENTS AND METHODS Thirty-six patients received cetuximab (initial dose of 400 mg/m(2) followed by subsequent weekly doses of 250 mg/m(2)) for at least 6 weeks with a 48-week follow-up. The primary end point was the disease control rate (DCR) at 6 weeks (according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors [RECIST] criteria). Secondary end points included best response rate, overall survival, progression-free survival (PFS), and toxicity assessment. Association of treatment efficacy with RAS mutations or FcγR genotypes was investigated. RESULTS Median age of the study population was 79 years. DCR at 6 weeks was obtained in 25 of 36 patients (69%; 95% CI, 52% to 84%) of the intention-to-treat population. The best responses were eight partial responses and two complete responses. There were no cetuximab-related deaths. There were three related serious adverse events: two grade 4 infusion reactions and one grade 3 interstitial pneumopathy. Grade 1 to 2 acne-like rash occurred in 78% of patients and was associated with prolonged PFS. One HRAS mutation was identified. Combined FcγRIIa-131H/H and/or FcγRIIIa-158V/V polymorphisms were not associated with the clinical outcomes. CONCLUSION As a first-line treatment in patients with unresectable SCCS, cetuximab achieved 69% DCR. A randomized phase III trial is warranted to confirm that cetuximab may be considered as a therapeutic option especially in elderly patients. The low frequency of RAS mutations in SCCS makes SCCS tumors attractive for EGFR inhibition.
The Division of Labor, Local Markets, and Worker Organization

The model developed here explains differences in the degree of the division of labor across local markets. For example, the typical doctor in one local market may treat a wider range of patients' problems than his counterpart in another local market. The extent of the division of labor depends on variables affecting the local demand for services. Two different forms of worker organization, cooperation and noncooperation, yield divergent results. For example, specialization increases with the local number of producers under cooperation but may decrease under noncooperation. With the number of producers constant, local demand variables affect individual specialization under noncooperation but not under cooperation.
Differential fMet-Leu-Phe- and Platelet-activating Factor-induced Signaling Toward Ral Activation in Primary Human Neutrophils*

We have measured the activation of the small GTPase Ral in human neutrophils after stimulation with fMet-Leu-Phe (fMLP), platelet activating factor (PAF), and granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor and compared it with the activation of two other small GTPases, Ras and Rap1. We found that fMLP and PAF, but not granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor, induce Ral activation. All three stimuli induce the activation of both Ras and Rap1. Utilizing specific inhibitors we demonstrate that fMLP-induced Ral activation is mediated by pertussis toxin-sensitive G-proteins and partially by Src-like kinases, whereas fMLP-induced Ras activation is independent of Src-like kinases. PAF-induced Ral activation is mediated by pertussis toxin-insensitive proteins, Src-like kinases and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase is not involved in PAF-induced Ras activation. The calcium ionophore ionomycin activates Ral, but calcium depletion partially inhibits fMLP- and PAF-induced Ral activation, whereas Ras activation was not affected. In addition, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-induced activation of Ral is completely abolished by inhibitors of protein kinase C, whereas 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-induced Ras activation is largely insensitive. We conclude that in neutrophils Ral activation is mediated by multiple pathways, and that fMLP and PAF induce Ral activation differently.
Flow-GAN: Combining Maximum Likelihood and Adversarial Learning in Generative Models

Adversarial learning of probabilistic models has recently emerged as a promising alternative to maximum likelihood. Implicit models such as generative adversarial networks (GAN) often generate better samples compared to explicit models trained by maximum likelihood. Yet, GANs sidestep the characterization of an explicit density which makes quantitative evaluations challenging. To bridge this gap, we propose Flow-GANs, a generative adversarial network for which we can perform exact likelihood evaluation, thus supporting both adversarial and maximum likelihood training. When trained adversarially, Flow-GANs generate high-quality samples but attain extremely poor log-likelihood scores, inferior even to a mixture model memorizing the training data; the opposite is true when trained by maximum likelihood. Results on MNIST and CIFAR-10 demonstrate that hybrid training can attain high held-out likelihoods while retaining visual fidelity in the generated samples.
A real-world, multi-site, observational study of infusion time and treatment satisfaction with rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with intravenous golimumab or infliximab

Abstract Objectives: To assess real-world infusion times for golimumab (GLM-IV) and infliximab (IFX) for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and factors associated with treatment satisfaction. Methods: An observational study assessed infusion time including: clinic visit duration, RA medication preparation and infusion time, and infusion process time. Satisfaction was assessed by a modified Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication (patient) and study-specific questionnaires (patient and clinic personnel). Comparative statistical testing for patient data utilized analysis of variance for continuous measures, and Fisher’s exact or Chi-square test for categorical measures. Multivariate analysis was performed for the primary time endpoints and patient satisfaction. Results: One hundred and fifty patients were enrolled from six US sites (72 GLM-IV, 78 IFX). The majority of patients were female (80.0%) and Caucasian (88.7%). GLM-IV required fewer vials per infusion (3.7) compared to IFX (4.9; p = .0001). Clinic visit duration (minutes) was shorter for GLM-IV (65.1) compared to IFX (153.1; p < .0001), as was total infusion time for RA medication (32.8 GLM-IV, 119.5 IFX; p < .0001) and infusion process times (45.8 GLM-IV, 134.1 IFX; p < .0001). Patients treated with GLM-IV reported higher satisfaction ratings with infusion time (p < .0001) and total visit time (p = .0003). Clinic personnel reported higher satisfaction with GLM-IV than IFX specific to medication preparation time, ease of mixing RA medication, frequency of patients requiring pre-medication, and infusion time. Limitations: Findings may not be representative of care delivery for all RA infusion practices or RA patients. Conclusions: Shorter overall clinic visit duration, infusion process, and RA medication infusion times were observed for GLM-IV compared to IFX. A shorter duration in infusion time was associated with higher patient and clinic personnel satisfaction ratings.
Dynamic Pricing and Ordering Decisions by a Monopolist

This paper considers the relationship between pricing and ordering decisions for a monopolistic retailer facing a known demand function where, over the inventory cycle, the product may exhibit: i physical decay or deterioration of inventory called wastage; and ii decrease in market value called value drop associated with each unit of inventory on hand. The retailer is allowed to continuously vary the selling price of the product over the cycle. We introduce a notion of instantaneous margin, and use it to derive profit maximizing conditions for the retailer. The model explains the markdown of retail goods subject to decay. It also provides guidance in determining when price changes during the cycle are worthwhile due to product aging, how often such changes should be made, and how such changes affect ordering intervals and quantities.
Changes in piglet tissue composition at birth in response to increasing maternal intake of long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are non-linear

Addition of marine oils containing long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids to the diet of pregnant sows may reduce piglet mortality. In previous experiments, when marine oils have been fed to pregnant sows, improvements in piglet tissue 22 : 6n-3 status have been accompanied by potentially undesirable decreases in 20 : 4n-6. The objective of the present experiment was to establish an amount of dietary salmon oil which would enhance piglet 22 : 6n-3 status while minimising reductions in 20 : 4n-6. Twenty-four pregnant multiparous sows were used in the experiment which began on day 60 of pregnancy (gestation length 115 d). To give four diets, salmon oil was added in increasing amounts (0, 5, 10 and 20 g/kg diet) to a basal diet; the diets were made isoenergetic by adding palm oil to each diet to give a total of 20 g oil/kg diet. Diets were offered to the sows in fixed amounts (2·5 kg/d) until parturition. Piglet tissue samples (brain, liver and retina) were obtained at birth before consumption of colostrum. The greatest increase in piglet tissue 22 : 6n-3 proportions occurred between 0 and 5 g salmon oil/kg diet, with only small increases between 10 and 20 g salmon oil/kg diet. In contrast, tissue 20 : 4n-6 proportions declined progressively as the amount of salmon oil fed to the sow increased. In brain, the change in the value 22 : 6n-3/22 : 5n-6 was greatest between 0 and 5 g salmon oil/kg diet, whereas in liver the value increased linearly with added salmon oil. In addition, piglet brain weight (g/kg live weight) increased to a maximum at 10 g salmon oil/kg diet. The optimum amount of supplementary salmon oil in the current experiment, defined as that which gave the greatest response in brain 22 : 6n-3 proportions with minimum reduction in 20 : 4n-6,was 10 g salmon oil/kg diet. This corresponds to an intake of approximately 2·4 g 20 : 5n-3 plus 3·6 g 22 : 6n-3/d or 0·6 % digestible energy.
Are Farmers Learning by Doing? Experience in Taiwan

A widely accepted proposition in the economics of production is the positive relationship between efficiency and accumulated experience. Although accumulated experience, or the learning effect, is statistically significant in explaining output variations, this aspect of production has been neglected by economists and was not explicitly taken into account until there was growing interest in explaining total factor productivity and factors contributing to its growth. The concept of learning by doing originated with the empirical observations of the increased efficiency in the direct labor requirement through the repetition of a task. The terms often used to describe this phenomenon are the "progress function" or the "learning function. " The discovery of the progress function is usually attributed to Wright's study of production costs for airframes. The progress function describes how average and marginal input requirements are related to the volume of accumulated output up to some point in the production run (Oi). Following Wright, the average progress function from which a marginal function can be deduced is generally expressed as a log-linear function of accumulated output or volume. Larger values of the slope coefficient (the progress ratio), correspond to greater improvements in average labor production as the volume of units produced is increased. Wright's study is a typical representation of the engineers' approach to the problem. In contrast to emphasizing the effect of experience on efficiency in specific processes, Arrow's learning-by-doing model proposes a more general learning process, where part of technical progress grows out of experience generated within the production process itself. One of the distinctive features of the model is
Corporate Takeovers: The Efficiency Arguments

In recent years, the tender offer takeover has been praised and damned with a ferocity suggesting that the survival of capitalism is at stake. The truth, as in most disputes with substantial metaphysical content, is more prosaic. Some takeovers enhance economic efficiency, some degrade it, and the balance of effects, though not fully known, is most likely a close one. In this essay I try to lay bare the debate's foundations and bring it back to earth with an injection of evidence.
Trade Execution Costs on NASDAQ and the NYSE: A Post-Reform Comparison

Abstract Trade execution costs remain larger on NASDAQ compared to the NYSE in the wake of new SEC-mandated order-handling rules and reductions in tick sizes, but the differential across markets is smaller than in earlier years. Cross-sectional regression analysis indicates that the differences in average trade execution costs are not explained by variation in observable economic factors. Quotations on both markets continue to cluster disproportionately on round fractions, and more so on NASDAQ than the NYSE, but quotation rounding appears not to be responsible for the greater NASDAQ execution costs. Preferencing agreements are highlighted as a likely reason that NASDAQ trade execution costs remain larger.
Exchange-rate variability and industry trade flows between Malaysia and Japan

This research investigates the exchange-rate risk sensitivity of Malaysian bilateral trade flows with its important trading partner, Japan. To this end, bounds testing approach to co-integration is applied using industry level data over the monthly period 2000–2013. Findings suggest that above the one-third of the total co-integrated export (43.86%) and import (34.54%), industries experiences the ringgit/yen variability effect in the short run. However, this effect sustains in relatively less number of export (14.03%) and import (32.73%) industries in the long run. It is interesting to note that exchange-rate risk boosts trade flows in the majority of these affected industries.
Rural Health Research: Rural and Urban Physicians: Does the Content of Their Medicare Practices Differ?

Abstract: Rural and urban areas have significant differences in the availability of medical technology, medical practice structures and patient populations. This study uses 1994 Medicare claims data to examine whether these differences are associated with variation in the content of practice between physicians practicing in rural and urban areas. This study compared the number of patients, outpatient visits, and inpatient visits per physician in the different specialties, diagnosis clusters, patient age and sex, and procedure frequency and type for board-certified rural and urban physicians in 12 ambulatory medical specialties. Overall, 14.4 percent of physicians in the 12 specialties practiced exclusively in rural Washington, with great variation by specialty. Rural physicians were older and less likely to be female than urban physicians. Rural physicians saw larger numbers of elderly patients and had higher volumes of outpatient visits than their urban counterparts. For all specialty groups except general surgeons and obstetrician-gynecologists, the diagnostic scope of practice was specialty-specific and similar for rural and urban physicians. Rural general surgeons had more visits for gastrointestinal disorders, while rural obstetrician-gynecologists had more visits out of their specialty domain (e.g., hypertension, diabetes) than their urban counterparts. The scope of procedures for rural and urban physicians in most specialties showed more similarities than differences. While the fund of knowledge and outpatient procedural training needed by most rural and urban practitioners to care for the elderly is similar, rural general surgeons and obstetrician-gynecologists need training outside their traditional specialty areas to optimally care for their patients.
Total synthesis and stereochemical reassignment of mandelalide A.

The total synthesis of the tunicate metabolite mandelalide A and the correction of its originally assigned stereochemistry are reported. Key features of the convergent, fully stereocontrolled route include the use of a Prins cyclization for the diastereoselective construction of the tetrahydropyran subunit, Rychnovsky-Bartlett cyclization for the preparation of the tetrahydrofuran moiety, Suzuki coupling, Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons macrocyclization, and glycosylation to append the L-rhamnose-derived pyranoside.
The Impact of Remittances on Labor Supply: The Case of Jordan

One aspect of how migration can affect countries’ economies is through the labor income sent from the emigrant back to the source country. These are called remittances and constitute an important income post for Jordan, the country which is the subject of this study. This study aims to investigate how the received remittances are affecting the recipient households’ labor supply by applying the neoclassical model of labor-leisure choice, and by analyzing data on household income and expenditure surveys from the Department of Statistics in Jordan. The multiple regressions show that remittances affect labor supply negatively for both men and women and these results thereby contribute to the understanding of how this aspect of migration affects the source country’s economy.
Land-use/land-cover (LULC) change and socioeconomic conditions of local community in the central highlands of Ethiopia

This paper presents a case study of land-use/land-cover (LULC) changes from 1975 to 2014 in the central highlands of Ethiopia and traces out its impact on socioeconomic conditions of the local community in the study area. We used four time series Landsat satellite images, that is, Landsat MSS (1975), Landsat Thematic Mapper (1986), Enhanced Thematic Mapper (2000), and Landsat 8 OLI scenes (2014), to investigate the changes in LULC. In addition, individual interviews with 51 randomly selected households, discussions with focus group and key informants, and field observations were also incorporated for the study. The image classification indicated four categories of LULC classes: Natural forest, eucalyptus plantations, cropland/settlements, and grasslands. Between 1975 and 2014, cropland/settlements and eucalyptus plantations considerably increased, whereas grassland cover drastically decreased. According to the results, the area under cropland/settlements and eucalyptus plantations increased by 62 and 335%, respectively, with 74% concomitant decrease in the area of grasslands in the same period. Survey results showed that deterioration of soil fertility (41.2%) followed by shortage of land (35.3%) is the major constraint for crop production for poor farmers in the study area. However, better-off farmers ranked deterioration of soil fertility (64.7%) followed by lack of credit (17.6%) as priority constraints for crop production. Interviews mainly focused on selected women group revealed that the expansion of eucalyptus in the area greatly curbed the burdens of collecting fuel woods from long distances in the past. The availability of too many religious holidays (on average 16 days/month) directly or indirectly contributes to the current seasonal food shortages of the community. Generally, our results show that the community in the study area is beset with a host of social, economic, and institutional challenges. As a result, majority of the farming households are destitute, unable to make a livelihood from their small plot of land and live in absolute poverty. Therefore, in light of these finding, it is imperative that timely interventions by government and other development stakeholders are needed to come to grips with problems of soil fertility, land-use change, and food insecurity in the study area.
Detection of oxidative species and low‐molecular‐weight DNA in skin following dermal exposure with JP‐8 jet fuel

Dermal absorption of JP‐8 jet fuel can lead to skin irritation within hours after exposure. This study detected the formation of oxidative species and low‐molecular‐weight DNA in rat skin as potential indicators of JP‐8‐induced skin injury. At 0, 1, 2, 4 and 6 h after the beginning of a 1‐h exposure, skin samples were removed and analyzed for oxidative species formation and low‐molecular‐weight DNA analysis. At 1, 2 and 4 h, mean oxidative species levels increased significantly (P < 0.05) above unexposed samples. Significantly higher (P < 0.05) low‐molecular‐weight DNA values were observed at 4 and 6 h compared with unexposed controls. These results demonstrate significant increases in oxidative species and low‐molecular‐weight DNA levels in the skin following dermal exposure to JP‐8. These responses may serve as indicators of skin injury following exposure to JP‐8 jet fuel and other volatile chemicals or mixtures. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
New Understanding of RFID Adoption and Infusion in Retail Supply Chain

Information technology adoption and infusion research has yielded many models in which different determinants have been investigated; however, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) as an emerging technology has not been studied well from a supply chain perspective. Using the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework, we develop a theoretical model for RFID adoption and infusion. We include the development status of technology, which is an important factor in adoption decisions, but has been ignored in IS literature. By adding maturation of technology as one of determinants of adoption and infusion, the new model is more general and robust than previous adoption models of RFID in literature. We propose to empirically test the model with a large sample size covering the retail supply chain.
Feminist Nations? A Study of Native American Women in Southwestern Tribal Politics

Tremendous variation exists in the politics and governance of the over 550 federally recognized American Indian tribes. For example, women are barred from participating in tribal politics in most Pueblo Nations, yet in other Southwestern tribes, they are political leaders. Using data from personal interviews with officials from 21 Indian Nations in Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah, I examine the role that they, as women, play in tribal politics; why they participate; the positions they hold; the constraints they face; their political goals, policy priorities, and strategies; and the institutional and social conditions that enable women to serve in their tribe’s political leadership. The findings reveal substantial diversity among the Southwestern Indian Nations studied, yet considerable similarities exist among the leaders’ paths to leadership, policy priorities, and political goals in tribal government.
Nasdaq's Closing Cross

On March 29, 2004, Nasdaq significantly expanded its hybrid market structure by introducing the closing cross, an electronic price discovery call auction that sets closing trades and establishes official closing prices. Three months later, on June 25, the efficiency of the new facility was stress-tested by the Russell 2000 rebalancing, an event that involved almost 1,700 Nasdaq stocks. The efficiency of the closing cross can be analyzed by comparing price dislocations experienced at the 2004 rebalancing with those observed at the 2003 rebalancing. By and large, the findings suggest that the closing procedure is effective, especially for the smaller-cap stocks in the Russell 2000 index.