Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Computed tomography of hepatic and splenic fungal abscesses in leukemic children

Six hundred fifty-eight abdominal computed tomography scans of 275 children with cancer were retrospectively studied for evidence of multiple hepatic or splenic “abscess-like” lesions. Seven patients, all with subsequently confirmed fungal disease, were found to have such lesions. In addition to acute leukemia, all patients had prolonged fever not responsive to antibiotics, had neutropenia (<500 neutrophils per mm3) and had received anticancer chemotherapy for up to 4 weeks before the positive computed tomography scans. We conclude that the presence of multiple well-circumscribed hepatic or splenic lesions on the abdominal computed tomography scan of a febrile, neutropenic, immunosuppressed patient not responding to antibiotics and with no other source of infection is strong evidence for systemic fungal infection. However, the absence of such lesions may not exclude the diagnosis of systemic mycosis.
Miniaturized Hybrid Ring Coupler Using Electromagnetic Bandgap Loaded Ridge Substrate Integrated Waveguide

A novel compact Ridge Substrate Integrated Waveguide (RSIW)-based hybrid ring coupler is hereby presented. The size miniaturization is accomplished through a twofold approach. First, the RSIW is used to reduce the coupler waveguide transverse dimension. The RSIW of the hybrid ring is then loaded by Electromagnetic Bandgap (EBG) structures, etched in its non-ridged broadwall, exploiting their slow wave effect to reduce the longitudinal dimension. It is demonstrated that the use of EBG-loaded RSIW can lead to a size reduction of more than 48% and 91% with respect to the unloaded RSIW and conventional SIW hybrid ring couplers, respectively.
Cognitive Function and Emotional Status of Middle-aged Chinese Hypertensive Patients without Detectable White Matter Brain Lesions or Lacunar Infarctions

Title of thesis: Cognitive profile and emotional status of middle-aged Chinese hypertensive patients without detectable white matter brain lesions or lacunar infarctions on MRI Heather L. Rogers, Master of Science 2006 Thesis directed by: David S. Krantz, Ph.D. Professor Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology Introduction: Essential hypertension (EH) is associated with cognitive deficits, and higher blood pressure levels have been related to lower levels of cognitive function. Executive functions, speed of processing, memory and attention are especially impacted. Hypertension may affect cognitive function because of pathological physiological changes in the brain (e.g., white matter lesions and/or lacunar infarctions) or behavioral/emotional alterations associated with hypertension (e.g., stress, anxiety, and depression). Objectives: (1) Rule out white matter lesions and lacunar infarctions as necessary causes of cognitive deficits in EH; (2) Examine the role of anxiety and depression as a potential mechanism for the relationship between EH and cognitive function; and (3) Determine socio-demographic and medical moderators of this relationship in individuals without structural brain changes. Methods: Ninety five Chinese with EH and 95 ageand educationmatched normotensive controls were recruited into the study. All participants had a medical history interview and physical exam, completed Zung’s Anxiety and Depression Surveys, and completed the MiniMental State Examination (MMSE) and a computerized neuropsychological battery. All
Brain monoamine abnormalities in the two types of Creutzfeldt‐Jakob disease

Analysis of monoamine concentrations in brain tissue was carried out on the two types of Creutzfeldt‐Jakob disease (CJD). The results showed decreased levels of catecholamines compared to control cases in a number of areas, and the reductions were most pronounced for dopamine. In general, the case classified as the amyotrophic form of CJD showed a greater degree of a monoamine loss than the case with spongiform encephalopathy, which is the typical transmissible form of CJD. These findings support the scarce available data indicating disturbances in the catecholaminergic systems in these types of brain diseases, and may have therapeutic implications.
Interrogating antecedents to SME supplier performance in a developing country

The purpose of this study was to analyse the antecedents to supplier performance by examining the relationship between information sharing, information quality, institutional trust, supply chain collaboration and supplier performance in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). A quantitative design was adopted in which a survey questionnaire was administered to 400 owners and managers of SMEs based in the southern part of Gauteng, South Africa. Respondents were selected using a nonprobability convenience sampling technique. Data was analysed using a combination of the Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences (SPSS version 22.0) and Analysis of Moment Structures (Amos version 22) software. The psychometric properties of the measurement scales were ascertained using confi rmatory factor analysis (CFA). Hypotheses were tested using structural equation modelling (SEM). Information sharing exerted a positive influence on both institutional trust and supply chain collaboration. Information quality exerted a strong positive influence on institutional trust but had an insignificant influence on supply chain collaboration. Institutional trust was statistically insignificant, whereas supply chain collaboration was statistically significant in influencing supplier performance. The results of this study validate the roles performed by the constructs examined in facilitating the improvement of supply chain activities among SMEs and their suppliers.
Traveler's diarrhea at sea: three outbreaks of waterborne enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli on cruise ships.

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) has become the leading bacterial cause of gastroenteritis outbreaks on cruise ships. Investigation of recent outbreaks of ETEC gastroenteritis on 3 cruise ships indicated that all were associated with consuming beverages with ice cubes on board the ship (relative risk [RR], 1.4, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.0-1.9, P=.02; RR, 1.9, 95% CI, 1.3-2. 9, P<.001; and RR, 1.3, 95% CI, 1.0-1.6, P<.01), and 2 were associated with drinking unbottled water (RR, 2.7, 95% CI, 1.8-4.1, P<.001; RR, 1.7, 95% CI, 1.3-2.3, P<.001). Multiple ETEC serotypes were detected in patients' stool specimens in each of the 3 outbreaks, and 12 (38%) of 32 isolates were resistant to > or =3 antimicrobial agents. ETEC appears to be emerging as a waterborne pathogen on cruise ships. Water bunkered in overseas ports was the likely source of ETEC infection in these outbreaks. To ensure passenger safety, cruise ships that take on water in foreign ports must ensure that water treatment and monitoring systems function properly.
of Prosthetic ct of porcelain and enamel thickness porcelain veneer failure loads in vitro S , PhD , a

Results. Fracture events included initial Hertzian cracks, intermediate radial cracks, and catastrophic gross failure. Increased porcelain, enamel, and their combined thickness had like effects in substantially raising resistance to catastrophic failure but also slightly decreased resistance to initial Hertzian cracking. Fractographic and numerical data demonstrated that porcelain and tooth enamel behaved in a remarkably similar manner. As porcelain thickness, enamel thickness, and their combined thickness increased, the loads needed to produce initial fracture and catastrophic failure rose substantially. Porcelain veneers withstood considerable damage before catastrophic failure.
PENGARUH INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL DISCLOSURE DAN CORPORATE GOVERNANCE TERHADAP NILAI PERUSAHAAN (Studi Empiris pada Perusahaan Manufaktur Terdaftar di BEI)

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk meneliti pengaruh intellectual capital disclosure dan corporate governance (kepemilikan manajerial, kepemilikan institusional, komisaris independen dan komite audit) terhadap nilai perusahaan . Nilai perusahaan diukur menggunakan Tobins’Q Penelitian ini menggunakan data sekkunder . Teknik pengambilan sampel yang digunakan adalah random sampling. Dengan empat puluh tiga sampel perusahaan manufaktur yang terdaftar di Bursa Efek Indonesia tahun 2011-2013 . Metode anasilis yang digunakan adalah regresi berganda . Berdasarkan analisis regresi, hasil dari penelitian ini menunjukkan intellectual capital disclosure berpengaruh positif signifikan terhadap nilai perusahaan. Kepemilikan manajerial tidak berpengaruh signifikan terhadap nilai perusahaan. Kepemilikan institusional berpengaruh positif signifikan terhadap nilai perusahaan. Komisaris independen tidak berpengaruh terhadap nilai perusahaan. Komite audit berpengaruh postif signifikan terhadap nilai perusahaan. Kata kunci : intellectual capital disclosure, corporate governance, kepemilikan manajerial, kepemilikan institusional, komisaris independen, komite audit dan nilai perusahaan.
Circuit decompositions of join‐covered graphs

In this paper, we focus our attention on join‐covered graphs, that is, ±1‐weighted graphs, without negative circuits, in which every edge lies in a zero‐weight circuit. Join covered graphs are a natural generalization of matching‐covered graphs. Many important properties of matching covered graphs, such as the existence of a canonical partition, tight cut decomposition and ear decomposition, have been generalized to join covered graphs by A. Sebő [5]. In this paper we prove that any two edges of a join‐covered graph lie on a zero‐weight circuit (under an equivalent weighting), generalize this statement to an arbitrary number of edges, and characterize minimal bipartite join‐covered graphs. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 62, 220–233, 2009
A Liquidity-Based Stock Network

Stocks are connected through common ownership of financial institutions. Firm shocks can be transmitted and amplified through these interconnections, aggregating into market level fluctuations. We formalize this intuition by estimating a parsimonious model using mutual fund holding data. The model allows us to quantify the aggregate outcome of propagation of firm level shocks through the network. Using earnings surprises as a proxy for firm shocks, we find that our model's aggregation is significantly correlated with the aggregate market return. Also, the network structure estimated by our model can predict subsequent volatility of aggregate market returns and forecast the volatility of and correlation between individual stocks' future returns.
Inferring Human Pose and Motion from Images

As optical gesture recognition technology advances, touchless human computer interfaces of the future will soon become a reality. One particular technology, markerless motion capture, has gained a large amount of attention, with widespread application in diverse disciplines, including medical science, sports analysis, advanced user interfaces, and virtual arts. However, the complexity of human anatomymakes markerless motion capture a non-trivial problem: I) parameterised pose configuration exhibits high dimensionality, and II) there is considerable ambiguity in surjective inverse mapping from observation to pose configuration spaces with a limited number of camera views. These factors together lead to multimodality in high dimensional space, makingmarkerless motion capture an ill-posed problem. This study challenges these difficulties by introducing a new framework. It begins with automatically modelling specific subject template models and calibrating posture at the initial stage. Subsequent tracking is accomplished by embedding naturally-inspired global optimisation into the sequential Bayesian filtering framework. Tracking is enhanced by several robust evaluation improvements. Sparsity of images is managed by compressive evaluation, further accelerating computational efficiency in high dimensional space.
A Meta-Analysis of the Effect of Guided Imagery Practice on Outcomes

Guided imagery is an intervention used by nurses in a variety of settings. It has been suggested that better outcomes will occur with continued practice. No studies were found that examined the relationship between practice duration and strength of outcomes. The focus of this meta-analysis was the effect size of guided imagery intervention studies with different durations. Statistical findings of 10 studies of various durations were converted to d statistics and plotted against the duration of study. The results show an increase in effect size of guided imagery over the first 5 to 7 weeks; however, the effect was decreased at 18 weeks.
Minimal Cut and Minimal Path Vectors in Reliability Analysis of Binary- and Multi-State Systems

Minimal Cut Vectors (MCVs) and Minimal Path Vectors (MPVs) are one of the principal tools of reliability engineering. MCVs represent situations in which repair/improvement of any system component results in functioning/ improvement of the system. MPVs coincide with circumstances under which failure/degradation of any system component causes system failure/degradation. MCVs and MPVs allow us to compute a specific measure known as FussellVesely’s Importance (FVI), which is used to evaluate importance of system components for system operation. The FVI has originally been developed for analysis of binary-state systems. In this paper, we propose several generalizations of this measure for multi-state systems. Furthermore, we summarize results from several papers focusing on identification of the MCVs and MPVs in multi-state systems and combine them with the proposed measures to develop a complex procedure for importance analysis of multi-state systems. The tool used for identification of the MCVs and MPVs is logical differential calculus.
Left-sided Pancreatectomy: A Multicenter Comparison of Laparoscopic and Open Approaches

Objectives:To compare perioperative outcomes of laparoscopic left-sided pancreatectomy (LLP) with traditional open left-sided pancreatectomy (OLP) in a multicenter experience. Summary and Background Data:LLP is being performed more commonly with limited data comparing results with outcomes from OLP. Methods:Data from 8 centers were combined for all cases performed between 2002–2006. OLP and LLP cohorts were matched by age, American Society of Anesthesiologists, resected pancreas length, tumor size, and diagnosis. Multivariate analysis was performed using binary logistic regression. Results:Six hundred sixty-seven LPs were performed, with 159 (24%) attempted laparoscopically. Indications were solid lesion in 307 (46%), cystic in 295 (44%), and pancreatitis in 65 (10%) cases. Positive margins occurred in 51 (8%) cases, 335 (50%) had complications, and significant leaks occurred in 108 (16%). Conversion to OLP occurred in 20 (13%) of the LLPs. In the matched comparison, 200 OLPs were compared with 142 LLPs. There were no differences in positive margin rates (8% vs. 7%, P = 0.8), operative times (216 vs. 230 minutes, P = 0.3), or leak rates (18% vs. 11%, P = 0.1). LLP patients had lower average blood loss (357 vs. 588 mL, P < 0.01), fewer complications (40% vs. 57%, P < 0.01), and shorter hospital stays (5.9 vs. 9.0 days, P < 0.01). By MVA, LLP was an independent factor for shorter hospital stay (P < 0.01, odds ratio 0.33, 95% confidence interval 0.19–0.56). Conclusions:In selected patients, LLP is associated with less morbidity and shorter LOS than OLP. Pancreatic fistula rates are similar for OLP and LLP. LLP is appropriate for selected patients with left-sided pancreatic pathology.
Laparoscopic treatment of polycystic ovaries: is its place diminishing?

Purpose of review The purpose of this review is to provide a critical discussion on the place of laparoscopic ovarian drilling and medical treatment with metformin for polycystic ovary syndrome. Recent findings Laparoscopic ovarian drilling remains popular. It is associated with an ovulation rate of approximately 80% and a pregnancy rate of 50-60% within 1 year of the procedure. The technique results in a decrease in ovarian stromal blood flow. An increasing amount of data, however, suggests that treatment with metformin is equally as effective. The use of metformin in pregnancy appears to be safe; it decreases the miscarriage rate and possibly the incidence of gestational diabetes. Summary Laparoscopic ovarian drilling and metformin improve ovulatory dysfunction and pregnancy rate to a similar extent. The advantages of metformin continue beyond conception. It reduces the miscarriage rate and also decreases the likelihood of developing gestational diabetes. A randomized trial comparing the effects of metformin and laparoscopic ovarian drilling in women with polycystic ovary syndrome is recommended.
Social groups, sport and political engagement in New Zealand

Many prominent social theorists contend that memberships in voluntary associations make major contributions to making citizens more engaged with democracy. Although substantial attention has been directed at the potential role of sports groups, previous studies using survey data have not found membership in sports groups to be associated with political activity. New Zealand presents an important context for testing this theory, given its high levels of public participation in sports groups. We find that membership in sports and other social groups is associated with higher levels of political engagement. We discuss how these findings advance our understanding of the role that specific group memberships may have in democratic societies.
Maximal heart rate does not limit cardiovascular capacity in healthy humans: insight from right atrial pacing during maximal exercise

During high intensity whole‐body exercise, systemic and contracting skeletal muscle O2 delivery and uptake ( V̇O2 ) are compromised, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We evaluated the effect of a ∼20 beats min−1 increase in heart rate (HR) by right atrial pacing during incremental cycling and knee‐extensor exercise on cardiac output ( Q̇ ) and stroke volume (SV). An increase in HR during both exercise modalities did not alter Q̇ due to a proportional decrease in SV. The lower SV during atrial pacing in the cycling trial was associated with a diminished cardiac filling pressure, but similar arterial pressure. The results demonstrate that the human heart can achieve a higher HR than observed during maximal exercise, suggesting that HRmax and myocardial work capacity do not limit cardiac performance in trained human subjects. Instead, restrictions in ventricular filling appear to compromise cardiac preload, SV and Q̇ at exercise intensities close to V̇O2 max .
Screening for dysplasia and TP53 mutations in closed rectal stumps of patients with ulcerative colitis or Crohn disease

Background: Patients who undergo colectomy due to intractable chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may keep a closed rectal stump for several years, which may be at increased risk of malignant transformation owing to residual inflammatory activity. We examined a hospital series of patients with ulcerative colitis or Crohn colitis to describe the clinical, endoscopical and histological features of the closed rectal stump and to screen for dysplasia and mutations in the TP53 tumour suppressor gene. Methods: During rigid proctoscopy, rectal mucosal biopsy specimens and rectal lavage fluid were collected from 42 patients. Biopsy specimens were examined histologically, and genomic DNA extracted from frozen biopsies and lavage fluid was analysed for mutations in TP53 exons 4–9. Results: The median disease duration was 8.5 years (range 1.3–34 years). No endoscopic or histological signs of dysplasia or carcinoma were seen and no mutations in the TP53 gene were detected in any biopsy or lavage fluid specimens. Histological moderate to severe mucosal inflammation was present in 78% (33/42) of the patients, however, and rectal stump involution was noted in 43% (18/42). Conclusion: No signs of malignancy or premalignant degeneration were detected in this prospective series of IBD patients with a closed rectal stump. Although this is reassuring for patients, the presence of moderate to severe inflammation in the majority of rectal stumps indicates a role for adjuvant molecular markers to improve colorectal cancer surveillance on this subgroup of IBD patients.
B Cell TLR7 Expression Drives Anti-RNA Autoantibody Production and Exacerbates Disease in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus–Prone Mice

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease characterized by the production of antinuclear autoantibodies. Antinuclear autoantibody development is recognized as one of the initial stages of disease that often results in systemic inflammation, kidney disease, and death. The etiology is complex, but it is clear that innate pathways may play an important role in disease progression. Recent data have highlighted an important role for the TLR family, particularly TLR7, in both human disease and murine models. In this study, we have presented a low copy conditional TLR7 transgenic (Tg7) mouse strain that does not develop spontaneous autoimmunity. When we combine Tg7 with the Sle1 lupus susceptibility locus, the mice develop severe disease. Using the CD19Cre recombinase system, we normalized expression of TLR7 solely within the B cells. Using this method we demonstrated that overexpression of TLR7 within the B cell compartment reduces the marginal zone B cell compartment and increases B and T cell activation but not T follicular helper cell development. Moreover, this enhanced B cell TLR7 expression permits the specific development of Abs to RNA/protein complexes and exacerbates SLE disease.
Distribution of Lymphocyte Subsets in Bone Marrow and Peripheral Blood Is Associated with Haptoglobin Type. Binding of Haptoglobin to the B-Cell Lectin CD22

Haptoglobin is an acute phase protein showing a genetic polymorphism with 3 major types: Hp 1-1, Hp 2-1, and Hp 2-2. In this study, flow cytometric analysis demonstrated that all three haptoglobin types bind to CD22 on human B-lymphocytes with equal affinity. Comparison of reference values for lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood and bone marrow showed significant differences between haptoglobin types. Haptoglobin 2-2 is associated with higher peripheral B-lymphocyte counts (P < 0.001) and CD4+ T-lymphocyte counts (P < 0.05). In bone marrow, CD4+ T-cell percentages were highest (P < 0.001) but B-cell percentages were lowest (P < 0.001) in haptoglobin 2-2 type. A negative correlation between serum haptoglobin 1-1 concentration and peripheral B-cell counts was observed (r = -0.663). Our results suggest that haptoglobin is involved in lymphocyte distribution. The present findings are a potential cause of over- or underestimation of lymphocyte subset counts in the clinical staging of immunodeficiency diseases.