Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A fifty-year review of soft tissue sarcomas in Jamaica: 1958-2007.

OBJECTIVE To determine the distribution of histologic subtypes of soft tissue sarcomas (STS) in Kingston and St Andrew, Jamaica, according to age and topography. METHODS From the Jamaica Cancer Registry (JCR) archives, all cases of STS diagnosed between 1958 and 2007 were extracted. For each case, age, gender, histological diagnosis and anatomical site of tumour were recorded. Patients were categorized according to age at diagnosis as: children (0-14 years) and adults (> 14 years), and the distribution of histologic diagnoses with respect to age and anatomical site were analysed. RESULTS There were 432 cases (67 children, 364 adults, one person of unknown age) of STS recorded in the JCR over the 50-year period (218 males, 214 females). The commonest STS in adults were "sarcoma, not otherwise specified [NOS]" (20.1%), malignant fibrous histiocytoma [MFH] (17.9%), fibrosarcoma (12.4%), liposarcoma (10.7%) and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour [MPNST] (10.2%). In children, they were neuroblastoma (38.8%), rhabdomyosarcoma (23.9%), "sarcoma, NOS" (9%), fibrosarcoma (6%) and MFH (6%). In adults, the lower limb was the commonest location, followed by trunk and/or upper limb for MFH, fibrosarcoma and liposarcoma, and head and neck for MPNST. In children, head and neck was the commonest site for rhabdomyosarcoma, head and neck and upper limb for MFH, retroperitoneum for neuroblastoma and trunk for fibrosarcoma. CONCLUSION A high proportion of soft tissue sarcomas in Jamaica are unclassified and the anatomical distribution of common classified sarcomas shows some differences with the literature. Limited access to immunohistochemistry/molecular diagnostics and increasing core biopsy diagnosis may contribute to these phenomena.
Do-gooders and go-getters: career incentives, selection, and performance in public service delivery

We study how career incentives affect performance in public health jobs through selection. We collaborate with the Government of Zambia to experimentally vary the salience of career incentives when recruiting nationally for a new position and then to offer the same incentives to all recruited agents. Career incentives attract health workers who complete 29% more household visits. This is matched by an increase in institutional deliveries, breastfeeding, immunizations,deworming and a 25% reduction in the share of underweight children. The results show that incentive design at the recruitment stage can have strong impacts on the performance of organizations.
Condylar Shape in Relation to Anterior Disk Displacement in Juvenile Females

Abstract The purpose of the study was to test the hypothesis that condylar shape varies based upon the condition of anterior disk displacement in young adolescent patients with temporomandibular disorder (TMD). The study design consisted of 96 juvenile female patients (aged 9 to 20; 15.1±2.3 yrs.) with clinical signs and/or symptoms of TMD. Bilateral high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging scans were performed in frontal and horizontal views with the mandible in the closed position. Disk positions were evaluated to classify the patients into three diagnostic groups. The results of the study, using ANOVA and Bonferroni tests, demonstrated significant differences among the groups. The conclusion drawn from the study was that condylar shape and size vary based on anterior disk position in juvenile females with TMD. The study’s results suggest that disk displacement results in a smaller condyle.
Pretreatment of rapamycin before allogenic corneal transplant promotes graft survival through increasing CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effect of rapamycin pretreatment before allogenic corneal transplant on CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+)T regulatory cells (Treg) in recipient mice, and analyze its correlation with graft survival. MATERIALS AND METHODS Balb/c mice were intraperitoneally injected with rapamycin or control solution for 2 weeks. They then underwent a corneal transplant with C57/BL6 serving as the donor. Graft status was assessed twice a week. Recipient mice were killed 14 days after surgery, and the percentage of CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+)Treg in peripheral blood, spleen, and draining lymph nodes was analyzed by flow cytometry. Moreover, CD4(+)CD25(+)T cells in corneal grafts and conjunctiva were identified, and expression of Foxp3 mRNA in the grafts was tested. Additionally, the concentration of IL-10 and TGF-β1 in serum and aqueous humor was measured. RESULTS Pretreatment of rapamycin significantly enhanced the percentage of CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+)Treg in peripheral blood and draining lymph nodes, preoperatively and postoperatively, which had significant negative correlation with graft opacity and neovascularization. Moreover, rapamycin pretreatment led to a larger number of CD4(+)CD25(+)T cells infiltrating in corneal grafts and conjunctiva, increased expression of Foxp3 mRNA in grafts, and elevated concentration of TGF-β1 in aqueous humor. CONCLUSIONS Pretreatment with rapamycin for 14 days before an allogenic corneal transplant enhances the percentage of CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+)Treg cells in peripheral blood, draining lymph nodes, and grafts, thereby inhibiting graft rejection.
Connectivity mapping of the human ECoG during a motor task with a time-varying dynamic Bayesian network

As a partially invasive and clinically obtained neural signal, the electrocorticogram (ECoG) provides a unique opportunity to study cortical processing in humans in vivo. Functional connectivity mapping based on the ECoG signal can provide insight into epileptogenic zones and putative cortical circuits. We describe the first application of time-varying dynamic Bayesian networks (TVDBN) to the ECoG signal for the identification and study of cortical circuits. Connectivity between motor areas as well as between sensory and motor areas preceding and during movement is described. We further apply the connectivity results of the TVDBN to a movement decoder, which achieves a correlation between actual and predicted hand movements of 0.68. This paper presents evidence that the connectivity information discovered with TVDBN is applicable to the design of an ECoG-based brain-machine interface.
Methodological Advances in Cross-National Research: Multilevel Challenges and Solutions

Since its inception, the European Sociological Review (ESR) has encouraged ‘cross-national comparative work which concentrates on or includes European societies’ (Mayer et al., 1985). Although our focus is not merely on papers of a crossnational nature, we have published a considerable number of such studies. Another aim of ESR is to further the more general development of sociology by publishing theoretical and methodological articles where these have a direct relevance for sociological research. A recent example of a prominent methodological study in ESR was the article by Mood (2010), which has—judging from the nearly 300 citations it has already received in SSCI-listed journals alone—had considerable impact on the way logistic regression is practiced (or not) in contemporary social science research. The Special Section in this volume of ESR tackles another fundamental methodological issue in sociology. The section consists of two methodological papers that we hope will, once again, have a considerable impact on the discipline. The articles raise important concerns about the way much of current cross-national research is conducted. In the first contribution, Bryan and Jenkins (2016) address problems of the use of the multilevel (random effects) model in cross-national analyses. They ∗Published in February 2016 in European Sociological Review 32(1), pp. 1–2, doi:10.1093/esr/jcw009. Editorial to the Special Section containing the articles by Bryan and Jenkins (2016) and by Schmidt-Catran and Fairbrother (2016).
Uniformity Of Auditing Standards

Recent public criticism, litigation, and SEC pressures have generated a critical issue of "quality control" within the auditing profession. As with all service oriented professions, a direct evaluation of the quality of services rendered is a sensitive, exceedingly difficult, yet, pressing problem. Management audits represent an attempt at direct evaluation. The SEC, the Institute, and at least one "big eight" firm (Arthur Andersen) have opted for this method of quality control. On a firm by firm basis, management audits present a viable approach to quality control. Among firms, however, it will be difficult to maintain consistent reviews. In addition, such programs are likely to be extremely costly. One aspect of a quality control program for the profession is the degree to which auditing standards are, in fact, being uniformly applied. This paper reports on two alternative approaches for monitoring audit quality (uniformity) among CPA firms. These approaches are less costly, but they are also a more indirect measure of audit quality than management audits.
Issues in Teen Technology Use to Find Health Information

Teens need and want information about health issues. Even though teens tend to prefer asking people for help, increasingly they access digital resources because of the Internet’s availability, affordability, and anonymity. Teen health information interests vary by age, gender, social situation, and motivation. This paper discusses several issues about how teens access and seek that information, how teens use technology for seeking health information, and offers recommendations to insure optimal library services to address health information needs of all teens.
Impacts of star-rated hotel expansion on inbound tourism development: evidence from China

ABSTRACT This article applies heterogeneous firm trade theory, developed for the manufacturing sector, to the hotel and tourism industry to detect expansion among star-rated hotels in the context of inbound tourism development at the macro level. This article adopts both a traditional ordinary least squares (OLS) panel model and a threshold panel model using data from 31 administrative regions (provinces) in China during the 2004–2013 period. The results reveal remarkable and significant nonlinear relationships between star-rated hotel expansion and inbound tourism development, thereby offering sound evidence supporting the research hypotheses. Star-rated hotel expansion in most provinces clusters in the standardized threshold between 0.48 and 0.83, while only a few hotels have realized ‘leapfrog development’ thus far. In addition, as in the particular case of star-rated hotels, inbound tourism development should be promoted through investments in human resources rather than through the exploitation of natural tourism resource endowments. The implications of our results are that rational development plans can be made according to different expansion levels of star-rated hotels in corresponding regions, when both hotel labour productivity and macro tourism environment are considered.
Information Technology Relatedness, Knowledge Management Capability, and Performance of Multibusiness Firms

Business value of information technology is an enduring research question. The elusive link between IT and financial firm performance calls for further research into intermediate organizational variables through which IT may influence firm performance. This study proposes that knowledge management (KM) is a critical organizational capability through which IT influences firm performance. In the context of multibusiness firms, the study examines how the IT resources of a firm should be organized and managed to enhance the firm's KM capability, and whether and how KM capability influences firm performance. The study develops two hypothesizes: (1) IT relatedness of the firm's business units enhances cross-unit KM capability; (2) KM capability, in turn, leads to superior firm performance. Data from 250 Fortune 1000 firms provide empirical support for these hypotheses. IT relatedness of business units enhances the cross-unit KM capability of the firm. The KM capability creates and exploits cross-unit synergies from the product, customer, and managerial knowledge resources of the firm. These synergies increase the financial performance of the firm. IT relatedness also has significant indirect effects on firm performance through the mediation of KM capability.
The Bacterial Quorum-Sensing Signal Molecule N-3-Oxo-Dodecanoyl-l-Homoserine Lactone Reciprocally Modulates Pro- and Anti-Inflammatory Cytokines in Activated Macrophages

The bacterial molecule N-3-oxo-dodecanoyl-l-homoserine lactone (C12) has critical roles in both interbacterial communication and interkingdom signaling. The ability of C12 to downregulate production of the key proinflammatory cytokine TNF-α in stimulated macrophages was suggested to contribute to the establishment of chronic infections by opportunistic Gram-negative bacteria, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We show that, in contrast to TNF-α suppression, C12 amplifies production of the major anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in LPS-stimulated murine RAW264.7 macrophages, as well as peritoneal macrophages. Furthermore, C12 increased IL-10 mRNA levels and IL-10 promoter reporter activity in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages, indicating that C12 modulates IL-10 expression at the transcriptional level. Finally, C12 substantially potentiated LPS-stimulated NF-κB DNA-binding levels and prolonged p38 MAPK phosphorylation in RAW264.7 macrophages, suggesting that increased transcriptional activity of NF-κB and/or p38-activated transcription factors serves to upregulate IL-10 production in macrophages exposed to both LPS and C12. These findings reveal another part of the complex array of host transitions through which opportunistic bacteria downregulate immune responses to flourish and establish a chronic infection.
Bioconversion of hemicellulose: Aspects of hemicellulase production by Trichoderma reesei QM 9414 and enzymic saccharification of hemicellulose

The growth of Trichoderma reesei QM9414 in shake flasks at 28°C on hemicellulose substrates and bagasse resulted in rather low yields of hemicellulolytic enzymes (1.0–1.5 units/mL xylanase and 0.05–0.08 units/mL β‐xylosidase). The influence of pH on the synthesis of β‐xylosidase was greater than on the synthesis of xylanase. Both xylanase and β‐xylosidase showed optimal activity at pH 4–5 and 55–60°C. Xylanase was stable at pH 2–10 but was heat labile and totally inactivated after 1 h at 65°C. Enzyme stability towards heat could be increased in the presence of bovine serum albumin. The β‐xylosidase was more tolerant to heat, but stable over a pH range 2.5–6.0. The D‐xylose inhibited both enzymes in a competitive manner. Hemicellulose (heteroxylan) was degraded to the extent of 30–40%within 24 h. The degree of hydrolysis decreased as the substrate concentration increased and increased with increased amounts of enzyme. Multiple enzyme doses resulted in increased saccharification in reduced times. The degree of hydrolysis was influenced by the amount of β‐xylosidase present in the hemicellulolytic enzyme preparation. The ‐;xylosidase was demonstrated to play an important role in the overall conversion of heteroxylan into xylose that is analogous to the role of β‐glucosidase in the saccharification of cellulose by cellulases.
Clinicians' perceptions of how burnout affects their work.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this mixed-methods study was to identify ways that professional burnout may affect clinical work and consumer outcomes. METHODS Clinicians (N=120) participating in a burnout intervention trial completed a survey before the intervention, rating their level of burnout and answering open-ended questions about how burnout may affect their work. Responses were analyzed with team-based content analysis. RESULTS Clinicians reported specific ways that burnout affects work, including empathy, communication, therapeutic alliance, and consumer engagement. Clinicians acknowledged negative impacts on outcomes, although few consumer outcomes were specified. Clinicians with higher levels of depersonalization were more likely to report that burnout affects how staff work with consumers (r=.21, p<.05); however, emotionally exhausted clinicians were less likely to report an impact on consumer outcomes (r=-.24, p=.01). CONCLUSIONS Reducing professional burnout may have secondary gains in improving quality of services and consumer outcomes; findings point to specific aspects of care and outcome domains that could be targeted.
Use of standard Webcam and Internet equipment for telepsychiatry treatment of depression among underserved Hispanics.

OBJECTIVE Depression affects nearly one in five Americans at some time in their life, causing individual suffering and financial cost. The Internet has made it possible to deliver telemedicine care economically to areas and populations with limited access to specialist or culturally and linguistically congruent care. METHODS This study compared the effectiveness for Hispanic patients of depression treatment provided by a psychiatrist through Internet videoconferencing (Webcam intervention) and treatment as usual by a primary care provider. Adults (N=167) with a diagnosis of depression were recruited from a community clinic and were randomly assigned to treatment condition. Webcam participants met remotely each month with the psychiatrist, and treatment-as-usual patients received customary care from their primary care providers, all for six months. At baseline and three and six months, analyses of variance tested differences between conditions in scores on depression rating scales and quality-of-life and functional ability measures. RESULTS All participants experienced an improvement in depression symptoms. Ratings on the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale by clinicians blind to treatment group and self-ratings on the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire, Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire, and Sheehan Disability Scale showed a significant main effect of time. On all four measures, a significant interaction of time by intervention favoring the Webcam group was noted. DISCUSSION Results suggest that telepsychiatry delivered through the Internet utilizing commercially available domestic Webcams and standard Internet and computer equipment is effective and acceptable. Use of this technology may help close the gap in access to culturally and linguistically congruent specialists.
Patterns of marine bacterioplankton biodiversity in the surface waters of the Scotia Arc, Southern Ocean.

Spatial patchiness in marine surface bacterioplankton populations was investigated in the Southern Ocean, where the Antarctic Circumpolar Current meets the islands of the Scotia Arc and is subjected to terrestrial input, upwelling of nutrients and seasonal phytoplankton blooms. Total bacterioplankton population density, group-specific taxonomic distribution and six of eight dominant members of the bacterioplankton community were found to be consistent across 18 nearshore sites at eight locations around the Scotia Arc. Results from seven independent 16S rRNA gene clone libraries (1223 sequences in total) and fluorescent in situ hybridization suggested that microbial assemblages were predominantly homogeneous between Scotia Arc sites, where the Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria and the Cytophaga-Flavobacterium-Bacteroidetes cluster were the dominant bacterial groups. Of the 1223 useable sequences generated, 1087 (89%) shared ≥ 97% similarity with marine microorganisms and 331 (27%) matched published sequences previously detected in permanently cold Arctic and Antarctic marine environments. Taken together, results suggest that the dominant bacterioplankton groups are consistent between locations, but significant differences may be detected across the rare biodiversity.
Some Fundamentals of Environmental Choice Modelling

i 1. BACKGROUND 1 2. WHAT IS ENVIRONMENTAL CHOICE MODELLING? 2 3. ESTABLISHING THE ISSUE 4 4. DEFINING THE RESEARCH DESIGN 5 5. DEFINING THE ATTRIBUTES 6 6. DEFINING THE LEVELS 7 7. DESIGNING THE QUESTIONNAIRE 9 7.1 An introduction 9 7.2 Framing 9 7.3 Statement of the issue 10 7.4 Statement of a potential solution 10 7.5 Introducing the choice sets 12 7.6 The choice sets 12 7.7 Follow up questions 13 7.8 Socio-economic and attitudinal data collection 13 8. COMPILING THE EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN 13 9. SURVEYING THE RESPONDENTS 15 10. PREPARING AND ANALYSING THE DATA 15 11. ANALYSING THE RESULTS 17 11.1 Part worths 17 11.2 Economic surplus 18 11.3 Market shares 20 12. CONCLUSIONS 20 REFERENCES 21 List of Boxes and Tables Box 1: Non-market valuation techniques 1 Box 2: A typical Contingent Valuation Method question 2 Box 3: A Choice Modelling Choice Set 4 Box 4: Defining the status quo 5 Box 5: Value definition 5 Box 6: Research questions 6 Box 7: Focus groups 7 Box 8: Causally prior attributes 7 Box 9: The presentation of attribute levels 9 Box 10: Framing strategies 10 Box 11: Bias 11 Box 12: Rates and taxes 11 Box 13: Labelled vs generic choice sets 12 Table 1: A full factorial 14 Box 14: Implicit price estimates 18 Box 15: Surplus estimates 19
Fuel poverty in the European Union : a multi-methods study

Fuel poverty is an issue that is growing in both recognition and prevalence across Europe, and has been identified as a policy priority by several European Union (EU) institutions, including the European Commission. However, little is known about the historical processes that have led to the adoption of current policy, nor what the nature of discourse has been with regard to defining and measuring fuel poverty. Furthermore, there remains a significant gap in knowledge concerning the incidence and intensity of fuel poverty issues at the household-level across the EU. The main purpose of this thesis is to contribute to an improved understanding of fuel poverty as a policy problem in the EU. It first presents a qualitative analysis of 44 policy documents spanning 2003 to 2014, to determine the extent to which the EU acknowledges fuel poverty, and the existing policy mandates for defining and measuring fuel poverty. Subsequently, a household-level composite index is introduced, based on survey microdata from 2007 to 2011. The remainder of the thesis presents analyses of EU fuel poverty using the new measurement tool. This thesis makes an original contribution to knowledge in two key ways. Firstly, it establishes the central role of institutions in shaping fuel poverty policy over time since the term first emerged in a policy document over a decade earlier. This analysis reveals that there is substantial desire among many EU institutions for quantitative assessments of fuel poverty, which has not been addressed thus far. The second contribution to knowledge is a demonstration of the pervasive and enduring nature of fuel poverty in Europe via a new pan-EU composite index. Based on the results, two key recommendations are made: firstly, an operational pan-EU definition of fuel poverty should be created; and secondly, data collection should be radically overhauled.
Helicobacter pylori Infection and Chronic Gastritis: Clinical, Serological, and Histologic Correlations in Children Treated with Amoxicillin and Colloidal Bismuth Subcitrate

Twenty-three children with Helicobacter (Campylobacter) pylori-associated chronic gastritis are reported. Family history of peptic disease, previous digestive procedures, and nonspecific epigastric pain were the most frequently encountered clinical features. Antral nodularity at endoscopy and histologic evidence of follicular gastritis were characteristic morphological aspects. Rapid urease tests suggested the diagnosis in 90% of patients. Significant increases of serum IgG and IgA against Helicobacter pylori allowed the identification of infected children with 95% cumulative sensitivity. Treatment with amoxicillin and bismuth subcitrate eradicated the infection and improved gastritis in 13 of 19 children. These findings provide further evidence for the etiologic role of Helicobacter pylori in chronic antral gastritis in children.