Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mucinous carcinoma of the rectum

We have studied and compared 316 mucinous and 45 signet ring cell carcinomas of the rectum with 413 non‐mucinous carcinomas. Mucinous carcinomas were subdivided according to the amount of mucus which was gauged subjectively as either more or less than 75% of the tumour volume. Five year survivals for non‐mucinous, mucinous (<75%), mucinous (>75%) and signet ring cell carcinoma were 62%, 60%, 53% and 13%. Mucinous carcinomas (<75%) were relatively well differentiated and showed an age distribution identical to their non‐mucinous counterparts, but differed in their strong association with villous adenoma. Mucinous carcinomas (>75%) were less well differentiated and, like signet ring cell carcinomas, occurred in younger patients and showed no special association with villous adenoma. Clinically important and independent predictive variables were found by the method of multivariate regression analysis to be number of lymph node metastases, extent of spread in continuity, character of invasive margin and peritumoural lymphocytic infiltration. After adjustment for these factors, typing of rectal cancer as mucinous, non‐mucinous and signet ring cell gave no additional, clinically useful prognostic information.
How to Display Competence in Times of Crisis

I n recent years, U.S. newspapers and television news broadcasts have almost daily featured some company in crisis. Images of embattled companies and their leaders have become commonplace. The crises have ranged from corporate fraud in accounting procedures to allegations of widespread sexual harassment or discrimination. In almost all cases, the leaders of these companies are caught off guard, yet with the world watching, they are expected to say (and do) something to manage the situation. The consequences to a firm’s reputation from mishandling a corporate crisis can linger for decades. We want to emphasize that it is often the (mis)handling of crises, not the crisis itself, that can have the most consequences – positive and negative – for a firm. What differentiates those firms that thrive following a crisis from those that do not is the leadership displayed throughout the process. Consider, for example, how most people continue to hold Johnson and Johnson (J&J) as the standard for how to effectively manage a crisis situation, based on the company’s response when cyanide-laced Tylenol tablets caused numerous deaths in Chicago in the early 1980s. To this day, the popular press consistently rates J&J as one of America’s top companies, despite a crisis situation that could have adversely affected consumer trust and firm performance. Contrast J&J’s corporate image with the negative view that many people still harbor for Exxon Corp. 15 years after an accident where the oil tanker Valdez precipitated one of this nation’s most extensive oil spills. Unlike the Tylenol scare at J&J, no one died from the oil spill, but Exxon (now ExxonMobil) was and is heavily criticized for both the accident and its handling of it. Consequently, and despite its unequivocal corporate success in the oil and gas industry, the Exxon brand suffered severe damage to its reputation. For numerous reasons, the comparison between J&J and Exxon is essentially one comparing apples to oranges. Johnson and Johnson was the victim of product tampering. In other words, the crisis was perceived to be beyond its control. So although J&J’s corporate culture and leadership significantly contributed to creating a successful outcome to a tragic situation, stakeholders were sympathetic to the organization and its leadership because of the company’s victim status in the crisis. Conversely, with the Valdez accident, circumstances were such that the public placed fault on Exxon employees and management for the crisis. As research has shown, it is difficult to recover when the organization and its leadership are blamed for a crisis, regardless of the response strategy employed by the firm for resolving the situation. Our point is that one cannot overstate the notion that crisis situations and the
Mobile Based Information Communication Interactions among Major Agriculture Stakeholders: Sri Lankan Experience

This study explores the status of mobile usage among the agriculture community in the North‐Central province of Sri Lanka in relation to interactions with major agriculture stakeholders. The objectives of the study were to study the factors affecting the mobile use by farmers, farmers' willingness to receive agricultural information through mobile communication technology, and awareness on mobile based agriculture information systems. Primary data were collected at two stages using two structured interview schedules (N=390, n=65). According to the findings the access to mobile phone was considerable higher among the study group while age and education had an effect on using a mobile phone. Only a few farmers have yet started using them efficiently for agriculture and other commercial purposes. A considerable number of farmers used the mobile phones to contact input suppliers, buyers, agriculture extension officers and other farmers in the area, mostly those who represent community based organizations.
RECEDING HORIZON LINEAR QUADRATIC CONTROL WITH FINITE INPUT CONSTRAINT SETS

Abstract By exploring the geometry of the underlying constrained optimization, a finitely parameterized solution to the discrete time receding horizon linear quadratic control problem with a finite input constraint set is obtained. The resulting controller gives rise to a closed loop system which is piece-wise affine in the plant state. The switching regions are polytopes and are related to those obtained when dealing with ξ (saturation-like) constraint sets.
The Accuracy of the Computation of Optical Flow and of the Recovery of Motion Parameters

The accuracy and the dependence on parameters of a general scheme for the analysis of time-varying image sequences are discussed. The approach is able to produce vector fields from which it is possible to recover 3-D motion parameters such as time-to-collision and angular velocity. The numerical stability of the computed optical flow and the dependence of the recovery of 3-D motion parameters on spatial and temporal filtering is investigated. By considering optical flows computed on subsampled images or along single scanlines, it is also possible to recover 3-D motion parameters from reduced optical flows. An adequate estimate of time-to-collision can be obtained from sequences of images with spatial resolution reduced to 128*128 pixels or from sequences of single scanlines passing near the focus of expansion. The use of Kalman filtering increases the accuracy and the robustness of the estimation of motion parameters. The proposed approach seems to be able to provide not only a theoretical background but also practical tools that are adequate for the analysis of time-varying image sequences. >
Trade, market integration and spatial price transmission on EU pork markets following Eastern enlargement

The accession of ten countries to the EU in May 2004, and of Bulgaria and Romania in January 2007, eliminated barriers to trade between old and new, and among new member states. We analyse the effects of this accession on the integration of pork markets in the EU. Our results show that the speed of price transmission is positively related to the volume of pork trade between two countries. Our results also reveal that intra-regional price transmission between old or between new member states is more rapid than inter-regional price transmission between old and new member states, and that producer prices in the new member states adjust more rapidly to price changes in the old member states than vice versa. Price transmission is also more rapid between Euro-zone members and member states that share a common border. Finally, our results show that the strengths of these effects have changed in predictable ways in the years since accession took place, as a single, increasingly integrated European pork market has evolved.
"What can i help you with?": infrequent users' experiences of intelligent personal assistants

Intelligent Personal Assistants (IPAs) are widely available on devices such as smartphones. However, most people do not use them regularly. Previous research has studied the experiences of frequent IPA users. Using qualitative methods we explore the experience of infrequent users: people who have tried IPAs, but choose not to use them regularly. Unsurprisingly infrequent users share some of the experiences of frequent users, e.g. frustration at limitations on fully hands-free interaction. Significant points of contrast and previously unidentified concerns also emerge. Cultural norms and social embarrassment take on added significance for infrequent users. Humanness of IPAs sparked comparisons with human assistants, juxtaposing their limitations. Most importantly, significant concerns emerged around privacy, monetization, data permanency and transparency. Drawing on these findings we discuss key challenges, including: designing for interruptability; reconsideration of the human metaphor; issues of trust and data ownership. Addressing these challenges may lead to more widespread IPA use.
Cross‐linking density alters early metabolic activities in chondrocytes encapsulated in poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogels and cultured in the rotating wall vessel

In designing a tissue engineering strategy for cartilage repair, selection of both the bioreactor, and scaffold is important to the development of a mechanically functional tissue. The hydrodynamic environment associated with many bioreactors enhances nutrient transport, but also introduces fluid shear stress, which may influence cellular response. This study examined the combined effects of hydrogel cross‐linking and the hydrodynamic environment on early chondrocyte response. Specifically, chondrocytes were encapsulated in poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogels having two different cross‐linked structures, corresponding to a low and high cross‐linking density. Both cross‐linked gels yielded high water contents (92% and 79%, respectively) and mesh sizes of 150 and 60 Å respectively. Cell‐laden PEG hydrogels were cultured in rotating wall vessels (RWV) or under static cultures for up to 5 days. Rotating cultures yielded low fluid shear stresses (≤0.11 Pa) at the hydrogel periphery indicating a laminar hydrodynamic environment. Chondrocyte response was measured through total DNA content, total nitric oxide (NO) production, and matrix deposition for glycosaminoglycans (GAG). In static cultures, gel cross‐linking had no effect on DNA content, NO production, or GAG production; although GAG production increased with culture time for both cross‐linked gels. In rotating cultures, DNA content increased, NO production decreased, and overall GAG production decreased when compared to static controls for the low cross‐linked gels. For the high cross‐linked gels, the hydrodynamic environment had no effect on DNA content, but exhibited similar results to the low cross‐linked gel for NO production, and matrix production. Our findings demonstrated that at early culture times, when there is limited matrix production, the hydrodynamic environment dramatically influences cell response in a manner dependent on the gel cross‐linking, which may impact long‐term tissue development. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2009;102: 1242–1250. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Attitudes and Purchase Intention Towards Counterfeiting Luxurious Fashion Products in Vietnam

The research aims to analyze factors affecting the attitudes toward counterfeitingluxurious fashion products, and attitudes’ effect on the purchase intention of consumer. A survey was conducted with 585 individuals in Vietnam. The researchused the method of EFA, multiple regressionand testing differenceand found 06 factors, such as brand image, social influence, price-quality inferences, Integrity, novelty seeking, status consumption,influence to attitudes toward counterfeiting luxurious fashion product. A positive correlation between attitudes and intention of purchase counterfeiting luxurious fashion product was also found. In addition, the research figured out the difference between attitude and purchasing intention of the consumer in monthly income, genders andtypes of companies.
Crystal Structure of Activated CheY1 from Helicobacter pylori

ABSTRACT Chemotaxis is an important virulence factor for Helicobacter pylori colonization and infection. The chemotactic system of H. pylori is marked by the presence of multiple response regulators: CheY1, one CheY-like-containing CheA protein (CheAY2), and three CheV proteins. Recent studies have demonstrated that these molecules play unique roles in the chemotactic signal transduction mechanisms of H. pylori. Here we report the crystal structures of BeF3− -activated CheY1 from H. pylori resolved to 2.4 Å. Structural comparison of CheY1 with active-site residues of BeF3− -bound CheY from Escherichia coli and fluorescence quenching experiments revealed the importance of Thr84 in the phosphotransfer reaction. Complementation assays using various nonchemotactic E. coli mutants and pull-down experiments demonstrated that CheY1 displays differential association with the flagellar motor in E. coli. The structural rearrangement of helix 5 and the C-terminal loop in CheY1 provide a different interaction surface for FliM. On the other hand, interaction of the CheA-P2 domain with CheY1, but not with CheY2/CheV proteins, underlines the preferential recognition of CheY1 by CheA in the phosphotransfer reaction. Our results provide the first structural insight into the features of the H. pylori chemotactic system as a model for Epsilonproteobacteria.
Immunohistochemical analysis of the p16INK4 cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor in malignant mesothelioma.

BACKGROUND The identification in 1994 of the CDKN2 gene as a target for mutations in a wide range of human cancers, including malignant mesothelioma, has been controversial because subsequent studies have detected a lower frequency of CDKN2 gene mutations in primary tumors than in cultured cell lines. These reports raised the hypothesis that another gene, distinct from CDKN2, might be the target of the chromosome 9p21 deletions frequently observed in these tumors. PURPOSE To address whether inactivation of CDKN2 function is an essential event in the etiology of malignant mesothelioma, we examined p16INK4 protein expression in primary thoracic mesotheliomas, in nonmalignant pleural tissues, and in independent mesothelioma cell lines. We also studied the growth rate of tumor cell lines following stable transfection of CDKN2 gene. METHODS Retinoblastoma (Rb) and p16INK4 protein expression was determined by immunohistochemical analysis from archival paraffin specimens of 12 primary thoracic mesotheliomas and a nonmalignant pleural biopsy specimen. In addition, protein immunoblot analysis for Rb and p16INK4 expression was conducted on 15 independent mesothelioma cell lines, and the ability of a transfected CDKN2 gene to suppress the growth of the mesothelioma cell lines H2373 and H2461 in vitro was examined. RESULTS We demonstrated abnormal p16INK4 expression in 12 of 12 primary mesothelioma specimens and in 15 of 15 mesothelioma cell lines. All tumor specimens and the tumor cell lines showed expression of wild-type Rb protein. In addition, we have confirmed the ability of a transfected CDKN2 gene to suppress growth of two independent mesothelioma cell lines. CONCLUSIONS Immunohistochemical analysis of the p16INK4 gene product is feasible in archival biopsy samples. With this analysis, CDKN2 gene inactivation can be determined in tumors that are contaminated with nonmalignant cells. Furthermore, since loss of p16INK4 protein expression can result from both genetic (gene mutations) and epigenetic (abnormal DNA hypermethylation) mechanisms, as we and others have shown recently, examination of protein expression is a highly sensitive method for analyzing the CDKN2 status in large numbers of tumor samples. IMPLICATIONS This study suggests that inactivation of the CDKN2 gene is an essential step in the etiology of malignant mesotheliomas. Defining the role of the p16INK4:Rb tumor suppressor pathway and its immediate downstream substrates will be an important goal in designing future therapeutic strategies.
A case of herpes zoster with involvement of the urinary bladder.

SUMMARY 1 A case of herpes zoster is described in which the third and fourth sacral segments were involved on the left side, and in which an eruption on the left side of the bladder was accompained by retention of urine. 2 Thirteen other case reports have been reviewed in which bladder symptoms complicated sacral zoster. There appears to be an inverse relation between the severity of the bladder eruption and the incidence of retention of urine, and this may be explicable on the basis of variable spread of the virus within the nervous system.
The Determinants of Corporate Venture Capital Successes: Organizational Structure, Incentives, and Complementarities

We examine a sample of over thirty thousand transactions by corporate and other venture organizations. Corporate venture investments in entrepreneurial firms appear to be at least as successful (using such measures as the probability of the portfolio firm going public) as those backed by independent venture organizations, particularly when there is a strategic overlap between the corporate parent and the portfolio firm. While corporate vendue capitalists tend to invest at a premium to other firms, this premium appears to be no higher in investments with a strong strategic fit. Finally, corporate programs without a strong strategic focus appear to be much less stable, frequently ceasing operations after only a few investments, but strategically focused programs appear to be as stable as independent venture organizations. The evidence is consistent with the existence of complementarities that allow corporations to effectively select and add value to portfolio firms, but is somewhat at odds with suggestions that the structure of corporate venture funds limits their effectiveness.
Ventilatory drive at rest and perception of exertional dyspnea in severe COPD.

BACKGROUND The reasons for exertional dyspnea in severe COPD are not well established, but they are not solely related to the mechanical load. We tested the hypothesis that breathlessness may be determined, in part, by the response of an individual's central output. METHODS In 26 patients with severe COPD (FEV1 < 50% predicted) and 22 matched control subjects, we assessed at rest the ventilatory and mouth occlusion pressure (P0.1) response to hyperoxic progressive hypercapnia. At rest and during a symptom-limited exercise test, routine cardiopulmonary variables were measured, and respiratory muscle function was evaluated using esophageal and gastric pressure. Dyspnea was assessed with a visual analog scale. RESULTS Dyspnea with or without leg discomfort limited exercise in 73% of patients. Peak exercise dyspnea correlated only with dyspnea at rest (r = 0.5, p < 0.008) and P0.1 response to CO2 (deltaP0.1/delta[end-tidal PCO2]PETCO2) (r = 0.48, p = 0.02). Multiple regression analysis including resting and exercise data as independent variables revealed that 47% of the variance for dyspnea at peak exercise was explained by a model including dyspnea at rest and deltaP0.1/deltaPETCO2. Again, deltaP0.1/deltaPETCO2 was the only predictor for the change in dyspnea from rest to peak exercise (delta Dyspnea, r2 = 0.28, p = 0.005). There was no correlation between exercise dyspnea and any metabolic variable, pulmonary function, or respiratory muscle function test. CONCLUSION In severe COPD, exertional dyspnea is not simply related to respiratory muscle load or mechanical impairment, but also to an individual's central motoneural output to the respiratory system.
Shape-gain matrix quantizers for LPC speech

It has been recently demonstrated that the principles of vector quantization for LPC speech can be simply extended to encompass matrices of LPC vectors with significant savings in bit rate. Unfortunately, however, such locally optimal matrix quantizers have prohibitively high complexity and memory requirements when implemented in a speech vocoder at bit rates giving acceptable quality speech. One approach to solving the problem is to separately code gain and shape in the matrix quantizer. This paper generalizes the principles of shape-gain vector quantizer design for LPC speech to matrix quantization and investigates the properties of the resulting quantizers. In particular, we present a design which combines shape matrices consisting of N shape vectors with K-dimensional gain vectors, where N and K are small integers, in practice, with K \geq N . Experimental results show that with K, N \geq 3 , significant reductions in bit rate over locally optimal vector quantizers are obtained for comparable performance. Simulations indicate that a shape-gain matrix quantizer, using a 10 bit shape codebook and an 8 bit codebook with K = N = 3 operating at 6 bits/frame for the LPC model, gives speech quality comparable to a locally optimal vector quantizer at 9 bits/frame. The matrix quantizer has somewhat greater than 5.7 times the memory requirement of the above vector quantizer, but less than 2.1 times the complexity. Subjective tests show that the speech from this matrix quantizer is intelligible to native speakers of English.
Lewy Body Dementia – Diagnosis and Treatment

In the foreword to a volume entitled Recent Advances in Psychogeriatrics published in 1992, Tom Arie remarked upon the suddenappearanceof Lewy body dementia (LBD) on the clinical scene. A diagnosis not previously found in the long list of causes of dementia was apparently being proclaimed as possibly the second most common cause of dementia in the elderly. There has followed considerable debate as to how this new concept should be handled. Points of uncertainty or disagreement include whether or not precise neuropathological criteria of LBD have been established, and, if so, whether such patients have a distinguishable clinical syndrome. If LBD is identifiable ante-mortem, how should patients and their relatives be advised and what implications are there for management? At least part of the heterogeneity of opinion about LBD probably derives from the fact that patients may present in approximately equal numbers to old age psychiatry services (cognitive impairment, psychosis and behavioural disturbance), geriatric medicine (acute confusional states, syncope and falls), or neurological services (Parkinsonism). An authority from each of these specialities was therefore asked to write a brief review of the topic from their own particular perspective.