Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Factors Associated with High Mortality of Gastric Adenocarcinoma in Thailand Versus Japan

Background and aim: Thailand and Japan have high prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection but prevalence of gastric cancer and mortality rate are difference. Most international comparative studies are epidemiologic studies and the difference in actual clinicopathological data has not been clarified. This study aimed to investigate the difference in clinicopathological characteristics of gastric adenocarcinoma between Thailand and Japan.Methods: This retrospective study was conducted in two high-volume hospitals for gastric cancer in Thailand and Japan. Baseline characteristics, clinical manifestations, tumor characteristics, treatments and mortality rate of gastric cancer patients in the two institutions were examined.Results: A total of 403 Thai and 2,318 Japanese patients were retrieved from the electronic database. Finally, 332 Thai and 414 Japanese patients (randomly sampled) with gastric adenocarcinoma were eligible for analysis. Thai gastric adenocarcinoma patients were significantly younger than the Japanese (59 ± 13 vs. 68 ±10 years old, p<0.001) and the majority of Thai patients were female (55% vs. 25%, p<0.001). The rate of smoking (5.1% vs. 23%, p<0.001) and alcohol drinking (2.7% vs. 34%, p<0.001) were lower in Thai patients when compared with those in Japanese. The mortality rate at the conclusion of this study (July 2016) was significantly higher in Thai patients (75.3% vs. 7%, p<0.001). In multivariate analysis, ethnicity, clinical UICC stage II-IV compared to I, and resection-based treatment were significant prognostic factors after adjusting for age, gender, presence of alarm symptom, lesion extension and histology.Conclusion: Thai patients with gastric adenocarcinoma were different from Japanese patients in all aspects. Advanced stage of disease, country, and un-resected tumor were associated with poor prognosis. An individual strategy to improve survival of gastric adenocarcinoma in a low-prevalence area such as Thailand should be explored.
EVALUATION OF DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS AND FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH POISONING IN CHILDREN ATTENDING THE KOODAKAN HOSPITAL OF BANDAR ABBAS

Background: Poisoning is a major public health problem and is still one of the most common causes of hospitalization and treatment of patients in emergency wards. Poisoning in children is also one of the most important concerns of societies that mostly occurs incidental. Objective: The goal of this study was to identify the demographic characteristics and factors associated with poisoning in children. Methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional descriptive-analytic study, all files on patients diagnosed with poisoning, and hospitalized from the start of 2006 to the end of 2011 were reviewed. The required data were extracted from the collected information according to the designed checklists (which were extracted confidentially and without the use of their names or family name after approval from Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences), and were used to complete them. Each checklist was specified with its own special code. Finally, IBM SPSS statistics software 22, descriptive statistical tests (means, standard deviations, frequencies), and analytic statistical tests such as Chi-square and independent samples T-test were used to analyze the data. Results: The hospitalized children consisted of 272 (44.6%) girls and 338 (55.4%) boys with the average age of 37.7±30.05 months. In 517 (85.6%) of the cases, poisoning was accidental, 95.2% of the patients (577 cases) had no history of poisoning, and 84.8% (518 patients) had never been outpatients before their hospitalization nor had they received any healthcare. The average interval between occurrence of poisoning and transfer to hospital was 4.76±4.36 hours. The most common clinical symptom in these patients (57.1%) was low level of consciousness, the mean length of hospitalization was 2.09±1.32 days, and there were 7 (1.1%) cases of death. The most common cause of poisoning (54.1%) was drugs, and the majority of poisoning cases (29.7%) happened in autumn. There were no differences between the genders except in the number of poisoning cases in various seasons (p=0.02). Conclusion: Poisoning is one of the common causes of children going to the Children’s Hospital in Bandar Abbas and being hospitalized there. Considering the high number of accidental poisoning cases, the need for greater knowledge of parents regarding prevention of poisoning is increasingly felt.
Investigation of Soybean Cyst Nematode Heterodera Glycines Type and Evaluation of Resistance on Soybean Varieties and Germplasms in Korea

Soybean cyst nematode (Heterodera glycines Ichinohe) is one of the serious soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr. ] pests in major soybean producing countries. The objective of this study was to investigate of Heterodera glycines type using the five SCN infested soybean field soils and was to evaluate resistance to the soybean cyst nematode HG 2.5. 7 type on soybean varieties and germplasms. The five SCN contaminated soil samples were collected from the three provinces on November 2011 in Korea, and eggs were cultured on early spring season in 2012. For the second study, a total fifty nine soybean varieties and germplasms were tested by infestation of HG type 2.5. 7 in the greenhouse. Soybean cyst nematode HG types were investigated from five locations, HG 2 (race 1) type at Donghae, HG 2.5 (race 1) type at Jeongseon and Hapcheon, HG type 2.5. 7 (race 1 or 5) at Yeongwol, and HG 1.2. 7 (race 5) type at Haenam locations in present study. No Korean soybean varieties and germplasms were observed with SCN resistant trait to the HG type 2.5. 7. Average SCN female index were calculated with 82.7% in 59 plant materials. Our results could be provided useful information to develop a SCN resistant cultivar in Korea.
Teaching motor and emotional competencies in university students

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between motor and emotional competencies in physical education students produced by different sporting games classified into four domains of motor action (psychomotor, co-operation, opposition, and co-operation/ opposition). The sample was composed of 357 students (155 female and 202 male) from three universities: Barcelona and Lleida in Spain, and Coimbra in Portugal. Through a quasi-experimental study, the students indicated the intensity felt for thirteen positive, negative, and ambiguous emotions on a questionnaire after playing games. The 37,128 observations were analysed using a model based on generalised estimating equations (GEE), Gaussian family, identity link, and exchangeable correlation. The emotions varied notably between the sociomotor competencies (cooperation, opposition and cooperation/ opposition) and the psychomotor ones. This research confirmed the key role that games can play when it comes to teaching motor and emotional competencies to university students.
Productivity and Egg Quality of Two Commercial Layer Hybrids Kept in Free-Range System

The purpose of this study was to compare the performance and egg quality parameters of two layer hybrids (Lohmann Brown and Atak-S) which were reared in free-range system. The experiment was carried out with a total of 300 laying hens. From 18 to 50 weeks of age Lohmann Brown (LB) and Atak-S (AS) were housed in two groups of 150 hens in a poultry house with a stocking density of 7 hens/m2. The 2 trial groups were formed from 10 repetitions each consisting of 15 hens. At the 20, 30, 40 and 50 weeks of ages, the production performance and egg quality parameters were evaluated. Mean daily feed intake and feed efficiency through the trial were 111.2 g vs 124.3 g, and 2.46 vs 2.58 respectively for LB and AS hybrids (P
Effects of heat treatment on density, dimensional stability and color of Pinus nigra wood

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of heat treatment on some physical properties and color change of Pinus nigra wood which has high industrial use potential and large growing stocks in Turkey. Wood samples which comprised the material of the study were obtained from an industrial plant. Samples were subjected to heat treatment process of varying temperatures (190, 200, 212 and 225°C) and durations (60, 120 and 180 min). After these processes, density and swelling of the wood samples were tested in comparison with untreated ones. The results show that density decreased (2.57 to 12.6%) as treatment temperature and duration increased. Dimensional stability was improved (up to 66%) with the extent of the circumstances mainly depending on treatment temperature. Color became uniformly darker with increasing temperature and durations. Temperature had clearly greater influence on investigated properties than duration. Key words : Pinus nigra, heat treatment, temperature, color change.
Molecular detection of Clostridium perfringens type D alpha and epsilon toxin genes from various tissues in lambs.

Received: Revised: Accepted: December 13, 2012 May 25, 2013 June 05, 2013 Different tissues including duodenal scrapings, liver, lungs and kidneys of each infected (n=6) and control (n=4) lambs were subjected to PCR for the identification of alpha and epsilon toxin genes of Clostridium perfringens type D. Alpha and epsilon toxin genes were amplified at annealing temperature 52.2 and 50.2C with amplicon size about 247bp and 665bp, respectively. A high percentage of alpha toxin genes of C. perfringens type D were amplified from duodenal scrapings followed by liver, kidneys lungs in cultured broth while a low percentage was observed when PCR was attempted directly on these tissues without prior culturing in media. It was concluded that distribution of alpha and epsilon toxin genes varies in different organs being the highest in duodenal tissue and PCR is suitable assay for the typing of C. perfringens toxin genes. ©2013 PVJ. All rights reserved
Low Salt Diet Is Associated with the Prevention of Exacerbation in Patients with Relapsing Remitting MS

A marked increase in the incidence of autoimmune diseases in the past half-a-century has been observed. MS (multiple sclerosis) is one of the most common chronic immune-mediated inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system in young adults which is characterized by inflammatory demyelination and neurodegeneration with unpredictable effects lasting for the rest of their lives. The aim of the MS treatment is to prevent the demyelination and the reduction of axonal loss. Drugs approved for use in MS which reduce the frequency of exacerbations or slow disability progression are referred as DMDs (disease-modifying drugs). Additional treatments of MS include: dietary supplementation, herbal medicine intake, vitamin D3 and vitamin B supplementation and relaxation techniques. However, little is known about the environmental factors that directly influence Th17 cells. Increased salt (sodium chloride) concentrations found locally under physiological conditions in vivo markedly boost the induction of murine and human Th17 cells. Pathogenic IL-23-dependent Th17 cells have been shown to be critical for the development of EAE (experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis) along with some genetic risk factors.
Discussion Paper 2015-038 Conditional Systemic Risk with Penalized Copula

Financial contagion and systemic risk measures are commonly derived from conditional quantiles by using imposed model assumptions such as a linear parametrization. In this paper, we provide model free measures for contagion and systemic risk which are independent of the specification of conditional quantiles and simple to interpret. The proposed systemic risk measure relies on the contagion measure, whose tail behavior is theoretically studied. To emphasize contagion from extreme events, conditional quantiles are specified via hierarchical Archimedean copula. The parameters and structure of this copula are simultaneously estimated by imposing a non-concave penalty on the structure. Asymptotic properties of this sparse estimator are derived and small sample properties illustrated using simulations. We apply the proposed framework to investigate the interconnectedness between American, European and Australasian stock market indices, providing new and interesting insights into the relationship between systemic risk and contagion. In particular, our findings suggest that the systemic risk contribution from contagion in tail areas is typically lower during times of financial turmoil, while it can be significantly higher during periods of low volatility. JEL classification: C40, C46, C51, G1, G2
Throwing down the gauntlet : the challenge represented by current research in the fields of World Englishes and English as a Lingua Franca

This paper is based on insights gained at the International Association of World Englishes (IAWE) conferences which I had the privilege of attending in Vancouver and Melbourne in 2010 and 2011 and on research that I have conducted since 2010 in what was then a new field of study for me. The expression "throwing down the gauntlet" takes us back to a time when a knight would challenge an opponent to a duel by tossing one of his gauntlets (armoured gloves) onto the ground. If the opponent picked up the gauntlet, it meant that the challenge had been accepted. This paper employs this central metaphorical image and argues research in World Englishes (WE) and English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) offer challenges to which practitioners in TESOL (Teaching of English to Students of Other Languages) should respond. Metaphorically speaking, a challenge has been issued and a response is required.
A WASTED OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE WITH THE LITERATURE ON THE IMPLICATIONS OF ATTACHMENT RESEARCH FOR FAMILY COURT PROFESSIONALS

The Family Court Review Special Issue edited by McIntosh provided a misleadingly narrow view of attachment theory and of previous attempts to explore the implications of that theory and related research for family court professionals. For example, the editor chose to interview professionals whose opinions seemed likely to accord with hers, and when they dissented, she failed to explore the implications. She thus represented Bowlby’s notion of monotropy as though it was an established and accepted fact; neither the research (which shows the idea to be incorrect) nor Bowlby’s own later disavowal of the idea were addressed, although the implications are profound. More generally, the extensive relevant scholarship was ignored and unrepresented, leaving the unchallenged focus on the editor’s own research and on opinions that accord with her own. As a result, the Special Issue became a platform for opinion, rather than a forum for critical examination of the literature. Key Points for the Family Court Community:  Most children in two-parent families form attachments to both of their parents at the same stage in their development.  Relationships with both their mother and father profoundly affect children’s adjustment, whether or not they live together.  Professionals need to be careful when generalizing from research which may have involved families in circumstances quite unlike those experienced by the individuals they are trying to assist.
Seasonal variations in carbohydrate, protein, free amino acids and enzyme activities in three species of Marchantiaceae

This study provides information on the seasonal variations in storage compounds and enzyme activities related to these storage compounds in three species of the family Marchantiaceae: Marchantia palmata, M. nepalensis and Dumortiera hirsuta. Dumortiera hirsuta growing near water streams or hydric habitat shows higher carbohydrate as well as protein content and exhibits low seasonal changes as compared to M. palmata and M. nepalensis which grows in mesic conditions. In all the species the activity of (α-amylase, β-amylase and invertase were decreasing towards the end of the primary growth season due to carbohydrate accumulation in their thalli in this period. The relationship between protein and free amino acids (FAA) was found to be inverse. The activity of protease, which is associated with the metabolism of proteins, was noticed to peak in the rainy season.
MAGNETOSTRATIGRAPHIC CALIBRATION OF THE LATE OLIGOCENE CLIMATE TRANSITION 1

Magnetic polarity stratigraphy and stable isotope data from Ocean Drilling Program Leg 202 Core 202-1237B-31H allow calibration of the late Oligocene climate transition to the geomagnetic polarity timescale (GTS 2004). Oxygen isotope (δ18O) values in the benthic foraminifer Cibicidoides mundulus decrease from ~2.20‰ in upper Chron 9n (Oi2b) to ~1.90‰ in upper Chron 8r. The mean decrease is smaller than suggested by a recent compilation of benthic foraminifer δ18O records. The decrease occurs in three steps from 323 to 321 meters composite depth (mcd) within Chron 8r (27.027–26.554 Ma), and is here termed the “Chron 8r δ18O shift. ” Linear interpolation within Chron 8r estimates an age of 26.35 Ma for the final decrease to lower values marking initiation of the late Oligocene climatic optimum. The initial decrease at ~26.7 Ma is closely associated with the last occurrence of Paragloborotalia opima (P21/P22 planktonic foraminifer zonal boundary) between 322.51 and 322.76 mcd in lowermost Chron 8r. This study is a modest step toward an integrated magnetic polarity and astronomical chronostratigraphy for the late Oligocene based on Site 1237.
Fast Covariance Estimation for Innovations Computed from a Spatial Gibbs Point Process

In this paper, we derive an exact formula for the covariance of two innovations computed from a spatial Gibbs point process and suggest a fast method for estimating this covariance. We show how this methodology can be used to estimate the asymptotic covariance matrix of the maximum pseudo‐likelihood estimator of the parameters of a spatial Gibbs point process model. This allows us to construct asymptotic confidence intervals for the parameters. We illustrate the efficiency of our procedure in a simulation study for several classical parametric models. The procedure is implemented in the statistical software R, and it is included in spatstat, which is an R package for analyzing spatial point patterns.
H/V ratio: a tool for site effects evaluation. Results from 1-D noise simulations

SUMMARY Ambient vibration techniques such as the H/V method may have the potential to significantly contribute to site effect evaluation, particularly in urban areas. Previous studies interpret the so-called Nakamura’s technique in relation to the ellipticity ratio of Rayleigh waves, which, for a high enough impedance contrast, exhibits a pronounced peak close to the fundamental S-wave resonance frequency. Within the European SESAME project (Site EffectS assessment using AMbient Excitations) this interpretation has been tested through noise numerical simulation under well-controlled conditions in terms of source type and distribution and propagation structure. We will present simulations for a simple realistic site (one sedimentary layer over bedrock) characterized by a rather high impedance contrast and low quality factor. Careful H/V and array analysis on these noise synthetics allow an in-depth investigation of the link between H/V ratio peaks and the noise wavefield composition for the soil model considered here: (1) when sources are near (4 to 50 times the layer thickness) and surficial, H/V curves exhibit one single peak, while the array analysis shows that the wavefield is dominated by Rayleigh waves; (2) when sources are distant (more than 50 times the layer thickness) and located inside the sedimentary layer, two peaks show up on the H/V curve, while the array analysis indicates both Rayleigh waves and strong S head waves; the first peak is due to both fundamental Rayleigh waves and resonance of head S waves, the second is only due to the resonance of head S waves; (3) when sources are deep (located inside the bedrock), whatever their distance, H/V ratio exhibit peaks at the fundamental and harmonic resonance frequencies, while array analyses indicate only non-dispersive body waves; the H/V is thus simply due to multiple reflections of S waves within the layer. Therefore, considering that experimental H/V ratio (i.e. derived from actual noise measured in the field) exhibit in most cases only one peak, we conclude that H/V ratio is (1) mainly controlled by local surface sources, (2) mainly due to the ellipticity of the fundamental Rayleigh waves. Then the amplitude of H/V peak is not able to give a good estimate of site amplification factor.
How to Use One Instrument to Identify Two Elasticities

We show that an insight from taxation theory allows identification of both the supply and demand elasticities with only one instrument. Ramsey (1928) and subsequent models of taxation assume that a tax levied on the demand side only affects demand through the price after taxation. Econometrically, we show that this assumption functions as an additional exclusion restriction. Under the Ramsey Exclusion Restriction (RER) a tax reform can serve to simultaneously identify elasticities of supply and demand. We develop a TSLS estimator for both elasticities, a test to assess instrument strength and a test for the RER. Our result extends to a supply-demand system with J goods, and a setting with supply-side or non-linear taxes. Further, we show that key results in the sufficient statistics literature rely on the RER. One example is Harberger’s formula for the excess burden of a tax. We apply our method to the Norwegian labor market.
Handling default risks in microfinance: the case of Bangladesh

Purpose This paper aims to identify incidences of default risks in microfinance. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were conducted with individual borrowers in Grameen Bank. Upon completing the interview session from 40 respondents, the results of the interviews are interpreted by a comprehensive content analysis. Findings This study identifies the incidences of defaults in microfinance, which are post-disbursement monitoring, technical assistance, inexperienced field workers, weekly payment, accessible database, family member illness, hiding business, lack of motivation and over-stretched financial commitments. Among these incidences, the findings indicate that post-disbursement supervision is highly relevant in ensuring the success of microfinance because 80 per cent of the recipients of microfinance are illiterate women. Originality/value This study would be helpful for the investment companies, financial institutions, creditors and borrowers of microfinance. The financial institutions and investment companies need to identify borrower capacity and any obligation that may impede with repayment. It may help them to maximize returns on profit and minimize the risk of losses which contribute to economic growth.