Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Intra-osseous jaw lesions in paediatric patients: a retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE This study was undertaken to comprehensively analyze the distribution of intra-osseous paediatric jaw lesions (0-16 years) and to correlate the same with the data which has been published in the literature. STUDY DESIGN A total of 171 hard tissue paediatric pathologies obtained from the archives of Department of Oral Pathology, Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences, India were retrospectively reviewed over a period of 6 years. All the cases were analyzed for gender, site, radiographic findings, histopathological diagnosis, treatment modality and recurrence rate. RESULTS The present study revealed 54/171 odontogenic cysts, 45/171 odontogenic tumours, 33/171 bone pathologies, 2 malignant tumours, 1 connective tissue pathology and 36/171 miscellaneous category cases. The highlights of this analysis showed a relatively higher incidence of odontogenic tumours (26.3%) as compared to those seen in other studies which have been published in literature. KCOT and ameloblastoma (solid and unicystic) were the most frequently diagnosed tumours. Also, one case of dentigerous cyst which was converted into calcifying ghost cell odontogenic tumour was a unique feature which was noted in the current study. CONCLUSION In the current study, a preponderance of odontogenic pathosis was seen in the paediatric age group which was studied.
Mean and Variance of Phylogenetic Trees.

We describe the use of the Fréchet mean and variance in the Billera-Holmes-Vogtmann (BHV) treespace to summarize and explore the diversity of a set of phylogenetic trees. We show that the Fréchet mean is comparable to other summary methods, and, despite its stickiness property, is more likely to be binary than the majority-rule consensus tree. We show that the Fréchet variance is faster and more precise than commonly used variance measures. The Fréchet mean and variance are more theoretically justified, and more robust, than previous estimates of this type, and can be estimated reasonably efficiently, providing a foundation for building more advanced statistical methods and leading to applications such as mean hypothesis testing and outlier detection.
Fibrosis and postoperative fistula of the pancreas: correlation with MR imaging findings--preliminary results.

PURPOSE To assess the potential value of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in evaluating pancreatic fibrosis and predicting the development of postoperative pancreatic fistula. MATERIALS AND METHODS This retrospective study had institutional review board approval, and the requirement for informed consent was waived. MR images obtained in 29 consecutive patients (15 men, 14 women; mean age, 64.9 years; age range, 21-80 years) who underwent pancreatectomy were evaluated. The pancreas-to-muscle signal intensity (SI) ratio on unenhanced T1- and T2-weighted, dynamic contrast material-enhanced, and diffusion-weighted images and the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of the pancreas were measured. MR imaging parameters were correlated with the degrees of pancreatic fibrosis and expression of activated pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) by using univariate and multivariate regression analyses and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. The relationships between the development of postoperative pancreatic fistula and the MR imaging measurements were examined by using logistic regression analysis and the Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS Multiple regression analysis showed that pancreas-to-muscle SI ratios on T1-weighted images and ADC values were independently associated with pancreatic fibrosis (r(2) = 0.66, P < . 001) and with activated PSC expression (r(2) = 0.67, P < . 001). The mean pancreas-to-muscle SI ratio (± standard deviation) on T1-weighted images was higher (P = .0029) for patients with postoperative pancreatic fistula (1.6 ± 0.2) than for those without (1.2 ± 0.2), and the odds ratio for postoperative pancreatic fistula was 21.3 in patients with an SI ratio of 1.41 and higher. CONCLUSION The pancreas-to-muscle SI ratio on T1-weighted MR images of the pancreas may be a potential biomarker for assessment of pancreatic fibrosis and prediction of postoperative pancreatic fistula.
Is informal normal? : towards more and better jobs in developing countries

Shoe shine workers in Cairo, street vendors in Calcutta, badly-paid public officials driving their taxis at night in the streets of Moscow: this is informal employment - jobs or activities in the production and marketing of legal goods and services that are not regulated or protected by the state. Over half the non-agricultural jobs in developing and emerging economies come into this category. In some regions, sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, for example, as many as 80 per cent of jobs are informal; in a few countries, it is even higher. The informal sector deprives states of revenues and workers of social protection. It also, however, frequently constitutes the most dynamic part of the economy and creates massive employment. Informal employment is ubiquitous and growing. The financial crisis that began in 2009 has made the management of informal employment even more challenging. Responding to this emerging challenge is critical, not only for the well-being of millions of workers but also for social development. This publication provides evidence for policy makers on how to deal with this issue of crucial importance for developing and developed countries alike.
Steel needles used for intravenous therapy. Morbidity in patients with hematologic malignancy.

We studied the morbidity associated with steel needles used for intravenous therapy in adults with hematologic malignancy. Of 148 needles, 52 (36.1%) produced local inflammation, increasing with placements exceeding 24 hours, use of dextrose-containing infusate or intravenous antibiotics, granulocytopenia, and local infection. Eight needles (5.4%) caused local infection and three (2.1%) caused septicemia. Of nine bacteremias occurring in the 43 study patients, none of the five caused by Gram-negative bacilli, but three of the four caused by staphylococci, originated from steel needles. Five of eight local infections and all septicemias occurred with placements exceeding 72 hours (P = .016); each patient with septicemia was granulocytopenic. Intravenous steel needles are a major source of morbidity in patients with granulocytopenia or who are otherwise immunologically compromised. The insertion site should be routinely rotated at least every three days. Nosocomial staphlococcal bacteremia in granulocytopenic patients is likely to be due to an intravenous needle or similar device used for vascular access.
Customer Relationship Management Functions: A Survey of Greek Bank Customer Satisfaction Perceptions

In a competitive and globalized banking era, customers constitute one of the most important and valuable assets of a bank. Banks’ technological developments are interpreted as the intensive use of information technology and facilitating massive collection of information and their direct and integral processing. The aim of this paper is to present Customer Relationship Management (CRM) functions, as applied in the banking sector, examined from a bank marketing point of view. The study was carried out in 2007 on a convenience sample of 300 respondents through the distribution of structured questionnaires to bank customers within the area of Athens, Greece. The main finding of the study reveals that a majority of customers are satisfied with their bank. Most bank customers believe that the use of new technologies helps their communication with banks. They trust the bank employees for obtaining information on the existing banking products and services, while for new programs, they prefer to choose alternative channels, such as the Internet, phone services, brochures and press releases. The Greek banking market has adopted CRM solutions in recent years, as banks have realized the need to maintain their customer base and to better use their resources in order to promote their products and services. In general, there is a positive attitude towards CRM.
Liquidity and Crises

Financial crises have been pervasive for many years. Their frequency in recent decades has been double that of the Bretton Woods Period (1945-1971) and the Gold Standard Era (1880-1993), comparable only to the period during the Great Depression. Nevertheless, the financial crisis that started in the summer of 2007 came as a great surprise to most people. What initially was seen as difficulties in the U.S. subprime mortgage market, rapidly escalated and spilled over first to financial markets and then to the real economy. The crisis changed the financial landscape worldwide and its full costs are yet to be evaluated. One important reason for the global impact of the 2007-2009 financial crisis was massive illiquidity in combination with an extreme exposure of many financial institutions to liquidity needs and market conditions. As a consequence, many financial instruments could not be traded anymore, investors ran on a variety of financial institutions particularly in wholesale markets, financial institutions and industrial firms started to sell assets at fire sale prices to raise cash, and central banks all over the world injected huge amounts of liquidity into financial systems. But what is liquidity and why is it so important for firms and financial institutions to command enough liquidity? This book brings together classic articles and recent contributions to this important field of research. It is divided into five parts. These are (i) liquidity and interbank markets; (ii) the public provision of liquidity and regulation; (iii) money, liquidity and asset prices; (iv) contagion effects; (v) financial crises and currency crises. The aim is to provide a comprehensive coverage of role of liquidity in financial crises.
The influence of social communication networks on intentions to purchase on the web

Despite the increased offering of online communication channels to support web-based retail systems, there is limited marketing research that investigates how these channels act singly, or in combination with online channels, to influence an individual' s intention to purchase online. If the marketer's strategy is to encourage online transactions, this requires a focus on consumer acceptance of the web-based transaction technology, rather than the purchase of the products per se. The exploratory study reported in this paper examines normative influences from referent groups in an individual's on and offline social communication networks that might affect their intention to use online transaction facilities. The findings suggest that for non-adopters, there is no normative influence from referents in either network. For adopters, one online and one offline referent norm positively influenced this group's intentions to use online transaction facilities. The implications of these findings are discussed together with future research directions.
Responses to Complex Erotic Stimuli in Homosexual and Heterosexual Males

The technique of measuring penile erection is the most valid assessment of sexual arousal in males (Zuckerman, 1971). The stimuli used during assessments of sexual preference with this technique have for the most part, been still or moving pictures of nude single females and males (Freund, 1963; McConaghy, 1967; Barlow, Becker, Leitenberg and Agras, 1970). Recently Abel, Barlow, Blanchard and Mavissakalian (in press) have shown that erotic films produce significantly greater penile circumference changes than either slides or audiotaped descriptions in homosexual males. Similarly, Sandford (1974) showed the superiority of films over slides in heterosexual males and suggested that sexual activity rather than nakedness per se may be the more important in producing sexual arousal. The main purpose of this study was to determine what sexual activities produce significantly different sexual responses in homosexual and heterosexual males.
The impact of myelination on axon sparing and locomotor function recovery in spinal cord injury assessed using diffusion tensor imaging

The dysmyelinated axons of shiverer mice exhibit impaired conduction characteristics, similar to early postnatal axons before myelination, whereas the patterns of neuronal activity and connectivity are relatively comparable with those of wild‐type myelinated axons. This unique dysmyelination pattern is exploited in the present study to determine the role of compact myelin in the loss and recovery of function following traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). We applied in vivo diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and post‐mortem immunohistochemistry analysis to examine changes in myelin and axonal integrity, and evaluated these changes in concert with the analysis of locomotor function from 1 to 4 weeks following a mid‐thoracic contusion injury in homozygous shiverer and heterozygous littermate mice. The DTI biomarkers, axial and radial diffusivities, are noninvasive indicators of axon and myelin integrity in response to SCI of both myelinated and dysmyelinated spinal cord. We show that myelin is critical for normal hind limb function in open field locomotion. However, when the functional outcome is limited during chronic SCI, the extent of recovery is associated with residual axonal integrity and independent of the extent of intact myelin at the lesion epicenter. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
ENDOTOXIN INDUCIBLE TRANSCRIPTION IS REPRESSED IN ENDOTOXIN TOLERANT CELLS

ABSTRACT Stimulation of the human promonocytic cell line, THP‐1, with endotoxin results in a rapid and transient increase in interleukin 1&bgr; expression. Endotoxin pretreatment of THP‐1 cells results in tolerance, characterized by decreased levels of endotoxin‐induced interleukin 1&bgr; expression due to decreased transcription of the interleukin 1&bgr; gene. We hypothesized that tolerant cells could not activate transcription factors necessary to express the interleukin 1&bgr; gene. This hypothesis was tested in tolerant THP‐1 cells by using stable and transiently transfected reporter genes containing the interleukin 1&bgr; promoter. We found decreased endotoxin‐induced transcription of all reporter genes tested; however, individual transcription factors, such as NF&kgr;B, retain normal, CD14‐dependent, nuclear translocation and DNA binding. Tolerance is specific for endotoxin, because phorbol ester is still able to activate transcription of the endogenous interleukin 1&bgr; gene and transfected reporter genes. A constitutively active reporter gene that is not inducible by endotoxin is unaffected. We further show that nuclear extracts of tolerant cells show transcription inhibitor activity that is specific for promoter sequences of the interleukin 1&bgr; gene. These results support a mechanism of endotoxin tolerance that is independent of transcription factor DNA binding and appears to be associated with the inability of DNA‐bound transcription factors to activate transcription, perhaps through the activity of a repressor.
Early-Phase Enhanced Inflammatory Reaction After Spinal Instrumentation Surgery

Study Design. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, white blood cell count, and body temperature were measured prospectively in patients after two types of spinal surgery without complications and three cases of infection after spinal instrumentation surgery. Objectives. To investigate the effects of instrumentation on postoperative inflammatory reaction, and to describe early detection of postoperative wound infection. Summary of Background Data. In thoracic and abdominal surgery as well as hip arthroplasty, C-reactive protein has proved more valuable than erythrocyte sedimentation rate for early detection of postoperative infectious complications. It has not yet been established, however, how inflammatory parameters change after surgery when spinal instruments have been inserted into the body. Methods. For this study, two groups of patients were examined: a control group that underwent spinal decompression surgery without instrumentation (n = 36) and another group that underwent spinal decompression and fusion surgery with spinal instrumentation (n = 37). The erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, white blood cell count, and body temperature were recorded 1 day before surgery and on days 0 to 4, 7, 11, 14, 21, 28, and 42 after surgery. Results. Inflammatory indexes (i.e., C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, white blood cell count, and body temperature) were significantly higher for the surgery with instrumentation than for the spinal decompression surgery without instrumentation. Multiple regression analysis showed that C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate peaks significantly correlated with the use of instrumentation (C-reactive protein:P = 0.000257, erythrocyte sedimentation rate:P = 0.000132). In the patients with infection after spinal instrumentation surgery, C-reactive protein, white blood cell count, and body temperature started to increase again 4 to 11 days after surgery. The elevation of erythrocyte sedimentation rate levels was prolonged. Conclusions. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein display a significantly higher reaction after spinal surgery with instrumentation. Renewed elevation of C-reactive protein, white blood cell count, and body temperature after postoperative days 4 to 7 may be a critical sign of postoperative infection.
Peak exercise cardiac power output; a direct indicator of cardiac function strongly predictive of prognosis in chronic heart failure.

OBJECTIVES This study assessed the prognostic value of peak cardiac power output, measured non-invasively during maximal cardiopulmonary exercise testing, against other exercise-derived haemodynamic variables in patients with chronic congestive heart failure. METHOD AND RESULTS Two hundred and nineteen unselected, consecutive patients with congestive heart failure (166 men, mean (+/-SD) age of 56+/-13 years) who underwent maximal symptom limited cardiopulmonary treadmill exercise testing with non-invasive estimation of cardiac output using carbon dioxide re-breathing techniques, were followed-up for a mean period of 4.64 (4.47--4.82, 95% CI) years. Cardiac power output was calculated from the product of cardiac output and mean arterial blood pressure. All cause mortality was 12.3% (27 deaths). Peak and resting cardiac power output, peak mean arterial blood pressure, peak and resting cardiac output and peak VO(2)were all predictive of outcome on univariate analyses. Peak cardiac power output, either entered continuously or categorically with a cut-off value of 1.96 watts, was the only independent predictor of mortality (P=0.0004 for values < or >1.96 watts and P=0.001 for continuous values) using multivariate analysis. A relative risk ratio of 5.08 (1.94-13.3, 95% CI) was obtained for a cardiac power output <1.96 watts. CONCLUSION Peak cardiac power output is an independent predictor of mortality that can be measured non-invasively using cardiopulmonary exercise testing. It can give further prognostic power to a peak VO(2)in the assessment of patients with congestive heart failure.
Incidence and nature of testicular toxicity findings in pharmaceutical development.

BACKGROUND Testicular toxicity (TT) is a sporadic and challenging issue in pharmaceutical drug development. Efforts to develop TT screening assays or biomarkers have been overshadowed by consortium efforts to predict drug-induced toxicities such as hepatic injury, which are encountered more frequently. METHODS To gauge the current state of the field and to prioritize future TT activities, the International Life Sciences Institute-Health and Environmental Sciences Institute Developmental and Reproductive Toxicology (DART) Technical Committee sponsored a survey to better understand the incidence and nature of TT findings encountered during drug development. RESULTS Highlights from the 16 survey respondents include: (1) Although preclinical TT was encountered relatively infrequently, half of the participants observed repeated problems with TT during pharmaceutical development, (2) despite control measures such as use of sexually mature animals to diminish confounding effects of spurious lesions, interpretation of TT remains a challenge, (3) "traditional" evaluation tools such as hormonal monitoring and newer approaches such as -omics are utilized to investigate testicular changes, and (4) an understanding of the risk and relevance of TT findings is achieved through joint consideration of factors such as species specificity, potential mode of action, and safety margins. CONCLUSIONS TT remains a relatively uncommon but persistent challenge in pharmaceutical development. Although current preclinical TT approaches appear to be effective in limiting the occurrence of pharmaceutical candidate attrition in clinical trials, improved biomarker or screening platforms would allow companies to identify TT at an earlier stage, thus decreasing the time and resources expended on safety evaluation of pharmaceutical candidates.
Exploration of the Associations Between Responses to Affective States and Psychopathology in Two Samples of People Confronted With the Loss of a Loved One

Abstract Adaptive regulation of positive and negative affect after the loss of a loved one may foster recovery. In two studies, using similar methods but different samples, we explored the association between positive (i.e., dampening and enhancing) and negative (i.e., rumination) affect regulation strategies and symptoms levels of postloss psychopathology. Study 1 used data from 187 people confronted with the death of a loved one. In study 2, the sample consisted of 134 relatives of long-term missing persons. Participants completed self-reports tapping prolonged grief, depression, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and affect regulation strategies. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that both negative and positive affect regulation strategies explained significant amounts of variance symptom levels in both samples. In line with previous work, our results suggest that negative and positive affect regulation strategies relate to postloss psychopathology. Future research should explore how both affect regulation strategies may adequately be addressed in treatment.
Sequential Patterns of Health Conditions and Financial Outcomes in Late Life: Evidence From the Health and Retirement Study

The cost and prevalence of chronic health conditions increase in late life and can negatively impact accumulated wealth. Based on the financial challenges midaged and older adults face, we sought to understand the evolution of distinctive sequences of chronic health conditions and how these sequences affect retirement savings. We used 10 waves of the Health and Retirement Study and tracked the health states and changes in wealth of 5,540 individuals. We identified five typical sequences of chronic health conditions, which are defined as follows: Multimorbidity, Comorbidity, Mild Disease, Late Event, and No Disease. Wealth accumulation differed across the five sequences. Multimorbidity and Comorbidity were the most costly sequences. Individuals with these health patterns, respectively, had $91,205 and $95,140, less net worth than respondents identified with No Disease. Our findings suggest policy makers consider sequential disease patterns when planning for the health-care needs and expenditures of older Americans.