Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Making decisions to limit treatment in life-limiting and life-threatening conditions in children: a framework for practice

It is now more than 18 years since the late Professor David Baum wrote the foreword to the first Withholding and Withdrawing Life Saving Treatment in Children document. Since then the practice of paediatrics has changed radically. We are now seeing increased survival rates for infants born between 22 and 25 weeks gestation, new gene therapies stretching the boundaries of possibility, and advances in paediatric surgical techniques unimaginable in the last millennium. Against this backdrop, we are in an era of ubiquitous access to the internet and widespread use of social media. Children, young people, their parents and carers have very different knowledge and expectations of a condition and its treatment. Children and young people rightly expect to be fully involved in decisions about their treatment options wherever this is feasible and we must be able to communicate those options clearly and honestly. In this extraordinary world of medical miracles, one thing has not changed; the complexity, challenge and pain of that most difficult of decisions: is the treatment we are providing no longer in the best interests of the child? There is no technology to help us here—only guidance, discussion, and adequate time and information for truly shared decision making. Our commitment to the child's best interests must start before birth and continue through to palliative and end of life care. Even after death, a duty to provide bereavement support for parents and siblings is the natural conclusion to the difficult decisions we have made with them in the preceding weeks and months. This latest guidance on arguably the most difficult aspect of paediatric care has updated the decision making framework and incorporated more extensive advice on the direct involvement of children and young people. It also takes account of the broader possibilities flowing from developments in paediatric palliative care. This …
Idealized dry quasi 2‐D mesoscale simulations of cold‐air outbreaks over the marginal sea ice zone with fine and coarse resolution

A nonhydrostatic model (NH3D) is used for idealized dry quasi 2‐D simulations of Arctic cold‐air outbreaks using horizontal grid spacings between 1.25 and 60 km. Despite the idealized setup, the model results agree well with observations over Fram Strait. It is shown that an important characteristic of the flow regime during cold‐air outbreaks is an ice‐breeze jet (IBJ) with a maximum wind speed exceeding often the large‐scale geostrophic wind speed. According to the present simulations, which agree very well with those of another nonhydrostatic mesoscale model (METRAS), the occurrence, strength, and horizontal extent L of this jet depend strongly on the external forcing and especially on the direction of the large‐scale geostrophic wind relative to the orientation of the ice edge. The latter dependency is explained by the effects of the thermally induced geostrophic wind over open water and Coriolis force. It is found that coarse‐resolution runs underestimate the strength of the jet. This underestimation has important consequences to the surface fluxes of heat and momentum, which are also underestimated by about 10–15% on average over the region between the ice edge and 120–180 km downstream. Our results suggest that a grid spacing of about L/7 is required (about 10–30 km) to simulate the IBJ strength with an accuracy of at least 10%. Thus, the results of large‐scale models as well might contain uncertainties with regard to the simulated IBJ strength which would influence the energy budget in a large region along the marginal sea ice zones.
Comparison of volatile compounds formed by autoxidation and photosensitized oxidation of cod liver oil in emulsion systems

Volatile compounds formed by photosensitized oxidation and autoxidation of cod liver oil were compared. A 5-mL portion of oil-in-water emulsion (10% oil, 1% Tween 20 and 0.1 mM of rose bengal or 0.1 mM of ferrous chloride) was sealed into a 50-mL crimp top vial. The vial with added rose bengal was exposed to a 100-watt tungsten bulb (6000 lux) in an oven at 40°C, while the vial with added ferrous chloride was wrapped in aluminum foil to shield light and kept in the same oven. Volatiles in the headspace of the vials were collected by solid phase microextraction technique and analyzed with a gas chromatography-flame ionization detector and a gas chromatography — mass spectrometry. Approximately 51 kinds of volatiles were identified from oxidation of cod liver oil. All the volatiles identified in the sample with added rose bengal were identified in the sample with added ferrous chloride, however, tremendous differences of their relative ratios were found, which probably is useful to explain the flavor differences between sun-dried seafood and mechanical-dried seafood. The formation mechanisms of certain volatiles were proposed.
Comprehensive characterization of the genomic alterations in human gastric cancer

Gastric cancer is one of the most prevalent and aggressive cancers worldwide, and its molecular mechanism remains largely elusive. Here we report the genomic landscape in primary gastric adenocarcinoma of human, based on the complete genome sequences of five pairs of cancer and matching normal samples. In total, 103,464 somatic point mutations, including 407 nonsynonymous ones, were identified and the most recurrent mutations were harbored by Mucins (MUC3A and MUC12) and transcription factors (ZNF717, ZNF595 and TP53). 679 genomic rearrangements were detected, which affect 355 protein‐coding genes; and 76 genes show copy number changes. Through mapping the boundaries of the rearranged regions to the folded three‐dimensional structure of human chromosomes, we determined that 79.6% of the chromosomal rearrangements happen among DNA fragments in close spatial proximity, especially when two endpoints stay in a similar replication phase. We demonstrated evidences that microhomology‐mediated break‐induced replication was utilized as a mechanism in inducing ∼40.9% of the identified genomic changes in gastric tumor. Our data analyses revealed potential integrations of Helicobacter pylori DNA into the gastric cancer genomes. Overall a large set of novel genomic variations were detected in these gastric cancer genomes, which may be essential to the study of the genetic basis and molecular mechanism of the gastric tumorigenesis.
Genetic Characterization of Escherichia coli Populations from Host Sources of Fecal Pollution by Using DNA Fingerprinting

ABSTRACT Escherichia coli isolates were obtained from common host sources of fecal pollution and characterized by using repetitive extragenic palindromic (REP) PCR fingerprinting. The genetic relationship of strains within each host group was assessed as was the relationship of strains among different host groups. Multiple isolates from a single host animal (gull, human, or dog) were found to be identical; however, in some of the animals, additional strains occurred at a lower frequency. REP PCR fingerprint patterns of isolates from sewage (n = 180), gulls (n = 133), and dairy cattle (n = 121) were diverse; within a host group, pairwise comparison similarity indices ranged from 98% to as low as 15%. A composite dendrogram of E. coli fingerprint patterns did not cluster the isolates into distinct host groups but rather produced numerous subclusters (approximately >80% similarity scores calculated with the cosine coefficient) that were nearly exclusive for a host group. Approximately 65% of the isolates analyzed were arranged into host-specific groups. Comparable results were obtained by using enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus PCR and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), where PFGE gave a higher differentiation of closely related strains than both PCR techniques. These results demonstrate that environmental studies with genetic comparisons to detect sources of E. coli contamination will require extensive isolation of strains to encompass E. coli strain diversity found in host sources of contamination. These findings will assist in the development of approaches to determine sources of fecal pollution, an effort important for protecting water resources and public health.
Characterization of Schizosaccharomyces pombe minichromosome deletion derivatives and a functional allocation of their centromere.

A 530 kb long Schizosaccharomyces pombe linear minichromosome, Ch16, containing a centric region of chromosome III, has previously been made. In the present study, we constructed a number of deletions in the right and/or left arms of Ch16, and compared their structure and behaviour with Ch16. The functional centromere, cen3, is allocated within a 120 kb long region which is covered by the shortest derivative, Ch10, and is comprised mostly of centromeric repeating sequences. The shortest minichromosome is stable in mitosis and the copy number control is apparently precise. In monosomic meiosis it segregates normally. In disomic meioses, however, the frequency of non‐disjunction is very high, suggesting that it may not form a pair. The mitotic loss rate of one of the left‐arm deletions, ChR32, which lacks a part of the centromeric repeating sequence, is the highest of all the deletions. This deletion also exhibits the highest precocious sister chromatid separation in meiosis I, suggesting that sister chromatid association might become weakened in ChR32. Our results indicate that the proper meiotic segregation of S.pombe minichromosomes is dependent upon the formation of a bivalent. S.pombe may not have the ‘distributive segregation’ found with Saccharomyces cerevisiae minichromosomes.
Form Follows Function? Evidence on Tax Savings by Multinational Holding Structures

I provide evidence on the group structures of multinationals and analyze to what extent these structures are tax efficient. While the corporate income tax can hardly be avoided if a subsidiary is active in a country, withholding taxes depend on the structure in which the subsidiary is embedded. By vertically inserting holding companies or adjusting the superior/subordinate relationship of subsidiaries, multinationals can often influence their total tax burden, especially regarding the repatriation of profits by means of dividends. I analyze group structures across 58 countries in the years 1996 to 2008 using the MiDi database provided by the German Central Bank (Deutsche Bundesbank). The results show that a higher withholding tax between two members of a group located in different countries increases the probability of indirect participation. However, in about half of the observations, the existence of an intermediate subsidiary does not lower the overall tax burden, and in 5% of the cases the tax burden on repatriated profits with such a holding company is even higher than without it. Although group structures generally seem to be tax driven, there are non-tax influencing factors which sometimes prevail. Besides drivers of the vertical company structure, I provide evidence of a horizontal driver: once a form of group taxation is available, groups seem to spread their national investments across more subsidiaries.
Impact of Pancreatic Cyst Fluid CEA Levels on the Classification of Pancreatic Cysts Using the Papanicolaou Society of Cytology Terminology System for Pancreaticobiliary Cytology

The new proposed classification for pancreaticobiliary cytology has advocated the use of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) analysis of cyst fluid as an ancillary diagnostic tool for the determination of mucinous neoplasms in pancreatic cyst aspirates. We aimed to investigate the effect of CEA cyst fluid analysis on cases primarily called negative or nondiagnostic and on the sensitivity and specificity of the method.
Essays on the economics of market and regulatory enforcement in auditing

ii Preface . iv Table of contents. v List of tables . viii List of figures. ix Acknowledgements . x Dedication. xi Chapter 1: Introduction . 1 Chapter 2: Do analysts contribute to auditor discipline? Evidence from a natural experiment . 8 2.
How Mobile Advertising Works: The Role of Trust in Improving Attitudes and Recall

ABSTRACT How does trust affect consumer attitudes and recall in mobile advertising? This study explores this question by conducting a large-scale “pseudo” mobile advertising campaign in Japan. Two “real” brands (one durable and one nondurable good) of major Japanese manufacturers were used as study stimuli. Using a push messaging service, both a campaign message and a subsequent questionnaire for each brand were sent to 40,000 opt-in mobile users. Five primary constructs were examined: brand trust, mobile advertising trust, attitude toward brand, attitude toward mobile advertising, and mobile campaign recall. Findings suggest that a mobile campaign's recall largely depends on perceptions of both the medium and the advertised content, and that the effects of mobile advertising trust on attitude toward mobile advertising were stronger than those of other relationships. The path from attitude toward brand to mobile campaign recall was notably and statistically stronger for the durable good sample than for the nondurable good sample. Only in the durable good sample is attitude toward brand a mediating variable in linking attitude toward mobile advertising and mobile campaign recall. This study offers a basic but useful research framework for a mobile-based online survey.
An Investigation of the Effects of Age, Size, and Hardware Option on the Critical Success Factors Applicable to Information Centers

The use ofthe critical success factor (CSF) method has been suggested by several sources as a means of ensuring the success of an organization. An investiga- tion was performed to determine the existence and nature of CSFS for information centers (ic). Twenty-six CSFS were determined from various sources. The importance of each was rated in a survey of ic managers, and a principal components analysis was performed to indicate the underlying structure. This paper reports the effect on the composite CSFS of the ic variables age, size, and hardware option supported.
Exploratory Study of M‐Transaction: User's Perspectives

Both the recent advances in mobile technologies and the high penetration rate of mobile communication services have had a profound impact on our daily lives, and are beginning to offer interesting and advantageous new services. In particular, the mobile transaction (mtransaction) system has emerged, enabling users to pay for physical and digital goods and services using their mobile devices whenever they want and wherever they are. It is anticipated that M‐transaction will enjoy a bright future. However, apparently there is still a lack of acceptance of mobile transaction amongst users. This paper empirically investigates what are the factors that make the mobile subscribers reluctant, and which factors that make them keen to accept m‐transaction. This study applies a modified model of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and use of Technology (UTAUT), a robust well‐known model, as an approach to collect and analyse the data and, therefore, to develop a categorization of the important factors that play a role in accepting and using M‐transaction. Following a qualitative method, semi‐structured interviews were conducted with Saudi residents to elicit their opinions and concerns about using m‐transaction in Saudi Arabia. The findings of this study show that the factors that have the most significant influence on the acceptance and use of m‐transaction in Saudi Arabia are: usability, usefulness, telecommunications infrastructure, security, hacking and fraud, availability, trust, payment gateway, awareness, cost and promotion, privacy, cyber‐law, the postal services, government e‐readiness, Arabic language support.
Workplace Financial Education Facilitates Improvement in Personal Financial Behaviors

Based on the life-cycle theory of consumption, this quasi-experimental study of 995 employees examined changes in financial behaviors following employee-needs-driven workplace financial education. Repeated-measures ANOVA compared participants and non-participants on perceived financial wellness and savings ratios; main effects indicated that both groups improved pretest-to-posttest on both variables (p
Customer Satisfaction, Service Quality and Perceived Value: An Integrative Model

The present study examines the relationships among customer satisfaction, service quality and perceived value. These variables are increasingly recognised as being sources of competitive advantage. However, little empirical research has been conducted to examine these variables simultaneously and their relationships with post-purchase behaviour. The present study was therefore designed to develop an understanding of the relationships among these variables and their influence on postpurchase behaviour. An integrative model was developed and tested using data collected from customers in the restaurant industry. The results reveal that customer satisfaction and perceived value significantly influence post-purchase behaviour. Implications of the findings and areas for future research are discussed.
Molecular Epidemiology and Transmission Dynamics of Recent and Long-Term HIV-1 Infections in Rural Western Kenya

Objective To identify unique characteristics of recent versus established HIV infections and describe sexual transmission networks, we characterized circulating HIV-1 strains from two randomly selected populations of ART-naïve participants in rural western Kenya. Methods Recent HIV infections were identified by the HIV-1 subtype B, E and D, immunoglobulin G capture immunoassay (IgG BED-CEIA) and BioRad avidity assays. Genotypic and phylogenetic analyses were performed on the pol gene to identify transmitted drug resistance (TDR) mutations, characterize HIV subtypes and potential transmission clusters. Factors associated with recent infection and clustering were assessed by logistic regression. Results Of the 320 specimens, 40 (12.5%) were concordantly identified by the two assays as recent infections. Factors independently associated with being recently infected were age ≤19 years (P = 0.001) and history of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the past six months (P = 0.004). HIV subtype distribution differed in recently versus chronically infected participants, with subtype A observed among 53% recent vs. 68% chronic infections (p = 0.04) and subtype D among 26% recent vs. 12% chronic infections (p = 0.012). Overall, the prevalence of primary drug resistance was 1.16%. Of the 258 sequences, 11.2% were in monophyletic clusters of between 2–4 individuals. In multivariate analysis factors associated with clustering included having recent HIV infection P = 0.043 and being from Gem region P = 0.002. Conclusions Recent HIV-1 infection was more frequent among 13–19 year olds compared with older age groups, underscoring the ongoing risk and susceptibility of younger persons for acquiring HIV infection. Our findings also provide evidence of sexual networks. The association of recent infections with clustering suggests that early infections may be contributing significant proportions of onward transmission highlighting the need for early diagnosis and treatment as prevention for ongoing prevention. Larger studies are needed to better understand the structure of these networks and subsequently implement and evaluate targeted interventions.
Target detection experiments with a non-parametric detector on a new hyperspectral data set

Target detection experiments with a novel non-parametric detector are carried out exploiting the availability of a new hyperspectral data set featuring a suburban scene with several different targets. Benefiting from its non-parametric nature and from its data adaptivity deriving from the variable-bandwidth approach, the detector is shown to provide promising results for the detection of the targets of interest both in global and local configurations.
Caclium, phosphorus, and bone in renal disease and transplantation.

Calcium-phosphate-bone interrelationships become disrupted progressively in advancing renal disease. Parathyroid hormone (PTH) release, normally attuned to calcium homeostasis requirements, becomes dominated by alterations in phosphate balance. With each wave of nephron destruction, there is believed to occur transient hyperphosphatemia, transient hypocalcemia, and a step-wise rise in PTH levels. When the glomerular filtration rate falls below 25 to 30 ml per minute, hyperphosphatemia persists, hypocalcemia tends to persist, and the stimulus to PTH release is exaggerated. Vitamin D resistance contributes both to hypocalcemia (thus to accelerated PTH secretion) and to osteomalacia. In patients receiving long-term hemodialysis, if hyperphosphatemia and hypocalcemia persist, PTH levels may remain high and osteitis fibrosa may progress. Successful renal transplantation typically leads to regression of hyperparathyroidism and restoration of vitamin D sensitivity; however, hyperparathyroidism may regress slowly, and severe hypercalcemia must be guarded against. True autonomy of PTH release apparently occurs rarely in chronic renal disease.
The application of antitumor drug-targeting models on liver cancer

Abstract Hepatocarcinoma animal models, such as the induced tumor model, transplanted tumor model, gene animal model, are significant experimental tools for the evaluation of targeting drug delivery system as well as the pre-clinical studies of liver cancer. The application of antitumor drug-targeting models not only furnishes similar biological characteristics to human liver cancer but also offers guarantee of pharmacokinetic indicators of the liver-targeting preparations. In this article, we have reviewed some kinds of antitumor drug-targeting models of hepatoma and speculated that the research on this field would be capable of attaining a deeper level and expecting a superior achievement in the future.