Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Below-Knee Amputation: To Amputate or Palliate?

SIGNIFICANCE A below-knee amputation (BKA) can be the most functional option for select patients with a diseased lower extremity and may offer a better quality of life than limb salvage in some patients. RECENT ADVANCES Because of advances in prosthetic technology, some patients may have a better quality of life with a BKA than a salvaged lower extremity. Those who cannot wear a prosthesis will do better with a poorly functioning leg. Understanding which patients will not benefit from an amputation helps ensure that a maximum of patients will continue ambulating. CRITICAL ISSUES We lack a thorough understanding of which patients will be more functional with a BKA than a salvaged extremity. Some will do better with a prosthesis, whereas others will do better with a poorly functioning peg leg. This is because so many amputees never wear their prosthesis. FUTURE DIRECTIONS A better understanding of patient selection and optimal operative technique would allow us to better council patients as to how to optimize their functional outcome. Over the past 30 years, a number of useful studies have been published regarding the BKA. However, recent advances in wound care, prosthetics, and medical care in general require a re-evaluation of the BKA within the limb salvage concept.
Physical training effects on muscle morphology in sedentary males at different ages.

The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate the influence of physical training on muscle morphology and strength in different age groups in order to learn about the exogenous influence (e.g., inactivity) on the these characteristics in old age. Eighteen sedentary males ranging in age from 22-65 yr were involved in a low resistance and high repetition strength training program twice a week for 15 wk. Muscle biopsies were taken and strength measurements were performed before and after the training period. Age-related muscle fiber atrophy, seen before training, was diminished after the training period because of an increase in fiber size in older subjects. Muscular strength values, however, were lower with increasing age before and after training, indicating that strength decline in old age is not primarily due to muscle fiber atrophy.
Fas/Fas ligand system and apoptosis induction in testicular carcinoma

Tumor‐infiltrating, Fas ligand (FasL)‐expressing lymphocytes are able to eliminate Fas‐bearing tumor cells by apoptosis induction. Activated cytotoxic T‐cells that express Fas may enter apoptosis in the presence of FasL tumor cells. To date, no studies of patients with testicular carcinoma have correlated the differential expression of Fas and FasL in both cell types with the corresponding apoptotic index (AI).
Neonatal Non-Invasive Respiratory Support: Synchronised NIPPV, Non-Synchronised NIPPV or Bi-Level CPAP: What Is the Evidence in 2013?

Nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP) has proven to be an effective mode of non-invasive respiratory support in preterm infants; however, many infants still require endotracheal ventilation, placing them at an increased risk of morbidities such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Several other modes of non-invasive respiratory support beyond NCPAP, including synchronised and non-synchronised nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation (SNIPPV and nsNIPPV) and bi-level positive airway pressure (BiPAP) are now also available. These techniques require different approaches, and the exact mechanisms by which they act remain unclear. SNIPPV has been shown to reduce the rate of reintubation in comparison to NCPAP when used as post-extubation support, but the evidence for nsNIPPV and BiPAP in this context is less convincing. There is some evidence that NIPPV (whether synchronised or non-synchronised) used as primary respiratory support is beneficial, but the variation in study methodology makes this hard to translate confidently into clinical practice. There is currently no evidence to suggest a reduction in mortality or important morbidities such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia, with NIPPV or BiPAP in comparison to NCPAP, and there is a lack of appropriately designed studies in this area. This review discusses the different approaches and proposed mechanisms of action of SNIPPV, nsNIPPV and BiPAP, the challenges of applying the available evidence for these distinct modalities of non-invasive respiratory support to clinical practice, and possible areas of future research.
Perceived parenting style, self-esteem and psychological distress in adolescents with heart disease

The aim of the study was to assess the relationships between perceived parenting style, depressed mood, anxiety and self-esteem in adolescents with heart disease compared with healthy adolescents. Forty-five adolescents, aged 12–18 with congenital or acquired heart disease and 50 healthy age-matched adolescents answered perceived parental behaviour, self-esteem, depressed mood and anxiety questionnaires. The study group reported higher perceived acceptance and lower perceived parental control than healthy adolescents, but similar levels of depressed mood, anxiety and self-esteem. Fischer's r-to-z transformation and regression analyses showed different associations between perceived parenting style and depressed mood, anxiety and self esteem. In the study group, higher perceived parental acceptance was associated with lower depressed mood and higher self-esteem, whereas these associations were not significant in the control group. In the control, but not the study group, higher perceived parental control was associated with lower depressed mood and lower anxiety. Parenting style proved to exert a differential effect on adolescents with and without heart disease. For the former, perceived parental acceptance had a more substantial effect on psychological well-being than perceived parental control. Professionals caring for these adolescents should be aware of the special importance of parenting style on the well-being of adolescents with heart disease, and address this issue in the clinical setting with the patients and their parents.
Clinical Significance and Prognostic Value of the Maximum Standardized Uptake Value of 18F-Flurodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography–Computed Tomography in Colorectal Cancer

Background The role of 18F-flurodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography–computed tomography (PET/CT) in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the association of the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), a parameter of 18F-FDG PET/CT, with KRAS mutation, the Ki-67 index, and survival in patients with CRC. Methods Data of 66 patients with CRC who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT was retrospectively collected in our center. The clinical significance of the SUVmax in CRC and the association of the SUVmax with KRAS mutation and the Ki-67 index were determined. A meta-analysis was conducted by a systematic search of PubMed, Web of Science, and CNKI databases, and the data from published articles were combined with that of our study. The association of the SUVmax with KRAS mutation and the Ki-67 index was determined using the odds ratio to estimate the pooled results. The hazard ratio was used to quantitatively evaluate the prognosis of the SUVmax in CRC. Results By analyzing the data of 66 patients with CRC, the SUVmax was found not to be related to the tumor-node-metastasis stage, clinical stage, sex, and KRAS mutation but was related to the tumor location and nerve invasion. The SUVmax had no significant correlation with the tumor biomarkers and the Ki-67 index. Data of 17 studies indicated that the SUVmax was significantly increased in the mutated type compared with the wild type of KRAS in CRC; four studies showed that there was no remarkable difference between patients with a high and low Ki-67 index score regarding the SUVmax. Twelve studies revealed that the SUVmax had no significant association with overall survival and disease-free survival in CRC patients. Conclusions Based on the combined data, this study demonstrated that the SUVmax of 18F-FDG PET/CT was different between colon and rectal cancers and associated with KRAS mutation but not the Ki-67 index; there was no significant association between the SUVmax and survival of patients with CRC.
EXAMINING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN REGISTERED NURSES’ TURNOVER AND THE BENEFITS OF AN AFFIRMING CLIMATE OF DIVERSITY AS MEDIATED BY WORKPLACE OUTCOMES

vi Chapter 1 – Introduction . 1 Background to the Problem . 1 Statement of the Problem . 5 Purpose of Study . 7 Theoretical/Conceptual Underpinnings of the Study . 7 Research Questions . 9 Design of This Study . 9 Significance of the Study . 15 Definition of Terms.16 Summary of Chapter and Organization of the Dissertation . 19 Chapter 2 – Literature Review . 2
Progressive genomic alterations in intraductal papillary mucinous tumours of the pancreas and morphologically similar lesions of the pancreatic ducts

Intraductal papillary mucinous tumours (IPMTs) of the pancreas are rare neoplasms characterized by a prominent intraductal component, and by malignant potential. Little data exists concerning numerical chromosome aberrations in IPMTs. The biological significance of mucinous epithelial changes (mucinous hyperplasia) in small branching ducts adjacent to IPMTs also remains unclear. From a series of 12 IPMTs, we investigated by interphase cytogenetics 22 foci with mucinous hyperplasia, 27 foci with borderline lesions, and 11 samples with either intraductal (CIS) or invasive carcinoma. Chromosome 6 loss was detected in areas with mucinous hyperplasia (36.3%), borderline lesions (96.3%), and CIS/invasive carcinoma (100%). Similar losses, indicating clonal progression, were found for chromosome 17 (18.2%, 81.5%, and 100%), and for chromosome 18 (0%, 18.5%, and 100%). Quantitative analysis showed a significant intraductal expansion of cell clones harbouring these numerical aberrations within the spectrum of IPMTs. Mucinous epithelial changes in 11 resection samples with chronic pancreatitis showed monosomy 6 (36%) and monosomy 17 (27%). Conversely, areas with low‐grade pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN‐1), obtained from eight surgical specimens with ductal adenocarcinoma, showed monosomies for chromosome 6, 17, and 18 (100%, 87%, and 50%, respectively). We conclude that monosomies, as defined by FISH analysis, are frequent in both IPMTs and mucinous hyperplasia of pancreatic ducts adjacent to IPMTs. Monosomy 6 may represent an early event in the stepwise accumulation of genomic mutations necessary for the neoplastic transformation of pancreatic duct epithelia, whereas loss of chromosome 18 may be implicated in the progression of borderline to malignant IPMT. The detection of complex chromosomal aberrations in mucinous epithelial changes, and the quantitative expansion of monosomic cell clones in pancreatic ducts, provide evidence for a continuum between hyperplastic and dysplastic epithelial changes. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Economic Value Added Dan Market Value Added Terhadap Return Saham

This research purposes were to prove the hypothesis consisted of: (1) EVA which hada positive correlation to the stock return, (2) MVA which had a positive correlation to the stockreturn. This research used regression analysis to find how much the contribution of theindependent variable in influencing the stock return was. Data used in this research was asecondary data provided by Jakarta Stock Exchange (JSX) since 2005 until 2006. The type ofdata analyze was manufacturing companies sub consumers goods, from 2005 to 2006. Theconclusion of this research was that EVA and MVA did not significantly influence the stockreturn. This was proved by the evidence of the Fstatistic which was lower than the Ftable(1,075 0.05). EVA did not positively correlateto the stock return. It was proved by the significances of 0,695 higher than 0.05 (p>0,05). MVAdid not positively correlate to the stock return. It was proved by the significances of 0,238higher than 0.05 (p>0,05).
From multicore simulation to hardware synthesis using transactions

With the increasing complexity of digital systems that are becoming more and more parallel, a better abstraction to describe such systems has become necessary. This paper shows how, by using the powerful mechanism of transactions as a concurrency model, and by taking advantage of . NET introspection and attribute programming capabilities, we were able to achieve an automatic high-level synthesis flow. Indeed, we kept the same object oriented programming concepts to describe the architecture of high-level models, such as encapsulation and interfacing. However, unlike SystemC, the behaviour is no longer described as processes and events but as transactions. Transactions can be seen as atomic actions interacting through shared variables. Then, we transform such high level translational model to a SystemC behavioral model ready to be synthesized by a behavioral synthesizer.
A Core Issue: The Inseparable Relationship between Nonprofits and Public Policy

Graduates of nonprofit management and public administration programs face a workplace increasingly dominated by complex relationships between government, nonprofit, and for-profit entities. Nonprofit organizations and public policy cannot be understood independently of one another. To assess the role of nonprofits in the policy curriculum, we reviewed 12 public policy textbooks and 143 syllabi from graduate-level public policy courses taught at Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration-accredited programs to assess the extent to which nonprofits are incorporated. Nonprofit organizations deserve full integration into the core curriculum of Master of Public Administration (MPA) and Master of Public Policy (MPP) programs as essential actors in public administration and the policy process. Their ubiquity as policy partners, from problem recognition and advocacy to policy formation, implementation, and evaluation makes understanding nonprofit organizations crucial to the study and practice of public policy and administration.
When Losing Means Winning: The Impact of Conflict in a Digital Game on Young Adults' Intentions to Get Protected from Cancer.

OBJECTIVES Despite the improved survival rate for patients with cancer in the United States, there is a need for successful intervention programs that can raise awareness about cancer risks among healthy young adults. This research experimentally examines how conflict in a digital game called "Re-Mission™" (HopeLab, Redwood City, CA) may influence young adults' perception of cancer risk, their motivation to get protected from cancer, and their intention to seek cancer-related information from their doctors. SUBJECTS AND METHODS "Re-Mission" is a game in which players control a nanorobot that goes inside patients' virtual bodies to fight cancer cells. Two days after completing a baseline survey, participants (n=48) played "Re-Mission" at either low or high conflict (i.e., low or high level of obstacles and challenges in the game). Then, participants completed a post-experience survey. RESULTS Participants in the high conflict condition experienced an increase in perceived susceptibility to and severity of cancer. They also increased their intentions to seek information by talking with a physician. Conflict also blocked any decrease in protective motivation. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that by virtually experiencing the consequences of cancer cell behavior, young adult players of "Re-Mission" increased in perception of cancer risks, protective motivation, and intentions to seek cancer-related information. In practice, health interventions should not only disseminate visual information about cancer, but also give the public the opportunity to virtually experience the consequences of cancer in order to understand the risks and become motivated to get protected. Implications for future research are also discussed.
Scavenger Receptor BI Promotes High Density Lipoprotein-mediated Cellular Cholesterol Efflux*

Scavenger receptor BI (SR-BI) binds high density lipoproteins (HDL) with high affinity and mediates the selective uptake of HDL cholesteryl ester. We examined the potential role of SR-BI in mediating cellular cholesterol efflux. In Chinese hamster ovary cells stably transfected with murine SR-BI, overexpression of SR-BI resulted in a 3–4-fold stimulation of initial cholesterol efflux rates. Efflux rates correlated with SR-BI expression in cells and HDL concentration in the medium. When incubated with synthetic cholesterol-free HDL, SR-BI-transfected cells showed ∼3-fold increases in initial rates of efflux compared with control cells, indicating that SR-BI expression enhances net cholesterol efflux mediated by discoidal HDL. In six different cell types, including cultured macrophages, the rate of efflux of cholesterol mediated by HDL or serum was well correlated with cellular SR-BI expression level. In addition, in situhybridization experiments revealed that SR-BI mRNA was expressed in the thickened intima of atheromatous aorta of apolipoprotein E knockout mice. Thus, SR-BI is an authentic HDL receptor mediating cellular cholesterol efflux. SR-BI may facilitate the initial steps of HDL-mediated cholesterol efflux in the arterial wall as well as later steps of reverse cholesterol transport involving uptake of HDL cholesterol in the liver.
PROPOSING AN AFFECTIVE LITERACY FRAMEWORK FOR YOUNG LEARNERS OF ENGLISH IN MALAYSIAN RURAL AREAS: ITS KEY DIMENSIONS AND CHALLENGES

Purpose – This study investigated rural English teachers’ perceptions of factors which influence the literacy development of young learners in rural school settings. This investigation led to a further enquiry on the dimensions of an affective literacy framework to support the English learning of rural young learners. Methodology – The study employed a qualitative approach to provide a holistic view of the phenomena being studied. Two English optionist teachers and two non-optionist teachers volunteered to participate in the study. The first investigation was based on audio-taped interview sessions with the teachers, and the second enquiry was grounded in video-taped class observations. The raw data from these instruments were used for qualitative content analysis, which resulted in the proposed Affective Literacy Framework for Rural Young Learners (ALFRYL). Malaysian Journal of Learning and Instruction: Vol. 14, No. 2 Dec (2017) Findings – The analysis of interviews indicated that the teachers acknowledged the critical need for creating effective and interesting activities that can engage young learners cognitively and affectively, while arguing that their training background and learning experiences primarily influenced their pedagogical approaches. Classroom observations noted that the optionist teachers were confident in their pedagogical delivery whereas the non-optionist teachers were more challenged in engaging their pupils through learning activities, and hence in need of more support. Based on the analysis of the affective teaching foci illustrated by the teachers in the classroom, six components of an affective literacy framework were identified as a tool to support affective literacy development among rural young learners: learner diversity, engaging pedagogy, meta-cognitive assessment, emotional management, pedagogical resources and positive interaction. Significance – Providing pedagogical examples of how teachers frame the task of teaching English in rural areas, this study illustrates the realities of their struggle, which teachers in similar situations may face in helping pupils learn English effectively. Positive affective literacy environments would provide opportunities for young learners not only to make meaning but also to reach new language materials and express themselves in new ways. The dimensions that constitute the affective literacy framework makes available an initial reference for teachers to stimulate pupils’ learning in challenging contexts where English is used minimally.
Pre-recession efficiencies and input allocation decisions of agricultural and critically insolvent banks

ABSTRACT The late 2000s’ economic recession is considered the longest economic downturn since the 1930s Great Depression. Declining real estate values ignited an increase in loan defaults and mortgage foreclosures that led to a surge of bank failures at a rate not experienced by the U.S. banking industry since the 1980s. A total of 509 bank failures were recorded by the FDIC from January 2007–December 2014, with nearly 60% of these failures occurring in 2009 and 2010. In contrast, there were only 24 bank failures in the U.S. during the 7-year period prior to 2007. This study analyzed certain components of operating decisions made by banks that either survived or became critically insolvent during the late 2000s financial crisis using an Input Distance Stochastic Frontier function to estimate the technical efficiency (TE) and allocative efficiency (AE) between agricultural banks and non-agricultural banks. This efficiency analysis was applied to a 7-year pre-recession period and is designed to final out any early warning signals that decrease the efficiency level of banks. Results suggest that survival banks were more technically efficient than critically insolvent banks, and banks’ tendency to utilize cheaper inputs were more likely to stand the economic crisis.
Hypoxia‐inducible factor 1α/vascular endothelial growth factor axis in astrocytomas. Associations with microvessel morphometry, proliferation and prognosis

Hypoxia‐inducible factor (HIF)‐1α is a transcription factor that promotes ischaemia‐driven angiogenesis. The aim of this study was to determine the relation of HIF‐1α to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF; an important angiogenic molecule in brain tumours), p53 expression, angiogenesis, proliferative potential and clinical outcome in a large series of diffuse astrocytomas. Expression of HIF‐1α, VEGF, Ki‐67 (a proliferation‐associated marker) and p53 was determined immunohistochemically in 83 adult patients with supratentorial diffuse astrocytomas. Microvessels, highlighted by means of anti‐CD34 immunohistochemistry, were enumerated with computer‐assisted image analysis. Although HIF‐1α and VEGF were expressed in the majority of cases, their levels increased significantly with increasing grade and proliferative potential. HIF‐1α positively correlated with microvessel counts and VEGF with total vascular area and the presence of rounder vessel sections. There was a positive correlation of VEGF with p53 expression in astrocytomas and anaplastic astrocytomas. In univariate analysis, both VEGF and HIF‐1α were associated with shortened survival in the entire cohort, but lost significance when grades II/III and grade IV were analysed separately. Multivariate analysis revealed that the combination of HIF‐1α with grade was a significant prognostic indicator. HIF‐1α expression may be used to refine the prognostic information provided by grade in patients with diffuse astrocytomas. Its adverse prognostic effect is most likely mediated by hypoxia, the driving force for HIF‐1α accumulation.