Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Transperineal versus transrectal prostate biopsy: our findings in a tertiary health institution.

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE Prostate cancer is a major public health issue. Its incidence is rising, especially in Nigeria. Prompt diagnosis is necessary by histology. Transperineal and transrectal approaches to prostate biopsy are well-documented. Both methods are fraught with complications though, most times minor. Studies carried out to compare both methods were carried out mainly on Caucasians, generating conflicting results. This study aims to compare the complication rates and tissue yield of these two methods in Nigerian men. MATERIALS AND METHODS Seventy-five patients completed the study. Forty-five patients had transperineal prostate biopsy (TPbx), while 30 patients had transrectal prostate biopsy. Pain perception for all patients was determined by visual analog scale; whereas the complications were ascertained by a validated purpose designed questionnaire administered on the 7 th and 30 th day post operatively. RESULTS The risk of rectal bleeding was higher for transrectal prostate biopsy compared to transperineal (Odds ratio: 0.03; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.001-0.450; P = 0.012). TPbx was more painful than transrectal (P < 0.0001; df: 75; t: 4.98; 95%CI of difference in mean: -2.98-[-1.28]). There was no statistical difference between transperineal and transrectal prostate biopsy in hemospermia, fever, prostatic abscess, urethral bleeding, acute retention and tissue yield. CONCLUSION TPbx is more painful than transrectal prostate biopsy though with a significantly reduced risk of rectal bleeding. There appears to be no significant difference with respect to risk of fever, urethral bleeding, hematospermia, prostatic abscess and acute retention. Both routes provided sufficient prostate tissue for histology.
Asset Ownership and Contractability of Interaction

In a property-rights framework, I study how organizational form and quantity contracts interact in generating investment incentives. The model nests standard property-rights and hold-up models as special cases. I admit general message-dependent contracts, but provide conditions under which non-contingent contracts are optimal. First, I contribute to the foundation of the property-rights theory: I characterize under which circumstances its predictions are correct when trade is contractible. Second, I study how the optimal use of the incentive instruments depends on the environment. This is in the spirit of the multitasking literature. Finally, the model produces implications of the property-rights theory that are empirically testable.
The live fish trade on Queensland's Great Barrier Reef: changes to historical fishing practices

This study provides an economic valuation of the demersal fishery spawning aggregation function in Komodo National Park. A parametric generalised single-period model is developed to assist in modeling and estimating the value of the fishery linkages. For a linear function, the maximum value of the spawn- ing aggregation function is calculated to be USD 629,000 annually at 100% protection of the spawning sites. This is of a similar order of magnitude to the direct recreational values associated with the park. Established in 1980, it is listed as a World Heritage Site and a Man and the Biosphere Reserve. Located between Sumbawa and Flores Islands in eastern Indonesia, the park consists of three main islands, Komodo, Rinca, and Padar and several smaller An economic analysis of the spawning aggregation function in Komodo National Park, Indonesia Herman Jack Ruitenbeek
Sources of customer satisfaction with shopping malls: A comparative study of different customer segments

Abstract In spite of the growing importance of planned, centrally managed and enclosed shopping centres in the retailing sector, the understanding concerning sources and outcomes of customer satisfaction with this kind of shopping malls is limited. This paper develops and validates a conceptualisation of shopping mall satisfaction based on field studies in Sweden. The results show that eight underlying factors of varying character are important to customer satisfaction. These are selection, atmosphere, convenience, sales people, refreshments, location, promotional activities and merchandising policy. Furthermore, this study investigates whether sources of satisfaction differ in importance with respect to gender and age, generally two important variables for retail segmentation.
Environmental factors and satisfaction in a specialty store

Given the intense competition experienced in the sector, retailers have been designing strategies to create an environment conducive to consumer satisfaction and purchase, particularly in supermarkets and hypermarkets. This paper develops a conceptualization of customer satisfaction based on field data collected in a specialty store, focusing on the relative importance of the environmental factors on satisfaction. The results show that the most important environmental determinant of customer satisfaction is the variety of products. The help from employees, lighting, layout and design also stand out from the set of stimuli considered.
Significant association of TP53 Arg72Pro polymorphism in susceptibility to differentiated thyroid cancer.

BACKGROUND Among various polymorphic variants of TP53 gene, codon 72 polymorphism (Arg72Pro) has been found to be associated with cancer susceptibility, but only few studies have investigated their effect on thyroid cancer risk. OBJECTIVE A case control study was conducted to elucidate the possible role of this SNP as risk factor in thyroid cancer development and to examine its correlation with various clinicopathological variables. METHODS In this study, we tested the genotype distribution by PCR-RFLP in 140 thyroid cancer patients and 200 cancer-free controls from Kashmir Valley. RESULTS Genotype frequencies of Arg/Arg (GG), Arg/Pro (GC), and Pro/Pro (CC) genotypes among cases were 0.286, 0.343 and 0.371 while in controls 0.45, 0.37 and 0.18 respectively. Proline allele frequency was significantly higher than arginine frequency in patient group (OR = 2.06, 95% C.I = 1.5-2.8). Significant association was found between variant genotype of codon 72 of TP53 gene and young age group, female gender, urban dwellers, non-smokers and patients with elevated TSH levels (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION It is evident from our study that Arg72Pro SNP of TP53 gene is connected with higher susceptibility to thyroid cancer especially in young age group, female gender, non-smokers and patients with elevated TSH levels, hence, implicated in thyroid carcinogenesis.
Knowledge Creation Through External Venturing: Evidence from the Telecommunications Equipment Manufacturing Industry

Investment in entrepreneurial ventures has gained recent popularity as a means for established firms to learn about new technologies and markets. However, the link between such corporate venture capital (CVC) investments and innovation outcomes has not been examined in detail. Using panel data from corporate investors in telecommunications equipment manufacturing, we investigated the conditions under which CVC investments affect knowledge creation for corporate investors. We found that, when investor involvement is low, number of CVC investments has an inverted U-shaped relationship with innovation performance. However, when investor involvement is high, the relationship reverses, and an increase in investments boosts innovation.
Audit Fees, Non-Audit Services and Auditor-Client Economic Bonding

We investigate whether auditor independence is compromised by either the mix of audit and non audit services (NAS), or simply unusually large NAS or audit fees. The results help reconcile apparently conflicting evidence in prior studies linking NAS and indicators of earnings management, as well as providing new insights on the relation between the incentive structures faced by auditors and variation in audit quality. Using the unexpected accrual component of earnings as a proxy for the effect of impaired auditor independence, we initially find that client firms purchasing an unexpectedly large NAS fee mix (i.e., relative to audit fees) display some evidence of aggressive accounting. However, when we explicitly allow for the possibly endogenous nature of unexpected accruals and unexpected NAS, this result no longer holds. In contrast, similar evidence of a positive relation between the magnitude of unexpectedly large audit fees and positive unexpected accruals still occurs (albeit more weakly) after explicitly allowing for possible endogeneity. A significant positive association between unexpected total fees (audit plus NAS) and the magnitude of positive unexpected accruals is even more robust. However, further tests shows that these "result" are confined to clients of Non-Big 6 auditors. We therefore conclude that for large audit firms, the incentive to protect larger than expected fees is outweighed by the importance of their reputation for providing high quality audits relative to smaller audit firms. The results also highlight how sensitive conclusions about possible "NAS effects" are to the choice of proxy for economic bond as well as the precise experimental design.
Introduction of the c-kit gene leads to growth suppression of a breast cancer cell line, MCF-7.

Normal ductal cells of the breast are exceptional on that their epithelial cells abundantly express the c-kit receptor. Loss of c-kit expression has been reported in 80-90% of breast cancer specimens, suggesting a possible role in the development of tumors. In the present study, we introduced a c-kit expression vector into a breast cancer cell line. MCF-7, which does not express c-kit but does express its ligand, stem cell factor (SCF). Anchorage dependent and independent growth was found to be inhibited in bulk cultures of the c-kit transfectants, although this suppression appeared to be incomplete, allowing a considerable fraction to tolerate c-kit expression. Heterogeneous sensitivity to the suppressive effects mediated by the c-kit receptor was also observed among individual clones isolated from the bulk cultures. These results suggest that c-kit can mediate inhibitory signals for the growth of breast cancer cells, but that cellular heterogeneity exists regarding the response. Further studies are warranted to elucidate the molecular basis for the inhibitory effects of c-kit.
Pharmacokinetics of Ginkgo biloba Extracts

EGb 761 (definition see editorial) Ginkgo extract is produced by a validated production process. Its pharmacologically active constituents, flavonol glycosides and terpene lactones, are kept within a narrow range of 22 to 27 % and 5 to 7 %, respectively, by standardisation. The concentration of ginkgolic acids is below 5 ppm. The constant production process also maintains the concentrations of other constituents such as proanthocyanidins, carboxylic acids and non-flavone glycosides at a fairly constant level. In this article, we will summarise the data on the pharmacokinetics of flavonol glycosides and terpene lactones.
Naturally occurring antibodies in human sera that react with Haemophilus influenzae type b ribosomal vaccine

Sera from populations of normal adults and children as well as sera from children with systemic Haemophilus influenzae type b disease were tested for antibodies reacting with ribosomes from H. influenzae type b. Adults generally had high titers of antibody, with 90% having titers greater than 1:64. The distribution of titers approximated a normal curve. Among normal children, there was more variability between individual titers, with the median titers ranging between 1:64 and 1:128. In contrast, acute-phase sera from children with systemic H. influenzae type b disease all had titers of 1:16 or less. Two convalescent-phase sera had high titers. Absorption experiments ruled out cross-reaction between ribosomes and type b capsular material. Ribosomes from two unrelated type b strains were completely cross-reactive, whereas absorption with ribosomes from a type c strain led to significantly decreased titers in three of four sera. Absorption of sera with ribosomes from Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Streptococcus pneumoniae also decreased titers, indicating that these antibodies may have been induced by ribosomes of other bacteria.
Sodium Valproate in the Treatment of the Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome*

The value of sodium valproate in the management of patients during withdrawal from alcohol dependence has been assessed. Alcoholic inpatients were randomly allocated to two groups — one treated with sodium valproate and the other acting as a control. All patients received multivitamins and fluid and electrolyte replacement, and some received chlormethiazole or other tranquillisers. Treatment with sodium valproate (1200 mg daily) was continued for one week. The occurence of seizures and other withdrawal symptoms (tremulousness, nausea, sweating, disorientation) were noted daily. Forty-nine episodes of withdrawal have been included in the trial — 22 in the sodium valproate group and 27 in the control group. Five patients, all in the control group, had seizures. Other withdrawal symptoms disappeared more quickly in the sodium valproate group even though fewer patients were receiving chlormethiazole.
Working Capital Management and Profitability of Listed Companies in Nigeria

Working Capital constitutes a substantial component of the total assets and liabilities of many organizations. Expectedly therefore, the way in which it is managed will have a significant impact on the profitability of the company concerned. It is for this reason that a large number of business failures in in the past were attributed to the inability of financial managers to plan and control the working capital of their respective firms. These managerial inadequacies are still manifesting in organizations today in the forms of high bad debts, over/under stocking, cash crises among others with their concomitant effect on their operational performance. This paper was set out to investigate the relationship between working capital management and profitability of listed companies in Nigeria. Two years data from 25 non-financial firms were analyzed using Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regression technique. The result reveals that the combined predictive power of working capital components on profitability was significant. The result also revealed that all the working capital components namely; inventory conversion period (ICP), Debtors conversion period (DCP) and Creditors payment period (CPP) affect profitability but only DCP has a significant effect. On the basis of these findings, we recommend among others that managers and indeed organizations should concentrate on the proper management of each working capital components and keep them at optimal levels, as this will go a long way to enhance profitability and create value for their companies.
Clinical Application of Serum Tumor Abnormal Protein (TAP) in Colorectal Cancer Patients.

OBJECTIVE To explore the association of serum tumor abnormal protein (TAP) with other serological biomarkers e.g. carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125), carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) and its clinical application in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. METHODS Patients (N=98) were enrolled into this study with histologically or cytologically confirmed CRC. Using a test kit, the level of TAP was determined, while chemiluminescence was used to measure the levels of some other common serological biomarkers e.g. CEA, CA125 and CA19-9. RESULTS The area of TAP condensed particulate matter decreased after chemotherapy compared with before chemotherapy when CT or MRI scans showed disease control. In contrast, it increased with disease progression (P<0.05). Furthermore, a statistically significant difference was confirmed in monitoring of TAP and common serological biomarkers e.g. CEA and CA19-9 (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Detecting TAP in CRC patients has high sensitivity and specificity and can be used as a new independent indicator for clinically monitoring CRC patients in the course of chemotherapy.
Resistance training in children.

Children develop lower levels of muscle force, and at slower rates, than adults. Although strength training in children is expected to reduce this differential, a synchronous adaptation in the tendon must be achieved to ensure forces continue to be transmitted to the skeleton with efficiency while minimizing the risk of strain- related tendon injury. We hypothesized that resistance training (RT) would alter tendon mechanical properties in children concomitantly with changes in force production characteristics. Twenty prepubertal children (age 8.9 ± 0.3 yr) were equally divided into control (nontraining) and experimental (training) groups. The training group completed a l0-week RT intervention consisting of 2–3 sets of 8–15 plantar flexion contractions performed twice weekly on a recumbent calf-raise machine. Achilles tendon properties (cross-sectional area, elongation, stress, strain, stiffness, and Young’s modulus), electromechanical delay (EMD; time between the onset of muscle activity and force), rate .
Impact of patient volume on the mortality rate of adult intensive care unit patients

Objective:Expert task forces have proposed that adult critical care medicine services should be regionalized in order to improve outcomes. However, it is currently unknown if high intensive care unit (ICU) patient volumes are associated with reduced mortality rate. The objective was to investigate whether high-volume ICUs have better mortality outcomes than low-volume ICUs. Design:Retrospective cohort study analyzing the association between ICU volume and in-hospital mortality using Project IMPACT (a clinical outcomes database created by the Society of Critical Care Medicine). Patients:The analyses were based on 70,757 patients admitted to 92 ICUs between 2001 and 2003. Interventions:None. Measurements and Main Results:The main outcome measure was in-hospital mortality. Hierarchical logistic regression modeling was used to examine the volume-outcome association. The median (interquartile range) ICU volume was 827 (631–1,234) patient admissions per year. The overall mortality rate was 14.6%. After controlling for patient risk factors and ICU characteristics, and clustering, there was evidence that patients admitted to high-volume ICUs had improved outcomes (p = .025). However, this mortality benefit was seen only in high-risk patients treated at ICUs treating high volumes of high-risk patients. Conclusions:There is evidence that high ICU patient volumes are associated with lower mortality rates in high-risk critically ill adults.
Time‐course study of macrophage infiltration and inflammation in cast immobilization–induced atrophied muscle of mice

Introduction: Macrophage infiltration may play an important role in mediating the development of muscle atrophy. However, temporal differences in the activation of muscle atrophy signaling pathways and the progress of macrophage infiltration during the atrophic phases of cast immobilization are currently unknown. Methods: C57BL/6J mice were euthanized after cast immobilization at 1, 3, 7, and 14 days. Results: Skeletal muscle macrophage numbers were unchanged on days 1 and 3 after immobilization, but were elevated on days 7 (2.7‐fold, P < 0.01) and 14 (4.1‐fold, P < 0.01). Ubiquitin ligase expression was increased 1 and 3 days after cast immobilization, as was the LC3‐II/LC3‐I ratio. Discussion: Atrophy signaling pathway activation, but not macrophage infiltration, was observed during the early phase after cast immobilization. Our findings indicate that macrophage infiltration may contribute very little to the early phase of muscle atrophy after cast immobilization. Muscle Nerve 57: 1006–1013, 2018
Health Care Infrastructure in Post-Katrina New Orleans: A Status Report

W Hurricane Katrina slammed into the gulf coast on August 29, 2005, it unleashed a series of catastrophic levee breakages that led to widespread, devastating flooding in the major metropolitan area of New Orleans. The health sector was completely disrupted across the continuum of care from primary care services to quaternary care. Most hospitals and other facilities including the academic medical centers were initially closed and operations temporarily relocated or reconfigured.1,2 Further, the largest health care workforce efflux in United States history occurred, including the acute loss of thousands of physicians, a third of which were primary care providers.3 The city and its health sector are recovering and the health system functional, though not completely normal yet.4 The health sector has rebuilt inpatient and outpatient services in aggregate, but certain populations and geographic areas remain dramatically underserved as in many regions of the country. However, because of this disruption, attention to health sector reform and refocusing of missions has led to an impending renaissance in the public and private sectors and academia. In this article, we report on the current status of the health sector including inpatient facilities, the safety-net, workforce, and mental health services. In addition, we describe the goals aimed at reforming, not just rebuilding, the city’s health sector and ongoing challenges for the recovery. The Greater New Orleans area includes 4 parishes (the Louisiana equivalent of a county). The greatest devastation to the metropolitan area occurred in Orleans, St. Bernard, and Plaquemines Parishes. The infrastructure in Jefferson Parish was relatively maintained, allowing for support of the other parishes by the hospitals, physicians, and other health care facilities there. The estimated population of the Greater New Orleans area is currently 780,000, 70% of the pre-Katrina population.5 The density and sociodemographic characteristics of this population have changed and those who have repopulated the area are somewhat older, higher income, more likely to be insured, more Hispanic or white and more likely to report a lack of access to regular care.5,6 The rates of uninsurance have actually declined since the storm, with the percentage of uninsured currently estimated at 17%. 7 Though the population of the city is less than it was before Hurricane Katrina, the area is also one of the fastest growing in the United States. It is estimated that 2000 people return to the Greater New Orleans area each month, necessitating continual growth of the health sector to meet their needs.8 The returning population has a high burden of illness and pent-up demand, often owing to the lack of care in the intervening time since the storm while displaced. Additionally, increased rates of comorbid depression and other mental illness provide an added burden to the primary care and emergency medicine systems.9,10