Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Melanoma Brain Metastasis Pseudoprogression after Pembrolizumab Treatment

This case report documents pseudoprogression in brain metastases treated with antibodies to PD-1. Use of immune checkpoint inhibitors in melanoma and other malignancies is increasing, making it important to recognize and treat effects unique to brain metastases. The role of immunotherapy in treatment of brain metastases is unknown because most trials exclude patients with active brain lesions. As new immunomodulating agents gain approval for many malignancies, it is important to know if they have unique effects in the central nervous system (CNS). Here, we present a case of a patient with progressing brain metastases treated with a single cycle of pembrolizumab, who presented with mental status changes 11 days thereafter. MRI of the brain showed enlargement of CNS lesions with intense central enhancement and diffuse perilesional edema. Histologic evaluation of a resected lesion revealed isolated clusters of tumor cells surrounded by reactive astrocytosis, scattered inflammatory cells, and an abundance of microglial cells. Given the increasing use of immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with brain metastases from melanoma and other diseases, recognition of pseudoprogression and management with immune suppression are essential. Cancer Immunol Res; 4(3); 179–82. ©2015 AACR.
Performance Measurement-Systeme im praktischen Einsatz

Dipl. -Kfm. Michael Grüning ist Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter am selben Lehrstuhl. Im Zuge sich verändernder Wettbewerbsanforderungen an Unternehmen wird die ganzheitliche, integrierte Erfassung und Steuerung aller Erfolgsfaktoren eines Unternehmens zunehmend zu einer notwendigen Voraussetzung für erfolgreiches Wirtschaften. Zur Lösung dieses Problems werden heute verstärkt Performance Measurement(PM)-Systeme eingesetzt. Dieser Beitrag gibt auf Basis der Untersuchung von 181 Unternehmen einen Überblick, welche PM-Systeme in deutschen Unternehmen angewendet werden, wie diese Systeme gestaltet, weiterentwickelt und implementiert werden, welche Schwierigkeiten beim Performance Measurement auftreten und wie zufrieden die Unternehmen mit ihrem PM-System sind.
An Evaluation of the Entrepreneurs¡¯ Perception of Business-Incubation Services in Kenya

Business incubators provide an important service network for new and fledgling Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Kenya. To ascertain the perception of the importance of business incubation process and how recipients perceive the service to be rendered, perceptions of 124 entrepreneurs are compared. The survey endeavored to cover all types of business-incubation programme in Kenya that target SMEs, but it was found that although close to twenty-five institutions operated some form of business incubation services or another, only twelve were confirmed as business incubators per se. The findings on the entrepreneurs’ respondent, first from the descriptive statistics shows that the mean scores for the importance of services of business-incubation processes is higher than the rating of how actually the services were received. The hypothesis empirically tested using paired t-test indicates that a gap exist between how entrepreneurs’ perceive business-incubation (services) process and what they actually receive. Based on the means of the two, they actually received less than anticipated. However, being a quantitative study the exact details of the real nature of business-incubation- services attached to the importance/ rendered services are not documented in the study. While the research provided new insights into business-incubation services in Kenya, numerous questions ring out in mind.
Interstitial pneumonia related to undifferentiated connective tissue disease: pathologic pattern and prognosis.

BACKGROUND Undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD) involves conditions characterized by both having symptoms of connective tissue disease (CTD) and autoantibodies but not fulfilling the criteria of a specific CTD. The frequency or prognosis of the usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) pattern in UCTD is unknown, which may be confused with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). This study aimed to investigate the frequency of the UIP pattern in interstitial pneumonia related to UCTD and compare its prognosis with that of IPF and UCTD-nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (UCTD-NSIP). METHODS The medical records of 788 patients presumptively diagnosed with idiopathic interstitial pneumonia at Asan Medical Center from January 2005 to December 2012 were retrospectively reviewed. UCTD was diagnosed according to the criteria by Corte and colleagues, and the prognoses were compared between UCTD-UIP and UCTD-NSIP and between UCTD-UIP and IPF. RESULTS Among 105 patients with UCTD (13.3% of total subjects), 44 had a UIP pattern (by surgical lung biopsy: 24; by high-resolution CT scan: 20), 29 had a nonspecific interstitial pneumonia pattern (by surgical lung biopsy), and nine had an organizing pneumonia pattern (by biopsy). The overall survival of the UCTD-UIP group was shorter than that of the UCTD-NSIP group (P = .021) but significantly better than that of the IPF group (P = .042). CONCLUSIONS A UIP pattern, which seems to be frequent in UCTD, showed a poorer prognosis than that of UCTD-NSIP. However, the prognosis of UCTD-UIP was significantly better than that of IPF, highlighting the importance of searching for underlying UCTD in suspected IPF cases.
Voluntary Disclosure of the Business Model in Italian IPO Prospectuses: a Comparative Analysis

How do companies to be listed actually deal with voluntary disclosure of their business model? Is it true that firms with greater knowledge-based resources and technological innovation endowments have a lower propensity to adopt fully open communication behaviors? This paper aims to identify the voluntary disclosure choices adopted by three Italian companies in their Initial Public Offering (IPO) prospectuses to investigate whether any differences may depend on the type of innovation underlying each business model. A series of interviews conducted with the top management allows to understand more deeply the business model of each company. Further, a content analysis is performed to compute a measure of disclosure and point out the strategic concepts and their relevance. The study provides evidence that companies with a business model based on technology-push innovation have a lower propensity to full disclosure of their intangible components, particularly of those mainly based on knowledge as these are also invisible. The study aims to make a contribution to the ongoing debate on business and financial reporting.
A comparison of conventional spirometric tests and the test of closing volume in an emphysema screening center.

A respiratory symptom questionnaire, conventional spirometric tests, and measurement of closing volumes were used to test 1,073 persons who attended an emphysema screening center. In 524 cigarette smokers, the following incidence of abnormalities of lung function were found. (1) Closing capacity expressed as a percentage of total lung capacity was abnormal in 44 per cent. (2) Closing volume expressed as a percentage of vital capacity was abnormal in 35 per cent. (3) Mean maximal expiratory flow measured from 25 to 75 per cent of forced expiratory volume was abnormal in 21 per cent, and (4) forced expiratory volume in one second was abnormal in 11 per cent. In both smokers and ex-smokers, there was a positive correlation between total cigarette consumption and the frequency of abnormalities in the lung function tests. Ex-smokers showed a significantly lower frequency of abnormalities of closing volumes but a greater frequency of abnormal FEV1 than smokers.
Price Formation Around Cum Date Dividend Announcement: Empirical Evidence in Indonesian Stock Exchange

This research aim is to prove there a change in abnormal returns around the announcement date of the cum date dividend date and price changes around the announcement date. The population studied is the company announced a dividend for the period 2007-2012, consists of 15 companies that successive 3-year reported operating income, cash dividends during the 11 days of observation. Testing of the event study on the information content of the cum date dividend announcement is found that it contains no significant information on cum date dividend announcement, and found no significant negative information content one day after the cum date dividend announcement. Results of this study still found the significant abnormal returns around the dividend announcement. Regression testing ask price, bid price, and the days before and after the dividend announcement to the stock price was found that the price formation is not influenced by the dividend announcement, but they are influenced by the ask and the bid prices, which implies there is an effort of investors to maximize capital gains by making the selling and purchasing of certain stocks.
The parallel use of endoscopic fenestration and a cystoperitoneal shunt with programmable valve to treat arachnoid cysts: experience and hypothesis.

OBJECT The authors share their experience of the treatment of arachnoid cysts with endoscopic fenestration and cystoperitoneal shunt placement during the same operation. The importance of this strategy is related to the fact that the shunt can induce the collapse of the cyst and that the endoscopic fenestration could make it possible to remove the shunt, avoiding the phenomenon of shunt dependence. METHODS Between 1996 and 2005, 35 patients with an arachnoid cyst were treated using endoscopic fenestration and placement of a programmable shunt. The patients' ages (70% boys and 30% girls) ranged from 2 months to 16 years. These patients were reviewed with MR imaging and clinical examination. The cyst volumes and clinical examinations were evaluated. RESULTS No serious complications were reported; the cyst disappeared in 60% of the cases, and in 54% of the cases it was possible to remove the shunt without shunt dependence. CONCLUSIONS In the authors' view, this strategy seems easy, does not take longer than a simple shunt surgery or an endoscopic cystostomy alone, and can be useful for treatment of arachnoid cysts in all locations.
The More Learning, the Better? The Curvilinear Relationship between Technological Learning and New Product Commercialization

Managers entrusted with new product development (NPD) have to seek the optimal balance between prior competencies and learning activities to generate successful products. Yet prior NPD research has largely taken a positivistic view of learning despite an inkling that too much learning can lead to dysfunction. This study attempts to contribute the NPD literature by analyzing whether and, if so, when technological learning engenders shortcomings and affects new product commercialization. We use a multi-informant longitudinal design combining unique survey and patent data on a multi-industry sample of about 163 product-based R&D collaborations in Germany. The results of a Cox regression reveal that prior technological knowledge is pervasively important for NPD and confirm that an inverted U-shaped relationship holds between the likelihood of commercialization and technological learning. The inverted U-shaped relationship supports the characterization of learning as a double-edged sword that helps overcome rigidities but also has downsides if taken too far. Exploitive learning, in particular, is the later of the two to incur downsides. This draws attention to the inherent uncertainty and costs of experimentation when learning is geared to exploration. As expected, technological progress determines NPD, but the influence is negligibly small. We argue that inertia dominates NPD projects, at least in the short-term. Our findings mainly contribute to the NPD literature by demonstrating a differentiated learning-performance relationship. The results reveal whether and, if so, when, learning can become a drag to NPC and traps may occur. Managers are advised to ensure, at least, a fit between project requirements and prior competencies, but also to ensure adequate learning. Irrespective whether learning is geared to exploration or exploitation, it is advisable to maintain it at an appropriate level. This article suggests a patent-based instrument to monitor and manage learning efforts.
High incidence of familial breast cancer segregates with constitutional t(11;22)(q23;q11)

In a family with a high incidence of postmenopausal breast cancer and a case of glioblastoma, the constitutional translocation t(11;22)(q23;q11.2) was shown to segregate with the malignancies. The breakpoints in this family coincided with the common breakpoints in t(11;22) as shown by a translocation‐specific PCR assay. Loss of heterozygosity analysis of breast tumor tissue revealed deletion of the normal chromosome 22, but retention of der(22) in the tumor cells, suggesting a predisposing effect of the der(22) for breast and brain tumor development in this family. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Bladder, bowel and sexual function after hysterectomy for benign conditions

Approximately 28 per 10,000 women undergo hysterectomy every year, rendering it the commonest major gynaecological operation in the UK’. The procedure disrupts the intimate anatomical relationship between the uterus, bowel, bladder and vagina, and inevitably the local nerve supply. It is therefore reasonable to suppose that hysterectomy might alter their function, such change being either detrimental or beneficial. Since Hanley’s2 work in the late 1960s, there has been an increasing awareness of and research into the sequelae of hysterectomy. The procedure may be total, when both the body of the uterus and the cervix are removed, or subtotal, when the cervix is conserved. The operation may be performed via an abdominal incision, or by the vaginal route, or more recently by minimal access techniques. If hysterectomy does indeed affect urinary, bowel or sexual function, the type and route of the operation may also affect the degree of change. This article reviews current literature on this topic.
Temperature dependence of the acoustic-mode vibrational anharmonicity of quartz from 243 to 393 K.

Measurements made of the effects of hydrostatic pressure on ultrasonic wave velocities have been used to obtain the hydrostatic-pressure derivatives of the six independent second-order elastic constants (SOEC's) and the bulk modulus of very-high-purity quartz crystals in the temperature range 243-393 K. The results, which quantify the nonlinear properties of quartz, show that (∂C IJ /∂P) T,P=0 depend markedly upon temperature (contrary to their previous usage in technological applications as temperature-independent quantities)
Increased CD45RO expression on T lymphocytes in mediastinal lymph node and pulmonary lesions of patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis

Sarcoidosis is characterized by a cell‐mediated response mediated by the activation of CD4′ T lymphocytes in an environment lacking adequate numbers of regulatory CD8 T lymphocytes. Immunohistological studies on frozen tissues have shown that sarcoid lesions have activated CD4 heiper/inducer T lymphocytes at the centre of granulomata, whereas lymphocytes at the periphery are mainly CD8 suppressor/cytotoxic cells. In this study we investigated the immunohistological distribution of CD45 isoforms of T cells in 29 paraffin‐embedded sarcoid lesions in mediastinal and open lung biopsies. Ten of these were assessed quantitatively, with single‐staining of serial sections demonstrating a predominance of CD45RO memory T lymphocytes in granulomata and intergranulomalous areas. Ratios of CD45RO;CD45RA T lymphocytes (or the ratio oi memory to naive T cells) were 420:1 for granulomata and 17‐9:l for intergranulomatous areas of sarcoid lesions counted. This finding is compatible with the hypothesis that nearly all the lymphocytes present in sarcoid lesions have been previously activated, and selectively home to sarcoid lesions.
Sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value of oral opportunistic infections in adults with HIV/AIDS as markers of immune suppression and viral burden.

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to assess the use of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related oral opportunistic infections as markers of immune suppression and viral burden in adults with HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). METHODS The population consisted of a single institution observational cohort involving 606 patients with HIV/AIDS with CD4 count data and 277 with plasma viral load measurements examined between 1995 and 1999 for the presence of oral manifestations of HIV. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value is reported for the association of specific oral lesions and lesion sets with CD4 counts <200 cells/mm(3) and with plasma HIV RNA >/=20,000 copies/mL. RESULTS Lesions with moderate-to-high PPVs for CD4 <200 cells/mm(3) were as follows: Kaposi's sarcoma (100%; P =.035), pseudomembranous candidiasis (82. 2%; P <.001), linear gingival erythema (70.0%; P =.015), hairy leukoplakia (66.3%; P <.001), angular cheilitis (60.0%; P =.128), and erythematous candidiasis (58.3%; P =.061). Necrotizing ulcerative periodontal diseases, HIV salivary gland disease, oral ulcers, and oral warts had PPVs below 50%. Concurrent infection with candidiasis and hairy leukoplakia had the highest PPV of 89.3%; P <. 001. PPVs for HIV RNA >/=20,000 copies/mL ranged from 27.3% to 100%, with significant association only for pseudomembranous candidiasis. CONCLUSIONS Specific common oral lesions are strongly associated with immune suppression, as measured by CD4 cell counts, and are modestly associated with high viral burden, thus serving as potential clinical markers of HIV viremia and the consequent destruction of the immune system with progressive HIV disease.
LARGE MAGELLANIC CLOUD NEAR-INFRARED SYNOPTIC SURVEY. I. CEPHEID VARIABLES AND THE CALIBRATION OF THE LEAVITT LAW

We present observational details and first results of a near-infrared (JHKs) synoptic survey of the central region of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) using the CPAPIR camera at the CTIO 1.5 m telescope. We covered 18 square degrees to a depth of K s ∼ 16.5 ? > mag and obtained an average of 16 epochs in each band at any given location. Our catalog contains more than 3.5 × 10 6 ? > sources, including 1417 ? > Cepheid variables previously studied at optical wavelengths by the OGLE survey. Our sample of fundamental-mode pulsators represents a nine-fold increase in the number of these variables with time-resolved, multi-band near-infrared photometry. We combine our large Cepheid sample and a recent precise determination of the distance to the LMC to derive a robust absolute calibration of the near-infrared Leavitt Law for fundamental-mode and first-overtone Cepheids with 10× better constraints on the slopes relative to previous work. We also obtain calibrations for the tip of the red giant branch and the red clump based on our ensemble photometry which are in good agreement with previous determinations.
[The impact of socioeconomic status on the quality of life in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

INTRODUCTION In addition to the traditional biomedical parameters, quality of life (QoL) evaluation has found its well-deserved place in the overall assessment of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The impact of socioeconomic status (SES) was rarely evaluated in QoL studies in such patients with no such studies having been conducted in Poland. The aim of our study was to compare QoL between COPD patients and the control group and to evaluate the impact of SES, selected demographic characteristics, smoking and bronchial tree obstruction on the QoL in COPD patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS We enrolled 120 patients with COPD (98 men and 22 women; mean age: 62.3 years) with no comorbidities and 85 healthy individuals (39 men and 46 women; mean age: 56.0 years). All the COPD patients underwent spirometry. QoL was assessed with the SF-36 Health Survey and the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire. To assess SES, demographic variables and smoking we used a questionnaire of our own authorship. RESULTS COPD patients showed a significantly lower QoL compared to controls. Univariate analysis demonstrated effects of educational background, income, occupation, employment status and bronchial obstruction on the individual QoL domains. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that the sociodemographic factors significantly affecting the overall QoL included: present occupation, employment status, monthly income, educational background and total exposure to cigarette smoke. No effects of age, sex or smoking status on the QoL in COPD were shown. CONCLUSIONS The QoL in patients with COPD is affected by many factors. In addition to spirometric abnormalities the significant factors that modify QoL are: educational background, monthly income, present occupation and employment status, while sex, age and smoking status do not significantly affect QoL.
Principles and practice of clinical research course for surgeons: an evaluation of knowledge transfer and perceptions.

BACKGROUND Knowledge and training in evidence-based medicine (EBM) and clinical research is under-represented in most surgical training programs in North America. To address a lack of resources for surgeons, trainees and related specialties, we developed a Principles and Practice of Clinical Research (PPCR) course. The current study evaluated transfer of knowledge and perceptions about the course. METHODS The course was an intensive 2.5-day workshop consisting of interactive lectures and small group breakout sessions. Pre- and postcourse tests were completed by participants. The Fresno test, questions from the Centre of Applied Medical Statistics (CAMS) test and questions developed by the course chairs were used to determine if participants' knowledge of EBM, clinical research methodology and statistics improved. We also elicited participant perceptions of the course. RESULTS Overall participant knowledge about EBM and clinical research methods improved significantly from the pre- to the postcourse test (mean improvement inscore 13.5%, relative increase 35.3%, p < 0.001). Specifically, improvements were demonstrated on the Fresno test (mean improvement 13.5%, relative increase 36.1%, p< 0.001) and the CAMS test (mean improvement 11.4%, relative increase 20.1%, p = 0.001). Participants showed the greatest improvement in general knowledge about clinical research (mean improvement 15.4%, relative increase 46.5%, p < 0.001). The PPCR course was well received; 30 (81.1%) participants who completed the course evaluation gave it a positive rating. CONCLUSION Participants in a short course focusing on EBM and clinical research methodology had significant improvements in scores on tests of knowledge gained. Widespread implementation of similar courses may bridge knowledge gaps for surgeons, surgical trainees and health professionals. Whether shorter knowledge gain sare retained in the longer term remains unknown.