Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Invasive squamous cell carcinoma of vulva: prognostic significance of clinicopathologic parameters.

AIM To investigate the prognostic significance of several clinicopathologic parameters in patients with invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva. METHODS We retrospectively studied 43 patients with invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva treated with radical vulvectomy at the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics at Zagreb University School of Medicine, Croatia, in the period from 1978-1996. At the time of analysis, follow-up information was obtained for all patients, 18 (41.9%) of whom have died and 25 (58.1%) who were alive at the time of the last contact. The mean follow-up time of surviving patients was 121 months (range, 6-216 months). Cox proportional hazard analysis was performed to examine the prognostic significance of age, menstrual status, clinical stage, diameter and localization of the tumor, histological grade, nuclear grade, depth of tumor invasion, presence of vascular space invasion, tumor growth pattern, presence of lymph node metastasis, DNA ploidy, proliferative activity, and mode of therapy. RESULTS The overall 5-year survival for this group of patients was 62.3%. The results of univariate statistical analysis confirmed that statistically significant prognostic parameters included the age of patients (P=0.038), clinical stage (P=0.001), nuclear grade (P=0.002), the depth of tumor invasion (P<0.001), and presence of lymph node metastasis (P=0.001). On the other hand, the results of multivariate statistical analysis showed that only the depth of tumor invasion (P<0.001) can be considered independent, statistically significant prognostic parameter. CONCLUSION Our data suggest that the depth of tumor invasion represents the most important prognostic parameter in the group of patients with invasive squamous vulvar carcinoma. Clinical significance of DNA ploidy and proliferative activity was not found.
Movement from emerging economies to small island states: motivations of Nigerian educational tourists in North Cyprus

Although core countries, in particular the UK, USA, Canada, and Australia, have been the most popular destinations for educational tourism, a substantial number of educational tourists have recently been travelling to other European, Asian, and African countries. There has been significant research into student mobility from developing countries to core countries, but research on student mobility between developing countries—in particular the movement from emerging economies to small island states—is scarce. North Cyprus has recently become a thriving international educational tourism destination. This study explores the factors affecting educational tourists’ decision-making, with a specific focus on Nigerian students, about whom very little is known regarding their decision to study abroad and their choices of host country and host university. Data from a qualitative study carried out in the small island state of North Cyprus is used to examine the factors that push Nigerian educational tourists away from their home country to seek tertiary education opportunities elsewhere as well as the factors affecting their host country and host institution choices. Three main themes emerged from the data analysis, namely: Studying Overseas, Country Choice, and Host Institution. The results of this study are useful for policymakers in small island states, who wish to establish or improve an educational tourism industry, as well as for university decision-makers who wish to increase their institutions’ success at attracting foreign students.
Sequencing, chromosomal inactivation, and functional expression in Escherichia coli of ppsR, a gene which represses carotenoid and bacteriochlorophyll synthesis in Rhodobacter sphaeroides

Sequencing of a DNA fragment that causes trans suppression of bacteriochlorophyll and carotenoid levels in Rhodobacter sphaeroides revealed two genes: orf-192 and ppsR. The ppsR gene alone is sufficient for photopigment suppression. Inactivation of the R. sphaeroides chromosomal copy of ppsR results in overproduction of both bacteriochlorophyll and carotenoid pigments. The deduced 464-amino-acid protein product of ppsR is homologous to the CrtJ protein of Rhodobacter capsulatus and contains a helix-turn-helix domain that is found in various DNA-binding proteins. Removal of the helix-turn-helix domain renders PpsR nonfunctional. The promoter of ppsR is located within the coding region of the upstream orf-192 gene. When this promoter is replaced by a lacZ promoter, ppsR is expressed in Escherichia coli. An R. sphaeroides DNA fragment carrying crtD', -E, and -F and bchC, -X, -Y, and -Z' exhibited putative promoter activity in E. coli. This putative promoter activity could be suppressed by PpsR in both E. coli and R. sphaeroides. These results suggest that PpsR is a transcriptional repressor. It could potentially act by binding to a putative regulatory palindrome found in the 5' flanking regions of a number of R. sphaeroides and R. capsulatus photosynthesis genes.
Particle Swarm-Based Sliding Mode Controller with Chattering Reduction Feature : Application to an AGC Nonlinear Interconnected Model

 This paper presents a design of a sliding mode controller (SMC) with chattering reduction feature applied to interconnected Automatic Generation Control (AGC) model. The proposed method formulates the design of SMC as an optimization problem and utilizes Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm to find the optimal feedback gains and switching vector values of the controller. Two performance functions were used in the optimization process to demonstrate the system dynamical performance and SMC chattering reduction. The tested two-area interconnected AGC model incorporates nonlinearities in terms of Generation Rate Constraint (GRC). Comparison with a previous AGC method reported in literature validates the significance of the proposed SMC design. Index Terms  Sliding mode control (SMC), Automatic generation control (AGC), Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Linear quadratic regulators(LQR), Chattering reduction, Power systems.
Open Field Habituation Learning Is Improved by Nicotine and Attenuated by Mecamylamine Administered Posttrial into the Nucleus Accumbens

Using the paradigm of habituation learning in the open field, we tested the effects of unilateral microinjections of the agonist nicotine (8.0, 40.0, and 80.0 microg) and the nicotine receptor antagonist mecamylamine (0.1, 1.0, 10.0 microg) into the core of the nucleus accumbens. When injected posttrial, that is, immediately after the first exposure to the open field, nicotine dose-dependently enhanced behavioral habituation during the test on the following day, indicating a facilitation of memory, whereas mecamylamine impaired habituation at the highest dose, but not at the two lower doses. When injected 5 h after the learning trial, nicotine (40 microg) and mecamylamine (10 microg) impaired habituation on the subsequent day. A control experiment did not provide evidence for possible proactive effects of mecamylamine. These findings are discussed with respect to the possible behavioral functions of cholinergic, and especially nicotinic, mechanisms in the nucleus accumbens. They may also be relevant for understanding cholinergic-linked psychopathologies such as Alzheimer's disease, since the nucleus accumbens is one of the sites where cholinergic neurons are lost in this neurodegenerative disease.
Optimal Throughput–Delay Tradeoff in MANETs With Supportive Infrastructure Using Random Linear Coding

The performance of throughput, delay, and their tradeoff in mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) has been investigated on different assumptions. Nevertheless, few papers consider the supportive infrastructure in MANETs. With the help of supportive infrastructure, i.e., cellular networks, the performance of throughput and delay in MANETs can be improved. The impact of supportive infrastructure on the throughput-delay tradeoff in MANETs is an open research point. In this paper, we are interested in the optimal throughput-delay tradeoff in MANETs with supportive infrastructure. We investigate the supportive infrastructure that only provides transmission pipes between distant nodes. We study the optimal throughput-delay tradeoff in MANETs on different assumptions such as different densities of nodes and base stations (BSs), discrete/continuous mobility models with various velocities, and the fast/slow mobility assumption. We obtain the asymptotically optimal throughput-delay tradeoff and propose transmission policies based on random linear coding (RLC) to achieve the optimal throughput-delay tradeoff asymptotically. From the obtained optimal throughput-delay tradeoff, we find that supportive infrastructure reduces the delay bound from velocity, which is a lower bound of delay caused by nodes' velocity. In particular, if supportive infrastructure can cover the entire network, then the delay bound from velocity vanishes when per-node throughput does not exceed a threshold. Moreover, we find that there also exists a delay bound from the transmission range of the instant transmission. In addition, we observe that, for the optimal throughput-delay tradeoff in the large throughput region, the case in the continuous mobility model outperforms the case in the discrete mobility model, and the case on the slow mobility assumption outperforms the case on the fast mobility assumption.
Ultra-long range correlations of the dynamics of jammed soft matter

We use photon correlation imaging, a recently introduced space-resolved dynamic light scattering method, to investigate the spatial correlation of the dynamics of a variety of jammed and glassy soft materials. Strikingly, we find that in deeply jammed soft materials spatial correlations of the dynamics are quite generally ultra-long ranged, extending up to the system size, orders of magnitude larger than any relevant structural length scale, such as the particle size, or the mesh size for colloidal gel systems. This has to be contrasted with the case of molecular, colloidal and granular “supercooled” fluids, where spatial correlations of the dynamics extend over a few particles at most. Our findings suggest that ultra long range spatial correlations in the dynamics of a system are directly related to the origin of elasticity. While solid-like systems with entropic elasticity exhibit very moderate correlations, systems with enthalpic elasticity exhibit ultra-long range correlations due to the effective transmission of strains throughout the contact network.
Preparation and evaluation of dual-mode floating gastroretentive tablets containing itraconazole

Abstract The aims of the present study were to prepare new dual-mode floating gastroretentive tablets (DF-GRT) containing itraconazole (ITR) and to evaluate influence of the dosage forms on pharmacokinetic parameters of ITR. The solubility of ITR was enhanced around 200 times (from 1.54 to 248.38 µg/mL) by preparing solid dispersion (SD) with hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose. Buoyancy of DF-GRT containing ITR-SD was established by both camphor sublimation and gas generation. Camphor sublimation decreased density of DF-GRT by making pores in tablet matrix, which led to elimination of lag time for floating. Carbon dioxide generated by sodium bicarbonate and citric acid helped to maintain buoyancy of DF-GRT. Therefore DF-GRT floated on the medium without lag time until disintegrated entirely during in vitro release study. They released 89.11% of the drug at 2 h. Residual camphor was <0.5 wt% after sublimation. The pharmacokinetics of DF-GRT was evaluated in six miniature pigs and compared to immediate release tablets (IRT). Mean AUC ratio of GRT/IRT was 1.36 but there was no statistical difference between AUC values. However delayed tmax, increased MRT and equivalent Cmax of DF-GRT supposed it could be a promising tool for gastroretentive drug delivery system containing ITR.
User Satisfaction Research in Information Systems: Historical Roots and Approaches

User satisfaction with information systems (IS) is considered an important indicator of information systems success and has been the subject of numerous research studies since the field’s inception. In this paper, we review the user satisfaction research in the IS field. We discuss the roots of user satisfaction research as it pertains to satisfaction studies in marketing research and how these studies have been used to inform the IS context. We also discuss how the study of user satisfaction and use of the construct in IS research has evolved and matured over time. Finally, we discuss antecedents and outcomes of user satisfaction identified in IS research and provide suggestions for future research.
When Prisoners Take Over the Prison

There is a general tendency for social psychologists to focus on processes of oppression rather than resistance. This is exemplified and entrenched by the Stanford Prison Experiment (SPE). Consequently, researchers and commentators have come to see domination, tyranny, and abuse as natural or inevitable in the world at large. Challenging this view, research suggests that where members of low-status groups are bound together by a sense of shared social identity, this can be the basis for effective leadership and organization that allows them to counteract stress, secure support, challenge authority, and promote social change in even the most extreme of situations. This view is supported by a review of experimental research—notably the SPE and the BBC Prison Study—and case studies of rebellion against carceral regimes in Northern Ireland, South Africa, and Nazi Germany. This evidence is used to develop a social identity model of resistance dynamics.
Combination chemotherapy with cytosine arabinoside and rubidomycin in 30 cases of acute granulocytic leukemia

Thirty patients with acute granulocytic leukemia were treated with ARA‐C (100 mg/m2 IV during 5 days) and RBD (100 mg/m2/day during 3 days). Twenty‐two patients with AML and eight with APML were treated. The drugs always induced severe pancytopenia lasting an average of 18 days. Sixteen patients achieved complete remission; 2 were partial remissions, and 12 were failures. Survival time among all patients averaged 12 months. Of the 16 patients achieving complete remission, only 6 relapsed and 14 patients are still alive (5 to 19 months).
Voxel-based 3D Point Cloud Semantic Segmentation: Unsupervised Geometric and Relationship Featuring vs Deep Learning Methods

Automation in point cloud data processing is central in knowledge discovery within decision-making systems. The definition of relevant features is often key for segmentation and classification, with automated workflows presenting the main challenges. In this paper, we propose a voxel-based feature engineering that better characterize point clusters and provide strong support to supervised or unsupervised classification. We provide different feature generalization levels to permit interoperable frameworks. First, we recommend a shape-based feature set (SF1) that only leverages the raw X, Y, Z attributes of any point cloud. Afterwards, we derive relationship and topology between voxel entities to obtain a three-dimensional (3D) structural connectivity feature set (SF2). Finally, we provide a knowledge-based decision tree to permit infrastructure-related classification. We study SF1/SF2 synergy on a new semantic segmentation framework for the constitution of a higher semantic representation of point clouds in relevant clusters. Finally, we benchmark the approach against novel and best-performing deep-learning methods while using the full S3DIS dataset. We highlight good performances, easy-integration, and high F1-score (> 85%) for planar-dominant classes that are comparable to state-of-the-art deep learning.
Empirically Determined, Psychopathological Subtypes in Children With ADHD

Objective: The aim of this study was to empirically determine subgroups of ADHD defined by specific patterns of psychopathology. Method: A clinical sample of 223 children with ADHD, aged 5 to 14 years, was examined with the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). In addition, comorbid psychiatric disorders, psychosocial risk factors, and socioeconomic status were assessed. Results: Cluster analysis of CBCL subscales yielded a solution with four distinct subgroups. While “externalizers” showed a high rate of comorbid oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and conduct disorder (CD), “obsessive-compulsives” exhibited thought problems, low rates of comorbid CD, and high symptoms of inattention. “High psychiatric symptom carriers” had high rates of familial risk factors, acute life events, comorbid ODD, and CD. “Low psychiatric symptom carriers” also scored low in all other variables studied. Conclusion: Children with ADHD can be divided into four subgroups according to their CBCL-based psychopathology, and these subgroups differ in their risk factor profiles.
State Ownership and the Allocation of Capital

This paper studies the capital allocation decisions of firms that are comparable except for ownership under a unique setting using investment level data. We find allocative inefficiency across ownership to be exacerbated under policy distortions through subsidized credits targeted at state-owned firms. Curiously, we also find state-owned firms to concentrate more capital in certain markets even after returns on investment are dampened by negative policy shocks, suggesting that moral hazard could be a real concern. In addition to cross-firm allocative inefficiency, our analysis provides direct evidence of inefficient capital allocation across markets by state-owned firms that exists within firm and asset class.
Stability Analysis of Discrete-Time Infinite-Horizon Optimal Control With Discounted Cost

We analyze the stability of general nonlinear discrete-time systems controlled by an optimal sequence of inputs that minimizes an infinite-horizon discounted cost. First, assumptions related to the controllability of the system and its detectability with respect to the stage cost are made. Uniform semiglobal and practical stability of the closed-loop system is then established, where the adjustable parameter is the discount factor. Stronger stability properties are thereupon guaranteed by gradually strengthening the assumptions. Next, we show that the Lyapunov function used to prove stability is continuous under additional conditions, implying that stability has a certain amount of nominal robustness. The presented approach is flexible and we show that robust stability can still be guaranteed when the sequence of inputs applied to the system is no longer optimal but near-optimal. We also analyze stability for cost functions in which the importance of the stage cost increases with time, opposite to discounting. Finally, we exploit stability to derive new relationships between the optimal value functions of the discounted and undiscounted problems, when the latter is well-defined.
HER-2/ neu Expression in Osteosarcoma Increases Risk of Lung Metastasis and Can Be Associated With Gene Amplification

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether Her-2/ neu expression at diagnosis of osteosarcoma could provide biologic and prognostic information that predicts the risk of pulmonary metastases and outcome. Human epidermal growth factor (Her-2/ neu) expression in 25 initial pretreatment osteosarcoma biopsies and 12 posttreatment pulmonary metastatic osteosarcoma resection specimens was assessed by standard immunohistochemical techniques on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue. As a screening analysis to determine if gene amplification may be a mechanism for increased Her-2/ neu expression, FISH analysis was conducted on seven Her-2/ neu immunostain-positive samples and five Her-2/ neu immunostain-negative samples. Cytoplasmic Her-2/ neu reactivity was identified in 11/25 (44%) of primary tumors and in 7/12 (58%) resection specimens from pulmonary metastases. Cytoplasmic Her-2/ neu expression was associated with shorter overall metastasis-free survival. Her-2/ neu gene amplification was identified by FISH analysis in six of the seven immunostain-positive samples but was also identified in two of the five immunostain-negative samples. Her-2/ neu expression in patients with osteosarcoma is associated with an increased risk of metastasis and may define a subset of patients with a more aggressive tumor phenotype. Her-2/ neu gene amplification may provide a mechanism for Her-2/ neu overexpression in certain cases of osteosarcoma. Whether Her-2/ neu expression influences outcome needs to be examined further in a prospective fashion. The hope is that Her-2/ neu expression will identify patients who may benefit from the addition of directed biologic therapy.
Une synthèse du refroidissement élastocalorique : Matériaux , intégrations de cycles et de système

Elastocaloric cooling is a new alternative solid-state cooling technology undergoing early stage research and development. This study presents a comprehensive review of key issues related to achieving a successful elastocaloric cooling system. Fundamentals in elastocaloric materials are reviewed. The basic and advanced thermodynamic cycles are presented based on analogy from other solid-state cooling technologies. System integration issues are discussed to characterize the next generation elastocaloric cooling prototype. Knowledge acquired from the elastocaloric heat engines is provided as the basis for the design of cooling system configuration. Commercially available drivers enabling proper compression and tension are also presented. A few performance assessment indices are proposed and discussed as guidelines for design and evaluation of future elastocaloric cooling system. A brief summary of the up-to-date elastocaloric cooling prototypes is presented as well. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd and International Institute of Refrigeration. All rights reserved.
Terminal harmony: rituals of death and social cohesion in colonial Puebla de los Ángeles

Colonial Puebla de los Ángeles's mixed population of Spaniards, creoles, Native Americans, and groups of African descent confronted death frequently. Epidemic disease combined with mundane illnesses and infirmities made dying a quotidian and familiar experience among all social groups. The city's religious and secular officials recognized death as an important rite of passage and sponsored and supported scripted rituals of death designed to guide the soul to its final resting place. As they aided individual souls, priests, city council members, and cathedral representatives in Puebla also used the sacraments, spiritual and practical charity, and elaborate ceremonies including royal exequies (exequias reales), to unite the diverse city of Puebla in a common Catholic faith. This article explores these official attempts to encourage and promote a Catholic unity at death while also demonstrating how repeated bouts of epidemic disease, limited resources, and racial and socioeconomic differences served to nuance and temper the vision of a shared ‘terminal harmony’ promoted and encouraged by the city's officials.