Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evolution of R-CHOP therapy for older patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is the fifth most common malignancy in adults in the USA. This disorder is especially relevant in the elderly patient population, as the median age of patients with this disorder is 65 years. Almost half of these disorders in older patients are of a diffuse large B-cell (DLBCL) subtype. The therapy of DLBCL has undergone a renaissance in the past decade, with the addition of rituximab to standard regimens, such as cyclophosphamide– doxorubicin–vincristine–prednisone (CHOP). Over this time, there have been several large Phase III treatment trials in which the CHOP and rituximab-CHOP (R-CHOP) regimens have been prospectively compared, including three trials confined to the elderly patient population. In these trials, it has been demonstrated repeatedly that the addition of rituximab results in an improved outcome, with higher response rates and prolongation in parameters including progression-free, event-free, disease-free and overall survival. In addition, this regimen has been well tolerated, even in older patients. Based upon these data, the R-CHOP regimen has now been established as the standard for initial therapy of DLBCL in older patients with DLBCL. However, issues still remain with regard to the ideal schedule of R-CHOP administration, specifically the optimal number of cycles of therapy (six vs eight), as well as cycle length (14 vs 21 days).
Morfologia e estabilidade de agregados de um Latossolo em função do manejo e da gessagem

A caracterização morfológica e a estabilidade dos agregados constituem fatores importantes na avaliação dos sistemas de manejo. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a morfologia e a estabilidade de agregados de um Latossolo Vermelho distroférrico, manejado com plantio direto e plantio convencional, com e sem ação residual de gesso. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos casualizados, arranjado em esquema de parcelas subsubdivididas, em que os tratamentos foram dois sistemas de manejo do solo, (parcelas) e com 0 e 2000 kg ha -1 de esso (subparcelas) e cinco profundidades (0-0,05, 0,05-0,10, 0,10-0,15, 0,15-0,20 e 0,20-0,30 m) sendo as subsubparcelas, com quatro repetições. A morfologia dos agregados foi determinada por meio de imagens e, posteriormente, avaliada pelo software Quantporo; a estabilidade foi determinada pelo método da via úmida. Os resultados demonstram que o cultivo em sistema plantio direto, com ou sem efeito residual de gesso, proporcionou maiores diâmetros geométricos de agregados. A combinação entre plantio direto e efeito residual de gesso proporcionou agregados mais rugosos.
Phylogeny of Rhaponticum (Asteraceae, Cardueae-Centaureinae) and related genera inferred from nuclear and chloroplast DNA sequence data: taxonomic and biogeographic implications.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS The precise generic delimitation of the Rhaponticum group is not totally resolved. The lack of knowledge of the relationships between the basal genera of Centaureinae could imply that genera whose position is as yet unresolved could belong to the Rhaponticum group. On the other hand, the affinities among the genera that are considered as members of this group are not well known. The aim of the study is to contribute to the phylogenetic and generic delineation of the Rhaponticum group on the basis of molecular data. METHODS Parsimony and Bayesian analyses of the combined sequences of one plastid (trnL-trnF) and two nuclear (ITS region and ETS) molecular markers were carried out. The results of these analyses are discussed in the light of the biogeographic history. KEY RESULTS The Rhaponticum group appears as monophyletic, and closely related to the genus Klasea. The results confirm the preliminary generic delimitation of the Rhaponticum group, with the new incorporation of the genus Centaurothamnus. Ochrocephala is supported as a separate genus from Rhaponticum and, contrary to this, Acroptilon and Leuzea appear as merged into the genus Rhaponticum. Several nomenclatural rearrangements are made in Klasea and Rhaponticum. CONCLUSIONS The new molecular evidence is consistent with the morphological and karyological data, and suggests particularly coherent biogeographic routes of migration and speciation processes for the genus Rhaponticum. The biogeographic inference proposes a Near East and/or Caucasian origin for the genus. Furthermore, representatives of Rhaponticum could have reached Europe in two different ways: (1) expansion across central Asia to eastern Europe, and (2) expansion through the Near East, North Africa and then to the Iberian Peninsula and the Alps.
Entrepreneurial Management and Governance in Family Firms: An Introduction

Many organizations, ranging from small entrepreneurial start–ups to large, multi–business and multi–national enterprises, exhibit a family dimension. Although there is much evidence that this familial dimension is pervasive in organizing economic activities, it remains understudied. The articles in this special issue further our understanding of family businesses and how they might be usefully managed and organized at operational and policy levels. They examine important topics—management succession, agency costs in family versus non–family firms, the effects of culture, and family elites in rent–seeking societies—and improve our understanding of the role of family in entrepreneurial wealth creation at both firm and societal levels. Importantly, these papers further our understanding of the contingencies and contexts wherein family based approaches to organizing enterprise might yield advantages or disadvantages.
Tax reform and tax yield in Malawi

The problem of this study is to evaluate tax reforms as instruments for raising tax yield in Malawi. The study tests two hypotheses: that the yield of the tax system as a whole, of its major components and of individual taxes, is not buoyant; and that the yield of the tax system as a whole, of its major components and of individual taxes is not income elastic. In order to test these hypotheses, two sets of regression equations were estimated.
Factors Influencing the Outcome of Intestinal Anastomosis

Anastomotic leak (AL) is one of the most serious complications after gastrointestinal surgery. All patients aged 16 years or older who underwent a surgery with single intestinal anastomosis at Morristown Medical Center from January 2006 to June 2008 were entered into a prospective database. To compare the rate of AL, patients were divided into the following surgery-related groups: 1) stapled versus hand-sewn, 2) small bowel versus large bowel, 3) right versus left colon, 4) emergent versus elective, 5) laparoscopic versus converted (laparoscopic to open) versus open, 6) inflammatory bowel disease versus non inflammatory bowel disease, and 7) diverticulitis versus nondiverticulitis. We also looked for surgical site infection, estimated intraoperative blood loss, blood transfusion, comorbidities, preoperative chemotherapy, radiation, and anticoagulation treatment. The overall rate of AL was 3.8 per cent. Mortality rate was higher among patients with ALs (13.3%) versus patients with no AL (1.7%). Open surgery had greater risk of AL than laparoscopic operations. Surgical site infection and intraoperative blood transfusions were also associated with significantly higher rates of AL. Operations involving the left colon had greater risk of AL when compared with those of the right colon, sigmoid, and rectum. Prior chemotherapy, anticoagulation, and intraoperative blood loss all increased the AL rates. In conclusion, we identified several significant risk factors for ALs. This knowledge should help us better understand and prevent this serious complication, which has significant morbidity and mortality rates.
The determinants of enterprise profi tability during reduced economic activity

The aim of this study was to identify the characteristic features of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) which contribute to the decrease of profits of those SMEs during a period of reduced economic activity. The investigation was based on a sample of 1107 SMEs functioning in the Polish market. The empirical evidence found the type of manager, market range and legal form as determining factors of SME profits during a period of reduced economic activity. The received results led to the development of a model of firm-specific variables that resul in the decrease of SMEs profits through an economic slowdown.
Financial reporting on the Internet and the external audit

Electronic dissemination of financial reports on the World Wide Web is becoming ubiquitous for larger corporations in developed market economies. This form of reporting presents many challenges for the financial statement audit. It is critical that the audit profession proactively addresses those challenges or they will be certainly addressed by government regulatory bodies and the courts of law. Most large listed public companies in France, Germany and the UK provide electronic versions of their printed annual reports on the web. A survey was made of fortyfive large listed UK, French and German corporations. A total of thirty-six of these corporations published their annual financial statements in HTML or Adobe Corporation's Acrobat. Ten of the seventeen corporations reporting in HTML included the auditors' report on their website. None of these reports linked back to the auditors' own site. A number of issues arise when corporations provide their financial statement audits on the web. These issues include the ease with which the auditor's report can be changed without any indication that a change was made; the meaning of the look and feel of the auditor's report in a rapidly changing web environment; and the implications of hyperlinks to and from web-based auditors' reports as well as the location and placement of the auditors' reports.
The context of Islamic entrepreneurship and business: concept, principles and perspectives

Islamic entrepreneurship and business is a topic area of business management study due to the increasingly dynamic international business environment in which culture and religion are important to developing business relationships. The main objective of this paper is to see the approach of Islam as a religion towards entrepreneurship and business. Utilising recent and relevant literature on the topic, this paper is based on the Holy Qur'an verses and the Muhammad's (S.A.W) Hadith (teachings and traditions). In this paper the themes focused on include thee taqwa, halal and haram; knowledge and entrepreneurs; innovativeness and risk-taking, proper usage of resources, financing and Islamic perspectives on ethics and social responsibility. At the end of the paper we provide recommendations for further research and suggestions for how emerging interest in this topic area of business management study might be addressed. We also highlight how the context of Islamic business is an important driver of entrepreneurial activity.
Audit‐Firm Tenure and the Quality of Financial Reports*

This study examines whether the length of the relationship between a company and an audit firm (auditâ€ firm tenure) is associated with financialâ€ reporting quality. Using two proxies for financialâ€ reporting quality and a sample of Big 6 clients matched on industry and size, we find that relative to medium auditâ€ firm tenures of four to eight years, short auditâ€ firm tenures of two to three years are associated with lowerâ€ quality financial reports. In contrast, we find no evidence of reduced financialâ€ reporting quality for longer auditâ€ firm tenures of nine or more years. Overall, our results provide empirical evidence pertinent to the recurring debate regarding mandatory auditâ€ firm rotation â€” a debate that has, to date, relied on anecdotal evidence and isolated cases.
Effects of Immigrant Legalization on Crime: The 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act

In the late 1970's, rates of undocumented immigration into the United States increased dra- matically. This increase led to pressure on the federal government to nd some way of dealing with the immigrants, culminating in the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA). This paper seeks to examine the e ects that the 1986 IRCA, which legalized over 2.5 million undocumented immigrants, had on the commission of crime in the United States. Using ad- ministrative data from the IRCA application process, I nd evidence that IRCA applicants are associated with higher crime rates prior to legalization and that, subsequent to legalization, this association disappears. I nd national decreases in crime of approximately 2%-5% associ- ated with one percent of the population being legalized, primarily due to a drop in property crimes. This fall in crime is equivalent to 160,000-400,000 fewer crimes committed each year due to legalization. Finally, I calibrate a labor market model of crime using empirical wage and employment data and nd that much of the drop in crime could be explained by greater job market opportunities among those legalized by the IRCA.
Business groups, financing constraints and investment: the case of India

We examine the effect of business group affiliation on corporate investment behaviour in India. More specifically, we test whether group affiliation reduces financing constraints for the affiliated firms. We use a data set containing 694 listed Indian companies for the 1989–97 period. We estimate a simple investment equation and find evidence that the investment-cash flow sensitivity is much lower for group affiliates. This suggests that business group affiliates have better access to external funds than stand-alone firms.
IS THE PROPERTY TAX A BENEFIT TAX? THE CASE OF RENTAL HOUSING

Is the property tax a benefit tax? This paper tests the benefit-tax hypothesis for rental housing. In the case most favorable to this hypothesis, namely with mobile tenants, relatively high property taxes cannot be directly reflected in rents but can be indirectly reflected to the extent that they lead to relatively high-quality public services. This indirect shining equals tenants' willingness to pay for the public service increment. Even in this case, however, the property tax is not a benefit tax unless the tax rate is set so indirect shining equals a landlord's tax increase. This second condition is not met in the Boston area in 1980; on average, indirect shining covers only about $0.11 of a $1.00 increase in property taxes.
Tourism's Impacts: The Social Costs to the Destination Community as Perceived by Its Residents

Most impact of tourism studies have been restricted to economic analysis and benefits occurring to the area. Recently, concern has been aired on the existence of negative impacts. This article describes a study conducted during the summer of 1976 in an attempt to examine empirically the existence of these negative impacts of tourism. A total of 1,636 residents and 212 entrepreneurs of Cape Cod, Massa chusetts, were interviewed to measure their perception of how tourism impacts on different domains. An Attitude-Index was created by averaging the scores of each respondent. Comparisons were made between the respondents attitudes toward tourism and their dependence on tourism for a livelihood.
The Career of the Open Method of Coordination: Lessons from a ‘Soft’ EU Instrument

This article examines the career of the Open Method of Coordination (OMC) as a policy instrument. Looking at the European Employment Strategy and the Lisbon Agenda, it shows that more has been accomplished than is often realised. It argues that the OMC's apparent fragility reflects an intrinsic tension, termed here the ‘soft-law dilemma’: it must ensure a constant supply of items to feed the EU agenda, whilst at the same time guaranteeing a level of institutional stability sufficient to allow effective policy delivery. To maintain both legitimacy and effectiveness, the OMC has learned to navigate between the extremes of all-out policy activism and bureaucratisation. As a result, the OMC has become an established form of socio-economic governance at EU level. A decade later, EU actors have the resources to take action in areas long associated with national sovereignty, thereby widening the scope and potential for a politicisation of the EU.
Development, Growth and Policy Reform in the Middle East and North Africa since 1950

The September 11 terrorist attacks ignited global interest in the Middle East. Observers in the region and abroad were quick to highlight the development "deficits" in Middle Eastern countries which have been linked to everything from structural economic imbalances to deficient political systems, the curse of natural resources, and even culture and religion. This paper reviews the development history of the Middle East and North Africa region in the post-World War II era, providing a framework for understanding past outcomes, current challenges and the potential for economic and political reform.
Incidental Cerebral Microbleeds and Cerebral Blood Flow in Elderly Individuals.

IMPORTANCE Cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) are collections of blood breakdown products that are a common incidental finding in magnetic resonance imaging of elderly individuals. Cerebral microbleeds are associated with cognitive deficits, but the mechanism is unclear. Studies show that individuals with CMBs related to symptomatic cerebral amyloid angiopathy have abnormal vascular reactivity and cerebral blood flow (CBF), but, to our knowledge, abnormalities in cerebral blood flow have not been reported for healthy individuals with incidental CMBs. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the association of incidental CMBs with resting-state CBF, cerebral metabolism, cerebrovascular disease, β-amyloid (Aβ), and cognition. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A cross-sectional study of 55 cognitively normal individuals with a mean (SD) age of 86.8 (2.7) years was conducted from May 1, 2010, to May 1, 2013, in an academic medical center in Pittsburgh; data analysis was performed between June 10, 2013, and April 9, 2015. INTERVENTIONS 3-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging was performed with susceptibility-weighted imaging or gradient-recalled echo to assess CMBs, arterial spin labeling for CBF, and T1- and T2-weighted imaging for atrophy, white matter hyperintensities, and infarcts. Positron emission tomography was conducted with fluorodeoxyglucose to measure cerebral metabolism and Pittsburgh compound B for fibrillar Aβ. Neuropsychological evaluation, including the Clinical Dementia Rating scale, was performed. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Magnetic resonance images were rated for the presence and location of CMBs. Lobar CMBs were subclassified as cortical or subcortical. Measurements of CBF, metabolism, and Aβ were compared with the presence and number of CMBs with voxelwise and region-of-interest analyses. RESULTS The presence of cortical CMBs was associated with significantly reduced CBF in multiple regions on voxelwise and region-of-interest analyses (percentage difference in global CBF, -25.3%; P = .0003), with the largest reductions in the parietal cortex (-37.6%; P < .0001) and precuneus (-31.8%; P = .0006). Participants with any CMBs showed a nonsignificant trend toward reduced CBF. Participants with cortical CMBs had a significant association with greater prevalence of infarcts (24% vs 6%; P = .047) and demonstrated a trend to greater prevalence of deficits demonstrated on the Clinical Dementia Rating scale (45% vs 19%; P = .12). There was no difference in cortical amyloid (measured by Pittsburgh compound B positron emission tomography) between participants with and without CMBs (P = .60). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In cognitively normal elderly individuals, incidental CMBs in cortical locations are associated with widespread reductions in resting-state CBF. Chronic hypoperfusion may put these people at risk for neuronal injury and neurodegeneration. Our results suggest that resting-state CBF is a marker of CMB-related small-vessel disease.
Free toe pulp flap for finger pulp and volar defect reconstruction

Background: Fingertip injury requiring flap cover is very common in the modern era. The ideal cover should fulfill both functional and aesthetic improvement. Materials and Methods: From June 2015 to April 2016, we performed seven free toe pulp flaps for finger defect reconstruction. All patients were males. Five flaps were done in emergency post-traumatic cases, and two were done in elective set up. The cases included reconstruction of three thumbs, one index and one ring finger in an emergency set up and two ring fingers in the elective. Thumb reconstruction was done with great toe lateral pulp and the other digits reconstructed with second toe pulp flap. Follow-up evaluation included both functional and aesthetic assessment. Results: Five flaps survived completely, one suffered partial loss, and one flap failed completely. The median follow-up period was 9 months. The median duration of surgery was 255 min (range 210 to 300 min). The median two-point discrimination was 6.5 mm (range 4–8 mm). There was the return of temperature sensation in all patients; two had cold intolerance. The Semmes-Weinstein monofilament score varied from 3.61 to 5.07 (median filament index value 4.31/pressure value of 2 g/mm2). Three patients had delayed donor site wound healing. Conclusions: The free toe pulp flap is an efficient choice for fingertip and volar finger defects reconstruction with an excellent tissue match.
Risk-Based Capital and Credit Insurance Portfolios

This paper analyzes the risk-management practices of a vulnerable credit insurer by studying the effects of time-varying correlations, asset risks and loan maturities on the risk-based capital that backs credit insurance portfolios. Since asset correlations may change over a business cycle, we have analyzed these effects by means of a one-factor Gaussian stochastic model as part of an extended contingent claims analysis. Our results show the need to account for cyclical changes to correlations in the pricing of credit insurance. When compared with the reserve of risk-based capital recommended by the Basel II Internal Ratings-Based (IRB) approach, our model provides a better capital buffer against extreme credit losses, especially in times of recession and/or in a risky business environment. Using a risk-adjusted performance metric (RAPM), we find insurers perform better when insuring relatively short-term loans. We also make several policy recommendations on creating a reserve of risk-based capital to protect against possible loan losses.
Corporate Board Attributes, Team Effectiveness and Financial Performance

Researchers have recently begun to integrate the literatures on corporate boards and team effectiveness in an effort to better understand how boards function and impact company performance. This study identifies five attributes of high-performing teams – knowledge, information, power, incentives and opportunity/time – and argues that these attributes will promote board effectiveness, which in turn influence corporate financial performance. These relationships are investigated using combined survey and archival sources of data for 210 Fortune 1000 companies. Findings indicate that most team effectiveness attributes are associated with higher levels of board effectiveness as rated by the board directors, and that board effectiveness is significantly related to corporate financial performance.
Analysis of questionnaire for traditional medical and develop decision support system

In Japanese traditional medicine, "Monshin" plays an important role. "Monshin" is a questionnaire that asked the patient's lifestyle and subjective symptoms. Specialists decide traditional herbal medicine by using of "Monshin". In this research, we analyze "Monshin" and predict "Sho" which is the name of a disease.