Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
7B-4 In-Vivo Staging of Liver Fibrosis in a Rat Model Using Acoustic Radiation Force

Liver fibrosis is currently staged using needle biopsy, a highly invasive procedure with a number of disadvantages. Measurement of liver stiffness changes which accompany progression of the disease may provide a quantitative and noninvasive method to assess the health of the liver. The purpose of this study is to investigate the correlation between radiation force derived shear wave speed and disease related changes in the liver. Liver fibrosis was induced in 10 rats using carbon tetrachloride (CC14), while 5 rats acted as controls. Liver stiffness was measured in vivo in all rats after a treatment period of 8 weeks using a modified Siemens SONOLINE Antares scanner. The animals were sacrificed after imaging and liver samples were taken for fibrosis staging using the Batts and Ludwig scale and collagen quantification using Sirius red staining. At the end of the treatment period, 4 rats had healthy livers (stage F0), while 8 had severe fibrosis (F3), and the rest had light to moderate fibrosis (Fl and F2). The mean measured liver stiffness for the F0 group was 1.2plusmn 0.1 kPa, and for F3 livers was 1.6plusmn 0.2 kPa. The difference in population means of F0 and F3 liver stiffness was significant (p < 0.01), suggesting that radiation force can be used to differentiate FO and F3 livers. However, the non- quantitative nature of fibrosis staging using the Batts and Ludwig method coupled with the relatively small changes in liver stiffness between F0 and F3 livers may make detecting stiffness differences between livers with light to moderate stage fibrosis (Fl and F2) difficult. Nevertheless, other quantitative measures of the liver health exist, which may better reflect changes observed in liver stiffness than fibrosis stage. In this study, liver stiffness was found to be strongly correlated with the amount of collagen in the liver measured by Sirius red staining (r = 0.7, p < 0.01). The relationship between radiation force measured liver stiffness and other quantitative parameters characterizing the liver health are currently being explored.
Corporate Performance, Board Structure and Its Determinants in the Nepalese Banking Industry

This study examines the relation between board structure and firm performance using a sample of Nepalese banking firms during 2010-2014. To identify the determining factors of corporate performance,return on assets (ROA) and Tobin’s Q are taken as dependent variables.The leverage, firm size, non-performing loan, capital adequacy ratio board size, board meeting, number of outside directors, and number of executive committee are taken as independent variables.The data are collected from the Banking and Financial Statistics published by Nepal Rastra Bank, NRB Directives, legal provisions incorporated in Companies Act, 2063 and concerned by-laws regarding corporate governance, the provision of Bank and Financial Institution Act, 2063; supervision report of NRB. In addition to these, different published articles, reports, books and magazines are also analyzed. The information regarding compliance of legal provisions on corporate governance is collected from Regulation and Supervision Department of Nepal Rastra Bank, Company Registrar Office and also from the concerned banks.The regression analysis is used to examine the relationship between board structure and firm performance of Nepalese commercial banks.The empirical result shows that there is negative and significant relationship between board size and bank ROA as well as Tobin’s Q in the commercial banks. Likewise the board meeting and number of executive committee have positive and significant relationship with ROA. The leverage has negative and significant relationship with Tobin’s Q, however, the firm size, capital adequacy ratio, and number of executive committee have positive and significant relationship with Tobin’s Q.
Draft Activation of the central melanocortin system chronically reduces body weight without the necessity of long-term caloric restriction

Complete List of Authors: Côté, Isabelle; University of Florida, Pharmacology and Therapeutics Sakarya, Yasemin; University of Florida, Pharmacology and Therapeutics Kirichenko, Nataliya; University of Florida, Pharmacology and Therapeutics; North Florida/ South Georgia Veterans , Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center Morgan, Drake; University of Florida, Psychiatry Carter, Christy; University of Florida, Aging and Geriatric Research Tümer, Nihal; University of Florida, Pharmacology and Therapeutics; North Florida/ South Georgia Veterans , Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center Scarpace, Philip; University of Florida, Pharmacology and Therapeutics
Extensive Replicative Capacity of Human Central Memory T Cells1

To characterize the replicative capacity of human central memory (TCM) CD4 T cells, we have developed a defined culture system optimized for the ex vivo expansion of Ag-specific CD4+ T cells. Artificial APCs (aAPCs) consisting of magnetic beads coated with Abs to HLA class II and a costimulatory Ab to CD28 were prepared; peptide-charged HLA class II tetramers were then loaded on the beads to provide Ag specificity. Influenza-specific DR*0401 CD4 TCM were isolated from the peripheral blood of normal donors by flow cytometry. Peptide-loaded aAPC were not sufficient to induce resting CD4 TCM to proliferate. In contrast, we found that the beads efficiently promoted the growth of previously activated CD4 TCM cells, yielding cultures with >80% Ag-specific CD4 cells after two stimulations. Further stimulation with peptide-loaded aAPC increased purity to >99% Ag-specific T cells. After in vitro culture for 3–12 wk, the flu-specific CD4 TCM had surface markers that were generally consistent with an effector phenotype described for CD8 T cells, except for the maintenance of CD28 expression. The TCM were capable of 20–40 mean population doublings in vitro, and the expanded cells produced IFN-γ, IL-2, and TNF-α in response to Ag, and a subset of cells also secreted IL-4 with PMA/ionomycin treatment. In conclusion, aAPCs expand TCM that have extensive replicative capacity, and have potential applications in adoptive immunotherapy as well as for studying the biology of human MHC class II-restricted T cells.
Isolation of an iron-binding compound from Pseudomonas aeruginosa

An iron-binding compound was isolated from ethyl acetate extracts of culture supernatant fluids of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and was purified by successive paper and thin-layer chromatographic procedures. The purified compound was characterized by UV, visible, infrared, and fluorescence spectroscopy. The compound possesses phenolic characteristics, with little or no similarity to dihydroxybenzoates and no indication of a hydroxamate group. P. aeruginosa synthesized the compound during active growth in culture media containing less than 5 X 10(-6) M added FeCl3. When added to iron-poor cultures of P. aeruginosa, the compound promoted the growth of the bacterium and also reversed growth inhibition by the iron chelator ethylenediamine-di-(o-hydroxyphenylacetic acid).
The Impact of Trading Activity in Agricultural Futures Markets

The paper examines a causal link between trading activity and market factors as returns and volatility as well. The ratio of volume to open interest in futures contracts performs better than other parameters extensively adopted in literature. The reason probably depends on the daily frequency of information which gives statistical evidence to phenomena which conclude their effect in weekly intervals. The estimations for the contemporaneous model give statistical evidence of a mutual relationship between trading activity and realized volatility. The behaviour of all the twelve futures markets examined is quite similar and uniform respect to the scale of the coefficients and their temporal profile.
COMPARISON OF SINGLE WITH DOUBLE LAYER INTESTINAL ANASTOMOSIS

OBJECTIVES: To compare management outcome of single layer interrupted extramucosal intestinal anastomosis with double layer conventional method of intestinal anastomosis. DESIGN: Comparative study. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This prospective comparative study was conducted in Surgical Unit-II of Benazir Bhutto Hospital, Rawalpindi over a period of two years from Jan 2007 to Dec 2008. Adult patients undergoing elective or emergency small and large gut anastomosis were included. Esophageal, gastric and biliary anastomosis were excluded. Sixty patients were divided in two groups of 30 patients each. In Group-A single layer interrupted extra-mucosal anastomosis was done and in Group-B double layer anastomosis. Main outcome measures were to compare duration of procedure, post-operative leakage and post operative duration of hospital stay. RESULTS: Anastomotic leakage occurred in two (6.6%) patients of group A and in one(3.3%) patient of group B (p=0.55). Mean of time taken for anastomosis was 18.30 min in group A and 25.87 min in group B (p=0.001). Mean of duration of post operative hospital stay was 6 days in group A and 5.87 days in group B (p=0.8). CONCLUSION: Single layer extramucosal intestinal anastomosis is equally safe and can be performed in shorter time than the double layer intestinal anastomosis
The Influence of Rewards on Employees Performance

The study aims to examine the influence of reward types (extrinsic, intrinsic, social and rewards mix) on employees performance. Subjects for the study consisted of 308 workers which constituted 60% of the total target population of 513 people working for Unified Mining Companies located in the southern part of Jordan. Total of 308 self-designed questionnaire were distributed to employees on their job location, 268 questionnaires were returned and only 250 were suitable for statistical analysis. SPSS version 16 has been used for data analysis. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. The statistical tools were aligned with the objective of the research. For this purpose, frequency Tables, percentages, means and standard deviations were computed and substantively interpreted. Inferential statistics like Pearson product moment correlation coefficient (r) was used to determine if there is a significant relationship exist between independent variables (rewards types: Extrinsic, intrinsic, social and rewards mix) and dependent variable (employees performance). Analysis and interpretation were made at 0.05 level of significance. The findings indicated that there is a statistical significant relationship between rewards types and employees performance. The study has concluded that, management should have deep sense of commitment towards the issue of rewarding employees, if performance levels to be enhanced. Finally, future research can be conducted to cover all types of rewards and to determine their affect on performance. Original Research Article Salah; BJEMT, 13(4): 1-25, 2016; Article no.BJEMT. 25822 2
Vertical Foreign Direct Investment: Make, Sell and (Not) Buy

According to conventional wisdom, multinational firms undertake vertical FDI in order to take advantage of cross-border factor cost differences and source the inputs from abroad at better terms. Recent empirical findings though document that this is not always the case. We provide theoretical support to the latter by demonstrating that when there is transfer of intangible assets between a multinational’s vertically related production plants, its parent firm can engage in vertical FDI in order to improve its cross-threat and its input sourcing terms domestically and not abroad as well as in order to exploit its intangible assets in another country. We also investigate the effects of trade liberalization and the welfare consequences of vertical FDI.
Liver transplantation in rats using small-for-size grafts: a study of hemodynamic and morphological changes.

BACKGROUND Damage to a small-for-size liver graft after reperfusion is frequently observed but the mechanism of injury remains unclear. HYPOTHESIS Injury to a small-for-size liver graft is related to the changes of portal pressure and blood flow. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Survival rates, portal hemodynamics, microcirculatory changes, and morphological changes (by light microscopy and electron microscopy). SETTING A rat model of nonarterialized orthotopic liver transplantation comparing 2 groups of rats transplanted with whole grafts (100% of recipient liver weight) and small-for-size grafts (30% of recipient liver weight). RESULTS Median survival of the rats with small-for-size grafts was 30 hours (range, 27-37 hours). During the first 15 minutes after reperfusion, mean arterial pressure of the small-for-size graft group was significantly lower than that of the whole graft group (10-minute: 100 vs 132 mm Hg, P =.04; 15-minute: 96 vs 127 mm Hg, P =.04). Portal pressure (in centimeters of water) of the small-for-size graft group was significantly higher in the first 20 minutes after reperfusion than the level before the anhepatic phase (5-minute: 15.1 vs 9.3, P =.02; 10-minute: 16.1 vs 9.3, P =.03; 15-minute, 13.5 vs 9.3, P =.03; 20-minute: 13.4 vs 9.3, P =.03) and was significantly higher than that of the whole graft group in the first 10 minutes after reperfusion (5-minute: 15.1 vs 9.6, P =.02; 10-minute: 16.1 vs 10.3, P =.04). Hepatic microcirculatory blood flow (in milliliters per minute per 100 g) was also significantly higher in the small-for-size graft group during the first 40 minutes after reperfusion (5-minute: 16.3 vs 9.3, P =.02; 10-minute: 14.9 vs 6.6, P =.02; 15-minute: 14.8 vs 5.5, P =.02; 20-minute: 13.1 vs 7.0, P =.02; 30-minute: 13.2 vs 8.8, P =.04; 40-minute: 14.6 vs 7.1, P =.02). Light and electron microscopy showed normal morphological features of whole graft up to 24 hours after reperfusion. The small-for-size graft, however, showed sinusoidal congestion, tremendous swelling of mitochondria of hepatocytes, irregular large gap of sinusoidal lining cells, and collapse of the space of Disse. CONCLUSIONS In a rat model, the portal hemodynamic changes in small-for-size grafts are transient. Progressive damage of the graft may result from microcirculatory failure due to irreversible endothelial injury after reperfusion.
Kluczowe czynniki determinujące zachowania konsumenckie na przykładzie mieszkańców województwa kujawsko-pomorskiego

Trendy, ktore mozna zaobserwowac w zachowaniach konsumenckich stanowią niezwykle cenną baze informacji dla przedsiebiorcow. Wszelkie uwarunkowania decyzji zakupowych są szczegolowo analizowane i stanowią podstawe decyzji strategicznych, bedąc fundamentem dopasowania oferty do potrzeb i oczekiwan klientow, a tym samym wzrostu poziomu ich satysfakcji. Celem artykulu badawczego jest wyodrebnienie glownych, aktualnych trendow w zachowaniach konsumenckich w wojewodztwie kujawsko-pomorskim. W artykule przedstawiono wyniki dwoch uzupelniających sie badan pierwotnych, przeprowadzonych w okresie kwiecien–czerwiec 2012 roku; jako metode badawczą wykorzystano wywiad kwestionariuszowy.
Precise continuous time and frequency transfer using GPS carrier phase

The Astronomical Institute of the University of Bern (AIUB) and the Swiss Federal Office of Metrology and Accreditation (METAS) have been collaborating to investigate and apply the use of the GPS carrier phase measurements (GPS CP) for time and frequency transfer. At METAS a dedicated hardware has been developed: the so-called geodetic time transfer terminal (GeTT-terminal) which was already presented to the community [Dudle, 1998]. In parallel the AIUB has implemented the capability for time and frequency transfer into the Bernese GPS software package [Hugentobler, 2001]. Within the last years several improvements of the analysis software for the time and frequency transfer have been implemented. The developments have been focused on overcoming the day boundary discontinuities. These occur in the resulting time series if the data are analyzed independently for each day. The magnitude of these artificial "clock jumps" depends on the mean noise behavior of the code observations and may typically reach a magnitude of up to one nanosecond. An important result of the software developments is the possibility to reconnect the phase ambiguity parameters at the day boundaries which allows to generate a continuous geodetic time and frequency transfer solution for a time interval that is only limited by a loss of lock to all satellites. This allows, in addition, to generate a geodetic frequency transfer solution without using the code measurements at all. Consequences for the geodetic time transfer learned from applying the geodetic phase-only frequency transfer method in several international campaigns are discussed in this paper
Evaluation of the Metabolizable Energy of Poultry By-Product Meal for Chickens and Turkeys by Various Methods

The available energy of several poultry by-product meal products were determined by variou s experimental methods. It is imperative to determine the accurate available energy value for these products for proper diet formulation and product usage. Leghorn roosters and turkeys were tube fed the products for the assay based on the True Metabolizable Energy (TME) system. Three week old battery reared chicks and poults were fed each product as 50% of a basal diet. The birds were fed for three days with total consumption and excreta measured. Apparent Metabolizable Energy (AME) was then calculated. Endogenous pens were included to make adjustments for AME. Lastly, ileal contents of the chicks and poults were collected to determine ileal AME. There were few differences in assay methodologies noted. Significantly different ME values among assay techniques were found in only four of 15 products. The variable nature of poultry by- product meal led to significant differences in mean ME values among products. There was no difference between pooled AME and TME values, or species. It appears that the TME values commonly determined with Leghorn roosters is acceptable for broilers and turkeys. An effort was made to develop an equation that could predict the TME value of a poultry by-product meal product given the proximate analysis and mineral composition. The first equation, using proximate and mineral data, was inadequate with an R = 0.11. Adding 2 the gross energy as a predictor variable greatly improved the effectiveness of the prediction equation (R = 2 0.98).
The Predictive Validation of a Suicide Intent Scale: A Five Year Follow-up

Summary Five hundred patients who had completed a suicide intent scale after self injury were followed up over five years. Seven definite and six doubtful suicides occurred. The future suicides tended to have high scores on the scale for their original self injury episodes and had very high scores for the penultimate self injury before suicide. Discussion centres on the small number of suicides ascertained and on the use of the scale as a suicide predictor. A group of very high risk patients was identified by repeated use of the scale, and the suggestion is made that the scale might be used as part of a suicide prevention programme.
Health effects of passive smoking in adolescent children.

OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN To study the effects of passive smoking on health in adolescent schoolchildren by questionnaire, spirometry and laboratory investigations. SETTING Two schools in the Vanderbijlpark area. PARTICIPANTS Seven hundred and twenty-six high-school children of average age 16 years. OUTCOME MEASURES Lung function, serological abnormality or historical (i.e. questionnaire) evidence of ill health. RESULTS The prevalence of respiratory illness before and after 2 years, respiratory symptoms, earache over the past year, low birth weight and learning difficulties were found to be significantly increased in the children exposed to parenteral smoke in the home, especially those exposed to maternal smoking. Spirometric and laboratory parameters, however, were not affected by passive smoking.
SN 2011ht: confirming a class of interacting supernovae with plateau light curves (Type IIn-P)

We present photometry and spectroscopy of the Type IIn supernova (SN) 2011ht, identified previously as a SN impostor. The light curve exhibits an abrupt transition from a well-defined ~120 day plateau to a steep bolometric decline. Leading up to peak brightness, a hot emission-line spectrum exhibits signs of interaction with circumstellar material (CSM), in the form of relatively narrow P-Cygni features of H I and He I superimposed on broad Lorentzian wings. For the remainder of the plateau phase the spectrum exhibits strengthening P-Cygni profiles of Fe II, Ca II, and H-alpha. By day 147, after the plateau has ended, the SN entered the nebular phase, heralded by the appearance of forbidden transitions of [O I], [O II], and [Ca II] over a weak continuum. At this stage, the light curve exhibits a low luminosity that is comparable to that sub-luminous Type II-P supernovae, and a relatively fast visual-wavelength decline that is significantly steeper than the Co-56 decay rate. However, the total bolometric decline, including the IR luminosity, is consistent with Co-56 decay, and implies a low Ni-56 mass of ~0.01 M(Sun). We therefore characterize SN 2011ht as a bona-fide core-collapse SN very similar to the peculiar SNe IIn 1994W and 2009kn. These three SNe define a subclass, which are Type IIn based on their spectrum, but that also exhibit well-defined plateaus and produce low Ni-56 yields. We therefore suggest Type IIn-P as a name for this subclass. Possible progenitors of SNe IIn-P, consistent with the available data, include 8-10 M(Sun) stars, which undergo core collapse as a result of electron capture after a brief phase of enhanced mass loss, or more massive M>25 M(Sun) progenitors, which experience substantial fallback of the metal-rich radioactive ejecta. In either case, the energy radiated by these three SNe during their plateau must be dominated by CSM interaction (abridged).
Frequency dependence of range resolution in wideband radar range data

This paper uses wideband data collected at a radar range data collection facility to show that range resolution, in the sense of being able to resolve closely-spaced scatterers, varies not only as function of bandwidth, but also as a function of frequency. This phenomenon was predicted in a recent paper [1] using simulation results. The present paper verifies those results using real data. The ability to resolve two closely-spaced scatterers is measured using a defined quantity called peak separation quality. The present paper derives an expression for peak separation quality for the synthetic wideband waveforms used at the collection facility. This quantity is shown to vary in a predictable way as a function of both frequency and bandwidth. Data examples verify this result. This phenomenon is significant for wideband distributed aperture applications that use frequency variation to achieve waveform diversity.
Service to the Nation: Prospective participants’ motivations to conduct national service in Ghana

The motivation of participants in mandatory national youth service programs is a potentially important but often neglected factor in understanding why service programs do or do not reach the intended outcomes. The current study addresses this lacuna by testing competing theoretical frameworks on motivations for volunteering, namely functional, institutional and group identity theories and applying them to a mandatory national service program in a nonWestern context: Ghana’s National Service Scheme (NSS). We analyse data from the National Service Scheme Survey, a web survey among almost 3000 university students and prospective NSS participants. Results indicate that the functional perspective on volunteering can be applied to mandatory community service and in a developing context. In addition, they illustrate that the institutional and group identity perspectives are complementary with this functional perspective, and can bring a substantial contribution to the explanation of the motivation of prospective participants in mandatory service.