Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tc-99m-HMPAO white blood cell scan for diagnosis of acute appendicitis in patients with equivocal clinical presentation.

OBJECTIVE The authors' goal was to evaluate the accuracy of Technetium 99m-HMPAO-labeled leukocyte imaging for screening patients with atypically presenting appendicitis and to determine how availability of this test affected practice patterns of surgeons at the authors' medical center. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA Appendicitis can be difficult to diagnose and in equivocal cases usually requires inpatient observation. The delay may increase morbidity and costs. A test that rules out acute appendicitis could be cost effective if it allowed early discharge from the emergency department. Previously, there have been no simple, rapid, accurate noninvasive methods for improving diagnostic accuracy in patients with equivocal presentations of appendicitis. METHODS Patients referred to rule out appendicitis were analyzed. Patients were imaged up to 3 hours after injection of 10-mCi 99mTc-HMPAO-labeled autologous leukocytes (Tc-WBC), and when the scans became positive, imaging was terminated and the requesting physician notified of the results. Diagnostic accuracy was established by surgical and histopathologic findings or by absence of symptoms after 1 month clinical follow-up. The source of referral, hospital length of stay, disposition of patients, and ancillary tests (ultrasound, computed tomographic scan, and barium enema) were analyzed. RESULTS One hundred twenty-four patients were studied from November 1991 through December 1995. Fifty-eight percent of positive scans showed uptake within 1 hour of injection and 73% by 2 hours. The Tc-WBC scan correctly identified an inflammatory source of abdominal pain in 65 of 66 cases (sensitivity = 98%) and was correctly negative in 55 of 58 cases (specificity = 95%). The scan correctly diagnosed appendicitis in 50 of 51 cases (sensitivity = 98%) and correctly excluded appendicitis in 62 of 73 cases (specificity = 85%). Outpatient referrals increased from 38% to 87%. In those patients with negativescans, inpatient observation, number of adjunctive tests, and length of stay decreased significantly. CONCLUSIONS The high sensitivity and negative predictive value of Tc-WBC imaging may permit patients to be screened and discharged from the emergency department. Focally positive scans often indicate disease requiring operation but not in all cases. The Tc-WBC imaging reduced the negative laparotomy rate to 3.9% while reducing admission rates and hospital length of stay.
CA 125 in ovarian cancer: advances and controversy.

Ovarian cancer continues to be a major health threat for women. The American Cancer Society estimates that in the United States in 1998, 25 400 new cases will be diagnosed and 14 500 women will die as a result of this disease (1). Most of these cancers are epithelial in origin, as germ cell tumors of the ovary represent only ∼5% of the total. Approximately 70% of epithelial ovarian cancers will occur in women who are over the age of 50 years, and more than one-half of the women will be diagnosed with advanced disease. Thus, these women will have a 5-year survival rate of <30%. Certainly, there is great need for improved diagnostic methods to permit detection of this disease at an early stage, as well as more effective treatments for adenocarcinoma of the ovary. CA 125, the first serum tumor marker test for epithelial cancer of the ovary, was introduced by Bast et al. in 1983 (3). The murine monoclonal antibody (OC125) that is used to detect the CA 125 antigen was obtained after immunization with the OVCA 433 cell line (4). The original CA 125 test used the OC125 antibody as both the capture and indicator antibody in a radioimmunometric assay. More recently, the CA 125 II test has been developed, which uses the M 11 monoclonal antibody as the capture antibody for CA 125. A recent epitope-mapping workshop conducted by the International Society of Oncodevelopmental Biology and Medicine (ISOBM) has defined the binding characteristics of monoclonal antibodies reactive with CA 125 and has identified two major regions on the antigen, which are called OC125-like and M 11-like epitopes (5). The CA 125 antigen is actually a heterogeneous mixture of glycoproteins with a molecular weight range of 200-1000 kDa, but lower molecular weight species have also been …
Economics of International Business: A New Research Agenda

Models of multinational enterprise - a new research agenda foreign market entry - a formal extension of internalisation theory the boundaries of firms - a global systems perspective bounded rationality, meta-rationality and the theory of international business the organization of the multinational enterprise - an information cost approach international joint ventures real options in international business entrepreneurship and the international business system -developing the perspective of Schumpeter and the Austrian School networks in international business conclusion - methodological issues in international business.
Bilevel positive airway pressure worsens central apneas during sleep.

STUDY OBJECTIVES While most patients with sleep-disordered breathing are treated with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), bilevel positive airway pressure (BLPAP) is often used. Having observed that BLPAP therapy increased central apneas in some of our patients undergoing sleep studies, we conducted this study to evaluate the effects of BLPAP. DESIGN Retrospective analysis of all sleep studies performed in an outpatient sleep center that used BLPAP over a 2-year period. We assessed the incidence and frequency of events during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and non-REM sleep during baseline conditions, CPAP, and BLPAP. Desaturations, hypopneas, obstructive apneas, and central events, including periodic breathing (PB), Cheyne-Stokes respiration (CSR), and non-CSR central apneas were evaluated. PATIENTS Ninety-five of the 719 patients who underwent sleep studies met inclusion criteria. Eighty of the 95 patients treated with BLPAP were also treated with CPAP. RESULTS BLPAP was more likely to worsen than improve CSR (p = 0.002), non-CSR central apneas (p < 0.001), and CSR or PB (p < 0.001). CSR (p = 0.03) and non-CSR central apneas (p = 0.01) were more likely to worsen with BLPAP (24% and 23%, respectively) than with CPAP (11% and 8%). Central events (p = 0.04) and CSR (p = 0.009) were more likely to worsen during BLPAP in patients with baseline CSR or PB (62% and 48%, respectively) than develop in those without baseline CSR or PB (34% and 18%). Higher BLPAP differences worsened central events in 28% of patients, while 7% improved (p = 0.02). During REM sleep, central apneas improved, while hypopneas and obstructive apneas worsened (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS BLPAP often increases the frequency of CSR and non-CSR central apneas during sleep. Since CSR has adverse effects on cardiac function and sleep, it is important to consider this possible adverse effect of BLPAP.
PCP effector proteins inturned and fuzzy play nonredundant roles in the patterning but not convergent extension of mammalian neural tube

PCP effector proteins Inturned (Intu) and Fuzzy (Fuz) play important roles in mammalian neural development and ciliogenesis, but the developmental defects in Intu and Fuz mutants are not the same as those with the complete loss of cilia. Furthermore, it remains unclear whether mouse Intu and Fuz play a role in convergent extension, a process regulated by PCP signaling. In the current study, we show that the functions of both Intu and Fuz in neural tube patterning are dependent on the presence of cilia. We further show that neither gene exhibits obvious genetic interaction with the core PCP regulator Vangl2 in convergent extension or patterning of the neural tube. Finally, we show in Intu; Fuz double mutants that the lack of convergent extension and more severe patterning defects in Intu and Fuz mutants does not result from a functional redundancy between these two proteins. Developmental Dynamics 240:1938–1948, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Sidon during the Bronze Age: Burials, Rituals and Feasting Grounds at the "College Site"

The city-state ofSidon, 30 km south of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, was one of the most important urban centers of the ancient Canaanite and Phoenician people, the old est city in Phoenicia, according to many early classical authors. However, like other locations in modern Lebanon, in years past most of what was known of its history came from contemporary Egyptian, Assyrian, Babylonian, and Greek records. Little con crete evidence about its history in the Bronze Age was available. For example, in 1937 and 1938 P. E. Guigues uncovered Middle Bronze Age graves in the villages ofLebea, Kafr-Jarra, and Qrayeh (Guigues 1937, 1938, 1939), but these were located in the foothills overlooking the city, not in the city proper.
Influence of lomefloxacin on the pharmacokinetics of theophylline

The effect of multiple doses of lomefloxacin (400 mg twice a day) on the clearance of theophylline and the urinary excretion of its metabolites was investigated in 15 healthy male subjects. Concentrations of theophylline in plasma were measured by TDx (Abbott Diagnostics, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada). Urinary excretion of theophylline and its three major metabolites and lomefloxacin in plasma were assayed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Total theophylline clearance remained unchanged before lomefloxacin treatment and after lomefloxacin single- and multiple-dose treatments (58.02, 56.57, 54.07 ml/min, respectively). The urinary recovery of unchanged theophylline and its major metabolites stayed stable during the study. We conclude that lomefloxacin can be added to the list of fluoroquinolones that can be administered safely with theophylline.
Exploring gene–culture interactions: insights from handedness, sexual selection and niche-construction case studies

Genes and culture represent two streams of inheritance that for millions of years have flowed down the generations and interacted. Genetic propensities, expressed throughout development, influence what cultural organisms learn. Culturally transmitted information, expressed in behaviour and artefacts, spreads through populations, modifying selection acting back on populations. Drawing on three case studies, I will illustrate how this gene–culture coevolution has played a critical role in human evolution. These studies explore (i) the evolution of handedness, (ii) sexual selection with a culturally transmitted mating preference, and (iii) cultural niche construction and human evolution. These analyses shed light on how genes and culture shape each other, and on the significance of feedback mechanisms between biological and cultural processes.
Characterization of specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) and its subclasses (IgG1 and IgG2) against the 23-valent pneumococcal vaccine in a healthy adult population: proposal for response criteria

The aim of the study was to standardize an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method for the quantification of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and its subclasses (IgG1 and IgG2) against the 23-valent pneumococcal vaccine and to establish the criteria for a normal response to the vaccine. Forty healthy individuals (20 women and 20 men; mean age, 29 years) were studied. All were vaccinated with the 23-valent pneumococcal vaccine; blood samples were drawn just prior to and 3 weeks after immunization. Quantification of specific IgG and its subclasses was performed by an ELISA with the vaccine as the antigen. The linearity of the ELISA method was demonstrated by the similar slopes of the linear regression lines generated from the titration of sera with different antibody concentrations. The specificity of the antibodies against the vaccine was demonstrated by (i) an absorption test with pneumococcal vaccine, (ii) a cross-reactivity experiment with Haemophilus influenzae type b polysaccharide, and (iii) affinity chromatography with protein A-Sepharose. Response to the vaccine was defined by using the lower level of the 90% probability interval (one-tailed) for postimmunization-specific IgG, IgG1, and IgG2. By using this cutoff, responders were considered to be those with an absolute increase in antibody titers higher than 395 arbitrary units/ml for IgG, 0.350 A450 units for IgG1, and 0.314 A450 units for IgG2. Overall, 20 (50%) subjects had IgG, IgG1, and IgG2 responses, 9 (22.5%) had IgG and IgG2 responses, 4 (10%) had IgG1 responses, 3 (7.5%) had IgG and IgG1 responses, and 4 (10%) were nonresponders. Ninety percent of our population responded to the 23-valent pneumococcal vaccine. Up to 10% of healthy individuals may respond to an IgG subclass without significant increases in total IgG titers. The ELISA method that is described may be useful for evaluating the specific antibody response against polysaccharides.
Ideal and actual product adaptation in US exporting firms

Investigates how export market characteristics such as local government regulation, infrastructure differences, export market lag, cultural differences, end‐user differences in tastes and preferences, and competitive intensity affect ideal and actual product adaptation. Explores how these effects varied by consumer versus industrial products. A mail survey of medium‐sized export firms provided the data for hypothesis testing. The results suggested the major market factors driving adaptation were government regulation, infrastructure differences and market lag. Evaluates the effects of adaptation on several dimensions of firm performance. Sales growth was the only dimension significantly affected by adaptation.
Characterization of Highly Pathogenic H5N1 Avian Influenza A Viruses Isolated from South Korea

ABSTRACT An unprecedented outbreak of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been reported for poultry in eight different Asian countries, including South Korea, since December 2003. A phylogenetic analysis of the eight viral genes showed that the H5N1 poultry isolates from South Korea were of avian origin and contained the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase genes of the A/goose/Guangdong/1/96 (Gs/Gd) lineage. The current H5N1 strains in Asia, including the Korean isolates, share a gene constellation similar to that of the Penfold Park, Hong Kong, isolates from late 2002 and contain some molecular markers that seem to have been fixed in the Gs/Gd lineage virus since 2001. However, despite genetic similarities among recent H5N1 isolates, the topology of the phylogenetic tree clearly differentiates the Korean isolates from the Vietnamese and Thai isolates which have been reported to infect humans. A representative Korean isolate was inoculated into mice, with no mortality and no virus being isolated from the brain, although high titers of virus were observed in the lungs. The same isolate, however, caused systemic infections in chickens and quail and killed all of the birds within 2 and 4 days of intranasal inoculation, respectively. This isolate also replicated in multiple organs and tissues of ducks and caused some mortality. However, lower virus titers were observed in all corresponding tissues of ducks than in chicken and quail tissues, and the histological lesions were restricted to the respiratory tract. This study characterizes the molecular and biological properties of the H5N1 HPAI viruses from South Korea and emphasizes the need for comparative analyses of the H5N1 isolates from different countries to help elucidate the risk of a human pandemic from the strains of H5N1 HPAI currently circulating in Asia.
Approximation Algorithms for Covering Problems

In this thesis we present sequential and distributed approximation algorithms for covering problems. First, we give a sequential $\ratio$-approximation algorithm for Monotone Covering, a generalization of many fundamental NP-hard covering problems. The approximation ratio $\ratio$ is the maximum number of variables on which any constraint depends. (For example, for vertex cover, $\ratio$ is 2.) The algorithm unifies, generalizes, and improvesmany previous algorithms for fundamental covering problems such as Vertex Cover, Set Cover, Facilities Location, and Covering Mixed-Integer Linear Programs with upper bound on the variables.The algorithm is also a $\ratio$-competitive algorithm for online Monotone Covering, which generalizes online versions of the above-mentioned covering problems as well as many fundamental online paging and caching problems. As such it also generalizes many classical online algorithms, including LRU, FIFO, FWF, Balance, Greedy-Dual, Greedy-Dual Size (a.k.a. Landlord), and algorithms for connection caching, where $\ratio$ is the cache size. It also gives new $\ratio$-competitive algorithms for upgradable variants of these problems, which model choosing the caching strategy andan appropriate hardware configuration (cache size, CPU, bus, network, etc.). Then we show distributed versions of the sequential algorithm. For Weighted Vertex Cover, we give a distributed 2-approximation algorithm taking $O(\log n)$ rounds. The algorithm generalizes to covering mixed integer linear programs (CMIP) with two variables per constraint ($\ratio=2$). For any Monotone Covering problem, we showa distributed $\ratio$-approximation algorithm taking$O(\log^2 |\calC|)$ rounds, where $|\calC|$ is the number of constraints. Last, we extend the distributed algorithms for covering to compute $\ratio$-approximate solutions for Fractional Packing and Maximum Weighted b-Matching in hypergraphs, where $\ratio$ is the maximum number of packing constraints in which a variable appears (for Maximum Weighted b-Matching $\ratio$ is the maximum edge degree --- for graphs $\ratio=2$).
Rise of third world multinationals. [Use in increasing competitiveness in world markets]

The multinational corporation, long regarded by its opponents as the unite instrument of capitalist oppression against the impoverished world, state the authors, could prove to be the tool by which the impoverished world builds prosperity . Third world multinationalism, only yesterday an apparent contradiction in terms, is now a serious force in the development process. This article examines the emerging phenomenon of the multinational corporation from the developing countries, the factors responsible for its current rise and future expansion, and organizational characteristics of its, and the implications for corporate leaders of its increasing competitiveness in world markets.
Corporate social responsibility in an inequitable society : the role of the private sector in bridging the South African health care divide

Page | ii Abstract Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is becoming more central to the success of corporations, and its importance within South Africa is pertinent given that the transition from apartheid has yet to be followed by an equalling of society, with social and economic divisions persisting. As one of the most emotive basic human rights, health care provision remains unequal, with the private sector still serving an historically advantaged minority and the public sector carrying the burden of the populist majority. This study explored the role the of the private health care sector in light of the growing importance of CSR, against the backdrop of the national health insurance debate and the understanding of the role the private sector can play in achieving the national health care objectives. Exploratory research and qualitative analysis methodology were carried out for this research, utilising in-depth semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with ten private health care sector executives. Whilst the private sector executives intellectually understood their specific context and a growing expectation of society from business, in practice the actions of CSR were still grounded in philanthropic activities. Most respondents acknowledged that more should and could be done, with the primarily obstacle being identified as a lack of teamwork and coordination across businesses in the private sector. The public sector is seen as failing, and the private sector sees itself playing a more active role in service delivery and aiding government with the training of the much needed skills within the public sector.
Model predictive control for portfolio selection

In this paper, we explain the application of model predictive control (MPC) to problems of dynamic portfolio optimization. At first we prove that MPC is a suboptimal control strategy for stochastic systems which uses the new information advantageously and thus, is better than pure optimal open-loop control. For a linear Gaussian factor model, we derive the wealth dynamics and the conditional mean and variance. We state the portfolio optimization, where an investor maximizes the mean-variance objective while keeping the portfolio value-at-risk under a given limit. The portfolio optimization is applied in a case study to US asset market data
edum cools soil and can improve neighboring plant performance during water eficit on a green roof

Green roofs have the potential to function as islands of biodiversity within urban and suburban environments. However, plant diversity is constrained by the harsh environment of a green roof, especially summertime water deficit and heat stress. We hypothesized that Sedum species, which are highly tolerant of the roof-top environment, would reduce peak soil temperature and increase performance of neighboring plants during summer water deficit. To test these hypotheses, we grew focal plant species with and without Sedum on a green roof. We then monitored growth during wet periods and drought tolerance during dry periods. During a three-year experiment, S. album reduced maximum growth of neighbor plants,
FURTHER OBSERVATIONS ON THE ABSORPTION AND TRANSLOCATION OF INORGANIC SOLUTES USING RADIOACTIVE ISOTOPES WITH PLANTS.

In earlier studies on the absorption of inorganic solutes by plants (9), the solute status of the system at the time of experimentation was shown to be of importance. Thus high-salt abscised roots were markedly restricted in further accumulation while with low-salt systems, rapid accumulation was subsequently evident. Where previously absorbed salt could move from the roots of high-salt plants to the shoots thereof, further inorganic solute could be readily absorbed from a nutrient medium. Thus it appeared that depletion of the previously accumulated salt in roots through translocation to the shoot allowed the continuance of the absorption process. It has been shown also (5), with low-salt intact plants, that over short intervals of time the larger amount of salt absorbed was retained within the root system; presumably both in protoplasm and in vacuoles thereof, but particularly in the latter (cf. Exp. 2, here). Concurrent translocation to the shoot was limited, but took place more rapidly with time, following at least partial "saturation" of the roots relative to salt. A similar inference may be drawn from a study of decapitated plants, where the composition of exudates from the stumps indicates the movement of solute from root to shoot (8). Here, it was shown that salt movement to the upper portions of the plant was proportionally more rapid with previously treated (higher-salt) root systems. Again, for a period of several hours, a large portion of the absorbed salt, but decreasing with time, was retained within low-salt roots. With prolonged treatment, the exudates from both sets approached each other in solute composition indicating that after at least partial approach toward a maximum salt level within the cells of the root, a larger proportion of the inorganic solute currently absorbed, moved inward to the xylem and thence upward in the exudation stream. 367