Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Enhanced Survival of Patients with Colon and Rectal Cancer is Based Upon Wide Anatomic Resection

From 1966 through 1970 we performed resections in 216 patients with carcinoma of the large bowel. The relative five year survival for all patients was 65.5%. The relative five year survival for all potentially curable patients was 80.4%. Patients with positive lymph nodes and full-thickness penetration of their tumors had a five year survival of 70.5% and a 10 year survival of 60.5%. In performing this study we have tested the principles of wide anatomical resection and radical lymphadenectomy. For their specific influences on survival we have also examined stage, site, age, sex, race, margins, local recurrence, hypogastric lymph node dissection, serosal penetration and various aspects of nodal status. The information derived from these parameters has confirmed our hypothesis that survival is directly related to radical anatomical resection and lymphadenectomy. For rectal cancer, extensive resection also reduces the incidence of local recurrence. We are persuaded that the principles of operation for large-bowel cancer are valid and that they merit universal adoption.
The success and failure of performance measurement initiatives: Perceptions of participating managers

This paper investigates the success and failure of performance measurement system design interventions in ten companies. In each case, the senior management team was facilitated through a management process to redesign their performance measurement systems. Analysis of the initial pilot case studies suggested three important differences between companies that proceeded to implement the measures agreed during the process and those that did not. Post intervention semi‐structured interviews with the directors and managers directly involved revealed two main perceived drivers of implementation and four perceived factors that block implementation. The results are of specific interest for performance measurement system implementation but have wider implications for our view of management commitment in change management.
Effects of feeding different levels of guar meal on performance and blood metabolites in Holstein lactating cows

A study was carried out to determine the effects of using different levels of Guar meal on performance and blood metabolites in Holstein lactating cows. Sixteen lactating Holstein cows (DIM=95±10) were used in Latin square design with 4 block and 4 repeats. Animal in each group fed 1 of 4 experimental rations. Diets contain 0, 50, 75 and 100 percentage cottonseed meal were replaced with gaur meal. Diets were similar as NEL and crude protein (Iso caloric and iso nitrogenous) on dry basis. Cows were fed with total mixed ration individually. Dry matter intake and milk yields were higher for cows fed with 0% guar meal and lowest for 100 cottonseed meal replaced by guar meal, but no significant difference were found among FCM 4%. Milk fat and protein percentage and yields were highest for 50 % Guar meal, but no significant difference was found between milk lactose and calcium. Milk Urea Nitrogen and blood urea nitrogen were not significantly affected by experimental diets.
Host tree age as a selective pressure leading to local adaptation of a population of a polyphagous Lepidoptera in virgin boreal forest

Abstract We tested the hypothesis that host tree age may act as a selective factor and lead to local adaptation of the hemlock looper (Lambdina fiscellaria), a geometrid Lepidoptera that has a wide geographical distribution and has evolved in different eco-zones characterized by different levels of floristic composition, age structure and fragmentation level. Considering that hemlock looper outbreaks mainly occurred in old forests, we compared the biological performances of two populations. The first population was collected in the northern virgin boreal forest, which is dominated by mature and overmature coniferous stands that have not suffered from human disturbance. The other population was collected in the southern mixed-wood forest, which is more diversified and has been modified by forest harvesting. Larvae were reared under controlled conditions on foliage from three age classes of balsam fir trees: juvenile, mature and overmature. Although we measured significant variations of biological performances between the two populations, no significant effect of the age of the balsam fir trees could be detected for males from both populations or for females from the southern population. However, northern females were strongly affected by the age of balsam fir trees on which they fed, as their pupal weight was 12% higher and their fecundity increased by 27% on overmature trees compared with juvenile ones. These results indicate that under the same selective pressure, females adapt their strategy to maximize their fitness, and thus they appear as the driving force of evolution through the local adaptation concept. Furthermore, the two populations evolved in distinct habitats and their adaptation reflects selective pressures occurring inside their original environment. This is the first report on local adaptation of an herbivore that is mediated by host tree age. Changes in forest age structure may have a considerable impact on insect local adaptation and presumably on their population dynamics.
Studies on the genotoxic properties of essential oils with Bacillus subtilis rec-assay and Salmonella/microsome reversion assay.

Genotoxic properties of essential oils from Anthemis nobilis L. , Artemisia dracunculus L. , Salvia officinalis L. , Salvia sclarea L. , Satureja hortensis L. , Satureja montana L. , Thymus capitatus L. , Thymus citriodorus Schreb. , Thymus vulgaris L. , Citrus bergamia Risso, were studied with Bacillus subtilis rec-assay and Salmonella/microsome reversion assay. The essential oil of Artemisia dracunculus L. "Piemontese" turned out to be active in the rec-assay but not in the Salmonella test. DNA-damaging activity was demonstrated to be due to the estragol component of the oil. Advantages of the combined use of these two short-term microbial assays in genotoxic studies are discussed.
Human papillomavirus types 16 and 18 in carcinomas of the penis from brazil

Human papillomavirus (HPV) type‐16 DNA sequences were found in 26/53 (49%) and HPV type‐18 in 5/53 (9%) of penile cancers. In only one specimen was HPV 18 found on its own. HPV 16 sequences were integrated into the host cell chromosomes although some monomeric and oligomeric free forms of DNA were detected in a few tissues. HPV 18 was, as far as detectable, free and unintegrated in all tissues tested. HPV 16 DNA was also detected in 40% of cases of carcinoma of the cervix in 19 women from the same social groups as the males. The viral DNA in the female cases was a mixture of integrated and free forms. The DNA binding protein (ICSP 11/12) of herpes simplex type 2 (HSV‐2) was not detected in 10 penile cancers tested with a monoclonal antibody.
A framework for local terrain deformation based on diffusion theory

Terrains have a key role in making outdoor virtual scenes believable and immersive as they form the support for every other natural element in the scene. Although important, terrains are often given limited interactivity in real-time applications. However, in nature, terrains are dynamic and interact with the rest of the environment changing shape on different levels, from tracks left by a person running on a gravel soil (micro-scale), to avalanches on the side of a mountain (macro-scale). The challenge in representing dynamic terrains correctly is that the soil that forms them is vastly heterogeneous and behaves differently depending on its composition. This heterogeneity introduces difficulties at different levels in dynamic terrains simulations, from modelling the large amount of different elements that compose the oil to simulating their dynamic behaviour. This work presents a novel framework to simulate multi-material dynamic terrains by taking into account the soil composition and its heterogeneity. In the proposed framework soil information is obtained from a material description map applied to the terrain mesh. This information is used to compute deformations in the area of interaction using a novel mathematical model based on diffusion theory. The deformations are applied to the terrain mesh in different ways depending on the distance of the area of interaction from the camera and the soil material. Deformations away from the camera are simulated by dynamically displacing normals. While deformations in a neighbourhood of the camera are represented by displacing the terrain mesh, which is locally tessellated to better fit the displacement. For gravel based soils the terrain details are added near the camera by reconstructing the meshes of the small rocks from the texture image, thus simulating both micro and macro-structure of the terrain. The outcome of the framework is a realistic interactive dynamic terrain animation in real-time.
Education expansion and returns to schooling in urban China, 2001–2010: evidence from three waves of the China Urban Labor Survey

This study examines the effect of the expansion in education that occurred in the first decade of the twenty-first century on the returns to schooling in urban China for migrants and non-migrants using three waves of the China Urban Labor Survey (CULS), corresponding to 2001, 2005 and 2010. Our main finding is that the premium to education increased by about 2%–3% over a period in which there was a rapid increase in education levels. This result is consistent with the demand for skilled labor increasing at a time when China tries to move up the value-added chain and an observed increase in urban wage inequality. We find that the education premium is higher for non-migrants than migrants and higher for males than females.
Temporal stability of smooth-pursuit eye tracking in first-episode psychosis.

We evaluated the temporal stability of smooth-pursuit eye tracking in 38 schizophrenic, 42 nonschizophrenic psychotic (bipolar, depressive, paranoid psychotic, and schizophreniform), and 49 normal subjects. Pursuit performance was evaluated on two testing occasions separated by approximately 9.5 months. Retest reliability coefficients of root mean square (RMS) error scores for schizophrenic and normal subjects were . 68 and . 57, respectively. The reliability coefficients of RMS error scores for the nonschizophrenic psychotic patients ranged from . 44 to . 51. Level of psychological functioning was not significantly related to tracking performance, and most patients' pursuit performance remained stable despite changes in medication and clinical status. These results support the hypothesis that eye tracking dysfunction is a trait characteristic that can serve as a vulnerability indicator of schizophrenia.
Preeclampsia knowledge among women in Utah

ABSTRACT Background: Despite the benefits of preeclampsia (PE) education in improving health outcomes, little is known about how often healthcare providers in Utah include PE in prenatal education or how much information women retain. As such, the purpose of this study was to explore PE awareness among mothers in Utah and inquire how often PE is included in prenatal education. Factors associated with PE knowledge were also investigated. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted. Questions were created from two Preeclampsia Awareness Surveys developed by the Preeclampsia Foundation. PE knowledge was measured with 29 items from the 2014 Preeclampsia Awareness Survey, and a knowledge score was calculated. Results: A total of 340 women completed the survey. Over half (56.7%) of women reported their healthcare provider described the signs and symptoms of PE to them. The mean PE knowledge score was 17.07. Hearing of PE from a healthcare provider, having the signs and symptoms of PE described by a healthcare provider and having a history of PE were significantly associated with a higher PE knowledge score. Conclusions: Patient awareness is essential to the successful management of PE. The need for improved PE education in Utah was evident in this survey. As not all healthcare providers are diligent in instructing patients regarding PE, more research is needed to fully assess the knowledge of mothers and examine the practices of providers. An explanation of PE signs and symptoms should be given to all women at prenatal care visits to improve health outcomes.
Histological and Immunohistochemical Detection of Different Helicobacter Species in the Gastric Mucosa of Cats

Detailed histopathological evaluation of the gastric mucosa of Helicobacter-infected cats is complicated by the difficulty of recognizing Helicobacter organisms on hematoxylin and eosin (HE)-stained sections and the ability of multiple Helicobacter species to infect cats. In this study, the presence and localization of different species of Helicobacter in the stomachs of cats was investigated using silver staining and immuno-histochemistry. Five groups containing 5 cats each were established (group 1: urease negative and Helicobacter free; groups 2, 3, 4, and 5: urease positive and infected with Helicobacter heilmannii, unclassified Helicobacter spp., Helicobacter felis, and Helicobacter pylori, respectively). Gastric samples were evaluated by HE and silver staining and by immunohistochemistry with 3 different anti-Helicobacter primary antibodies. Helicobacter were detected by Steiner stain in all infected cats at the mucosal surface, in the lumen of gastric glands, and in the cytoplasm of parietal cells. In silver-stained sections, H. pylori was easily differentiated from H. felis, H. heilmannii, and unclassified Helicobacter spp. , which were larger and more tightly coiled. No organisms were seen in uninfected cats. Helicobacter antigen paralleled the distribution of organisms observed in Steiner-stained sections for 2 of the 3 primary antibodies tested. The antisera were not able to discriminate between the different Helicobacter species examined. A small amount of Helicobacter antigen was present in the lamina propria of 3 H. pylori-, 3 H. felis-, and 1 H. heilmannii-infected cat. Minimal mononuclear inflammation was present in uninfected cats and in those infected with unclassified Helicobacter spp. and H. heilmannii cats. In H. felis-infected cats, lymphoid follicular hyperplasia with mild pangastric mononuclear inflammation and eosinophilic infiltrates were present. The H. pylori-infected cats had severe lymphoid follicular hyperplasia and mild to moderate mononuclear inflammation accompanied by the presence of neutrophils and eosinophils. These findings indicate that Steiner staining and immunohistochemistry are useful for detecting Helicobacter infections, particularly when different Helicobacter species can be present. Monoclonal antibodies specific for the different Helicobacter species could be important diagnostic aids. There appear to be differences in the severity of gastritis in cats infected with different Helicobacter species.
A Novel Single Carrier Space-Time Block-Coded CDMA System with Iterative Receiver

In this paper, we employ time-reversal space-time block coding (TR-STBC) in single-carrier direct sequence code-division multiple access (DS-CDMA) block transmission in the presence of multiple access interference (MAI) as well as intersymbol interference (ISI), which is subject to fairly long delay spread. We introduce the transmission rate improvement by capitalizing on the assignment of additional spreading codes to each user so as to expand the cardinality of space-time code matrix with no sacrifice of diversity order. Given perfect channel state information at the receiver, a simple linear frequency-domain interference suppression scheme on a basis of symbol-by-symbol processing is developed under certain circumstances. A “turbo principle” receiver is facilitated by exploiting the serially concatenated structure at the transmitter to further enhance system performance. Simulation results justify the efficacy of our proposed system and also present performance comparisons with some existing systems in terms of bit error rate (BER).
Blended Learning Components Important to Student Learning : A Study on the Perceptions of Instructors

Blended learning implementation has been extensively examined in literature. Most research questions center around how blended learning results in greater learning achievement, which HAS been measured from a student’s perspective. Whilst being recognized as existing in varied models, how blended learning design may be different in hard and soft disciplines is scarcely researched. In addition, the nature of the blends between face-to-face instructions and online learning is not adequately taken into account when discussing blended learning designs. The present study investigated the instructors’ perceptions regarding the importance of different components that make up of the blended learning from a multidisciplinary perspective. We also examined if the instructors who implemented different levels blended learning differed in their perceptions. Data (n=28) were collected by means of semi-structured interviews accompanied with a questionnaire, which asked for the instructors’ rating of each blended learning component. The results showed no significant differences in the rating of the importance of different blended learning components in hard and soft-disciplined instructors. However, two components, namely collaborative facilitation and general communication received significantly higher rating as blended learning was implemented more intensively. Thus, implications for pedagogical practices and research were discussed.
INJURIES ANALYSIS AND COMPUTATIONAL SIMULATION OF TWO WHEELERS ACCIDENTS USING HUMAN BODY BIOMECHANICAL MODELS

Road accidents investigation is a worldwide major concern, playing an important role in reducing the number of victims by implementation of measures to avoid or minimize the accidents occurrence, or reduce the injuries severity of the victims. This work’s objective is to validate criteria for injury severity score evaluation in two wheelers (TW) road accidents victims. The validation of the criteria is achieved by comparison of the obtained results from accidents reconstitution with clinical and/or medico-legal autopsy reports from INMLCF (National Institute of Forensic Medicine) data base. The methodology establishes injury criteria for each body segment. Body segments considered are head, neck, thorax, abdomen, pelvis, lower and upper extremities. Twenty case studies are used and in each one a simulation is validated using multibody. The injuries for each body segment are obtained in an AIS (Abbreviated Injury Score) evaluation, except for the upper extremities, where only fractures occurrence are used, based on risk factor. Using the data available from clinical and/or medico-legal autopsy reports, the results from simulations are compared as global, i.e, the mortality probability, using the ISS (Injury Severity Score) globally, and locally using the AIS. The applied methods enable to evaluate globally the life risk of the TW accidents victims, and locally the lesions severity in each body segment considered. Moreover, an example is included to demonstrate that this method is suitable to be used in the reverse approach, i.e, use the victim’s injuries severity data to optimize the accident reconstitution simulation.
Comparative analysis of ATP‐binding cassette (ABC) transporter gene expression levels in peripheral blood leukocytes and in liver with hepatocellular carcinoma

ATP‐binding cassette (ABC) transporters comprise a superfamily of similar proteins involved in transmembrane transport of various substances. ABC transporter family members in the liver participate in bile formation and lipid metabolism. In order to assess whether peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) are available as a surrogate for determination of the expression of ABC transporter genes in the liver, we compared ABC transporter gene expression levels in PBL with those in liver tissues from patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We measured ABCA1, A2, B1‐B4, C1°C5, G1 and G2 gene expression levels in PBL, and cancerous and non‐cancerous portions of liver from patients with hepatocellular carcinoma by means of real time reverse‐transcription (RT)‐PCR. We could not detect ABCC5 expression in any tissue of the liver. Close correlations between ABCA2, C1 and 67 in PBL and in non‐tumor tissues of the liver were found. Compared with the non‐tumor part, HCC tissue expressed lower levels of ABCA1, B4 and G2. We think monitoring of ABCA2, C1 and G7 gene expression levels in PBL will be useful for selection of anti cancer agents and monitoring of drug resistance of HCC. Administration of chemotherapeutic agents which are substrates of ABCA1, B4 and G2 should be effective for the treatment of HCC. (Cancer Sci 2004; 95: 530—536)
Evaluation of renal tubular function in epileptic children treated with levetiracetam

Our study aim was to measure the urinary N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase/creatinine (NAG/UCr) index in epileptic children who received levetiracetam (LEV) treatment at least for 6 months, and compare it to healthy children. Thirty five children with epilepsy were enrolled in this prospective study. NAG was studied using the calorimetric method and NAG levels were expressed in units per liter (U/L) and NAG/UCre levels were determined in U/mmol creatinine. There were no statistically significant differences for the urine NAG and NAG/UCr index before and after LEV treatment in the epileptic group (p>0.05, for each). There were no significant correlations between the serum concentration of LEV and urinary NAG levels (r=0.258, p=0.135) and NAG/UCr levels (r=0.164, p=0.346) before treatment. Our study demonstrated that LEV treatment was safe and did not interfere in renal tubular function in epileptic children.
Torsion of an epididymal cyst

Abstract Torsion of an epididymal cyst is a very rare condition. We present a case of torsion of an epididymal cyst in a 13‐year‐old boy. The patient presented with acute scrotal pain. Scrotal ultrasonography showed a 38 × 35 × 30 mm fluid‐filled mass within the caput of the left epididymis. Histologically, the cells of the epididymal duct were necrotic. To our knowledge, this is the second case report in the literature.
Asymptotic Properties of Least Squares Estimators of Cointegrating Vectors

Time series variables that stochastically trend together form a cointegrated system. OLS and NLS estimators of the parameters of a cointegrating vector are shown to converge in probability to the true parameter value at the rate T11d for any positive d. These estim mators can be written asymptotically in terms of relatively simple nonnormal random matrices which do not depend on the parameters of th e system. These asymptotic representations form the basis for simple and fast Monte Carlo calculations of the limiting distributions of th ese estimators. Asymptotic distributions thus computed are tabulated for several cointegrated processes. Copyright 1987 by The Econometric Society.
Pharyngeal Fistulas in Postoperative Hypothyroid Patients

Hypothyroidism is a well-recognized complication of combined treatment for head and neck cancer. We discuss four patients who developed pharyngeal fistulas after total laryngectomy and preoperative (one patient) or postoperative (three patients) radiation therapy. The fistulas were refractory to conservative and surgical repair. Once the existence of hypothyroidism was established, immediate substitution therapy resulted in rapid healing of the fistulas and marked improvement of the patients' general condition. Few clinical reports exist on postoperative hypothyroidism and wound healing complications. Experimental work shows delay and impairment of wound healing in hypothyroid animals as opposed to hyperthyroid ones, in which wound healing was accelerated. Suspicion is warranted in patients after treatment for head and neck cancer when they exhibit even minimal symptoms of hypothyroidism or develop postoperative complications refractory to conservative treatment.