Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Utilization of a scoring system for diagnosis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia in Thai patients.

BACKGROUND Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a rare B-lymphoid malignancy in Southeast Asia. We evaluated whether a scoring system based on the expression of CDS, CD23, FMC7, CD79b and surface immunoglobulin (Slg) could be utilized to distinguish CLL from other types of lymphoid neoplasms in the Thais. MATERIAL AND METHOD One-hundred and forty-five samples with a clinical suspicion for CLL were analysed by flow cytometry. A score of one was assigned if the following marker was identified: CD5+, CD23+, FMC7-, CD79b- and SIg(-/weak). A cut-off score of > or =3 was required for the definitive diagnosis of B-CLL. RESULTS Only 50 cases (34.5%) were confirmed as B-CLL (scores > or =3). Cases with scores > or =3 had significantly higher leukocyte counts and marrow/blood lymphocytes than cases with scores < or =2. Dual CD5/CD23 expression was found in 87.5% of CLL cases. In 81 cases with scores < or =2, a variety of non-CLL disorders predominated, such as marginal zone lymphoma, splenic lymphoma with villous lymphocytes, mantle cell lymphoma, and prolymphocytic leukemia. CONCLUSION A score of 3 and dual CD5/CD23 expression are essential for the diagnosis of CLL while a score of 2 mostly indicative of non-CLL. The majority of clinical cases of CLL turned out to be non-CLL by flow cytometry. Increased utilization of this scoring system should increase the accuracy of diagnosis of this rare type of leukemia in the Thai population.
Investigation and Comparison of 3GPP and NYUSIM Channel Models for 5G Wireless Communications

Channel models describe how wireless channel parameters behave in a given scenario, and help evaluate link- and system-level performance. A proper channel model should be able to faithfully reproduce the channel parameters obtained in field measurements and accurately predict the spatial and temporal channel impulse response along with large-scale fading. This paper compares two popular channel models for next generation wireless communications: the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) TR 38.900 Release 14 channel model and the statistical spatial channel model NYUSIM developed by New York University (NYU). The two channel models employ different modeling approaches in many aspects, such as the line-of-sight probability, path loss, and clustering methodology. Simulations are performed using the two channel models to analyze the channel eigenvalue distribution and spectral efficiency leveraging the analog/digital hybrid beamforming methods found in the literature. Simulation results show that the 3GPP model produces different eigenvalue and spectral efficiency distributions for mmWave bands, as compared to the outcome from NYUSIM that is based on massive amounts of real-world measured data in New York City. This work shows NYUSIM is more accurate for realistic simulations than 3GPP in urban environments.
An Assist to the Next (10th) Edition of Lever's Histopathology of the Skin

Lever's Histopathology of the Skin, regarded as the gold standard textbook in the field of dermatopathology, claims to cut a swath through the discipline. In the last two editions, however, it appears to be declining in its overall scientific quality and academic mentality by failing to include different points of view set forth by other authors. Some ideas of a single author, coupled with appropriate references, are offered by me now for consideration for inclusion in the next (10th) edition of Lever's text.
Novel Insights into CB1 Cannabinoid Receptor Signaling: A Key Interaction Identified between the Extracellular-3 Loop and Transmembrane Helix 2

Activation of the cannabinoid CB1 receptor (CB1) is modulated by aspartate residue D2.63176 in transmembrane helix (TMH) 2. Interestingly, D2.63 does not affect the affinity for ligand binding at the CB1 receptor. Studies in class A G protein-coupled receptors have suggested an ionic interaction between residues of TMH2 and 7. In this report, modeling studies identified residue K373 in the extracellular-3 (EC-3) loop in charged interactions with D2.63. We investigated this possibility by performing reciprocal mutations and biochemical studies. D2.63176A, K373A, D2.63176A-K373A, and the reciprocal mutant with the interacting residues juxtaposed D2.63176K-K373D were characterized using radioligand binding and guanosine 5′-3-O-(thio)triphosphate functional assays. None of the mutations resulted in a significant change in the binding affinity of N-(piperidiny-1-yl)-5-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-(2,4-dichloro-phenyl)-4-methyl-1H-pyrazole-3-carboxamide hydrochloride (SR141716A) or (−)-3cis -[2-hydroxyl-4-(1,1-dimethyl-heptyl)phenyl]-trans-4-[3-hydroxyl-propyl] cyclohexan-1-ol (CP55,940). Modeling studies indicated that binding-site interactions and energies of interaction for CP55,940 were similar between wild-type and mutant receptors. However, the signaling of CP55,940, and (R)-(+)-[2,3-dihydro-5-methyl-3-[(4-morpholinyl)methyl]-pyrrolo[1,2,3-de]-1,4-benzoxazin-6-yl](1-naphthalenyl)-methanone mesylate (WIN55,212-2) was impaired at the D2.63176A-K373A and the single-alanine mutants. In contrast, the reciprocal D2.63176K-K373D mutant regained function for both CP55,940 and WIN55,212-2. Computational results indicate that the D2.63176-K373 ionic interaction strongly influences the conformation(s) of the EC-3 loop, providing a structure-based rationale for the importance of the EC-3 loop to signal transduction in CB1. The putative ionic interaction results in the EC-3 loop pulling over the top (extracellular side) of the receptor; this EC-3 loop conformation may serve protective and mechanistic roles. These results suggest that the ionic interaction between D2.63176 and K373 is important for CB1 signal transduction.
On the uniqueness of community banks

To the public, all banks seem alike. But banking insiders make important distinctions between community banks and all other banks. Policymakers worry that community banks’ unique characteristics threaten their survival in the face of industry consolidation. However, despite dramatic regulatory and technological changes in the industry in the past two decades, community banks have not only survived but often prospered. ; This article explores the differences between community banks and larger banks to discover what makes community banks unique. Large banks engage primarily in transactional banking—the provision of highly standardized intermediation services, such as gathering deposits and extending loans, that require little human input to manage. Community banks, in contrast, typically focus on relationship banking, which requires more human input, more detailed credit evaluation, and localized decision making. ; Examining profit and risk measures for the 1998–2002 period for both community banks and large banking organizations, the authors find evidence that small banks were generally profitable. In all but the smallest size category, community banks have performed as well as, and often better than, large banks in managing net interest margins, aggregate profits, and credit risk. Also, community banks are more likely to adopt Subchapter S tax status, which allows them to avoid direct federal income taxation and pass tax benefits on to shareholders. These institutions typically have relatively higher returns on both equity and assets than larger banks do. Whether community banks will be able to sustain this good performance will depend, the authors conclude, on how well managers find valuable relationship lending niches, invest bank capital, and balance asset quality with growth.
More Open but Not More Trusted? The Effect of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 on the United Kingdom Central Government

This article examines the impact of Britain's Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2000 on British central government. The article identifies six objectives for FOI in the United Kingdom and then examines to what extent FOI has met them, briefly comparing the United Kingdom with similar legislation in Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada. It concludes that FOI has achieved the core objectives of increasing transparency and accountability, though the latter only in particular circumstances, but not the four secondary objectives: improved decision-making by government, improved public understanding, increased participation, and trust in government. This is not because the Act has “failed” but because the objectives were overly ambitious and FOI is shaped by the political environment in which it is placed.
Employees' Perceptions of Organizational Trust and Service Climate: a Structural Model Combining Their Effects On Employee Satisfaction

In this article, the authors extend prior research on employees'perception of service climate by testing the impact of employees'perception of organizational trust on service climate and employee satisfaction. Multidimensional constructs of trust and service climate were developed using the literature in the trust and service management domains. Results support the hypothesized relationships between the constructs, in that trust affects service climate and employee satisfaction, whereas service climate affects employee satisfaction in a significant way. Implications for practitioners and future research ensue, which underscores the importance of building trust and service climate to ensure employee satisfaction in hotel firms.
[Prevalence of Enterobius vermicularis infection and preventive effects of mass treatment among children in rural and urban areas, and children in orphanages].

An epidemiological study and mass treatments of Enterobius vermicularis infection among children near Wonju area of Kangwon province were carried out. The children were divided into 4 groups according to their residing localities; children in the mountainous area, rural area, urban area and in orphanage. They were examined by adhesive cellotape anal swab technique, and egg positive rates were obtained. The rates of egg reduction and re-infection rates after repeated mass treatments were also observed. The results obtained were as follows: 1. The overall egg positive rate of E. vermicularis in the first screening was 19.9% (251 out of 1,262 examinees; 19.7% in males and 20.1% in females). The positive rates were 13.0% in the mountainous area, 11.9% in the rural area, 15.1% in the urban (medium-sized) area and 61.9% in orphanages. 2. The highest positive rates were observed in the kindergarten children, and 1st and 2nd grade children of primary schools (26.2-32.2%), and the lowest rate (13.6%) in 6-year grade children of primary schools. 3. Cumulative detection rates from 3 repeated anal swabs at 4-5 days interval were higher (70.8%) than those from single anal swabs (50.0-59.2%). 4. Out of the examinees who showed the highest cumulative positive rate (70.8%), about 39.2% were consecutively positive in 3 anal swabs. Among different groups of children, the higher the total egg detection rates (87.5%), the higher the consecutive positive rates (71.9%). 5. A total of 2,609 (male: female = 1:12.4) worms were collected from 17 egg-positive cases treated with anthelmintics. The mean number of worms per child was 153 (range: 4-824). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Ogilvie syndrome as a postoperative complication.

HYPOTHESIS Ogilvie syndrome is a postoperative complication. DESIGN Case series. SETTING University-affiliated tertiary-care hospital. PATIENTS AND METHODS The medical records of patients diagnosed as having Ogilvie syndrome after trauma or operation between 1989 and 1998 were reviewed. Medical charts were examined for history, treatment, cecal diameter, and outcome. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Data were summarized in an attempt to identify patient populations at risk for Ogilvie syndrome. RESULTS Ogilvie syndrome was diagnosed in 36 patients, 24 of whom were men. Average age at diagnosis was 68.9 years. Abdominal radiographs were obtained at time of diagnosis (mean cecal diameter, 13.4 cm; range, 8-20 cm). Operations preceding Ogilvie syndrome were orthopedic or spinal (n= 14), cardiothoracic (n= 12), abdominal (n= 5), and vascular (n= 2). Nonoperative trauma accounted for 3 cases. Coronary artery bypass grafting was the single most frequent procedure leading to Ogilvie syndrome (n=9 [25%]). Conservative treatment was successful in 52.8% of cases (n = 19). Twenty colonoscopic decompressions were performed on 13 patients, with an overall success rate of 77% (n= 10). Of the 3 patients in whom colonoscopic decompression failed, 2 died and 1 required operation. Five of the 36 patients required surgical intervention, with a mortality rate of 60% (n= 3). CONCLUSIONS Previous studies have shown Ogilvie syndrome to occur most commonly after obstetrical/ gynecologic, abdominal/pelvic, and orthopedic procedures. Our data confirm that patients undergoing orthopedic and spinal procedures are at higher risk, but that the surgical procedure most commonly leading to Ogilvie syndrome was coronary artery bypass grafting. Cardiothoracic surgeons, orthopedic surgeons, and neurosurgeons should be cognizant of this complication in the patient whose abdomen becomes distended postoperatively. If recognized early and treated appropriately, pseudo-obstruction will resolve in most patients. If surgical intervention is required, the subsequent mortality rate is high.
Design Management and Business in Europe: A Closer Look

It is often said that European companies must stop trying to compete on price and concentrate more on developing products and services that offer customers and users a high level of added value. Design is an indispensable tool for such development and innovation, and this is why the findings of this survey are cause for concern. It is not enough to encourage companies to use design; they must also develop skill in managing design. It seems risky to assume that they will eventually find their own way to design and its effective management; as an economic necessity, attention and commitment will be required from those who set business policy. The survey results suggest that improved awareness of design and the management of design will drive increased business performance within SMEs. "is would likely also trigger increased demand for effective support services to develop design management skills, and thus more jobs. One of the study’s findings is the positive correlation between increasing design management capability and positive growth. At the same time, however, cost factors are widely cited as the main obstacle standing in the way of companies implementing design management. What this indicates is that design should cease to be seen as a cost, and instead should be considered as an investment in the future. One way to improve the perception of the cost factor is to raise awareness of design’s benefits. To do this, however, it is critical to find ways to measure and therefore value design effectiveness and, once it has been implemented, to measure its success in a way that can be understood by managers. Knowledge factors also present a considerable obstacle, and as such education is a second critical success factor. "e curricula of European design courses tend to dedicate relatively little time to the development of management skills or the understanding of the business implications of design decisions. And although the attention paid to ideas such as design thinking does show some movement in the world of management, things seem to be happening rather slowly. In management courses, there is still relatively little structural focus on design, and for experienced designersoeven those with sufficient management skillsotraining in design management is rarely available. Indeed, the relative lack of training opportunities for design management begs the question: Are we making enough progress with design management as a professional field? "e gap between design management “winners” and “losers” seems rather large, and the group of companies that is left behind is comparatively too big. Progress has and is being made within the profession of design management; however, to sustain this progress, and even to turn the situation around, will require the collaborative efforts of a broader group of stakeholdersonamely, the design sector, the training and education sector, trade associations, promoters of design management honors such as the DME Award, and government bodies themselves.
Expression of suppressors of cytokine signaling in diseased periodontal tissues: a stop signal for disease progression?

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Inflammatory cytokines are thought to trigger periodontal tissue destruction. In addition to being regulated by anti-inflammatory mediators, their activity is under the control of suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS), which down-regulate the signal transduction as part of an inhibitory feedback loop. We therefore investigated the expression of SOCS-1, -2 and -3, and the cytokines tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-10, in different forms of human periodontal diseases. MATERIAL AND METHODS Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RealTime-PCR) was performed with mRNA from gingival biopsies of control subjects and from that of patients with chronic gingivitis and chronic periodontitis. RESULTS Our results show that patients with chronic gingivitis and chronic periodontitis exhibit significantly higher SOCS-1, -2 and -3, TNF-alpha and interleukin-10 mRNA expression when compared with healthy controls. The data also demonstrate that SOCS-1 and -3 mRNA expression was higher in tissue from patients with chronic gingivitis than chronic periodontitis, while the levels of SOCS-2, TNF-alpha and interleukin-10 mRNA were similar in these groups. CONCLUSION The increased expression of SOCS-1, -2 and -3 mRNA in diseased periodontal tissues is believed to be involved in the down-regulation of inflammatory cytokine and Toll-like receptor signaling, and therefore in the attenuation of both the inflammatory reaction and disease severity. Furthermore, it is possible that variation in the levels of SOCS mRNA expressed in different forms of periodontal diseases may determine the stable or progressive nature of the lesions.
Resource and Social Learning Theories of Political Participation: Ethnic Patterns in Australia

Abstract Political participation is central to liberal democracy, yet there are substantial variations in the levels of participation observable among different social groups. Empirical theories explain these variations by the different socio-economic resources individuals possess and by their resulting levels of trust and efficacy in the political system. By contrast, social learning theories see these differences in participation as stemming from the values that individuals absorb from the political culture. This article uses Australia—an established liberal democracy with a large immigrant population—as a case study to evaluate these two theories. The results show that immigrants socialized in countries lacking continuous democratic traditions have greater political trust, but also display more authoritarian values. Differences emerge not only in the type of participation being analyzed, but among ethnic groups. The findings support the view that the resource and social learning theories are complementary rather than exclusive explanations for political participation. Résumé La participation politique joue un rôle central en démocratie libérale, bien qu'ily ait des variations considérables entre les niveaux de participation observable d'un groupe social à un autre. Les théories empiriques expliquent ces variations fondées sur les disparités de ressources socio-économiques que possèdent les individus et par leur niveau de confiance et de pouvoir d'action dans le système politique. Par contraste, les théories d'apprentissage social considèrent que ces différences au niveau de la participation politique s'expliquent par les valeurs de la culture politique que les individus intériorisent. Cet article se sert du cas de l'Australie—une démocratie libérale établie avec une importante population immigrée—pour évaluer ces deux théories. Les analyses démontrent que les immigrants socialisés en pays dépourvus de traditions démocratiques soutenues manifestent une plus grande confiance politique, mais affichent des valeurs plus autoritaires. Les différences apparaissent non seulement, quant au type de participation, mais également entre groupes ethniques. Les données montrent que les théories basées sur les ressources, d'une part, et sur l'apprentissage social, d'autre part, offrent des explications complémentaires plutôt qu'incompatibles de la participation politique.
Pharmacokinetics of hydralazine, an antihypertensive and DNA-demethylating agent, using controlled-release formulations designed for use in dosing schedules based on the acetylator phenotype.

PURPOSE The antihypertensive hydralazine has recently been repositioned as DNA demethylating for the epigenetic therapy of cancer. As the acetylator phenotype is the key determinant of its plasma levels, the dose of hydralazine needs to be adjusted for the acetylation status of patients. METHODS The pharmacokinetics of orally administered hydralazine was evaluated in 26 healthy volunteers (13 slow and 13 fast acetylators) after a single dose of 182 mg administered as a controlled-release tablet. Plasma levels of hydralazine were analyzed in 85 cancer patients treated with this formulation at a dose of 83 mg/day and 182 mg/day for slow and fast acetylators, respectively. RESULTS The C(max) and t(max) of hydralazine for fast acetylators were 208.4 ± 56.9 SD ng/ml and 2.8 ± 2.5 h, respectively. The corresponding results for slow acetylators were 470.4 ± 162.8 ng/ml, and 4.4 ± 3.1 h. Healthy volunteers who were fast acetylators had no clinically significant changes in blood pressure and heart rate or any other side-effect, however, slow acetylators had transient episodes of headache, tachycardia and faintness. Among 85 cancer patients that received either 182 mg or 83 mg of hydralazine daily, according to their acetylator status, the mean concentrations of hydralazine in plasma were 239.1 ng/ml and 259.2 ng/ml for fast and slow acetylators, respectively. These differences were not significantly different, p = 0.3868. CONCLUSIONS The administration of dose-adjusted controlled-release hydralazine according to the acetylation status of cancer patients yields similar levels of hydralazine.
Knowledge, attitudes and behaviours associated with the provision of hepatitis C care by Canadian family physicians

Summary. The role of primary care physicians in providing care for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is increasingly emphasized, but many gaps and challenges remain. This study explores family physicians’ knowledge, attitudes and practices associated with providing care for HCV infection. Seven hundred and forty‐nine members of the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) completed a self‐administered survey examining knowledge, attitudes and behaviours regarding HCV infection screening and care. Multivariate analyses were performed using the outcome, HCV care provision, and variables based on a conceptual model of practice guideline adherence. Family physicians providing basic–advanced HCV care were more likely to be older, practice in a rural setting, have injection drug users (IDU) in their practice and have higher levels of knowledge about the initial assessment (OR = 1.77; 95% CI = 1.23–2.54) and treatment of HCV (OR = 1.74; 95% CI = 1.24–2.43). They were also less likely to believe that family physicians do not have a role in HCV care (OR = 0.41; 95% CI = 0.30–0.58). Educational programmes should target physicians less likely to provide HCV care, namely family physicians practicing in urban areas and those who do not care for any IDU patients. Training and continuing medical education programmes that aim to shift family physicians’ attitudes about the provision of HCV care by promoting their roles as integral to HCV care could contribute to easing the burden on consultant physicians and lead to improved access to treatment for HCV infection.