Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Interferon plus ribavirin and interferon alone in preventing hepatocellular carcinoma: a prospective study on patients with HCV related cirrhosis.

AIM To determine the role of interferon (IFN) with or without ribavirin in preventing or delaying hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) related cirrhosis. Data on the preventive effect of IFN plus ribavirin treatment are lacking. METHODS A total of 101 patients (62 males and 39 females, mean age 55.1+/-1.4 years) with histologically proven HCV related liver cirrhosis plus compatible biochemistry and ultrasonography were enrolled in the study. Biochemistry and ultrasonography were performed every 6 mo. Ultrasound guided liver biopsy was performed on all detected focal lesions. Follow-up lasted for 5 years. Cellular proliferation, evaluated by measuring Ag-NOR proteins in hepatocytes nuclei, was expressed as AgNOR-Proliferative index (AgNOR-PI) (cut-off = 2.5). Forty-one patients (27 males, 14 females) were only followed up after the end of an yearly treatment with IFN-alpha2b (old treatment control group = OTCG). Sixty naive patients were stratified according to sex and AgNOR-PI and then randomized in two groups: 30 were treated with IFN-alpha2b + ribavirin (treatment group = TG), the remaining were not treated (control group = CG). Nonresponders (NR) or relapsers in the TG received further IFN/ribavirin treatments after a 6 mo of withdrawal. RESULTS AgNOR-PI was significantly lowered by IFN (P<0.001). HCC incidence was higher in patients with AgNOR-PI>2.5 (26% vs 3%, P<0.01). Two NR in the OTCG, none in the TG and 9 patients in the CG developed HCC during follow-up. The Kaplan-Mayer survival curves showed statistically significant differences both between OTCG and CG (P<0.004) and between TG and CG (P<0.003). CONCLUSION IFN/ribavirin treatment associated with re-treatment courses of NR seems to produce the best results in terms of HCC prevention. AgNOR-PI is a useful marker of possible HCC development.
Organisations and the Transformation of the Internal Labour Market

This paper explores changes in employment policies and practices that are typically associated with the classical `model' of the internal labour market. Drawing on documentary information and interviews with managers in four large organisations in the UK, the evidence suggests that many of the `traditional' pillars of the internal labour market have been dismantled. New policies around training, recruitment, pay, job security and career progression have been introduced in response to pressures and opportunities for change, both internal and external to the organisation. Changes in the external labour market involve a shift in the balance of power between labour and capital, coupled with a weakening of the mechanisms which coordinate and regulate labour market exchange. Within the organisation, there are a range of pressures to transform production, or service delivery, including the restructuring of traditional forms of work organisation, the extension of working-time and changes in organisational structure. This paper analyses evidence of new employer-led `market solutions' to this range of conflicting pressures. The aim is to highlight the tendency for contradictory outcomes as new policies capitalise on changing external conditions, but at the expense of meeting organisational demands. Also, new policies implemented by individual employers may be unsustainable where, on aggregate, they fail to develop workforce skills or to fulfil career expectations.
Synergistic Effects of Transplanted Adult Neural Stem/Progenitor Cells, Chondroitinase, and Growth Factors Promote Functional Repair and Plasticity of the Chronically Injured Spinal Cord

The transplantation of neural stem/progenitor cells (NPCs) is a promising therapeutic strategy for spinal cord injury (SCI). However, to date NPC transplantation has exhibited only limited success in the treatment of chronic SCI. Here, we show that chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) in the glial scar around the site of chronic SCI negatively influence the long-term survival and integration of transplanted NPCs and their therapeutic potential for promoting functional repair and plasticity. We targeted CSPGs in the chronically injured spinal cord by sustained infusion of chondroitinase ABC (ChABC). One week later, the same rats were treated with transplants of NPCs and transient infusion of growth factors, EGF, bFGF, and PDGF-AA. We demonstrate that perturbing CSPGs dramatically optimizes NPC transplantation in chronic SCI. Engrafted NPCs successfully integrate and extensively migrate within the host spinal cord and principally differentiate into oligodendrocytes. Furthermore, this combined strategy promoted the axonal integrity and plasticity of the corticospinal tract and enhanced the plasticity of descending serotonergic pathways. These neuroanatomical changes were also associated with significantly improved neurobehavioral recovery after chronic SCI. Importantly, this strategy did not enhance the aberrant synaptic connectivity of pain afferents, nor did it exacerbate posttraumatic neuropathic pain. For the first time, we demonstrate key biological and functional benefits for the combined use of ChABC, growth factors, and NPCs to repair the chronically injured spinal cord. These findings could potentially bring us closer to the application of NPCs for patients suffering from chronic SCI or other conditions characterized by the formation of a glial scar.
Differential synaptic innervation of striatofugal neurones projecting to the internal or external segments of the globus pallidus by thalamic afferents in the squirrel monkey

It is well established that the centromedian nucleus (CM) is the major source of thalamic afferents to the sensorimotor territory of the striatum in monkeys. However, the projection sites of striatal neurones contacted by thalamic afferents still remain to be determined. We therefore carried out an anatomical study aimed at elucidating the hodology of striatal neurones that receive input from the CM in squirrel monkeys. Our approach was to combine the anterograde transport of Phaseolus vulgaris‐leucoagglutinin (PHA‐L) or biocytin from the CM with the retrograde transport of biotinylated dextran‐amine (bio‐dex) or PHA‐L from the internal (GPi) or external (GPe) segments of the globus pallidus.
Regulation, awareness, compliance and SME performance in Cameroon's manufacturing and retail sectors

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to discuss the regulation, awareness, compliance and performance of small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) in Cameroon's Central and Littoral regions, focusing on the manufacturing and retail sectors. Design/methodology/approach - The full survey was conducted on 700 randomly selected SMEs which have identifiable business locations. From this, only 575 enterprises were retained for analysis after performing the coherence test. Findings - Businesses registered for tax and those in the manufacturing sector see tax regulation as a burden. Those having opinions that regulation is rigid, inconsistent and that there is corruption also opine that regulation is negatively impacting on business. High compliance with customs and municipal regulations significantly negatively affect business development. On the other hand, high compliance with health and safety as well as trade regulations is good for SME development. Businesses registered with the Ministry of Trade tend to be more compliant, while those registered with the Municipality are not. Practical implications - Overall, it is important that government should create an enabling environment for the development of the SMEs in Cameroon. Originality/value - The number of studies focusing on the relationship between regulation and business performance in Africa is limited. Hence, the contribution of this paper is to enrich our understanding of this important field.
Types of innovation, sources of information and performance in entrepreneurial SMEs

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the information sourcing practices of small‐ to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) associated with the development of different types of innovation (product/process/market/organizational). The relationship between different types of innovation and firms' performance is also to be examined.Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on a quantitative study of a sample of SMEs located in the Northern Savo region in Finland. The entrepreneurs completed a questionnaire pertaining to, for example, whether their firms had introduced novel innovations and what were the sources of information behind these innovations.Findings – The introduction of novel product and market innovations appears to be associated with the use of more or less freely accessible information sources. The findings also indicate that the introduction of novel product, process and market innovations is positively associated with firms' growth. None of the types of innovation studied was fou.
The Cycle of Abuse: When Victims Become Offenders

Various psychological theories exist in the literature to explain the behavior of men who commit child sex offences, including the belief that child sexual abuse (CSA) is a predisposing factor for the transition from victim to offender. These theories are, however, unable to explain the fact that while most victims of CSA are female, most perpetrators of CSA are male. The sex specificity of CSA in terms of victims and offenders suggests that the experience of CSA and its psychosocial effects may be different for boys, compared to girls. We hypothesize that CSA experiences may involve risk factors that affect the development of sexually abusive behavior for boys, rather than girls. Our aim was to determine whether the literature provides evidence of a cycle of abuse from victim to offender, and, if so, to document its characteristics. We undertook a comprehensive literature review of studies on both victims and offenders, including studies which revealed the following: age of onset of CSA, duration of abuse, gender of the abuser, the relationship between victim and abuser, grooming behaviors, the types and severity of abuse, and disclosure of abuse. While we found no evidence for the existence of a cycle of abuse for female CSA victims, we discovered evidence to support the existence of a cycle of abuse for male CSA victims who had experienced particular abuse characteristics. As an original contribution to the literature, we identified four factors that may be associated with a boy’s transition from victim to offender as well as the methodological issues to be addressed in future research. Based on criminological theories, we argue that these four factors share a common theme, that is, that they represent experiences of power (for the abuser) and powerlessness (for the victim).
The fraction of cells that resume growth after acetic acid addition is a strain-dependent parameter of acetic acid tolerance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

High acetic acid tolerance of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a relevant phenotype in industrial biotechnology when using lignocellulosic hydrolysates as feedstock. A screening of 38 S. cerevisiae strains for tolerance to acetic acid revealed considerable differences, particularly with regard to the duration of the latency phase. To understand how this phenotype is quantitatively manifested, four strains exhibiting significant differences were studied in more detail. Our data show that the duration of the latency phase is primarily determined by the fraction of cells within the population that resume growth. Only this fraction contributed to the exponential growth observed after the latency phase, while all other cells persisted in a viable but non-proliferating state. A remarkable variation in the size of the fraction was observed among the tested strains differing by several orders of magnitude. In fact, only 11 out of 10(7) cells of the industrial bioethanol production strain Ethanol Red resumed growth after exposure to 157 mM acetic acid at pH 4.5, while this fraction was 3.6 × 10(6) (out of 10(7) cells) in the highly acetic acid tolerant isolate ATCC 96581. These strain-specific differences are genetically determined and represent a valuable starting point to identify genetic targets for future strain improvement.
Application of Platelet-Rich Fibrin and Injectable Platelet-Rich Fibrin in Combination of Bone Substitute Material for Alveolar Ridge Augmentation - a Case Report

Abstract Background: Different barrier membranes and augmentation techniques are used in oral surgery to recover lost bone structures with varied success. Recently, a combination between bone graft materials and Platelet-Rich-Fibrin (PRF) is implemented in the periodontology and implantology. Aim: The aim of this case report was to assess the possibility for augmentation of the alveolar ridge in the frontal region of the upper jaw, utilizing a combination of bone graft material, injectable platelet-rich-fibrin (i-PRF) and advanced platelet-rich fibrin (A-PRF). Materials and methods: An 18 year-old male with expulsion of tooth 11 and partial fracture of the alveolar ridge was treated with augmentation of the alveolar ridge using bone graft material, injectable platelet–rich-fibrin(i-PRF) and advanced platelet-rich-fibrin (A-PRF). Clinical results were reviewed 4 months after the augmentation and a dental implant was placed. Results: The postoperative period was uneventful. The control CBCT scan showed good organization of new bone allowing placement of a dental implant. Conclusion: The successful clinical and radiographic results of the case suggest that using A-PRF and i-PRF can be beneficial for bone augmentation of the alveolar ridge before implant placement.
Place of death: correlations with quality of life of patients with cancer and predictors of bereaved caregivers' mental health.

PURPOSE To determine whether the place of death for patients with cancer is associated with patients' quality of life (QoL) at the end of life (EOL) and psychiatric disorders in bereaved caregivers. PATIENTS AND METHODS Prospective, longitudinal, multisite study of patients with advanced cancer and their caregivers (n = 342 dyads). Patients were followed from enrollment to death, a median of 4.5 months later. Patients' QoL at the EOL was assessed by caregiver report within 2 weeks of death. Bereaved caregivers' mental health was assessed at baseline and 6 months after loss with the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, and the Prolonged Grief Disorder interview. RESULTS In adjusted analyses, patients with cancer who died in an intensive care unit (ICU) or hospital experienced more physical and emotional distress and worse QoL at the EOL (all P ≤ .03), compared with patients who died at home with hospice. ICU deaths were associated with a heightened risk for posttraumatic stress disorder, compared with home hospice deaths (21.1% [four of 19] v 4.4% [six of 137]; adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 5.00; 95% CI, 1.26 to 19.91; P = .02), after adjustment for caregivers' preexisting psychiatric illnesses. Similarly, hospital deaths were associated with a heightened risk for prolonged grief disorder (21.6% [eight of 37] v 5.2% [four of 77], AOR, 8.83; 95% CI, 1.51 to 51.77; P = .02), compared with home hospice deaths. CONCLUSION Patients with cancer who die in a hospital or ICU have worse QoL compared with those who die at home, and their bereaved caregivers are at increased risk for developing psychiatric illness. Interventions aimed at decreasing terminal hospitalizations or increasing hospice utilization may enhance patients' QoL at the EOL and minimize bereavement-related distress.
Object of Contention: an Examination of Recuay-Moche Combat Imagery

This study examines a painted combat scene on a ceramic vessel of the Moche culture (ad 100–800) of the north coast of Peru. The scene portrays a series of distinctly Moche warriors fighting adversaries who feature characteristics (weaponry, ornaments and dress) that are unconventional for Moche visual culture. Correspondences in Recuay pottery and stone sculpture instead support the argument that the enemies were groups from the neighbouring inland valleys and highlands of the Pacific Andean flanks. The analysis of the imagery and its implications illuminate how societies without writing sometimes perceived and configured interaction with other groups — namely, through representations of warfare.
A tool for sexual minority mental health research: The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) as a depressive symptom severity measure for sexual minority women in Viet Nam

ABSTRACT In a context with limited attention to mental health and prevalent sexual prejudice, valid measurements are a key first step to understanding the psychological suffering of sexual minority populations. We adapted the Patient Health Questionnaire as a depressive symptom severity measure for Vietnamese sexual minority women, ensuring its cultural relevance and suitability for Internet-based research. Psychometric evaluation found that the scale is mostly unidimensional and has good convergent validity, good external construct validity, and excellent reliability. The sample's high endorsement of scale items emphasizes the need to study minority stress and mental health in this population.
Variation in Microbiome LPS Immunogenicity Contributes to Autoimmunity in Humans

T Vatanen, AD Kostic, E d’Hennezel. Cell. 2016;165(4):842–853 Characterize the gut microbiota during the first 3 years of life and elucidate a mechanism by which it can shape the immune system and impact the incidence of autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes (T1D). A subcohort from the DIABIMMUNE (http://www.diabimmune.org) study of 1000 infants from Finland, Estonia, and Russia matched by sex, age, and human leukocyte antigen–associated risk factors. In Finland and Estonia, autoimmunity is more common than in Russia. Stool and serum samples were collected periodically from birth up to 3 years of age. Stool samples were sequenced and their functional potential was compared by HUMAn2 software (http://huttenhower.sph.harvard.edu/humann2). NF-κB–dependent cytokines were determined in peripheral blood mononuclear cells …
Can Intangible Capital Explain Cyclical Movements in the Labor Wedge?

Intangible capital is an important factor of production in modern economies that is generally neglected in business cycle analyses. We demonstrate that intangible capital can have a substantial impact on business cycle dynamics, especially if the intangible is complementary with production capacity. We focus on customer capital: the capital embodied in the relationships a firm has with its customers. Introducing customer capital into a standard real business cycle model generates a volatile and countercyclical labor wedge, due to a mismeasured marginal product of labor. We also provide new evidence on cyclical variation in selling effort to discipline the exercise.
Intention for Entrepreneurship among Students in India

The purpose of this research was to study what a group of university students in India intended to do upon completion of their college education: start their own business (become entrepreneurs) or work for someone else? A 62-item question-naire was administered to the first year students of the Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies at Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur, India. Of the 186 questionnaires returned, 100 were usable for this study. From the results of chi-square tests, of the eighteen independent variables, only two (luck and to lead other people) were found to have significant relationships with the dependent variable (to start your own business). According to results of factor analysis, six variables (to lead other people, to be my own boss, to put my innovative ideas into practice, determination, personal challenge and non-business education) were found to relate to the dependent variable. Finally, the logistic regression analysis showed that these six factors have a 92.35 per cent predictive value.
Asset Bubbles and Borrowing Constraints

In this paper, we study the existence of asset bubbles in an overlapping generations economy `a la Tirole (1985) with borrowing constraints. Deriving a condition for the existence of equilibrium paths with bubbles, we demonstrate that (i) a monetary steady state (a steady state with bubbles) is constrained dynamically inefficient, whereas capital in the monetary steady state is underaccumulating relative to the quasi-golden rule, (ii) there exists a government intervention which corrects the constrained dynamic inefficiency, and (iii) for some parameter values, such a government intervention reduces the utilities of many agents, while it increases per capita consumption.
The Ability Of Earnings To Predict Future Earnings And Cash Flow

This paper examines the value relevance of earnings by testing their ability to predict two future benefits of equity investment: earnings and cash flow from operations. Previous research (discussed below) has given an incomplete view of earnings' predictive ability, as it has typically focused on short horizons while ignoring the longer-term benefits that are also valued, as in Ohlson [1990]. I test earnings' ability to predict future earnings and future cash flow from operations1 one through eight years ahead using annual data from
A critical analysis of the contents of the IFRS for SMEs - a South African perspective

The IFRS for SMEs was developed to address the reporting needs of SMEs worldwide. SMEs however do not necessarily have a global focus. Furthermore, SMEs from different parts of the world are exposed to different conditions and environments. Although the IFRS for SMEs was not intended for a specific user group, the majority of the respondents to the Exposure Draft on IFRS for SMEs were from Europe and other developed countries while only limited respondents from Africa and developing countries were involved. This study considered the relevance of the contents of the IFRS for SMEs in the South African environment based on user requirements. Since SMEs do not necessarily have functional accounting departments and because they rely on external accountants to compile financial statements, we included accounting practitioners and trainee accountants from the SME sector in our survey. As a result we classified the contents of the IFRS for SMEs, from a South African perspective, into different levels of importance or relevance.
Economic growth and external debt

This book is a collective effort of the Economic Department of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. It is composed of three volumes. The first volume sketches an analytical framework. It views international capital flows and indebtedness as an aspect of the process of economic development. Volume two, a supplement to volume one, contains statistical data on international public indebtedness and on debt service payments. The third volume is a collection of essays that discuss economic growth and external debt. The book contains charts and tables which further illustrate the information presented in each volume.