Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Combined Ablation and Radiation Therapy of Spinal Metastases: A Novel Multimodality Treatment Approach.

BACKGROUND Radiation therapy (RT) is the current gold standard for palliation of painful vertebral metastases. However, other percutaneous modalities such as radiofrequency ablation (RFA), cryoablation, and vertebral augmentation have also been shown to be effective in alleviating symptoms. Combined RT and ablation may be more effective than either therapy alone in palliating painful metastatic disease to the spine. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the safety and efficacy of combined ablation, either RFA or cryoablation, and RT in the treatment of spinal metastases. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective study. SETTING This is a retrospective study at a single institution. METHODS Medical records of all patients who underwent ablation of spine lesions at a single institution between March 2012 and June 2014 were reviewed; patients treated with both RT and either RFA or cryoablation concurrently were identified. Pain scores before and after RFA were measured with the numerical rating scale (NRS) (0-10 point scale) and compared. Procedural complications, changes in general activity level, and pain medication usage after ablation were also recorded. When available, follow-up imaging was evaluated for evidence of residual or recurrent disease. RESULTS Twenty-one patients with 36 spine metastases were treated with RT and percutaneous ablation concurrently; either RFA (21/22) or cryoablation (1/22). One patient received 2 separate RFA treatments. Overall, mean worst pain score (8.0, SD = 2.3) significantly decreased at both one week (4.3, SD = 3.1; P < .02) and 4 weeks (2.9, SD = 3.3; P < .0003). Temporary post-procedural radicular pain occurred after one RFA treatment (4.5%; 1/22). Seven patients had radiation resistant tumors (renal cell, melanoma, or sarcoma). Post-procedural imaging (median 6 months; range 2-27 months) showed stable treated disease in 12/13 treatments at 3 months and 10/10 at 6 months. LIMITATIONS The therapeutic effect of vertebral augmentation versus percutaneous ablation cannot be separated in this retrospective study. Radiation treatment protocols were variable and included both stereotactic body and conventional RT which may have different safety and efficacy profiles. CONCLUSION Percutaneous ablation and concurrent RT is safe and effective in palliating painful spinal metastases and can be effective in those who have radiation resistant tumor histology.
Diversity and relationships of Crocus sativus and its relatives analysed by inter-retroelement amplified polymorphism (IRAP).

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Saffron (Crocus sativus) is a sterile triploid (2n = 3x = 24) cultivated species, of unknown origin from other diploid and polyploid species in the genus Crocus (Iridaceae). Species in the genus have high morphological diversity, with no clear phylogenetic patterns below the level of section Crocus series Crocus. Using DNA markers, this study aimed to examine the diversity and relationships within and between species of Crocus series Crocus. METHODS Eleven inter-retroelement amplified polymorphism (IRAP) primers were used in 63 different combinations with 35 single-plant accessions of C. sativus and related Crocus species in order to determine genetic variability and to conduct phylogenetic analysis. KEY RESULTS A total of 4521 distinct polymorphic bands from 100 bp to approx. 4 kb were amplified; no fragment specific to all accessions of a single species was amplified. The polymorphic information content (PIC) values varied from approx. 0·37 to approx. 0·05 (mean 0·17 ± 0·1) and the major allele frequency had a mean of 0·87. High levels of polymorphism were identified between accessions of the six species of Crocus series Crocus related to C. sativus, with further variation between the species. In contrast, no polymorphisms were seen among 17 C. sativus accessions obtained in the region from Kashmir through Iran to Spain. CONCLUSIONS In contrast to the intraspecific variability seen in other Crocus species, C. sativus has minimal genetic variation, and it is concluded that the triploid hybrid species has most probably arisen only once. The data show that saffron is an allotriploid species, with the IRAP analysis indicating that the most likely ancestors are C. cartwrightianus and C. pallasii subsp. pallasii (or close relatives). The results may facilitate resynthesizing saffron with improved characteristics, and show the need for conservation and collection of wild Crocus.
Proposed Model for Learning Organization as an Entry to Organizational Excellence from the Standpoint of Teaching Staff in Palestinian Higher Educational Institutions in Gaza Strip

The research aims to design a proposed model of learning organizations as an entry point to achieve organizational excellence in the Palestinian universities of Gaza Strip. A random sample of workers were selected from the Palestinian universities consist of (286) employees at recovery rate of (70.3%). The study concluded with a set of results the most important of which: there is a statistically significant relationship between the components of learning organizations and achieving organizational excellence in the Palestinian universities of Gaza Strip from the standpoint of the faculty members. One of the main recommendations of the study: establish the concept of learning organization in leaders and staff of the university through the establishment of specialized courses, and workshops. Turning the status of the university into a learning organization as a strategic objective and the performance of managers are measurement accordingly. Organize visits of the leaders of the university to the top organizations in this field and to take advantage of their experience and encourage deans and heads of departments to involve their employees in the information on global trends and trends in learning organization through regular meetings .
Mapping of Sp1 regulation sites in the promoter of the human α1‐proteinase inhibitor gene

Keratoconus is a potentially blinding disease that thins the central cornea. In afflicted corneas, the level of an inhibitor, α1‐proteinase inhibitor (α1‐PI), is found reduced. An increased expression of transcription factor Sp1 is also demonstrated. To examine the role of Sp1 in regulation of the human α1‐PI gene, a 1.4‐kb (−1397/+9) 5′‐flanking promoter sequence that contains 10 Sp1 sites was cloned. Previous transient transfection experiments showed that Sp1 expression indeed repressed the α1‐PI promoter activity. In this study, 12 DNA segments, a series of 5′, 3′, and internal deletions of the 1.4‐kb α1‐PI promoter sequence, were ligated into the SEAP (secreted alkaline phosphatase) reporter gene vector and transfected into human corneal stromal cells. Co‐transfection with a Sp1 expression vector pPacSp1 was also performed in parallel. The SEAP enzyme activity was assayed. A fragment with 489 bp (−480/+9) of the 3′ sequence, and three fragments with internal deletions, were found to confer a majority of the full promoter activity. Other deletions significantly abolished the promoter activity. Site‐directed mutagenesis experiments further revealed that the most proximal Sp1 site (−100/−87) may be an essential element involved in the negative regulation of α1‐PI promoter activity by Sp1. Interaction between the proximal and distal Sp1 sites also seemed to be important. These results provide the first in‐depth characterization of the transcription mechanisms regulating the expression of α1‐PI. Mapping of the Sp1 sites may help elucidate the molecular pathway leading to the alterations observed in keratoconus. J. Cell. Biochem. 85: 482–489, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Estimating fetal morbidity and mortality resulting from cigarette smoke exposure by measuring cotinine levels in maternal serum.

An essay for cotinine levels in maternal serum was used to define cigarette smoking exposure level and fetal morbidity and mortality. Cotinine, a metabolite of nicotine, has a circulating half-life of about a day, making it more reliable than nicotine as an indicator or active and passive smoke exposure. Maternal smoking has been linked in previous studies with low Apgar scores, low birthweight, decreased placental blood flow, fetal activity, fetal breathing movements, depressed prostacyclin synthesis in umbilical artery, increased perinatal mortality and spontaneous abortion. In this study, 8063 2nd trimester pregnant women whose serum had been collected and frozen in 1979-1983 were analyzed for smoking habit determined from intake questionnaires. Cotinine levels correlated with 95% of those reporting no smoking, and 93% of those reporting smoking. Smokers with cotinine 10 ng/ml was higher than expected, possible because some women quit before blood was drawn. Cotinine levels did not correlate as well as number of cigarettes per day reported. There was a significant association between serum cotinine and birthweight at the 10 and 20 cigarette/day level, and a trend toward a link between cotinine and fetal deaths in 2nd and 3rd trimesters. Among infants of the 30% of women exposed to passive smoke whose serum cotinine levels were 1 ng/ml, the average birth weight was 107 g lower than those of non-exposed women, a difference remaining after controlling for maternal weight and height, infant's sex, maternal age, gravidity and education.
Contributions of total body fat, abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue compartments, and visceral adipose tissue to the metabolic complications of obesity.

Obesity is related to the risk for developing non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) has been proposed to mediate these relationships. Abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) is divided into 2 layers by a fascia, the fascia superficialis. Little is known about the radiologic anatomy or metabolic correlates of these depots. The objective of this study was to relate the amounts of VAT, SAT, deep subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue (DSAT), and superficial subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue (SSAT) to gender and the metabolic complications of obesity after adjusting for total body fat and to discuss the implications of these findings on the measurement of adipose tissue mass and adipose tissue function. The design was a cross-sectional database study set in a nutrition research center. Subjects included 199 volunteers participating in nutrition research protocols who also had computed tomography (CT) and dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) measurement of body fat. The amount of DSAT was sexually dimorphic, with women having 51% of the subcutaneous abdominal fat in the deep layer versus 66% for men (P <.05). Abdominal fat compartments were compared with metabolic variables before and after adjusting for body fat measured by DEXA using 2 separate methods. The unadjusted correlation coefficients between the body fat measures, R(2), were largest for fasting insulin and triglyceride and smaller for high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and blood pressure. A large portion of the variance of fasting insulin levels in both men and women was explained by total body fat. In both men and women, the addition of VAT and subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue depots only slightly increased the R(2). In men, when body fat compartments were considered independently, DSAT explained a greater portion of the variance (R(2) =. 528) in fasting insulin than VAT (R(2) =. 374) or non-VAT, non-DSAT subcutaneous adipose tissue (R(2) =. 375). These data suggest that total body fat is a major contributor to the metabolic sequelae of obesity, with specific fat depots, VAT, and DSAT also making significant contributions.
Insulin‐Like Growth Factor‐I and Over‐Expression of Bcl‐xL Prevent Glucose‐Mediated Apoptosis in Schwann Cells

Schwann cells (SCs), the myelinating cells of the peripheral nervous system, are lost or damaged in patients suffering from diabetic neuropathy. In the current study, 2 model systems are used to study the mechanism of SC damage in diabetic neuropathy: the streptozotocin (STZ)-treated diabetic rat and cultures of purified SCs in vitro. Electron microscopy of dorsal root ganglia from STZ-treated rats reveals classic ultrastructural features of apoptosis in SCs, including chromatin clumping and prominent vacuolation. Bisbenzamide staining of SCs cultured in hyperglycemic defined media shows nuclear blebbing of apoptotic cells. Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) is protective. LY294002, a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) inhibitor, blocks the effect of IGF-I. High glucose induces caspase cleavage in apoptotic SCs—an effect that is blocked by bok-asp-fmk (BAF), a caspase inhibitor. Although Bcl-xL expression remains unchanged in experimental conditions, over-expression of Bcl-xL protects SCs from apoptosis. In summary, hyperglycemia induces caspase activation and morphologic changes in SCs consistent with apoptotic death, both in vivo and in vitro. Over-expression of Bcl-xL, or IGF-I, signaling via PI 3-kinase, protects SCs from glucose-mediated apoptosis in vitro. IGF-I may be useful in preventing hyperglycemia-induced damage to SCs in patients suffering from diabetic neuropathy.
Variability of Preoperative Breast MRI Utilization among Older Women with Newly Diagnosed Early‐stage Breast Cancer

While magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is frequently used following breast cancer diagnosis, routine use of breast MRI for preoperative evaluation remains contentious. We identified factors associated with preoperative breast MRI utilization and investigated the variation among physicians. We used the surveillance, epidemiology, and end Results (SEER)‐Medicare linked database to analyze the preoperative breast MRI utilization among patients with stage 0, I, or II breast cancer diagnosed between 2002 and 2007. Multilevel logistic regression models were used to identify patient‐ and physician‐level predictors of preoperative MRI utilization. Of 56,743 women with early‐stage breast cancer who were treated with surgery and evaluated by a preoperative mammogram and/or ultrasound during the study period, 8.7% (n = 4,913) received preoperative breast MRI. While patient and tumor characteristics did predict preoperative breast MRI utilization, they explained only 15.4% of the variation in utilization rates. Differences in preoperative breast MRI utilization across physicians were large, after controlling patient‐level factors and physicians' volumes. Accounting for clustering of patients within individual physicians (n = 3,144), the multilevel logistic regression models explained 36.4% of variation. The median odds ratio of 3.2, corresponding with the median value of the relative odds of receiving preoperative breast MRI between two randomly chosen physicians, indicated a large individual physician effect. Our study found that preoperative breast MRI has been adopted rapidly and variably. Although patient characteristics were associated with preoperative breast MRI utilization, physician practice was a major determinant of whether women received preoperative breast MRI. Future studies should evaluate whether routine use of preoperative breast MRI in newly diagnosed early‐stage breast cancer improves clinical outcomes.
Public Libraries and Access for Children with Disabilities and Their Families: A Proposed Inclusive Library Model

Abstract Within the library profession, there is widespread support for access to libraries for people with disabilities. However, there is limited literature on the topic of access to public libraries for children with disabilities and their families and very little empirical research on this topic exists. This paper reports on an investigation of factors influencing access to public libraries for children with disabilities and their families from the perspective of the public librarian. An in-depth study of 18 public librarians who focus on providing access to public libraries for children with disabilities was undertaken. Librarians from the United States and Canada took part in both a one-on-one interview and a questionnaire. Based on the research findings, a model for inclusive public libraries is proposed.
Major histocompatibility complex-linked immune-responsiveness is acquired by lymphocytes of low-responder mice differentiating in thymus of high-responder mice.

Female murine T cells can respond to the Y antigen of male cells by generating cytotoxic T-killer lymphocytes. Responsiveness is linked to several H-2 genes. Two types of low responders can be distinguished: the B10.A(5R) (H-2i5) strain, a low responder because it lacks Y-specific precursor T cells able to differentiate into cytotoxic T-killer cells; and the CBA/J (H-2k) strain, a low responder because it lacks Y-specific T-helper cells able to support differentiation of T-killer cell precursors. B10.A(5R) stem cells differentiating in an x-irradiated (CBA/J X C57BL/6) (H-2k X H-2b)F1 host respond to Y antigen by generating T-killer cells whereas CBA/J stem cells do not. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that diversity of T-cell receptors is generated by somatic mutation of germ-line genes encoding specificity for self-H-2. A detailed account of this hypothesis is presented.
2.1-$\mu$m-Wavelength InGaAs Multiple-Quantum-Well Distributed Feedback Lasers Grown by MOVPE Using Sb Surfactant

A single-mode emission wavelength longer than 2.1 mum is obtained for a distributed feedback (DFB) laser with a strained InGaAs multiple-quantum-well active region on an InP substrate. The use of antimony surfactant during the metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy (MOVPE) growth of the active region makes it possible to increase the strain of an InGaAs well up to 1.9%, and to extend the emission wavelength of a Fabry-Perot laser beyond 2.1 mum. The emission wavelength of the fabricated DFB laser can be adjusted from 2.103 to 2.107 mum by controlling the injection current and the operating temperature. The continuous-wave (CW) light output power is 8 and 3 mW at 25degC and 55deg C, respectively. The median lifetime estimated from an aging test with a constant output power of 2 mW at 45degC is over 105 h.
Trade Policy and Economic Growth: A Skeptic's Guide to the Cross-National Evidence

Do countries with lower policy-induced barriers to international trade grow faster, once other relevant country characteristics are controlled for? There exists a large empirical literature providing an affirmative answer to this question. We argue that methodological problems with the empirical strategies employed in this literature leave the results open to diverse interpretations. In many cases, the indicators of openness used by researchers are poor measures of trade barriers or are highly correlated with other sources of bad economic performance. In other cases, the methods used to ascertain the link between trade policy and growth have serious shortcomings. Papers that we review include those by Dollar (1992), Ben-David (1993), Sachs and Warner (1995), Edwards (1998), and Frankel and Romer (1999). We find little evidence that open trade policies-in the sense of lower tariff and nontariff barriers to trade-are significantly associated with economic growth.
Resistance of neonatal porcine Sertoli cells to human xenoantibody and complement‐mediated lysis is associated with low expression of α‐Gal and high production of clusterin and CD59

Yin Z, Wang L, Xiang Y, Ruan Y, Li J, Wang X, Ichim TE, Chen S, Chen G. Resistance of neonatal porcine Sertoli cells to human xenoantibody and complement‐mediated lysis is associated with low expression of α‐Gal and high production of clusterin and CD59. Xenotransplantation 2010; 17: 215–223. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.
Stackelberg Equilibrium with Many Leaders and Followers. The Case of Setup Costs

I provide conditions that guarantee that a Stackelberg game with a setup cost and an integer number of leaders and followers has an equilibrium in pure strategies. The main feature of the game is that when the marginal follower leaves the market the price jumps up, so that a leader’s payoff is neither continuous nor quasiconcave. To show existence I check that a leader’s value function satisfies the following single crossing condition: When the other leaders produce more the leader never accommodates entry of more followers. If demand is strictly logconcave, and if marginal costs are both non decreasing and not flatter than average costs, then a Stackelberg equilibrium exists. Besides showing existence I characterize the equilibrium set and provide a number of results that contribute to the applied literature. As the number of leaders increases, leaders produce more and eventually they deter entry. Leaders produce more than the Cournot best reply, but they may under invest in entry deterrence. As the number of followers increases, leaders become more aggressive. When this number is large, if leaders can produce the limit quantity and at the same time have market power, then they deter entry.
Mechanism of Gradual Increase of Gate Current in High-K Gate Dielectrics and Its Application to Reliability Assessment

To establish the reliability model of the high-k gate dielectrics in the EOT-scaled regime, the gradual increase of the leakage current during the stress time, which makes the precise detection of the breakdown harder, has been studied. It has been clarified that multiple occurrence of soft breakdown (SBD) at plural local spots is the cause of the gradual increase, along with a large initial leakage current. Based on this mechanism, a model for the gradual increase has been proposed. The proposed multiple SBD-based model gives us a warning that we will obtain inaccurate values of the Weibull slope (beta) and the time to breakdown (TBD or eta), if we do not take into account this mechanism. To avoid such evaluations, a simple reliability assessment method has been also proposed, which realizes the accurate prediction of the breakdown statistics even without experimental detections of the first breakdown
Effects of explanations communicated in announcements of alleged labor abuses on valuation of a firm’s stock

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to gauge the impact of the following on the share price of a firm that has allegedly committed labor abuses: the allegation itself, explanations (justifications and excuses) offered by the company spokesperson, and denials of responsibility for the alleged abuse. Design/methodology/approach The study uses archival data and an event study methodology. Findings Labor abuse allegations have a negative impact on the firm’s share price. Allegations that are accompanied by an explanation (a justification or excuse) have a less negative impact than those that are not accompanied by an explanation. Denials of responsibility have a negative influence on the share price. Practical implications If managers want to avoid a negative hit on the share price from an allegation of wrongdoing, they should provide an explanation (a justification or excuse) and avoid the use of denials. Originality/value Prior research has shown a negative impact from several types of labor abuse. This study extends prior research by showing a negative impact for all forms of labor abuse as a general category; it also extends findings from lab research on the impact of explanations on fairness judgments to a new context and a new dependent variable (the financial performance of the firm), which is on an organizational scale. It adds to the extreme paucity of empirical findings relative to the impact of denials and also adds to a small but growing literature on fairness judgments by third parties and their consequences.