Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prediction of survival for patients with bullous pemphigoid: a prospective study.

OBJECTIVE To identify the prognostic factors of bullous pemphigoid (BP). DESIGN Prospective study of patients with BP included in a randomized, controlled trial. SETTING Twenty dermatology departments in France. Patients One hundred seventy patients with BP initially treated with a 40-g/d dosage of clobetasol propionate cream (testing sample) and 171 patients initially treated with oral corticosteroids at a dosage of 0.5 or of 1.0 mg/kg per day, depending on the extent of BP (validation samples). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The end point was overall survival during the first year after BP diagnosis. From the testing sample, associations of clinical and biological variables with overall survival were assessed using univariate and multivariate analyses. Selected predictors were included in a prognostic model. To verify that these predictors were not dependent on the treatment used, the model was then validated independently on the 2 series of BP patients treated with oral corticosteroids. RESULTS Median age of the BP patients included in the testing sample was 83 years. The 1-year Kaplan-Meier survival rate was 74%. From univariate analysis, the main deleterious predictors were demographic factors (ie, older age and female sex), associated medical conditions (ie, cardiac insufficiency, history of stroke, and dementia), and low Karnofsky score, which is a measure of the patient's general condition. No factors directly related to BP, in particular extent of cutaneous lesions, were shown to be related to the patients' prognosis. From multivariate analysis, only older age (P = .02) and low Karnofsky score (P<.001) appeared independently predictive of death. From the Cox model including these 2 predictors, the predicted 1-year survival rates were 90% (95% confidence interval [CI], 85%-96%) for patients 83 years or younger with Karnofsky score greater than 40, 79% (95% CI, 69%-90%) for patients older than 83 years with Karnofsky score greater than 40, 65% (95% CI, 50%-86%) for patients 83 years or younger with Karnofsky score of 40 or less, and 38% (95% CI, 26%-57%) for patients older than 83 years with Karnofsky score of 40 or less. Kaplan-Meier survival distributions of patients from the validation samples appeared clearly separated according to these 4 categories and were in close agreement with corresponding predicted 1-year survival rates obtained from the testing sample. CONCLUSIONS The prognosis of patients with BP is influenced by age and Karnofsky score. These predictors are easy to use and should facilitate the management of BP.
Tight Money-Tight Credit: Coordination Failure in the Conduct of Monetary and Financial Policies

Violations of Tinbergen’s rule and strategic interaction undermine stabilization policies in a New Keynesian model with the Bernanke-Gertler accelerator. Welfare costs of risk shocks are large because of efficiency losses and income effects of costly monitoring, but they are much larger under a simple Taylor rule (STR) or a Taylor rule augmented with credit spreads (ATR) than with a Taylor rule and a separate financial rule targeting spreads. ATR and STR are tight money-tight credit regimes responding too much (little) to inflation (spreads). The Nash equilibrium of monetary and financial policies is also tight money-tight credit but it dominates ATR and STR. (JEL E12, E31, E44, E43, E52, E63)
ADR and Workplace Justice: Just Settlement?

Alternative Dispute Resolution has been deployed by an increasing number of workplaces since the late 1980s in Australia. Dispute resolution processes not only aim to settle disputes but, presumably, to also deliver justice. This article describes the findings of three case studies in which ADR professionals were engaged to resolve a workplace dispute. It was found that whilst ADR was generally effective in achieving consensual settlement of the matter, and satisfying disputants' feelings of procedural justice, it, paradoxically, failed to deliver distributive justice for the weaker disputants. The implications for workplace ADR practitioners is discussed.
The US Export-Import Bank: Time for an Overhaul

The US Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im) celebrated its 65th birthday in 1999. While congratulations were in order, this venerable institution needs an overhaul. Renewal of the Bank's charter in 2001 offers Congress an excellent opportunity to go to work. This policy brief offers recommendations based on insights contained in the Institute's new volume, The Ex-Im Bank in the 21st Century: A New Approach? , edited by Gary Clyde Hufbauer and Rita M. Rodriguez.
The superiority of combination chemotherapy over single agent chemotherapy in small cell lung carcinoma

From June 1974 to October 1976, 288 patients with small cell undifferentiated lung carcinoma were entered into a randomized, controlled study comparing the two noncycle‐active induction regimens of cyclophosphamide vs. the combination of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin and imidazole carboximide (DTIC). Patients were stratified by extent of disease, previous radiotherapy and performance status. Responding patients and those who did not progress were then randomized to receive their initial regimen alone, or their initial regimen with added cycle‐active therapy (vincristine, hydroxyurea and methotrexate). While only 4/34 (12%) evaluable patients treated with cyclophosphamide achieved a response (<50% regression), a final total of 119/217 (57%) evaluable patients on the three drugs have responded (p = 0.005). The survival curve for all the combination‐treated patients was significantly better than for those treated with cyclophosphamide alone (p = 0.012). There was no demonstrable statistical superiority in length of remission or survival for patients on the combination who received in addition cycle‐active consolidation therapy. In the combination chemotherapy group, survival duration was longer for patients with limited disease than extensive disease (p = 0.035). There was a strong correlation between quality of remission produced by the combination and survival. Cancer 44:406‐413, 1979.
Bridges to the Future

HE ASSOCIATION EACH YEAR at the Midwinter Meeting T graciously affords the past President an opportunity to address the membership on a topic which reflects his scientific and/or professional interests and concerns. As one reviews these Presidential Addresses, one is left with the impression that the gradient between aspirations and achievement is high. Further, that certain themes tend to be repetitious and that structural changes occur slowly in a professional organization not unlike those which take place in an individual during analysis (Rapaport, 1960). Has our analytic work predisposed us to accept this slow pace-possibly too complacently? Psychoanalysis, in common with all of the professions, is facing an existential crisis both from within and from without. Each profession and the society which supports it have defined its identity in three ways: i.e., (1) the traditional educational experiences which lead to professional competence, (2) the scientific paradigm which defines its boundaries, and (3) the services which it provides. The interaction between the profession and the community implies an accep-
Determinants of the Choice of Open Source Software License

In this paper, we examine how the motivations and attitudes of open source software (OSS) developers affect their preference among the three common OSS license types—Strong-Copyleft, Weak-Copyleft, and Non-Copyleft. Despite the importance of the license type and developers to OSS projects, there is little understanding in open source literature of the license choice from a developer's perspective. The results from our empirical study of OSS developers reveal that the intrinsic motivation of challenge (problem solving) is associated with the developers' preference for licenses with moderate restrictions, while the extrinsic motivation of status (through peer recognition) is associated with developers' preference for licenses with least restrictions. We also find that when choosing an OSS license, a developer's attitude toward the software redistribution rights conflicts with his or her attitude toward preserving the social benefits of open source. A major implication of our findings is that OSS managers who want to attract a limited number of highly skilled programmers to their open source project should choose a restrictive OSS license. Similarly, managers of software projects for social programs could attract more developers by choosing a restrictive OSS license.
In search of the Internet‐banking customer

The focus on new technologies in service situations is growing and is of particular importance in financial‐services contexts. It is argued that there is mutuality of benefit for both bank and customer through the adoption of self‐service technologies (SSTs), of which e‐banking is but one example. Having established problems in the use of conventional segmentation methods, this paper reports on a study into Internet banking that focuses on the extent to which 480 retail‐bank customers can be clustered according to an adapted decision‐making framework. How such clusters can help influence the adoption of the Internet‐banking interface is explored. Findings show an encouraging match between the four sample clusters identified from the case bank and the a priori classification of decision styles. This raises opportunities for the case bank's marketing strategy in terms of offering greater insight into the motivations for the adoption of e‐banking solutions within the customer base. High levels of Internet use at work are seen to positively influence e‐banking registration.
Equity home bias in Dutch industry-wide pension funds

Integration of financial markets allows investing aboard. International diversification provides with higher returns and reduces portfolio risk. However, despite the well-documented benefits of diversification many investors still hold larger proportion of domestic equity in their international portfolio, phenomenon known as home bias. This paper investigates to which extend Dutch industry-wide pension funds are exposed to equity home biased during years 2011 and 2012 by examining their individual characteristics: size, maturity and funding status. It is demonstrated that Dutch industry-wide pension funds are not exposed to home bias and therefore they pursue rational equity diversification and take advantage of the benefits of international diversification.
Cost Containment in the WIC Program: Vendor Peer Groups and Reimbursement Rates

Cost containment is a concern for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), a Federal food assistance program providing participants with key foods and beverages. Since WIC is not an entitlement program, the amount of aid available to cover those who are eligible depends on fixed budget appropriations and WIC agency cost containment. This report examines the extent to which cost containment might be improved through changes in the regulations governing WIC vendors and allowable reimbursement levels for foods covered by the program. Using California, the largest U.S. WIC program, as a case study, we analyze data on WIC redemptions—that is, reimbursements to vendors for items bought by WIC participants—and determine the potential for cost savings through changes to the cost-containment practices. Smaller vendors, often with higher operating and procurement costs, are more likely to charge higher prices for WIC products than larger vendors. However,these small vendors comprise only a small percentage of total WIC redemptions. Policies intended to reduce maximum allowable WIC reimbursement rates would have little to no effect on most standard-size supermarkets, where the majority of WIC transactions take place.
Nasal Changes after Presurgical Nasoalveolar Molding (PNAM) in the Unilateral Cleft Lip Nose

Purpose Nasal reconstruction for patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) is a challenge for the reconstructive surgeon. Presurgical nasoalveolar molding (PNAM) was introduced to reshape the cleft nasal structures prior to lip repair. This study analyzed two-dimensional nasal changes before and after PNAM in patients with complete UCLP. Methods Thirty UCLP patients (19 males; 11 females) who received PNAM before lip repair were included in this study. PNAM was applied for 100 days. Nasal casts were obtained before and after PNAM. Frontal and 45° standardized digital photographs were taken from all casts, and a photogrammetric analysis (16 linear, six angular, and two area measurements) was performed. Paired Student's t tests were used to search for differences by time, and time versus side (cleft versus noncleft). Results Significant reduction of cleft columella deviation with an increase in columella length, nostril height, and axial inclination on the cleft side were recorded. This resulted in an increase in the projection of the nasal tip. The noncleft measurements remained without significant changes. The cleft nostril area increased significantly more than the noncleft side by 90% with PNAM treatment. Significant normal growth changes were observed in nasal width and nasal height. Conclusion A favorable reshaping of the nose after PNAM was achieved, resulting in an improvement in form before lip surgery. These changes lead to improved nasal symmetry before primary lip and nasal reconstruction in UCLP patients.
Optical Imaging of the Layout of Functional Domains in Area 17 and Across the Area 17/18 Border in Cat Visual Cortex

Optical imaging based on intrinsic signals was used to investigate the functional architecture of cat area 17 and the border between areas 17 and 18. The visual stimuli were gratings of different spatial frequencies moving at different angles, in different directions and with different speeds. In area 17 the iso‐orientation domains were usually organized in patches rather than as elongated bands. Patches with different orientation preferences were arranged radially forming ‘pinwheels’ around ‘orientation centres’. The pinwheel density was ∼1.7‐fold higher than in area 18. To explore clustering according to direction of motion, stimuli having the same orientation but moving in opposite directions were used. These two stimuli yielded very similar activity maps giving no indication of robust directionality clustering. Using near infrared light we were able to simultaneously image ocular‐dominance and iso‐orientation domains. A quantitative assessment of the relative strengths of the two subsystems showed that in upper cortical layers clustering according to orientation preference was three‐fold stronger than clustering according to ocular dominance. The functional organization of spatial frequency was also examined. When we compared the activated regions by stimuli having different spatial frequency and moving at different velocities we observed that neurons were clustered also in these respects. We also investigated the functional architecture at the area 17/18 border and found that orientation maps at both sides of the border were not independent of each other. The map of area 17 smoothly blended into that of area 18. Similarly, the preferred spatial frequency of the neurons changed gradually over a distance of ∼0.8 mm at the region of the area 17/18 border.
Phenolic Constituents of Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh, with Potential Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Activities

A liquid chromatography-diode array detection-electrospray ionization mass spectrometric (HPLC- PDA-ESI/MS/MS) method was used for separation and characterization of the phytoconstituents of the aqueous acetone leaf extract of Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh (Myrtaceae). The employed method was optimized for separation, identification and quantification of fifty six compounds including ellagitannins, flavonoids, phloroglucinol derivatives and galloyl esters. The antioxidant effect was determined in vitro using 1,1-diphenyl- 2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH · ), hydroxyl radical and super oxide anion radical scavenging assays. The cytotoxicity of the aqueous acetone extract was evaluated on MCF-7, Hep-2, HepG-2, HeLa, HCT-116 and Caco-2 cell lines. The results indicated that most of the fractions exhibited strong antioxidant activity. The aqueous acetone extract reduced the viability of all cell lines in a dose-dependent manner, and was more active on MCF-7 and HCT-116 cell lines.
Public sector financial disclosure on the Internet : a study of New Zealand local authorities

Some New Zealand local authorities elect to provide financial information on their websites. Literature examining the behaviour of managers in the public sector suggests that agency relationships in the sector motivate such managers to provide information to enable the monitoring of their actions. This literature identifies a number of characteristics and variables that proxy for agency costs in the public sector. The recent development of the Internet provides an opportunity for examining voluntary disclosure in the public sector and, in particular, in the local government environment. This paper examines the voluntary Internet financial reporting practices of local authorities. Five variables associated with voluntary disclosure size, type of local authority, profitability (surplus), leverage and press visibility are examined. The results of the univariate analysis indicate that size, council type, and press visibility are associated with local authorities’ choice to report financial information on the Internet. However, the results of multivariate analysis indicate that only size and type of council are associated with the quantity and type of financial disclosure on the Internet. Possible limitations of the study and suggestions for future research are discussed in the paper.
Aflatoxin production by Aspergillus flavus isolates from green– tiger shrimps (Penaeus semisulcatus)

Backgrounds and Objectives: to obtain information about aflatoxigenicity of isolated Aspergillus flavus strains from shrimps. Material and Methods: Forty – three isolates of Aspergillus flavus from cultured green tiger shrimps of Persian Gulf were examined for their ability to produce aflatoxins. Initially two media; Aflatoxin Producing Ability medium and Coconut Agar medium were used to detect fluorescence under UV light, later the presence of aflatoxin in culture extract was confirmed and quantified by high pressure liquid chromatography. Results: Only 2 (4.6%) isolates fluoresced on Aflatoxin Producing Ability medium and Coconut Agar medium under UV light. In sum, 9 (20.93%) isolates (including the 2 above mentioned isolates) were confirmed to be aflatoxigenic by High Performance Liquid Chromatography. Eight (18.7%) of isolates produced aflatoxin B 1 ranging from 0.32 to 12.18 ppb, while 1(2.3%) of isolates produced 18.88 ppb and 0.36 ppb of aflatoxin B 1 and aflatoxin B 2 respectively. Aspergillus oryzae did not produce any detectable aflatoxins. Although highest level of aflatoxin B 1 (18.88 ppb) was detected in an isolate from a hepatopancreatic sample, no histopathological change was observed in that tissue. Conclusion: Some Aspergillus flavus strains which were isolated from shrimps showed aflatoxin producing ability without any histopathological changes in tissues of contaminated shrimps. Keyword: Green Tiger shrimp, aflatoxin, HPLC, Iran.
The Relative Performance of Debt-restricted Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs): Does Faith Matter?

Ibrahim & Ong (2008) use operational restrictions of Islamic Investment Guidelines and conduct a thought experiment on Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) under restricted and non-restricted schemes. We use financial restriction and reach somewhat different results. Compliant REITs underperform non-compliant REITs in equally-weighted portfolios. However, the results are inversed in value-weighted portfolios. In the latter case, compliant REITs outperform non-compliant REITs and provide a less volatile investment vehicle. More interestingly, during the recent financial crisis, compliant REITs generated higher gains in equally-weighted portfolios and lower losses in value-weighted portfolios. Yet, there is no difference between the restricted and non-restricted portfolios when broader economic factors are included in the research.
The Role of Polysaccharides Derived from Medicinal Mushrooms in Cancer Treatment Programs: Current Perspectives (Review)

Synopsis This Chapter sets out the current information on the use of various mushroom polysaccharides in cancer treatment. Many human cancer cell-lines have been studied and in some cases direct cytotoxic effects have been demonstrated. Many of the mushroom polysaccharide compounds have proceeded through to Phases I, II and III clinical trials and several are used extensively in Asia to treat various cancer. It is anticipated that such proprietary mushroom compounds will mainly be used as complementary or adjunctive therapies to be used in adition to mainstream care.
The Competitive Effects of Airline Mergers and Acquisitions: More Capital Market Evidence

This study investigates the stock market effects of airline mergers and acquisitions that took place in the U.S. during the period of 1985-2001 on rival domestic airlines. The authors document significant positive price reactions for the target firms, insignificant reactions for the bidders, and marginally significant negative effects for a portfolio of rival firms on the day of the merger announcement. Their empirical evidence further suggests that the bidder's market share relative to that of the rival, the bidder's pre-merger market position, and the change in the bidder's market share post-merger are determinants of the magnitude of the rival's stock price reaction.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Follow‐up of Progressive Hippocampal Changes in a Mouse Model of Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

Summary: Purpose: Hippocampal sclerosis (HS) is the most frequent lesion found in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE). MR imaging is considered to be the most sensitive and specific method to detect HS. Despite extensive studies performed on humans and except in a recent study, the morphologic pattern of HS is usually analyzed when the disease has already fully developed, thus not allowing any insight into the mapping of the progressive morphologic changes inducing the development of mTLE. We have recently characterized a model of mTLE that reproduces the unilateral pattern of HS, induced by intrahippocampal injection of low doses of kainate (KA) in mice.
AMP-activated protein kinase activators in diabetic ulcers: from animal studies to Phase II drugs under investigation

Introduction: Diagnosed cases of diabetes have gradually increased year by year, and research on diabetes mellitus (DM) has attracted greater attention from the medical profession. Diabetic ulcers present persistent pain and the risk of bacterial infection. However, no promising treatment methods have been found. As a regulator of cellular energy balance, 5’ adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) has been suggested as a drug target for DM, including such drugs as metformin. Areas covered: This review summarizes the current research and clinical trials of AMPK activators on diabetic wound healing and diabetic ulcers. Furthermore, it discusses the feasibility of AMPK activators in the treatment of diabetic wounds. Expert opinion: Animal studies have demonstrated that AMPK activators are a potential treatment for diabetic ulcers. AMPK activators alleviate tissue inflammation and promote re-epithelialization in diabetic wounds. However, due to the complicated pathological mechanism of diabetic foot ulcers, AMPK activators should be combined with other approaches. The new strategies for combination therapy with AMPK activator may provide a therapeutic advantage for patients with diabetic ulcers.