Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nonvascular Lesions of the Jugular Foramen: The Gruppo Otologico Experience

Tumors other than paragangliomas in the jugular foramen are uncommon. Of these, schwannomas and meningiomas predominate. Little clinical data are available in the literature on these tumors at this site. The purpose of this article is to review our experience at the Gruppo Otologico of the management of these tumors. A retrospective series is presented of 32 consecutive patients affected by jugular foramen schwannomas and meningiomas in which their clinical and radiological signs, together with surgical techniques and outcomes, were reviewed. A single-stage resection was possible for the majority of patients when the petro-occipital trans-sigmoid (POTS) approach was used. This allowed resection of both intra- and extradural components of the tumor with hearing preservation and avoidance of facial nerve transposition. No deaths occurred. Lower cranial nerve palsies constituted the major cause of morbidity, but none of the patients required an adjunctive procedure such as vocal cord medialization, tracheostomy, or percutaneous gastrostomy.
Consistency of Hemispheric Accuracy in Inferring Sentences and Dialogs

Broca’s and Wernicke’s discovery concerning brain language function remains debatable. The research questions: a) Is there a significant difference of accuracy among the rh, the lh, and the rh-lh in inferring auditory sentences? b) Which hemisphere shows the highest accuracy? and c) Do the rh, lh and rh-lh show consistent hemispheric accuracy when inferring sentences and short dialogs? The research results are useful for clarifying controversies against brain language function and as a foundation of ”hemispheric-based listening”. This study employed Behavioral Test with Post-test Only design. Sample involved 120 students. Data were collected through a test and analyzed with Two-way Anova. It is found that the hemispheric accuracy among the rh, lh and rh-lh in inferring auditory sentences is significantly different; the lh shows the highest accuracy in inferring auditory sentences; and the rh, lh and rh-lh show inconsistent hemispheric accuracy when inferring sentences and short dialogs.
Financial Subsidies and Bank Lending: Substitutes or Complements? Micro Level Evidence from Italy

We exploit Italian Central Credit Register data to investigate the effectiveness of subsidized credit programs for public financing to firms via the banking system. The effect of public incentives depends on the availability of financial resources for the beneficiary firms. Financially constrained firms are likely to use the subsidies to expand output, while less constrained firms will, at least partly, use the funds to replace more costly resources. Focusing on the relationship between bank credit and subsidized loans, we find that larger firms substitute public financing for bank lending, while there is not such evidence for smaller firms. The estimated degree of substitution is substantial, ranging from an estimated 70 percent to 84 percent.
Factors associated with declining hunting participation in Indiana

This study documents the most salient factors associated with the decline in hunting participation in Indiana. Data for the study were obtained from interviews and a survey of Indiana residents conducted in 2008. Respondents were classified as current hunters, former hunters, nonhunters, or anti-hunters. The most salient reasons respondents cited for the decline in hunting participation in Indiana were: less access to private land, lack of time, urbanization, and changing values among the younger generation. The major reasons that former hunters discontinued participation were lack of time, loss of interest, cost of licenses and equipment, and lack of available hunting partners. For nonhunters, the major reasons for non-participation were that they were not brought up into hunting, had other leisure activities during the hunting season, and were not willing to kill animals. The major reasons anti-hunters did not participate were that they had ethical problems with hunting, were not willing to kill animals, were not brought up into hunting, and don’t eat meat. The results of this study found that declining participation in hunting is the result of changing socio-economic factors in American society and not of any adverse ecological factors in America’s natural environment. Based on the results and comments from respondents, wildlife management agencies would gain the most from efforts to retain hunters, as opposed to try to recruit new hunters from the ranks of people who have no interest in it or are former hunters.
Export Competitive Advantages

In drawing attention to certain important gaps in the exporting literature, reports on a systematic study of the export competitive advantages of indigenous manufacturers in a small European country. The focus is on the examination of potential differences in perceptions of export competitive advantages with regard to firms′ size, export involvement and export market experience. The research findings suggest the existence of significant differences in perceived export competitive advantages between different exporter groups in terms of company size and degree of export involvement. However, no relationship is established between perceptions of competitive advantages and export market experience. Discusses managerial and public policy implications of these findings and outlines directions for future research.
Predicting the bioavailability of copper and zinc in soils: Modeling the partitioning of potentially bioavailable copper and zinc from soil solid to soil solution

This research produced statistically based, semimechanistic models describing partitioning of Cu and Zn in 40 soils from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom (UK), The Netherlands, and Chile with widely varying characteristics. Two different types of models were constructed, partitioning models and competitive adsorption models. Multiple linear regression (MLR) was employed to prioritize over 30 different soil characteristics. Multiple linear regression yielded equations predicting the partitioning of Cu and Zn. Equations were also created that estimated the potentially bioavailable fraction of Cu and/or Zn. Data from plant uptake studies (which are reported separately) governed the choice of a suitable chemical soil extraction that estimated bioavailable Cu (0.01 M HCl) and bioavailable Zn (0.01 M CaCl2). Soil pH (1:1 soil:deionized water [DI H2O]) and percent organic matter accounted for approximately 70% of the variability in Cu partitioning and 80% of the variability in bioavailable Cu in the 40 soils studied. For Zn, soil pH alone accounted for roughly 75% of the partitioning variability and 80% of the variability for the estimated bioavailable portion. The results presented here were used in conjunction with results from the plant uptake studies for the creation of models to assess the potential bioavailable metal associated with any given soil from a wide variety of locations.
A Fuzzy Similarity Elimination Algorithm for Indoor Fingerprint Positioning

Fingerprint positioning can take advantage of existing WLAN to achieve indoor locations, which has been widely studied. We analyzed the corresponding positions distribution of similar fingerprints, and then found that the fuzzy similarity between fingerprints is the root cause of the larger errors existing. According to clusters distribution feature of corresponding positions of the similar fingerprints, we proposed a K-Means+ clustering algorithm to achieve fine-grained fingerprint positioning. Due to the K-Means+ algorithm failing to locate the positions of outliers, we also designed a linear sequence matching algorithm to improve the outliers positioning, and reduce the impact of fuzzy similarity. Experimental results illustrate that our algorithm can get a maximum positioning error less than 5 m, which outperforms other algorithms. Meanwhile, all the positioning errors over 4 m in our algorithm are less than 2%. The positioning accuracy has been improved significantly.
Retail Image As Seen Through Consumers’ Eyes

The aim of this paper is to explore how retail store image is perceived by consumers from different cultural backgrounds and with different degrees of awareness and experience of the retailer. The subject is IKEA, a retailer recognized as having a global approach to the markets in which it operates, resulting in a highly standardized approach to store branding. However, rather than employing traditional methodologies to elicit consumer perceptions of store image, we attempt to capture consumer perceptions through interpretations of the visual images generated by the participants themselves. The photoelicitation method employed captured the different interpretations and meanings attached to commonly identified elements of store image and reinforced the central role played by the store itself in retail image formation.
Selective ery Rewriting with E iciency Predictions

To enhance eectiveness, a user’s query can be rewrien internally by the search engine in many ways, for example by applying proximity, or by expanding the query with related terms. However, approaches that benet eectiveness oen have a negative impact on eciency, which has impacts upon the user satisfaction, if the query is excessively slow. In this paper, we propose a novel framework for using the predicted execution time of various query rewritings to select between alternatives on a per-query basis, in a manner that ensures both eectiveness and eciency. In particular, we propose the prediction of the execution time of ephemeral (e.g., proximity) posting lists generated from uni-gram inverted index posting lists, which are used in establishing the permissible query rewriting alternatives that may execute in the allowed time. Experiments examining both the eectiveness and eciency of the proposed approach demonstrate that a 49% decrease in mean response time (and 62% decrease in 95th-percentile response time) can be aained without signicantly hindering the eectiveness of the search engine. ACM Reference format: Craig Macdonald, Nicola Tonelloo, and Iadh Ounis. 2017. Ecient & Eective Selectiveery Rewriting with Eciency Predictions. In Proceedings of SIGIR ’17, August 07-11, 2017, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan, , 10 pages. DOI: hp://dx.doi. org/10.1145/3077136.3080827
Neurofilament protein defines regional patterns of cortical organization in the macaque monkey visual system: A quantitative immunohistochemical analysis

Visual function in monkeys is subserved at the cortical level by a large number of areas defined by their specific physiological properties and connectivity patterns, For most of these cortical fields, a precise index of their degree of anatomical specialization has not yet been defined, although many regional patterns have been described using Nissl or myelin stains. In the present study, an attempt has been made to elucidate the regional characteristics, and to varying degrees boundaries, of several visual cortical areas in the macaque monkey using an antibody to neurofilament protein (SM132). This antibody labels a subset of pyramidal neurons with highly specific regional and laminar distribution patterns in the cerebral cortex. Based on the staining patterns and regional quantitative analysis, as many as 28 cortical fields were reliably identified. Each field had a homogeneous distribution of labeled neurons, except area V1, where increases in layer IVB cell and in Meynert cell counts paralleled the increase in the degree of eccentricity in the visual field representation. Within the occipitotemporal pathway, areas V3 and V4 and fields in the inferior temporal cortex were characterized by a distinct population of neurofilament‐rich neurons in layers II–IIIa, whereas areas located in the parietal cortex and part of the occipitoparietal pathway had a consistent population of large labeled neurons in layer Va. The mediotemporal areas MT and MST displayed a distinct population of densely labeled neurons in layer VI. Quantitative analysis of the laminar distribution of the labeled neurons demonstrated that the visual cortical areas could be grouped in four hierarchical levels based on the ratio of neuron counts between infragranular and supragranular layers, with the first (areas V1, V2, V3, and V3A) and third (temporal and parietal regions) levels characterized by low ratios and the second (areas MT, MST, and V4) and fourth (frontal regions) levels characterized by high to very high ratios. Such density trends may correspond to differential representation of corticocortically (and corticosubcortically) projecting neurons at several functional steps in the integration of the visual stimuli. In this context, it is possible that neurofilament protein is crucial for the unique capacity of certain subsets of neurons to perform the highly precise mapping functions of the monkey visual system. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Spore UV and acceleration resistance of endolithic Bacillus pumilus and Bacillus subtilis isolates obtained from Sonoran desert basalt: implications for lithopanspermia.

Bacterial spores have been used as model systems for studying the theory of interplanetary transport of life by natural processes such as asteroidal or cometary impacts (i.e., lithopanspermia). Because current spallation theory predicts that near-surface rocks are ideal candidates for planetary ejection and surface basalts are widely distributed throughout the rocky planets, we isolated spore-forming bacteria from the interior of near-subsurface basalt rocks collected in the Sonoran desert near Tucson, Arizona. Spores were found to inhabit basalt at very low concentrations (</=28 colony-forming units/g) in these samples. Six isolates identified as being most closely related to Bacillus pumilus and one Bacillus subtilis isolate were recovered from near-subsurface basalt samples. Populations of purified spores prepared from the isolated strains were subjected to 254-nm UV and ballistics tests in order to assess their resistance to UV radiation and to extreme acceleration shock, two proposed lethal factors for spores during interplanetary transfer. Specific natural isolates of B. pumilus were found to be substantially more resistant to UV and extreme acceleration than were reference laboratory strains of B. subtilis, the benchmark organism, suggesting that spores of environmental B. pumilus isolates may be more likely to survive the rigors of interplanetary transfer.
Market Reaction to Earnings Management: New Evidence from the Johannesburg Securities Exchange

This paper investigates whether investors in an emerging economy setting value book value of equity, earnings and discretionary accruals differently for firms that have managed earnings relative to those who have not. Discretionary accruals are estimated using the conventional modified John’s model Dechow, Sloan, and Sweeny (1995) and the less commonly used but more powerful Ball & Shivakumar’s (2006) model. The distributions of earnings were examined using the kernel density function (Lahr, 2014). To test whether the market values earnings management (EM) and non-earnings management firms (non-EM) firms differently, two value relevance models that are similar to (Lev & Sougiannis, 1999; Ohlson, 1995) and cumulative abnormal stock returns were developed. We find that over four time windows ending 30 days after the date that the directors’ report is signed, investors appear to be able to negatively price discretionary accruals estimated using the Ball and Shivakumar (2006) model, but this reaction is not significantly different between EM and non-EM firms. The paper provides evidence and contributes to the methodological debate on earnings management research in emerging markets.
Evaluation of Genotoxicity of CSE1034 by Ames and In vitro Chromosomal Aberration Tests

Purpose : To evaluate the genotoxicity of CSE1034, a novel antibiotic adjuvant entity, using bacterial reverse mutation assay (Ames test) and in vitro chromosomal aberration test. Methods : Reverse mutation test was carried out using four strains of Salmonella typhimurium (TA 98, TA100, TA1535 and TA1537) and one strain of E. coli [WP2 (uvrA)], while chromosomal aberration test was done with cultured Chinese hamster lung (CHL) cells. Reverse mutation test was carried out in a dose range of 0.0015 to 0.16 ig/plate in triplicate with and without S9 activation. Results : No significant increases in the number of revertants were observed at the dose levels where antibacterial effects were not noted. CSE1034 caused no increase in the number of chromosomal aberrants at dose levels of 0.34, 0.69, 1.37, 2.75 and 5.50 mg/ml in the absence and presence of metabolic activation. Conclusion : Based on the above observations, it can be concluded that CSE1034 has no mutagenic activity. Keywords : CSE1034, reverse mutation, antibiotic adjuvant entity, Chromosomal aberration, Mutagenic
Spousal Relationship Quality and Cardiovascular Risk

The quality of spousal relationships has been related to physical-health outcomes. However, most studies have focused on relationship positivity or negativity in isolation, despite the fact that many close relationships are characterized by both positive and negative aspects (i.e., ambivalence). In addition, most work has not accounted for the reciprocal nature of close-relationship processes that can have an impact on health. Using a sample of 136 older married couples, we tested whether actor-partner models of relationships that were either primarily positive or ambivalent (i.e., perceived as having both helpful and upsetting aspects) predicted measures of coronary-artery calcification. Results revealed an Actor × Partner interaction whereby coronary-artery calcification scores were highest for individuals who both viewed and were viewed by their spouse as ambivalent. These data are discussed in light of the importance of considering both positive and negative aspects of relationship quality and modeling the interdependence of close relationships.
Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation for Wolff‐Parkinson‐White Syndrome Associated with a Coronary Sinus Diverticulum

The case of a patient with Wolff‐Parkinson‐White syndrome undergoing attempted radiofrequency catheter ablation of a left posterior paraseptal accessory pathway is described. Coronary sinus venography revealed the presence of a large diverticulum attaching near the os. The electrogram recorded from a catheter placed in the narrow neck of the diverticulum revealed a very short atrioventricular time during sinus rhythm. The pathway was easily ablated using radiofrequency energy applied in the neck of the diverticuham, after multiple failed attempts at catheter ablation from the endocardial surface of the mitral annulus. Our report emphasizes the importance of searching for a coronary sinus diverticulum's in all patients with posterior accessory pathways undergoing catheter ablation.
Radial Line Fourier Descriptor for Segmentation-free Handwritten Word Spotting

Automatic recognition of historical handwritten manuscripts is a daunting task due to paper degradation over time. Recognition-free retrieval or word spotting is popularly used for information retrieval and digitization of the historical handwritten documents. However, the performance of word spotting algorithms depends heavily on feature detection and representation methods. Although there exist popular feature descriptors such as Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) and Speeded Up Robust Features (SURF), the invariant properties of these descriptors amplify the noise in the degraded document images, rendering them more sensitive to noise and complex characteristics of historical manuscripts. Therefore, an efficient and relaxed feature descriptor is required as the handwritten words across different documents are indeed similar, but not identical. This paper introduces a Radial Line Fourier (RLF) descriptor for handwritten word representation, with a short feature vector of 32 dimensions. A segmentation-free and training-free handwritten word spotting method is studied herein that relies on the proposed Radial Line Fourier (RLF) descriptor, taking into account different keypoints representations and using a simple preconditioner-based feature matching algorithm. The effectiveness of the proposed RLF descriptor for segmentation-free handwritten word spotting is empirically evaluated on well-known historical handwritten datasets using standard evaluation measures.
An In Vivo and In Vitro Model of Plasmodium falciparum Rosetting and Autoagglutination Mediated by varO, a Group A var Gene Encoding a Frequent Serotype

ABSTRACT In the Saimiri sciureus monkey, erythrocytes infected with the varO antigenic variant of the Plasmodium falciparum Palo Alto 89F5 clone bind uninfected red blood cells (rosetting), form autoagglutinates, and have a high multiplication rate, three phenotypic characteristics that are associated with severe malaria in human patients. We report here that varO parasites express a var gene having the characteristics of group A var genes, and we show that the varO Duffy binding-like 1α1 (DBL1α1) domain is implicated in the rosetting of both S. sciureus and human erythrocytes. The soluble varO N-terminal sequence (NTS)-DBL1α1 recombinant domain, produced in a baculovirus-insect cell system, induced high titers of antibodies that reacted with varO-infected red blood cells and disrupted varO rosettes. varO parasites were culture adapted in vitro using human erythrocytes. They formed rosettes and autoagglutinates, and they had the same surface serotype and expressed the same varO gene as the monkey-propagated parasites. To develop an in vitro model with highly homogeneous varO parasites, rosette purification was combined with positive selection by panning with a varO NTS-DBL1α1-specific mouse monoclonal antibody. The single-variant, clonal parasites were used to analyze seroprevalence for varO at the village level in a setting where malaria is holoendemic (Dielmo, Senegal). We found 93.6% (95% confidence interval, 89.7 to 96.4%) seroprevalence for varO surface-reacting antibodies and 86.7% (95% confidence interval, 82.8 to 91.6%) seroprevalence for the recombinant NTS-DBL1α1 domain, and virtually all permanent residents had seroconverted by the age of 5 years. These data imply that the varO model is a relevant in vivo and in vitro model for rosetting and autoagglutination that can be used for rational development of vaccine candidates and therapeutic strategies aimed at preventing malaria pathology.
An internally controlled peripheral biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease: Erk1 and Erk2 responses to the inflammatory signal bradykinin

Cognitive impairment has recently been found to correlate with changes in peripheral inflammatory signals such as TNF-α and IL-1β. PKC isozymes regulate levels of TNF-α and IL-6 and the release of other cytokines and also show deficits in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brains and skin fibroblasts. Here, we investigate MAPK Erk1 and Erk2 phosphorylation in response to the inflammatory agonist bradykinin, which activates PKC pathways. An internally controlled comparison of Erk1 and Erk2 produced an AD index that accurately distinguished fibroblasts of AD from those of normal controls and of non-AD dementias. This accuracy was demonstrated for Coriell Cell Repository (Coriell Institute of Medical Research, Camden, NJ) samples, as well as for samples analyzed on gels with autopsy diagnostic confirmation. AD Erk1 and Erk2 index values were inversely correlated with disease duration, suggesting maximal efficacy for early diagnosis. Finally, the results also demonstrate that, when the AD index agreed with the clinical diagnosis on the presence of AD, there was a high probability of accuracy based on autopsy validation. Thus, this peripheral molecular biomarker, based on differential Erk1 and Erk2 phosphorylation, could have important clinical utility for providing increased certainty in the positive diagnosis of AD, particularly in the early phase of disease progression.