Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Liver Malignancies Treated With Intra-Arterial Therapy: Assessment of Early Response as Quantified by Volumetric Enhancement Using Gadoxetate Disodium

Objective The aim of the study was to evaluate the value of volumetric contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using gadoxetate disodium in early assessment of treatment response after intra-arterial therapy (IAT). Materials and Methods This prospective study included 21 patients (32 malignant lesions) who underwent MRI using gadoxetate disodium before and early after IAT. Two reviewers reported response by anatomic criteria including Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumor (RECIST), Modified RECIST (mRECIST), and European Association for the Study of Liver Disease and functional criteria including volumetric enhancement in hepatic arterial phase and portal venous phase. Treatment end point was RECIST at 6 months. A 2-sample paired t test was used to compare the mean changes after IAT. A P value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results Responders by RECIST at 6 months did not fulfill partial response by conventional criteria at 1 month, except for mRECIST by reader 2. The mRECIST and European Association for the Study of Liver Disease could not be assessed in a total of 4 and 3 lesions for readers 1 and 2, respectively. However, volumetric measurements were obtained in all lesions and the changes were statistically significant at 1 month for hepatic arterial phase (P = 0.02 and P = 0.008) and portal venous phase (P < 0.0001 and P < 0.0001), as assessed by both readers, respectively. Conclusions Volumetric contrast-enhanced MRI using gadoxetate disodium may be a helpful tool to evaluate early treatment response after IAT in malignant liver tumors.
Brexit: measuring the impact upon skilled labour in the UK construction industry

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present an understanding of the potential impact of Brexit upon the UK construction industry. Specifically, the work analyses the construction industry’s reliance upon European Union (EU) skilled labour and seeks to determine the potential impact that Brexit poses upon EU skilled labour entering the sector. Design/methodology/approach A perceptual questionnaire survey was used to elicit responses from construction professionals using the two techniques of opportunity and snowballing non-probability sampling. Summary statistical analysis of Boolean and Likert item scale data accrued was employed to elucidate upon respondents’ perceptions. Findings The majority of survey participants either “strongly agreed” or “agreed” that the UK construction industry relies upon EU skilled labour and that a career in the sector would not be attractive for foreign skilled labour post-Brexit. Future research proposed includes: predicting future trends in labour supply and demand and deriving new policies to address skills shortage imbalances that may be created by Brexit. Originality/value Original insight into an historic and unprecedented moment for the UK construction industry is presented. The work also provides pragmatic recommendations to policy makers and Higher Education Institutes to prevent the risk of Brexit further exacerbating skilled labour shortages within the industry.
The metabolic syndrome and left ventricular hypertrophy – the influence of gender and physical activity

Abstract Aims. To investigate associations between the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) as well as the influence of gender and physical activity (PA) in a population-based cross-sectional study of 60-year-old men (n = 1822) and women (n = 2049). Major findings. In total, 908 (23.5%) study participants fulfilled the criteria for MetS (54.2% men). Among those, 104 (11.5%) exhibited signs of LVH (60.6% men), compared with 182 (6.1%) among those without MetS (60.4% men). Of the individual factors contained in MetS, hypertension was independently associated with LVH in both men and women (OR = 3.4; 95% CI 2.0–5.8 and 4.4; 2.5–7.8 respectively), whereas waist circumference (OR = 1.6; 95% CI 1.0–2.6), high glucose levels (OR = 1.8; 95% CI 1.1–2.8) and hyperinsulinaemia (OR = 1.7; 95% CI 1.1–2.6) were independently related to risks for LVH exclusively in women. PA did not significantly affect the association. Principal conclusion. Participants with MetS were at an increased risk of LVH, independently of PA level. Of the various components in MetS, hypertension was most strongly and independently related to LVH in both men and women. In women, abdominal obesity, high glucose levels and hyperinsulinaemia were independently related to LVH, suggesting a gender differences in the mechanisms behind development of LVH.
Innovation intermediaries and performance-based incentives: a case study of regional innovation poles

A growing number of innovation policies rely on publicly-funded innovation intermediaries to provide knowledge-intensive services to firms, particularly small- and medium-sized ones. The performance of innovation intermediaries is often assessed using indicators that need to be closely aligned with policy objectives to be effective. However, this alignment is difficult to achieve and is often overlooked in practice. We analyse the relationship between performance indicators and the behaviour of intermediaries by examining a case study of innovation intermediaries funded with public resources in Tuscany, Italy. The intermediaries implemented actions that allowed them to achieve their performance targets rapidly. However, due to a misalignment between indicators and policy objectives, these actions were not entirely consistent with the latter. After reviewing the literature on this key issue, we build on our findings to suggest how to design performance indicators that can induce intermediaries to more effectively support the achievement of policy objectives.
Effects of qigong on late-stage complex regional pain syndrome.

CONTEXT Despite the growing popularity of qigong in the West, few well-controlled studies using a sham master to assess the clinical efficacy of qigong have been conducted. OBJECTIVE To study the effect of qigong on treatment-resistant patients with late-stage complex regional pain syndrome type I. DESIGN Block-random placebo-controlled clinical trial. SETTING Pain Management Center at New Jersey Medical School. PATIENTS 26 adult patients (aged 18 to 65 years) with complex regional pain syndrome type I. INTERVENTIONS The experimental group received qi emission and qigong instruction (including home exercise) by a qigong master. The control group received a similar set of instructions by a sham master. The experimental protocol included 6 forty-minute qigong sessions over 3 weeks, with reevaluation at 6 and 10 weeks. Assessment included comprehensive medical history, physical exam, psychological evaluation, necessary diagnostic testing. Symptom Check List 90, and the Carleton University Responsiveness to Suggestion Scale. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Thermography, swelling, discoloration, muscle wasting, range of motion, pain intensity rating, medication usage, behavior assessment (activity level and domestic disability), frequency of pain awakening, mood assessment, and anxiety assessment. RESULTS 22 subjects completed the protocol. Among the genuine qigong group, 82% reported less pain by the end of the first training session compared to 45% of control patients. By the last training session, 91% of qigong patients reported analgesia compared to 36% of control patients. Anxiety was reduced in both groups over time, but the reduction was significantly greater in the experimental group than in the control group. CONCLUSIONS Using a credible placebo to control for nonspecific treatment effects, qigong training was found to result in transient pain reduction and long-term anxiety reduction. The positive findings were not related to preexperimental differences between groups in hypnotizability. Future studies of qigong should control for possible confounding influences and perhaps use clinical disorders more responsive to psychological intervention.
Sensitivity to National Business Culture: Effects on U.S.-Mexican Channel Relationship Performance

The need to be sensitive to foreign cultures is often stated axiomatically in the international marketing management literature despite little empirical research on its nature and consequences. To partially fill this void, this field investigation addresses empirically the question of the effects of sensitivity to national business culture on communication, conflict, and performance in cross-national channel relationships. Data collected from 142 U.S. manufacturers, 104 Mexican manufacturers, and 96 Mexican distributors reveal that the sensitivity axiom can be supported empirically. Specifically, partner sensitivity to national business culture is shown to increase communication and decrease conflict, both of which in turn influence relationship performance. Implications for cross-national channel relationships are discussed.
Multiple Representations of Belief States and Action Values in Corticobasal Ganglia Loops

Abstract: Reward‐related neural activities have been found in a variety of cortical and subcortical areas by neurophysiological and neuroimaging experiments. Here we present a unified view on how three subloops of the corticobasal ganglia network are involved in reward prediction and action selection using different types of information. The motor/premotor‐posterior striatum loop is specialized for action‐based value representation and movement selection. The orbitofrontal–ventral striatum loop is specialized for object‐based value representation and target selection. The lateral prefrontal–anterior striatum loop is specialized for context‐based value representation and context estimation. Furthermore, the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) coordinates these multiple value representations and actions at different levels of hierarchy by monitoring the error in predictions.
ANOMALOUS PARITY ASYMMETRY OF THE WILKINSON MICROWAVE ANISOTROPY PROBE POWER SPECTRUM DATA AT LOW MULTIPOLES

We have investigated non-Gaussianity of our early universe by comparing the parity asymmetry of the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) power spectrum with simulations. We find that odd-parity preference of the WMAP data (2 ⩽ l ⩽ 18) is anomalous at 4-in-1000 level. We find it likely that low quadrupole power is part of this parity asymmetry rather than an isolated anomaly. Further investigation is required to find out whether the origin of this anomaly is a cosmological or a systematic effect. The data from Planck Surveyor, which has systematics distinct from WMAP, will help us to resolve the origin of the anomalous odd-parity preference.
In search of hate speech in Lithuanian public discourse: A corpus-assisted analysis of online comments

Abstract The present paper aims to report on the preliminary findings from the initial stages of ongoing research on hate speech in Lithuanian online comments. Comments are marked strongly by such phenomena as flaming and trolling; therefore, in this genre we can expect a high degree of hostility, obscenity, high incidence of insults and aggressive lexis, which can inflict harm to individuals or organizations. The goal of the current research is thus to make an attempt to identify some features of verbal aggression in Lithuanian by applying the principles and instruments of corpus linguistics, which proved to be a useful approach when dealing with such issues as trolling. It is expected that further analysis of those features will help to identify and define formal linguistic criteria that could facilitate identification of hate speech in public discourse. The data has been obtained from the Lithuanian corpus of user-generated comments collected from one major Lithuanian portal, www.delfi. lt. The corpus consists of all the comments posted in the year 2014 and in total includes 17,909 comments, which make up 1,160,109 words. For the initial data analysis, linguistic aspects, such as wordlists, collocations, and formulaic language, were analysed by using the AntConc software. The interpretations of the results are still very tentative, but what the initial findings show is that overt aggression does not feature among the most frequent and most salient features of comments. Aggression is, in our data, indirectly expressed through creative language use, which can mainly be studied through qualitative analysis.
Canine epidermolysis bullosa acquisita: a retrospective study of 20 cases.

BACKGROUND Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA) is a rare autoimmune subepidermal blistering disease of dogs and humans. OBJECTIVES Our objectives were to describe clinical phenotypes, histopathology and treatment outcomes of canine EBA. ANIMALS Twenty dogs diagnosed with EBA based on a subepidermal blister formation and collagen VII autoreactivity. RESULTS Most dogs were young (median: 1.2-year-old) with a male-to-female ratio of 2.3:1. Nine of 20 dogs (45%) developed lesions before one year of age and 11 of 20 dogs (55%) were great danes. Tense vesicles and bullae (18 of 20; 90%) and deep erosions and ulcers (20 of 20; 100%) were the most common lesions and these affected predominantly the oral cavity (19 of 20; 95%), pinnae (16 of 20; 80%), axillae (15 of 20; 75%) and footpads (14 of 20; 70%). Histopathology identified neutrophilic perivascular dermatitis (17 of 17; 100%) without or with (12 of 17; 71%) eosinophils, which occasionally equalled (four cases) or outnumbered neutrophils (two cases). Subepidermal vesicles were either devoid of inflammation or contained neutrophils with or without eosinophils, fibrin and/or haemorrhage. A complete remission of skin lesions was obtained in 14 dogs with a median time of 58 days. Glucocorticoids were used in these dogs either as a monotherapy (3 of 14; 21%) or in combination with other immunomodulating drugs (11 of 14; 79%). The median dose of prednisone was 3 mg/kg/day. The remaining six dogs were euthanized. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE Canine EBA is a rare subepidermal blistering disease with an inflammatory phenotype and a predilection for young great danes and male dogs. The outcome of treatment appears more favourable than assumed previously.
Multiplex Detection of Bacteria Associated with Normal Microbiota and with Bacterial Vaginosis in Vaginal Swabs by Use of Oligonucleotide-Coupled Fluorescent Microspheres

ABSTRACT Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a recurrent condition that is associated with a range of negative outcomes, including the acquisition of human immunodeficiency virus and other sexually transmitted diseases, preterm births, and pelvic inflammatory disease. In contrast to the Lactobacillus-dominated normal vaginal microbiota, BV is characterized by a lack of lactobacilli and an abundance of anaerobic and gram-negative organisms, including Gardnerella vaginalis and Atopobium vaginae. To date, the laboratory diagnosis of BV has relied upon the fulfillment of criteria determined by microscopic observation of Gram-stained vaginal swabs. We describe a molecular-based method for the easy determination of the species profile within the vaginal microbiota based on the amplification of the chaperonin-60 genes of all bacteria present in the swab and hybridization of the amplicon to species-specific oligonucleotide-coupled fluorescent beads that are identified by flow cytometry with a Luminex instrument. We designed a nineplex Luminex array for characterization of the vaginal microbiota and applied it to the analysis of vaginal swabs from individuals from Africa and North America. Using the presence of A. vaginae or G. vaginalis, or both, as the defining criterion for BV, we found that the method was highly specific and sensitive for the diagnosis of BV using microscopy as a gold standard.
Correlation of Tissue Distribution, Developmental Phenotype, and Intestinal Homing Receptor Expression of Antigen-Specific B Cells During the Murine Anti-Rotavirus Immune Response1

The intestinal homing receptor, α4β7, helps target lymphocytes to Peyer’s patches (PP) and intestinal lamina propria (ILP). We have previously shown that protective immunity to rotavirus (RV), an intestinal pathogen, resides in memory B cells expressing α4β7. In this study, using a novel FACS assay, we have directly studied the phenotype of B cells that express surface RV-specific Ig during the in vivo RV immune response. During primary infection, RV-specific B cells first appear as large IgD−B220lowα4β7− and α4β7+ cells (presumptive extrafollicular, Ab-secreting B cells), and then as large and small IgD−B220highα4β7− cells (presumptive germinal center B cells). The appearance of B cells with the phenotype of large IgD−B220lowα4β7+ cells in PP and most notably in mesenteric lymph nodes coincides with the emergence of RV-specific Ab-secreting cells (ASC) in the ILP. Thus, these B lymphocytes are good candidates for the migratory population giving rise to the RV-specific ASC in the ILP. RV-specific long-term memory B cells preferentially accumulate in PP and express α4β7. Nine months after infection most RV-specific IgA ASC are found in PP and ILP and at lower frequency in bone marrow and spleen. This study is the first to follow changes in tissue-specific homing receptor expression during Ag-specific B cell development in response to a natural host, tissue-specific pathogen. These results show that α4β7 is tightly regulated during the Ag-specific B cell response to RV and is expressed concurrently with the specific migration of memory and effector B cells to intestinal tissues.
About the FPGA implementation of a genetic algorithm for solving Sudoku puzzles

In the last years, a number of papers present algorithms for solving and generating Sudoku puzzles. Some studies test and confirm the possibility to use the genetic algorithm (GA) for solving and rating the Sudoku puzzles. The results are that GA can solve Sudoku puzzles, but not very effectively. Other studies test the possibility of a FPGA implementation of a "Sudoku solver" algorithm and "brute-force" methods are used due to excessive resource requirement for the implementations of other algorithms. Our paper analyzes the possibility of a FPGA implementation of the GA for solving the puzzles. The paper presents some possible adaptations of the general GA algorithm, concerning the population and chromosome definitions, crossover and mutation phases and fitness function calculation for this FPGA implementation.
Nurses' knowledge and practices regarding pain management in newborns.

OBJECTIVE To analyze nurses' knowledge and practices regarding pain management of newborns admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Units. METHOD A descriptive and cross-sectional study. Data were collected from 51 nurses based on an adapted questionnaire aimed at evaluating knowledge and practices regarding the management of neonatal pain in six hospitals in Curitiba and its Metropolitan Region. RESULTS For most nurses (86.0%), neonates feel pain. A total of 34.7% of the nurses reported never using pain assessment scales. Pain management was recorded by 84.3% of the nurses. Administered pharmacological measures were Paracetamol and Fentanyl (47.1%) and Morphine (17.6%); while non-pharmacological measures adopted were sweetened solution (68.6%), non-nutritive sucking (58.8%) and positioning (56.9%). CONCLUSION Nurses considered neonatal pain a real event; however, they do not perform pain assessment or treatment of newborns in a systematized way.It is necessary to implement knowledge translation strategiesin order to improve pain management in newborns. OBJETIVO Verificar o conhecimento e as práticasdos enfermeiros sobreo manejo da dor de recém-nascidos admitidos em Unidades de Tratamento Intensivo Neonatal. MÉTODO Estudo descritivo e transversal. Os dados foram coletados com 51 enfermeiros, a partir de um questionário adaptado que visa avaliar o conhecimento e as práticas sobre o manejo da dor neonatal, em seis hospitais de Curitiba e Região Metropolitana. RESULTADOS Para a maioria dos enfermeiros(86,0%), os neonatos sentem dor. Um total de 34,7% afirmaramnunca utilizar escalas de avaliaçãoda dor. O registro do manejo da dor foi realizado por 84,3% dos enfermeiros. As medidas farmacológicas realizadas foram Paracetamol e Fentanil (47,1%) e Morfina (17,6%);as não farmacológicas adotadas foram solução adocicada (68,6%), sucção não nutritiva (58,8%) e posicionamento (56,9%). CONCLUSÃO Os enfermeiros consideraram a dor neonatal como um evento real, porém não realizavam avaliação ou tratamento da dor no recém-nascido de modosistematizado. É necessário implementarestratégias de tradução do conhecimento paraaprimorar o manejo da dor de recém-nascidos.
Prevalence of obesity among US preschool children in different racial and ethnic groups.

OBJECTIVE To estimate the prevalence of obesity in 5 major racial/ethnic groups in 4-year-old US children. DESIGN Cross-sectional secondary data analysis. SETTING Nationally representative sample of US children born in 2001. PARTICIPANTS Height and weight were measured in 2005 in approximately 8550 children who participated in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort. MAIN EXPOSURE Racial/ethnic group. OUTCOME MEASURE Prevalence of obesity, defined as body mass index at or above the 95th percentile for age of the sex-specific Centers for Disease Control and Prevention growth charts. RESULTS Obesity prevalence among 4-year-old US children (mean age, 52.3 months) was 18.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 17.1%-19.8%). Obesity prevalence differed by racial/ethnic group (P < .001): American Indian/Native Alaskan, 31.2% (95% CI, 24.6%-37.8%); Hispanic, 22.0% (95% CI, 19.5%-24.5%); non-Hispanic black, 20.8% (95% CI, 17.8%-23.7%); non-Hispanic white, 15.9% (95% CI, 14.3%-17.5%); and Asian, 12.8% (95% CI, 10.0%-15.6%). All pairwise differences in obesity prevalence between racial/ethnic groups were statistically significant after a Bonferroni adjustment (P < .005) except for those between Hispanic and non-Hispanic black children and between non-Hispanic white and Asian children. CONCLUSIONS Racial/ethnic disparities in obesity are apparent in 4-year-old US children. The highest prevalence is in American Indian/Native Alaskan children, in whom obesity is twice as common as in non-Hispanic white or Asian children.
Automated and unbiased analysis of LC-MS metabolomic data.

BACKGROUND LC-MS metabolomics provides a unique approach for evaluation of perturbations in biochemical pathways. LC-MS is a key technology for measuring endogenous metabolites and, while it has the impressive ability to acquire colossal volumes of data, the overall success of a study depends on the ability to translate the acquired analytical information into biological knowledge. Thus, a significant research effort has been dedicated to the development of informatics tools capable of automatically translating the complexity of acquired LC-MS datasets into meaningful biochemical sample descriptions. MATERIALS & METHODS This article discusses our methodology for automated analysis of high-resolution accurate mass LC-MS data applied to a case study of evaluation of the effects of fasting in male rats. Blood serum samples from male rats were analyzed using an exactive mass spectrometer interfaced with an Accela UHPLC. RESULTS An obtained list of annotated endogenous metabolites through matching of the detected components with corresponding profiles of synthetic standards served as a basis for statistical evaluation of observed physiological changes. CONCLUSION The observed changes in certain endogenous metabolites prove that fasting could be a significant variable in toxicological studies since the fasting status of a particular animal may exacerbate or obscure drug-induced metabolic effects.