Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Lymph node pathway in the spread of endometrial carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE To elucidate the sentinel nodes of endometrial carcinoma, the spread pathway was clarified. The correlation between lymph node spread and other clinicopathological variables was also analyzed. METHODS Dissected lymph node samples in 342 patients who underwent pelvic and selective paraaortic lymphadenectomy were reviewed. Pelvic and paraaortic node (PLN and PAN) status was compared with clinicopathological parameters. RESULTS Lymph node metastasis was demonstrated in 52 patients, including 46 cases with PLN metastasis and six patients with independent PAN metastasis. The metastatic sites were most frequent in the obturator and internal iliac nodes. Eleven of 49 patients who underwent PAN dissection were positive for metastasis. Sixteen of 23 cases with parametrial metastasis also metastasized in the retroperitoneal lymph node. CONCLUSION The lymph node spread pathway in endometrial carcinoma consists of a major route via the obturator node or internal iliac node with or without parametrial involvement, and rarely a direct PAN pathway.
Circannual rhythms in birds

Circannual rhythms are shown to mediate a wide range of seasonal and annual processes and help the animals to plan these events at most favourable time of the year. They are selfsustained biological oscillations with a period close to 12 months and are entrained by both photic and non-photic cues. The understanding of the circannual rhythm would help us know the temporal adaptation in animals. The present review outlines the basics of circannual rhythms, its interaction with environmental factors, differences between the two mechanisms that regulate seasonal responses in organisms i.e. photoperiodism and circannual rhythm, and also present some experiments which have demonstrated circannual rhythm in reproduction, migration and molt behaviour of birds.
Architectural Design of a Sensory-Node-Controller for Sensor Network

Increasing complexity of manufacturing systems has led to a wick-spread application of large-scale sensor networks. Effective and efficient operation of the sensor network requires the introduction of a new platform that enables adaptive, event-driven information gathering based on the condition of machines. To realize such a platform, this paper presents several fundamental aspects regarding the architectural design of a Sensory-Node Controller (SNOC), which is the key element in a large-scale sensor network that controls the operation of individual physical sensors and coordinates the communication among various sensing clusters. The focus of the study is on an energy-efficient SNOC design that enables a dynamically adjustable power supply and data acquisition procedure to reduce the overall energy requirement of the sensor network, for sustainable, long-term operations. Both hardware and software considerations for the parametric SNOC design are described, and analytical formulations presented. Simulation of energy consumption based on a sensor cluster consisting of 40 SNOCs shows 57% of energy saving in comparison with the conventional sensing technique. The study has provided input to the design optimization and experimental realization of a SNOC-based sensor network for machine system monitoring
Two Distinct Sites in Sonic Hedgehog Combine for Heparan Sulfate Interactions and Cell Signaling Functions

Background: The morphogen, sonic hedgehog, has important roles in development and disease and is in part dependent on heparan sulfate interactions. Results: Two sites in the protein are shown to contribute to heparan sulfate interactions and biological activity. Conclusion: A new site in sonic hedgehog is identified that regulates its biological activity. Significance: The data provide new insight into the important role of proteoglycan interactions with sonic hedgehog. Hedgehog (Hh) proteins are morphogens that mediate many developmental processes. Hh signaling is significant for many aspects of embryonic development, whereas dysregulation of this pathway is associated with several types of cancer. Hh proteins require heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) for their normal distribution and signaling activity. Here, we have used molecular modeling to examine the heparin-binding domain of sonic hedgehog (Shh). In biochemical and cell biological assays, the importance of specific residues of the putative heparin-binding domain for signaling was assessed. It was determined that key residues in human (h) Shh involved in heparin and HSPG syndecan-4 binding and biological activity included the well known cationic Cardin-Weintraub motif (lysines 32–38) but also a previously unidentified major role for lysine 178. The activity of Shh mutated in these residues was tested by quantitation of alkaline phosphatase activity in C3H10T1/2 cells differentiating into osteoblasts and hShh-inducible gene expression in PANC1 human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells. Mutated hShhs such as K37S/K38S, K178S, and particularly K37S/K38S/K178S that could not interact with heparin efficiently had reduced signaling activity compared with wild type hShh or a control mutation (K74S). In addition, the mutant hShh proteins supported reduced proliferation and invasion of PANC1 cells compared with control hShh proteins, following endogenous hShh depletion by RNAi knockdown. The data correlated with reduced Shh multimerization where the Lys-37/38 and/or Lys-178 mutations were examined. These studies provide a new insight into the functional roles of hShh interactions with HSPGs, which may allow targeting this aspect of hShh biology in, for example, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
The Effects of External Debt Management on Sustainable Economic Growth and Development: Lessons from Nigeria

This paper reviewed the roles of debt management practices on sustainable economic growth and development with particular emphasis on Nigeria. Information was generated extensively from literature, the Nigeria Central Bank and National Bureau of Statistic reports. The analyses of the data collected with descriptive statistics shows that, availability of access to external finance strongly influences the economic development process of any nation. Debt is an important resources needed to support sustainable economic growth. But a huge external debt without servicing as it is the case for Nigeria before year 2000 constituted a major impediment to the revitalization of her shattered economy as well as the alleviation of debilitating poverty. The much needed inflow of foreign resources for investment stimulation, growth and employment were hampered. Without credit cover, Nigerian importers were required to provide 100 percent cash covers for all orders and this therefore placed them to a competitive disadvantage compared to their counterparts elsewhere. Failure of any owing country to service her debt obligation results in repudiation risk preventing such to obtain new loans since little or no confidence will be placed on the ability to repay. It will also undermine the effort to obtain substantive debt relief over the medium term with a tremendous increase in interest, arrears and other penalties. This will subsequently depress the economy both in the long and short runs. Best arrangement in debt payment must be put in place from time to time in response to changes in the economy and the polity. Debt can only be productive if well managed so as to make the rate of return higher than the cost of debt servicing.
The sad story of Vioxx, and what we should learn from it.

Rofecoxib is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that is specific for cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2); it is therefore termed a COX-2 inhibitor, or coxib. To tell the story of how it came to be withdrawn, we must start in 1999 when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved it for the relief of arthritis symptoms. The approval was based on data from trials lasting 3 to 6 months and involving patients at low risk for cardiovascular illness.
Development and therapeutic indications of orally-active non-peptide vasopressin receptor antagonists

Vasopressin (AVP) is a cyclic nonapeptide hormone that exhibits many physiological effects including free water reabsorption, vasoconstriction, cellular proliferation and adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) secretion. In a healthy organism, AVP plays an important role in the homeostasis of fluid osmolality and volume status. However, in several diseases or conditions such as the syndrome of inappropriate secretion of AVP (SIADH), congestive heart failure, arterial hypertension, liver cirrhosis, nephrotic syndrome, dysmenorrhoea and ocular hypertension, AVP may play an important role in their pathophysiology. Recently, orally-active non-peptide AVP receptor antagonists were developed by random screening of chemical entities and optimisation of lead compounds. These include agents specific for the V1-vascular and V2-renal AVP receptor subtypes. Dual V1/V2 AVP receptor antagonists are also being studied. Some of these non-peptide receptor antagonists have been studied extensively, while others are currently under investigation. Potential therapeutic indications for AVP receptor antagonists comprise (1) The blockade of V1-vascular AVP receptors in arterial hypertension, congestive heart failure, Raynaud's syndrome, peripheral vascular disease and dysmenorrhoea. (2) The blockade of V2-renal AVP receptors in the syndrome of inappropriate secretion of vasopressin, congestive heart failure, liver cirrhosis, nephrotic syndrome and any state of excessive retention of free water and subsequent dilutional hyponatraemia. (3) The blockade of V3-pituitary AVP receptors in ACTH-secreting tumours. This review examines the pharmacology of orally-active non-peptide AVP receptor antagonists and their clinical applications.
INFECTIONS IN PATIENTS WITH HEMATOLOGICAL MALIGNANCIES Etiology , trends and management

Infectious complications are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with hematological diseases, especially during chemotherapy induced neutropenia. This study was undertaken with the ultimate goal to improve the clinical management of infections in patients with hematological diseases. In a relatively large hematology centre where antibiotic prophylaxis was generally not used, the incidence of bacteremia and the spectrum of causative pathogens during the period 19882001, were determined. No tendency to a shift from gram-negative to gram-positive etiology was noted. Except for a significant increase in Enterococcus faecium bacteremia, the species distribution was essentially stable. The rates of antimicrobial resistance were low. The 7and 30day mortality rates were 6.3 and 15.6%, respectively. Species distribution and triazole susceptibility of colonising yeasts in neutropenic patients treated for hematological malignancies were prospectively analysed. Previous exposure to fluconazole prophylaxis was not associated with a shift from Candida albicans to non-albicans Candida species. However, fluconazole MICs were significantly higher in yeast isolates from patients who had received prophylaxis, indicating that azole prophylaxis may contribute to the emergence of less susceptible yeast strains. Cefepime monotherapy was, in a prospective randomised study, found to be as safe and as effective as imipenem-cilastatin in the management of febrile neutropenia in patients treated for hematological malignancies. In patients with neutropenia and fever of unknown origin (FUO), the early discontinuation of all antibiotic therapy 48 hours after fever defervescence was not associated with an increased rate of fever relapse or mortality. This therapeutic approach seems promising in patients with FUO. Prospective large randomised trials are warranted. The Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) risk-index score was validated in patients with hematological malignancies. The risk-index identified patients with febrile neutropenia who were at low risk for the development of serious medical complication with a specificity, sensitivity and positive predictive value of 87%, 58% and 84%, respectively. Accordingly, this risk-index was found to be a valuable tool for the identification of low-risk
An Exploratory Study of Factors That Affect the Research Progress of International PhD Students from the Middle East.

Purpose – Despite the critical issues involving Middle East countries such as war and a drop in currency exchange rates, a large number of students leave their country to pursue a higher education abroad, every year. The purpose of this paper is to understand the difficulties that these students face while conducting their research in a foreign country and in doing so hopes to enhance a greater awareness of the kind of hindrances they face to complete their studies. Design/methodology/approach – The respondents of this qualitative study are PhD students from the Middle East who were studying in a public university in Southeast Asia. This university has recorded an increasing enrollment of international students, particularly from the Middle East in the last few years. Data were collected using a series of unstructured interviews that elicited information on critical incidents that characterized the kind of difficulties students had to face in their research. The data obtained was further analyzed using a .
Constructing institutions and systems for effective corporate governance in transition economies: debt contracts and debt contracting

This special edition (Supplement 2) of Research in Accounting in Emerging Economies (RAEE) is about the science, art, and craft of transforming accounting and accountability in emerging and transition economies. Accounting in less developed countries and, more recently, countries in transition from the communist to the capitalist systems has been a neglected area of research, possibly because of the Western-centric nature of leading research journals. This neglect is surprising for accounting is vital for the success of widespread market-based policies for economic development. Neglect of accounting issues (which is common) can imperil the overall policy aims. Fortunately, as the papers in this special issue bear testament, a lively and growing research literature is beginning to emerge on such topics in response to practical problems that are becoming manifest.
Institutional Work and the Paradox of Embedded Agency

Introduction Institutions are social structures that are characterized by a high degree of resilience (Scott, 2001). They have a self-activating nature (Lawrence, Hardy & Phillips, 2002; Jepperson, 1991). Actors tend to reproduce institutions in a given field of activity without requiring either repeated authoritative intervention or collective mobilization (Clemens & Cook, 1999: 445). Early neo-institutional studies emphasized ways that institutions constrained organizational structures and activities, and thereby explained the convergence of organizational practices within institutional environments. They proposed that actors' need to be regarded as legitimate in their institutional environment determined their behavior. This work implicitly assumed that individuals and organizations tend to comply, at least in appearance, with institutional pressures. In fact, actors were often implicitly assumed to have a limited degree of agency. Such a conception of agency was problematic when institutional theorists started tackling the issue of institutional change. While early neo-institutional studies accounted for organizational isomorphism and for the reproduction of institutionalized practices, they did not account well for the possibility of change. Even though institutions are characterized by their self-activating nature, we know that they do change (e.g. Fligstein, 1991). Since the late 1980s, institutional theorists have started addressing the issue of institutional change. They have highlighted the role that organizations and/or individuals play in institutional change. Studies that account for the role of organizations and/or individuals in institutional change, however, face a paradox.
Vortex-front propagation in Rayleigh-Bénard convection.

We present experimental measurements of the velocity of a convective vortex front propagating into an unstable conductive state in a Rayleigh-B\'enard system for the wide range of \ensuremath{\epsilon} (\ensuremath{\epsilon}\ensuremath{\equiv}\ensuremath{\Delta}T/\ensuremath{\Delta}${\mathrm{T}}_{\mathrm{c}}$-1) between 4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}4}$ and 2.5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$. The results are found to be in excellent quantitatitve agreement with the theoretical predictions following from an amplitude equation, exhibiting a sharp selection mechanism in the propagation velocity. Wave-number selection by this dynamical mechanism is also studied.
Beckwith–Wiedemann syndrome in sibs discordant for IC2 methylation

Genetically heterogeneous imprinting disorders include Beckwith–Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) and multiple maternal hypomethylation syndrome (MMHS). Using DNA sequencing, quantitative PCR, SNuPE, pyrosequencing, and hybridization to the Illumina GoldenGate Methylation Cancer Panel 1 array, we characterized the genomic DNA of two brothers with BWS who were discordant for loss of methylation at several differentially methylated regions (DMR), including imprinting center 2 (IC2) on chromosome band 11p15.5, which is often hypomethylated in BWS. In keeping with MMHS, the elder child had hypomethylation of SGCE and PLAGL1 as well as of IC2, whereas the younger brother demonstrated no loss of methylation at these DMRs. Although this discordance is consistent with the observation that 15–20% of individuals with BWS do not have detectable genetic or epigenetic alterations of 11p15.5, this is the first report of familial recurrence of BWS with discordance for chromosomal 11p15.5 alterations. We hypothesize that this apparent discordance arises either from mosaicism precluding identification of IC2 hypomethylation in blood or buccal mucosa DNA of the younger child, or from hypomethylation at a site not interrogated by our molecular studies. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The discourse of diversity in unionised contexts: views from trade union equality officers

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to address the little researched question of how trade unions have interpreted and engaged with the discourse of diversity adopted by many organisations to replace the traditional “equal opportunities” discourse.Design/methodology/approach – Drawing on interviews with national trade union equality officers, the paper presents a discourse‐based analysis, exploring what the shift towards a diversity discourse means for trade unions.Findings – The paper identifies three main features of the diversity discourse, which cause concern from the trade union perspective: its business‐driven nature, its focus on the individual and its positioning as a top‐down managerial activity. The main concern expressed was that the upbeat rhetoric of the diversity discourse diverts attention from the realities of discrimination and disadvantage. However, the discussion concludes that unions believe it is possible to work critically with diversity in order to pursue equality objectives.Orig.
Occurrence of Horizontal Gene Transfer of PIB-type ATPase Genes among Bacteria Isolated from the Uranium Rich Deposit of Domiasiat in North East India

Uranium (U) tolerant aerobic heterotrophs were isolated from the subsurface soils of one of the pre-mined U-rich deposits at Domiasiat located in the north-eastern part of India. On screening of genomic DNA from 62 isolates exhibiting superior U and heavy metal tolerance, 32 isolates were found to be positive for PIB-type ATPase genes. Phylogenetic incongruence and anomalous DNA base compositions revealed the acquisition of PIB-type ATPase genes by six isolates through horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Three of these instances of HGT appeared to have occurred at inter-phylum level and the other three instances indicated to have taken place at intra-phylum level. This study provides an insight into one of the possible survival strategies that bacteria might employ to adapt to environments rich in uranium and heavy metals.
Is boys’ physical activity in childhood associated with being overweight in mid-adulthood? A longitudinal study spanning 35 years

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of childhood physical activity (PA) on subsequent adult body mass. Using longitudinal data from the Saskatchewan Growth and Development Study (1964 – 1973), PA, height, body mass and percent body fat were assessed on 207 males (age 7 years at study entry). Subjects were categorized into activity groups based on annual composite activity assessments. 58 participants returned during adulthood (between 39-41 years of age) when similar anthropometric measurements were taken. Childhood PA groupings were significantly related to adult BMI, but not body fat. The more active child had a greater BMI in adulthood (P<0.05). The results from this study indicate that the active child, in this sample, is not protected against overweight/obesity in adulthood.
Privacy and Utility Effects of k-anonymity on Association Rule Hiding

In recent years, privacy preservation has attracted much interest due to concerns regarding breaches of privacy when data are published and analyzed. Private information can be observed directly from published data or inferred through data mining techniques. The k-anonymity concept was first proposed to hide sensitive attribute values that could be discovered using a linking attack. Association rule hiding techniques have been proposed to hide sensitive patterns in mining results. However, these association rule hiding techniques have side effects such as hiding failure, creation of new rules, and lost rules. In addition, the k-anonymity approach does not consider hiding association rules. In this work, we extend the k-anonymity concept to hide sensitive association rules and compare it with the association rule hiding approach. We propose a novel concept of measuring privacy gain and utility loss of anonymized association rules. Numerical experiments comparing the two approaches show that the k-anonymity for association rule mining approach achieves higher privacy gain, while the direct anonymization approach of association rule hiding achieves lower utility loss. The results obtained here provide a guideline for adopting anonymization techniques under different requirements and suggests a direction for the development of new association rule hiding techniques.
A Current Steering Logic Based Ring Oscillator for High Stability and Lower Noise Applications

Ring oscillators are now widely used in digital and mixed-signal circuits for easy integration, however, their phase noise performances are usually worse than those with high Q resonant elements [1]. Comparing with ordinary digital CMOS inverter ring oscillators, the CSL(current steering logic) inverter was proven to provide superior supply noise immunity [2]. However, its characteristics have not been deeply analyzed and it has not been implemented in domestic product line. In this paper, the static and dynamic characteristics of CSL inverter are analyzed and series of CSL inverter ring oscillators with different Gv (The (W/L)s/ (W/L)D shown in Fig. l)and gate areas have been fabricated in 1.2 mum domestic CMOS process. The simulation and experimental results show that CSL ring oscillators have good noise performance and are more immune from supply voltage fluctuation. Therefore, they are suitable for high stability and low noise applications.