Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Rise of the Nineteenth Bank in Japanese Silk Reeling Finance : How a Regional Bank Provided Loans to Silk Reeling Manufacturers in the Early 20th Century

Silk reeling manufacturing was a major industry in Japan prior to World War II. As one of Japan’s first modern factory industries, its share of the country’s exports was approximately 40 to 50%, during 1870 to 1930 (Ministry of Agriculture, 1934, pp.144-145). In fact, raw silk was the first product in which Japan was able to capture a significant share of the global market: its market share rose dramatically from 9.3% in 1859-62 to 83.1% in 1935-38 (Federico, 1994, p.200). Crucially, it was the reeling manufacturers in the Suwa district that led the development. In order to determine who provided finance to the silk reeling manufacturers in the Suwa district and how credit was extended, this article will examine the Nineteenth Bank, a regional bank in the Suwa district in Nagano prefecture, and its significant role in financing the growth of the Japanese silk reeling industry in the early 20th century. There is widespread agreement that the Japanese wholesale merchants, i.e., the Aki Kinjo
Chronic rejection of rat renal allografts. II. The impact of prolonged ischemia time on transplant histology.

The effect of prolonged ischemia time on the generation of chronic rejection was investigated in long-surviving rat renal allografts. Three groups of rats were compared: allografts with a 30-min ischemia time, allografts with a 60-min ischemia time, and syngeneic grafts with a 60-min ischemia time. All transplants were initially immunosuppressed with 5 mg/kg/day of cyclosporine i.m. for 3 weeks postoperatively. The CsA trough levels were similar in the three rat groups. All groups demonstrated an initial rise and fall in serum creatinine; a simultaneous biopsy confirmed acute CsA toxicity. Thereafter the serum creatinine level remained on the normal control level both in the 30-min ischemia allografts and in the 60-min ischemia syngeneic grafts. After the initial decline, the serum creatinine level steadily increased in the 60-min ischemia allograft group and was 181 +/- 64 mumol/L at the end of the observation period, 12 weeks postoperatively, compared with 85 +/- 21 mumol/L in the 30-min ischemia allografts and 89 +/- 25 mumol/L in the 60-min ischemia syngeneic grafts. Quantitative histology that was performed upon autopsy demonstrated that the 60-min ischemia allografts showed persistent inflammation, inflammatory cell pyroninophilia, vascular arteriosclerosis and obliteration, and glomerular sclerosis, which were significantly stronger than in similarly immunosuppressed syngeneic transplants. Reduction of the ischemia time from 60 to 30 min significantly ameliorated the vascular and glomerular changes in the allografts but not the inflammatory alterations. This experimental study confirms previous clinical observations and demonstrates that prolonged ischemia contributes to chronic rejection in renal allografts. The results suggest that the effect of prolonged ischemia on chronic rejection is directed primarily to the parenchymal components of the graft, possibly to the graft vascular endothelium. As prolonged ischemia did not significantly affect the inflammation in the transplants, we conclude that the effect is not directed to the intensity of the host antigraft immune response.
Changes in compressed neurons from dogs with acute and severe cauda equina constrictions following intrathecal injection of brain-derived neurotrophic factor-conjugated polymer nanoparticles

This study established a dog model of acute multiple cauda equina constriction by experimental constriction injury (48 hours) of the lumbosacral central processes in dorsal root ganglia neurons. The repair effect of intrathecal injection of brain-derived neurotrophic factor with 15 mg encapsulated biodegradable poly(lactide-co-glycolide) nanoparticles on this injury was then analyzed. Dorsal root ganglion cells (L7) of all experimental dogs were analyzed using hematoxylin-eosin staining and immunohistochemistry at 1, 2 and 4 weeks following model induction. Intrathecal injection of brain-derived neurotrophic factor can relieve degeneration and inflammation, and elevate the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in sensory neurons of compressed dorsal root ganglion. Simultaneously, intrathecal injection of brain-derived neurotrophic factor obviously improved neurological function in the dog model of acute multiple cauda equina constriction. Results verified that sustained intraspinal delivery of brain-derived neurotrophic factor encapsulated in biodegradable nanoparticles promoted the repair of histomorphology and function of neurons within the dorsal root ganglia in dogs with acute and severe cauda equina syndrome.
Cognitive and Neuropsychiatric Profile of the Synucleinopathies: Parkinson Disease, Dementia With Lewy Bodies, and Multiple System Atrophy

Parkinson disease (PD), multiple system atrophy (MSA), and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) share α-synuclein immunoreactivity. These “synucleinopathies” have overlapping signs and symptoms, but less is known about similarities and differences in their cognitive and neuropsychiatric profiles. We compared the cognitive and neuropsychiatric profiles of individuals with PD, MSA, and DLB. Overall, the DLB group showed the most cognitive impairment, the MSA group demonstrated milder impairment, and the PD group was the least cognitively impaired. The DLB and MSA groups showed worse executive function and visuospatial skills than PD, whereas DLB showed impaired memory relative to both PD and MSA. On the neuropsychiatric screening, all groups endorsed depression and anxiety; the DLB group alone endorsed delusions and disinhibition. Consistent with their greater level of cognitive and neuropsychiatric impairment, the DLB group showed the greatest amount of functional impairment on a measure of instrumental activities of daily living (Functional Activities Questionnaire). We found that MSA subjects had cognitive difficulties that fell between the mild deficits of the PD group and the more severe deficits of the DLB group. PD, MSA, and DLB groups have similar neuropsychiatric profiles of increased depression and anxiety. Similar underlying α-synuclein pathology may contribute to these shared features.
Clinical experience with insulin detemir, biphasic insulin aspart and insulin aspart in people with type 2 diabetes: Results from the Delhi cohort of the A1chieve study

Background: The A1chieve, a multicentric (28 countries), 24-week, non-interventional study evaluated the safety and effectiveness of insulin detemir, biphasic insulin aspart and insulin aspart in people with T2DM (n = 66,726) in routine clinical care across four continents. Materials and Methods: Data was collected at baseline, at 12 weeks and at 24 weeks. This short communication presents the results for patients enrolled from Delhi, India. Results: A total of 2242 patients were enrolled in the study. Four different insulin analogue regimens were used in the study. Patients had started on or were switched to biphasic insulin aspart (n = 1515), insulin detemir (n = 521), insulin aspart (n = 176), basal insulin plus insulin aspart (n = 11) and other insulin combinations (n = 19). At baseline glycaemic control was poor for both insulin naïve (mean HbA1c: 10.0%) and insulin user (mean HbA1c: 11.0%) groups. After 24 weeks of treatment both the groups showed improvement in HbA1c (insulin naïve: −3.1%, insulin users: −3.6%). SADRs including major hypoglycaemic events or episodes did not occur in any of the study patients. Conclusion: Starting or switching to insulin analogues was associated with improvement in glycaemic control with a low rate of hypoglycaemia.
Neural tumours of the head and neck.

OBJECTIVE To document the pattern of occurrence of all primary neural tumours arising in the neck and craniofacial region over the period 1982 to 1991. DESIGN A retrospective study. SETTING Cancer Registry, Nairobi, Kenya. RESULTS Out of the 289 cases who were identified to have had whole body neural tumours, 225 (77.8%) had the lesions distributed in the neck and craniofacial area. While 80% of the neoplasms located in this region were retinoblastomas (mainly occurring in the age group 0 to 4 years), other lesion types occurred in small numbers thus: neurofibromas comprised 12.4%, Schwannomas four per cent, neuroblastomas and neuromas each 0.4%; and extracranial gliomas 2.7%. Overall, the male to female ratio was 1:1 and the site distribution revealed that over 90% of the lesions afflicted the upper face. CONCLUSION Neural tumours of the neck and craniofacial region appear generally rare in this population as has been shown elsewhere.
Creative accounting, accounting errors, and the ability of users to detect and adjust for them

Creative accounting refers to the various practices management use to manipulate financial statements in an effort to cause users to draw desired conclusions. The literature reveals that creative accounting is indeed practised in a number of countries, including South Africa. This paper examines the extent to which final year South African accounting students are able to detect and adjust for creative accounting practices and for errors resulting from incorrect application of accounting standards. A case study based experimental approach was adopted to achieve this objective, using the 2002 final year accounting students as subjects, at a major residential university, and a case study developed to include 11 creative accounting practices (including misapplication of standards). On average, the students detected 4.75 of the 11 inappropriate practices incorporated into the case study. The detection rate for each of the 11 practices varied between 10% and 84% and was influenced by their location within the financial statements; the average detection rate for practices located in the statement of accounting policies was significantly higher than that for practices located in the notes to the financial statements. Findings are compared with the Breton and Taffler (1995) study of stockbroker analysts in the United Kingdom and suggest that abilities to detect and correct for creative accounting practices are influenced by the level of accounting knowledge, and the extent of experience with such issues in practice.
Development of distributed energy management system for intelligent household electricity distribution grid

Electrical energy consumed in residential sector shares about fourth part of global electricity market, which overlapping with industry and commercial load graphics results in highly uneven demand curve. For this purpose, the demand-side management strategies are utilized to face this problem. This article is dedicated to the development of energy management system for contemporary households utilizing renewable energy sources, energy storages as well as controllable loads, which result in superior operation, capable of controlling local electrical appliances during islanded mode, as well as capable to change the consumption pattern by request from utility grid operator.
Medical tourism in Malaysia: how can we better identify and manage its advantages and disadvantages?

Following the identification of medical tourism as a growth sector by the Malaysian government in 1998, significant government sector and private-sector investments have been channeled into its development over the past 15 years. This is unfolding within the broader context of social services being devolved to for-profit enterprises and ‘market-capable’ segments of society becoming sites of intensive entrepreneurial investment by both the private sector and the state. Yet, the opacity and paucity of available medical tourism statistics severely limits the extent to which medical tourism's impacts can be reliably assessed, forcing us to consider the real effects that the resulting speculation itself has produced and to reevaluate how the real and potential impacts of medical tourism are – and should be – conceptualized, calculated, distributed, and compensated for. Contemporary debate over the current and potential benefits and adverse effects of medical tourism for destination societies is hamstrung by the scant empirical data currently publicly available. Steps are proposed for overcoming these challenges in order to allow for improved identification, planning, and development of resources appropriate to the needs, demands, and interests of not only medical tourists and big business but also local populations.
Aural rehabilitation in children with cochlear implants: A study of cognition, social communication, and motor skill development

Abstract Objectives The purpose of this study was to investigate the benefits of aural rehabilitation on the development of cognition, social communication, and motor skills in children with cochlear implants. Methods The study examined the development of cognition, social communication, and motor skills in 15 deaf children (7 males, 8 females; mean age 45 months 27 days) using the Newsha Developmental Scale before they received the cochlear implants, and then again 2, 4, 6, and 8 months after the implantation. The developmental age, Pretest Developmental Rate, Intervention Efficiency Index, and Proportional Change Index were calculated for each skill. Results There were significant differences between the preintervention and four follow-up Developmental Rate assessments for cognition, social communication, and motor skills (P < 0.0001). Significant differences were also observed between the four follow-up Proportional Change Index assessments for cognition, social communication, and motor skills (P ≤ 0.005). Conclusion Cochlear implantation and aural rehabilitation may result in accelerated rates of cognition, social communication, and motor skill development in deaf children.
Primary transmission of multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis among HIV-infected persons: what does the future hold in store?

This editorial commentary discusses multi-drug resistant (MDR) and extensively drug resistant (XDR) tuberculosis. It identities challenges in combating the epidemic of MDR and XDR TB in the HIV-infected population recognizes improvements necessary in the infection control in hospitals and clinics states the increase in speed in identifying and initiating treatment of MDR & XDR TB and recognizes the need to expand antiretroviral coverage for HIV-infected people in the community.
Long-term survival and competing causes of death in patients with early-stage Hodgkin's disease treated at age 50 or younger.

PURPOSE To analyze the long-term survival and the pattern and timing of excess mortality in patients with early-stage Hodgkin's disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS Between 1969 and 1997, 1,080 patients age 50 or younger were treated for clinical stage IA to IIB Hodgkin's disease. Overall survival was determined, and prognostic factors were assessed. Relative risk and absolute excess risk (AR) of mortality were calculated for the entire cohort and by prognostic groups (on the basis of B symptoms, mediastinal status, and number of sites, modified from the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer). RESULTS The median follow-up was 12 years. The 15- and 20-year Kaplan-Meier survival estimates were 84% and 78%, respectively. Cox proportional hazards models showed that number of involved sites (P =.006), mediastinal status (P =.02), and histology (P =.02) were independent predictors of death from all causes. The AR of mortality in patients with a favorable prognosis increased over time, whereas for those with an unfavorable prognosis, the AR peaked in the first 5 years, predominantly from Hodgkin's disease. The relative risk of mortality from all causes, causes other than Hodgkin's disease, second tumors, and cardiac disease remained significantly elevated more than 20 years after treatment. CONCLUSION Patients treated for early-stage Hodgkin's disease have a sustained excess mortality risk despite good control of the disease. Treatment reduction efforts in patients with early-stage, favorable-prognosis disease should continue, but for patients with an unfavorable prognosis, modified treatment may not be advisable. The excess mortality noted beyond two decades underscores the importance of long-term follow-up care in patients treated for Hodgkin's disease.
Region-of-interest generation for lane detection using high-level information

Vision-based lane detection is still a challenging task in real application with a variety of complex road scenes. What makes the problem even more difficult is the requirements of real time implement with on-board processor. To speedup the lane detection processing, the Region-of-Interesting (ROI) method was widely used to narrow the candidate searching range for local road features. In this paper, a continuous form of the ROI is first deduced from the lane model and the perspective projection. Then the factors that contribute to the appearance of the ROI are discussed. Lastly, an approximated form of the ROI is given for fast computing. In the proposed model, ROI is considered as a probability map, in which the value is corresponding to the possibility of the lane-markings to appear in a certain location in the scene. Moreover, the model takes the running manner of the vehicle and vibration of the vehicle into account. Experiments show that the proposed algorithm is very efficient in removing the outliers of local features in complex road scenes.
Modeling adaptive non-repudiation security services

Non-repudiation security service helps to protect an electronic system against false denial of performing certain actions by the participants of communication involving that system. In the development process of such a security service it is important to implement all the necessary elements and adapt them in accordance with the defined protection scope. There are several types of non-repudiation and cases of their use. In this paper the author focuses on the situation when a nonrepudiation service is being implemented on an application server. All necessary actions of the users i.e. of people and/or machines are recorded by the service. Currently a new type of security services called “context-aware security services” is under studies. This type of service involves acquiring and processing additional information in order to provide flexible protection. This paper presents the elements of non-repudiation security service and how the elements can be modeled with context awareness support including reputation systems.
The crystallography of calf rennin (chymosin)

The growth of crystals of calf rennin (chymosin, † EC 3.4.4.3) and the control of nucleation to produce crystals of desired size, are described. Only one stable species, orthorhombic rennin I, has been found, but a metastable monoclinic species, rennin II, appeared on one occasion in a solution nearly saturated with glycine. The morphology, optical characteristics and unit cells of these species are recorded. In rennin I, small differences in the properties of sectors built by deposition on the three types of crystal faces are attributed to differences in the proportions of either degradation products or of the slightly different isoenzymes known to be present in calf rennin. Rennin I crystals have been obtained only within the pH range of greatest stability of the protein, 5. 0 to 6. 2; but the crystals tolerate subsequent changes of pH down to 2. 0. The stability of crystals appears to be much greater than that of salt-free protein solutions. Rennin I may be crosslinked with glutaraldehyde with no loss of order, giving crystals stable over a wide range of solution conditions, including pH 2.0 to 10.0 and salt-free solutions. The remarkable swelling behaviour when the pH is raised beyond the stable range is described. Rennin II, though monoclinic in symmetry, shows in its X -ray diffraction patterns strong evidence of a pseudo-orthorhombic arrangement of molecules.
Stopping antiplatelet medication before coronary artery bypass graft surgery: is there an optimal timing to minimize bleeding?

OBJECTIVES As the indication for antiplatelet medication expands, patients may be exposed to an increased risk of excessive blood loss when cardiac surgery is required. The optimal timing to stop acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) or ASA combined with clopidogrel (ASA+Clo) before surgery is the subject of controversy. METHODS A total of 1065 patients were selected from a prospective randomized study on the effect of a fibrin sealant application in coronary artery bypass graft surgery [Fibrin sealant Induced Blood Exposure Reduction study; REGISTRATION NUMBER NTR1386 (http://www.trialregister.nl)], and divided into three groups according to the use of antiplatelet medication within 10 days prior to surgery: (i) ASA only (n = 662), (ii) ASA+Clo (n = 290) or (iii) no antiplatelet medication (n = 113). To investigate if an optimal stop day could be established, we fitted a series of multiple linear regression models, one for each preoperative day (running from Day -10 up to -1). The specific day corresponding to the best fitting model (highest adjusted R(2), with blood loss in the first 48 h postoperatively as the dependent variable) was considered as the best estimate for the optimal stop day. Bootstrap analysis (1000 times) was performed to calculate the corresponding confidence interval. Furthermore, major adverse cardiovascular and cerebral events (MACCE) were evaluated. RESULTS We could not estimate an optimal stop day for patients using ASA or ASA+Clo prior to their operation. Last use of ASA on Day -2 or earlier significantly decreased the percentage of patients receiving platelet transfusions compared with continuation until surgery (7 vs 13% for Day -1, P = 0.007). In patients using ASA+Clo, this percentage was reduced from 41 to 10 (P < 0.001). There was no association between stop day and the occurrence of MACCE. CONCLUSIONS There is no clinically relevant effect on blood loss indicating an optimal stop day for ASA alone or in combination with Clo. Last use on Day -2 resulted in the reduction of percentage of patients receiving platelet transfusions, especially in the ASA+Clo group.
A synthetic phage λ regulatory circuit

Analysis of synthetic gene regulatory circuits can provide insight into circuit behavior and evolution. An alternative approach is to modify a naturally occurring circuit, by using genetic methods to select functional circuits and evolve their properties. We have applied this approach to the circuitry of phage λ. This phage grows lytically, forms stable lysogens, and can switch from this regulatory state to lytic growth. Genetic selections are available for each behavior. We previously replaced λ Cro in the intact phage with a module including Lac repressor, whose function is tunable with small molecules, and several cis-acting sites. Here, we have in addition replaced λ CI repressor with another tunable module, Tet repressor and several cis-acting sites. Tet repressor lacks several important properties of CI, including positive autoregulation and cooperative DNA binding. Using a combinatorial approach, we isolated phage variants with behavior similar to that of WT λ. These variants grew lytically and formed stable lysogens. Lysogens underwent prophage induction upon addition of a ligand that weakens binding by the Tet repressor. Strikingly, however, addition of a ligand that weakens binding by Lac repressor also induced lysogens. This finding indicates that Lac repressor was present in the lysogens and was necessary for stable lysogeny. Therefore, these isolates had an altered wiring diagram from that of λ. We speculate that this complexity is needed to compensate for the missing features. Our method is generally useful for making customized gene regulatory circuits whose activity is regulated by small molecules or protein cofactors.