Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Resection of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Without Preoperative Tumor Biopsy

ObjectiveTo evaluate the need for a preoperative tumor biopsy of liver lesions suspicious for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Summary Background DataWith advances in liver imaging, the results of recent studies have suggested a very high accuracy of preoperative evaluation of liver masses suspicious of HCC, making preoperative tumor biopsy unnecessary. MethodsA retrospective analysis was conducted of all liver resections for HCC at the Toronto General and Mt. Sinai Hospitals, Toronto, between October 1994 and December 1998. ResultsSixty patients underwent 65 liver resections without a preoperative liver biopsy. The median age was 61 years. Sixty percent of the patients had cirrhosis and 38.5% had noncirrhotic chronic hepatitis. HCC was confirmed histologically in the surgical specimen in 63 of the 65 cases (96.9%). Both patients without HCC had a significant risk factor for HCC (chronic hepatitis C and alcohol in one and chronic hepatitis B and previous resection for HCC in the other). The lesions were 2 cm and 2.7 cm in diameter, and the alpha-fetoprotein level was low (<5 and 22 ng/mL, respectively). In such patients, with tumor 3 cm or smaller and an alpha-fetoprotein level less than 100 ng/mL (10 patients), the false-positive rate for the preoperative diagnosis was 2/10 (20%). ConclusionsPreoperative diagnosis of HCC was highly accurate in lesions larger than 3 cm. Tumor biopsy is unnecessary in these patients. However, in a subgroup of patients with lesions less than 3 cm, particularly those with alpha-fetoprotein levels less than 100 ng/mL, there is a higher false-positive diagnostic rate, and tumor biopsy should be considered.
A Hybrid Approach to Computer Science Education - A Case Study: Software Engineering at Aristotle University

Traditionally one characterization of formal education has been that it is ‘closed’, resulting in the fact that learning spaces with their educational materials, and individual students’ learning processes and outcomes remain unavailable for the general public. The hybrid approach to Software Engineering piloted at Aristotle University during the winter semester 2008 / 2009 on the other hand builds upon the way learning and knowledge creation at the participatory web takes place, in particular within the Free / Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) communities. This is to say that on the hand the learning environment used at this course is open for participation of any individual interested at the subject (inviting in), and on the other hand Aristotle’s software engineering students are engaging at students driven small scale learning projects, with each of those learning projects being associated to an open source project (sending out). This combination of ‘inviting in’ and ‘sending out’ is what we like to call a hybrid approach. One objective of the hybrid approach is to provide the foundation required for an evolutionary growing learning ecosystem where learning processes and outcomes have the potential to become learning resources for future students and therefore connecting content to discourse.
Does Payday Lending Catch Vulnerable Communities in a Debt Trap?

Consumers can use loans to smooth consumption after suffering financial shocks. However, payday loans may catch some consumers in a debt trap that leads to financial collapse. Critics claim that payday lenders target minority and military communities, making these groups especially vulnerable to this trap. This article uses county-level data to test these claims. The results, like those of the existing literature, are mixed. Bankruptcy filings fall in counties with large military or minority communities after a state legalizes payday lending. Because this correlation might be due to states’ incentives in enacting payday lending laws, this article also tests the effect of a change in federal law that should have had a disparate impact according to the prior choice of state law. This second test provides results that less clearly contradict the debt-trap hypothesis.
When is Ours Better than Mine? A Framework for Understanding and Altering Participation in Commercial Sharing Systems

Sharing systems are increasingly challenging sole ownership as the dominant means of obtaining product benefits, making up a market estimated at more than US$100 billion annually in 2010. Consumer options include cell phone minute-sharing plans, frequent-flyer-mile pools, bicycle-sharing programs, and automobile-sharing systems, among many others. However, marketing research has yet to provide a framework for understanding and managing these emergent systems. The authors conceptualize commercial sharing systems within a typology of shared goods. Using three studies, they demonstrate that beyond cost-related benefits of sharing, the perceived risk of scarcity related to sharing is a central determinant of its attractiveness. The results suggest that managers can use perceptions of personal and sharing partners’ usage patterns to affect risk perceptions and subsequent propensity to participate in a commercial sharing system.
Economic Feasibility Assessment of Audit Firms in Bhutan

All audit services of corporations and private sector businesses in Bhutan are presently outsourced to foreign audit firms. Small scale and basic services of auditing, accounting and taxation of small and medium sized business enterprises (SMEs) are currently provided by freelance and informal individuals whose services are unreliable, sporadic and lack legitimacy. To import these services from outside is paradoxical even as unemployment in the country, particularly of youth, is on the rise. Establishment of national auditing firms has immense potential for job creation. The present paper attempts to examine the reason/(s) for lack of Bhutanese audit firms, to study the economic feasibility and sustainability of Bhutanese audit firms, and also to assess the effect of auditors’ work culture on clients’ business among others.
Clinical Usefulness of Mandibular Reconstruction Using Custom-Made Titanium Mesh Tray and Autogenous Particulate Cancellous Bone and Marrow Harvested From Tibia and/or Ilia

Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate usefulness of mandibular reconstructions using custom-made titanium mesh (Ti-mesh) tray and particulate cancellous bone and marrow (PCBM). Consecutive 21 patients who underwent mandibular reconstruction were enrolled in this study. They were 13 men and 8 women (mean age, 52.0 years). Virtual reality simulation was performed using computer software based on the preoperative computed tomography data. A 3-dimensional skull model was constructed using 3-dimensional printer. A tray was custom-made from Ti-mesh sheet bent to adapt to the model. After PCBM harvesting from posterior ilia and/or proximal tibia, the tray was fixed to the host bone. New bone formation and configuration of the reconstructed mandible were assessed radiologically. Complications were recorded in each patient during the follow-up period. Patients’ satisfaction with postoperative facial contour was evaluated using visual analog scale (VAS score, range, 0–100). In 16 of 21 patients, excellent new bone formation was recognized and expected results were radiologically achieved. In 5 patients, new bone formation was insufficient. Causes of insufficient bone formation included postoperative infection in 2 patients, Ti-mesh tray fracture in 2 patients, and local recurrence of lower gingival cancer in 1 patient. To prevent a tray fracture, a double-layered Ti-mesh tray was useful. Mean VAS score on patients’ satisfaction was 77.1. Our results comprehensively suggest that mandibular reconstruction using custom-made Ti-mesh tray and PCBM is clinically useful.
Clinical Pharmacokinetics of the PDT Photosensitizers Porfimer Sodium (Photofrin), 2‐[1‐Hexyloxyethyl]‐2‐Devinyl Pyropheophorbide‐a (Photochlor) and 5‐ALA‐Induced Protoporphyrin IX

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) uses a photosensitizer activated by light, in an oxygen‐rich environment, to destroy malignant tumors. Clinical trials of PDT at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) use the photosensitizers Photofrin, Photochlor, and 5‐ALA‐induced protoporphyrin IX (PpIX). In some studies the concentrations of photosensitizer in blood, and occasionally in tumor tissue, were obtained. Pharmacokinetic (PK) data from these individual studies were pooled and analyzed. This is the first published review to compare head‐to‐head the PK of Photofrin and Photochlor.
A fluorescence-based method for direct measurement of submicrosecond intramolecular contact formation in biopolymers: an exploratory study with polypeptides.

A fluorescent amino acid derivative (Fmoc-DBO) has been synthesized, which contains 2,3-diazabicyclo[2.2. 2]oct-2-ene (DBO) as a small, hydrophilic fluorophore with an extremely long fluorescence lifetime (325 ns in H2O and 505 ns in D2O under air). Polypeptides containing both the DBO residue and an efficient fluorescence quencher allow the measurement of rate constants for intramolecular end-to-end contact formation. Bimolecular quenching experiments indicated that Trp, Cys, Met, and Tyr are efficient quenchers of DBO (k(q) = 20, 5.1, 4.5, and 3.6 x 10(8) M(-1) x s(-1) in D2O), while the other amino acids are inefficient. The quenching by Trp, which was selected as an intrinsic quencher, is presumed to involve exciplex-induced deactivation. Flexible, structureless polypeptides, Trp-(Gly-Ser)n-DBO-NH2, were prepared by standard solid-phase synthesis, and the rates of contact formation were measured through the intramolecular fluorescence quenching of DBO by Trp with time-correlated single-photon counting, laser flash photolysis, and steady-state fluorometry. Rate constants of 4.1, 6.8, 4.9, 3.1, 2.0, and 1.1 x 10(7) s(-1) for n = 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, and 10 were obtained. Noteworthy was the relatively slow quenching for the shortest peptide (n = 0). The kinetic data are in agreement with recent transient absorption studies of triplet probes for related peptides, but the rate constants are significantly larger. In contrast to the flexible structureless Gly-Ser polypeptides, the polyproline Trp-Pro4-DBO-NH2 showed insignificant fluorescence quenching, suggesting that a high polypeptide flexibility and the possibility of probe-quencher contact is essential to induce quenching. Advantages of the new fluorescence-based method for measuring contact formation rates in biopolymers include high accuracy, fast time range (100 ps-1 micros), and the possibility to perform measurements in water under air.
High Q Printed Helical Resonators for Oscillators and Filters

High Q compact printed helical resonators which operate from around 1.8 to 2 GHz are described. These consist of a multilayer printed circuit board (PCB) incorporating a printed helical transmission line. Loss in the via hole is reduced by ensuring that the standing wave current at this point is near zero. This ensures a significant increase in Q. Further increased energy storage per unit volume is achieved due to the 3-D helical nature of the resonator. Unloaded Qs of 235 and 195 have been obtained on low loss PCBs with dielectric constants of 2.2 and 10.5, respectively. Two applications for these resonators are described in this paper. The first is the design of a compact low noise oscillator where the ratio of QL/Qo, and hence insertion loss, is adjusted for low noise. The 2-GHz oscillator demonstrates a phase noise of -120 dBc/Hz at 10 kHz which is predicted exactly by the theory. The second is a three- section filter designed to offer the response required by the front end filter of a modern GSM mobile telephone. In the filter design three helical resonators are coupled together to produce a completely printed triplate bandpass filter.
Wearable Technology - Development of Polypyrrole Textile Electrodes for Electromyography

Following the work already done, in particular the “textile arm" by the authors, incorporating metallic filaments in the fabric during the weaving process with the aim of capturing surface electromyography signals, we concluded that there was a need to maximise the area of contact with skin to improve the obtained electrodes signals. The main objective of this work is the development of electrodes embedded into textile materials able to capture electromyography signals, using the polypyrrole conducting polymer, both in coating of electrodes directly into the textile fabric and preparing a conductor yarn with this polymer to obtain a knit structure. This work allowed developing wearable technology textile structures for muscle activity monitoring, through the measurement of electromyography signals, keeping simultaneously comfort and easy-care textile characteristics. The signals obtained with this approach had a good definition compared with commercial electrodes and with the great advantage of this procedure can be applied in industrial production.
PML Contributes to a Cellular Mechanism of Repression of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Infection That Is Inactivated by ICP0

ABSTRACT Promyelocytic leukemia (PML) nuclear bodies (also known as ND10) are nuclear substructures that contain several proteins, including PML itself, Sp100, and hDaxx. PML has been implicated in many cellular processes, and ND10 are frequently associated with the replicating genomes of DNA viruses. During herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection, the viral regulatory protein ICP0 localizes to ND10 and induces the degradation of PML, thereby disrupting ND10 and dispersing their constituent proteins. ICP0-null mutant viruses are defective in PML degradation and ND10 disruption, and concomitantly they initiate productive infection very inefficiently. Although these data are consistent with a repressive role for PML and/or ND10 during HSV-1 infection, evidence in support of this hypothesis has been inconclusive. By use of short interfering RNA technology, we demonstrate that depletion of PML increases both gene expression and plaque formation by an ICP0-negative HSV-1 mutant, while having no effect on wild-type HSV-1. We conclude that PML contributes to a cellular antiviral repression mechanism that is countered by the activity of ICP0.
Passive velocity field control with discontinuous desired fields: Non-smooth potential gradient vector field

A wide variety of robot tasks cannot be achieved by a smooth velocity field. This paper considers discontinuous desired velocity fields that represent robot tasks. We propose passive velocity field control (PVFC) with discontinuous desired velocity fields. The method deals with a discontinuous field produced by a generalized differential of a non-smooth potential function. The PVFC requires the calculation of a derivative of desired velocity fields. Therefore, we introduce a novel generalized differential of discontinuous vector fields, called disassembled Hessian matrix, which is a second derivative of a non-smooth potential function. Theoretical analysis shows that a closed-loop system with the method satisfies passivity in the sense of the sample-and-hold solution. The simulation result illustrates that the proposed method achieves the same properties of the conventional PVFC, even though the desired velocity field is discontinuous.
A Search Architecture Enabling Efficient Diversification of Search Results

In this paper, we deal with efficiency of the diversification of results returned by Web Search Engines (WSEs). We extend a search architecture based on additive Machine Learned Ranking (MLR) systems with a new module computing the diversity score of each retrieved document. Our proposed solution is designed to be used with other techniques, (e.g. early termination of rank computation, etc.). Furthermore, we use an efficient state-of-the-art diversification approach based on knowledge extracted from query logs, and prove that it can efficiently works in a additive machine learned ranking system, and we study its feasibility.
Antibody reactivity to the immunodominant epitopes of the caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus gp38 transmembrane protein associates with the development of arthritis

High titers of antibodies to caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus (CAEV) envelope (Env) glycoproteins are found in infected goats developing a progressive arthritis. In order to identify linear B epitopes of the CAEV Env, which may be involved in the immunopathology of arthritis, we constructed a lambda gt11 Env expression library. By combining library screening with sera from naturally infected Swiss goats with an enzyme immunoassay with overlapping peptides (pepscan), four group-specific epitopes could be precisely defined in the transmembrane envelope proteins: TM1 to TM4, including a conserved structure (TM3) that corresponds to the immunodominant epitope of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and other lentiviruses. A panel of 190 CAEV naturally infected goat serum samples, obtained from animals with defined clinical status, was tested for reactivity to synthetic peptides corresponding to the TM epitopes in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Antibody reactivity to two epitopes was highly associated (TM3, P = 0.002, and TM4, P < 0.001) with the presence of clinically detectable arthritis. Such an association is absent for anti-Gag antibody. Antibodies to the immunodominant structures of the TM glycoprotein could thus have an important role in the immunopathogenic process leading to disease.
Potencjał a pozycja konkurencyjna przemysłu spożywczego w krajach Unii Europejskiej

W artykule przedstawiono zróżnicowanie potencjału i pozycji konkurencyjnej przemysłu spożywczego w krajach UE i relacji zachodzących między tymi wymiarami konkurencyjności. Badania wskazują, że korelacja między syntetycznymi wskaźnikami konkurencyjności była przeciętna. Największy związek odnotowano między syntetycznym wskaźnikiem potencjału konkurencyjnego a udziałem w wewnątrzunijnym eksporcie.
Corneo- Conjunctival Auto Grafting in Pterygium Surgery

To evaluate the efficacy of conjunctival auto grafting in surgical management of primary and recurrent pterygium, the record of 150 patients comprising 47 females and 103 males who underwent corneocunjunctival auto graft transplant surgery for primary and recurrent pterygia from 1997 to 2003 was reviewed retrospectively. Follow up was done for six months after the surgery. Recurrence of pterygium was considered as failure. All grafts were transplanted promptly. Recurrence was noted in four patients (2.6%). Mild discomfort in the immediate post-operative period was noted in all the patients. Donor site healed without any complication in all the patients.The results indicate that corneo-conjunctival autograft transplantation is an effective treatment for management of both primary & recurrent pterygia.
Robust Digital Image Watermarking by Selecting the Optimal Feature Region Set

In this paper, a feature-based robust digitalimage watermarking algorithm is proposed to achieve the goal of image authentication and protection simultaneously. The Harris–Laplacian feature detector is at first adopted to extract characteristic regions of an image in the proposed watermark embedding scheme. Then the copyright watermark is embedded into these characteristic regions according to the local orientation of each pixel. The proposed watermark detection scheme to extract the copyright watermark and the authentic information independently and blindly from watermarked images. Various attacks are also applied to the watermarked images in order to examine the robustness of our algorithm. It can resist geometric attacks and noise like signal processing attacks. This method can be integrated into the feature-based watermarking schemes to enhance their robustness.
How negative online information affects consumers' brand evaluation: The moderating effects of brand attachment and source credibility

– The goal of this study is to investigate the relationships among brand attachment, online source credibility, and severity of negative online information on perceived negative change in brand evaluation and perceived brand risk. , – A 2×2×2 experiment was conducted to explore the effects of brand attachment (low or high), online source credibility (low or high), and online information severity (low or high) on perceived negative change in brand evaluation and perceived brand risk. , – The results showed that the severity of negative online information affects perceived negative change in brand evaluation and perceived brand risk significantly. However brand attachment can reduce the effects of negative online information on perceived negative change in brand evaluation and perceived brand risk significantly. The results also showed that the effect of the severity of negative online information on perceived negative change in brand evaluation and perceived brand risk is moderated by online source credibility. , – In addition to the main effects in the proposed research model, it is the first study to explore the moderating effects of brand attachment and online source credibility on the relationship between negative online information and perceived negative change in brand evaluation and perceived brand risk.
Topiramate increases brain GABA, homocarnosine, and pyrrolidinone in patients with epilepsy

Objective: To measure the effects of topiramate on brain gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in patients with epilepsy. Background: Topiramate is a new antiepileptic medication with multiple putative mechanisms of action. In a recent meta-analysis of the newer antiepileptic drugs, topiramate was the most potent. Homocarnosine and pyrrolidinone are important metabolites of GABA with antiepileptic actions. Methods: In vivo measurements of GABA, homocarnosine, and pyrrolidinone were made of a 14-cm3 volume in the occipital cortex using 1H spectroscopy with a 2.1-Tesla magnetic resonance spectrometer and an 8-cm surface coil. Twelve patients (eight women) with refractory complex partial seizures were studied while using topiramate. Nine epilepsy-free, drug-free volunteers served as control subjects. Results: Topiramate increased mean brain GABA, homocarnosine, and pyrrolidinone concentrations in all patients. In paired measurements, brain GABA increased by 0.7 μmol/g (SD 0.3, n 7, 95% CI 0.4 to 1.0, p < 0.01). Homocarnosine increased by 0.5 μmol/g (SD 0.2, n 7, 95% CI 0.3 to 0.7, p < 0.001). Pyrrolidinone increased by 0.21 μmol/g (SD 0.06, n 7, 95% CI 0.16 to 0.27, p < 0.01). In two additional patients, GABA, homocarnosine, and pyrrolidinone increased after they were switched from vigabatrin to topiramate. Conclusions: Topiramate increased brain GABA, homocarnosine, and pyrrolidinone to levels that could contribute to its potent antiepileptic action in patients with complex partial seizures.
Earnings management and stock price crashes post-crossdelisting

We test whether cross-delisted firms from the major U.S. stock exchanges experience an increase in crash risk associated with earnings management. Consistent with our prediction, we find that earnings management have a greater positive impact on stock price crash risk post-cross-delisting when compared to a sample of still cross-listed firms. Moreover, our results suggest that this effect is more pronounced for crossdelisted firms from countries with weaker investor protection and poorer quality of their information environment. We further examine whether managers’ ability to manipulate earnings increases post-cross-delisting around seasoned equity offerings. Our evidence shows that cross-delisted firms that engage in earnings management to inflate reported earnings prior to a seasoned equity offering are more likely to observe a subsequent stock price crash.