Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Preoperative diagnosis of ovarian tumors with MR imaging: comparison with transvaginal sonography, positron emission tomography, and histologic findings.

OBJECTIVE Our study evaluated the diagnostic performance of MR imaging compared with that of transvaginal sonography and positron emission tomography (PET) in patients with clinically asymptomatic adnexal findings. An additional goal was to determine whether the combination of the three methods enhanced their diagnostic accuracy. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Included in the study were 103 women with suspicious adnexal findings on sonography. Patients underwent transvaginal sonography, MR imaging, and PET within 3 weeks of the initial sonography. For MR imaging, axial and sagittal T1-weighted gradient-echo sequences (unenhanced and enhanced) and T2-weighted turbo-spin-echo sequences were acquired. Transvaginal sonography was performed with a 7.5-MHz transducer head. For PET, a modern full-ring scanner was used. The results of diagnostic imaging techniques were first evaluated separately, and reviewers were blinded to the results of other methods. Finally, a second session resulted in a consensus diagnosis based on the findings of all three methods. Results of histology were considered the gold standard. RESULTS Histology revealed 12 malignant and 91 benign ovarian tumors. The following data were calculated for MR imaging, transvaginal sonography, PET, and consensus diagnosis: sensitivities, 83%, 92%, 58%, 92%; specificities, 84%, 59%, 78%, 84%; diagnostic accuracies, 83%, 63%, 76%, 85%, respectively. MR imaging, particularly with contrast-enhanced fat-saturated T1-weighted sequences, was found to correctly reveal dermoid and endometrial cysts. All three methods had false-negative findings with borderline tumors. CONCLUSION Transvaginal sonography is the diagnostic method of choice as a screening technique for ovarian processes. Suspicious findings on transvaginal sonography should be confirmed on MR imaging. If MR imaging confirms a dermoid or endometrial cyst, further diagnostic procedures may be unnecessary. In all other cases, a surgical evaluation must be considered.
A Comprehensive Survey of Watermarking Relational Databases Research

Watermarking and fingerprinting of relational databases are quite proficient for ownership protection, tamper proofing, and proving data integrity. In past few years several such techniques have been proposed. A survey of almost all the work done, till date, in these fields has been presented in this paper. The techniques have been classified on the basis of how and where they embed the watermark. The analysis and comparison of these techniques on different merits has also been provided. In the end, this paper points out the direction of future research in these fields.
Mutations of the phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) gene in Brazilian patients with phenylketonuria

In the present study, 115 Brazilian families with phenylketonuria (PKU), mainly from the Southeast of the country, were studied using three laboratory methods (DGGE, SSCP, and sequencing). All 13 exons of the PAH gene were analyzed, including the splicing sites and the promoter region. We identified 50 distinct mutations and characterized 91% of the mutant alleles. The five most prevalent mutations of the 50 mutations identified (50% of the PKU alleles) were IVS10nt‐11G→A (17.4%), followed by R261Q (12.2%), V388M (9.1%), R252W (6.5%), and R270K (4.8%). The other mutations were rare. The mutation spectrum included 10 novel mutations (IVS5nt‐54A→G, IVS6nt17G→T, E205A, F240S, K274E, I318T, L321L, C357G, IVS11nt17G→A, and S411X). To characterize the origin and distribution of the PAH alleles we determined the association between the detected mutations and the PCR/RFLP haplotypes and VNTR alleles located on the PAH gene. For those patients whose mutant alleles were detected, we calculated the correlation with pretreatment phenylalanine levels, thus establishing a genotype/phenotype correlation. The present results confirm the marked heterogeneity observed at the PAH locus and contribute to the understanding of the distribution and frequency of PKU mutations in the Brazilian population. Hum Mutat 17:122–130, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Nature and Scope of Brand Portfolio Signals within Brand Portfolio Management

Brand portfolio management not only requires creating and sustaining brand portfolio singals in the marketplace, but also gradually developing an understanding of those signals. This paper discusses the opportunity space for creating and sending relevant brand portfolio signals from the brand owners to the market(s) in terms of end-consumers or financial markets. In addition, a valuable distinction between strategic and tactic brand portfolio signals are provided in the text.
FarsiSpell: A spell-checking system for Persian using a large monolingual corpus

In recent years, great availability of various language resources in different forms as well as rapid development of computer technology and programming skills have made researchers in the fields of linguistics and computer science cooperate in solving different problems of computational linguistics and natural language processing. Building large monolingual as well as bilingual corpora in digital forms and storing them in computer memories has enabled linguists and lan- guage engineers to automatically explore techniques for processing information with the help of various computer programs without any need to manually col- lect and analyze data. One of the main applications of monolingual corpora can be seen in developing automatic spell-checking systems. In such systems, a large monolingual corpus can function as a database instead of a monolingual dictionary. In the present study, it has been tried to demonstrate the effectiveness of a large monolingual corpus of Persian in improving the output quality of a spell-checker developed for this language. In the present spelling correction system, the three phases of error detection, making suggestions, and ranking suggestions are performed in three separate stages. An experiment was carried out to evaluate the performance of the spell-checking system.
Payment and Policy Consequentiality in Contingent Valuation

In stated preference survey research, policy consequentiality exists when the respondent believes that the results of a survey will influence actual policy. Payment consequentiality exists when respondents perceive that there is some non-zero probability that they will have to pay the bid amount. In this study we test for both types of consequentiality using a survey about water conservation measures in western North Carolina. Our analysis finds that both policy and payment consequentiality exist in responses to willingness-to-pay for water conservation measures. Respondents who self-report that they perceive the survey to be consequential are willing to pay positive amounts for the policy. Respondents who do not perceive the survey to be consequential answer with protest no responses and are not responsive to the tax amount in the referendum voting question. In addition as the tax amount increases respondents are less likely to find the survey to be consequential. Understanding the boundaries of consequentiality can contribute to improved survey design to estimate public willingness-to-pay for and acceptance of water conservation programs. Key Words:
Intermediation as Rent Extraction

We propose a theory of intermediation as rent extraction, and explore its implications for the extent of intermediation, welfare and policy. A frictional asset market is populated by agents who are heterogeneous with respect to their bargaining skills, as some can commit to take-it-or-leave-it offers and others cannot. In equilibrium, agents with commitment power act as intermediaries and those without act as final users. Agents with commitment trade on behalf of agents without commitment to extract more rents from third parties. If agents can invest in a commitment technology, there are multiple equilibria differing in the fraction of intermediaries. Equilibria with more intermediaries have lower welfare and any equilibrium with intermediation is inefficient. Intermediation grows as trading frictions become small and during times when interest rates are low. A simple transaction tax can restore efficiency by eliminating any scope for bargaining.
Tax professionals' views on self assessment system

Malaysia has adopted an Official Assessment System (OAS) whereby taxpayers were assessed by the tax authorities based on the tax returns filled by them. The Malaysian Government has introduced a Self Assessment System (SAS) in stages commencing with companies from 2001. This new strategy require taxpayers to take more responsibility for getting their tax returns correct, since the information which they furnish in their returns will be accepted at face value by the Inland Revenue Board (IRB). The IRB, however, will audit some cases at random and if it has inaccurate information, the taxpayers concerned will be liable for prosecution.This survey focuses on the role of tax professionals under SAS. The findings of the survey reports on tax professionals' views and level of preparation towards the implementation of SAS in Malaysia. The findings also report on problems faced by tax professionals under the existing official assessment tax system and seek to ascertain tax professionals' perception towards the introduction of the new assessment system. Finally, the data provides some input on the preparatory measures to be undertaken by the IRB to facilitate tax practitioners' role in enhancing tax compliance under the new assessment system.
Naked Finance: Business Finance Pure and Simple

For most managers, the normal round of hectic schedules, tricky staff issues and impending deadlines are well within their management capabilities. It is the financial issues that give them headaches. Nobody has ever explained how to balance sales against costs, how to interpret financial reports, how to prepare a budget or even how to argue the case for the new equipment their department needs so badly. They have no idea why the company's share price keeps falling and certainly don't understand why this should result in layoffs. In fact, the whole issue of finance is a mystery. Successful management of the finances of a business requires an understanding of some key principles - and that is what Naked Finance is all about. It strips away all the technical issues surrounding financial management and lays bare the principles needed to make sound financial decisions. Firstly, Meckin shows how to identify financial objectives so you know where you are going - explaining the importance of profit and cashflow, how to measure financial performance and which are the key figures to watch. He then outlines how to use financial information to understand what's going on around you, covering the format and content of financial statements and how they can be used to assess past trading performance. Finally he describes how to ensure financial control and create a financial plan so you can take control of where you are going, managing costs, sales, profit and cash flow and long-term projects. Purely and simply, Naked Finance provides the skills necessary to manage a profitable business.
The survival pathways phosphatidylinositol‐3 kinase (PI3‐K)/phosphoinositide‐dependent protein kinase 1 (PDK1)/Akt modulate liver regeneration through hepatocyte size rather than proliferation

Liver regeneration comprises a series of complicated processes. The current study was designed to investigate the roles of phosphoinositide‐dependent protein kinase 1 (PDK1)‐associated pathways in liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy (PH) using liver‐specific Pdk1‐knockout (L‐Pdk1KO) and Pdk1/STAT3 double KO (L‐DKO) mice. There was no liver regeneration, and 70% PH was lethal in L‐Pdk1KO mice. Liver regeneration was severely impaired equally in L‐Pdk1KO and L‐DKO mice, even after nonlethal 30% PH. There was no cell growth (measured as increase of cell size) after hepatectomy in L‐Pdk1KO mice, although the post‐PH mitotic response was the same as in controls. As expected, hepatectomy did not induce hepatic Akt‐phosphorylation (Thr308) in L‐Pdk1KO mice, and post‐PH phosphorylation of Akt, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), p70 ribosomal S6 kinase (p70S6K), and S6 were also reduced. To examine the specific role of PDK1‐associated signals, a “pif‐pocket” mutant of PDK1, which allows PDK1 only to phosphorylate Akt, was used. Liver regeneration was recovered in L‐Pdk1KO mice with a “pif‐pocket” mutant of PDK1. This re‐activated Akt in L‐Pdk1KO mice liver and induced post‐PH cell growth, without affecting cell proliferation. Further deletion of STAT3 (L‐DKO mice) did not further deteriorate liver regeneration, although this certainly reduced post‐PH mitotic response. These findings indicate that PDK1/Akt contribute to liver regeneration by regulating cell size. Regarding phosphatidylinositol‐3 kinase (PI3‐K), immediate upstream signal of PDK1, activation of PI3‐K induced cell proliferation via STAT3 activation in the liver of L‐Pdk1KO mice but did not improve impaired liver regeneration. This confirmed the pivotal role of PDK1 in liver regeneration and cell growth. Conclusion: PDK1/Akt‐mediated responsive cell growth is essential for normal liver regeneration after PH, especially when cell proliferation is impaired. (HEPATOLOGY 2009;49:204‐214.)
Evaluation of failure detectors based a cost metric

This paper proposes a method of analysis for evaluating failure detectors. The method can be applied to compare the performance of failure detectors, and to determine the optimal operating parameter of a failure detector in a given environment. Through a cost analysis approach, this method creates a cost metric, average lost, which might tackle with comparing two failure detectors. Through the consequent experiment, we conclude that the value of a failure detector depend on the user's request, the probability of process crash and the network environment where the failure detector runs.
Knowledge Worker Behavioral Responses and Job Outcomes in Mandatory Enterprise System Use Contexts

We extend models of technology acceptance to understand the acceptance of enterprise systems by knowledge workers involved in strategic business processes by explicitly considering the IT innovation context in three ways: by incorporating work process interdependence, identity, and standards; by examining the interactive effects of these characteristics with implementation characteristics, social influence and facilitating conditions, and by addressing how mental acceptance by employees can be gauged when use is mandated. We empirically test our model using data collected during a field study of the adoption of an enterprise sourcing system by knowledge workers performing the sourcing process. We find that the knowledge worker’s pre-implementation work process characteristics and the implementation characteristics, individually and jointly, influence employee perceptions of the performance benefits of adopting the new enterprise system. These findings provide greater understanding of the innovation process for enterprise systems and suggest opportunities for managers to intervene to drive employee acceptance of enterprise systems in the context of employees’ work processes.
CSR Mapping: Swiss Stakeholder Salience, Concerns, and Ethics

Previous research on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Switzerland has made few attempts to identify actual and potential stakeholders and their diverging contributions to this topic.Using stakeholder map methodology, showing power, urgency, legitimacy, and concerns of different actors, the paper investigates the current state of Swiss CSR. To derive this map, publicly available documents were explored, augmented by 27 interviews with key stakeholders (consumers, media, government, trade unions, Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs), banks, certifiers, and consultants) and management of different companies (Multinational Enterprises (MNEs), Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), and large national companies). Using MAXQDA, the quantified codes given for power, legitimacy, and urgency were transferred into stakeholder priorities or, in other words, into positions in the map. Further, the codes given in the interviews for different CSR interests and the results from the document analysis were linked between stakeholders. The identified concerns and priorities were quantitatively analysed in regard to centrality and salience using VennMaker.The paper found SMEs, MNEs, and cooperating NPOs as being the most significant stakeholders. Swiss CSR is therefore not primarily driven by regulators, market pressure, or customers. Further network parameters substantiated the importance of SMEs while following an unconventionally informal, but innovative, vibrant, and practical CSR approach, emerging for reasons alter than conventional agendas are supposed to evolve. In fact, the findings may point at a very different and highly sophisticated role businesses have adopted in Switzerland, manifesting in democratic decisions and abolished hierarchies, handshakes instead of formal contracts, and transparency in all respects (e.g. performance indicators, salaries, and bonuses). Hence, as a new stance and argument within CSR related research, this paper concludes that “informal” does not mean “weak”.
Spatial distribution of the persistent organic pollutants across the Tibetan Plateau and its linkage with the climate systems: a 5-year air monitoring study

Abstract. The Tibetan Plateau (TP) has been contaminated by persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including legacy organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) through atmospheric transport. The exact source regions, transport pathways and time trends of POPs to the TP are not well understood. Here polystyrene–divinylbenzene copolymer resin (XAD)-based passive air samplers (PASs) were deployed at 16 Tibetan background sites from 2007 to 2012 to gain further insight into spatial patterns and temporal trends of OCPs and PCBs. The southeastern TP was characterized by dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT)-related chemicals delivered by Indian monsoon air masses. The northern and northwestern TP displayed the greatest absolute concentration and relative abundance of hexachlorobenzene (HCB) in the atmosphere, caused by the westerly-driven European air masses. The interactions between the DDT polluted Indian monsoon air and the clean westerly winds formed a transition zone in central Tibet, where both DDT and HCB were the dominant chemicals. Based on 5 years of continuous sampling, our data indicated declining concentrations of HCB and hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs) across the Tibetan region. Inter-annual trends of DDT class chemicals, however, showed less variation during this 5-year sampling period, which may be due to the ongoing usage of DDT in India. This paper demonstrates the possibility of using POP fingerprints to investigate the climate interactions and the validity of using PAS to derive inter-annual atmospheric POP time trends.
Performance of Cooperatives and Investor-Owned Firms in the Dairy Industry

A comparison of regional dairy cooperatives with investor-owned dairy firms from the period 1976-87 produced empirical findings that are at variance with the hypotheses suggested by the theory of cooperatives. The cooperatives in the sample performed significantly better than the IOFs when compared by leverage, liquidity, asset turnover, and coverage ratios, while the rate of return to equity was not found to be significantly different. Techniques are also proposed for valuing the nonmarket aspects of cooperatives that are not captured by financial ratio analysis.
Dexmedetomidine Attenuates Isoflurane-induced Neurocognitive Impairment in Neonatal Rats

Background:Neuroapoptosis is induced by the administration of anesthetic agents to the young. As α2 adrenoceptor signaling plays a trophic role during development and is neuroprotective in several settings of neuronal injury, the authors investigated whether dexmedetomidine could provide functional protection against isoflurane-induced injury. Methods:Isoflurane-induced injury was provoked in organotypic hippocampal slice cultures in vitro or in vivo in postnatal day 7 rats by a 6-h exposure to 0.75% isoflurane with or without dexmedetomidine. In vivo, the α2 adrenoceptor antagonist atipamezole was used to identify if dexmedetomidine neuroprotection involved α2 adrenoceptor activation. The γ-amino-butyric-acid type A antagonist, gabazine, was also added to the organotypic hippocampal slice cultures in the presence of isoflurane. Apoptosis was assessed using cleaved caspase-3 immunohistochemistry. Cognitive function was assessed in vivo on postnatal day 40 using fear conditioning. Results:In vivo dexmedetomidine dose-dependently prevented isoflurane-induced injury in the hippocampus, thalamus, and cortex; this neuroprotection was attenuated by treatment with atipamezole. Although anesthetic treatment did not affect the acquisition of short-term memory, isoflurane did induce long-term memory impairment. This neurocognitive deficit was prevented by administration of dexmedetomidine, which also inhibited isoflurane-induced caspase-3 expression in organotypic hippocampal slice cultures in vitro; however, gabazine did not modify this neuroapoptosis. Conclusion:Dexmedetomidine attenuates isoflurane-induced injury in the developing brain, providing neurocognitive protection. Isoflurane-induced injury in vitro appears to be independent of activation of the γ-amino-butyric-acid type A receptor. If isoflurane-induced neuroapoptosis proves to be a clinical problem, administration of dexmedetomidine may be an important adjunct to prevent isoflurane-induced neurotoxicity.
Phase calibration of spatial light modulators by means of Fresnel images

Reliable application of spatial light modulators (SLMs) as programmable diffractive optical elements requires a thorough calibration. In this paper, we propose a method for calibrating SLMs based on the evaluation of Fresnel images. Fresnel images generated by a binary phase diffraction grating consist of binary irradiance distributions whose visibility depends on the phase modulation. Displaying on our device a diffraction grating with a binary phase step along one direction and a linearly increasing phase along the orthogonal direction, we perform a complete phase calibration. In this way, the phase modulation for every pixel and for every value of the entrance signal can be determined experimentally. Additionally, data acquisition can be significantly simplified with this scheme.
The Asymmetric Impact of Volatility Risk on Hedge Fund Returns

I investigate the asymmetric impact of volatility risk on returns of hedge fund strategies. I compare volatility risk exposures to price risk exposures by considering the causation between implied volatility and market returns. I also investigate whether the latest financial crises have caused structural changes in the risk exposures. My results indicate that the volatility risk is related to returns of most hedge fund strategies in a nonlinear way. Further, the use of volatility risk as a factor in hedge fund analysis suffers from asymmetry that is similar to the impact of price risk.
Calf care and raising young stock

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