Expanding the selection criteria of laparoscopic hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma

The introduction of laparoscopic procedures is one of the milestones of surgical innovation over the past few decades. The advantages of minimally invasive approach have been gradually accepted owing to its less postoperative pain, reduced morbidity and faster recovery. Also, since the introduction of laparoscopic approach of liver surgery in 1955 （1）, the benefit of the procedure had long been questioned but expected.

An investigation of several typical model selection criteria for detecting the number of signals

Based on the problem of detecting the number of signals,this paper provides a systematic empirical investigation on model selection performances of several classical criteria and recently developed methods(including Akaike’s information criterion(AIC),Schwarz’s Bayesian information criterion,Bozdogan’s consistent AIC,Hannan-Quinn information criterion,Minka’s(MK)principal component analysis(PCA)criterion,Kritchman&Nadler’s hypothesis tests(KN),Perry&Wolfe’s minimax rank estimation thresholding algorithm(MM),and Bayesian Ying-Yang(BYY)harmony learning),by varying signal-to-noise ratio(SNR)and training sample size N.A family of model selection indifference curves is defined by the contour lines of model selection accuracies,such that we can examine the joint effect of N and SNR rather than merely the effect of either of SNR and N with the other fixed as usually done in the literature.The indifference curves visually reveal that all methods demonstrate relative advantages obviously within a region of moderate N and SNR.Moreover,the importance of studying this region is also confirmed by an alternative reference criterion by maximizing the testing likelihood.It has been shown via extensive simulations that AIC and BYY harmony learning,as well as MK,KN,and MM,are relatively more robust than the others against decreasing N and SNR,and BYY is superior for a small sample size.

A preliminary study on criteria weights for a library's digital resource selection:From the viewpoints of both users and librarians

Through investigating both users' and librarians' perceptions of the relative importance of the major criteria governing the selection of digital resources, we attempted to develop a criterion weight framework for a library's selection of digital resources, which can meet both the users' requirements and the library's goal of developing digital collections. The respective weight of each specific criterion is decided through the Analytic Hierarchy Process(AHP) Method. The findings of this study indicate that, when assigning weights to the selection criteria, it is important to consult the opinions of a wide crosssection of people, especially the views of different users. As a result, the digital resource selection system characterized by the criteria weights can reflect more comprehensively the users' requirements, and meanwhile it enables librarians' more rational selection of digital resources.

Liver transplantation as an alternative for the treatment of neuroendocrine liver metastasis: Appraisal of the current evidence

Background:Liver transplantation(LT)for neuroendocrine liver metastases(NELM)is still in debate.Studies comparing LT with liver resection(LR)for NELM are scarce,as patient selection is heterogeneous and experience is limited.The goal of this review was to provide a critical analysis of the evidence on LT versus LR in the treatment of NELM.Data sources:A scoping literature search on LT and LR for NELM was performed with PubMed,including English articles up to March 2023.Results:International guidelines recommend LR for NELM in resectable,well-differentiated tumors in the absence of extrahepatic metastatic disease with superior results of LR compared to systemic or liver-directed therapies.Advanced liver surgery has extended resectability criteria whilst entailing increased perioperative risk and short disease-free survival.In highly selected patients(based on the Milan criteria)with unresectable NELM,oncologic results of LT are promising.Prognostic factors include tumor biology(G1/G2)and burden,waiting time for LT,patient age and extrahepatic spread.Based on low-level evi-dence,LT for low-grade NELM within the Milan criteria resulted in improved disease-free survival and overall survival compared to LR.The benefits of LT were lost in patients beyond the Milan NELM-criteria.Conclusions:With adherence to strict selection criteria especially tumor biology,LT for NELM is becoming a valuable option providing oncologic benefits compared to LR.Recent evidence suggests even stricter selection criteria with regard to tumor biology.

Evaluation of alternative criteria for determining the optimal location of RWIS stations

This article presents a comprehensive framework for determining the location of road weather information system （RWIS） stations over a regional road network. In the proposed methodology, the region is divided into a grid of equal-sized zones which are considered as the minimum spatial unit for allocating a candidate set of RWIS stations. These zones are ranked according to a set of pre-specified criteria that reflect the needs for, and potential benefits from, real-time RWIS, including road surface temperature variability, precipitation, network traffic, and collision patterns. A case study based on the existing RWIS network in the province of Ontario was conducted to illustrate the major features of the proposed method and evaluate the implications of alternative loca- tion selection criteria. The findings of the study suggest that it is feasible to develop a systematic process for locating RWIS stations using an integrated location criterion to capture multiple factors being considered in prac- tice. The study has also revealed the need to establish quantitative models for estimating the benefit of real-time information from RWIS stations, which is the foundation of a cost-benefit-based RWIS location optimization model.

Study on Breeding Practices and Reproductive Performance of Black-Head Somali Sheep under Traditional Management System: The Case of Awbarre District, Eastern Ethiopia

The study was conducted in the Awbarre district of the Fafen zone of the Somali regional state of Ethiopia. The objective of the study was to assess the breeding practices and reproductive performance of Black-head Somali sheep under a traditional management system. Purposive and simple random sampling techniques were used to select targeted kebeles and households, respectively. A total of 120 households were selected from four kebeles, each of 30 households, based on the production system and sheep population. Semi-structured questionnaires, group discussions, key informants interviews and field observations were used to generate the required data. The primary purpose of keeping sheep was for income generation, followed by saving as a future asset. The majority (89.2%) of the respondents separated male and female animals during herding. The selection criteria for breeding rams were appearance, growth, pedigree, and color while for breeding ewes were appearance, adaptability, pedigree, color, and lamb growth. The overall weaning age of Black-head Somali sheep in the study area was 3.7 months for both males & females. The castration of male sheep was common for the purpose of fattening, fattening with breeding control and breeding control as well. The castration is mainly performed during the summer and autumn and the methods of castration were both traditional and modern methods, the traditional castration method being the most important one in pastoral areas. The age of sexual maturity was 7.64 months for rams and 8.97 months for ewe’s male and female lambs in the pastoral area and 8.42 & 8.38 for rams & ewes in agro-pastoral and overall lambing interval was 11 months. On average, the ewe of Black-head Somali sheep in pastoral & agro-pastoral could produce 9.49 & 9.57 lambs, respectively in their lifetime. As the pastoralists and agro-pastoralists indicated the source of the breeding ram was their own, so the exchange of breeding ram is recommended to minimize the risk of inbreeding and further studies of on-farm performance investigation would be necessary to be carried out so as to understand the uniqueness of the breed better.

Screening Methods for Waterlogging Tolerance at Maize (Zea mays L.) Seedling Stage

Waterlogging strongly affects agronomic performance of maize （Zea mays L.）. In order to investigate the suitable selection criteria of waterflooding tolerant genotypes, and identify the most susceptible stage and the best continuous treatment time to waterlogging, 20 common maize inbred lines were subjected to successive artificial waterflooding at seedling stage, and waterlogging tolerance coefficient （WTC） was used to screen waterflooding tolerant genotypes. In addition, peroxidase （POD） activities and malondialdehyde （MDA） contents were measured for 6 of 20 lines. The results showed that the second leaf stage （V2） was the most susceptible stage, and 6 d after waterflooding was the best continuous treatment time. Dry weight （DW） of both shoots and roots of all lines were significantly reduced at 6 d time-point of waterlogging, compared to control. POD activities and MDA contents were negatively and significantly correlated, and the correlation coefficient was -0.9686 （P 〈 0.0001）. According to the results, WTC of shoot DW can be used for practical screening as a suitable index, which is significantly different from control and waterlogged plants happened 6 d earlier. Furthermore, leaf chlorosis, MDA content and POD activities could also be used as reference index for material screening. The implications of the results for waterlogging-tolerant material screening and waterlogging-tolerant breeding have been discussed in maize.

Oil-Price Forecasting Based on Various Univariate Time-Series Models

Time-series-based forecasting is essential to determine how past events affect future events. This paper compares the performance accuracy of different time-series models for oil prices. Three types of univariate models are discussed: the exponential smoothing (ES), Holt-Winters (HW) and autoregressive intergrade moving average (ARIMA) models. To determine the best model, six different strategies were applied as selection criteria to quantify these models’ prediction accuracies. This comparison should help policy makers and industry marketing strategists select the best forecasting method in oil market. The three models were compared by applying them to the time series of regular oil prices for West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude. The comparison indicated that the HW model performed better than the ES model for a prediction with a confidence interval of 95%. However, the ARIMA (2, 1, 2) model yielded the best results, leading us to conclude that this sophisticated and robust model outperformed other simple yet flexible models in oil market.

Tree growth performance and estimation of wood quality in plantation trials for Maesopsis eminii and Shorea spp.

Plantations of tropical species axe becoming an increasingly important source of wood. However, it is important that research trials focus not only on tree growth performance, but also on wood quality. The aims of this study were to assess the growth performance of six commercially and ecologically important tree species from separate plantation trials in Indonesia and to determine the relationships between tree growth and wood quality in terms of the dynamic modulus of elasticity （MOE） and wood density. Forty-eight 7-year Maesopsis eminii Engl. and thirty-five 9-year specimens （7 each of 5 Shorea spp.） were selected from two trials. The MOE, based on acoustic velocity, was indirectly measured to evaluate wood stiffness. Tree-growth performance was evaluated, and correlations between growth traits and acoustic velocity as well as density and wood stiffness properties were estimated. The growth performance of M. eminii in terms of tree volume was significantly different in three different cate- gories of growth （i.e. fast, medium, slow）. Of the five Shorea spp. studied, Shorea leprosula Miq. had the highest growth rate, as expected since it is known to be a fastgrowing Shorea species. Indirect measurement of wood quality by means of non-destructive ultrasonic methods showed a weak negative correlation between tree volume and acoustic velocity and dynamic MOE. Although each fast-growing tree could reach a merchantable size faster than other varieties or species, wood traits of various species tested were not significantly different based on tree growth rate performance. The findings from this study could be used to improve selection criteria in future breeding trials; indirect measurements of the dynamic modulus of elasticity can be used in mass pre-selection of genetic materials, to choose the most-promising material for in-depth evaluation.

Selecting flagship species to solve a biodiversity conservation conundrum

The difficulty of effectively monitoring and managing the environment to conserve biodiversity is as yet an unsolved conundrum.A project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has concluded that progress can be made through the use of flagship species selected using criteria drawn from conservation biology,ecosystem function,socio-economics,and cultural importance.Inclusion of the latter three criteria will help attract and maintain the commitment of the public to play full parts in carrying out any conservation measures needed.A system is proposed for scoring species to select those that are most suitable as flagships.This method can be used regardless of the size of the area chosen for attention,whether it is a region,a country,or a particular protected area.

Suggested landfill sites for hazardous waste in Iraq

Iraq experienced two devastating wars in 1991 and 2003, during which massive amounts of new weapons and sophisticated manufactured nuclear weapons were used called Depleted Uranium (DU). As a consequence of the radioactive contamination;the humans are suffering from various disease like cancer and the environment is polluted. In practice, there is no strategy and/ or national program, not even well thought out plans and scientific personnel and technical equipment required to clean Iraq of these wastes. Reviewing the geological, topographical and hydrological data, it had been noticed that Umm Chaimin depression is a good candidate site to dump all contaminated radioactive scrap and soil. The suggested design of the landfill will ensure safe containment of the waste for hundreds of thousands of years even if significant climatic changes will take place.

FAST STEPWISE PROCEDURES OF SELECTION OF VARIABLES BY USING AIC AND BIC CRITERIA BIC CRITERIA

Fast stepwise procedures of selection of variables by using AIC and BIC criteria are proposed inthis paper. We shall use a short name 'FSP' for these new procedures. FSP are similar to the well-known stepwise regression procedures in computing steps. But FSP have two advantages. One of theseadvantages is that FSP are definitely convergent with a faster rate in finite computing steps. Anotheradvantage is that ESP can be used for large number of candidate variables. In this paper we alsoshow some asymptotic properties of FSP, and some simulation results.

Ordinary Urban Heritage of Rattanakosin: Ordinary restaurants and everyday foods of the historic center of Bangkok

This paper discussed the selection criteria for Ordinary Urban Heritage (OUH) in Rattanakosin, the historic center of Bangkok through the case of ordinary restaurants and everyday foods. The OUH stands for an alternative approach to heritage understanding and conservation, derived from the notion of ordinary heritage, vernacular heritage, and urban heritage emphasizing the heritages of the everydayness of ordinary people. The OUHs have co-existed and inherited through the evolution of the city but are overlooked by the official conservation process. Ordinary restaurants and everyday foods were selected by 5 criteria, 1) appeared for more than 50 years;2) created, developed, and used by ordinary people;3) found as the clusters;4) able to be adapted to the urban context;5) exist until the present day.The methodology applied to the analysis of the historical documents and Bangkok maps from 1887 to 1974, and the selection criteria developed from past research in another old commercial district of Bangkok were also reinvestigated with observational surveys. Ordinary restaurants and everyday foods are the outcomes representing the heritage of everyday life of ordinary people that are ubiquitously related to commercial activities.

Traditional Chinese medicinal herbs combined with epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor for advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND： Epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor （EGFR-TKI） targeted treatment has been a standard therapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC）, but it is not tolerated well by all patients. In China, some studies have reported that traditional Chinese medicinal herbs （TCMHs） may increase efficacy and reduce toxicity when combined with EGFR-TKI, but outside of China few studies of this kind have been attempted. OBJECTIVE： This study is intended to systematically review the existing clinical evidence on TCMHs combined with EGFR-TKI for treatment of advanced NSCLC. SEARCH STRATEGY： PubMed, the Cochrane Library, the Excerpta Medica Database （EMBASE）, the China BioMedical Literature （CBM）, and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure （CNKI） and web site of the American Society of Clinical Oncology （ASCO）, the European Society for Medical Oncology （ESMO）, the World Conference of Lung Cancer （WCLC） were searched; the search included all documents published in English or Chinese before October 2013. INCLUSION CRITERIA： We selected randomized controlled trials based on specific criteria, the most important of which was that a TCMH plus EGFR-TKI treatment group was compared with an EGFR-TKI control group in patients with advanced NSCLC. DATA EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS： The modified Jadad scale was used to assess the quality of studies. For each included study, patient characteristics, treatment details, therapeutic approach and clinical outcomes were collected on a standardized form. When disagreements on study inclusion or data extracted from a study emerged, the consensus of all coauthors provided the resolution. The clinical outcome metrics consisted of objective response rate （ORR; complete response ＋ partial response divided by the total number of patients）, disease control rate （DCR; complete response ＋ partial response ＋ no change divided by the total number of patients）, survival rate, improved or stabilized Karnofsky performance status （KPS）, and severe toxicity. RevMan 5.0 software was used for data syntheses and analyses. Risk ratio （RR） and 95% confidence interval （CI） were calculated; if the hypothesis of homogeneity was not rejected （P〉0.1, I2〈50%）, the fixed-effect model was used to calculate the summary RR and the 95% CI. Otherwise, a random-effect model was used.

Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Liver Transplantation:State of the Art

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an aggressive tumor that often occurs in chronic liver disease and cirrhosis.The incidence of HCC is growing worldwide.With respect to any other available treatment for liver cancer,liver transplantation (LT) has the highest potential to cure.LTallows for removal at once of both the tumor ("seed")and the damaged-hepatic tissue ("soil") where cancerogenesis and chronic liver disorders have progressed together.The Milan criteria (MC) have been applied worldwide to select patients with HCC for LT,yielding a 4-year survival rate of 75%.These criteria represent the benchmark for patient selection and are the basis for comparison with any other suggested criteria.However,MC are often considered to be too restrictive,and recent data show that between 25% and 50% of patients with HCC are currently transplanted beyond conventional indications.Consequently,any unrestricted expansion of selection criteria will increase the need for donor organs,lengthen waiting periods,increase drop-out rates,and impair outcomes on intention-to-treat analysis.Management of HCC recurrence after LT is challenging.There are a few reports available regarding the safety and efficacy of sorafenib for HCC recurrence after LT,but the data are heterogeneous.A multi-center prospective randomized controlled trial comparing placebo with sorafenib is advised.Alternatively,a metaanalysis of patient survival with sorafenib for HCC recurrence after LT could be helpful to characterize the therapeutic benefit and safety of sorafenib.Here,we review the use of LT for HCC,with particular emphasis on the selection criteria for transplantation in patients with HCC and management of HCC recurrence after LT.

Pharmaceutical amorphous solid dispersion: A review of manufacturing strategies

Amorphous solid dispersions(ASDs)are popular for enhancing the solubility and bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs.Various approaches have been employed to produce ASDs and novel techniques are emerging.This review provides an updated overview of manufacturing techniques for preparing ASDs.As physical stability is a critical quality attribute for ASD,the impact of formulation,equipment,and process variables,together with the downstream processing on physical stability of ASDs have been discussed.Selection strategies are proposed to identify suitable manufacturing methods,which may aid in the development of ASDs with satisfactory physical stability.

Redox Mediator Chemistry Regulated Aqueous Batteries:Insights into Mechanisms and Prospects

Redox mediators(RMs),serving as intermediate electron carriers or reservoirs,play vital roles in developing new charge transfer energy storage systems with high voltage or capacity in aqueous batteries.However,the underlying mechanism and selection criteria of RMs remain unclear in aqueous batteries,which hinders the further exploitation of new RMs and aqueous battery chemistries.

Liver transplantation for malignant liver tumors

Liver transplantation is a highly effective treatment not only for acute or chronic liver failure but also for primary liver cancer such as hepatocellular carcinoma,perihilar cholangiocarcinoma,intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma,and metastatic tumors such as from neuroendocrine or colorectal liver metastases.The success strongly relies on strict adherence to stringent selection criteria,which lead to excellent outcomes,while previously regarded as contraindication for liver transplantation.These impressive results are,however,mostly achieved with a combination of pretreatment strategies and convincing control of the tumor growth prior to transplantation,as well as minimizing long-term immunosuppression.With this emergence of oncologic liver transplantation,we expect an increasing need of grafts,and therefore included in this report strategies to improve the number of available grafts by maximizing liver utilization rates.Modern machine liver perfusion approaches may play in this respect an important role.

What Do Employers Want? Views of Chinese and Canadian Job Seekers

Rapid globalization has led to many studies of cross-cultural issues and their implications for management. As China＇s importance in the international economy rises, the level of international business cooperation continues to increase. This paper first identifies differences in the cultural orientations of Chinese and Canadians entering the job market and then examines how these orientations are related to their perceptions of the criteria employers use when hiring. The analyses show that the cultural differences are not consistent with Hofstede＇s previous work. Further, there are significant differences in the qualities that are considered important when seeking a job. The results of this study increase mutual understanding and improve business relationships between the two countries.

Predictive modeling of COVID-19 death cases in Pakistan

Background:The world is presently facing the challenges posed by COVID-19(2019-nCoV),especially in the public health sector,and these challenges are dangerous to both health and life.The disease results in an acute respiratory infection that may result in pain and death.In Pakistan,the disease curve shows a vertical trend by almost 256K established cases of the diseases and 6035 documented death cases till August 5,2020.Objective:The primary purpose of this study is to provide the statistical model to predict the trend of COVID-19 death cases in Pakistan.The age and gender of COVID-19 victims were represented using a descriptive study.Method:ology:Three regression models,which include Linear,logarithmic,and quadratic,were employed in this study for the modelling of COVID-19 death cases in Pakistan.These three models were compared based on R2,Adjusted R2,AIC,and BIC criterions.The data utilized for the modelling was obtained from the National Institute of Health of Pakistan from February 26,2020 to August 5,2020.Conclusion:The finding deduced after the prediction modelling is that the rate of mortality would decrease by the end of October.The total number of deaths will reach its maximum point;then,it will gradually decrease.This indicates that the curve of total deaths will continue to be flat,i.e.,it will shift to be constant,which is also the upper bound of the underlying function of absolute death.