Effectiveness of corporate social responsibility (CSR) guidelines in India

The thesis is on the effectiveness of corporate responsibility (CSR) Guidelines in India which is based on analysing the CSR and business responsibilty reports along with the sustainability reports of select top companies from 2012 -2015.<br /

24-Month Overall Survival from KEYNOTE-021 Cohort G: Pemetrexed and Carboplatin with or without Pembrolizumab as First-Line Therapy for Advanced Nonsquamous Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer

Introduction Cohort G of KEYNOTE-021 (NCT02039674) evaluated the efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab plus pemetrexed-carboplatin (PC) versus PC alone as first-line therapy for advanced nonsquamous NSCLC. At the primary analysis (median follow-up time 10.6 months), pembrolizumab significantly improved objective response rate (ORR) and progression-free survival (PFS); the hazard ratio (HR) for overall survival (OS) was 0.90 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.42‒1.91). Herein, we present an updated analysis. Methods A total of 123 patients with previously untreated stage IIIB/IV nonsquamous NSCLC without EGFR and/or ALK receptor tyrosine kinase gene (ALK) aberrations were randomized 1:1 to four cycles of PC with or without pembrolizumab, 200 mg every 3 weeks. Pembrolizumab treatment continued for 2 years; maintenance pemetrexed was permitted in both groups. Eligible patients in the PC-alone group with radiologic progression could cross over to pembrolizumab monotherapy. p Values are nominal (one-sided p < 0.025). Results As of December 1, 2017, the median follow-up time was 23.9 months. The ORR was 56.7% with pembrolizumab plus PC versus 30.2% with PC alone (estimated difference 26.4% [95% CI: 8.9%‒42.4%, p = 0.0016]). PFS was significantly improved with pembrolizumab plus PC versus PC alone (HR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.33‒0.86, p = 0.0049). A total of 41 patients in the PC-alone group received subsequent anti‒programmed death 1/anti‒programmed death ligand 1 therapy. The HR for OS was 0.56 (95% CI: 0.32‒0.95, p = 0.0151). Forty-one percent of patients in the pembrolizumab plus PC group and 27% in the PC-alone group had grade 3 to 5 treatment-related adverse events. Conclusions The significant improvements in PFS and ORR with pembrolizumab plus PC versus PC alone observed in the primary analysis were maintained, and the HR for OS with a 24-month median follow-up was 0.56, favoring pembrolizumab plus PC

Technical note: Extension of CERR for computational radiomics: a comprehensive MATLAB platform for reproducible radiomics research

PurposeRadiomics is a growing field of image quantitation, but it lacks stable and high-quality software systems. We extended the capabilities of the Computational Environment for Radiological Research (CERR) to create a comprehensive, open-source, MATLAB-based software platform with an emphasis on reproducibility, speed, and clinical integration of radiomics research. MethodThe radiomics tools in CERR were designed specifically to quantitate medical images in combination with CERR's core functionalities of radiological data import, transformation, management, image segmentation, and visualization. CERR allows for batch calculation and visualization of radiomics features, and provides a user-friendly data structure for radiomics metadata. All radiomics computations are vectorized for speed. Additionally, a test suite is provided for reconstruction and comparison with radiomics features computed using other software platforms such as the Insight Toolkit (ITK) and PyRadiomics. CERR was evaluated according to the standards defined by the Image Biomarker Standardization Initiative. CERR's radiomics feature calculation was integrated with the clinically used MIM software using its MATLAB((R)) application programming interface. ResultsThe CERR provides a comprehensive computational platform for radiomics analysis. Matrix formulations for the compute-intensive Haralick texture resulted in speeds that are superior to the implementation in ITK 4.12. For an image discretized into 32 bins, CERR achieved a speedup of 3.5 times over ITK. The CERR test suite enabled the successful identification of programming errors as well as genuine differences in radiomics definitions and calculations across the software packages tested. ConclusionThe CERR's radiomics capabilities are comprehensive, open-source, and fast, making it an attractive platform for developing and exploring radiomics signatures across institutions. The ability to both choose from a wide variety of radiomics implementations and to integrate with a clinical workflow makes CERR useful for retrospective as well as prospective research analyses

A Comparison of Online versus On-site Training in Health Research Methodology: A Randomized Study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Distance learning may be useful for building health research capacity. However, evidence that it can improve knowledge and skills in health research, particularly in resource-poor settings, is limited. We compared the impact and acceptability of teaching two distinct content areas, Biostatistics and Research Ethics, through either on-line distance learning format or traditional on-site training, in a randomized study in India. Our objective was to determine whether on-line courses in Biostatistics and Research Ethics could achieve similar improvements in knowledge, as traditional on-site, classroom-based courses.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p><it>Subjects: </it>Volunteer Indian scientists were randomly assigned to one of two arms.</p> <p><it>Intervention: </it>Students in Arm 1 attended a 3.5-day on-site course in Biostatistics and completed a 3.5-week on-line course in Research Ethics. Students in Arm 2 attended a 3.5-week on-line course in Biostatistics and 3.5-day on-site course in Research Ethics. For the two course formats, learning objectives, course contents and knowledge tests were identical.</p> <p><it>Main Outcome Measures: </it>Improvement in knowledge immediately and 3-months after course completion, compared to baseline.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Baseline characteristics were similar in both arms (n = 29 each). Median knowledge score for Biostatistics increased from a baseline of 49% to 64% (p < 0.001) 3 months after the on-site course, and from 48% to 63% (p = 0.009) after the on-line course. For the on-site Research Ethics course, median score increased from 69% to 83% (p = 0.005), and for the on-line Research Ethics course from 62% to 80% (p < 0.001). Three months after the course, median gains in knowledge scores remained similar for the on-site and on-line platforms for both Biostatistics (16% vs. 12%; p = 0.59) and Research Ethics (17% vs. 13%; p = 0.14).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>On-line and on-site training formats led to marked and similar improvements of knowledge in Biostatistics and Research Ethics. This, combined with logistical and cost advantages of on-line training, may make on-line courses particularly useful for expanding health research capacity in resource-limited settings.</p

Global Regulator SATB1 Recruits β-Catenin and Regulates TH2 Differentiation in Wnt-Dependent Manner

Chromatin organizer SATB1 and Wnt transducer β-catenin form a complex and regulate expression of GATA3 and TH2 cytokines in Wnt-dependent manner and orchestrate TH2 lineage commitment

Juxtaposing BTE and ATE – on the role of the European insurance industry in funding civil litigation

One of the ways in which legal services are financed, and indeed shaped, is through private insurance arrangement. Two contrasting types of legal expenses insurance contracts (LEI) seem to dominate in Europe: before the event (BTE) and after the event (ATE) legal expenses insurance. Notwithstanding institutional differences between different legal systems, BTE and ATE insurance arrangements may be instrumental if government policy is geared towards strengthening a market-oriented system of financing access to justice for individuals and business. At the same time, emphasizing the role of a private industry as a keeper of the gates to justice raises issues of accountability and transparency, not readily reconcilable with demands of competition. Moreover, multiple actors (clients, lawyers, courts, insurers) are involved, causing behavioural dynamics which are not easily predicted or influenced. Against this background, this paper looks into BTE and ATE arrangements by analysing the particularities of BTE and ATE arrangements currently available in some European jurisdictions and by painting a picture of their respective markets and legal contexts. This allows for some reflection on the performance of BTE and ATE providers as both financiers and keepers. Two issues emerge from the analysis that are worthy of some further reflection. Firstly, there is the problematic long-term sustainability of some ATE products. Secondly, the challenges faced by policymakers that would like to nudge consumers into voluntarily taking out BTE LEI

Penilaian Kinerja Keuangan Koperasi di Kabupaten Pelalawan

This paper describe development and financial performance of cooperative in District Pelalawan among 2007 - 2008. Studies on primary and secondary cooperative in 12 sub-districts. Method in this stady use performance measuring of productivity, efficiency, growth, liquidity, and solvability of cooperative. Productivity of cooperative in Pelalawan was highly but efficiency still low. Profit and income were highly, even liquidity of cooperative very high, and solvability was good

Severe early onset preeclampsia: short and long term clinical, psychosocial and biochemical aspects

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy specific disorder commonly defined as de novo hypertension and proteinuria after 20 weeks gestational age. It occurs in approximately 3-5% of pregnancies and it is still a major cause of both foetal and maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide1. As extensive research has not yet elucidated the aetiology of preeclampsia, there are no rational preventive or therapeutic interventions available. The only rational treatment is delivery, which benefits the mother but is not in the interest of the foetus, if remote from term. Early onset preeclampsia (<32 weeks’ gestational age) occurs in less than 1% of pregnancies. It is, however often associated with maternal morbidity as the risk of progression to severe maternal disease is inversely related with gestational age at onset2. Resulting prematurity is therefore the main cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity in patients with severe preeclampsia3. Although the discussion is ongoing, perinatal survival is suggested to be increased in patients with preterm preeclampsia by expectant, non-interventional management. This temporising treatment option to lengthen pregnancy includes the use of antihypertensive medication to control hypertension, magnesium sulphate to prevent eclampsia and corticosteroids to enhance foetal lung maturity4. With optimal maternal haemodynamic status and reassuring foetal condition this results on average in an extension of 2 weeks. Prolongation of these pregnancies is a great challenge for clinicians to balance between potential maternal risks on one the eve hand and possible foetal benefits on the other. Clinical controversies regarding prolongation of preterm preeclamptic pregnancies still exist – also taking into account that preeclampsia is the leading cause of maternal mortality in the Netherlands5 - a debate which is even more pronounced in very preterm pregnancies with questionable foetal viability6-9. Do maternal risks of prolongation of these very early pregnancies outweigh the chances of neonatal survival? Counselling of women with very early onset preeclampsia not only comprises of knowledge of the outcome of those particular pregnancies, but also knowledge of outcomes of future pregnancies of these women is of major clinical importance. This thesis opens with a review of the literature on identifiable risk factors of preeclampsia

Search for stop and higgsino production using diphoton Higgs boson decays

Results are presented of a search for a "natural" supersymmetry scenario with gauge mediated symmetry breaking. It is assumed that only the supersymmetric partners of the top-quark (stop) and the Higgs boson (higgsino) are accessible. Events are examined in which there are two photons forming a Higgs boson candidate, and at least two b-quark jets. In 19.7 inverse femtobarns of proton-proton collision data at sqrt(s) = 8 TeV, recorded in the CMS experiment, no evidence of a signal is found and lower limits at the 95% confidence level are set, excluding the stop mass below 360 to 410 GeV, depending on the higgsino mass

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead