Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
3′ End Processing of the Prothrombin mRNA in Thrombophilia

Clinical and genetic studies have led to the discovery of specific genotypes that predispose to thromboembolism in adults and children. The exploration of the underlying pathologies has revealed a broad variety of affected molecular mechanisms. Most recently, the functional analysis of the prothrombin (F2) 20210*A variant revealed increased efficiency of 3′ end processing as a novel genetic mechanism predisposing to human disease. Here, we review the 3′ end processing of the human F2 mRNA and demonstrate how clinically relevant mutations in the F2 gene contribute to thrombophilia by interfering with a tightly balanced architecture of noncanonical 3′ end formation signals.
Unraveling the organizational mechanism at the root of safety compliance in an Italian manufacturing firm

Safety performance is recognized as the more proximal and effective precursor of safety outcomes. In particular, safety compliance significantly reduces workplace accidents and injuries. However, it is not entirely clear what role organizational factors play in determining workers’ safety. The present study contributes to defining which organizational factors increase safety compliance by testing a mediational model in which supervisor support is related to safety climate, which in turn is related to organizational identification that finally is related to safety compliance. We tested our hypotheses in a sample of 186 production workers of an Italian manufacturing firm using a cross-sectional design. Findings confirm our hypotheses. Management should consider these organizational factors in order to implement primary prevention practices against work accidents.
Do plastic adhesive drapes prevent post caesarean wound infection?

We conducted a prospective randomized controlled double-blind trial at a regional referral centre for the Eastern Cape area, (Livingstone Hospital) to determine whether the use of plastic adhesive drapes intraoperatively would prevent Post Caesarean Section Wound Infection. A total of 620 patients undergoing Caesarean section (CS) were enrolled for randomization in the trial. Fifteen patients were excluded, while 305 received drapes (test group) and 300 did not (control group). Two patients in the control group were subsequently excluded. The primary outcome measure was the presence of Post Caesarean Wound Infection. A secondary outcome measure was the number of days in hospital post operation. The study and control groups were comparable at entry. Results show that 34 patients in the test group (N= 305) developed wound sepsis (11.1%) compared with 30 in the control group (N= 298) (10.1%) (difference not significant; Fisher's exact test 0.6933). Average days spent in hospital postoperatively were similar for both test (infected cases: mean 10.56 SD 3.84; non-infected cases: mean 5.21 SD 1.3) and control groups (infected cases: mean 10.18 SD 3.81; non-infected cases: mean 5.2 SD 0.93) (NS). We concluded that the use of plastic adhesive skin drapes did not avert PCWS or decrease the length of post operative stay in hospital for septic cases.
The Reduction of Sexual Offense Recidivism following Commitment and Psychodynamic Treatment: A Challenge to the Dominant Cognitive-Behavioral Model

This brief report presents the reanalysis of data from two studies that examined the recidivism rates of sex offenders who were subjected to a one‐day‐to‐life civil commitment evaluation in which they were deemed to be “sexually dangerous” by two “qualified examiners. ” One study then presented the recidivism rates of the “more dangerous offenders” (N = 251) who were civilly committed by the courts (the judges agreed with the clinicians) to the Massachusetts Treatment Center for Sexually Dangerous Persons (Prentky, Knight, Lee, & Cerce, 1997). The other study examined recidivism among the “less dangerous dangerous offenders” (N = 31) who were found to be “not sexually dangerous” (the judges disagreed with the clinicians) and were released without treatment, after serving whatever criminal sanctions the court imposed (Cohen, Groth, & Siegel, 1978). After five years in the community, the “more dangerous,” treated offenders had recidivated at half the rate of the “less dangerous,” untreated offenders (19% vs 38%, p<.007). The data appear to pose a challenge to the dominance of the cognitive‐behavioral model.
Ghosts of the Past I: Some Muscles and Fasciae in the Head Domain

Humans alone among primates lack a superficial head of the temporalis muscle, although a complete superficial muscle is present in 1% of humans and an incomplete one in 8%. Yet the temporal fascia of normal humans contains all the fascial sheets associated with that head even though it is absent. The implication is that humans have lost the superficial temporal muscle, that this is evident from the retention of the fascial sheets, and that the muscular variations represent situations where the muscle has persisted to some degree. Molecular factors in the head domain that are responsible for the development of the muscles of mastication (myosin heavy chain 16) are likewise different in humans than in all non-human species and seem to be responsible for the reduction of those muscles in humans. Could the loss of the superficial portion of the temporalis muscle be a component of this reduction? Could the uncommon muscular variations result from some slight persistence of the prior molecular situation? Could the persistence of the fascial sheets, even when the muscle is absent, be because the molecular factors responsible for connective tissues are not the same as those responsible for muscles? How much of all this can be visualised in the fossil record? Skeletal dimensions of the temporal fossa, partly related to the temporal muscle size, imply that it may be possible to determine in which fossils temporal muscle reduction has occurred. Likewise, surface features of the bone in modern humans without a superficial muscular component but with a strong complex fibrous element suggest that it might be possible to determine, in any fossil in which the surface preservation is good enough, how far back this situation may have persisted. It is already known that myosin heavy chain molecular dating suggests that the muscle reduction may have occurred about 2.4 million years ago.
Locating Social Justice in Career Education: What can a Small-Scale Study from New Zealand Tell Us?

Career education occupies a pivotal position, relating school to the wider social, political and economic world. Yet it remains an under-researched curriculum area, with little attention given to issues of social justice. In this article I discuss the findings from a small-scale qualitative study, which consisted of an hour-long semi-structured interview with a secondary school careers teacher in a New Zealand provincial city. While acknowledging the limitations of this research, the findings do provide a degree of illumination when considered alongside the literature, thus contributing to the debate about the concept of career education, the role of career educators, and where social justice fits. Bridging the gap between theory and practice, the findings explore how social justice is understood and located within this particular setting, providing the reader with an opportunity to critically reflect on the conclusions reached, and consider these within the context of their own localised programs and practice(s).
[Pediatric cataracts: epidemiology and diagnosis. Retrospective review of 79 cases].

PURPOSE To determine the epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment features in a group of pediatric patients with cataracts treated at our hospital. The aim was to improve the visual prognosis in these patients. METHODS 79 children with cataracts were reviewed retrospectively during an 18 year period (1986-2004). This involved patients with congenital cataracts and those who acquired them later. Most of the latter group had a traumatic etiology (90%). RESULTS The etiology of most cataracts was idiopathic (68%) for the congenital group and traumatic (90%) for the acquired group. Congenital cataracts were frequently nuclear in type (31%) with 56% being bilateral. 27% of the congenital group were associated with dysmorphic eye features, the most frequent being microphthalmos. The most frequent presenting feature was leucokoria, seen in 44% of patients. 75% of congenital cataracts were diagnosed within one month of clinical manifestation. 58% of the congenital cataracts were treated by surgery and 50% of these were performed within one month of the diagnosis. 90% of the acquired cataracts were treated surgically, and 95% of these were performed less than one month after diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS We attained a prompt diagnosis and treatment in a high percentage of cases. Prompt diagnosis and treatment will determine the visual prognosis of these patients. We must continue trying to shorten this period of time in order that all children with this condition are diagnosed and treated urgently and efficiently.
Urinary isothiocyanate excretion, brassica consumption, and gene polymorphisms among women living in Shanghai, China.

Alternative measures of Brassica vegetable consumption (e.g., cabbage) may clarify the association between Brassica and cancer risk. Brassica isothiocyanates (ITCs) are excreted in urine and may provide a sensitive and food-specific dietary biomarker. However, the persistence of ITCs in the body may be brief and dependent on the activity of several Phase II enzymes, raising questions about the relationship between a single ITC measure and habitual dietary patterns. This study investigates the association between urinary ITC excretion and habitual Brassica consumption, estimated by a food frequency questionnaire, among healthy Chinese women enrolled in the Shanghai Breast Cancer Study. Participants (n = 347) completed a validated food frequency questionnaire querying habitual dietary intake during the prior 5 years and provided a fasting first-morning urine specimen. Genetic deletion of glutathione S-transferases (GSTM1/GSTT1), and single nucleotide substitutions in GSTP1 (A313G) and NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1: C609T), were identified from blood DNA. Urinary ITC excretion levels were marginally higher with the GSTT1-null or GSTP1-G/G genotypes (P = 0.07, P = 0.05, respectively). Mean habitual Brassica intake was 98.3 g/day, primarily as bok choy, and Brassica intake significantly increased across quartile categories of ITC levels. The association between habitual Brassica intake and urinary ITC levels was stronger among women with GSTT1-null or GSTP1-A/A genotypes, or NQO1 T-allele, and the interaction was statistically significant across GSTP1 genotype. In conclusion, a single urinary ITC measure, in conjunction with markers of Phase II enzyme activity, provides a complementary measure of habitual Brassica intake among Shanghai women.
An educational intervention can prevent delirium on acute medical wards.

BACKGROUND Delirium is a common disorder in hospitalised older people and established cases may have a poor outcome that is not readily improved by intervention. Prevention of cases through education of medical and nursing staff has not been fully studied. OBJECTIVES To test the hypothesis that an educational package for medical and nursing staff would both reduce the number of incident cases of delirium and increase recognition of cases of delirium within an acute medical admissions ward. DESIGN Single-blind case-control study. SETTING Two acute admissions wards in a busy inner-city teaching hospital. SUBJECTS 250 acute admissions over the age of 70 years. METHODS An educational package for staff on one ward consisting of a 1 hour formal presentation and group discussion, written management guidelines and follow-up sessions. The follow-up sessions, which were based on one-to-one and group discussions, aimed at providing continuous support of staff through emphasising learning and testing knowledge. Diagnosis and management of some discharged delirium patients were also discussed to allow staff to learn from previous experience. The main outcome measures are point prevalence of delirium established by researchers, and recognition and case-note documentation of delirium by clinical staff. RESULTS The point prevalence of delirium was significantly reduced on the intervention compared to the control ward (9.8% versus 19.5%, P < 0.05) and clinical staff recognised significantly more delirium cases that had been detected by research staff on the ward where the educational package had been delivered. CONCLUSION A focused and inexpensive educational programme can decrease the prevalence of delirium among older inpatients.
Properties of the shear stress peak radiated ahead of rapidly accelerating rupture fronts that mediate frictional slip

Significance The transition from stick to slip is governed by rupture fronts propagating along a frictional interface. It has long been suggested that rapid acceleration of these ruptures generates a shear stress peak that propagates ahead of the front. These peaked waves are strong; they can reach amplitudes that are large enough to trigger secondary supershear ruptures. We provide the first extensive quantitative experimental study to our knowledge of these highly directed waves and their relation to the rupture fronts driving them. Combining our experiments with finite-element simulations, we observe how these waves scale. This study provides insight into how rupture fronts accelerate beyond the shear-wave speed and may offer a possibility to obtain illusive information about propagating earthquakes. We study rapidly accelerating rupture fronts at the onset of frictional motion by performing high-temporal-resolution measurements of both the real contact area and the strain fields surrounding the propagating rupture tip. We observe large-amplitude and localized shear stress peaks that precede rupture fronts and propagate at the shear-wave speed. These localized stress waves, which retain a well-defined form, are initiated during the rapid rupture acceleration phase. They transport considerable energy and are capable of nucleating a secondary supershear rupture. The amplitude of these localized waves roughly scales with the dynamic stress drop and does not decrease as long as the rupture front driving it continues to propagate. Only upon rupture arrest does decay initiate, although the stress wave both continues to propagate and retains its characteristic form. These experimental results are qualitatively described by a self-similar model: a simplified analytical solution of a suddenly expanding shear crack. Quantitative agreement with experiment is provided by realistic finite-element simulations that demonstrate that the radiated stress waves are strongly focused in the direction of the rupture front propagation and describe both their amplitude growth and spatial scaling. Our results demonstrate the extensive applicability of brittle fracture theory to fundamental understanding of friction. Implications for earthquake dynamics are discussed.
Familiärer Hintergrund und die Qualität elterlicher Hausaufgabenhilfe

Der vorliegende Beitrag untersucht die verbreitete Annahme, dass Kinder aus besser gestellten Familien durch elterliche Hilfe bei den Hausaufgaben bevorteilt sind. Auf der Basis einer langsschnittlichen Studie, in der 489 Schulerinnen und Schuler der 8. Jahrgangsstufe uber die Qualitat der elterlichen Hausaufgabenhilfe Auskunft gaben, wurde diese Annahme anhand von Strukturgleichungsmodellen getestet. Es zeigte sich ein negativer Zusammenhang zwischen Einmischung der Eltern bei den Hausaufgaben sowie Streit zwischen Eltern und Kindern um Hausaufgaben und Zielvariablen wie Schulnoten, akademischem Selbstkonzept und Hausaufgabenverhalten. Elterliches Interesse am Schulalltag der Kinder war positiv assoziiert mit dem akademischen Selbstkonzept der Kinder. Obwohl ein kleiner Zusammenhang zwischen elterlichem Interesse und ¬Anzahl der Bucher im Haushalt und Migrationshintergrund der Familie gefunden wurde, gab es keinen Beleg dafur, dass elterliche Hausaufgabenhilfe als Mediator zwischen familiarem Hintergrund und der schulischen Entwicklung von Kindern fungiert.
"Writing Wasn't Really Stressed, Accurate Historical Analysis Was Stressed": Student Perceptions of In-Class Writing in the Inverted, General Education, University History Survey Course.

TakInG InTroDUCTory HISTory CoUrSES and writing analytical essays are not the favorite activities of most first-year university students. Undergraduates, seemingly, would rather enroll in classes that pertain only to their majors or job-preparation regimen. If forced to take General Education Program (GEP) courses, students typically favor those with fewer required assignments, especially in terms of writing. To many firstor second-year undergraduates, English/Writing and Rhetoric courses are onerous enough—why would anyone willingly take classes in a different field that call for additional formal writing? Consequently, an introductory History course that requires more writing assignments than other GEP courses is an option few students will select. Or will they? Though many instructors at the university level believe the above to be true (and have much anecdotal evidence to substantiate these claims), are such student attitudes the unchangeable norm? Do undergraduates not value writing exercises in courses outside of English/ Writing and Rhetoric courses? Do they see writing only as an end product and not as a way to learn content itself? Is there a way to help students understand the value of a History GEP course that utilizes extensive writing assignments on a consistent basis? How can instructors address
Transient Cerebral Ischemia Induces Aberrant Neuronal Cell Cycle Re-entry and Alzheimer's Disease-like Tauopathy in Female Rats*

Aberrant mitosis occurs in many tauopathy-related neurodegenerative diseases and is believed to precede the formation of neurofibrillary tangles. In this study, we report for the first time that transient cerebral ischemia induces aberrant mitotic proteins and hyperphosphorylation of tau protein with neurofibrillary tangle-like conformational epitopes in adult female rat cortex. Following transient cerebral ischemia in rats, initiation of apoptosis precedes and is potentially integrated with subsequent aberrant mitosis and tau hyperphosphorylation. Furthermore, inhibition of mitosis-related cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) by roscovitine significantly reduced the hyperphosphorylation of tau. Administration of the female sex steroid and potent neuroprotective agent, 17β-estradiol, reduced ischemia-reperfusion-induced cerebral damage and the subsequent aberrant mitosis and tauopathies. These results provide a neuropathological basis for the higher prevalence of dementia in stroke patients and support the hypothesis that apoptosis and aberrant mitosis are integrated pathological events in neurons that may play a critical role in the development of Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathy-related neuropathology.
Circulating Nonesterified Fatty Acid Level as a Predictive Risk Factor for Sudden Death in the Population

Background—In ischemic conditions, concentration of circulating nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) is increased and has a proarrhythmic effect that is responsible for ventricular tachyarrhythmias. In nonischemic patients, high NEFA plasma concentration has been shown to be associated with frequent premature ventricular complexes and increased familial risk of cardiovascular disease, but its relation to sudden death has not been studied. We assessed the role of circulating NEFA in sudden death in asymptomatic men in a long-term cohort study. Methods and Results—A total of 5250 men employed by the city of Paris, aged 42 to 53 in 1967 to 1972, free of known ischemic cardiac disease, and included in the Paris Prospective Study I, completed a second annual examination and had fasting plasma circulating NEFA measured. Each subject underwent a physical examination and ECG, provided blood for laboratory tests, and answered questionnaires administered by trained interviewers. Vital status was obtained for each subject from specific inquiries until he retired; after retirement, it was obtained from death certificates. Body mass index, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, tobacco consumption, parental history of sudden death, fasting cholesterol level, and circulating NEFA concentration were independent factors associated with sudden death during follow up (average, 22 years). When adjusted for confounding factors, circulating NEFA concentration remained an independent risk factor for sudden death (relative risk, 1.70; 95% confidence interval, 1.21 to 2.13) but not for fatal myocardial infarction. Conclusions—Circulating NEFA concentration is an independent risk factor for sudden death in middle-aged men. Some form of primary prevention could be envisaged in subjects at high risk of sudden death.
Basic transcription factor 3 (BTF3) regulates transcription of tumor-associated genes in pancreatic cancer cells

Basic transcription factor 3 (BTF3) acts as a transcription factor and modulator of apoptosis, and is differentially expressed in colorectal cancer and glioblastomas. In the present study, the expression of BTF3, as well as its role in apoptosis and gene transcription, was analyzed in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). QRT-PCR, immunohistochemistry, immunoblotting, and immunofluorescence analyses were carried out to investigate BTF3 mRNA/protein expression and localization. BTF3 silencing in pancreatic cancer cells was performed using specific siRNA molecules. Functional analyses were carried out using cell growth assays, apoptosis assays, and DNA array analysis. BTF3 and BTF3a exhibited 1.3-fold and 4.6-fold increased median mRNA levels in PDAC tissues, compared to normal pancreatic tissues. BTF3 localized mainly in the cytoplasm and nuclei of tubular complexes and pancreatic cancer cells. Pancreatic cancer cell lines expressed the mRNA and protein of BTF3a (27 kDa) and BTF3b (22 kDa) isoforms. BTF3 silencing using specific siRNA molecules did not influence apoptosis induced by chemotherapy or radiotherapy. In contrast, BTF3 silencing resulted in down-regulation of several cancer-associated genes, including EPHB2, ABL2, HPSE2 and ATM, and up-regulation of KRAG, RRAS2, NFκ-B, MRVI1, MADCAM1 and others. In conclusion, BTF3 is over-expressed in PDAC, where it acts as a transcriptional regulator rather than a direct modulator of apoptosis.
Directors’ and Officers’ Liability Insurance and Corporate Risk-Taking

This study examines the effect of directors' and officers' liability (D&O) insurance on the firm’s risk-taking behavior and firm value. We utilize a sample of period in Korea during which the disclosure of D&O insurance information was mandatory and there was a significant cross-sectional variation in the firms’ choice to purchase D&O insurance. We find that, controlling for the endogeneity of D&O insurance coverage, D&O insurance leads to greater risk-taking behavior of firms and also increases firm value compared to non-insured firms. We also find evidence that the increase in firm value is pronounced for firms with greater growth opportunities. These results imply that D&O insurance can be beneficial to firms by mitigating the risk-averseness of managers, particularly for high-growth firms that can benefit more from such change in behavior.