Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Circulating levels of the adipokines vaspin and omentin in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and relation to disease activity.

OBJECTIVES Vaspin and omentin are two recently discovered adipokines that have been involved in chronic inflammatory processes. The aims of our study were to evaluate their serum levels in patients affected by juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), in comparison to healthy controls, and to correlate circulating levels to parameters of disease activity. METHODS Serum levels of omentin and vaspin were assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 40 patients with JIA classified according to the ILAR criteria and 26 healthy controls. RESULTS Serum omentin levels were significantly higher in JIA patients versus healthy controls (p<0.0001) whereas serum vaspin levels did not significantly differ between the two groups. JIA children with active joints showed higher omentin serum levels than JIA children without active joints (p<0.001) and omentin serum levels significantly correlated with the presence of active joints (p<0.0001). Omentin serum levels were also significantly related with the number of active joints (p<0.002). Vaspin serum level did not show statistical significant differences between JIA children with active joints and those with no active joints. There was no correlation between plasma vaspin levels and the presence of active joints, or the number of active joints CONCLUSIONS Our study is the first report on the new adipokines vaspin and omentin in patients with JIA, and it shows that omentin is significantly higher in JIA patients in comparison with healthy controls. In addition, we also report that omentin plasma levels are significantly correlated with the presence and the number of active joints.
Phospholipid Membranes Form Specific Nonbilayer Molecular Arrangements That Are Antigenic*

Hexagonal phase (HII)-preferring lipids such as phosphatidate, cardiolipin, and phosphatidylserine form nonbilayer molecular arrangements in lipid bilayers. While their presence in biological membranes has not been established, in vitro studies suggest that alterations in membrane properties modify their function. In this study, antiphospholipid monoclonal antibodies were developed against nonbilayer structures. One of the monoclonal antibodies identifies nonplanar surfaces in liposomes and in membranes of cultured cells. These results are the first evidence that natural membranes maintain a fragile balance between bilayer and nonbilayer lipid arrangements. Therefore, these antibodies can be used to evaluate the role of HII-preferring lipids in the modulation of membrane activities. Our studies demonstrated that nonplanar surfaces are highly immunogenic. Although these structures are normally transient, their formation can be stabilized by temperature variations, drugs, antibiotics, apolar peptides, and divalent cations. Our studies demonstrated that abnormal exposure of nonbilayer arrangements may induce autoimmune responses as found in the antiphospholipid syndrome.
The impact of including children with intellectual disability in general education classrooms on the academic achievement of their low-, average-, and high-achieving peers

Abstract Background This study aimed at assessing the impact of including children with intellectual disability (ID) in general education classrooms with support on the academic achievement of their low-, average-, and high-achieving peers without disability. Method A quasi-experimental study was conducted with an experimental group of 202 pupils from classrooms with an included child with mild or moderate ID, and a control group of 202 pupils from classrooms with no included children with special educational needs (matched pairs sample). The progress of these 2 groups in their academic achievement was compared over a period of 1 school year. Results No significant difference was found in the progress of the low-, average-, or high-achieving pupils from classrooms with or without inclusion. Conclusions The results suggest that including children with ID in primary general education classrooms with support does not have a negative impact on the progress of pupils without disability.
ASIC actions: canaries for poor corporate governance?

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to investigate whether companies subject to an Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) action have poorer corporate governance than other companies. Evidence from the USA suggests such a relationship but the issue has not been investigated for Australian firms. Design/methodology/approach - The paper considers a matched sample of 240 companies, including 120 which were subject to 143 actions relating to; interpretation of accounting standards; the continuous disclosure regime; and other governance matters during the period 1998-2004. Findings - We find that companies subject to ASIC actions are less likely to comply with the Australian stock exchange (ASX) best practice governance recommendations and that the main area of difference relates to separation of the roles of the CEO and board chair. Research limitations/implications - We were able to investigate only 3 of 10 items in the ASX recommendations due to data availability. The sample of ASIC companies is not randomly drawn, thus our results are not generalisable the wider population of listed companies. Capital market consequences of ASIC actions, such as effect on share price, bid-ask spread, analyst following and cost of capital, are not considered and could be investigated in future research. Practical implications - The results suggest that, in relation to publicised cases, ASIC is effective in targeting more poorly governed companies, a positive signal for Australian capital markets. Originality/value - Few papers investigate ASIC's publicised cases and no prior study has linked ASIC cases and corporate governance practices. The findings will be of interest to Australian capital market participants, some of whom question the benefits of corporate governance recommendations.
Warrant pricing: a review of empirical research

Recently, several warrant pricing studies have become available for different models as well as for different countries. The most important conclusions that can be drawn from reviewing these studies are: (1) it is not necessary to make a correction on option valuation models for the dilution effect; (2) the only model that systematically outperforms the Black-Scholes (1973) type models is the Square Root model; (3) US and German warrants seem to be priced correctly, while deviations are found for English and Japanese warrants (underpriced by the market) and Swiss and Dutch warrants (overpriced by the market).
The Legacy of Parental Divorce: Social, Economic and Demographic Experiences in Adulthood

This study addresses three questions. Firstly, to what extent does divorce during childhood have long-term consequences for the educational attainment, economic situation, partnership formation and dissolution, and parenthood behaviour in adulthood? We show that in most of these domains children who experience parental divorce in childhood have more negative experiences than children reared by both their parents. However, in answering our second question, as to whether child and family characteristics preceding divorce attenuates the relationship between the divorce itself and adult outcomes, we show that for the non-demographic ones there is evidence of powerful selection effects operating, particularly to do with financial hardship. In other words, children who grow up with both biological parents may end up better off educationally and economically largely because they were advantaged to begin with, not necessarily because their parents stayed together. The third question was - if parents remain together until their children are grown up before separating does this lessen the legacy of divorce on their adult children's lives? The answer is in the affirmative for most of the adult outcomes, but the instability of partnerships and marriages was as high amongst those whose parents separated after they had grown up as those who experienced parental divorce during childhood.
Aromatic Amine Degradation in a UASB/CSTR Sequential System Treating Congo Red Dye

Abstract In this study an anaerobic (upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor)/aerobic (completely stirred tank reactor) sequential system was used to treat a synthetic wastewater with minerals and co-substrate together with 100–4000 mg L−1 of Congo Red dye (Direct red 28) (CR), which is a banned azo dye in Turkey. The effect of hydraulic retention time (HRT) on the decolorization and the COD removal efficiency was investigated at constant 100 mg L−1 Congo Red concentration. 77% of COD and 95% of color was removed at a HRT of 0.486 days and a maximum organic loading rate of 6.656 kg COD m−3 day−1 in the anaerobic/aerobic stage. In the continuous operations, 88% of COD, 99% of color and 91% of total aromatic amine (TAA) were removed at a HRT of 3.60 days and at a CR concentration of 4000 mg L−1. This corresponds to an organic loading rate of 1.81 kg COD m−3 day−1, and a CR dye loading rate of 46.37 g dye m−3 h−1, respectively, in the whole system. The TAA produced under anaerobic conditions was ultimately removed in the aerobic stage, resulting in very low aromatic amine recoveries (5–18%) in the last one. Therefore the aerobic effluents exhibited higher IC50 and specific methanogenic activities (SMA) compared to anaerobic and dye containing samples, indicating the reduced toxicity.
What Determines Knowledge of Asthma Among Young People and Their Families?

In this analysis, we sought to determine factors that predicted the level of asthma knowledge in a sample of adolescents with asthma and their parents. Eighty-five young people aged 10–24 years attending tertiary care asthma clinics and 46 of their parents answered validated respiratory and asthma knowledge questionnaires. Older adolescents were more knowledgeable about asthma than were younger adolescents (r=0.36, p=0.001). Young people with severe asthma (p=0.015) scored higher on the asthma knowledge questionnaire than those with mild/moderate asthma. Asthma knowledge among young people was related to that of their mothers (r=0.47, p=0.014), however, only age and the asthma knowledge of fathers significantly predicted adolescent asthma knowledge. Adolescents develop increasing autonomy for asthma self-management as they mature, but parents remain an important source of information about asthma for young people.
Multiple sclerosis lesion quantification using fuzzy-connectedness principles

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the white matter. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is proven to be a sensitive method of monitoring the progression of this disease and of its changes due to treatment protocols. Quantification of the severity of the disease through estimation of MS lesion volume via MR imaging is vital for understanding and monitoring the disease and its treatment. This paper presents a novel methodology and a system that can be routinely used for segmenting and estimating the volume of MS lesions via dual-echo fast spin-echo MR imagery. A recently developed concept of fuzzy objects forms the basis of this methodology. An operator indicates a few points in the images by pointing to the white matter, the grey matter, and the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Each of these objects is then detected as a fuzzy connected set. The holes in the union of these objects correspond to potential lesion sites which are utilized to detect each potential lesion as a three-dimensional (3-D) fuzzy connected object. These objects are presented to the operator who indicates acceptance/rejection through the click of a mouse button. The number and volume of accepted lesions is then computed and output. Based on several evaluation studies, the authors conclude that the methodology is highly reliable and consistent, with a coefficient of variation (due to subjective operator actions) of 0.9% (based on 20 patient studies, three operators, and two trials) for volume and a mean false-negative volume fraction of 1.3%, with a 95% confidence interval of 0%-2.8% (based on ten patient studies).
End-to-side neurorrhaphy repairs peripheral nerve injury: sensory nerve induces motor nerve regeneration

End-to-side neurorrhaphy is an option in the treatment of the long segment defects of a nerve. It involves suturing the distal stump of the disconnected nerve (recipient nerve) to the side of the intimate adjacent nerve (donor nerve). However, the motor-sensory specificity after end-to-side neurorrhaphy remains unclear. This study sought to evaluate whether cutaneous sensory nerve regeneration induces motor nerves after end-to-side neurorrhaphy. Thirty rats were randomized into three groups: (1) end-to-side neurorrhaphy using the ulnar nerve (mixed sensory and motor) as the donor nerve and the cutaneous antebrachii medialis nerve as the recipient nerve; (2) the sham group: ulnar nerve and cutaneous antebrachii medialis nerve were just exposed; and (3) the transected nerve group: cutaneous antebrachii medialis nerve was transected and the stumps were turned over and tied. At 5 months, acetylcholinesterase staining results showed that 34% ± 16% of the myelinated axons were stained in the end-to-side group, and none of the myelinated axons were stained in either the sham or transected nerve groups. Retrograde fluorescent tracing of spinal motor neurons and dorsal root ganglion showed the proportion of motor neurons from the cutaneous antebrachii medialis nerve of the end-to-side group was 21% ± 5%. In contrast, no motor neurons from the cutaneous antebrachii medialis nerve of the sham group and transected nerve group were found in the spinal cord segment. These results confirmed that motor neuron regeneration occurred after cutaneous nerve end-to-side neurorrhaphy.
Research on public-private financing mode of public rental housing and its selection

The construction of public rental housing is an important measure for developing China housing guarantee system. Because the construction of public rental housing is lack of financial funds and private capital without suitable investment channels is very rich, the idea of introducing private capital to participate in public rental housing construction through innovative financing modes has been put forward. This paper has also reviewed the literature on the private capital involved in public rental housing construction. And by analyzing public-private financing mode and the characteristics of public rental housing from four aspects such as cost transfer, risk sharing and project investment recovery and project control, this paper has concluded that PPP(Public-Private Partnership) financing mode is more superior and suitable for the financing of public rental housing construction.
Use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers in high-risk clinical and ethnic groups with diabetes

BACKGROUND: Diabetes causes 45% of incident end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Risk of progression is higher in those with clinical risk factors (albuminuria and hypertension), and in ethnic minorities (including blacks, Asians, and Latinos). Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) slow the progression of diabetic nephropathy, yet little is known about their use among patients at high risk for progression to ESRD.OBJECTIVES: To examine the prevalence of ACE or ARB (ACE/ARB) use overall and within patients with high-risk clinical indications, and to assess for ethnic disparities in ACE/ARB use.DESIGN: Observational cohort study.SETTING: Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) Diabetes Registry, a longitudinal registry that monitors quality and outcomes of care for all KPNC patients with diabetes.PATIENTS: Individuals (N=38,887) with diabetes who were continuously enrolled with pharmacy benefits during the year 2000, and had self-reported ethnicity data on survey.INTERVENTIONS AND MEASUREMENTS: Pharmacy dispensing of ACE/ARB.RESULTS: Forty-one percent of the cohort had both hypertension and albuminuria, 30% had hypertension alone, and 12% had albuminuria alone. Fourteen percent were black, 11% Latino, 13% Asian, and 63% non-Latino white. Overall, 61% of the cohort received an ACE/ARB. ACE/ARB was dispensed to 74% of patients with both hypertension and albuminuria, 64% of those with hypertension alone, and 54% of those with albuminuria alone. ACE/ARB was dispensed to 61% of whites, 63% of blacks, 59% of Latinos, and 60% of Asians. Among those with albuminuria alone, blacks were significantly (P=.0002) less likely than whites to receive ACE/ARB (47% vs 56%, respectively). No other ethnic disparities were found.CONCLUSIONS: In this cohort, the majority of eligible patients received indicated ACE/ARB therapy in 2000. However, up to 45% to 55% of high-risk clinical groups (most notably individuals with isolated albuminuria) were not receiving indicated therapy. Additional targeted efforts to increase use of ACE/ARB could improve quality of care and reduce ESRD incidence, both overall and in high-risk ethnic groups. Policy-makers might consider use of ACE/ARB for inclusion in diabetes performance measurement sets.
Title Structural and functional insight into the mechanism of analkaline exonuclease from Laribacter hongkongensis

Alkaline exonuclease and single-strand DNA (ssDNA) annealing proteins (SSAPs) are key components of DNA recombination and repair systems within many prokaryotes, bacteriophages and virus-like genetic elements. The recently sequenced b-proteobacterium Laribacter hongkongensis (strain HLHK9) encodes putative homologs of alkaline exonuclease (LHK-Exo) and SSAP (LHK-Bet) proteins on its 3.17 Mb genome. Here, we report the biophysical, biochemical and structural characterization of recombinant LHK-Exo protein. LHK-Exo digests linear double-stranded DNA molecules from their 50-termini in a highly processive manner. Exonuclease activities are optimum at pH 8.2 and essentially require Mg or Mn ions. 50-phosphorylated DNA substrates are preferred over dephosphorylated ones. The crystal structure of LHK-Exo was resolved to 1.9 Å, revealing a ‘doughnut-shaped’ toroidal trimeric arrangement with a central tapered channel, analogous to that of j-exonuclease (Exo) from bacteriophage-j. Active sites containing two bound Mg ions on each of the three monomers were located in clefts exposed to this central channel. Crystal structures of LHK-Exo in complex with dAMP and ssDNA were determined to elucidate the structural basis for substrate recognition and binding. Through structure-guided mutational analysis, we discuss the roles played by various active site residues. A conserved two metal ion catalytic mechanism is proposed for this class of alkaline exonucleases.
Franchising and the Family Firm: Creating Unique Sources of Advantage through “Familiness” *

The paucity of research examining family firms engaged with franchising is surprising. We theorize about differences in franchising behavior between family and nonfamily firms and the relative advantages accruing to family firms in this context. We also explore how selection processes tend to lead to family franchisor/family franchisee matches that enable a more effective sharing of complementary resources. The theoretical framework we develop is grounded in the “familiness” of the family firm as suggested by the logic of the resource–based view. Additionally, our theoretical analysis extends and complements the frequent use of agency theory as the basis for studying franchising.
Opinions and clinical practices related to diagnosing and managing patients with psychogenic movement disorders: An international survey of movement disorder society members

Five hundred and nineteen members of the Movement Disorder Society completed a 22‐item questionnaire probing diagnostic and management issues in psychogenic movement disorders (PMD). When patients showed definite evidence of PMD with no other unexplained clinical features, approximately 20% said they informed patients of the diagnosis and requested no further neurological testing. The 51% who reported conducting standard neurological investigations to rule out organic causes before presenting the diagnosis to such patients had fewer years of fellowship training and fewer PMD patients seen per month. A non‐PMD diagnosis was correlated with patients' normal social or personal functioning, little or no employment disruption, lack of non‐physiologic findings, and lack of psychiatric history. Ongoing litigation was more predictive of the PMD diagnosis for US compared to non‐US respondents. Two thirds of respondents, more commonly younger and academic clinician researchers, refer PMD patients to a psychiatrist or mental health specialist while also providing personal follow up. Physician reimbursement, insurability of PMD patients, and ongoing litigation interfered with managing PMD patients to a greater extent in the US compared to non‐US countries. Acceptance of the diagnosis by the patient and identification and management of psychological stressors and concurrent psychiatric disorders were considered most important for predicting a favorable prognosis. These findings suggest that expert opinions and practices related to diagnosing and managing PMD patients differ among movement disorders neurologists. Some of the discrepancies may be accounted for by factors such as training, type of practice, volume of patients, and country of practice, but may also reflect absence of practice guidelines. © 2009 Movement Disorder Society
Transgovernmental Relations and International Organizations

Students of world politics have tended to assume that states act as units. Yet trans-governmental relations—direct interactions among sub-units not controlled or closely guided by the policies of cabinets or chief executives—are frequently important. Trans-governmental relations are facilitated by extensive personal contacts among officials and by conflicts of interest between departments or agencies within modern governments. International organizations can play important roles in transgovernmental networks by (i) affecting the definition of issues; (2) promoting coalitions among governmental subunits with similar interests; and (3) serving as points of policy intervention in trans-national systems. As policy interdependence among developed-country governments becomes more extensive and complex, these roles of international organizations are likely to become increasingly important. Internationalism of this relatively informal, non-institutionalized type is not a “dead end. ”