Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Immunohistochemical analysis of tenascin expression in different grades of oral submucous fibrosis

Aim: Tenascin, a glycoprotein, is one of the major constituents of extracellular matrix, which may function in organizing the stroma in normal and pathological conditions. The study aimed to correlate the structural organization of tenascin with the pathological progression of disease from early, moderate and advanced changes in oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF). Study Design: A retrospective cross-sectional immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis of OSMF cases was performed. Total 70 slide samples were prepared for the study from 35 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks with 10 each from histologically proven and graded as early, moderate and advanced OSMF and 5 of normal oral mucosa. The IHC sections were analyzed for the intensity and pattern of tenascin expression at the junction of epithelium and connective tissue (ECJ) and deeper connective tissue (CT), as well as presence or absence of staining around inflammatory cells, fibroblast and endothelial cells using anti-human tenascin. Result: Most of the OSMF cases showed retention of antigen at ECJ and in deeper CT. Its expression varied in different grades as well as around inflammatory cells, fibroblast and endothelial cells in same tissue section. Highly significant P values of 0.001 and 0.003 were obtained for tenascin intensity and pattern, respectively, at ECJ in different OSMF grades. In addition, for the expression of tenascin pattern in deeper CT among different OSMF grades, a significant P value of 0.018 was obtained. Conclusion: A differential expression of tenascin was observed with the progression of disease. The expression of tenascin as bright and continuous deposition at ECJ in early and moderate stages of OSMF signifies either proliferative organization within the overlying epithelium or an epithelial-mesenchymal interaction. However, a weak immunoreactivity of tenascin at ECJ was observed in advanced stage of OSMF.
The Endothelial Antigen ESAM Monitors Hematopoietic Stem Cell Status between Quiescence and Self-Renewal

Whereas most hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) are quiescent in homeostasis, they actively proliferate in response to bone marrow (BM) injury. Signals from the BM microenvironment are thought to promote entry of HSC into the cell cycle. However, it has been cumbersome to assess cycle status of viable HSC and thus explore unique features associated with division. In this study, we show that expression of endothelial cell-selective adhesion molecule (ESAM) can be a powerful indicator of HSC activation. ESAM levels clearly mirrored the shift of HSC between quiescence and activation, and it was prominent in comparison with other HSC-related Ags. ESAMhi HSC were actively dividing, but had surprisingly high long-term reconstituting capacity. Immunohistochemical analyses showed that most ESAMhi HSC were located near vascular endothelium in the BM after 5-fluorouracil treatment. To determine the importance of ESAM in the process of BM recovery, ESAM knockout mice were treated with 5-fluorouracil and their hematopoietic reconstruction was examined. The ESAM deficiency caused severe and prolonged BM suppression, suggesting that ESAM is functionally indispensable for HSC to re-establish homeostatic hematopoiesis. With respect to intracellular regulators, NF-κB and topoisomerase II levels correlated with the ESAM upregulation. Thus, our data demonstrate that the intensity of ESAM expression is useful to trace activated HSC and to understand molecular events involved in stem cell states.
Carbon residence time dominates uncertainty in terrestrial vegetation responses to future climate and atmospheric CO2

Future climate change and increasing atmospheric CO2 are expected to cause major changes in vegetation structure and function over large fractions of the global land surface. Seven global vegetation models are used to analyze possible responses to future climate simulated by a range of general circulation models run under all four representative concentration pathway scenarios of changing concentrations of greenhouse gases. All 110 simulations predict an increase in global vegetation carbon to 2100, but with substantial variation between vegetation models. For example, at 4 °C of global land surface warming (510–758 ppm of CO2), vegetation carbon increases by 52–477 Pg C (224 Pg C mean), mainly due to CO2 fertilization of photosynthesis. Simulations agree on large regional increases across much of the boreal forest, western Amazonia, central Africa, western China, and southeast Asia, with reductions across southwestern North America, central South America, southern Mediterranean areas, southwestern Africa, and southwestern Australia. Four vegetation models display discontinuities across 4 °C of warming, indicating global thresholds in the balance of positive and negative influences on productivity and biomass. In contrast to previous global vegetation model studies, we emphasize the importance of uncertainties in projected changes in carbon residence times. We find, when all seven models are considered for one representative concentration pathway × general circulation model combination, such uncertainties explain 30% more variation in modeled vegetation carbon change than responses of net primary productivity alone, increasing to 151% for non-HYBRID4 models. A change in research priorities away from production and toward structural dynamics and demographic processes is recommended.
Challenges and competencies for project management in the Australian public service

Purpose Public sector projects still fail to meet delivery expectations, and the lack of significant project management experience in the Australian public service (APS) has been identified as a contributing factor. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the importance of competencies required for delivering public sector projects, as well as challenges faced by the project managers when operating in a public context. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative semi-structured interviews were used to enlighten the social and operating construct in APS. In parallel, a quantitative survey was used to determine the relative importance of various competencies to effective project delivery. Findings The research concludes that communication, accountability, business alignment, scope and deliverables, change, and project and program orientation are the most important competencies in APS project delivery. Furthermore, there is evidence that the operating environment acts as a barrier to successful project delivery, noting that it does not let project management practice deploy its full potential for increased effectiveness and efficiency. Practical implications The research findings noted that the specific needs, values and functions of project management in the APS are not well defined, and therefore there were limited criteria against which public sector project management competencies could be designed and measured. Originality/value This empirical research contributes to the open dialogue of improving efficiency in project management within the APS context. The findings point to the conflict between the operational nature of APS agencies and their project activities, and how they struggle to define themselves as project organizations rather than lack of appreciation to individual competencies.
Subgroups of children with autism by cluster analysis: a longitudinal examination.

OBJECTIVES A hierarchical cluster analysis was conducted using a sample of 138 school-age children with autism. The objective was to examine (1) the characteristics of resulting subgroups, (2) the relationship of these subgroups to subgroups of the same children determined at preschool age, and (3) preschool variables that best predicted school-age functioning. METHOD Ninety-five cases were analyzed. RESULTS Findings support the presence of 2 subgroups marked by different levels of social, language, and nonverbal ability, with the higher group showing essentially normal cognitive and behavioral scores. The relationship of high- and low-functioning subgroup membership to levels of functioning at preschool age was highly significant. CONCLUSIONS School-age functioning was strongly predicted by preschool cognitive functioning but was not strongly predicted by preschool social abnormality or severity of autistic symptoms. The differential outcome of the 2 groups shows that high IQ is necessary but not sufficient for optimal outcome in the presence of severe language impairment.
Agreement in Reported Sexual Partnership Dates and Implications for Measuring Concurrency

Objectives: To describe the reliability of reported dates of first and last sexual exposure, as elicited from sexually transmitted disease/human immunodeficiency virus cases during routine contact investigation, and determine their adequacy for assessing concurrency. Methods: We used contact tracing data from 5 studies in which both members of 774 dyads were interviewed and named each other as sex partners. We assessed partners’ agreement on the dates of first and last exposure as related to precision (to the day, month, or year) of reported dates and demographic and behavioral characteristics of the dyad. We performed simulations that introduced reporting error, based on our observed data, to posited “true” temporal configurations of partnerships to assess the impact of unreliability in reporting on the measurement of concurrency. Results: Thirty-two percent of dyads agreed on the exact date of first sexual exposure, and 36% did so for the date of last sexual exposure. Sixty-four percent agreed within 30 days on the date of first sexual exposure, and 81% did so for the date of last sexual exposure. The reliability of reported dates was positively related to the precision of the reports. Agreement on reported exposure dates was not meaningfully associated with any of the sociodemographic and behavioral variables available. Based on simulations, the positive predictive value of reported dates for estimating concurrency is approximately 80% over a wide range of conditions. Conclusions: These data suggest that the reliability of reported exposure dates is reasonably good but that estimating concurrency with reported dates is subject to some error. Data designed for the purpose and analyzed with adequate attention to the statistical and epidemiologic issues of assessing concurrency are needed.
The Elephant (or Donkey) in the Boardroom: How Board Political Ideology Affects CEO Pay

Despite scholars’ longstanding efforts to understand why some CEOs are paid more than others, much of the immense heterogeneity in CEO compensation remains a puzzle. At the center of this puzzle are boards of directors, whose mandate affords them considerable control over CEO pay arrangements. Conventional wisdom holds that boards should strive to minimize pay while maximizing the link between pay and company performance, but this assumption overlooks the possibility that even vigilant directors can substantially differ in their governance beliefs. Our study examines how board political ideology, specifically on the liberalism-conservatism spectrum, influences CEO pay decisions. Integrating research on political psychology and corporate governance, we hypothesize that conservative boards will pay their CEOs more than will liberal boards. We also posit that board ideology will moderate the relationship between recent firm performance and pay, with conservative boards more tightly linking the two. Finally, .
Weaving social reality around the grandparent/great-grandparent with dementia to maintain relational presence: A verbal and non-verbal dementia interactions model

We proposed a dementia interactions model based on analyses of five focus groups with grandchildren of grandparents with dementia. Interactions with their grandparent with dementia motivate grandchildren to maintain connection with a grandparent who is relationally present. To do so, they weave a social reality around the grandparent. To help the grandparent remain connected, grandchildren engage in scripts and routines and employ three intertwined psychological processes: perspective taking, vigilance, and knowledge about the grandparent's preferences, personality, state of mind, and context. Grandchildren use four relationship anchors to help the grandparent remain relationally present: family members, meaningful sensory objects and activities, physical space/context, and themselves. Implications for improving social interactions with close others with dementia are discussed.
Green prescriptions: attitudes and perceptions of general practitioners towards prescribing exercise.

BACKGROUND This qualitative study was part of a broader randomized controlled trial which showed that written exercise advice (green prescription) from a general practitioner (GP) increased physical activity levels among sedentary patients more than verbal advice alone over a 6-week period. AIM To assess the attitudes and perceptions of GPs towards the practice of writing green prescriptions. METHOD Participating GPs (n = 25) discussed attitudes and perceptions towards green prescriptions through structured focus groups within 2 weeks of the end of recruitment for the main study. RESULTS The GPs felt comfortable discussing and prescribing exercise with and to patients. They preferred giving green prescriptions to giving verbal advice alone, and felt they were a valuable tool to formalize and document mutually agreed exercise goals. Time constraints were identified as a major barrier to the widespread implementation of green prescriptions. Appropriate training, resource materials, and patient follow-up mechanisms were identified as important elements for successful implementation of the strategy. CONCLUSION Overall, the GPs were very positive about the green prescription concept, believing it to be beneficial for patients and achievable within general practice.
Transcription factor C/EBP‐β mediates downregulation of dipeptidyl‐peptidase III expression by interleukin‐6 in human glioblastoma cells

Dipeptidyl‐peptidase III (DPP III) is a cytosolic metallo‐aminopeptidase implicated in various physiological and pathological processes. A previous study from our laboratory indicated an elevated expression of DPP III in glioblastoma (U87MG) cells. In the present study we investigated the role of interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), a pleiotropic cytokine produced by glial tumors, in the regulation of DPP III expression. Immunohistochemistry, western blotting and quantitative RT‐PCR were used for quantitation of DPP III and IL‐6 in human glioblastoma cells and tumors. Cell transfections and DPP III promoter reporter assays were performed to study the transcriptional regulation of DPP III by IL‐6. Promoter deletion analysis, site directed mutagenesis, chromatin immunoprecipitation assays and small interfering RNA (siRNA) technology was employed to elucidate the molecular mechanism of IL‐6 mediated regulation of DPP III expression in glioblastoma cells. Our results for the first time demonstrate a negative correlation (r = 0.632, P = 0.01) between DPP III and IL‐6 in both human tumors and cultured glioblastoma cells. Treatment of U87MG cells with IL‐6 significantly decreased DPP III expression with a concomitant increase in the levels of transcription factor CCAAT/enhancer binding protein beta (C/EBP‐β). Deletion/mutagenesis of C/EBP‐β binding motif of DPP III promoter significantly increased its activity and abolished its responsiveness to IL‐6. This effect could also be mimicked by C/EBP‐β siRNA. In conclusion our study for the first time demonstrates C/EBP‐β mediated transcriptional downregulation of DPP III by IL‐6. Our results demonstrating a negative correlation between IL‐6 and DPP III taken together with the previously reported prognostic significance of this cytokine in glioblastoma suggests that DPP III may prove useful as a prognostic marker.
Tariff Policy and Transport Costs under Reciprocal Dumping

This paper analyzes tariff competition by investigating the strategic interactions among firms that are highly mobile across national boundaries. Although high transport costs yield a geographic dispersion of the industry, sufficiently low transport costs result in a core-periphery location where nobody bears tariff burdens. In any case, the world economy would be in a much better position under an international coordination scheme. An economy is only required to enforce a weak international trade agreement for improving global welfare.
Histology of chronic pilonidal sinus

Many theories concerning the development of chronic pilonidal sinus have been proposed. A histologic study of primary pilonidal sinus in 53 patients is presented. Subcutaneous tissue contained sinuses surrounded by chronic inflammation. Hair in sinuses was found in three quarters of the specimens examined. Examination showed that hair entered via one of the sinus openings created. Pits (denned as darker spots of varying width in the midline of the internatal cleft) were found to be indentations of the skin containing keratin plugs and debris. They may be isolated or connected with hair follicles. Pilonidal sinuses are chronic inflammatory processes of the skin caused by keratin plugs and debris clinically observed as pits, having penetrated the dermis.
Stress, anxiety, and depression in hospital consultants, general practitioners, and senior health service managers

Abstract Objective: To study stress anxiety, and depression in a group of senior health service staff. Design: Postsal survey. Subjects: 81 hospital consultants, 322 general practitioners, and 121 senior hospital managers (total 524). Main outcome measures: Scores on the general health questionnaire and the hospital anxiety and depression scale. Results: Sixty five (80%) consultants, 257 (80%) general practitioners, and 67 (56%) managers replied. Of all 389 subjects, 183 (47%) scored positively on the general health questionnaire, indicating high levels of stress. From scores on the hospital anxiety and depression scale only 178 (46%) would be regarded as free from anxiety, with 100 (25%) scoring as borderline cases and 111 (29%) likely to be experiencing clinically measurable symptoms. The findigns for depression were also of some concern, especially for general practitioners, with 69 (27%) scoring as borderline or likely to be depressed. General practitioners were more likely to be depressed than managers (69 (27%) v 4 (6%) scored >=8 on hospital anxiety and depression sacle-D; P=0.004) with no sgnificant difference between general practitioners and consultants. General practitioners were significantly more likely to show suicidal thanking than were consultants (36 (14%) v 3 (5%); P=0.04) but not managers (9 (13%)). No significant differnce could be found between the three groups on any other measure. Conclusions: the levels of stress, anxiety, and depressionin senior doctors and managers in the NHS seem to be high and perhaps higher than expected.
Remoteness Modulates the Effects of Emotional Valence on the Neural Network of Autobiographical Memory in Older Females

To better understand the effects of emotional valence on autobiographical memory (AM), the present study compared behavioral performance and neural activation in positive and negative AMs at different levels of remoteness (the time-interval between encoding and retrieving) in a sample of Chinese older females. The behavioral results revealed that older females held a positivity bias in emotional AM in the form of an obvious trend of higher level of vividness when retrieving positive AMs compared with negative AMs. At the neural level, a de-lateralized neural network, covering the core AM system and the affect processing system, was found to be associated with emotional AM. Within the network, increased activation of a prefrontal cortex/anterior cingulate cortex (PFC/ACC) control system was found when processing negative recent AMs compared with positive recent AMs; increased activation of the somatosensory area was found with positive remote AMs compared with negative remote AMs. On the basis of these results, we suggest that the positivity bias of the older adults in recent AMs may be due to the use of an emotion regulation or control system (involving PFC/ACC) against negative AMs; in contrast, for remote AMs, the positivity bias may be due to better access to the positive remote memory details than the negative remote memory details.
DNA methylation in the Alu sequences of diploid and haploid primary human cells.

We have investigated DNA methylation in human Alu sequences, both in general and in specific Alu sequences associated with the genes for alpha 1 globin, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and angiogenin. We studied DNAs from lymphocytes, granulocytes, brain, heart muscle and sperm, and from the human HeLa and KB cell lines by using cleavage with methylation‐sensitive restriction enzymes combined with Southern blot hybridization and by using genomic sequencing. The results can be summarized as follows. (i) In differentiated primary human cells, Alu elements are often highly methylated even when they are in very 5′‐CG‐3′‐rich regions. This finding is not consistent with the notion that hypermethylation would be a sufficient condition in itself for 5′‐CG‐3′ sequences to undergo loss of 5‐methyl‐deoxycytidine (5‐mC) due to deamination and subsequent mutation. (ii) There are distinct differences in the levels of methylation in the specific Alu sequences. (iii) Alu elements in the DNA of haploid spermatozoa are much less methylated than in diploid cells. Preliminary data indicate that spermatozoa contain Alu‐specific RNAs. (iv) The results of cell‐free transcription experiments with Alu elements suggest that the in vitro transcription of Alu elements can be inhibited by 5′‐CG‐3′ methylation. High levels of 5′‐CG‐3′ methylation in Alu elements could contribute to their general transcriptional inactivity. (v) The patterns of methylation observed in the Alu elements and in the surrounding sequences are characterized by cell type specific interindividual concordance.