Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Plasma contains protein S monomers and multimers with similar direct anticoagulant activity

Summary. Background: Protein S (PS) has activated protein C‐independent, direct anticoagulant activity (PS‐direct). We reported that both multimers and monomers of affinity‐purified PS have PS‐direct similar to that in plasma, in contrast to another report. Objective: We extended our studies to establish the molecular forms and activity of plasma PS. Methods: Novel ELISAs were developed that could detect only multimeric, not monomeric, PS because they employed the same monoclonal antibody for capture and detection. PS forms were also examined on native PAGE immunoblots. A new activity assay for PS‐direct was applied to plasma and gel‐filtered plasma fractions. Results: Plasma PS multimers were clearly demonstrated using the ELISAs; 30–60% of free plasma PS appeared to be multimeric, a proportion similar to that of affinity‐purified PS. On immunoblots, plasma PS multimers were more easily detected after gel filtration; plasma PS monomers and several apparent multimers comigrated with respective forms of affinity‐purified PS. Antigen elution profiles after gel filtration of plasma revealed at least one major peak of apparent PS multimers (40–55% of free PS appeared multimeric). Biotin‐factor Xa could bind to both plasma PS monomers and multimers. Strong plasma PS‐direct was demonstrated, and plasma PS monomers, multimers, and PS–C4b‐binding protein complexes each reconstituted PS‐depleted plasma to similar levels of PS‐direct. Conclusion: Our data are in disagreement with a report that monomeric purified PS has little PS‐direct and that only monomeric PS exists in plasma. We find that both affinity‐purified and plasma PS exist as monomers and multimers with similar PS‐direct.
The Impact of Ethnic Heterogeneity on Decentralization Perceptions in Romania

While most research on decentralization has focused mainly on the fiscal implications, there is also a need to assess the perceptions of citizens towards the process, perceptions which are like­ly to differ between different ethnic, religious or cultural groups. Although Romania is one of the largest European countries, research in this area has been very limited. The aim of this paper is to provide preliminary insights into the relationship between ethnic heterogeneity and perceptions of decentralization. Using an experimental research design, the paper examines support for decentralization in Bucharest, the mostly homogenous capital city located in Wallachia, and in Cluj-Napoca, the largest city in Transylvania with a relatively ethnically heterogeneous population. Results suggest that heterogeneous populations seem to be more sensitive to the rhetoric about decen­tralization.
Parent‐completed developmental screening in a Norwegian population sample: a comparison with US normative data

Aim: To compare normative data of a Norwegian translation of the Ages and Stages Questionnaires with original US normative data. Methods: Norwegian‐born mothers randomly selected from the population register completed Norwegian translations of the Ages and Stages Questionnaires, a series of 19 age‐specific child development screening questionnaires each made up of 30 items in five domains: Communication, Gross Motor, Fine Motor, Problem Solving, and Personal‐Social. Domain score group differences with original US normative data on 10 age‐specific questionnaires (for ages 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 30, 36, 48, and 60 mo) were investigated. The Norwegian data consisted of 1341 children, varying between 82 and 176 per age interval. Results: On the whole, parents' reports of their children's development were very similar in the two data sets. Only five out of 50 mean comparisons revealed a mean difference either greater than a Cohen's d of 0.5 or greater than the smallest increment on a domain score. The variation in scores tended to be somewhat smaller in the Norwegian sample.
How reliable is self-testing for gonorrhea and chlamydia among men who have sex with men?

BACKGROUND Recent studies have demonstrated a high prevalence of pharyngeal (P) and rectal (R) Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC) and Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infections among men who have sex with men (MSM). Guidelines by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend testing at least annually. But surveys of medical providers suggest that adherence to these guidelines is minimal as a result of limited time and staff. Because of these concerns, we evaluated the feasibility and accuracy of patient self-testing. METHODS Three-hundred seventy-four patients at a Washington, DC clinic who identified themselves as MSM and requested testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) participated in the study. Patients performed self-screening using the Gen-Probe APTIMA Combo 2 (AC2) kit after viewing written and pictorial instructions. Trained providers also screened patients. We randomized the order in which patients or providers performed testing. RESULTS Among those receiving specific tests, 8% of patients tested positive for R-GC, 9.3% for P-GC, 12.7% for R-CT, and 1.3% for P-CT. We performed McNemar tests, stratified by infection type and anatomic site to evaluate concordance. Self-administered testing was significantly better at identifying P-GC (discordant: 3%) and R-GC (discordant: 2.9%) (P ≤.01), and had results similar to provider- administered testing for P-CT (discordant: 0.5%) and R-CT (discordant: 1.1%) detection. CONCLUSIONS The equivalent or better detection rates for rectal and oral gonorrhea and chlamydia among patients suggest that patients are capable of performing their own screening for STIs, which may increase infection detection and treatment.
The Use of Surveys in Teacher Education Programs to Meet Accreditation Standards: Preservice Teachers' Culturally Responsive Beliefs and Practices.

Jason C. Immekus, Ph.D. University of Louisville Abstract The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) requires teacher preparation programs in the United States (US) to document their ability to produce teachers who can effectively promote the learning of a diverse P-12 student population (CAEP, 2013). To meet CAEP accreditation standards, leaders of teacher preparation programs are required to use multiple measures to document and report teacher candidates’ learning attainments. Among others, CAEP reviewers accept surveys as an appropriate measure to evaluate program effectiveness. The purpose of this study is to examine considerations related to the use of surveys to effectively measure teacher candidate dispositions towards culturally responsive teaching practices. Study findings identify key factors associated with the use of survey data to guide programmatic and accreditation decisions.
Effect of multiple use of impression copings on the accuracy of implant transfer.

PURPOSE Reuse of metal impression copings may be desirable for both economic and environmental reasons. When impression copings are reused, it is important to be assured that they are as accurate as new ones. The purpose of the present in vitro study was to assess the effect of multiple use of impression copings on the accuracy of direct and indirect implant transfer techniques. MATERIALS AND METHODS An acrylic resin cast with five internal connection implants was fabricated. Forty medium-consistency polyether impressions of the cast with direct and indirect techniques were made using four sets (five each) of impression copings (square or conical). Impressions were poured with type IV dental stone. Then, the copings were subjected to a cleaning and sterilization process. The process was repeated 10 times with the same copings. Positional accuracy of the implant replica heads in x-, y-, and z-axes and also angular displacement (Δθ) were assessed using a coordinate measuring machine. These measurements were compared with the measurements made on the resin cast (control). Analysis of covariance for repeated measurements was used for the statistical analysis (α =.05). RESULTS There were no significant differences among the following measurements: θx, θz, ;Δθ, and θr (P > .05) in both techniques. Only θy for the open tray impression technique was influenced during repeated use of impression copings (P = .02). CONCLUSIONS Within the limitations of this study, it could be concluded that impression copings can be successfully used, cleaned and sterilized up to 10 times without compromising the impression accuracy.
Factors Influencing Environmentally Responsible Behavior among Coastal Recreationists

Abstract An increasing threat to the marine environment is the presence of debris in the ocean, which is predominantly a result of land-based sources and increasing use of single-use packaging items. To begin reducing the amount of debris entering the ocean, human behavior must be addressed. The purpose of this study is to evaluate how coastal recreationists behave towards the environment and whether their participation in recreation correlates to their reported behavior specific to marine debris control. Path analysis was used to determine how one’s attitudes, knowledge, recreational activity, and background characteristics influence behavior. Results showed that type of recreational activity had very little impact on behavior and other predictors. From the model, marine environmental concern, connection to the marine environment, and gender most directly influenced reported behavior. Therefore, to encourage change in recreationists’ relevant behavior, the results indicate social groups where behavior change efforts could initially be made. Additionally, the marine environmental concerns of different demographic groups should be considered and used in developing programs directed at increasing environmentally responsible behavior with emphasis on marine debris.
Root canal morphology of human maxillary and mandibular third molars.

The anatomy of third molars has been described as unpredictable. However restorative, prosthetic, and orthodontic considerations often require endodontic treatment of third molars in order for them to be retained as functional components of the dental arch. The purpose of this study was to investigate and characterize the anatomy of maxillary and mandibular third molars. One hundred fifty maxillary and 150 mandibular extracted third molars were vacuum-injected with dye, decalcified, and made transparent. The anatomy of the root canal system was then recorded. Seventeen percent of mandibular molars had one root (40% of which contained two canals), 77% had two roots, 5% had three roots, and 1% had four roots. Teeth with two roots exhibited highly variable canal morphology, containing from one to six canals, including 2.2% that were "C-shaped. " Fifteen percent of maxillary molars had one root, 32% had two roots, 45% had three roots, and 7% had four roots. Teeth with one root demonstrated the most unusual morphology, with the number of canals varying from one to six. An in vivo study of the canal morphology of treated third molars is suggested to provide the practitioner with an understanding of the clinical implications of third molar root anatomy.
Administrative (de)centralization, performance equity, and outcome achievement in rural contexts: An empirical study of U.S. child welfare systems

2M Research University of Utah Whether public services are better delivered through centralized or decentralized administrative systems is one of the most enduring debates in public administration. This article contributes to the debate with a study of program outcome achievement in U.S. child welfare services. We examine whether centralized state-administered or decentralized county-administered systems are more successful at realizing desired outcomes, which exhibit greater performance equity, and which are more successful at securing program outcomes in rural settings. Using a coarsened exact matching approach to quasi-experimental research, we find that centralized child welfare systems exhibit greater success at achieving desired outcomes—in both rural contexts and overall. No discernible difference is found in centralized and decentralized systems’ performance equity; outcome disparities exist under both structures. The study thus lends credence to centralization arguments, but at the same time cautions that centralized administration is not a structural panacea.
Neither MafA/L‐Maf nor MafB is essential for lens development in mice

The importance of the large Maf transcription factor family has been investigated in lens development in the chick, Xenopus and mammals. Previously we reported that c‐maf‐deficient mice exhibit severe defects in lens fibre cells. Here, we report the roles of other large Mafs, MafA/L‐Maf and MafB, during mouse lens development. MafA/L‐Maf and MafB were expressed in lens epithelial cells and fibre cells at E12.5 but had largely disappeared from the lens at E18.5. The lens of mafA‐, mafB‐deficient and mafA::mafB double‐deficient mice developed normally. In c‐maf‐deficient mice, the pattern of expression of MafA and MafB differed from their expression in wild‐type mice. Moreover, the expression of crystallin genes was unchanged in mafA‐, mafB‐ and mafA::mafB double‐deficient lens. These results indicate that c‐Maf alone is essential for lens development, and that MafA/L‐Maf and MafB are dispensable in mice.
Knee height and arm span

Objectives: To determine if anthropometric measures, as markers of early life environment, are associated with risk of dementia, Alzheimer disease (AD), and vascular dementia (VaD). Methods: A total of 2,798 subjects were followed as part of the Cardiovascular Health Cognition Study for an average of 5.4 years; 480 developed dementia. Knee height was measured 3 years prior to and arm span 4 years after the study’s baseline. Cox proportional hazard models were used to examine their association with subsequent risk of dementia, AD, and VaD. Results: Among women, greater knee height and arm span were associated with lower risks of dementia (knee height: HR per 1-inch increase 0.84; 95% CI 0.74–0.96; arm span: HR per 1-inch increase 0.93; 95% CI 0.88–0.98) and AD (knee height: HR per 1-inch increase 0.78; 95% CI 0.65–0.93; arm span: HR per 1-inch increase 0.90; 95% CI 0.85–0.96). Women in the lowest quartile of arm span had ∼1.5 times greater risk of dementia (HR 1.45; 95% CI 1.03–2.05) and AD (HR 1.70; 95% CI 1.10–2.62) than other women. Among men, only arm span was associated with lower risks of dementia (HR per 1-inch increase 0.94; 95% CI 0.89–1.00) and AD (HR per 1-inch increase 0.92; 95% CI 0.84–1.00). For each gender, knee height was not associated with VaD, while arm span was associated with a nonsignificant lower risk of VaD. Conclusions: Our findings with knee height and arm span are consistent with previous reports and suggest early life environment may play an important role in the determination of future dementia risk.
Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors that directly inhibit anion transport by the human Cl−/HCO3− exchanger, AE1

Carbonic anhydrases (CA, EC 4.2.1.1.) catalyze reversible hydration of CO2 to HCO3−+H+. Bicarbonate transport proteins, which catalyze the transmembrane movement of membrane-impermeant bicarbonate, function in cooperation with CA. Since CA and bicarbonate transporters share the substrate, bicarbonate, we examined whether novel competitive inhibitors of CA also have direct inhibitory effects on bicarbonate transporters. We expressed the human erythrocyte membrane Cl−/HCO3− exchanger, AE1, in transfected HEK293 cells as a model bicarbonate transporter. AE1 activity was assessed in both Cl−/NO3− exchange assays, which were independent of CA activity, and in Cl−/HCO3− exchange assays. Transport was measured by following changes of intracellular [Cl−] and pH, using the intracellular fluorescent reporter dyes 6-methoxy-N-(3-sulfopropyl)quinolinium and 2′,7′-bis-(2-carboxyethyl)-5-(and-6)carboxyfluorescein, respectively. We examined the effect of 16 different carbonic anhydrase inhibitors on AE1 transport activity. Among these 12 were newly-reported compounds; two were clinically used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (celecoxib and valdecoxib) and two were anti-convulsant drugs (topiramate and zonisamide). Celecoxib and four of the novel compounds significantly inhibited AE1 Cl−/NO3− exchange activity with EC50 values in the range 0.22–2.8 μM. It was evident that bulkier compounds had greater AE1 inhibitory potency. Maximum inhibition using 40 μM of each compound was only 22–53% of AE1 transport activity, possibly because assays were performed in the presence of competing substrate. In Cl−/HCO3− exchange assays, which depend on functional CA to produce transport substrate, 40 μM celecoxib inhibited AE1 by 62±4%. We conclude that some carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, including clinically-used celecoxib, will inhibit bicarbonate transport at clinically-significant concentrations.
Open innovation and the human resource dimension

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to understand if and how the adoption of an open innovation (OI) strategy, that is acquiring externally developed knowledge, influences the innovation performance of firms and how this relationship is moderated by the recruitment of highly educated employees and the implementation of employee training activities.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted an analysis based on the results of the 2010-2012 Italian Innovation Survey and considered only manufacturing firms. Accordingly, the econometric analysis was based on 2,836 firm-observations.FindingsThe study reveals that acquiring externally developed knowledge positively affects the innovation performance of firms. Additionally, while the moderation effect due to recruiting highly educated employees is not statistically significant, the implementation of training activities negatively moderates the investigated relationship.Research limitations/implicationsThe present research confirms the positive effects of the adoption of OI strategies on the innovation performance of firms and, additionally, shows that implementing employee training activities may negatively influence the abovementioned relationship.Practical implicationsThe present study suggests that firms acquiring externally developed knowledge should be careful in performing employee training activities, since they may hinder the positive effects of adopting OI strategies.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the OI literature, by showing the positive effects of the acquisition of externally developed knowledge on the innovation performance of firms and by analysing the moderating role of human resources management practices, which is an aspect scantly discussed in the literature.
Cochlear implantation: An assessment of quality and readability of web-based information aimed at patients

Abstract Objectives Patients should have access to high-quality health information websites on which to base their decision-making. There are concerns regarding the accuracy and quality of some health websites. We aimed to objectively measure website quality related to cochlear implantation. Methods Selected patient-information websites were scored, depending on how highly they ranked on search engines and if they were ranked on more than one of the search engines used. The top 40 websites from three major search engines were analysed. The quality of each website was scored using the DISCERN tool and the readability was scored using the Flesch–Kincaid reading ease and the Gunning-Fog index. Results The average Flesch–Kincaid score was 49.7, giving an average reading age of a 15–17 years old, and the average Gunning-fog score was 13.1, which equals that of an 18 years old. Conclusion Internet-based information regarding cochlear implantation is of varied quality and is written above the expected reading level of an average person.
Modeling interdependence using the social relations model: The Investment model in family relationships

N.A. Card, T.D. Little, J.P. Selig, Modeling Dyadic and Interdependent Data in Developmental Research: An Introduction. B. Laursen, D. Popp, W.J. Burk, M. Kerr, H. Stattin, Incorporating Interdependence into Developmental Research: Examples from the Study of Homophily and Homogeneity. W.L. Cook, Application of the Social Relations Model Formulas to Developmental Research. A.H. N. Cillessen, C. Borch, Analyzing Social Networks in Adolescence. N. Ram, A.B. Pedersen, Dyadic Models Emerging from the Longitudinal Structural Equation Modeling Tradition: Parallels with Ecological Models of Interspecific Interactions. E. Ferrer, K.F. Widaman, Multilevel Structural Equation Models for Contextual Factors with Inter-Group Differences. P. Sadler, E. Woody, It Takes Two: A Dyadic, SEM-Based Perspective on Personality Development. D.A. Kashy, M.B. Donnellan, Comparing MLM and SEM Approaches to Analyzing Developmental Dyadic Data: Growth Curve Models of Hostility in Families. J.P. Selig, K.A. McNamara, N.A. Card, T.D. Little, Techniques for Modeling Dependency in Interchangeable Dyads. T.E. Malloy, A.H. N. Cillessen, Variance Component Analysis of Generalized and Dyadic Peer Perceptions in Adolescence. N.A. Card, T.D. Little, J.P. Selig, Using the Bivariate Social Relations Model to Study Dyadic Relationships: Early Adolescents' Perceptions of Friends' Aggression and Prosocial Behavior. S.J.T. Branje, C. Finkenauer, W.H. J. Meeus, Modeling Interdependence Using the Social Relations Model: The Investment Model in Family Relationships. J. Templin, Methods for Detecting Subgroups in Social Networks. T.A. Kindermann, Can We Use Causal Inferences about the Influence of Children's Naturally-Existing Social Networks on their School Motivation? B.J.H. Zijlstra, R. Veenstra, M.A.J. Van Duijn, An Application of the Multilevel Model for Binary Network Data on Bully-Victim Relationships. C.F. Bond, Jr., D. Cross, Beyond the Dyad: Prospects for Social Development. D.A. Kenny, Thinking about the Developmental Course of Relationships.
Harmonic allocation following IEC guidelines using the voltage droop concept

Present IEC guidelines are difficult to apply to realistic cases because of the data load, the number of assumptions required and the computational complexity. A new approach is given based on the concept of voltage droop, to be detailed in a companion paper. The benefits of the approach are a simple calculation with minimal data and no required assumptions. It applies to radial or meshed distribution systems where feeders are sufficiently short that line capacitance can be ignored. The approach can be applied at the installation (MV or LV) and the equipment level and can be used to give reference values for equipment emission standards.
Congressional capacity and the abolition of legislative service organizations

Abstract I analyse the relative influence of lawmakers before and after a watershed moment in the development of faction institutions: the abolition of legislative service organizations. Blocs of lawmakers in the House of Representatives were afforded official resources to advance their policy agendas between 1979 and 1995. In the wake of the “Republican Revolution,” however, these groups were categorically dismantled. Using a difference-in-difference design, I estimate the individual-level effect of losing congressional resources on relative legislative effectiveness. The results inform our understanding of faction power, legislative bargaining and evolving congressional institutions.