Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fine structure of the goblet cell mucous secretory process

The Golgi apparatus has been recognized as the initial site of mucigen accumulation. The mucigen is seen forming within the agranular lamellar membranes and vesicles of the Golgi, enlarging and coalescing with loss of individual mucigen droplet membranes, bulging the cell into its characteristic goblet appearance, and subsequent rupturing of the microvilli plasma membrane with discharge of the mucin. The density of the well developed goblet cell is a function of nuclear and cytoplasmic compression by the mass of mucigen. The fine structure of the “resting goblet” cell is indistinguishable from that of the principal columnar absorbing cells. No morphologic evidence of mucigen formation in the endoplasmic reticulum is found, but continuity is demonstrated between the rough‐surfaced endoplasmic reticulum and agranular Golgi membranes. It is possible that the mucigen or its precursors may be synthesized in the endoplasmic reticulum then transported to the Golgi where it is concentrated into the morphologically recognizable mucigen.
Quilting Suture in the Donor Site of the Transverse Rectus Abdominis Musculocutaneous Flap in Breast Reconstruction

Background:The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of quilting suture (placement of stitches between the superficial fascia in the supraumbilical remaining flap and the musculoaponeurotic layer of the anterior abdominal wall) at the donor site of the transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous flap in breast reconstruction. Methods:There is a theory that the use of quilting suture, during the closure of the donor site with the abdominal flap, causes collapse of the dead space and enables the flap to rest, thus diminishing factors that may interfere in its adherence and help to reduce complications. Between January 2004 and March 2005, we performed 30 breast reconstructions using a unipedicled transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous flap. The sample was randomly distributed in 2 groups: 15 patients with quilting suture (group A) and 15 patients without quilting suture (group B). The study focused on daily drain output (mL), time to drain removal (days), and possible donor site complications (%). Results:Group A presented an average of 4.2 days for removal of the drain and group B, 6.93 days, with a statistically significant difference (P < 0.001). Concerning the total volume upon removal of the drain, group A presented an average of 434.7 mL and group B, 620.7 mL, with a statistically significant difference (P = 0.002). Group A presented 13.3% complications at the donor site and group B, 53.3%, with a statistically significant difference (P = 0.05). Conclusions:The quilting suture in this study reduces the permanence of drains, total volume of tissue fluids upon drain removal, and complication rates.
Peptides in Neurodegeneration ; Pathology and Therapy

Neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimers or Parkinson’s are diseases of aging. Mutations, lesions, neuronal insults, the genetic and stochastic “slings and arrows” of living, accumulate and downgrade organ function. Microarray analyses of aging brain identify patterns of genetic changes that correlate with neurodegenerative phenotypes. Genes involved in synaptic transmission, mitochondrial function and protein turnover are down regulated while significant numbers of genes regulating DNA repair, stress responses and inflammation are up regulated. This impact on the brain induces, a complex, multidimensional network of abnormal interactions leading to deposits of protein aggregates such as amyloid plaques, tau and neuron filament proteins tangles. For some, this pathology leads to neuron loss, behavioral defects, cognitive decline and death. Therapeutic approaches for AD, for example, target the molecular pathways leading to plaques and tangles; these include kinases and phosphatases. Among kinases, one stands out, Cdk5/p35, essential for neuronal migration, synapse formation, function, and survival. Studies have shown that aging-induced neuronal stress deregulates and hyper activates Cdk5, a ubiquitous feature of neuronal disorders such as Alzheimer’s, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Parkinson’s (PD). Among its many effects, hyperactive Cdk5 is implicated in the production of abnormal phosphorylated protein aggregates and is a therapeutic target. Roscovitine and related compounds inhibit Cdk5 activity but not specifically; cell cycle Cdks and other kinases are equally affected. In our laboratory two truncated peptides CIP (126a.a) and P5 (24a.a.), derived from p35, activator, of Cdk5 have been shown to specifically inhibit hyperactive Cdk5 in vitro, in cortical neurons, and in AD, ALS and PD model mice. As a result the neurodegenerative phenotype was diminished; aggregates and inflammation were reduced, abnormal behavior was improved and increased animal’s longevity. We believe these peptides are excellent therapeutic candidates for those neurodegenerative disorders expressing hyperactive Cdk5 in the brain. Citation: Philip Grant, Manju Bhaskar, Shardaprasad Yadav, Binukumar BK, Niranjana Amin, Harish C. Pant (2017). Peptides in Neurodegeneration; Pathology and Therapy
Serum Response Factor Regulates Expression of Phosphatase and Tensin Homolog Through a MicroRNA Network in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Objective—Serum response factor (SRF) is a critical transcription factor in smooth muscle cells (SMCs) controlling differentiation and proliferation. Our previous work demonstrated that depleting SRF in cultured SMCs decreased expression of SMC markers but increased proliferation and inflammatory mediators. A similar phenotype has been observed in SMCs silenced for phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), suggesting that SRF and PTEN may lie on a common pathway. Our goal was to determine the effect of SRF depletion on PTEN levels and define mechanisms mediating this effect. Methods and Results—In SRF-silenced SMCs, PTEN protein levels but not mRNA levels were decreased, suggesting posttranscriptional regulation. Reintroduction of PTEN into SRF-depleted SMCs reversed increases in proliferation and cytokine/chemokine production but had no effect on SMC marker expression. SRF-depleted cells showed decreased levels of microRNA (miR)-143 and increased miR-21, which was sufficient to suppress PTEN. Increased miR-21 expression was dependent on induction of Fos related antigen (FRA)-1, which is a direct target of miR-143. Introducing miR-143 into SRF-depleted SMCs reduced FRA-1 expression and miR-21 levels and restored PTEN expression. Conclusion—SRF regulates PTEN expression in SMCs through a miR network involving miR-143, targeting FRA-1, which regulates miR-21. Cross-talk between SRF and PTEN likely represents a critical axis in phenotypic remodeling of SMCs.
The Effects of Price - Comparison Advertising on Buyers'''' Perceptions of Acquisition Value, Transa

Corrosion-resistant, hermetic glassceramic-to-metal seals are made in a single rapid heating step by inserting a glass preform made of 25-35% by weight ZnO, 2.5-10% by weight Al2O3 and 30-60% SiO2 together with optional nucleating and/or fluxing agents, between a metal pin and surrounding metal collar. Heating is rapid in a single step to first fluidize the glass, while avoiding excessive oxidation of the metal pin and the metal collar and to prevent excessive interaction of the glass composition at the glass/collar interface, then to ceram the seal. The resulting seals exhibit good corrosion resistance to potassium hydroxide solutions and are useful in Ni-Cd batteries.
BOARD OF DIRECTOR INVOLVEMENT IN RESTRUCTURING: THE EFFECTS OF BOARD VERSUS MANAGERIAL CONTROLS

Board of director involvement in restructuring reveals whether restructuring is brought on as an action by the board in its central oversight role or whether managers are purusing positive strategic action or correction. Therefore, based on an integration of organization economics (agency theory and market for corporate control) and strategic management theory (internal control and strategic leadership contingencies), this research examines board involvement in restructuring. Board involvement is hypothesized to be contingent on the governance mechanisms used by the board to monitor top management, control emphasis used by managers to process strategic information and board and managerial characteristics. The basic premise of the paper is that, due to their oversight role, board members (especially outside directors) become involved in restructuring only when managerial strategy implementation appears to be deficient. Top management team equity stakes are found to be negatively related to board involvement in restructuring, while outside director ownership is found to be positively related. Emphasis on strategic controls by managers was found to be negatively related to board involvement in restructuring. Top management team tenure and top management organizational tenure are negatively related to board involvement. Outsider representation on the board is positively related to board involvement in restructuring, while board tenure was found to be unrelated. Results imply that incentives to monitor (ownership) and emphasis on strategic controls reinforced by higher top management team tenure result in less board involvement in restructuring. However, restructuring may be initiated by outsiders on the board when other governance and control mechanisms fail. This implies a substitution process between governance tactics (ownership vs. board monitoring) and internal controls (managerial vigilance).
Risk Factors for Delayed Initiation of Combination Antiretroviral Therapy in Rural North Central Nigeria

Background:Timely initiation of combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) in eligible HIV-infected patients is associated with substantial reduction in mortality and morbidity. Nigeria has the second largest number of persons living with HIV/AIDS in the world. We examined patient characteristics, time to ART initiation, retention, and mortality at 5 rural facilities in Kwara and Niger states of Nigeria. Methods:We analyzed program-level cohort data for HIV-infected ART-naive clients (≥15 years) enrolled from June 2009 to February 2011. We modeled the probability of ART initiation among clients meeting national ART eligibility criteria using logistic regression with splines. Results:We enrolled 1948 ART-naive adults/adolescents into care, of whom, 1174 were ART eligible (62% female). Only 74% of the eligible patients (n = 869) initiated ART within 90 days after enrollment. The median CD4+ count for eligible clients was 156 cells/&mgr;L (interquartile range: 81–257), with 67% in WHO stage III/IV disease. Adjusting for CD4+ count, WHO stage, functional status, hemoglobin, body mass index, sex, age, education, marital status, employment, clinic of attendance, and month of enrollment, we found that immunosuppression [CD4 350 vs. 200, odds ratio (OR) = 2.10, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.31 to 3.35], functional status [bedridden vs. working, OR = 4.17 (95% CI: 1.63 to 10.67)], clinic of attendance [Kuta Hospital vs. referent: OR = 5.70 (95% CI: 2.99 to 10.89)], and date of enrollment [December 2010 vs. June 2009: OR = 2.13 (95% CI: 1.19 to 3.81)] were associated with delayed ART initiation. Conclusions:Delayed initiation of ART was associated with higher CD4+ counts, lower functional status, clinic of attendance, and later dates of enrollment among ART-eligible clients. Our findings provide targets for quality improvement efforts that may help reduce attrition and improve ART uptake in similar settings.
The Monoamine Oxidase A gene promoter repeat and prostate cancer risk

Amine catabolism by monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) contributes to oxidative stress, which plays a role in prostate cancer (PCa) development and progression. An upstream variable‐number tandem repeat (uVNTR) in the MAOA promoter influences gene expression and activity, and may thereby affect PCa susceptibility.
Absenteeism and Employment Protection: Three Case Studies *

Summary In this paper, we will consider employment protection, a determinant of absenteeism that has not yet found attention in the literature. When absence behavior affects workers’ risk of being fired, economic theory suggests that absenteeism should increase with the level of employment protection enjoyed by workers. We provide a theoretical model and propose three case studies to investigate the relevance of firing protection for absence behavior. The first case looks at public-sector workers in Germany. After accumulating 15 years of tenure and reaching the age of 40, they can only be fired after severe personal misconduct. Workers covered by this protection are absent significantly more frequently than others. In our second case study, we analyze the behavior of Italian workers whose employment protection varies with the size of their firm. We find significant differences in the level of employee absenteeism by firm size. The third case investigates the behavior of newly hired workers in one single firm around a change of protection against firing which occurs at the end of their probation period: absenteeism increases as soon as employment protection is granted. Although none of the case studies would be enough to draw conclusions alone, jointly they suggest that employment protection plays a role in explaining absence behavior. We conclude with a discussion of the policy implications of the finding.
Investigating the Importance of Trust on Adopting an Autonomous Vehicle

The objective of this study is to examine the user’s adoption aspects of autonomous vehicle, as well as to investigate what factors drive people to trust an autonomous vehicle. A model explaining the impact of different factors on autonomous vehicles’ intention is developed based on the technology acceptance model and trust theory. A survey of 552 drivers was conducted and the results were analyzed using partial least squares. The results demonstrated that perceived usefulness and trust are major important determinants of intention to use autonomous vehicles. The results also show that three constructs—system transparency, technical competence, and situation management—have a positive effect on trust. The study identified that trust has a negative effect on perceived risk. Among the driving-related personality traits, locus of control has significant effects on behavioral intention, whereas sensation seeking did not. This study investigated that the developed model explains the factors that influence the acceptance of autonomous vehicle. The results of this study provide evidence on the importance of trust in the user’s acceptance of an autonomous vehicle.
Relevance of the International Prognostic Index in the rituximab era.

TO THEEDITOR:Wereadwithinterestthismeta-anaylsisbyZiepert etal 1 involving1,062patientswithdiffuselargeB-celllymphomaaccrued fromthreeprospectivephaseII/IIItrials:MinT(Mab-TheraInternational Trial), RICOVER-60 (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone plus rituximab [R-CHOP] for patients older than age 60 years),andMegaCHOEP(dose-escalatedregimenofcyclophosphamide, doxorubicin,vincristine,etoposide,andprednisone)trials. 2-4 Theauthors affirms the prognostic relevance of the International Prognostic Index (IPI)scoreforallthreeendpointsofprogression-freesurvival,event-free survival,andoverallsurvival.Thus,theyconcludedthatIPIshouldremain the major tool for risk stratification for patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in the era of rituximab. WhileweagreewithZiepertetal 1 thattheIPIwillremainanimpor
The Supply of Policy and Management Consultancies to Canadian Federal Departments: New Evidence on Contract Size, Type and Structure

The use of external consultants in government has been an increasingly important focus of attention in many countries, including Canada. Numerous studies were undertaken in the 1990s and 2000s as legislatures and their accounting arms became concerned with this practice but they yielded little information on key questions such as the average size of contracts and their dispersion. Utilizing a new federal government dataset compiled from data released since the creation of the Federal Accountability Act in Canada, beside the increasing demand for consulting services, we find a trend emerging in supply whereby a small group of companies have began to dominate federal government management consulting in terms of the size of contract awarded. However the vast majority of contracts remain small and medium-sized and often involve repeat services, resulting in a complex system of consulting activity and impacts across different units.
The Roles of Standardization, Certification, and Assurance Services in Global Commerce

Two of the major problems that permeate complex modern production and distribution enterprises are coordination and enforcement. While mechanisms of coordination have been studied extensively in management science and organizational economics, issues raised by the second set of problems have been the focus of microeconomic theory, organizational economics, and law, especially property, contract and business entity law (e.g., North, 1990). At least two major mechanisms of enforcement of business and commercial understandings and agreements - legal contracts, and the organization of activities within firms - have been studied at considerable length by scholars in the law and economics tradition (e.g., Coase, 1937; Williamson, 1975). More recently, a third cluster of mechanisms, including norms and reputation, have become an object of study by economists and legal scholars (Richman, 2004; Bernstein, 1996; Bernstein, 1992; Bernstein, 2001; Grief, 1989).
The mechanisms of vitamin K2-induced apoptosis of myeloma cells.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Physiologically, vitamin K compounds act as co-factors for g-carboxylation of selected glutamates at the N-terminus of prothrombin and some other coagulation factors. These congeners have some growth inhibitory effects of human neoplastic cells. Furthermore, vitamin K2 (VK2) cause apoptosis of some leukemic cells. In search for a new candidate agent to use in the maintenance treatment of myeloma, we analyzed the growth inhibitory effects and apoptosis-inducing capacity of VK2 in human myeloma cells. DESIGN AND METHODS The growth of myeloma, lymphoma and non-lymphoid cells cultured with various concentrations of VK2 with or without dexamethasone or allopurinol was assayed. Flow cytometry was used to detect apoptotic cells, activated caspase-3 and -9, the generation of superoxide by hydroethidine, and mitochondrial membrane potential (E centym). In addition, the activation of apoptosis-inducing MAPK, p38 and JNK, release of cytochrome c from mitochondria, and change in the relative Bcl-XL/Xs expression balance were analyzed by Western blotting. RESULTS Myeloma cells and B-cell lymphoma cells were sensitive to VK2. The growth inhibition was caused by apoptosis and activation of caspase-3. The generation of superoxide, and inhibitory effects of the xanthine oxidase inhibitor allopurinol, were demonstrated in myeloma cells. The phosphorylation of MAPK was increased by VK2 in myeloma cells. In addition, the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway was activated. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS VK2 may be a good candidate for myeloma patients, particularly patients who are not suitable candidates for intensive cytoreductive chemotherapy due to age and/or complications.
A PRIMER ON CORPORATE GOVERNANCE IN BANKS AND FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS: ARE BANKS SPECIAL?

This chapter serves as an introductory chapter to the present volume on bank corporate governance. As such, it seeks to capture some of the specific corporate governance problems banks face, and to provide a useful background for the discussion of more detailed aspects of the topic in the forthcoming chapters. Of course, the views expressed herein are the author’s own and other contributors to the volume may not agree with them. The analysis mainly focuses on UK banks that are listed on the London Stock Exchange, in other words, on large systemic banks. The corporate governance of banks is an area under continuous development which has changed dramatically in recent years both nationally and internationally. As all listed companies, UK banks are expected to comply with the UK Corporate Governance Code. In addition, the 2009 Walker Review introduced a series of governance recommendations specific to banks and other financial institutions. Many of these have since then been implemented by the PRA and now form part of the PRA Handbook. More recently, the report of the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards urged for broader changes to bank corporate governance including the approved persons’ regime and directors’ duties. In parallel, the fourth Capital Requirements Directive (CRD IV), impacts on bank corporate governance with regard to executive remuneration. Many of these issues will be explored in depth in the following chapters of this volume. The principal aim of this chapter is to illustrate that the private ordering model of bank corporate governance.
LATE PLEISTOCENE MOUNTAIN GOATS (OREAMNOS AMERICANUS) FROM VANCOUVER ISLAND: BIOGEOGRAPHIC IMPLICATIONS

Abstract Although Oreamnos americanus is absent from most Pacific Coast islands, including Vancouver Island, 12,000-year-old skeletal remains were recovered in 2 caves on northern Vancouver Island. The specimens may represent early postglacial immigrants or a relict population derived from a coastal glacial refugium. Limb bones of the fossils are within the size range of modern specimens, suggesting a postglacial origin. O. americanus probably became extinct on Vancouver Island during the early Holocene warming, but inadequacies in the prehistoric faunal record prohibit a determination of a terminal date. The modern distribution of O. americanus on Pacific Coast islands reflects both prehistoric extinctions and low colonization rates across water barriers.
Recruitment and Selection Practices in SMEs: Empirical Evidence from a Developing Country Perspective

This paper purports to investigate the recruitment and selection practices of SMEs and suggests appropriate strategies on how to improve human resource management practices to enhance organisational performance. Recruitment and selection practices are the key factors to the entry point of human resources to any organisation which also tends determine the success and sustainability of SMEs. These practices are said to encourage innovation, survival and growth of SME if taken serious by owner/ managers. Many studies which have been conducted on recruitment and selection practices by SMEs have only concentrated on large and multinational firms on the west and little has been done on recruitment and selection of SMEs in developing economies and yet SME tend to contribute a lot in employment creation and economic growth. This research therefore tries to develop unique recruitment and selection practices which are applicable to the needs of SMEs in developing countries. The random samplings of eighty managers/owners of SMEs were selected for the study, in which data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics. The paper contributes to the body of knowledge especially in provoking a debate amongst managers/owners to come up with appropriate strategies to encourage SMEs to develop formal ways of recruitment and selection practices in organisations. The finding from the study shows that most SMEs tends to practice both informal and formal approach in hiring their employees. The limitation of the study is that the sample size selected was not large enough to generalise the results.