Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Determinants of Discounts in Equity Rights Issues: An International Comparison

Equity rights offerings are the predominant SEO floatation method in many European and Asian countries. Several previous studies focus on rights offerings, but these studies often measure solely the announcement effects of these offerings and pay little attention to the discount. This study seeks to close this gap, explain the discounts on such rights offerings and determine the drivers of offering discounts with a focus on cultural effects regarding the level of uncertainty avoidance. Based on the existing literature, we develop several hypotheses and find supporting evidence for these hypotheses in our data. Our main finding is that the most important factors for explaining the discount on an equity rights offer are the level of uncertainty avoidance, the quality of a firm, and the level of uncertainty about firm value.
PROGRESS IN UREMIC TOXIN RESEARCH: Guanidino Compounds as Uremic (Neuro)Toxins

Neurological and vascular impairment are important sources of morbidity in patients with renal failure. A portion of patients still suffers from uremic encephalopathy or other signs of nervous system impairment. Several reports demonstrate increased incidence of cardiac infarction and cerebrovascular accidents in chronic renal failure patients, even in those otherwise adequately dialyzed. Epileptic and cognitive symptoms are among the most typical manifestations of uremic encephalopathy. Several guanidino compounds (GCs) may play an important role in the etiology of uremic encephalopathy. Four GCs appeared to be substantially increased as well in serum, cerebrospinal fluid, and brain of uremic patients. These compounds, “uremic” GCs, are creatinine, guanidine (G), guanidinosuccinic acid (GSA), and methylguanidine. All four compounds are experimental convulsants in concentrations similar to those found in uremic brain. We described a possible mechanism for the contribution of GCs to uremic hyperexcitability, referring to the in vitro effects of uremic GCs on inhibitory and excitatory amino acid receptors. It was demonstrated that the excitatory effects of uremic GCs on the central nervous system can be explained by the activation of N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate receptors by GSA, concomitant inhibition of γ‐aminobutyric acid type A receptors by uremic GCs, and other depolarizing effects. These effects might also indicate the putative contribution of uremic GCs to the etiology of uremic encephalopathy. In this article, we review the uremic GCs with particular attention to their neurotoxicity. We elaborate in detail on the mechanisms of action of the neurotoxic uremic GCs and summarize the kinetics of these toxins.
What Drives the Perception of School Principals as Professional Managers in Small European Countries? The Case of Croatia

Abstract In this study, the authors discuss the educational and social factors that contribute to the perception of school principals as an independent managerial profession. Empirical results are based on a household survey, nationally representative of the Republic of Croatia as a small European country involved in a comprehensive educational reform. The empirical results indicate that trust in individual social actors relevant for education and the public perception of school effectiveness can serve as predictors of the public assessment of principalship as a profession. Potential implications for further research and policy development in small European countries are suggested. The proposed policy interventions emphasize institutional capacity building and an attempt to achieve a positive feedback loop by strengthening mutual links between the development of local resources and the communication of positive local narratives. Key words: Croatia; educational management; predictors; profession; school principals. --- Sažetak U ovom se radu istražuju obrazovni i drustveni faktori koji pridonose percepciji skolskih ravnatelja kao neovisne menadžerske profesije. Empirijski su rezultati dobiveni ispitivanjem kucanstava reprezentativnih za Republiku Hrvatsku, malu europsku država koja provodi opsežnu reformu obrazovanja. Empirijski rezultati sugeriraju da povjerenje u pojedine drustvene aktere koji su relevantni za obrazovanje i javna percepcija ucinkovitosti skola mogu služiti kao cimbenici prognoze javne procjene ravnateljske profesije. Iznose se moguce implikacije za buduca istraživanja i razvoj politika u malim europskim državama. Predložene intervencije u politiku naglasavaju sposobnost institucionalne izgradnje, kao i pokusaj kreiranja pozitivnih povratnih informacija jacanjem međusobnih poveznica između razvoja lokalnih resursa i dijeljenja pozitivnih lokalnih narativa. Kljucni pojmovi: Hrvatska; obrazovni menadžment; prediktorske varijable; profesija; skolski ravnatelji.
Medical thoracoscopy for undiagnosed pleural effusions: experience from a tertiary care hospital in north India.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Medical thoracoscopy, also called pleuroscopy, has received renewed interest in the recent past for diagnostic as well as therapeutic uses. In this study, we describe our experience with thoracoscopy for undiagnosed pleural effusions. METHODS In a retrospective analysis of thoracoscopic procedures we performed between January 2007 and December 2008, yield of thoracoscopic pleural biopsy for achieving a diagnosis in undiagnosed pleural effusions, defined as pleural effusions with adenosine deaminase (ADA) levels less than 70 IU/L and negative pleural fluid cytology for malignancy on three occasions was evaluated. Complications of thoracoscopy were also analysed. RESULTS Overall diagnostic yield of thoracoscopic pleural biopsy was 74.3% in patients with undiagnosed pleural effusions. Pleural malignancy was diagnosed in 48.6% of patients. There was only one case of mesothelioma and the rest were due to pleural metastasis. Lung cancer and breast cancer were the most common sites of primary malignancy. Tuberculosis was diagnosed with pleural biopsy in 22.8% of patients. We had low complication rate after thoracoscopy. Only two cases of empyema were observed. CONCLUSION Medical thoracoscopy is a safe procedure and has good diagnostic yield in patients with undiagnosed pleural effusions.
Efficacy of radical radiotherapy alone for functional preservation of larynx in laryngeal carcinoma: a retrospective analysis.

PURPOSE Concurrent chemoradiation is the current standard of care in locally advanced head and neck cancer. But, in our setup, many patients of carcinoma larynx are treated with only radical radiotherapy because of poor general condition of the patients. This study was performed to assess the influence radical radiotherapy alone on functional preservation of larynx. MATERIALS AND METHODS 110 previously untreated patients with invasive squamous cell carcinoma of larynx were treated with radical radiotherapy alone between January 2006 and June 2009. Conventional one daily fraction of 2 Gy with total doses of 60-66 Gy was used. Voice preservation and local control at median follow-up period of 2 years were analyzed. Several host, tumor, and treatment parameters were also analyzed. RESULTS Among 110 patients, preservation of larynx was possible in 78 patients (71%). With radical radiotherapy alone, excellent preservation of larynx was achieved in stage I (88.9%) and stage II (75%) disease, while in advanced stages, results were not so encouraging. In stage III and stage IVA, larynx preservation was only 72.4% and 65.3%, respectively. Patients without any cartilage invasion had significantly better laryngeal preservation rate as compared to patients with cartilage invasion. (78.9% vs. 35.3%; P = 0.008). CONCLUSION Though concurrent chemoradiation is the standard of care in preservation of voice in laryngeal cancer, definitive radiotherapy alone may also be a good option in terms of preservation of larynx in patients of laryngeal cancer in community practice in the developing world where most of the patients cannot tolerate concurrent chemoradiation.
School Based Reproductive Health Education and Teenage Pregnancy: A Case of Mtwara Region, Tanzania

Teenage pregnancy is one of the complex health and development problems facing the world. In Tanzania adolescent pregnancy has been identified as one of the reasons for girls dropping out of school. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of school based reproductive health education programmes on teenage pregnancy. The study adopted a cross-sectional explanatory design and was conducted in Mtwara Region, Tanzania covering four secondary schools. Respondents for the study were randomly selected. Data was collected using a pre-structured questionnaire, focus groups discussions and key informant interviews. A total of 156 individuals participated in the study. Findings from the study show that school based reproductive health education programmes were effective in terms of knowledge creation. Generally, the results show a significant (P≤ 0.001) difference in reproductive health education between intervention and non-interventions schools. In addition, significant differences were also observed between rural and urban non-intervention schools. It is therefore concluded that school based reproductive health education programmes are effective in knowledge creation among adolescent girls. Hence, it is recommended that a comprehensive school based reproductive health education programme (SBRHEP) be instituted in schools as a way of reducing teenage pregnancies and spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STI’s). However, for this to be more effective there is need for a standalone subject that only deals with reproductive health education rather than the status quo where it is offered under the biology subject. Keywords: School based Reproductive health education, Teenage pregnancy DOI : 10.7176/DCS/9-1-03
Inhibition of R5‐tropic HIV type‐1 replication in CD4+ natural killer T cells by γδ T lymphocytes

After the development of highly active anti‐retroviral therapy, it became clear that the majority of emergent HIV‐1 is macrophage‐tropic and infects CD4+, CCR5‐expressing cells (R5‐tropic). There are three distinct cell populations, R5‐tropic, HIV‐1‐susceptible CD4+ cells: (i) natural killer T (NKT) cells, (ii) dendritic cells and macrophages, and (iii) tissue‐associated T cells residing primarily at mucosal surfaces. We have confirmed that CD4+ NKT cells derived from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) predominantly express CCR5 rather than CXCR4, whereas the reverse is true for CD4+ T cells derived from circulating PBMCs, and that R5‐tropic HIV‐1 expands efficiently in the CD4+ NKT cells. Moreover, when PBMCs depleted of CD8α+ cells were stimulated in the presence of α‐galactosylceramide (α‐GalCer) and R5‐tropic HIV‐1 [NL(AD8)], the production of HIV‐1 virions was not suppressed, whereas, similar to the untreated PBMCs, depletion of CD8β+ cells from PBMCs significantly inhibited virion production. These findings suggest that CD8αα+ but not CD8αβ+ cells may have the ability to inhibit R5‐tropic HIV‐1 replication in CD4+ NKT cells. Here, we show that co‐culturing R5‐tropic HIV‐1‐infected CD4+ NKT cells with CD8αα+ γδ T cells, in particular Vγ1Vδ1 cells, but not with CD8αα+ NKT cells or CD8αα+ dendritic cells, inhibits HIV‐1 replication mainly by secreting chemokines, such as macrophage inflammatory proteins 1α and 1β and RANTES. Collectively, these results indicate the importance of CD8αα+ γδ T cells in the control of R5‐tropic HIV‐1 replication and persistence in CD4+ NKT cells.
Deep Reinforcement Learning for Sepsis Treatment

Sepsis is a leading cause of mortality in intensive care units and costs hospitals billions annually. Treating a septic patient is highly challenging, because individual patients respond very differently to medical interventions and there is no universally agreed-upon treatment for sepsis. In this work, we propose an approach to deduce treatment policies for septic patients by using continuous state-space models and deep reinforcement learning. Our model learns clinically interpretable treatment policies, similar in important aspects to the treatment policies of physicians. The learned policies could be used to aid intensive care clinicians in medical decision making and improve the likelihood of patient survival.
Loss of E-Cadherin Expression Is Associated with a Poor Prognosis in Stage III Colorectal Cancer

Purpose: The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is known to be associated with tumor progression, invasion and metastasis in colorectal cancer (CRC). Materials and Methods: Tissue samples obtained from 409 patients with stage III CRC treated from 2006 to 2007 were examined by immunohistochemistry to reveal the expression levels of E-cadherin, fibronectin, vimentin and α-smooth muscle actin (SMA). Results: Among the 409 patients, 402 cases (98.3%) showed positive E-cadherin expression. Positive E-cadherin expression was associated with well or moderately differentiated cell types and a stable microsatellite status. In multivariate analysis, a preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen level >5 ng/ml (p = 0.021), advanced N stage (p = 0.017), positive vascular invasion (p = 0.048), positive perineural invasion (p = 0.002) and negative E-cadherin expression (p = 0.002, relative risk = 5.098, 95% CI = 1.801-14.430) were poor prognostic factors affecting disease-free survival. The declining E-cadherin expression was associated with a poor outcome in terms of overall survival in univariate (p = 0.016) but not in multivariate analyses (p = 0.303, relative risk = 1.984, 95% CI = 0.539-7.296). Fibronectin, vimentin and α-SMA were of no prognostic value in this study. Conclusion: The expression pattern of EMT markers in stage III CRC suggests that declining E-cadherin expression is a possible immunohistochemical predictor of patient prognosis.
Meconium Atazanavir Concentrations and Early Language Outcomes in HIV-Exposed Uninfected Infants With Prenatal Atazanavir Exposure

Objective: To investigate whether prenatal atazanavir (ATV) exposure, assessed by meconium antiretroviral (ARV) quantification, predicts early child language outcomes. Prenatal ATV exposure previously was associated with poorer language development in 1-year olds. Methods: Pregnant women with HIV and their uninfected infants enrolled in the Surveillance Monitoring of Antiretroviral Therapy Toxicities study. Meconium ARV concentrations were quantified by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Language development at 1 year was assessed with MacArthur–Bates Communicative Development Inventory (CDI) and Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development—Third Edition (Bayley-III). Late language emergence was defined as ≥1 of 4 CDI scores ⩽10th percentile for age. Associations between fetal ATV exposure timing and duration, meconium ATV concentration, and language outcomes were evaluated, adjusting for potential confounders. Results: Through 2013, meconium samples were available from 175 of 432 infants with prenatal ATV exposure. Valid Bayley-III (n = 93) and CDI (n = 106) assessments also were available. After adjustment for potential confounders, higher ATV meconium concentrations were associated with lower late language emergence risk (P = 0.04) and cumulative ATV exposure duration also was associated with higher Bayley-III Language scores (P = 0.03). Maternal ATV duration and initiation week correlated with ATV meconium concentrations (positively and negatively, respectively). Conclusions: Higher meconium ATV concentrations were protective against developmental language delays at 1 year, suggesting the importance of fetal ATV detoxification into meconium. This information supports ATV exposure safety for infant language development. ATV is a preferred ARV for pregnant women with HIV, suggesting the importance of ATV safety investigations. Additionally, further pursuit of the influences on language development in HIV-exposed uninfected infants is required.
Hyponatremia and/or hyperkalemia in patients treated with the standard dose of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.

OBJECTIVE High-dose trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) is known to cause hyperkalemia by blocking amiloride-sensitive sodium (Na) channels in distal nephrons. The purpose of this study was to establish whether the standard dose of TMP-SMX could cause electrolyte disorders. METHODS AND PATIENTS Serum Na, potassium (K) and creatinine (Cr) levels were examined retrospectively in 53 of 77 patients prescribed TMP-SMX, before and after taking the antibiotic combination. RESULTS Electrolyte disorders (Na < 135 mEq/l and/or K > 5.0 mEq/l) were found in 14 of the 53 patients (26.4%) during TMP-SMX treatment. The average dose was 145.7 +/- 24.9 mg/day. The dose of TMP was significantly larger in patients with electrolyte disorders (267.7 +/- 84.2 mg vs. 101.9 +/- 9.38 mg, p = 0.0024). Electrolyte disorders were also seen in 9.1% and 22.2% of patients given the low dose (TMP < 80 mg) or standard dose (TMP 80-120 mg) of TMP-SMX, respectively. Electrolyte disorders were seen in 85.7% of patients with renal dysfunction (Cr > 1.2 mg/dl), compared with 17.5% of patients with normal renal function (p = 0.0008). Logistic regression analysis showed that the dose of TMP and the presence of renal dysfunction increased the incidence of electrolyte disorders with an odds ratio of 2.35 and 80.29, respectively. CONCLUSION Electrolyte disorders, particularly hyperkalemia and hyponatremia can be detected in patients given TMP-SMX. These disorders are more frequent in patients given high doses, but can also be detected after low-dose administration. Renal dysfunction accelerates the incidence of electrolyte disorders induced by TMP-SMX.
Liberty: Security Dilemmas and Party Cohesion in the European Parliament

The European Parliament is an increasingly central actor in attempts to regulate surveillance and find the balance between safeguarding personal freedoms and ensuring EU citizens&#8217; security. However, virtually nothing is known about what drives the positions of MEPs on this issue, or about how the cohesion of European parties is affected by these attempts. We explore this subject and propose a novel theoretical framework focusing on the interplay between the characteristics of the two principals of the MEPs &#8211; European party groups and national parties. We tested the model by analysing the votes held on the two most salient directives adopted in this field. The findings indicate that national parties&#8217; ideological positions, and the differences between them and the European parties in the salience assigned to human rights and law and order, predict to a great extent both MEP votes on the directives and dissent from the European party line.
Frequent use of the same tertiary motif by self‐folding RNAs.

We have identified an 11 nucleotide RNA motif, [CCUAAG…UAUGG], that is extraordinarily abundant in group I and group II self‐splicing introns at sites known, or suspected from co‐variation analysis, to interact with hairpin terminal loops with a GNRA consensus sequence. Base substitution experiments using a ribozyme‐substrate system derived from a group I intron reveal that this motif interacts preferentially with GAAA terminal loops and binds them with remarkable affinity, compared with other known combinations of GNRA loops and matched targets. A copy of the [CCUAAG…UAUGG] motif which is present in domain I of many group II introns is shown to interact with the GAAA terminal loop that caps domain V. This is the first interaction to be identified between these two domains, whose mutual recognition is known to be necessary and sufficient for group II ribozymic activity. We conclude that interaction of [CCUAAG…UAUGG] with GAAA loops is one of the most common solutions used by nature to solve the problem of compacting and bringing together RNA structural domains.
Effects of Three Fluoroquinolones on QT Analysis After Standard Treatment Courses

Background: Fluoroquinolone (FQ) agents have been speculated to influence the risk of Torsades de pointes (Tdp). Methods of evaluating this risk are varied and not systematic. QTc interval (QTc) prolongation is the most commonly used marker of Tdp, but has questionable utility. QT dispersion (QTd) may be a more selective marker of Tdp. No assessment of QTd for FQs has been reported. The current study evaluates the effects of three commonly prescribed FQs by comprehensive QT analysis.
PIK3CA mutation is an oncogenic aberration at advanced stages of oral squamous cell carcinoma

Phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinases (PI3K) are a group of heterodimeric lipid kinases that regulate many cellular processes. Gene amplification and somatic mutations mainly within the helical (exon 9) and kinase (exon 20) domains of PIK3CA, which encode the 110‐kDa catalytic subunit of PI3K and are mapped to 3q26, have been reported in various human cancers. Herein, 14 human oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cell lines and 108 primary OSCC tumors were investigated for activating mutations at exons 9 and 20 as well as amplifications in PIK3CA. PIK3CA missense mutations in exons 9 and 20 were identified in 21.4% (3/14) of OSCC cell lines and 7.4% (8/108) of OSCC tumors by genomic DNA sequencing. An increase in the copy number of PIK3CA, although small, was detected in 57.1% (8/14) of OSCC lines and 16.7% (18/108) of OSCC tumors using quantitative real‐time PCR. A significant correlation between somatic mutations of PIK3CA and disease stage was observed: the frequency of mutations was higher in stage IV (16.1%, 5/31) than in a subset of early stages (stages I–III) (3.9%, 3/77; P = 0.042, Fisher's extract test). In contrast, the amplification of PIK3CA was observed at a similar frequency among all stages. AKT was highly phosphorylated in OSCC cell lines with PIK3CA mutations compared to those without mutations, despite the amplification. The results suggest that somatic mutations of the PIK3CA gene are likely to occur late in the development of OSCC, and play a crucial role through the PI3K–AKT signaling pathway in cancer progression. (Cancer Sci 2006; 97: 1351–1358)
Convalescent transfusion for pandemic influenza: preparing blood banks for a new plasma product?

Due to the potential of a severe pandemic to limit efficacy or availability of medical countermeasures, some researchers have begun a search for new interventions that could complement the planned antiviral‐ and vaccine‐based response to an influenza pandemic. One such countermeasure—the transfusion of pandemic influenza‐specific antibodies from surviving patients to the clinically ill—is the focus of this commentary. Passive immunotherapy, which includes the use of monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs), hyperimmune globulin, or convalescent plasma, had been used before the advent of antibiotics and has recently reentered the limelight due to the accelerating development of MoAb therapies against cancer, a number of microbes, allograft rejection, and a host of other conditions. After the plausible biologic mechanism and somewhat limited data supporting the efficacy for this modality against influenza are reviewed, safety and logistical concerns for utilization of this potential new product (fresh convalescent plasma against influenza [FCP‐Flu]) are discussed. FCP‐Flu could indeed prove useful in a response to a pandemic, but two necessary items must first be satisfied. Most importantly, more research should be conducted to establish FCP‐Flu efficacy against the current and other pandemic strains. Second, and also importantly, blood banks and donor centers should examine whether offering this new product would be feasible in a pandemic and begin planning before a more severe pandemic forces us to respond without adequate preparation.