Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A novel antiapoptotic role for alpha1-antitrypsin in the prevention of pulmonary emphysema.

RATIONALE There is growing evidence that alveolar cell apoptosis plays an important role in emphysema pathogenesis, a chronic inflammatory lung disease characterized by alveolar destruction. The association of alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency with the development of emphysema has supported the concept that protease/antiprotease imbalance mediates cigarette smoke-induced emphysema. OBJECTIVES We propose that, in addition to its antielastolytic effects, alpha1-antitrypsin may have broader biological effects in the lung, preventing emphysema through inhibition of alveolar cells apoptosis. METHODS, MEASUREMENTS, AND MAIN RESULTS: Transduction of human alpha1-antitrypsin via replication-deficient adeno-associated virus attenuated airspace enlargement and emphysema caused by inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptors with SU5416 in mice, a model of apoptosis-dependent emphysema lacking neutrophilic inflammation. The overexpressed human serine protease inhibitor accumulated in lung cells and suppressed caspase-3 activation and oxidative stress in lungs treated with the VEGF blocker or with VEGF receptor-1 and -2 antibodies. Similar results were obtained in SU5416-treated rats given human alpha1-antitrypsin intravenously. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that inhibition of structural alveolar cell apoptosis by alpha1-antitrypsin represents a novel protective mechanism of the serpin against emphysema. Further elucidation of this mechanism may extend the therapeutic options for emphysema caused by reduced level or loss of function of alpha1-antitrypsin.
Continuity and Change in Corporate Governance: Comparing Germany and Japan

Germany and Japan are often seen deviating from an economic model of shareholder control and thereby as being similar by virtue of their mutual contrast with the US. Given the common challenges for bank-based and stakeholder-oriented models of corporate governance, Germany-Japan comparison seems particularly timely. This article provides an introductory overview and analysis for the Special Issue by comparing recent developments in corporate law reform, banking and finance, and employment in Germany and Japan. While rejecting arguments for international convergence, we discuss this evidence of simultaneous continuity and change in corporate governance as a potential form of hybridisation of national models or renegotiation of stakeholder coalitions in German and Japanese firms. One consequence is the growing diversity of firm-level corporate governance practices within national systems. Copyright Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2005.
Real Exchange Rates, Devaluation, and Adjustment: Exchange Rate Policy in Developing Countries

"Real Exchange Rates, Devaluation, and Adjustment "provides a unified theoretical and empirical investigation of exchange rate policy and performance in scores of developing countries. It develops a theory of equilibrium and disequilibrium real exchange rates, takes up the question of why devaluations are the most controversial policy measures in poorer nations, and discusses what determines their success or failure.In a lucid fashion, Edwards organizes vast amounts of data on exchange rates - both real and nominal - and discusses their effect on net trade balances, net asset positions, output growth, real wages, and rates of price inflation, analyzed both in time series and through cross country comparisons. Edwards's investigation singles out 39 major devaluation episodes for before and after comparative analyses while simultaneously isolating the separate effects of other important explanatory variables, such as bank credit expansion and changes in the terms of trade.The first part of the book focuses on theoretical models of devaluation and real exchange rate behavior in less developed countries. Special attention is paid to intertemporal channels in the transmission of disturbances. The second part uses a large cross country data set to analyze the way the real exchange rate has behaved in these nations. The data are also used to test the implications of several theories of real exchange rate determination. The third part analyzes actual devaluation experiences between 1962 and 1982. These chapters examine the events leading to a balance of payments crisis and to a devaluation, exploring the relation between macroeconomic disequilibrium, and the imposition of trade and exchange controls. They also investigate the effect of nominal devaluation on key variables such as the balance of payments, the current account, the real exchange rate, real output real wages, and income distribution.Sebastian Edwards is Professor of Economics at the University of California at Los Angeles and Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research.
Anti-inflammatory activity of injectable dexamethasone acetate-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers

This work studied the intravenous injection formulation of nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) loaded with dexamethasone acetate (DA), a poorly water-soluble drug. The goal of this study was to design nanoparticles which could improve therapeutic efficacy of DA on inflammations. Based on the optimized results of single-factor screening experiment, DA-loaded NLCs (DA-NLCs) prepared by an emulsification-ultrasound method were found to be relatively uniform in size (178 ± 4 nm) with a negative zeta potential (-38 ± 4 mV). The average drug entrapment efficiency was 91 ± 3 %. In vitro release tests indicated DA-NLCs possessed a sustained release characteristic and the accumulative release percentage was near 80 % at 23 h. DA-NLCs exhibited an average peak concentration of DA (7.6 μg/ml) in the pleural exudate after intravenous administration to an experimental model of γ-carrageenan-induced pleuritis rats, which was 8.3 times higher than that of free DA (0.9 μg/ml). The γ-carrageenan-induced edema test showed that the anti-acute inflammatory activity of DA-NLCs was stronger than that of free drug at the same drug concentration (P<0.05). In addition, biodistribution results clearly indicated that DA-NLCs preferentially accumulated in mice livers and lungs after intravenous injection. These results revealed that injectable NLCs may serve as a promising carrier for DA, greatly enhancing the selective effect on inflammatory sites, reducing systematic side effects and may be a potential carrier to increase therapeutic efficacy on inflammatory diseases.
Working in a Vietnamese voice

Executive Overview Vietnam is on the move, gaining experience with the global economy and attracting foreign investors, development workers, scholars, and artists. The last decade has brought unprecedented changes. Nevertheless, Vietnam remains challenging to expatriates working with Vietnamese partners. Of course, not all Vietnamese are alike: some are more Western, while others are more traditional. This article describes Vietnam's culture and work relationships. During recent years, management practices have emerged that increase the need for transparent management systems. Ten principles for working with Vietnamese counterparts are offered to help managers guide their organizations toward long-term success. A version of this article published in 1994 was the first description of work practices in Vietnam, and thus the first piece to name and describe the concepts sketched herein. Business executives, journalists, academics, and the staffs of international nongovernmental organizations (INGOs), bilater.
Interferon-α priming promotes lipid uptake and macrophage-derived foam cell formation: a novel link between interferon-α and atherosclerosis in lupus.

OBJECTIVE An increased risk of premature atherosclerosis has been associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and type I interferon (IFN) has been shown to play a pathogenic role in human SLE. The aim of this study was to determine whether IFNα is involved in the development of atherosclerosis in patients with SLE by promoting lipid uptake and macrophage-derived foam cell formation, which is a crucial step in early atherosclerosis. METHODS The effects of IFNα on lipid uptake and foam cell formation were determined by flow cytometry and oil red O staining. Messenger RNA and protein expression of scavenger receptors (SRs) was examined. Promoter activity was detected by luciferase reporter assay. Expression of macrophage SR class A (SR-A) and IFN-inducible genes (IFIGs) was measured in peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained from 42 patients with SLE and 42 healthy donors. RESULTS IFNα priming increased the uptake of oxidized low-density lipoprotein and hence enhanced foam cell formation by up-regulating SR-A expression. IFNα increased SR-A expression via enhancing its promoter activities. Examination using signaling inhibitors revealed that a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt signaling pathway appeared to be involved in this process. Notably, SR-A messenger RNA was significantly increased in patients with SLE compared to normal subjects and positively correlated with IFIG expression. CONCLUSION Our data suggest that IFNα priming up-regulated the expression of SR-A in human monocyte/macrophages, leading to increased lipid uptake and foam cell formation. Activation of the IFN signaling pathway may be linked to the risk of atherosclerosis by affecting plaque formation in patients with SLE. These findings provide novel insights into the mechanisms of and potential therapeutic approaches to premature atherosclerosis in patients with SLE.
Incidence, risk, and prognosis factors of nosocomial pneumonia in mechanically ventilated patients.

Seventy-eight (24%) episodes of nosocomial pneumonia (NP) were detected in 322 consecutive mechanically ventilated patients admitted to a 1,000-bed teaching hospital from April 1987 through May 1988 to assess the incidence, risk, and prognosis factors of NP acquired during mechanical ventilation (MV). The risk and prognosis factors for developing NP during MV were studied using both univariate and multivariate statistical techniques. Multivariate analysis selected the following variables significantly associated with a higher risk for developing ventilator-associated pneumonia: more than one intubation during MV (p = 0.000012), a prior episode of aspiration of gastric content (p = 0.00018), a MV period longer than 3 days (p = 0.015), the presence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (p = 0.048), and the use of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) during MV (p = 0.092). The presence of an ultimately or rapidly fatal underlying disease (p = 0.0018), worsening of acute respiratory failure caused by pneumonia (p = 0.0096), the presence of septic shock (p = 0.016), an inappropriate antibiotic treatment (p = 0.02), and the type of intensive care unit (ICU) hospitalization (noncardiac surgery and nonsurgical ICU compared with post-cardiac surgery ICU) (p = 0.08) were those factors selected by a stepwise logistic regression analysis as independently worsening the prognosis. The overall fatality rate was 23% (73 of 322). The mortality of patients with NP was higher (33%; 26 of 78; p less than 0.01) when compared with fatality rates of patients without NP (19%; 47 of 244). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
University academics' psychological contracts and their fulfilment

Purpose – This study seeks to examine the contents and the nature of the academic psychological contract. It aims to explore to what extent the contract has been fulfilled and the impact of demographic variables on the contract and its fulfilment.Design/methodology/approach – Data for the study were collected through a survey of 280 academic staff of a middle‐ranked Australian university. To identify the contents of the academic psychological contract, three focus groups, each comprising eight academic staff, were conducted in three schools. The ordered probit model was employed to explore the impacts of various demographic variables.Findings – The elements of the academic psychological contract to a certain extent differ from that of the contracts of other professions. Also, the academic psychological contract is more transactional than relational in character. Overall, the academic psychological contract has been fulfilled at the low level.Research limitations/implications – The study contributes to the.
Filling Pressures and Collagen Metabolism in Hypertensive Patients With Heart Failure and Normal Ejection Fraction

This study was designed to evaluate the association between circulating biomarkers of collagen metabolism and elevated left-sided filling pressures (FPs), as assessed from elevated estimated pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (ePCWP), in hypertensive patients with heart failure with normal ejection fraction. Echocardiography was performed and ePCWP was calculated from the formula ePCWP=1.90+1.24(maximum early transmitral flow velocity in diastole:tissue Doppler early mitral annulus velocity). The biomarkers of collagen synthesis (carboxy-terminal propeptide of procollagen type I) and degradation (matrix metalloproteinase [MMP] 1 and tissue inhibitor of MMP-1 [TIMP-1]) were analyzed by ELISA methods. Seventy-eight patients with normal FPs (ePCWP ≤15 mm Hg) and 78 with elevated FPs (ePCWP >15 mm Hg) were included. Compared with controls, the levels of the 3 biomarkers were increased in the 2 groups of patients. The MMP-1:TIMP-1 ratio, an index of MMP-1 activity, was increased in patients with normal FPs and unchanged in patients with elevated FPs. Patients with elevated FPs exhibited higher TIMP-1 levels and a lower MMP-1:TIMP-1 ratio than patients with normal FPs. ePCWP was independently associated with TIMP-1 (r=0.349; P<0.001) and the MMP-1:TIMP-1 ratio (r=−0.240; P<0.01) in all of the patients. Receiver operating characteristic curves showed that a cutoff value of TIMP-1 of 1557 ng/mL provided 64% sensitivity and 67% specificity for predicting elevated FPs with a relative risk of 3.71 (95% CI: 1.91 to 7.22). These findings suggest that, in hypertensive patients with heart failure with normal ejection fraction and elevated FPs, collagen synthesis predominates over degradation because of a relative excess of TIMP-1. This imbalance can facilitate myocardial fibrosis, which, in turn, may contribute to the elevation of FPs in these patients.
Determinacy and Learnability of Monetary Policy Rules in Small Open Economies

This paper evaluates under which conditions different Taylor-type rules lead to determinacy and expectational stability (E-stability) of rational expectations equilibrium in a simple New Keynesian small open economy model, developed by Gali and Monacelli (2005). In particular, we extend the Bullard and Mitra (2002) results of determinacy and E-stability in a closed economy to this small open economy framework. Our results highlight an important link between the Taylor principle and both determinacy and learnability of equilibrium in small open economies. More importantly, the degree of openness coupled with the nature of the policy rule adopted by the monetary authorities might change this link in important ways. A key finding is that, contrary to Bullard and Mitra, expectations-based rules that involve the CPI and/or the nominal exchange rate limit the region of E-stability and the Taylor Principle does not guarantee E-stability. We also show that some forms of managed exchange rate rules can help to alleviate problems of both indeterminacy and expectational instability, yet these rules might not be desirable since they promote greater volatility in the economy.
Environmental Disputes and Opportunity-Threat Impacts Surrounding Natural Gas Fracking in Louisiana

Despite the increasing socioenvironmental controversy over the use of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing technology in unconventional natural gas development (i.e., fracking), few sociological studies have used citizen interview narratives to examine attitudes toward shale fracking at the local level. Drawing on sociological research, discursive documents, and in-depth interview data collected from regional stakeholder groups/citizens, this article offers a qualitative analysis of the environmental disputes and opportunity-threat impacts perceived to surround natural gas exploration and hydraulic fracking in the Haynesville Shale region of Louisiana. The narratives reveal that the fracking dispute largely revolves around divergent diagnostic and prognostic beliefs about shale gas development, as well as whether the perceived economic opportunities of development outweigh the alleged socioenvironmental risks to the Haynesville community. Some conclusions about the utility of qualitative research for the study of environmental controversies like fracking, as well as the potential future direction of the growing national debate over shale gas and oil extraction, are discussed.
Remittances and poverty in Ghana

The author uses a large, nationally representative household survey to analyze the impact of internal remittances (from Ghana) and international remittances (from African and other countries) on poverty in Ghana. With only one exception, he finds that both types of remittances reduce the level, depth, and severity of poverty in Ghana. But the size of the poverty reduction depends on how poverty is being measured. The author finds that poverty is reduced more when international, as opposed to internal, remittances are included in household income, and when poverty is measured by the more sensitive poverty measures-poverty gap and squared poverty gap. For example, the squared poverty gap measure shows that including international remittances in household expenditure (income) reduces the severity of poverty by 34.8 percent, while including internal remittances in such income reduces the severity of poverty by only 4.1 percent. International remittances reduce the severity of poverty more than internal remittances because of the differential impact of these two types of remittances on poor households. Households in the poorest decile group receive 22.7 percent of their total household expenditure (income) from international remittances, as opposed to only 13.8 percent of such income from internal remittances. When these"poorest of the poor"households receive international remittances, their income status changes dramatically and this in turn has a large effect on any poverty measure-like the squared poverty gap-that considers both the number and distance of poor households beneath the poverty line.
AlGaN/GaN MIS-HEMTs of Very-Low ${V}_{\sf {{th}}}$ Hysteresis and Current Collapse With In-Situ Pre-Deposition Plasma Nitridation and LPCVD-Si3N4 Gate Insulator

In this letter, we report an <italic>in-situ</italic> pre-deposition plasma nitridation process, which is adopted to remove the GaN surface oxygen-related bonds and reduce surface dangling bonds by forming Ga-N bonds prior to the low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD)-Si<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> deposition. It demonstrates that the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${V} _{\sf {th}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> hysteresis and current collapse of the device were dramatically improved due to high-quality LPCVD-Si<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>/GaN interface. The MIS-HEMTs using this <italic>in-situ</italic> pre-deposition plasma nitridation exhibit a very-low <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${V} _{\sf {th}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> hysteresis of 186 mV at <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${V} _{\text {G-sweep}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> = (−30 V, +24 V), a high breakdown voltage of 881 V with the substrate grounded. Meanwhile, the MIS-HEMT dynamic <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${R}_{ \mathrm{ ON}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> is only 18% larger than the static <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${R} _{ \mathrm{ ON}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> after OFF-state <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${V} _{\sf {DS}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> stress of 600 V (the OFF to ON switching time interval is set to <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$200~\mu \text{s}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>).
Prevalence of chronic kidney disease in the United States.

CONTEXT The prevalence and incidence of kidney failure treated by dialysis and transplantation in the United States have increased from 1988 to 2004. Whether there have been changes in the prevalence of earlier stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD) during this period is uncertain. OBJECTIVE To update the estimated prevalence of CKD in the United States. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Cross-sectional analysis of the most recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES 1988-1994 and NHANES 1999-2004), a nationally representative sample of noninstitutionalized adults aged 20 years or older in 1988-1994 (n = 15,488) and 1999-2004 (n = 13,233). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Chronic kidney disease prevalence was determined based on persistent albuminuria and decreased estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Persistence of microalbuminuria (>30 mg/g) was estimated from repeat visit data in NHANES 1988-1994. The GFR was estimated using the abbreviated Modification of Diet in Renal Disease Study equation reexpressed to standard serum creatinine. RESULTS The prevalence of both albuminuria and decreased GFR increased from 1988-1994 to 1999-2004. The prevalence of CKD stages 1 to 4 increased from 10.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 9.2%-10.9%) in 1988-1994 to 13.1% (95% CI, 12.0%-14.1%) in 1999-2004 with a prevalence ratio of 1.3 (95% CI, 1.2-1.4). The prevalence estimates of CKD stages in 1988-1994 and 1999-2004, respectively, were 1.7% (95% CI, 1.3%-2.2%) and 1.8% (95% CI, 1.4%-2.3%) for stage 1; 2.7% (95% CI, 2.2%-3.2%) and 3.2% (95% CI, 2.6%-3.9%) for stage 2; 5.4% (95% CI, 4.9%-6.0%) and 7.7% (95% CI, 7.0%-8.4%) for stage 3; and 0.21% (95% CI, 0.15%-0.27%) and 0.35% (0.25%-0.45%) for stage 4. A higher prevalence of diagnosed diabetes and hypertension and higher body mass index explained the entire increase in prevalence of albuminuria but only part of the increase in the prevalence of decreased GFR. Estimation of GFR from serum creatinine has limited precision and a change in mean serum creatinine accounted for some of the increased prevalence of CKD. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of CKD in the United States in 1999-2004 is higher than it was in 1988-1994. This increase is partly explained by the increasing prevalence of diabetes and hypertension and raises concerns about future increased incidence of kidney failure and other complications of CKD.
Functional impairment and previous suicide attempts in bipolar disorder

Objective: The aim of the present study was to assess the association between previous suicide attempts and functional impairment among euthymic patients with bipolar disorder (BD). Methods: Seventy-one Diagnostic Statistical Manual IV (DSM-IV) patients with BD and 61 healthy volunteers were recruited from the Bipolar Disorder Program at the Clinic Hospital of Barcelona. Patients with (n = 36, 50.7%) and without (n = 35, 49.3%) previous suicide attempts were assessed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR (SCID-P). Previous suicide attempts were carefully investigated by means of patient and caregiver interview and by a standard structured interview from the protocol of our BD Program. The Functioning Assessment Short Test (FAST) was employed to assess functional impairment. Results: Euthymic patients with previous suicide attempts showed functional impairment, particularly in occupational (F = 30.39; p = 0.001) and cognitive functioning (F = 18.43; p = 0.001). In addition, family history of psychiatric illness (χ2: 6.49; degrees of freedom (df) = 2;132; p = 0.010), family history of affective disorders (χ2 = 5.57; p = 0.017), psychotic symptoms (χ2 = 5.88; p = 0.014) and axis II comorbidity were associated with previous suicide attempts (χ2 = 5.16; p = 0.021). Conclusion: Bipolar patients with previous suicide attempts had lower overall functioning than patients who did not attempt suicide. Previous suicide attempts were particularly associated with the occupational and cognitive domains of functioning.