Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Development of serum IgM antibodies against superantigens of Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes in Kawasaki disease

To serologically determine the association of microbial superantigens and the pathogenesis of Kawasaki disease (KD), we conducted a case‐control study. Serum IgG and IgM antibodies against staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA), SEB, SEC, toxic shock syndrome toxin‐1 (TSST‐1), and streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin A (SPEA) were measured by an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay in 293 serum samples from 65 KD patients on clinical days 1–28 and 120 control samples. The administration of immunoglobulin products, which contain high concentrations of IgG antibodies against all the superantigens, directly elevated antitoxin IgG antibodies in KD patients. In contrast, antitoxin IgM antibodies were not detected in immunoglobulin products. Actually, we found a significant elevation of IgM antibodies against SEA in KD patients in the first (median titre: 0·020, P < 0·01 versus control), second (0·024, P < 0·001), third (0·030, P < 0·001) and fourth (0·038, P < 0·001) weeks, compared to the controls (0·015). Significant differences of IgM antibodies were also true for SEB, TSST‐1, and SPEA throughout the first to fourth weeks, and for SEC throughout the second to fourth weeks. The prevalence of KD patients having high IgM titres (> mean + 2SD of control values) to the 5 superantigens was increased with the clinical weeks, and reached 29–43% of KD subjects at the fourth week. This is the first study that describes kinetics of IgM antibodies against superantigens and clarifies the serological significance throughout the clinical course of KD. Our results suggest that multiple superantigens involve in the pathogenesis of KD.
Local Government in the Republic of Cyprus: Path Dependent Europeanization

Local government in the Republic of Cyprus has experienced historical continuities that create burdens, limiting its ability to function well. Although the accession of Cyprus to the EU has provided local actors with access to a new political sphere, their overall condition has remained restrictive. This work uses EU’s regional policy as a case study to assess European integration’s impact on Cypriot local government during 2000-2012. The effects of European integration and the responses of local government to its challenges are analyzed via specific indicators, e.g. administrative structures, financial and human resources and the local politicians’ profile. This work offers a theoretically and empirically informed analysis based on specific analytical frameworks (Europeanization and historical institutionalism) and empirical data derived from structured questionnaires and semistructured interviews. It suggests that the burdens of the past acted as decelerating factors, limiting the effects of Europeanization and local governments’ responses to it.
Development and Evolution of an Intermediate Wheatgrass Domestication Program

Ecological intensification of agriculture is a proposed strategy to enhance the production of food while expanding ecosystem services and reducing inputs. Perennial plants that are directly harvested for human food are a novel means of ecological intensification, by potentially providing unprecedented levels of ecological services, such as increased soil carbon and reduced nutrient leaching. However, existing herbaceous perennial plants produce low yields of harvestable seed. Therefore, we initiated a domestication program to improve the grain yield of the perennial intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium [Host] Barkworth & D.R. Dewey). The breeding program has adapted to changing resources and to results from previous generations, with methods becoming more elaborate as the program has matured over six breeding cycles. Average predicted gains from selection accumulated over five cycles were 143, 181 and 60% respectively, for seed yield per head, percent naked seed and mass per seed. We did not detect negative correlations that would indicate simultaneously achieving increased grain yield and sustained perenniality would be particularly difficult. Heritability estimates based on genetic markers were the same or higher than those calculated from a pedigree, indicating that markers have potential to expedite breeding efforts.
Corporate Governance and Dividend Payout Policy: Beyond Country-Level Governance

We address the mixed empirical findings on how corporate governance affects dividend payout policy by analyzing a large sample of firms from 30 countries. Our results indicate that firms with better firm‐level governance pay more dividends, even after controlling for country‐level governance. However, this relation is pronounced only in countries with low shareholder rights. In addition, we find that when the shareholder rights index is high, firm‐level governance is unrelated to dividend payout in the full sample period. Finally, we show that in high‐shareholder‐rights countries, firm‐level governance changes its role from before to after the 2008–2009 financial crisis.
A Comparative Study of Metadiscourse in English Research Article Abstracts in Hard Disciplines by L1 Chinese and L1 English Scholars

This study investigates how L1 Chinese scholars in hard science disciplines use metadiscourse in their English academic writing, by comparing the deployment of metadiscoursal resources written by L1 Chinese and L1 English scholars. Hyland’s (2005) interpersonal model of metadiscourse was adopted for the analysis. We found that L1 Chinese scholars used less metadiscoursal resources than L1 English scholars on the whole. In the two dimensions of interaction, L1 Chinese scholars made more use of interactive devices, while L1 English scholars used more interactional items. This reflects that L1 Chinese scholars made greater efforts to guide the readers through their papers, and L1 English scholars are more concerned with creating author identity and engaging their readers. The t-tests confirmed that L1 Chinese scholars used significantly more code glosses in interactive metadiscourse and less self-mentions in interactional metadiscourse. An in-depth analysis reveals two functions of code glosses and five functions of self-mentions in RA abstracts.
Clinicopathological Study of Autoimmune Hepatitis Cases That Were Difficult to Differentiate from Drug-Induced Liver Injury

Aim: Acute-onset autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) histopathologically presents with features of acute hepatitis and lacks a specific diagnostic method. Also, AIH is often difficult to differentiate from drug-induced liver injury (DILI). We aimed to investigate the final clinical diagnosis of these cases, and compare the clinical, biochemical, and histological characteristics of AIH vs. DILI. Methods: We examined the Digestive Disease Week Japan 2004 (DDW-J) scale scores, AIH scores, clinical data, and pathological findings in 20 patients in whom it was difficult to differentiate autoimmune liver disease from DILI. Results: In cases with a DDW-J scale score of ≥5, there was a good correlation between the final diagnosis and DDW-J scale assessments, but in cases with a DDW-J scale score of ≦4 they did not correlate well. The scores for pathological findings, such as cobblestone hepatocellular change (p = 0.015), interface hepatitis (p = 0.012), and prominent plasma cells in portal areas (p = 0.011), were higher in the AIH group than in the DILI group. Conclusion: This study showed that DDW-J scale was useful for differentiating AIH from DILI in cases with a DDW-J scale score of ≧5. The histologic features of AIH were characterized by cobblestone hepatocellular change, interface hepatitis, and plasma cell infiltration of the portal region.
A critique of surgical cytoreduction in advanced ovarian cancer.

Due in most part to the abundant retrospective evidence suggesting that surgical cytoreduction is essential to the management of advanced ovarian cancer, most clinicians do not question its application. Irrespective, there are many who still doubt its value, given its unique role in ovarian cancer, in comparison to other solid tumors. While many papers have extolled the virtues of debulking surgery, few have taken the opposing view. This paper attempts to expose the weaknesses in the current available data regarding surgical cytoreduction in advanced ovarian cancer. By reviewing the retrospective data, the theoretical benefits of surgery, cellular kinetics, the fallacies of residual disease, interval debulking surgery, and neoadjuvant chemotherapy, a critique of debulking surgery is made. Issues surrounding perioperative morbidity and its impact on quality of life have not been adequately addressed. Despite the need for randomized trials of surgery in advanced ovarian cancer, they are unlikely to occur. The window of opportunity with respect to studying the questions on the optimal timing, degree of aggressiveness, and patient selection for surgery has likely passed. Biases and ethical issues based upon the data cited in this paper have and will continue to hamper our ability to fully elaborate the benefits of surgery with respect to survival and quality of life.
Detection of venous gas emboli after repetitive breath-hold dives: case report.

INTRODUCTION Neurological symptoms after breathhold (BH) diving are often referred to as "Taravana" and considered a form of decompression sickness. However, the presence of "high" gas embolism after BH diving has never been clearly shown. This study showed high bubble formation after BH diving. MATERIALS and METHODS We performed transthoracic echocardiography on a 53-year-old male spearfishing diver (180 cm; 80 kg; BMI 24.7) 15 minutes before diving and at 15-minute intervals for 90 minutes after diving in a 42-meter-deep pool. Number of dives, bottom time and surface intervals were freely determined by the diver. Dive profiles were digitally recorded for depth, time and surface interval, using a freediving computer. Relative surface interval (surface interval/diving time) and gradient factor were calculated. REULTS High bubble grades were found in all the recorded echocardiograms. From the first to third recording (45 minutes), Grade 4 Eftedal-Brubakk (EB) bubbles were observed. The 60-, 75- and 90-minute recordings showed a reduction to Grades 3, 2 and 1 EB. Mean calculated GF for every BH dive was 0.22; maximum GF after the last dive was 0.33. CONCLUSIONS High bubble grades can occur in BH diving, as confirmed by echocardiographic investigation. Ordinary methods to predict inert gas supersaturation may not able to predict Taravana cases.
Is 7300 m Equal to 7.3 km? Same Semantics but Different Anchoring Effects.

Anchoring effect (AE) refers to a phenomenon that an arbitrary number (i.e., the anchor) biases a subsequent numerical judgment. Three experiments were conducted to examine how the anchor is represented in short-term memory. Experiment 1 showed that despite the semantic equivalence of two anchors, the anchor with a larger absolute value (i.e., 7300 m) induced a greater numerical estimate than did the anchor with a smaller absolute value (i.e., 7.3 km). Experiment 2 showed that an anchor 228 could serve as both a high and a low anchor, depending on the absolute value to be judged in the numerical judgment. By including anchors with negative signs, Experiment 3 further demonstrated that it was the absolute value but not the semantics of the anchors that exerted an effect on the subsequent numerical estimate. The three experiments provided converging support for the hypothesis that an anchor is superficially represented as absolute value plus affix in short-term memory. The processes leading to AE and the practical implications are discussed. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.
Free-radical-generated F2-isoprostane stimulates cell proliferation and endothelin-1 expression on endothelial cells.

BACKGROUND Free-radical-generated F2-isoprostane stimulates DNA synthesis and endothelin-1 (ET-1) expression on endothelial cells. 8-Iso-prostaglandin F2alpha (8-iso-PGF2alpha) is a member of the recently discovered family of prostanoids, the F2-isoprostanes, produced in vivo by cyclooxygenase-independent, free-radical-catalyzed lipid peroxidation. The goal of our study is to establish the effect of isoprostane on ET-1 production by endothelial cells, as well to determine the receptors responsible for these effects. METHODS The proliferative effect of isoprostanes was measured as an increase of viable cell number and [3H]-thymidine uptake. ET-1 gene expression and protein synthesis were determined by Northern blot and radioimmunoassay, respectively. We also determined inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate synthesis. Thromboxane A2 (TXA2) receptor antagonist SQ29,548 was used to establish the role of TXA2 receptor in isoprostane effect, as well as to determine the type of receptors involved in these effects. RESULTS Our results show that physiological concentrations of 8-iso-PGF2alpha stimulated cell proliferation, DNA synthesis, and ET-1 mRNA and protein expression in bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs). The proliferative effect was partially abolished by treatment with anti-endothelin antibody. 8-Iso-PGF2alpha also increased inositol 1, 4,5-trisphosphate formation in these cells. These effects were partially inhibited by SQ29,548. In competitive binding assays, two binding sites were recognized on BAECs with dissociation constants (Kd) and binding site densities at equilibrium similar to those previously described in smooth muscle cells and likely represent [3H]-8-iso-PGF2alpha binding to its own receptor (high-affinity binding site) and cross-recognition of the TXA2 receptor (low-affinity binding site). CONCLUSION These studies expand the potential scope of the pathophysiologic significance of F2-isoprostanes, released during oxidant injury, to include alteration of endothelial cell biology.
Explaining how leadership and justice influence employee innovative behaviours

PurposeThe mechanisms through which leaders influence innovative work behaviours (IWB) are important in innovation management. The purpose of this paper is to explain how leadership and justice relate to IWB through the successive mediating roles of affective commitment and organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB). Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on survey of a random sample of 300 employees selected from 652 employees from a public university, and a convenience sample of 159 employees from predominantly service-based enterprises in Lesotho (n=263). The Statistical Package for Social Sciences and the analysis of moment structures version 24 are used to analyse data. Specifically, the study uses factor analysis; correlation; structural equation modelling and bootstrapping techniques to examine the hypothesised relationships.FindingsThe results suggest that the model that fits data well is the one which shows that the effects of both leadership and organisational justice on IWBs are successively mediated by affective commitment and OCB. Because of its social and affiliation-oriented nature, the study submits that OCB is an effective explanatory factor between predictors and IWBs.Originality/valueThe study makes a novel contribution to the extant literature by evaluating the serial mediating roles of affective commitment and OCB between leadership and IWB on one hand, and justice and IWB on the other hand.
Indirect evidence for an association of 5‐HT1B binding sites with retinal and geniculate axon terminals in the rat suprachiasmatic nucleus

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the possible cellular location of 5‐HT1B receptors on retinal and geniculate afferents in the rat suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Biocular enucleation significantly decreased 5‐HT1B binding site labeling (35%), specifically in the ventral part of the SCN, while monocular enucleation produced a decrease of smaller magnitude (12%), limited to the ventral part of the contralateral SCN, these results being consistent with the known distribution of retinal afferents in the nucleus. By contrast, bilateral geniculate lesion did not induce any significant variation of 5‐HT1B binding site labeling in the SCN. Previously, we reported that serotonin (5‐HT) synthesis inhibition by parachlorophenylalanine increases 5‐HT1B binding site labeling in the SCN. Using saturation studies, we have now demonstrated that this upregulation reflected an increase in the total number of 5‐HT1B binding sites (+41% in the dorsal and +67% in the ventral part of the SCN). Furthermore, we evaluated the effects of bilateral geniculate lesion after 5‐HT stores depletion in order to overcome problems of technical resolution limits. The magnitude of upregulation was significantly decreased (27%) after bilateral geniculate lesion, suggesting that part of the 5‐HT1B receptor population was located on geniculate axon terminals within the SCN. The possible involvement of 5‐HT1B receptors, according to their cellular locations evidenced in the present study, in photic and nonphotic entrainment of the circadian clock is discussed. Synapse 33:314–323, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Chapter 6. Mediated identities

In the previous chapter, I analysed the situated context of Soliya through its website, which represents its exterior public image that serves to promote and disseminate the project. Through this I showed how Soliya is intentionally designed to offer possibilities for doing ‘identity work’ on different levels, both in terms of situated identities (facilitators and participants) and transportable identities – with reference being made in particular to the identity categories of ‘Westerner’, ‘Muslim’ and ‘non-Muslim’, for these are the identities which the framing of the programme focusses on, and also imagined identities. Before exploring how participants orient to these situated and transportable identities through indexicality and relationality in Chapters 7 and 8, I am going to explore the affordances and constraints of the mediating technologies available for doing identity work in the situated context of this study.
Evidence for Early Endosome‐like Fusion of Recently Endocytosed Synaptic Vesicles

Early endosomes are well‐established acceptor compartments of endocytic vesicles in many cell types. Little evidence of their existence or function has been obtained in synapses, and it is generally believed that synaptic vesicles recycle without passing through an endosomal intermediate. We show here that the early endosomal SNARE proteins are enriched in synaptic vesicles. To investigate their function in the synapse, we isolated synaptic nerve terminals (synaptosomes), stimulated them in presence of different fluorescent markers to label the recycling vesicles and used these vesicles in in vitro fusion assays. The recently endocytosed vesicles underwent homotypic fusion. They also fused with endosomes from PC12 and BHK cells. The fusion process was dependent upon NSF activity. Moreover, fusion was dependent upon the early endosomal SNAREs but not upon the SNAREs involved in exocytosis. Our results thus show that at least a fraction of the vesicles endocytosed during synaptic activity are capable of fusing with early endosomes and lend support to an involvement of endosomal intermediates during recycling of synaptic vesicles.
Starvation-Survival Processes of a Marine Vibrio

Levels of DNA, RNA, protein, ATP, glutathione, and radioactivity associated with [35S]methionine-labeled cellular protein were estimated at various times during the starvation-survival process of a marine psychrophilic heterotrophic Vibrio sp. , Ant-300. Values for the macromolecules were analyzed in terms of total, viable, and respiring cells. Electron micrographs (thin sections) were made on log-phase and 5.5-week-starved cells. On a per-cell basis, the levels of protein and DNA rapidly decreased until a constant level was attained. A second method in which radioactive sulfur was used for monitoring protein demonstrated that the cellular protein level decreased for approximately 2.5 weeks and then remained constant. An initial decrease in the RNA level with starvation was noted, but with time the RNA (orcinol-positive material) level increased to 2.5 times the minimum level. After 6 weeks of starvation, 45 to 60% of the cells remained capable of respiration, as determined by iodonitrotetrazolium violet-formazan granule production. Potential respiration and endogenous respiration levels fell, with an intervening 1-week peak, until at 2 weeks no endogenous respiration could be measured; respiratory potential remained high. The cell glutathione level fell during starvation, but when the cells were starved in the presence of the appropriate amino acids, glutathione was resynthesized to its original level, beginning after 1 week of starvation. The cells used much of their stored products and became ultramicrocells during the 6-week starvation-survival process. Ant-300 underwent many physiological changes in the first week of starvation that relate to the utilization or production of ATP. After that period, a stable pattern for long-term starvation was demonstrated.
Pharmacokinetic evaluation of bazedoxifene for the treatment of osteoporosis

Introduction: Bazedoxifene is a third-generation Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator, developed on raloxifene's model, and investigated as treatment for postmenopausal osteoporosis and menopause management. Clinical trial have shown that bazedoxifene is effective as raloxifene in preventing bone loss in women at risk of osteoporosis and that in patients with osteoporosis it is effective in reducing the incidence of new vertebral fracture with a protection maintained for up 7 years. Areas covered: This drug evaluation presents the antifracture efficacy of bazedoxifine and evidence that it, unlike raloxifene, can reduce the rate of non-vertebral fractures in high-risk patients. The authors also review the effects of bazedoxifine has on reproduction tissues as well as the on lipid pattern. Additionally, the authors present the safety profile of bazedoxifine and discuss its prospects, specifically in relation to conjugated estrogen. Expert opinion: Despite its peculiar profile, bazedoxifene could be considered as a second-line therapy for women < 65 – 70 years of age, where bisphopshonates are contraindicated or not well tolerated. Furthermore, the authors believe that bazedoxifene could also have its place as a first-line therapy for younger postmenopausal patients in the management of menopause and prevention of osteoporosis; this could be prescribed either by itself or in combination with conjugated estrogen. The authors also highlight the fact that the association of bazedoxifene and conjugated estrogen could also be beneficial in the treatment of climacteric syndrome in patients with menopausal symptoms.
Investor Behavior Under the Law of Small Numbers

I study how investors trade under the law of small numbers, the belief that even a small sample represents the characteristics of the underlying population. These investors expect short-term trends to reverse but long-term trends to continue. Using a simple model, I show that the law of small numbers can explain several well-documented trading phenomena: chasing long-term trends, bucking short-term trends, the disposition effect, and the V-shaped selling propensity. Moreover, I derive and successfully test the model's new predictions, and in doing so, I (1) provide evidence for heterogeneous horizons, (2) highlight how investors' extrapolation horizon and holding period can explain variation in their disposition effect, and (3) show that the V-shaped selling propensity is an aggregate phenomenon driven by separate groups of investors.