Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Activated Protein C Inhibitor

Much is known about the mechanism of action of activated protein C (APC) on blood coagulation and on fibrinolysis. However, little is known about the regulation of APC. To date, four studies in this field have been reported: (1) Ca-dependent activation of protein C by thrombin in the presence or absence of thrombomodulin; (2) Factor Va dependent activation of protein C by thrombin in vitro; (3) intact or thrombin-modified protein S dependent inactivation of Factor Va by APC; (4) Factor Xa dependent inactivation of Factor Va by APC. In addition to these studies, Marlar and Griffin in 1980 discovered the inhibitor of APC in normal human plasma. This substance has been found to be the main regulator of the APC activity. Recently, this inhibitor was isolated from human plasma and its properties were described both chemically and immunologically. This inhibitor is different from the already identified plasma serine protease inhibitors. It is the purpose of this article to describe the physiochemical and biologic characterization of the APC inhibitor isolated from human plasma and the clinical significance of the inhibitor, in particular its relationships to the combined deficiency of Factors V and VIII.
Are antibiotics beneficial for patients with sinusitis complaints? A randomized double-blind clinical trial.

BACKGROUND Sinusitis is the fifth most common reason for patients to visit primary care physicians, yet clinical outcomes relevant to patients are seldom studied. OBJECTIVE To determine whether patients with purulent rhinitis, "sinusitis-type symptoms," improved with antibiotics. Second, to examine a clinical prediction rule to provide preliminary validation data. METHODS Prospective clinical trial, with double-blinded placebo controlled randomization. The setting was a suburb of Washington, DC, from Oct 1, 2001, to March 31, 2003. All participants were 18 years or older, presenting to a family practice clinic with a complaint of sinusitis and with pus in the nasal cavity, facial pressure, or nasal discharge lasting longer than 7 days. The main outcome measures were resolution of symptoms within a 14-day follow-up period and the time to improvement (days). RESULTS After exclusion criteria, 135 patients were randomized to either placebo (n=68) or amoxicillin (n=67) for 10 days. Intention-to-treat analyses showed that 32 (48%) of the amoxicillin group vs 25 (37%) of the placebo group (P=.26) showed complete improvement by the end of the 2-week follow-up period (relative risk=1.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.87-1.94]). Although the rates of improvement were not statistically significantly different at the end of 2 weeks, the amoxicillin group improved significantly earlier, in the course of treatment, a median of 8 vs 12 days, than did the placebo group (P=.039). CONCLUSION For most patients with sinusitis-type complaints, no improvement was seen with anti-biotics over placebo. For those who did improve, data suggested there is a subgroup of patients who may benefit from antibiotics.
Further Evidence on Consequences of Debt Covenant Violations

We present new evidence on debt covenant violation (DCV) consequences that have not previously been examined in the literature. In particular, we show that a DCV triggers significant information asymmetry and uncertainty on the part of shareholders and auditors as reflected in higher bid-ask spreads, return volatility, and audit fees. Further, these consequences occur even when lender-imposed costs are relatively lower, consistent with the act of default itself triggering shareholder and auditor uncertainty. The results highlight costs to the firm of having bright-line rules in contracts, and add to an understanding of the consequences of DCVs.
Classification of multifrequency polarimetric SAR imagery using a dynamic learning neural network

A practical method for extracting microwave backscatter for terrain-cover classification is presented. The test data are multifrequency (P, L, C bands) polarimetric SAR data acquired by JPL over an agricultural area called "Flevoland". The terrain covers include forest, water, bare soil, grass, and eight other types of crops. The radar response of crop types to frequency and polarization states were analyzed for classification based on three configurations: 1) multifrequency and single-polarization images; 2) single-frequency and multipolarization images; and 3) multifrequency and multipolarization images. A recently developed dynamic learning neural network was adopted as the classifier. Results show that using partial information, P-band multipolarization images and multiband hh polarization images have better classification accuracy, while with a full configuration, namely, multiband and multipolarization, gives the best discrimination capability. The overall accuracy using the proposed method can be as high as 95% with a total of thirteen cover types classified. Further reduction of the data volume by means of correlation analysis was conducted to single out the minimum data channels required. It was found that this method efficiently reduces the data volume while retaining highly acceptable classification accuracy.
Induction of AKR 1 C 2 by Phase II Inducers : Identification of a Distal Consensus Antioxidant Response Element Regulated by NRF 2

AKR1C2, also referred to as the human bile acid binder and 3 -hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type III, is a multifunctional oxidoreductase able to stereoselectively reduce steroids as well as oxidize or reduce polyaromatic hydrocarbons. Previously, this same protein was also identified by its robust induction by phase II inducers in HT29 cells. In HepG2 cells, both AKR1C2 and AKR1C1 (97% sequence homology) were induced by phase II inducers but not the highly related AKR1C3 and AKR1C4 family members (84% sequence homology). We now report the initial characterization of the proximal promoter of AKR1C2 in HepG2 cell line and the identification of a potent enhancer-like element responsive to phase II inducers located approximately 5.5 kilobases upstream from the transcription start site. DNA sequence analysis of this enhancer element revealed that it contained a consensus antioxidant response element (ARE), which was confirmed by mutation analysis. Treatment with phase II inducers leads to increased accumulation of nuclear factor-erythroid 2 p45-related factor (NRF) 2 in the nucleus, which was associated with increased binding to this ARE as determined by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Transient transfection with Nrf2 increased the transcriptional activity of the ARE of AKR1C2 comparable with that observed with phase II inducers. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) analysis also confirmed increased NRF2 binding to the ARE after induction by a phase II inducer. The AKR1C1 promoter also harbored this same ARE element in a highly homologous region, which was also bound by NRF2 in a ChiP analysis. No induction of the ARE of AKR1C2 was detected in Nrf2 / fibroblasts. The regulation of AKR1C2 by this distal ARE suggests that AKR1C2 detoxifies products of reactive oxidant injury, which has important implications for both hormone and xenobiotic metabolism. AKR1C2, also referred to as 3 -hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3 -HSD) type III or the human bile acid binder, is a multifunctional enzyme that catalyzes the dehydrogenation or reduction of endogenous and exogenous planar compounds (Stolz et al., 1984; Hara et al., 1990; Dufort et al., 1996). We previously identified the human bile acid binder by its highaffinity binding to bile salts, which was used to monitor its purification from human liver cytosol (Stolz et al., 1984; Takikawa et al., 1990). Others subsequently identified the same protein as either a 3 -HSD or a dihydrodiol dehydrogenases (DDH) (Hara et al., 1990; Khanna et al., 1995). DNA sequence analysis confirmed that AKR1C2 is a member of the aldo-keto reductase (AKR) supergene family, an emerging group of evolutionarily conserved NADP(H)-dependent oxidoreductase that resides in the cytosol (Jez and Penning,
Representation of Precipitation Characteristics and Extremes in Regional Reanalyses and Satellite- and Gauge-Based Estimates over Western and Central Europe

This paper evaluates several daily precipitation products over western and central Europe, identifies and documents their respective strengths and shortcomings, and relates these to uncertainties associated with each of the products. We analyze one gauge-based, three satellite-based, and two reanalysis-based products using high-density rain gauge observations as reference. First, we assess spatial patterns and frequency distributions using aggregated statistics. Then, we determine the skill of precipitation event detection from these products with a focus on extremes, using temporally and spatially matched pairs of precipitation estimates. The results show that the quality of the datasets largely depends on the region, season, and precipitation characteristic addressed. The satellite and the reanalysis precipitation products are found to have difficulties in accurately representing precipitation frequency with local overestimations of more than 40%, which occur mostly in dry regions (all products) as well as along coastlines and over cold/frozen surfaces (satellite-based products). The frequency distributions of wet-day intensities are generally well reproduced by all products. Concerning the frequency distributions of wet-spell durations, the satellite-based products are found to have clear deficiencies for maritime-influenced precipitation regimes. Moreover, the analysis of the detection of extreme precipitation events reveals that none of the non-station-based datasets shows skill at the shortest temporal and spatial scales (1 day, 0.25°), but at and above the 3-day and 1.25° scale the products start to exhibit skill over large parts of the domain. Added value compared to coarser-resolution global benchmark products is found both for reanalysis and satellite-based products.
Development of autoantibodies to islet antigens during childhood: implications for preclinical type 1 diabetes screening

Abstract: Objective: Serum islet antibodies signify increased risk for type 1 diabetes (T1D). Knowledge of the relationship between age and seroconversion would guide screening for at‐risk individuals. We aimed to determine the effectiveness of islet antibody screening in early childhood, in particular the proportion of negative children who subsequently seroconverted.
Macroscopic and microscopic analyses of linear enamel hypoplasia in Plio-Pleistocene South African hominins with respect to aspects of enamel development and morphology.

This study uses macroscopic and microscopic methods to analyze the expression of linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH) in Plio-Pleistocene South African hominins. LEH is a developmental defect of enamel that is used in many anthropological contexts as a physiological stress indicator. Previous research has not settled the question as to whether differences in LEH expression exist between Paranthropus and Australopithecus and if they exist, to what extent these differences might be explained simply by taxonomic differences in enamel development and morphology rather than by differential stress experience. In this study, the analysis of LEH is conducted with respect to differences between Paranthropus and Australopithecus in aspects of enamel development and morphology that are thought to influence LEH expression. Two factors impacting LEH expression are considered: the duration of enamel formation, and the spacing of perikymata. It is predicted that if the first factor strongly influences the expression of LEH, then there should be fewer defects per tooth in Paranthropus because of its abbreviated crown formation spans (and fast extension rates) relative to Australopithecus. It is also predicted that because Australopithecus has more densely packed perikymata in comparable regions of the crown than Paranthropus, this taxon should, on average, have narrower defects than Paranthropus. To address these questions, 200 Australopithecus and 137 Paranthropus teeth were examined for LEH, and the analysis of defect width with respect to perikymata spacing was conducted on tooth impressions examined under a scanning electron microscope using INCA (Oxford Instruments) measurement software. Data support the first prediction: Australopithecus does have significantly more defects per canine tooth than Paranthropus. Data do not support the second prediction in large part because several Australopithecus specimens have wide groove defects in which perikymata are not visible and enamel is irregular. Such wide grooves are not predicted by perikymata spacing such that alternative explanations, including taxonomic differences in ameloblast sensitivity and the duration/severity of disruptions to enamel growth, must be considered.
The Role of the Media in the Launch of Internet Ipos

We document that there was media hype about internet stocks during the bubble. However, the media hype about internet stocks during the bubble was discounted: though the media coverage positively affected pre-IPO value revisions, it affected internet IPOs more than non-internet IPOs only after the bubble burst. Further, though the pre-IPO media coverage positively affected first-day returns only after the bubble burst, the effect on the internet IPOs was the same as the effect on the non-internet IPOs. This suggests that the media affect prices more in primary markets than in secondary markets. In both cases, the impact of the media is higher during bust times than during boom times.
Facing the Unknown: Intolerance of Uncertainty in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

BACKGROUND Anxiety is a common problem for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Recent research indicates that intolerance of uncertainty (IU) may be an important aspect of anxiety for this population. IU is the belief that uncertainty is upsetting, and not knowing what is going to happen is negative. There is little known about the phenomenology of IU in children with ASD. We therefore present data from parent focus groups exploring this concept in children with ASD. METHODS Participants were asked to differentiate IU from dislike of change and fear, and to discuss examples of IU and the strategies they use to manage it. Their experiences of IU and strategies are presented. RESULTS IU was evident across novel and familiar situations and parents used a variety of strategies to manage IU. Their experiences of IU and strategies used are presented. CONCLUSIONS Participants were able to identify and provide examples of IU suggesting that it is a recognizable construct among children with ASD.
Site and sequence specificity of the daunomycin-DNA interaction.

The site and sequence specificity of the daunomycin-DNA interaction was examined by equilibrium binding methods, by deoxyribonuclease I footprinting studies, and by examination of the effect of the antibiotic on the cleavage of linearized pBR322 DNA by restriction endonucleases PvuI and EcoRI. These three experimental approaches provide mutually consistent results showing that daunomycin indeed recognizes specific sites along the DNA lattice. The affinity of daunomycin toward natural DNA increases with increasing GC content. The quantitative results are most readily explained by binding models in which daunomycin interacts with sites containing two adjacent GC base pairs, possibly occurring as part of a triplet recognition sequence. Deoxyribonuclease I footprinting studies utilizing the 160 base pair (bp) tyrT DNA fragment and 61 and 53 bp restriction fragments isolated from pBR322 DNA further define the sequence specificity of daunomycin binding. Specific, reproducible protection patterns were obtained for each DNA fragment at 4 degrees C. Seven protected sequences, ranging in size from 4 to 14 bp, were identified within the tyrT fragment. Relative to the overall tyrT sequence, these protected sequences were GC rich and contained a more limited and distinct distribution of di- and trinucleotides. Within all of the protected sequences, a triplet containing adjacent GC base pairs flanked by an AT base pair could be found in one or more copies. Nowhere in the tyrT fragment did that triplet occur outside a protected sequence. The same triplet occurred within seven out of nine protected sequences observed in the fragments isolated from pBR322 DNA. In the two remaining cases, three contiguous GC base pairs were found. We conclude that the preferred daunomycin triplet binding site contains adjacent GC base pairs, of variable sequence, flanked by an AT base pair. This conclusion is consistent with the results of a recent theoretical study of daunomycin sequence specificity [Chen, K. -X. , Gresh, N. , & Pullman, B. (1985) J. Biomol. Struct. Dyn. 3, 445-466]. Adriamycin and the beta-anomer of adriamycin produce the same qualitative pattern of protection as daunomycin with the tyrT fragment. Daunomycin inhibits the rate of digestion of pBR322 DNA by PvuI (recognition sequence 5'-CGATCG-3') to a greater extent than it does EcoRI (recognition sequence 5'-GAATTC-3'), a finding consistent with the conclusions derived from our footprinting studies. Our results, as a whole, are the clearest indication to date that daunomycin recognizes a specific DNA sequence as a preferred binding site.
Understanding the Impact of Differing Leadership Schemas in Inter-Organizational Groups

UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT OF DIFFERING LEADERSHIP SCHEMAS IN INTER-ORGANIZATIONAL GROUPS Colin Magee Advisor: University of Guelph, 2014 Professor E van Duren Using a qualitative, phenomenological approach, this idiographic study examined the impact of individual leadership schemas on inter-organisational groups brought together to deal with complex problems. Framed by its focus on inter-organisational leadership delivering an integrated security solution to complex problems, the research examined the interaction of the Canadian Forces, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and the Canadian International Development Agency operating in Afghanistan during the period 2005 to 2011. The study shows that differing leadership schemas impact on how leadership is enacted within an ad hoc inter-organisational group. Responding to Lord’s (2003) question asking if leader schemas are dynamic, the study shows that participants from different organisations not only have different leadership schemas, but that through interaction a new schema was developed to deal with the new context faced by the group. The study also helps to understand how collaborative leadership is enacted, reinforcing the importance of the leader, but refining the role to an enabler and initiator of the socially constructed leadership functions. Academically, the research contributes to the ongoing debate within the literature on whether leadership schemas are static or context based, while providing insights into the interaction of differing schemas and the social context in which leadership occurs. The practitioner will gain a greater understanding of inter-organizational leadership within the public sector needed to deal with complex problems. Whilst focused on a specific inter-organizational group, the results are expected to be applicable across a range of ad hoc collaborative groups, working to solve complex problems.
Pulmonary suppressor of cytokine signaling-1 induced by IL-13 regulates allergic asthma phenotype.

RATIONALE Th2 cytokines play an important role in allergic diseases. These cytokines activate signal transduction pathways, including Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) signaling. Although the suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) family protein, a negative regulator of the Janus kinase/STAT signaling pathway, contributes to helper T cell differentiation during immune responses, the role of SOCS proteins within the structural cells of a target organ has not been clarified in allergy. OBJECTIVES To study the local function of SOCS in the development of asthma. METHODS We used mouse models of IL-13- and ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic airway disease. Airway smooth muscle cells were cultured from patients with asthma. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS The administration of IL-13 induced not only airway responses but also SOCS1 expression at the local inflammatory site. The up-regulated SOCS1 markedly suppressed IL-13-dependent STAT6 activation and eotaxin expression and subsequently down-regulated IL-13-induced airway inflammatory responses. The inactivation of SOCS1 induced airway hyperresponsiveness after IL-13 treatment even in hyporesponsive C57BL/6 background mice. In an OVA-induced model of allergic airway disease, allergen exposure up-regulated local SOCS1 expression, and the induction of SOCS1 in the airways attenuated allergen-induced airway responses. Inactivation of IL-13 inhibited SOCS1 induction in a model of allergic airway disease. Interestingly, airway smooth muscle cells from individuals with asthma had impaired up-regulation of SOCS1 after IL-13 stimulation. CONCLUSIONS SOCS1 induction by IL-13 in airway structural cells is critical to negatively control allergic airway disease.
Nine fatal cases of puffer fish poisoning in Sabah, Malaysia.

The puffer fish belongs to the family Tetraodontidae and has one identifying characteristic which is the ability to inflate itself by gulping in large quantities of air or water. They are commonly found in estuarine and inshore water. The viscera (ovaries, testes and liver) of puffer fish contain varying amounts of extremely potent toxins [tetraodontoxin). The most violent form of fish poisoning is produced by ingestion of tetraodontoid or puffer-like fishes and this has been reported.l? The putftoad, Tetradon maculatum, has caused fatal poisoning? Despite the high toxicity of this group of fish, the meat is commonly consumed by some fisherman in Sabah without much morbidity. In Japan, puffer fish, called "fuqu" commands the highest prices in food fish and are prepared and sold in special restaurants where specially trained cooks are employed to prepare the "fuqu". Nevertheless it is still the