Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pathways to purpose among impoverished youth from the Guatemala City Dump community

Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), such as Potter’s House Association (PHA), work to build capacity in impoverished communities surrounding the Guatemala City Garbage Dump. Specifically, PHA provides educational and mentoring interventions to help youth find purpose in overcoming poverty. In this multi-source study, in-depth interviews with Guatemalan high school graduates who have participated in the PHA education and mentoring program, and qualitative surveys with PHA staff members who have worked in this program as mentors and teachers were thematically analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Their responses were categorized into four themes associated with youth purpose: 1) people; 2) prosocial benefits; 3) passion; and 4) propensity. The data suggest that purpose development for this youth population seems especially influenced by religious faith and family values, and may be impeded by poverty, social location, and other obstacles. Findings provide insights for programs designed to change communities through youth empowerment and education.
PHA-739358, a potent inhibitor of Aurora kinases with a selective target inhibition profile relevant to cancer

PHA-739358 is a small-molecule 3-aminopyrazole derivative with strong activity against Aurora kinases and cross-reactivities with some receptor tyrosine kinases relevant for cancer. PHA-739358 inhibits all Aurora kinase family members and shows a dominant Aurora B kinase inhibition–related cellular phenotype and mechanism of action in cells in vitro and in vivo. p53 status–dependent endoreduplication is observed upon treatment of cells with PHA-739358, and phosphorylation of histone H3 in Ser10 is inhibited. The compound has significant antitumor activity in different xenografts and spontaneous and transgenic animal tumor models and shows a favorable pharmacokinetic and safety profile. In vivo target modulation is observed as assessed by the inhibition of the phosphorylation of histone H3, which has been validated preclinically as a candidate biomarker for the clinical phase. Pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics modeling was used to define drug potency and to support the prediction of active clinical doses and schedules. We conclude that PHA-739358, which is currently tested in clinical trials, has great therapeutic potential in anticancer therapy in a wide range of cancers. [Mol Cancer Ther 2007;6(12):3158–68]
Altered development and function of the placental regions in preeclampsia and its association with long‐chain polyunsaturated fatty acids

The placenta is an essential organ formed during pregnancy that mainly transfers nutrients from the mother to the fetus. Nutrients taken up by the placenta are required for its own growth and development and to optimize fetal growth. Hence, placental function is an important determinant of pregnancy outcome. Among various nutrients, fatty acids, especially long‐chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs), including omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, are essential for placental development from the time of implantation. Studies have associated these LCPUFAs with placental development through their roles in regulating oxidative stress, angiogenesis, and inflammation, which may in turn influence their transfer to the fetus. The placenta has a heterogeneous morphology with variable regional vasculature, oxidative stress, and LCPUFA levels in healthy pregnancies depending upon the location within the placenta. However, these regional structural and functional parameters are found to be disturbed in pathological conditions, such as preeclampsia (PE), thereby affecting pregnancy outcome. Hence, the alterations in LCPUFA metabolism and transport in different regions of the PE placenta as compared with normal placenta could potentially be contributing to the pathological features of PE. The regional variations in development and function of the placenta and its possible association with placental LCPUFA metabolism and transport in normal and PE pregnancies are discussed in this review. WIREs Dev Biol 2016, 5:582–597. doi: 10.1002/wdev.238
Functional compensation in partially denervated muscles

In patients with various types of chronic motor denervation, the numbers of surviving motor units have been compared with the twitch tensions developed by the same muscle (extensor digitorum brevis). It was found that functional compensation in partially denervated muscles was often marked; in most patients abnormally small twitches occurred only when fewer than 10% of motor axons remained. The factors responsible for this compensation are considered. The twitch speeds of partially denervated muscles differed markedly, even among patients with the same disorder; there was evidence to suggest that the twitches of some motor units might become slower than those found in normal muscles.
Leading From Below: Low-Power Actors as Organizational Change Agents

ABSTRACT This article focuses on the low-power actor as a facilitator of organizational change. While most research on organizational change documents the role of elites as leaders, findings presented here highlight the role of low-power actors as change agents and offer new insights into change initiatives that emerge from the bottom up. By way of illustration, this analysis focuses on 18 human service practitioners, identified as low-power actors, who led multicultural organizational development efforts in their agencies. Study findings convey a more multifaceted understanding of who leads organizational change and the organizational properties that differentially shape these transformations.
The Theory of Planned Behavior and Information Security Policy Compliance

ABSTRACT Much of the research on security policy compliance has tested the relationships posited by the theory of planned behavior. This theory explains far from all of the measurable variance in policy compliance intentions. However, it is associated with something called the sufficiency assumption, which essentially states that no variable is missing from the theory. This paper addresses this assumption in the context of information security policy compliance. A meta-analysis of published tests on information security behavior and a review of the literature in related fields are used to identify variables that have the potential to improve the theory’s predictions. These results are tested using a random sample of 645 white-collar workers. The results suggest that the variables anticipated regret and habit improve the predictions. The variables increase the explained variance by 3.4 and 2.6 percentage points, respectively, when they are added individually, and by 5.4 percentage points when both are added.
International Trade and Foreign Direct Investment as Growth Stimulators in Transition Economies: Does the Impact of Institutional Factors Matter?

The present paper develops a general production function framework, augmented with two institutional variables namely, bureaucracy and corruption, on 28 transition economies over the period 2000 to 2015. We use various econometric speciﬁcations and apply both the Fixed Effects as well as the advanced system Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) panel data techniques. Empirical findings suggest that the impact of openness in terms of foreign direct investment and international trade is advantageous to all the economies of the panel. Furthermore, the findings indicate that classical growth determinants, such as labor and physical capital, have the expected positive contribution, while macroeconomic instability has a negative effect on real economic activity. Regarding the impact of the two institutional variables, corruption, and bureaucracy, we retrieve more influential results, as their impact appears to be diametrically opposite between the Former Soviet Union States and the rest of European transition countries.
Vascularised bone graft for Kienböck disease: Preliminary results

We treated eight patients with lunatomalacia by harvesting a pedicled, vascularised bone segment from the dorsal aspect of the distal radius and grafting it into the lunate. Its effect on carpal collapse and clinical outcome was assessed at a mean follow-up of 29 months (range 13–42). Postoperatively patients had considerably less pain (45% during activity and 74% at rest). Postoperative mean range of movement was 65% (range 43%–76%) (SD: 13) of the unaffected side. Three patients had an excellent result, three had good results, one had a fair result, and one patient was unsatisfied. The mean postoperative disabilities of the arm, shoulder, and hand score was 29.8 (compared with 40.0 preoperatively).
The Reverse Transcriptase/RNA Maturase Protein MatR Is Required for the Splicing of Various Group II Introns in Brassicaceae Mitochondria

MatR, a highly conserved, essential mitochondrial protein, functions in the processing and maturation of various pre-RNAs in plant mitochondria, as revealed by in vivo analyses. Group II introns are large catalytic RNAs that are ancestrally related to nuclear spliceosomal introns. Sequences corresponding to group II RNAs are found in many prokaryotes and are particularly prevalent within plants organellar genomes. Proteins encoded within the introns themselves (maturases) facilitate the splicing of their own host pre-RNAs. Mitochondrial introns in plants have diverged considerably in sequence and have lost their maturases. In angiosperms, only a single maturase has been retained in the mitochondrial DNA: the matR gene found within NADH dehydrogenase 1 (nad1) intron 4. Its conservation across land plants and RNA editing events, which restore conserved amino acids, indicates that matR encodes a functional protein. However, the biological role of MatR remains unclear. Here, we performed an in vivo investigation of the roles of MatR in Brassicaceae. Directed knockdown of matR expression via synthetically designed ribozymes altered the processing of various introns, including nad1 i4. Pull-down experiments further indicated that MatR is associated with nad1 i4 and several other intron-containing pre-mRNAs. MatR may thus represent an intermediate link in the gradual evolutionary transition from the intron-specific maturases in bacteria into their versatile spliceosomal descendants in the nucleus. The similarity between maturases and the core spliceosomal Prp8 protein further supports this intriguing theory.
Economic impact studies and methodological bias : the case of the National Arts Festival in South Africa

Over the course of the last three decades, it has become popular practice to evaluate tourism events like cultural festivals in financial terms, through the use of economic impact studies. This can be attributed at least in part to the notable growth in the number of festivals being held globally and, as such, a higher level of competition between festivals for the limited funding which is available. Economic impact studies, and the resultant findings, have thus become powerful tools for the lobbying of sponsorship, and it has become increasingly important that the impact calculations be as accurate as possible, so as to effectively allocate both government and private resources to projects which will be of the greatest benefit to the host region. The allocation of funding is especially vital in an area like the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, which is faced with many financial difficulties. The allocation of public funds to an event like the National Arts Festival, which is hosted in a relatively wealthy part of the province, might be weighed against initiatives which directly benefit the poorer parts of the region. Although it is acknowledged that the benefits which are felt by the host community of a cultural event go beyond that of the financial, it is often on this basis that festivals are most easily compared. The primary goal of the thesis was to analyse the various forms of methodological bias which can exist in the economic impact analyses (EIA) associated with cultural events. Theoretical considerations were discussed, specifically regarding economic impact as a method of measuring
Are policy measures effective in encouraging the creation of competitive employee-owned firms?

The literature highlights the positive and negative effects of employee ownership on firm performance, which are heavily dependent on the type of employee-owned firm (EOF) analysed. This article focuses on EOFs created under policy-related schemes designed to incentivize job creation, especially in times of crisis. The authors analyse performance in a large sample of a special type of EOFs in Spain and compare the results with those of a matched sample of conventional capitalist firms. The results show that these EOFs have more difficulty accessing valuable resources, and show significantly worse long-term performance than the matched conventional companies. It is argued that the limitations imposed on becoming eligible to profit from the incentives of the schemes may result in the creation of firms that do not perform adequately in the long run.
Knowledge, attitudes and experience associated with testing for prostate cancer: a comparison between male doctors and men in the community

Background: Debate about testing for prostate cancer using prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) and digital rectal examination (DRE) continues. The evidence of benefit from screening for prostate cancer using PSA tests is inconclusive, and it is unclear how PSA can be used most effectively in the detection of prostate cancer. Given the lack of consensus, it is important that consumers understand the issues in a way that will permit them to decide whether or not to have a test and, if symptomatic, how their condition is managed.
Uveitis in young adults with juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a clinical evaluation of 123 patients

Objective: To examine the prevalence and characteristics of uveitis in young adults with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Methods: The study population consisted of 123 JIA patients born between 1976 and 1980 whose arthritis had been diagnosed and treatment first started at the Rheumatism Foundation Hospital in 1976 to 1995. A clinical re-evaluation was carried out by an ophthalmologist and a paediatric rheumatologist 16 years later on average. Results: The mean age of the patients was 23.5 years, 72% were women, and 63% had oligoarthritis. During the course of the disease, diagnosis of uveitis had been made in 25 patients (20%). Arthritis in the 19 patients with asymptomatic uveitis was more often ongoing than in the 98 patients without uveitis (p = 0.032). Asymptomatic uveitis was persistent in eight of the 19 cases (42%), and arthritis was active in seven of these. Four of the six patients with attacks of symptomatic uveitis had parallel treatment for arthritis. In three of 19 patients with asymptomatic uveitis and in five of six with acute uveitis the eye inflammation had started after the age of 16. At the onset of arthritis the patients with asymptomatic uveitis were younger than those without uveitis (p = 0.002). Complications of uveitis developed in six patients but their sight remained good. Conclusions: Asymptomatic uveitis continued into adulthood in almost half the uveitis patients. Most also had ongoing arthritis. Acute uveitis was often associated with persistent arthritis.
Do Measurements of Inner Ear Structures Help in the Diagnosis of Inner Ear Malformations? A Review of Literature.

OBJECTIVE We conducted an extensive review of the literature relevant to inner ear measurements in normal and malformative conditions to select reproducible methods and normative ranges that may be used in clinical practice. DATA SOURCES AND STUDY SELECTION A review of the published literature was performed in the English language using PubMed with appropriate keywords. We selected only those articles containing normative values of inner ear structures. DATA EXTRACTION AND DATA SYNTHESIS The following measurements were identified as reproducible and sensitive for the diagnosis of inner malformations: cochlear height in coronal plane; maximal diameter of bony island of lateral semicircular canal; width of vestibular aqueduct: 1) at midpoint; 2) at operculum in axial plane; cochlear canal and cochlear width in multiplanar reconstructions (MPR)/axial; cochlear length. The following cutoffs for normal inner ears are proposed based on the comparative analysis of the literature: cochlea height: >4.3 mm; lateral semicircular canal bony island: >3 mm; vestibular aqueduct: <0.9 (midpoint) and <1.9 mm (operculum); cochlear canal (axial MPR): >1.4 mm and <2.5 mm; cochlear width (MPR): >5.4 mm. CONCLUSION Measurements of inner ear structures can help in the interpretation of computed tomography images. They increase the sensitivity in detecting inner ear malformations, especially cochlear hypoplasia now considered more common than previously thought.
Medical service utilization by veterans seeking help for posttraumatic stress disorder.

OBJECTIVE Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been associated with higher rates of health complaints and medical conditions diagnosed by physicians, yet research examining the relationship between PTSD and health care utilization has been limited. This study compared the health service use of veterans with PTSD to that of help-seeking veterans without PTSD. The relationship between severity of PTSD and service utilization was also examined. METHOD Data were collected from 996 veterans seeking an evaluation at a Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center specialty PTSD clinic in the southeastern United States between March 1992 and September 1998. Data included sociodemographic characteristics, severity of PTSD, and disability status. The outcome variable, VA health service utilization, was prospectively assessed 1 year from the date of the initial PTSD assessment. RESULTS Although the use of VA mental health services by patients with PTSD was substantial (a median of seven clinic stops), these patients used more services in general physical health clinics that provided predominantly nonmental health services (a median of 18 clinic stops). Negative binomial regression models revealed that younger veterans with PTSD had greater health care utilization than those without PTSD who also sought services. Greater severity of PTSD was related to higher rates of mental and physical health service use among veterans without a service-connected disability. CONCLUSIONS PTSD is associated with substantial health service use. The results highlight the importance of increased collaboration between primary care and mental health specialists, given that patients with PTSD are more likely to receive treatment in nonmental health clinics.
Leverage and Market Value: Fitting a Hump-Shaped Function

This study analyzes the effect of financial leverage on firm value to determine whether there is an optimal capital structure. The paper separates the effect of leverage in financially constrained and unconstrained firms. Using a sample of 666 US companies belonging to seven different sectors between 1989 and 2007, we carry out two-stage least square panel data regressions estimated with fixed effects and using different leverage functions to find the one that best fits the data. The results show no clear effects of leverage on the market price of common shares, especially in the case of constrained firms. Furthermore, the effect of leverage on firm value is different among sectors and changes over time. These results make it redundant to ask for an optimal capital structure, and no guidance can be offered to CFOs seeking to maximize firm value using leverage.
Gene Expression Profiling Reveals Unique Molecular Subtypes of Neurofibromatosis Type I‐associated and Sporadic Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumors

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) are highly aggressive Schwann cell neoplasms that are frequently associated with Type I Neurofibromatosis (NF1) and respond poorly to current therapeutic regimens. To better understand the molecular heterogeneity of these tumors, we performed gene expression profiling on 25 NF1‐associated and 17 sporadic MPNSTs using oligonucleotide microarrays representing approximately 8100 unique human gene transcripts. Using several previously reported statistical approaches, we were unable to identify a molecular signature that could reliably distinguish between NF1‐associated and sporadic MPNSTs in independent training and test sample sets. However, using an unsupervised clustering approach, we identified an extensive gene expression signature that distinguished 9 of the 42 tumors analyzed. This signature corresponded to relative overexpression of transcripts associated with neuroglial differentiation (NCAM, MBP, L1CAM, P1P) and relative down‐regulation of proliferation and growth factor associated transcripts (IGF2, FGFR1, MDK, Ki67). All tumors with this gene expression signature lacked expression of EGFR and all but one tumor were derived from patients with NF1. However, there were no other obvious associations with histological grade, tumor site, metastasis, recurrence, age, or patient survival. We conclude that distinct molecular classes of MPNST exist and that the ability to stratify these tumors based on unique and biologically relevant gene expression profiles may be important for future targeted therapeutics.
Dispensability of APRIL to the development of systemic lupus erythematosus in NZM 2328 mice.

OBJECTIVE To determine the role of APRIL in the development of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in mice. METHODS Wild-type (WT) NZM 2328, NZM. April(-/-) , NZM.Baff(-/-) , and NZM.Baff(-/-) . April(-/-) mice were evaluated for lymphocyte phenotype by flow cytometry, for serum total IgG and IgG autoantibody levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, for glomerular deposition of IgG and C3 by immunofluorescence, for renal changes by histopathology, and for clinical disease by laboratory assessment (severe proteinuria). RESULTS In comparison to WT mice, NZM.April(-/-) mice harbored increased spleen B cells, T cells, and plasma cells (PCs), increased serum levels of IgG antichromatin antibodies, and decreased numbers of bone marrow (BM) PCs. Glomerular deposition of IgG and C3 was similar in NZM.April(-/-) mice and WT mice, renal changes on histopathology tended to be more severe in NZM.April(-/-) mice than in WT mice, and development of clinical disease was identical in NZM.April(-/-) mice and WT mice. BM (but not spleen) PCs and serum IgG antichromatin and anti-double-stranded DNA antibody levels were lower in NZM.Baff(-/-) . April(-/-) mice than in NZM.Baff(-/-) mice, whereas renal immunopathology in each cohort was equally mild. CONCLUSION APRIL is dispensable for the development of full-blown SLE in NZM mice. Moreover, the elimination of both APRIL and BAFF had no discernible effect on the development of renal immunopathology or clinical disease beyond that of elimination of BAFF alone. The reduction in BM PCs in hosts doubly deficient in APRIL and BAFF beyond that in hosts deficient only in BAFF raises concern that combined antagonism of APRIL and BAFF may lead to greater immunosuppression without a concomitant increase in therapeutic efficacy.