Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Early Complementopathy After Multiple Injuries in Humans

ABSTRACT After severe tissue injury, innate immunity mounts a robust systemic inflammatory response. However, little is known about the immediate impact of multiple trauma on early complement function in humans. In the present study, we hypothesized that multiple trauma results in immediate activation, consumption, and dysfunction of the complement cascade and that the resulting severe “complementopathy” may be associated with morbidity and mortality. Therefore, a prospective multicenter study with 25 healthy volunteers and 40 polytrauma patients (mean injury severity score = 30.3 ± 2.9) was performed. After polytrauma, serum was collected as early as possible at the scene, on admission to the emergency room (ER), and 4, 12, 24, 120, and 240 h post-trauma and analyzed for the complement profile. Complement hemolytic activity (CH-50) was massively reduced within the first 24 h after injury, recovered only 5 days after trauma, and discriminated between lethal and nonlethal 28-day outcome. Serum levels of the complement activation products C3a and C5a were significantly elevated throughout the entire observation period and correlated with the severity of traumatic brain injury and survival. The soluble terminal complement complex SC5b-9 and mannose-binding lectin showed a biphasic response after trauma. Key fluid-phase inhibitors of complement, such as C4b-binding protein and factor I, were significantly diminished early after trauma. The present data indicate an almost synchronical rapid activation and dysfunction of complement, suggesting a trauma-induced complementopathy early after injury. These events may participate in the impairment of the innate immune response observed after severe trauma.
Capital Structure Adjustment, Speed of Adjustment and Optimal Target Leverage among Firms Quoted on the Nairobi Stock Exchange

The literature provides conflicting assessments about how firms choose their capital structures, with the trade off, pecking order and market timing hypothesis all receiving some empirical support. The study’s objectives were to determine whether firms in Kenya have an optimal target leverage, whether an adjustment towards this target takes place and finally to ascertain the speed of adjustment towards this target leverage. Secondary data was collected from the records maintained at NSE. From these records financial statements for 12 years starting from the year 1999 to 2010, were extracted. Out of the 30 firms targeted, only 23 firms met the criteria of having complete data for at least ten years. Analysis was done using descriptive statistics together with a partial regression model. Estimations from the model established that firms in Kenya do have target capital structure. On average however, a typical firm closes about 5.3% of the gap between the current and the desired leverage within one year. At this rate it takes about 10 years to close half of the gap between a typical firm’s current and the desired leverage ratios. The slow adjustment is consistent with the hypothesis that other considerations such as market timing or pecking order outweigh the costs of deviating from the optimal leverage.
Prevalence of Depression Among Health Sciences Students: Findings From a Public University in Malaysia

Background: High rates of psychological problems including depression among university students have been reported in various studies around the world. The objectives of this study were to explore the prevalence of depressive disorder, as well as the associated sociodemographic factors (gender, origin, school, and year of study) among health sciences students. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 425 students from 5 different schools of health sciences at International Islamic University Malaysia, using the Patient Health Questionaire-9 (PHQ-9). Results: With a response rate of 85.9% (n = 365), the results showed a depressive disorder prevalence of 36.4%. The mean PHQ-9 score of the respondents was 8.10 (SD = 4.9), indicating mild depression severity. A statistically significant association was revealed between gender and severity of depression (P = 0.03), as well as between students’ origin and severity of depression (P = 0.02). Conclusion: The findings indicated high prevalence of depression among undergraduate health sciences students. While providing significant information to students’ affairs department, the study findings suggest the necessity to address depressive disorder in health sciences university students in Malaysia. Future research is needed to confirm these results in larger samples.
Factors associated with health-related quality of life in Peruvian patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Objective In this paper, we aim to define factors associated with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in Mestizo patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods We evaluated patients with SLE from Peru’s two largest hospitals between October 2012 and July 2015 to ascertain HRQoL. Using a standard protocol, we incorporated demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations and treatment in our analysis. HRQoL was measured with the LupusQoL, disease activity was ascertained with the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI), and damage was appraised with the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC)/American College of Rheumatology (ACR) damage index (SDI). The associations between the LupusQoL and these variables were examined using linear regression models. Model selection was based on backward elimination. Results A total of 277 patients fit the inclusion criterion. Of these, 254 (91.7%) were female, the median (interquartile range, IQR) age at diagnosis was 41.5 (33.8–51.8) years, disease duration was 6.5 (2.7–11.3) years. The HRQoL domains most affected were the following: burden to others, fatigue, and intimate relationships. Through multivariate analysis, we determined that older age at diagnosis, higher disease activity, damage, and immunosuppressive drug use were negatively associated with HRQoL. Further, we found that higher socioeconomic status, disease duration, and antimalarial use were positively associated with HRQoL. Conclusion Age at diagnosis, disease activity, damage, and use of immunosuppressive drugs were negatively associated with HRQoL; high socioeconomic status, disease duration, and use of antimalarials were positively associated with HRQoL.
SOX Disclosure and the Effect of Internal Controls on Executive Compensation

We study the organizational impact of internal control systems, by examining 1,593 firms with 15,606 executives over 2002-2010. We find that internal control systems explain a significant amount of executive and, in particular, CFO compensation, after controlling for other governance, executive personal characteristics, firm, and macroeconomic determinants of pay. Moreover, the negative relationship between pay and internal control systems suggests that executives operating in firms with ineffective internal control systems earn greater compensation. The results of the longitudinal analysis suggest that firms with ineffective internal control systems have greater agency problems and, consequently, greater levels of executive compensation. The CEO pay shows a nonsignificant relationship with internal control systems.
Explaining Fiscal Decentralization

This study uses a panel of sixty-four countries to test empirically various hypotheses about the causes of decentralization at the government level and in different functional spending areas. The empirical results find a negative impact of urbanization on decentralization. In the general case, a higher income per capita favors decentralization, with this effect being stronger for high-income countries. However, the use of functional measurements of decentralization shows that income per capita has a negative effect on health decentralization. Urbanization has a negative impact on the fiscal decentralization of health and education, and it has a positive effect on the share of housing expenditures being made by subnational governments.
Chaperonin Cofactors, Cpn10 and Cpn20, of Green Algae and Plants Function as Hetero-oligomeric Ring Complexes*♦

Background: The chloroplast chaperonin system is encoded by multiple genes. Results: The chaperonin cofactors of the green alga C. reinhardtii and the plant A. thaliana form hetero-oligomeric ring complexes containing seven ∼10-kDa modules. Conclusion: The hetero-oligomeric cofactors were able to interact with chaperonin and assist protein folding. Significance: Formation of hetero-oligomers can explain the occurrence of multiple chaperonin cofactor genes in chloroplasts. The chloroplast chaperonin system of plants and green algae is a curiosity as both the chaperonin cage and its lid are encoded by multiple genes, in contrast to the single genes encoding the two components of the bacterial and mitochondrial systems. In the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (Cr), three genes encode chaperonin cofactors, with cpn10 encoding a single ∼10-kDa domain and cpn20 and cpn23 encoding tandem cpn10 domains. Here, we characterized the functional interaction of these proteins with the Escherichia coli chaperonin, GroEL, which normally cooperates with GroES, a heptamer of ∼10-kDa subunits. The C. reinhardtii cofactor proteins alone were all unable to assist GroEL-mediated refolding of bacterial ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase but gained this ability when CrCpn20 and/or CrCpn23 was combined with CrCpn10. Native mass spectrometry indicated the formation of hetero-oligomeric species, consisting of seven ∼10-kDa domains. The cofactor “heptamers” interacted with GroEL and encapsulated substrate protein in a nucleotide-dependent manner. Different hetero-oligomer arrangements, generated by constructing cofactor concatamers, indicated a preferential heptamer configuration for the functional CrCpn10-CrCpn23 complex. Formation of heptamer Cpn10/Cpn20 hetero-oligomers was also observed with the Arabidopsis thaliana (At) cofactors, which functioned with the chloroplast chaperonin, AtCpn60α7β7. It appears that hetero-oligomer formation occurs more generally for chloroplast chaperonin cofactors, perhaps adapting the chaperonin system for the folding of specific client proteins.
Intermolecular homologous recombination between transfected sequences in mammalian cells is primarily nonconservative

Intermolecular recombination in mammalian cells was studied by coinfecting African green monkey cells in culture with two shuttle vector plasmids, each carrying an incomplete but overlapping portion of the gene for neomycin resistance. The region of homology between the two plasmids was about 0.6 kilobases. Recombination between the homology regions could reconstruct the neomycin resistance gene, which was monitored by analysis of progeny plasmids in bacteria. The individual plasmids carried additional markers which, in combination with restriction analysis, allowed the determination of the frequency of formation of the heterodimeric plasmid which would be formed in a conservative recombination reaction between the homologous sequences. Reconstruction of the neomycin resistance gene was readily observed, but only 1 to 2% of the neomycin resistance plasmids had the structure of the conservative heterodimer. Treatment of the plasmids which enhanced the frequency of the neomycin resistance gene reconstruction reaction did not significantly increase the relative frequency of conservative product plasmids. The results support nonconservative models for recombination of these sequences.
Lane Keeping Under Cognitive Load

Objective: A pair of simulated driving experiments studied the effects of cognitive load on drivers’ lane-keeping performance. Background: Cognitive load while driving often reduces the variability of lane position. However, there is no agreement as to whether this effect should be interpreted as a performance loss, consistent with other effects of distraction on driving, or as an anomalous performance gain. Method: Participants in a high-fidelity driving simulator performed a lane-keeping task in lateral wind, with instructions to keep a steady lane position. Under high load conditions, participants performed a concurrent working memory task with auditory stimuli. Cross-spectral analysis measured the relationship between wind force and steering inputs. Results: Cognitive load reduced the variability of lane position and increased the coupling between steering wheel position and crosswind strength. Conclusion: Although cognitive load disrupts driver performance in a variety of ways, it produces a performance gain in lane keeping. This effect appears to reflect drivers’ efforts to protect lateral control against the risk of distraction, at the apparent neglect of other elements of driving performance. Application: Results may inform educational efforts to help drivers understand the risks of distraction and the inadequacies of compensatory driving strategies.
Cereal, fruit, and vegetable fiber intake and the risk of cardiovascular disease in elderly individuals.

CONTEXT People older than 65 years are the fastest-growing segment of the population and account for the majority of cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity, mortality, and health care expenditures. Additionally, the influence of dietary habits on risk may be less pronounced in elderly persons, when atherosclerosis is more advanced. However, few data address the influence of diet on CVD risk in this population. OBJECTIVE To determine whether fiber consumption from fruit, vegetable, and cereal sources (including whole grains and bran) is associated with incident CVD in elderly persons. DESIGN Prospective cohort study conducted from 1989 to June 2000. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS Population-based, multicenter study among 3588 men and women aged 65 years or older and free of known CVD at baseline in 1989-1990. Usual dietary fiber consumption was assessed at baseline (mean participant age, 72 years) using a 99-item food frequency questionnaire. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Incident CVD (combined stroke, ischemic heart disease death, and nonfatal myocardial infarction). RESULTS During 8.6 years mean follow-up, there were 811 incident CVD events. After adjustment for age, sex, education, diabetes, ever smoking, pack-years of smoking, daily physical activity, exercise intensity, alcohol intake, and fruit and vegetable fiber consumption, cereal fiber consumption was inversely associated with incident CVD (P for trend =.02), with 21% lower risk (hazard ratio [HR], 0.79; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.62-0.99) in the highest quintile of intake, compared with the lowest quintile. In similar analyses, neither fruit fiber intake (P for trend =.98) nor vegetable fiber intake (P for trend =.95) were associated with incident CVD. When CVD events were separately evaluated, higher cereal fiber intake was associated with lower risk of total stroke and ischemic stroke and a trend toward lower risk of ischemic heart disease death. In a post hoc analysis, dark breads such as wheat, rye, or pumpernickel were associated with a lower risk of incident CVD (HR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.64-0.90) rather than cereal fiber from other sources. CONCLUSIONS Cereal fiber consumption late in life is associated with lower risk of incident CVD, supporting recommendations for elderly individuals to increase consumption of dietary cereal fiber.
The Peptide-Binding and ATPase Domains of Recombinant hsc70 Are Required To Interact with Rotavirus and Reduce Its Infectivity

ABSTRACT The heat shock cognate protein hsc70 has been implicated as a postattachment cell receptor for rotaviruses. Here we show that hsc70 interacts specifically with rotaviruses through its peptide-binding domain, since a recombinant full-length hsc70 protein and its peptide-binding domain, but not its ATPase domain, bound triple-layered particles in a solid-phase assay, and known ligands of hsc70 competed this binding. The peptide ligands of hsc70 were also shown to block rotavirus infectivity when added to cells before virus infection, suggesting that hsc70 on the surface of MA104 cells also interacts with the virus through its peptide-binding domain and that this interaction is important for virus entry. When purified infectious virus was incubated with soluble hsc70 in the presence of the cochaperone hsp40 and ATP and then pelleted through a sucrose cushion, the recovered virus had lost 60% of its infectivity, even though hsc70 was not detected in the pellet fraction. The hsc70-treated virus showed slightly different reactivities with monoclonal antibodies and was more susceptible to heat and basic pHs than the untreated virus, suggesting that hsc70 induces a subtle conformational change in the virus that results in a reduction of its infectivity. The relevance of the ATPase activity of hsc70 for reducing virus infectivity was demonstrated by the finding that in the presence of a nonhydrolyzable analogue of ATP, virus infectivity was not affected, and a mutant protein lacking ATPase activity failed to reduce virus infection. Altogether, these results suggest that during cell infection, the interaction of the virus with hsc70 on the surface of MA104 cells results in a conformational change of virus particles that facilitates their entry into the cell cytoplasm.
LEADING CURRICULAR CHANGE: THE ROLE OF THE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL IN IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS

Principals, whose jobs are increasingly being reframed as requiring instructional leadership (Lunenburg, 2013; Hallinger, 2005), serve as a vital link between standards-based reform and its successful implementation at the school level (Fullan, 2011; Hallinger & Heck, 1996; Leithwood & Riehl, 2005; Spillane & Hunt, 2010). Standards-based reform or guidelines for change mandated by state government significantly influence teaching and learning (Beane, 2013). Our nation’s latest iteration of standards-based reform is comprised within the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), which are currently fully implemented in 42 states. Despite the essential role of the school leader in implementation of standards-based reform, research is limited on how principals understand their role, and how these understandings play out in practice. The goal of this research was to address this research gap and directly explore how principals perceive their role in facilitating implementation of the CCSS. Based upon sensemaking theory, as explained by Coburn and Talbert (2006) and activity theory, as explained by Engestrom (1999), Nardi (1996), and Spillane, Halverson and Diamond (2004), this study explores how individuals make meaning of information and/or events from interacting within their school environment. Through semi-structured interviews with (current and past) elementary school principals leading nationally recognized, Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence and document analysis of demographic data, this study makes sense of how instructional leaders negotiate and facilitate mandated change. Findings illuminated school culture and reflective practice of school leaders as important factors influencing implementation. Participants also identified three factors, from their perspectives, in successful change: the cultivation of strong sustained school culture oriented toward continual improvement and student achievement, the strategic development within the school culture of authentic relationships and trustworthy leadership, and the establishment of shared decision-making and distribution of leadership within the school environment. Participants described the role of the instructional leader as one of support and service, explained the challenges they faced in the implementation of the CCSS, and revealed the emotional work associated with their reflective practice. Findings are relevant to training of instructional leaders and serve to inform future research involving the ways principals interact with curriculum and instruction as it relates to standards-based reform.
Dose-Response Relationships and Threshold Levels in Skin and Respiratory Allergy

A literature study was performed to evaluate dose-response relationships and no-effect levels for sensitization and elicitation in skin- and respiratory allergy. With respect to the skin, dose-response relationships and no-effect levels were found for both intradermal and topical induction, as well as for intradermal and topical elicitation of allergenic responses in epidemiological, clinical, and animal studies. Skin damage or irritation may result in a significant reduction of the no-effect level for a specific compound. With respect to the respiratory tract, dose-response relationships and no-effect levels for induction were found in several human as well as animal studies. Although dose-response relationships for elicitation were found in some epidemiological studies, concentration-response relationships were present only in a limited number of animal studies. Reported results suggest that especially relatively high peak concentrations can induce sensitization, and that prevention of such concentrations will prevent workers from developing respiratory allergy. Moreover, induction of skin sensitization may result in subsequent heightened respiratory responsiveness following inhalation exposure. The threshold concentration for the elicitation of allergic airway reactions in sensitized subjects is generally lower than the threshold to induce sensitization. Therefore, it is important to consider the low threshold levels for elicitation for recommendation of health-based occupational exposure limits, and to avoid high peak concentrations. Notwithstanding the observation of dose-response relationships and no-effect levels, due to a number of uncertainties, no definite conclusions can be drawn about absolute threshold values for allergens with respect to sensitization of and elicitation reactions in the skin and respiratory tract. Most predictive tests are generally meant to detect the potential of a chemical to induce skin and/or respiratory allergy at relatively high doses. Consequently, these tests do not provide information of dose-response relationships at lower doses such as found in, for example, occupational situations. In addition, the observed dose-response relationships and threshold values have been obtained by a wide variety of test methods using different techniques, such as intradermal exposure versus topical or inhalation exposure at the workplace, or using different endpoints, which all appear important for the outcome of the test. Therefore, especially with regard to respiratory allergy, standardized and validated dose-response test methods are urgently required in order to be able to recommend safe exposure levels for allergens at the workplace.