Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fiber atrophy, but not changes in acetylcholine receptor expression, contributes to the muscle dysfunction after immobilization.

OBJECTIVES Muscle weakness associated with critical illness can be due to the illness itself, immobilization associated with it, and/or to concomitant use of drugs that affect neuromuscular transmission. This study investigated the contribution of immobilization per se to the muscle dysfunction, as well as the associated morphologic and biochemical changes. DESIGN Prospective, laboratory study. SETTING Hospital research laboratory. SUBJECTS Adult, male, Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing 200 to 250 g, were randomly allocated to three experimental groups, depending on the duration (7, 14, or 28 days) of limb immobilization (n = 9 to 11 per group) or sham immobilization (n = 5 to 6 per group). INTERVENTIONS Chronic, unilateral immobilization (disuse) of the tibialis cranialis muscle was produced by fixing the knee and ankle joints at 90 degrees flexion. The contralateral unimmobilized leg and a separate group of sham-immobilized legs served as controls. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS After 7, 14, or 28 days of disuse of the tibialis muscles, the peak isometric twitch (Pt) and tetanic (Po) tensions, as well as fatigability during 5 secs of nerve stimulation at 50, 100, and 150 Hz, were measured simultaneously in situ in the immobilized group and in its contralateral control, and in the sham-immobilized group and in its contralateral control. Muscle fiber and endplate morphologies were determined by histochemical methods; membrane acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) were determined by 125I alpha-bungarotoxin assay; and the level of expression of AChR subunit transcripts was determined by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Immobilization reduced Pt, Po, fatigability, muscle mass, and fiber cross-sectional area (p<.001 vs. controls), but did not decrease tension per unit muscle mass, fiber oxidative capacity, or motor endplate size. Muscle mass correlated with fiber cross-sectional area. Changes in fiber cross-sectional area accounted for 23% and 46% (p< or =.043) of the variability in Pt and Po, respectively. Pt and Po correlated poorly with total AChR protein and expression of epsilon- and gamma-subunit messenger RNA. CONCLUSION To the extent that the immobilization model simulates the disuse-induced muscle dysfunction of critical illness, the results suggest that disuse per se may contribute to the muscle weakness, and that the muscle weakness is explained, almost exclusively, by the fiber atrophy and not by the qualitative or quantitative changes in AChR expression.
Nitric oxide metabolites in the cisternal cerebral spinal fluid of patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage.

OBJECTIVE To investigate nitric oxide (NO) metabolism after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). METHODS We measured the concentrations of the NO metabolites, nitrite and nitrate, in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) obtained from the cisternal drainage of patients with SAH. Studies were performed for 31 patients who had undergone surgical obliteration of bleeding aneurysms within 3 days of their hemorrhage. The concentrations of nitrite and nitrate in the CSF were measured for 14 days using a nitrate/nitrite kit and samples that were obtained on a daily basis from the cisternal drainage. RESULTS Compared with the control values in the CSF (2.6 +/- 0.4 mumol/L, n = 14) obtained from patients with hemifacial spasm, trigeminal neuralgia, or nonruptured aneurysms, the concentrations of nitrite and nitrate in the CSF were significantly elevated in the acute stage of SAH and remained elevated. The concentration of NO metabolites may correlate with the amount of bleeding, inasmuch as the values in patients in Fisher Group 3 (n = 25) were higher than those in patients in Fisher Group 2 (n = 6). The concentration of nitrate was higher than that of nitrite, suggesting that NO in the subarachnoid space is mainly absorbed by hemoglobin and degraded to nitrate. No differences were demonstrated in patients treated with high doses of methylprednisolone (n = 17) compared with those treated with usual-dose steroids (n = 14). Steroids are known to prevent the formation of inducible NO synthase mediated by inflammatory cytokines. CONCLUSION NO metabolism in the brain is stimulated after SAH. Nitrate is the dominant NO metabolite in CSF after SAH. The involvement of inducible NO synthase in the pathophysiology of NO metabolism after SAH was not clearly suggested based on the present data.
Marketing Strategy-Performance Relationship: An Investigation of the Empirical Link in Export Market Ventures

The relationship between marketing strategy and performance has been well documented in the domestic marketing context. However, empirical work in the context of export marketing has been fragmented. The authors investigate the marketing strategy-performance relationship in the context of export ventures. The study differs from previous export marketing studies in that (1) a comprehensive set of potential determinants of export market performance is considered; (2) the unit of analysis is the individual product-market export venture, rather than the firm or a business division; and (3) the analysis is based on in-depth personal interviews. The authors propose a conceptual framework of export marketing strategy and performance and test it by path analysis. The results support the contention that export marketing strategy, firm's international competence, and managerial commitment are the key determinants of export performance. Export marketing strategy is influenced by internal (firm and product characteristics) and external factors (industry and export market characteristics). They then discuss implications for management and further research.
Study on CEO Duality and Corporate Governance of Companies Listed in Bucharest Stock Exchange

This study examines an important relationship between CEO duality and corporate governance. There are several aspects and dimensions of corporate governance, which may influence a CEO Duality but this study focused on two aspects namely Board’s size (Bsize) and Board’s Independence (Bind). In this paper, log of total assets (Size) and total debt divided by total assets (Leverage) are control variables. Results based on the data collected from the annual reports in 2010, indicate that CEO duality is negatively associated with board’s independence and board’s size. The results show has a positive and significant relationship size of firm and CEO Duality. Also, there is no relationship between Leverage and CEO Duality.
Credit Valuation Adjustment Modelling During a Global Low Interest Rate Environment

The 2008/2009 global crisis highlighted the vulnerabilities and inter-dependencies in the financial system including the global over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives markets, where significant counterparty credit risk prevails. In this paper, we deal with risk under Basel III banking regulation and provide credit valuation adjustment (CVA) modelling, which is a measure of the market value of counterparty credit risk. We use simulated data to develop a stress test model to determine the impact of counterparty credit risk on bank capital regulatory requirements. We developed six scenarios of different interest rate levels and from these scenarios we computed the exposure levels and CVA. Consequently, based on CVA modelling, we estimate the impact of an interest rate hike on portfolios of the top 3 Czech banks (Eeska spooitelna, ESOB and Komereni banka) and top 3 US banks (Bank of America, Citibank and JP Morgan). We conclude that i) the analyzed Czech banks report sufficient capital buffers to withstand increase of interest rates in any scenario; ii) the observed US banks with high exposure to derivatives would face significant capital shortfalls if the interest rates increase rapidly.
Corporate Social Responsibility, Investor Protection, and Cost of Equity: A Cross-Country Comparison

Based on a large international sample, we examine the effects of CSR on the cost of equity under different levels of investor protection. In countries where investor protection is strong (poor), our results show that the cost of equity falls (rises) when a firm invests in CSR. Our findings are robust to alternative variable definitions, sample selection, analyst forecast bias, and various methodological specifications. We also demonstrate that the investor base channel is able to explain different outcomes regarding the relation between CSR and the cost of equity, and we derive implications for both financial practice and public policy.
Toward an Effective Risk-Conscious and Collaborative Vehicular Collision Avoidance System

In this paper, we introduce a cooperative collision-avoidance (CCA) scheme for intelligent transport systems. Unlike contemporary strategies, the envisioned scheme avoids flooding the considered vehicular network with high volumes of emergency messages upon accidental events. We present a cluster-based organization of the target vehicles. The cluster is based upon several criteria, which define the movement of the vehicles, namely, the directional bearing and relative velocity of each vehicle, as well as the inter-vehicular distance. We also design a risk-aware medium-access control (MAC) protocol to increase the responsiveness of the proposed CCA scheme. According to the order of each vehicle in its corresponding cluster, an emergency level is associated with the vehicle that signifies the risk of encountering a potential emergency scenario. To swiftly circulate the emergency notifications to collocated vehicles to mitigate the risk of chain collisions, the medium-access delay of each vehicle is set as a function of its emergency level. Due to its twofold contributions, i.e., the cluster-based and risk-conscious approaches, our adopted strategy is referred to as the cluster-based risk-aware CCA (C-RACCA) scheme. The performance of the C-RACCA system is verified through mathematical analyses and computer simulations, whose results clearly verify its effectiveness in mitigating collision risks of the vehicles arising from accidental hazards.
Multiple extracellular vesicle types in peritoneal dialysis effluent are prominent and contain known biomarkers

Peritoneal dialysis inevitability results in activation of inflammatory processes and its efficiency is highly variable between patients. An improved method to isolate biomarkers and study pathophysiological mechanisms in peritoneal dialysis effluent (PDE) is expected to be of much benefit for the development of this treatment approach and help with patient management. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are released as part of normal cellular processes. Their proteome is expected to reflect both type and health of their cell of origin. Although there is a significant interest in using EVs for “liquid biopsies”, little is reported of their presence or composition in plentiful dialysis waste fluids, including peritoneal dialysis effluent (PDE). Here we determined the presence of EVs in PDE and subsequently characterized their proteome. EVs were first isolated from PDE using differential centrifugation, then a further enrichment using size exclusion chromatography (SEC) was performed. The presence of EVs was demonstrated using transmission electron microscopy, and their particle counts were investigated using nanoparticle tracking analysis and dynamic light scattering. Using tandem mass spectrometry, marker proteins from three types of EVs i.e. apoptotic bodies, ectosomes, and exosomes were identified. The proteomic results demonstrated that the isolation of EVs by differential centrifugation helped enrich for over 2,000 proteins normally masked by abundant proteins in PDE such as albumin and SEC markedly further improved the isolation of low abundant proteins. Gene ontology analysis of all identified proteins showed the marked enrichment of exosome and membrane-associated proteins. Over 3,700 proteins were identified in total, including many proteins with known roles in peritoneal pathophysiology. This study demonstrated the prominence of EVs in PDE and their potential value as a source of biomarkers for peritoneal dialysis patients.
Are adequate fluid challenges prescribed for severe sepsis?

PURPOSE Managing severe sepsis early has several benefits. Correct early management includes delivering an appropriate fluid challenge. The purpose of this paper is to assess whether junior doctors prescribe adequate fluid challenges to severely septic patients. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH A questionnaire outlining three scenarios, each involving a patient with severe sepsis, but with varying weights (50/75/100 kg), was distributed to junior doctors, working in two UK hospitals, managing surgical patients. Participants were asked the fluid volume challenge that they would prescribe for each patient. Responses were compared with the Surviving Sepsis Campaign's recommended volume during the study (20 ml/kg). FINDINGS Totally, 77 questionnaires were completed. There were 15/231 (6.5 per cent) correct responses. The median volume chosen in each scenario was 500 ml, equating to 5-10 ml/kg. There was no significant difference between doctor grades (FY1 and SHO) in any scenario. With most junior doctors (FY1), there was no difference in responses according to weight; for SHOs the only significant difference was between the 75 and 100 kg scenarios. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS Junior doctors are not following guidelines when prescribing fluid challenges to severely septic patients, giving too little and not adjusting volume according to body weight. This implies that high-prevalence, high-mortality conditions are not being treated appropriately by those most likely to treat these patients. More teaching, training and reassessment is required to improve care. ORIGINALITY/VALUE This, the first case-based survey the authors could find, highlights an issue requiring significant improvement. The implications are likely to be relevant to clinicians in all UK hospitals.
Governance and Its Transnational Dynamics : Towards a Reordering of our World?

The transnationalization of our world, sometimes hastily labeled “globalization”, is not only – and far from it – about flows of goods, capital or people. Nor is transnationalization simply a discourse even though it does have important discursive dimensions. Together with others, we suggest that our transnationalizing world is also defined by powerful dynamics of re-ordering. Some contributions point to the emergence of an “audit society” where accounting and control become powerful social and institutional practices with an increasingly transnational scope (Hopwood and Miller 1994, Power 1999). Other contributions document the emergence and increasing density of a “world of standards” (Brunsson and Jacobsson 2000; Tamm Hallström 2004). Others still provide evidence of a “golden era of regulation” and regulatory activities (Levi-Faur and Jordana 2005; Djelic and Sahlin-Andersson 2006; Graz and Nölke 2008). All in all, what we witness is a profound re-definition of structuring frames for action and of normative and cognitive reference sets. Our transnationalizing world is a world where institutional rules of the game are in serious transition.
The emergence of a knowledge-intensive sector in Portugal: social networks and innovation in the software sector

This paper deals with the development of the software for telecommunications sector, a relatively small segment in the global software industry though one of its most innovative. In fact, its products address the demand of one of the most sophisticated and fastest changing industries today, the telecommunications industry. We attempt to explain how and why this sector has evolved in Portugal since its inception in the early 1980s. Social networks have played a relevant role in this entrepreneurial and innovative process, both for the formation and early stage development of firms. We will analyse the relevance and type of the networks involved in the process, before investigating the existence of an association between their composition and the innovative patterns of the firms, in terms of more radical versus more incremental innovation. This implies taking into account the intra-sector diversity, namely the existence of distinct groups of firms within the sector, in relation to their innovative strategies and capabilities. Finally, we will draw some conclusions and discuss policy implications. The emergence of a knowledge-intensive sector in Portugal: social networks and innovation in the software sector ________________________________________________________________________ 3 DINÂMIA’CET – IUL, Centro de Estudos sobre a Mudança Socioeconómica e o Território ISCTE-IUL – Av. das Forças Armadas, 1649-026 Lisboa, PORTUGAL Tel. 217938638 Fax. 217940042 E-mail: dinamia@iscte.pt http://dinamiacet.iscte-iul.pt/
Chronotropic response to exercise testing is associated with carotid atherosclerosis in healthy middle-aged men.

AIMS Chronotropic incompetence, an attenuated heart rate (HR) response to exercise, is an independent predictor of cardiovascular mortality, but it is not known whether chronotropic incompetence is related to carotid atherosclerosis. The association between chronotropic incompetence and carotid atherosclerosis in 8567 (age 47.6+/-8.8 years) healthy men was examined. METHODS AND RESULTS Chronotropic incompetence was defined as the failure to achieve 85% of the age-predicted maximal HR (APMHR), <80% HR reserve (HRR), and chronotropic response index (CRI). Carotid atherosclerosis was defined, using B-mode ultrasonography, as stenosis >25% and/or intima-media thickness (IMT) of >1.2 mm. In multivariable adjusted logistic regression models, the subjects who achieved less than 85% of APMHR exhibited an odds ratio (OR) of 1.72 [95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.32-2.22] for carotid atherosclerosis. Subjects with <80% of HRR were 1.45 (95% CI: 1.14-1.84) times more likely to have carotid atherosclerosis after multivariate adjustment. Also, the OR of carotid atherosclerosis across quartiles of CRI (highest to lowest) was 1.51 (95% CI: 1.10-2.09) after multivariate adjustment. CONCLUSION These results suggest that the chronotropic response to exercise is associated with carotid atherosclerosis, independent of the established risk factors in healthy men, which could contribute to high incidence of cardiovascular diseases in subjects with chronotropic incompetence.
Line–extensions; A longitudinal study concerning effects on brand equity

Thesis purpose The study aims to examine the effects vertical and horizontal line extensions might have on the total parent brand equity in terms of strength and its baseline product regarding of market share, loyalty and penetration under an elapsed period of time. The study aims to investigate a number of actual conducted line extensions effect on the above mentioned aspects of Kellers (1993) definition of brand strength as a part of the total brand equity. Methodology The effect of a number of line extensions of the parent brands and the baseline products is being examined in terms of market share, loyalty rate, cannibalization and market penetration. The thesis is focused on the correlations between these different parameters during a certain elapsed time ratio in order to test our theoretically routed hypothesizes in a deductive manner. Occasional correlations are derived from an indexation of data collected from the Gfk database. Theoretical perspective The study is derived from Kapferers (2004) definition of brand equity, where he is dividing the concept into three parts. This study is focused on Brand strength in particular, which is one of the parameters in the above-mentioned theory. This definition is in turn highly influenced by Kellers (1993) research which also are of great authority in this thesis. Empirical data The empirical data is of longitudinal character and consists of an indexation derived from data obtained from the Gfk database. Conclusion The results is indicating that the concerns expressed by a majority of theorists can’t be directly validated in terms of line extensions negative effects on brand strengths. The study will contribute as part of a decisional framework when evaluating a possible line extension.
A non‐amyloidogenic function of BACE‐2 in the secretory pathway

β‐Site amyloid precursor protein cleavage enzyme (BACE)‐1 and BACE‐2 are members of a novel family of membrane‐bound aspartyl proteases. While BACE‐1 is known to cleave β‐amyloid precursor protein (βAPP) at the β‐secretase site and to be required for the generation of amyloid β‐peptide (Aβ), the role of its homologue BACE‐2 in amyloidogenesis is less clear. We now demonstrate that BACE‐1 and BACE‐2 have distinct specificities in cleavage of βAPP in cultured cells. Radiosequencing of the membrane‐bound C‐terminal cleavage product revealed that BACE‐2 cleaves βAPP in the middle of the Aβ domain between phenylalanines 19 and 20, resulting in increased secretion of APPs‐α‐ and p3‐like products and reduced production of Aβ species. This cleavage can occur in the Golgi and later secretory compartments. We also demonstrate that BACE‐1‐mediated cleavage of βAPP at Asp1 of the Aβ domain can occur as early as in the endoplasmic reticulum, while cleavage at Glu11 occurs in later compartments. These data indicate that the distinct specificities of BACE‐1 and BACE‐2 in their cleavage of βAPP differentially affect the generation of Aβ.
Asthma severity and morbidity in a population sample of Sydney school children: Part I--Prevalence and effect of air pollutants in coastal regions.

BACKGROUND In two regions of Sydney where sewage treatment facilities with high temperature sludge burning incinerators are installed, there was concern that the resultant emissions were causing a local increase in symptoms of asthma and other allergic diseases. AIM To investigate whether living in a region with high temperature sludge burning incinerators was associated with an increased prevalence of childhood asthma or allergy. METHODS We studied 713 children aged eight-12 years in two regions close to incinerators and 626 children in a control region with no sludge burning incinerator. We measured respiratory illness in the previous year by questionnaire, airway hyper-responsiveness (AHR) by histamine inhalation test, and atopy by skin prick tests. 'Current asthma' was defined as AHR and recent wheeze. RESULTS Recordings of oxides of nitrogen and sulphur, hydrogen sulphide, ozone and particulates during the study period showed that the level of pollutants did not vary in any major way between the study regions and the control region. The prevalence of current asthma, atopy, symptom frequency or any category of severity of asthma illness was not significantly different between the control and study regions. CONCLUSIONS This suggests that factors other than intermittent or industrial air pollutants are responsible for the high prevalence of asthma symptoms, asthma medication use, asthma morbidity and AHR in the study of children.
THE IMPACT OF FOUNDING-FAMILY OWNERSHIP ON LABOR RELATIONS: EVIDENCE FROM FRENCH WORKPLACE-LEVEL DATA

We investigate the influence of founding-family ownership on labor relations using workplace-level data from France. Based on data from labor conflicts during 2004 in workplaces of listed companies, we find that family ownership significantly reduces the duration and the percentage of employees involved in major conflicts as well as the likelihood that a workplace experiences a strike. These results are robust to different definitions of founding-family ownership and control for endogeneity. We also show that there is a significant reduction in the number of protected employee layoffs, sanctioned employees, individual law disputes handled by an employment tribunal, and the annual number of works council or union delegate meetings when a family member serves as the CEO of the firm. We document the impact of employee ownership and representation on corporate boards of directors on labor relations and find a significant and negative relationship for dependent variables. Overall, these findings suggest that ownership structure is an important determinant of labor relations within firms.