Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
p53‐Dependent control of cell death by nicastrin: lack of requirement for presenilin‐dependent γ‐secretase complex

Nicastrin (NCT) is a component of the presenilin (PS)‐dependent γ‐secretase complexes that liberate amyloid β‐peptides from the β‐Amyloid Precursor Protein. Several lines of evidence indicate that the members of these complexes could also contribute to the control of cell death. Here we show that over‐expression of NCT increases the viability of human embryonic kidney (HEK293) cells and decreases staurosporine (STS)‐ and thapsigargin (TPS)‐induced caspase‐3 activation in various cell lines from human and neuronal origins by Akt‐dependent pathway. NCT lowers p53 expression, transcriptional activity and promoter transactivation and reduces p53 phosphorylation. NCT‐associated protection against STS‐stimulated cell death was completely abolished by p53 deficiency. Conversely, the depletion of NCT drastically enhances STS‐induced caspase‐3 activation and p53 pathway and favored p53 nuclear translocation. We examined whether NCT protective function depends on PS‐dependent γ‐secretase activity. First, a 29‐amino acid deletion known to reduce NCT‐dependent amyloid β‐peptide production did not affect NCT‐associated protective phenotype. Second, NCT still reduces STS‐induced caspase‐3 activation in fibroblasts lacking PS1 and PS2. Third, the γ‐secretase inhibitor DFK167 did not affect NCT‐mediated reduction of p53 activity. Altogether, our study indicates that NCT controls cell death via phosphoinositide 3‐kinase/Akt and p53‐dependent pathways and that this function remains independent of the activity and molecular integrity of the γ‐secretase complexes.
Clinical evaluation of particulate allogeneic with and without autogenous bone grafts and resorbable collagen membranes for bone augmentation of atrophic alveolar ridges.

OBJECTIVES The evaluate the clinical outcome of bone augmentation with the use of particulate mineralized freeze-dried bone allograft (FDBA) with or without the addition of autogeneous bone chips, applied in a bi-layered (BL) technique, covered by a resorbable cross-linked collagen membrane. MATERIAL AND METHODS Fifty patients presenting with a vertical and/or lateral ridge deficiency of at least 3 mm were included: Group FDBA, N=27 patients, particulate FDBA was the only graft; and Group BL, N=23 patients, a BL bone grafting procedure where autogenous bone chips were the inner layer and FDBA the outer. Bone graft was covered with a ribose cross-linked collagen barrier membrane. Ridge dimensions were clinically or radiographically (computerized tomography scan) measured at the time of the bone augmentation procedure and at implant placement or uncovering and the maximum linear vertical or horizontal calcified tissue gain was calculated. Statistical analysis consisted of linear regression analysis, with maximum bone gain being the dependent variable. RESULTS In the FDBA group, mean vertical bone gain was 3.47 mm (SD 1.25) and the horizontal, 5 mm (SD 1.28), while in the BL values were 3.5 mm (SD 1.2) and 3.6 mm (SD 1.72), respectively. Addition of autogenous bone does not appear to statistically significantly enhance the results. Spontaneous membrane exposure occurred in 24% of the cases and was the only variant that significantly influenced results (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS Large vertical and/or horizontal ridge deficiencies may be treated with FDBA and ribose cross-linked collagen barrier membranes with good clinical outcome. No added effect of the application of a layer of autogenous bone in these bone augmentation procedures could be demonstrated. Spontaneous membrane exposure was the only parameter to affect the degree of new calcified tissue formation.
Structural and Mutagenesis Studies on the Cytochrome c Peroxidase from Rhodobacter capsulatus Provide New Insights into Structure-Function Relationships of Bacterial Di-heme Peroxidases*

Cytochrome c peroxidases (CCP) play a key role in cellular detoxification by catalyzing the reduction of hydrogen peroxide to water. The di-heme CCP from Rhodobacter capsulatus is the fastest enzyme (1060 s-1), when tested with its physiological cytochrome c substrate, among all di-heme CCPs characterized to date and has, therefore, been an attractive target to investigate structure-function relationships for this family of enzymes. Here, we combine for the first time structural studies with site-directed mutagenesis and spectroscopic studies of the mutant enzymes to investigate the roles of amino acid residues that have previously been suggested to be important for activity. The crystal structure of R. capsulatus at 2.7 Å in the fully oxidized state confirms the overall molecular scaffold seen in other di-heme CCPs but further reveals that a segment of about 10 amino acids near the peroxide binding site is disordered in all four molecules in the asymmetric unit of the crystal. Structural and sequence comparisons with other structurally characterized CCPs suggest that flexibility in this part of the molecular scaffold is an inherent molecular property of the R. capsulatus CCP and of CCPs in general and that it correlates with the levels of activity seen in CCPs characterized, thus, far. Mutagenesis studies support the spin switch model and the roles that Met-118, Glu-117, and Trp-97 play in this model. Our results help to clarify a number of aspects of the debate on structure-function relationships in this family of bacterial CCPs and set the stage for future studies.
Examining Educators' and Employers' Perceptions on Career and Technical Education Graduates' Employability Skills for the Labor Market in Jordan.

Preparing skilled and knowledgeable workforce that fits the labor market requires continued collaboration between education and work. Studying educators‘ and employers‘ perspectives on technical and non-technical skills may result in improving the quality of the graduates to compete on the level of the local as well as the global labor market. According to Gray and Herr (1998), if workforce education is to be effective, work preparation cannot be restrained to technical content alone, but must also equip students with employability skills as well. The purpose of this study is to investigate educators and employers‘ perceptions on employability skills of graduates from career and technical education institutions as perceived by both educators and employers. The study also examined if there are any differences in perceptions on employability skills among employers on assigned variables on the one hand, and if there are any differences in perceptions among educators on the same assigned variables on the other hand. Data for this study were collected via validated and reliability tested questionnaire. The survey included three employability skills domains: fundamental skills, personal management skills, and teamwork skills. Responses were 106 of 170 educators and 101 of 180 employers as 59 percent rate of return of 350 distributed questionnaires. Collected data were analyzed by using the SPSS 18.0 statistical software. Analysis of Variances (ANOVA) statistical technique was used to answer the three null hypotheses of this study. However, descriptive statistics were used to provide more information about employers and educators‘ needs of employability skills and about Jordan‘s labor market.
Impacts of inclusion of column feeder rohu (Labeo rohita) at different stocking densities on growth, production and environment in freshwater prawn-carp-mola polyculture system

The research investigated the impacts of inclusion of column feeder rohu (Labeo rohita) on growth and production in freshwater prawn-carp-mola polyculture system for a period of 172 days. Four stocking densities of Rohu were maintained as 500, 1,000, 1,500 and 2,000 ha -1 in treatment R500, R1000, R1500 and R2000, respectively in triplicates. All ponds each 120 m 2 were stocked with juvenile freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii), silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), catla (Catla catla) and small fish mola (Amblypharyngodon mola) at the fixed stocking densities of 20,000, 1,500, 1,000 and 20,000 ha -1 , respectively. Prawns were fed with pelleted feed twice daily started with 10% and gradually reduced to 3% of body weight and continued throughout the study period. All fish were fed with mixture of soaked rice bran and mustard oilcake (2:1) at the rate of 3% of the body weight daily. All the water quality parameters and chlorophyll-a were measured. The density of rohu significantly (P<0.05) influenced the survival rate, growth and production of freshwater prawn. Catla and Mola production were affected adversely with increasing rohu density. The production of rohu increased with increasing density although the individual weight decreased. The combined production of all finfish was significantly lower in R0 whereas, the combined production of all species including prawn did not differ significantly (P<0.05) among the treatments. The treatments R0 and R500 fetched higher net profit without significant difference between them. Therefore, inclusion of rohu at a density of 500 ha -1 may be recommended for prawn-carp-mola polyculture.
Globalization and the 'New Enterprise'

Globalization has been identified by many experts as a new way firms organize their activities. This Paper surveys recent work that examines the role of trade integration between similar and dissimilar countries for these changes in corporate organization. It is shown that international competition and international trade both increase the stakes of the firm, which affects the behaviour of agents inside the corporation. This way, trade integration leads to waves of outsourcing and to convergence in corporate cultures across countries.
Immunotherapy of Ocular Myasthenia Gravis Reduces Conversion to Generalized Myasthenia Gravis

Background Several retrospective studies have suggested that immunotherapy, including prednisolone, azathioprine and thymectomy, reduces progression of ocular myasthenia gravis to generalized myasthenia gravis. This study examines the effect of immunotherapy on generalization rates in ocular myasthenia patients who are acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibody-positive. Methods Retrospective record review of 34 patients from three university-based hospitals with neurology and neuro-ophthalmology services in Australia. In all patients, positive AChR antibodies were recorded, the initial symptoms were purely ocular, and all had at least 2 years of follow-up. The patients who developed generalized myasthenia gravis were compared with those who remained purely ocular. Results There were 21 patients who developed generalized myasthenia gravis. Of these 21, only 2 (9.5%) had received prior immunotherapy. Among the 13 patients whose symptoms remained purely ocular, 10 (76.9%) had received prior immunotherapy. Conclusions In this study, most of the patients who progressed from ocular myasthenia to generalized myasthenia had not received prior immunotherapy. This study adds weight to the call for a prospective trial of early immunotherapy in patients with ocular myasthenia.
Corporate Governance and Corporate Bond Liquidity

Abstract Using a unique dataset of corporate bond trading information and corporate governance evaluation scores, this study examines the determinants of corporate bond market liquidity in Korea. In particular, this study explores whether corporate governance performance of a company influences liquidity of bonds issued by the company. The paper reports three important findings. First, the issue size and age of bond are important determinants of bond liquidity. Second, liquidity of corporate bonds is influenced by changes in macroeconomic conditions. Third, and most importantly, better corporate governance increases liquidity of corporate bonds. This result suggests that corporate governance is an important determinant of bond liquidity, as it lowers transaction costs by improving transparency and reducing asymmetry of information. This paper contributes to the literature by providing new evidence that corporate governance performance is an important determinant of liquidity in corporate bond markets.
Is Supplementation of Vitamin D Beneficial for Fracture Healing? A Short Review of the Literature

There has been a surge of interest regarding the benefits of vitamin D supplementation to prevent fractures. But can it also make them heal more quickly once they have occurred—that is, is supplementation of vitamin D beneficial for fracture healing? We found 13 studies that met our inclusion criteria, 11 of these were performed in animals. Two animal studies showed negative, 2 neutral, and 7 positive results. One clinical case series in humans was inconclusive in our opinion, and one randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial showed that supplementation of vitamin D3 and calcium in elderly women with reduced bone mass and a proximal humerus fracture had a positive influence on bone healing. The major weakness of the latter study is low number of participants. A clear statement on the benefits of vitamin D for fracture healing awaits further trials, but all types of fractures in elderly individuals indicate the need for secondary prevention and the implementation of appropriate guidelines concerning falls, vitamin D, and osteoporosis.
Identification of the antioxidant principles of Polyalthia longifolia var. pendula using TEAC assay

Activity-guided fractionation of the ethanolic extract of the leaves of the Polyalthia longifolia var. pendula led to the identification of quercetin (1), quercetin-3-O-β-glucopyranoside (2), kaempferol-3-O-α-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 6)-β-galactopyranoside (3), kaempferol-3-O-α-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 6)-β-glucopyranoside (4), rutin (5) and allantoin (6) as the active constituents from the butanol fraction. Compounds 2–4 are reported for the first time from this natural source. Structures of the compounds were confirmed on the basis of their 1D and 2D NMR coupled with other spectroscopic methods. All the isolated compounds and the fractions were evaluated for their antioxidant potential using the TEAC assays and it was found that the activity of the active fraction was due to quercetin (1) and its glycosides (2 and 5), with TEAC values of 4.10, 1.91 and 2.38 mM, respectively, while the kaempferol glycosides were found to be inactive. This is the first study on the antioxidant activity of this plant species.
One Black, One White: Power, White Privilege, & Creating Safe Spaces.

Omobolade O. Delano-Oriaran is an associate professor in the Teacher Education Department at St. Norbert College, De Pere, Wisconsin and Marguerite W. Parks is a professor in the College of Education and Human Services at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Oshkosh, Wisconsin. White privilege is a threshold concept in such courses. Discussions illuminate a philosophical goal of helping students understand the relationship between White privilege, their personal lives, and systemic inequality, so that an exploration of other forms of institutionalized discrimination has a foundation upon which to build understanding. Similar to the work of Nichols (2010) we believe students cannot engage in discussions of critical White pedagogy without first engaging in an understanding of Whiteness. As Terry stated, “To be White in America means not having to think about it” (as cited in Johnson, 2001, p. 25). Based on resistance initially received from teaching such courses, the two professors made a conscious effort to introduce their students to White privilege using the works of a “White woman like them,” Peggy McIntosh. When they introduce White privilege, they ground it first in McIntosh (1988), who described it as “an invisible package of unearned assets . like an invisible weightless knapsack of special provisions, maps, passports, codebooks, visas, clothes, tools and blank checks” (pp. 3-4). According to Gorski (2011), “Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” recognized that White privilege was not a new concept but what the work of McIntosh did was “plant the concept firmly into the mainstream ‘diversity’ lexicon” (para. 5) and create a discussion so White people became “intrigued enough by the knapsack not to dismiss it” (para. 5). The two professors used McIntosh’s article because she outlined specific experiences of people of color in a context many of their students can relate to, considering many of them lack the theoretical foundations in White privilege. The two professors agree with Gorski (2011) that instructors who use McIntosh need to recognize it as an introductory tool and not stop there. After introducing the concept and before embarking onto how this privilege opens the ideology of intersectionality, they draw Introduction
A Rational Insurance Coverage Policy for Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Major Depression

Abstract Although most health insurance plans do not cover repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for the treatment of major depression, coverage is increasing, with approval often granted on a case-by-case basis. Accordingly, it is important for physicians who are advocating for coverage on behalf of their patients to provide cogent arguments based on published data. Most patients presenting for rTMS have medication resistance that is beyond the Food and Drug Administration–approved indication of one failed but adequate trial of an antidepressant medication. However, recent naturalistic studies lend support to the proposition that rTMS is efficacious for more medication-resistant patients.
Serum lipopolysaccharide-binding protein concentrations in trauma victims.

BACKGROUND In low concentrations, lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP), an acute-phase protein recognizing lipopolysaccharide (LPS), catalyzes its transfer to the cellular receptor consisting of CD14 and Toll-like receptor-4. Previous studies have documented increased serum LBP concentrations in patients with sepsis, systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), or acute pancreatitis and after cardiopulmonary bypass. No prior studies have examined LBP expression in trauma victims. We hypothesized that admission LBP plasma concentrations are predictive of outcome (mortality) in trauma. This study assessed time-dependent changes in serum LBP concentrations in trauma patients soon after injury. METHODS A prospective, single-institution, observational cohort study of 121 adult trauma patients (age > or =17 years) with moderate to severe injury who required hospitalization. The trauma patients were male in 79.6% of the cases and had a mean age of 43.0 +/- 20.6 years. The mean injury severity score (ISS) was 23 +/- 12, and the crystalloid resuscitation volume given in the first 24 h averaged 6,640 +/- 3,729 mL. Informed consent was obtained on admission, and blood samples were drawn on admission and at 24 h postadmission. Prospective data were collected for daily SIRS score, multiple organ dysfunction score (MODS), and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, complications, and outcomes. Plasma concentrations of LBP were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS Sixty patients (48.8% of the study cohort) required emergency surgical intervention and sustained a substantial intraoperative blood loss (mean 1,404 +/- 2,757 mL). The hospital mortality rate was 16.3% (20 patients). The mean intensive care unit stay was 8.9 +/- 16.4 days, and the hospital stay was 14.8 +/- 19.6 days. The patients had a significantly higher serum concentrations of LBP on admission (mean 28.0 +/- 25.3 mg/L; range 2-100 mg/L) than did control subjects (mean 6.2 +/- 2.1 mg/L; range 1.3-12.8 mg/L; p < 0.01), similar to the plasma concentrations previously reported in septic patients. A significant increase in LBP concentration was noted at 24 h (mean 72.3 +/- 45.7 mg/L; range 8-210 mg/L; p < 0.05). The admission LBP concentration was significantly greater in nonsurvivors than in survivors. However, after controlling for age and ISS, the admission LBP concentration did not predict death.
Not Too Old, Not Too Young: Older Women’s Perceptions of Physicians

RÉSUMÉ Les femmes plus âgées interagissent avec les médecins plus souvent que les hommes âgés et les personnes plus jeunes; pourtant, la connaissance et la compréhension de leurs expériences avec les médecins sont limitées. Le but de cette étude était d'étudier les perceptions des femmes âgées de leurs interactions avec les médecins et d'identifier ce que les femmes veulent de leurs médecins. Les entrevues en profondeur avec 30 femmes âgées montrent que la majorité veulent être impliquée activement dans leurs propres soins de santé. Dans la relation patient-médecin, les femmes donnent généralement la priorité aux qualités personnelles de médecins et leur comportement à l'égard du patient. Pour de nombreuses femmes, l'âge et le sexe du médecin ont aussi leur importance. ABSTRACT Older women interact with physicians more frequently than older men and younger persons, yet knowledge and understanding of their experiences with physicians is limited. The purpose of this study was to investigate older women’s perceptions of their interactions with physicians and to identify what older women want from physicians. Findings from in-depth interviews with 30 older women reveal the majority want to be actively involved in their own health care. In the patient–physician relationship, the women typically give priority to physicians’ personal attributes and behavior towards the patient. For many of the women, the age and gender of the physician also matter.
Sustained Loading Generates Stress Concentrations in Lumbar Intervertebral Discs

Study Design Cadaveric motion segment experiment. Measurements on each specimen were compared before and after creep loading. Objectives To show how sustained “creep” loading affects stress distributions inside intervertebral discs. Summary of Background Data The central region of an intervertebral disc acts like a hydrostatic “cushion” between adjacent vertebrae. However, this property depends on the water content of the tissues and may be lost or diminished after creep. Methods Twenty‐seven lumbar motion segments consisting of two vertebrae and the intervening disc and ligaments were loaded to simulate erect standing postures in life. The distribution of compressive stress in the disc matrix was measured by pulling a miniature pressure transducer through the disc in the midsagittal plane. Profiles of vertical and horizontal compressive stress were repeated after each specimen had been creep loaded in compression for 2‐6 hours. Results Creep reduced the hydrostatic pressure in the nucleus by 13‐36%. Compressive stresses in the anulus were little affected when the profiles were measured at 1 kN, but at 2 kN, localized peaks of compressive stress appeared (or grew in size) in the posterior anulus after creep. Conclusions Increased loading of the apophysial joints causes an overall reduction in intradiscal stresses after creep. In addition, water loss from the nucleus causes a transfer of load from nucleus to anulus. Stress concentrations may lead to pain, structural disruption, and alterations in chondrocyte metabolism. Disc mechanics depend on loading history as well as applied load.