Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
cIAP‐2 and survivin contribute to cytokine‐mediated delayed eosinophil apoptosis

The exact molecular mechanisms leading to delayed apoptosis, a phenomenon frequently observed in eosinophil inflammatory responses, remain largely unknown. Here, we show that cultured eosinophils purified from blood of hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) patients exhibit delayed spontaneous death and relative resistance towards ceramide‐ but not CD95‐mediated death. The subsequent investigation of members of the inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) family revealed that HES but not normal eosinophils expressed high levels of cellular IAP‐2 (cIAP‐2) and survivin. The eosinophil hematopoietins IL‐3, IL‐5, and GM‐CSF increased the expression of cIAP‐2 and survivin in normal eosinophils in vitro. In the blood of HES patients, we observed increased concentrations of IL‐3 and/or IL‐5, suggesting that these cytokines are, at least partially, responsible for the elevated levels of cIAP‐2 and survivin in the eosinophils of these patients. Utilizing a cell‐free system in which caspase‐3 was activated in eosinophil cytosolic extracts by addition of cytochrome c and immunodepletion of cIAP‐2 or survivin resulted in accelerated caspase activation. These data suggest that some members of the IAP family including survivin are regulated by survival cytokines and inhibit the caspase cascade in HES eosinophils. The cytokine‐dependent mechanism of delayed eosinophil apoptosis described here may also apply to other eosinophilic diseases.
Prices And Exchange Rate of Hellenic Drachma (GRD), During 1981-1995: Are they Dependent from those of EU-partners?

The paper presents empirical results on an import prices equation for the case of the small open Hellenic economy, during its course to the European Monetary Union, in the 1980s until mid–1990s. The analysis employs cointegration theory to examine the long–run co–movements of prices, effective exchange rate of GRD and unit labour cost of the European countries which export to Greece. Innovation accounting is also used so as to detect the dynamics of the data set. We found slight evidence to support long run equilibrium, however, it was only the Hellenic inflation rate which was adjusting to the deviations from this. The fragile stability of the system is confirmed by the impulse response functions examination where the exchange rate of the GRD does not converge to its long–run values, even after a 3 year period from the one unit–shock in various innovations. The determinant role of the growth rate of the unit labour cost and therefore of European countries’ prices to the exchange rate of GRD, to the Hellenic inflation rate, and less to the growth rate of the import prices is (1) justified by its high proportion to their variance decomposition and (2) became apparent approximately after 9 months. The latter seems to amount to the “contract–period” in the Magee’s terminology
Pulmonary infection of mice with human metapneumovirus induces local cytotoxic T-cell and immunoregulatory cytokine responses similar to those seen with human respiratory syncytial virus.

Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is a major cause of upper and lower respiratory-tract infection in infants, the elderly and immunocompromised individuals. Virus-directed cellular immunity elicited by hMPV infection is poorly understood, in contrast to the phylogenetically and clinically related pathogen human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV). In a murine model of acute lower respiratory-tract infection with hMPV, we demonstrate the accumulation of gamma interferon (IFN-gamma)-producing CD8+ T cells in the airways and lungs at day 7 post-infection (p.i.), associated with cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) directed to an epitope of the M2-1 protein. This CTL immunity was accompanied by increased pulmonary expression of Th1 cytokines IFN-gamma and interleukin (IL)-12 and antiviral cytokines (IFN-beta), as well as chemokines Mip-1alpha, Mip-1beta, Mig, IP-10 and CX3CL1. There was also a moderate increase in Th2-type cytokines IL-4 and IL-10 compared with uninfected mice. At 21 days p.i. , a strong CTL response could be recalled from the spleen. A similar pattern of CTL induction to the homologous M2-1 CTL epitope of hRSV, and of cytokine/chemokine induction, was observed following infection with hRSV, highlighting similarities in the cellular immune response to the two related pathogens.
(De)constructing organizational boundaries of university administrations: changing profiles of administrative leadership at German universities

ABSTRACT By analysing institutional changes of administrative leadership at German universities, this paper studies the construction of organizational boundaries as an important aspect of organizational transformation of universities as complete organizations. Building on an analysis of the formal status of administrative leadership at universities derived from higher education laws in Germany and occupational profiles of heads of university administrations based on a content-analysis of curriculum vitaes (N = 298), this paper seeks to contribute to a neglected domain in higher education research. It is argued that alterations to the formal status of administrative leaders from an ambivalent position between the ministry and the university to an integrated member of the university leadership can be seen as the embodiment of the construction of organizational boundaries vis-à-vis the state, whilst at the same time dissolving internal boundaries with regard to the former separation between academic and administrative affairs. By the same token, the formerly closed occupational group of heads of university administrations as law-educated members of the civil service has been opened to form a more heterogeneous composition of administrative leadership.
Evaluation of noise pollution level in the operating rooms of hospitals: A study in Iran

Introduction Noise pollution in the operating rooms is one of the remaining challenges. Both patients and physicians are exposed to different sound levels during the operative cases, many of which can last for hours. This study aims to evaluate the noise pollution in the operating rooms during different surgical procedures. Materials and methods In this cross-sectional study, sound level in the operating rooms of Hamadan University-affiliated hospitals (totally 10) in Iran during different surgical procedures was measured using B&K sound meter. The gathered data were compared with national and international standards. Statistical analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA, t-test, and Pearson’s correlation test. Results Noise pollution level at majority of surgical procedures is higher than national and international documented standards. The highest level of noise pollution is related to orthopedic procedures, and the lowest one related to laparoscopic and heart surgery procedures. The highest and lowest registered sound level during the operation was 93 and 55 dB, respectively. Sound level generated by equipments (69 ± 4.1 dB), trolley movement (66 ± 2.3 dB), and personnel conversations (64 ± 3.9 dB) are the main sources of noise. Conclusion The noise pollution of operating rooms are higher than available standards. The procedure needs to be corrected for achieving the proper conditions.
Developing Technical Leaders in a Global Organization: Examining the Influence of Culture on Multi-Source Feedback and Performance.

YOSHIMURA, KARI EMI. Developing Technical Leaders in a Global Organization: Examining the Influence of Culture on Multi-Source Feedback and Performance. (Under the direction of Frank Smith). This study examined performance change following multi-source feedback, a concept that has been addressed in a number of studies (e.g. Kluger & DeNisi, 1996) in a leadership development program. Archival data, from participants who received feedback as part of a leadership development program for technical employees, was used to reexamine the relationship between feedback and performance change and the impact of self and other (manager, colleagues, and subordinates) agreement on performance change. Self-other agreement was examined using polynomial regression and response surface methodology. The number of participants with preand post-program data differed across rating sources (ranging from N=166 to N=215). This study also examined culture as a predictor of performance change. Culture was examined using dimensions proposed by Hofstede (1980) and as seven profiles which were identified using cluster analysis. Three hundred and thirty-four program participants completed a survey of culture values. The number of participants with both archival and culture data varied across rating sources (ranging from N=83 to N=133). Culture was also examined as a moderator of the relationship between self-other rating agreement and performance change. Results suggest that the feedback does not result in uniform change across multiple performance dimensions. Further, changes in performance are not consistently viewed across rating sources. Results also suggest that the impact of culture on the relationship between self-other agreement and performance change varies across performance dimensions and rating sources. Implications for these results and recommendations for further research are discussed. Developing Technical Leaders in a Global Organization: Examining the Influence of Culture on Multi-Source Feedback and Performance
Outcome in Children With Symptomatic Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection

To determine factors that are associated with adverse developmental outcome after congenital cytomegalovirus infection, we reviewed the clinical, laboratory, and radiographic findings in 18 children with symptomatic congenital cytomegalovirus infections. When children with adverse outcomes (intelligence or developmental quotients of 50 or less, n = 10) were compared with children with mild sequelae (intelligence or developmental quotients of 70 or higher, n = 8), we found no relationship between developmental outcome and neonatal clinical features (birth weight, jaundice, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, or petechiae). With the possible exception of intracranial calcifications, no single clinical or radiographic feature was associated with a specific developmental outcome. However, children who had postnatal microcephaly, postnatal seizures, and an abnormal central nervous system imaging study were more likely to have severe developmental sequelae. (J Child Neurol 1989;4:131-136).
The Elasticity of Substitution between Clean and Dirty Inputs in the Production of Electricity

I obtain a calibrated estimate of the elasticity of substitution between clean and dirty inputs in the production of electricity for 21 countries. To perform the calibration, I extend the endogenous growth model with directed technical change developed in Acemoglu et al. (2009) to a multi-sector setting. In the model, the elasticity of substitution determines the relative size of two effects – the price effect and the market size effect – which in turn determines the direction of technical change towards clean or dirty technologies. The threshold value of 1 defines an interval where a switch to clean inputs is impossible ( 1). I calibrate an average elasticity of 0.51 for all the 21 countries taken into consideration, thanks to the hypothesis of perfect capital mobility between clean and dirty production within sectors. The complementarity of these inputs makes it theoretically impossible for the electricity sector to reach a tipping point if left to its own devices. Moreover, the strong complementarities characterizing it allow to generalize the prediction to the economy as a whole. A complete switch to clean technologies seems to be difficult to attain unless growth in the electricity sector comes to a complete stop.
Mobile join operators for restricted sources

We consider the problem of query execution when there is limited access to the relations, i.e. when binding patterns require values to be specified in order to get data from the relation. This problem is common in virtual data integration systems where there are heterogeneous sources with various restricted access patterns and query capabilities. Another problem is the lack of the statistical information about the sources and occurrence of unpredictable events. We introduce two mobile join operators, MDJoin and SMDJoin which are designed for restricted sources and implemented using 'mobile agents' in order to benefit from their autonomous and reactive characteristics. Mobile operators of restricted sources are capable to deal with restricted sources and react to the variations between the compile-time estimations and run-time computations of data during query execution. The difference between the two new query operators lies in their level of adaptation ability to the execution environment. Performance results show that mobile agent-based approach at operator level can lead to a significant reduction in response time with restricted sources.
Syncope in patients paced for atrioventricular block.

AIMS Although syncope is the main reason for cardiac pacing in ∼40% of patients affected by atrioventricular block (AVB), very few data are available on the benefit of cardiac pacing in preventing syncopal recurrences. METHODS AND RESULTS We retrospectively evaluated 229 consecutive patients (124 males, age 80 ± 10 years) who had received a permanent pacemaker from January 2009 to December 2013 for AVB and syncope (94 patients, 41%) or AVB without syncope (135 patients, 59%). In patients with AVB and syncope, a third-degree or Mobitz II second-degree AVB had been documented in 73 and was only suspected in another 21, all of whom had bundle branch block. Follow-up was available in 223 patients. At 5 years, the actuarial syncope recurrence rate was 1% (95% CI, 0-3) in patients with documented AVB plus syncope and 3% (95% CI, 1-5) in those without syncope, whereas it was 14% (95% CI, 0-28) in patients with undocumented AVB plus syncope (P = 0.001). The actuarial combined recurrence rate of syncope and/or pre-syncope was 2% (95% CI, 0-4) in patients without syncope, 8% (95% CI, 0-17) in patients with documented AVB plus syncope, and 19% (95% CI, 1-37) in patients with undocumented AVB plus syncope, P = 0.002. All syncopes occurred in patients without overt structural heart disease (SHD), the corresponding actuarial estimate being 4% (95% CI, 0-6) at 1 year and 6% (95% CI, 4-8) at 5 years (P = 0.002 vs. patients with SHD). CONCLUSIONS Cardiac pacing is highly effective in preventing syncopal recurrences when AVB is documented. Syncope may recur in a non-negligible minority of paced patients when AVB is suspected but not documented and in patients without SHD.
Illegal Cartel Overcharges in Markets with a Legal Cartel History: The South African Bitumen Market

A number of South African price-fixing cases have been brought in markets previously characterized by legal cartels or monopolies. Furthermore, many South African markets have been liberalized since 1994, reflected in structural change in many market relationships and rendering many of the markets subject to international price developments. These features create special difficulties for the calculation of overcharges. Conventional approaches often rely on a temporal approach, where prices during the cartel period are compared to prices in another – supposedly competitive – period. In the presence of legal cartels, such a historic period is not available, which limits the temporal approach. A spatial approach, where South African prices are compared to those in other countries, offers a better alternative. We apply these methods to estimate overcharge by the bitumen price fixing cartel in South Africa. We find that while South African bitumen prices may have similar responses to demand and supply shocks, a spatial approach unmasks the persistent effect of high price levels. This sheds further light on the transition of legal to illegal collusion, a topic of both local and international interest.
THE EFFECT OF ANAESTHETIC AGENTS ON CEREBRAL CORTICAL RESPONSES IN THE RAT

1 In rats, surgically anaesthetized with Urethane, an increase in the depth of anaesthesia upon administration of ethyl carbamate (Urethane), pentobarbitone sodium (Nembutal), thiopentone sodium (Intraval), althesin, ketamine, trichloroethylene, halothane, methoxyflurane, diethyl ether, ethyl‐vinyl ether, cyclopropane, enflurane or chloroform resulted in a dose‐dependent increase in the latency, and decrease in the amplitudes of the initial positive and negative components of the short latency cortical response to electrical stimuli applied to the forepaw. 2 The same changes were seen when starting from initially unanaesthetized rats and anaesthetizing them with Urethane. 3 With all the inhalational agents used these changes lasted for as long as the administration except with nitrous oxide where the changes in the cortical response were transient. 4 The tranquillizing agents diazepam, chlordiazepoxide, and haloperidol showed no such action. Chloral hydrate and chlorpromazine, on the other hand, produced moderate changes in the evoked cortical response similar to those seen with the other anaesthetic agents used.
Major League Baseball 2015, What a Difference a Year Makes

ABSTRACT An econometric analysis of the 2015 Major League Baseball season is conducted with respect to regular season victories. Results obtained confirm some, but not all, results reported in prior research. The importance of solid team pitching and offense is underscored. Similar to 2014, team defence did not vary sufficiently to play a statistically significant role in team victory differences. Outcomes for total payrolls and salary disparities differ substantially from prior seasons. History may serve as a guide to what occurs on the field, but it does not always replicate the patterns of bygone years. Parameter heterogeneity is substantial and argues against pooling sample data from season to season. From a strict econometric perspective, the results obtained indicate that panel methods should not be utilized to analyse wins data for Major League Baseball. Ultimately, 2015 represents another departure from the standard baseball norm.
Synergistic inhibition of natural killer cells by the nonsignaling molecule CD94

Significance Natural killer (NK) cell function is critically regulated by inhibitory receptors for MHC class I. This work shows that peptides derived from both host and viruses can engage CD94 in the absence of a signalling partner and augment inhibition of NK cells expressing NK cell receptor gene 2A. This result establishes CD94 as a receptor that binds HLA-E in a peptide-dependent fashion. It also demonstrates that NK cells expressing inhibitory receptors from the killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor or C-type lectin-like receptor families respond with different stoichiometries to changes in the levels of cell-surface MHC class I. Thus these two receptor families may have distinct but complementary functions in recognizing changes in MHC class I. Peptide selectivity is a feature of inhibitory receptors for MHC class I expressed by natural killer (NK) cells. CD94–NKG2A operates in tandem with the polymorphic killer cell Ig-like receptors (KIR) and Ly49 systems to inhibit NK cells. However, the benefits of having two distinct inhibitory receptor–ligand systems are not clear. We show that noninhibitory peptides presented by HLA-E can augment the inhibition of NKG2A+ NK cells mediated by MHC class I signal peptides through the engagement of CD94 without a signaling partner. Thus, CD94 is a peptide-selective NK cell receptor, and NK cells can be regulated by nonsignaling interactions. We also show that KIR+ and NKG2A+ NK cells respond with differing stoichiometries to MHC class I down-regulation. MHC-I–bound peptide functions as a molecular rheostat controlling NK cell function. Selected peptides which in isolation do not inhibit NK cells can have different effects on KIR and NKG2A receptors. Thus, these two inhibitory systems may complement each other by having distinct responses to bound peptide and surface levels of MHC class I.
Post-disaster Gulf Coast recovery using telehealth.

OBJECTIVE The Gulf Coast continues to struggle with service need far outpacing available resources. Since 2005, the Regional Coordinating Center for Hurricane Response (RCC) at Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, has supported telehealth solutions designed to meet high service needs (e.g., psychiatry) within primary care and other healthcare organizations. The overall RCC vision is to support autonomous, useful, and sustainable telehealth programs towards mitigating unmet disaster-related needs. SUBJECTS AND METHODS To assess Gulf Coast telehealth experiences, we conducted semistructured interviews with both regional key informants and national organizations with Gulf Coast recovery interests. Using qualitative-descriptive analysis, interview transcripts were analyzed to identify shared development themes. RESULTS Thirty-eight key informants were interviewed, representing a 77.6% participation rate among organizations engaged by the RCC. Seven elements critical to telehealth success were identified: Funding, Regulatory, Workflow, Attitudes, Personnel, Technology, and Evaluation. These key informant accounts reveal shared insights with telehealth regarding successes, challenges, and recommendations. CONCLUSIONS The seven elements critical to telehealth success both confirm and organize development principles from a diverse collective of healthcare stakeholders. The structured nature of these insights suggests a generalizable framework upon which other organizations might develop telehealth strategies toward addressing high service needs with limited resources.
Worse prognosis of osteosarcoma patients expressing IGF-1 on a tissue microarray.

BACKGROUND It is hardly possible to define osteosarcoma (OS) patients at greatest risk for non-response to chemotherapy, metastasis and short survival times. Our goal was the investigation of local expression of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) with regard to survival time of OS patients using a tissue microarray (TMA). MATERIALS AND METHODS Tumor tissue specimens from surgical primary tumor resections were collected from patients with OS. A TMA was composed, sections were stained with rabbit anti-IGF-1 and grading was performed. Statistics involved Kaplan-Meier curves and the log-rank test. RESULTS We analyzed immunohistochemical expression of local IGF-1 on a TMA based on surgical primary tumor resections of 67 OS patients. The mean clinical follow-up time was 98 months. Twenty-two (33%) OS patients stained negatively and 44 (66%) OS patients stained positively for IGF-1. Significantly shorter survival was detected with expression of IGF-1 (p=0.007). The 5-year survival rate for patients expressing IGF-1 was 63% compared to 92% in patients without expression of IGF-1. Non-responders to chemotherapy and patients with metastasis, who also stained positively for IGF-1 manifested a significantly (p=0.002 and p<0.0001, respectively) shorter survival. CONCLUSION Expression of local IGF-1 in primary tumor tissue appears to significantly affect the aggressiveness of OS, may predict survival time and, above all, may discriminate patients with non-response to chemotherapy and metastasis. This represents the basis for successful patient selection with regard to the decision process for or against chemotherapy and the choice of the most effective therapeutic drug. It may be a more important marker of tumor progression and indicator of prognosis than serum IGF-1. Novel tumor markers and therapeutic agents targeting the local IGF-1 pathway may increase the likelihood of therapeutic success.