Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Leadership as a process: the interplay between leaders, followers and context

Leadership is a process occurring within a broad social system with followers in an organizational setting. However, leadership research has failed to deeply explore how leaders, followers and contexts combine to produce organizational outcomes. Aiming to contribute to the study of these overlooked questions, we developed four studies. The first study predicted that job autonomy buffers the relationship between abusive supervision, psychosomatic symptoms and deviance. The second study suggests that task characteristics moderate the association between abusive supervision, distributive justice and job satisfaction. The third study proposes that proactive personality acts as a leadership substitute in the relationship between ethical leadership, emotions and OCBs. Our fourth study showed that followership schema and top management openness determine the LMX quality, with consequences for employee behaviors. Our findings suggest that follower characteristics, organizational practices and contextual variables constitute important boundary conditions for the impact of leader behaviors on employee outcomes.
Senior Residents' Views on the Meaning of Professionalism and How They Learn about It

Purpose To determine senior residents' views on the meaning of professionalism and how they learned about it. Method By means of a modified Dillman technique, all senior residents at two faculties of medicine (n = 533) were surveyed about professionalism during the 1998-99 academic year. The residents were asked to list attributes of professionalism and to rank methods they found most useful for learning about professionalism, to rate the adequacy and quality of their teaching about professionalism and their comfort in explaining the concept of professionalism to a more junior trainee, to list suggestions about how teaching about professionalism could be improved, and to name the medical organization most concerned with matters of professionalism. Results A total of 258 residents (48.4%) responded. They listed 1,052 attributes they associated with professionalism. The three most common attributes, all listed by more than 100 respondents, were respect, competence, and empathy. The respondents had learned the most about professionalism from observing role models, they rated the quantity and quality of teaching about it positively, and they felt comfortable explaining professionalism to a junior resident. Only 56% of the residents correctly identified the Canadian medical organization most concerned with professionalism. Conclusion Residents' knowledge about professionalism reflects their early stage of development as physicians and their daily activities, where such aspects of professionalism as the social contract, codes of ethics, participation in professional societies, and altruism are not highlighted. Residency programs should develop teaching activities focusing on professionalism that relate to issues residents face in their daily work.
Time-to-pregnancy among male greenhouse workers

Objectives: Fertility problems are an increasing public health issue in industrialised countries. Exposure to exogenous agents with endocrine disrupting properties, such as some pesticides, are potential risk factors for subfertility. The aim of this study was to determine whether time-to-pregnancy (TTP) is prolonged in male greenhouse workers exposed to pesticides in comparison with a non-exposed reference group. Methods: Data were collected through self-administrated questionnaires with detailed questions on TTP, as well as on lifestyle (for example, smoking habits, coffee and alcohol consumption), work tasks, and occupational exposures of the men and their partners in the six months before conception of the most recent pregnancy. TTP was compared between male greenhouse workers (n = 694) and a non-exposed reference group (n = 613) by means of discrete proportional hazards regression analysis. Results: The crude analyses did not show a decreased overall fecundability among greenhouse workers compared to the non-exposed reference group. However, when fecundability was assessed for primigravidous couples, duogravidous couples, and multigravidous couples separately, greenhouse workers were found to be less fecund when trying to conceive their first pregnancy (FR = 0.65; 95% CI 0.46 to 0.92), which is also the most valid analysis in which pregnancy planning issues were avoided. Among couples who already experienced one or more pregnancies, no association was seen between pesticide exposure and TTP after adjustment for confounders. Conclusion: A prolonged time-to-pregnancy was observed in male greenhouse workers exposed to pesticides before conception of their first pregnancy.
Semitendinosus tendon graft ingrowth in tibial tunnel following ACL reconstruction: A histological study of 2 patients with different types of early graft failure

Departments of 1Orthopedic Surgery, Stockholm Söder Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, SE-118 83 Stockholm, Sweden. Tel +46 8 6162356. E-mail: kalle.eriksson@ortoped.sos. sll.se; 2Pathology, Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Sahlgrenska University, Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden, 3Orthopedic Surgery, Huddinge University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden Submitted 99-10-17. Accepted 00-02-15
Carnitines and Its Congeners: A Metabolic Pathway to the Regulation of Immune Response and Inflammation

Abstract: Carnitine and its congeners may regulate the immune networks, and their influence on functions of immune cells predominantly or exclusively relies on carnitine‐dependent energy production from fatty acids. A reduced pool of carnitines has been demonstrated in either serum or tissues, or both, from patients with a wide spectrum of disorders characterized by unregulated or impaired immune responses ranging from sepsis syndrome to systemic sclerosis, infection with human immunodeficiency virus, and chronic fatigue syndrome. Furthermore, experimental studies have consistently reported that the deranged immune responses and the less efficient inflammation towards infectious organisms associated with aging may be enhanced or modulated by treatment with carnitines. There is also evidence that carnitine deprivation could adversely affect the course of the sepsis syndrome, at least in experimental models, and preliminary studies suggest that carnitine deficiency is ultimately implicated in the pathophysiology of endotoxin‐mediated multiple organ failure. Several data indicate that carnitine deficiency is a contributing factor to the progression of infection with human immunodeficiency virus, and carnitine therapy in those patients could counteract the unregulated process of lymphocyte apoptosis and improve CD4 counts. Some case reports have suggested the use of carnitine for the treatment of the severe lactic acidosis that complicates in some patients the use of reverse transcriptase inhibitors.
An evaluation of the clinical application of the DSM-5 for the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder

ABSTRACT Introduction: The changes to the diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) were met with much controversy by researchers, clinicians, and families of individuals with ASD. The goal of this paper is to review the literature on the impact of these changes. Areas covered: This paper reviews the major changes to diagnostic criteria from DSM-IV-TR to DSM-5. It emphasizes how these changes are hypothesized to impact prevalence rates, as well as trends in characteristics of individuals who would have met previous criteria for ASD but no longer qualify for a diagnosis under DSM-5. Policy issues such as access to services and research considerations are also briefly reviewed. Expert commentary: Researchers have found that the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for ASD may significantly impact which children receive diagnoses, which in turn affects access to services that address impairments characteristic of this disorder. Despite the fact that the DSM-5 has now been in use for four years, fewer recent studies were identified than was expected. Future research should continue to focus on the impact of changes in criteria, as well as on translational scientific advances across disciplines.
Thiazolidinediones Mimic Glucose Starvation in Facilitating Sp1 Degradation through the Up-Regulation of β-Transducin Repeat-Containing Protein

This study investigated the mechanism by which the transcription factor Sp1 is degraded in prostate cancer cells. We recently developed a thiazolidinedione derivative, (Z)-5-(4-hydroxy-3-trifluoromethylbenzylidene)-3-(1-methylcyclohexyl)-thiazolidine-2,4-dione (OSU-CG12), that induces Sp1 degradation in a manner paralleling that of glucose starvation. Based on our finding that thiazolidinediones suppress β-catenin and cyclin D1 by up-regulating the E3 ligase SCFβ-TrCP, we hypothesized that β-transducin repeat-containing protein (β-TrCP) targets Sp1 for proteasomal degradation in response to glucose starvation or OSU-CG12. Here we show that either treatment of LNCaP cells increased specific binding of Sp1 with β-TrCP. This direct binding was confirmed by in vitro pull-down analysis with bacterially expressed β-TrCP. Although ectopic expression of β-TrCP enhanced the ability of OSU-CG12 to facilitate Sp1 degradation, suppression of endogenous β-TrCP function by a dominant-negative mutant or small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown blocked OSU-CG12-facilitated Sp1 ubiquitination and/or degradation. Sp1 contains a C-terminal conventional DSG destruction box (727DSGAGS732) that mediates β-TrCP recognition and encompasses a glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) phosphorylation motif (SXXXS). Pharmacological and molecular genetic approaches and mutational analyses indicate that extracellular signal-regulated kinase-mediated phosphorylation of Thr739 and GSK3β-mediated phosphorylation of Ser728 and Ser732 were critical for Sp1 degradation. The ability of OSU-CG12 to mimic glucose starvation to activate β-TrCP-mediated Sp1 degradation has translational potential to foster novel strategies for cancer therapy.
Factors Affecting Effective Corporate Income Tax Rate of the Czech and Russian “Blue Chips” in 2012 - 2015

Nowadays, influence of international business groups on the individual countries’ economic systems is still growing. Effective tax rate showing a real level of the tax burden is one of the most important parameters of each economy. This article analyses the factors affecting the effective corporate income tax rate of the “blue chips” in the Czech Republic and in the Russian Federation. The factors are divided into two groups: external and internal ones. The hypothesis states that the internal factors (assets, debt ratio and equity) are more correlated with the dependent variable than the external ones (Paying Taxes index and average oil price). The regression analysis, particularly, panel data model with fixed effects, was used to estimate influence of the independent variables on the effective tax rate separately in Russia and Czech Republic. The research demonstrated that the mentioned internal factors are more significant for the Russian companies that the external factors. In the case of the Czech Republic, the same result was obtained with lower confidence level.
Cytogenetic findings in a population‐based series of 787 childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemias from the Nordic countries

Abstract: Different types of leukemia are characterized by different patterns of nonrandom chromosomal aberrations, but the frequencies with which the various karyotypic subtypes are seen differ among cytogenetic laboratories, countries, and geographic regions. During the 12‐yr period 1986–1997, a total of 2054 children (<15 yr of age) were diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in the five Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden). Cytogenetic analyses were successfully performed in 1372 patients, 787 (57%) of whom displayed clonal chromosomal abnormalities. ALL with 47 chromosomes was the most frequent cytogenetic subgroup (63%), with massive hyperdiploidy (52 chromosomes) and chromosome numbers in the tri‐ and tetraploid range, constituting 46% of all abnormal cases. ALL‐associated translocations were found at low frequencies [11q23 translocations in 3.7%, t(9;22)(q34;q11) or del(22q) in 2.2%, t(4;11)(q21;q23) in 2.0%, t(11;19)(q23;p13) in 1.4%, t(1;19)(q23;p13) in 1.3%, and t(8;14)(q24;q32) in 1%]. Two rearrangements not previously reported in childhood ALL, but recurrent in this population‐based material, were identified: der(7;9)(q10;q10) and t(9;12)(q22;p11–12), the molecular genetic consequences of which are unknown. Hyperdiploid childhood leukemias, especially those with a high hyperdiploid modal number, thus seem to be more frequent and ALL‐specific translocations less frequent in the Nordic countries than in other geographic regions. Although technical differences among laboratories cannot be ruled out as a cause of at least some of the frequency differences observed compared with previous studies, systematic differences in exposure to environmental oncogenic factors or in geographic/ethnic origin are an intriguing possibility.
Nitric oxide synthase expression and function in embryonic and adult cardiomyocytes

Nitric oxide (NO) is an important signalling molecule that plays a relevant role in different cell systems, among them the adult heart. The effects of NO are primarily mediated through modulation of Ca2+ homeostasis, myofibrillar contractility, and metabolic regulation in cardiomyocytes. Recent evidence also suggests an important role of NO for cardiomyogenesis by modulating proliferation and differentiation and regulating cardiac function. In the embryonic, but also the healthy and diseased, adult mammalian heart, the inducible (iNOS) and the endothelial (eNOS) nitric oxide synthases (NOS) are detected. However, the expression pattern of NO and its function differ during development. Furthermore, under pathophysiological conditions NOS expression can also change and cause impairment of cardiac performance and cytotoxic effects. The present review focuses on the role and function of NO during cardiomyogenesis, the mechanisms responsible for eNOS availability, and the paracrine effects of NO generated by cardiomyocytes. Microsc. Res. Tech. 55:259–269, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Prognostic value and clinical correlations of 18-fluorodeoxyglucose metabolism quantifiers in gastric cancer.

AIM To investigate the correlations of pre-treatment positron emission tomography-computer tomography (PET-CT) metabolic quantifiers with clinical data of unstratified gastric cancer (GC) patients. METHODS Forty PET-CT scans utilising 18-fluorodeoxyglucose in patients who received no prior treatment were analysed. Analysis involved measurements of maximum and mean standardised uptake volumes (SUV), coefficient of variation (COV), metabolic tumour volumes and total lesion glycolysis of different thresholds above which the tumor volumes were identified. The threshold values were: SUV absolute value of 2.5, 30% of SUVmax, 40% of SUVmax, and liver uptake-based (marked 2.5, 30, 40 and liv, respectively). Clinical variables such as age, sex, clinical stage, performance index, weight loss, tumor histological type and grade, and CEA and CA19.9 levels were included in survival analysis. Patients received various treatment modalities appropriate to their disease stage and the outcome was defined by time to metastasis (TTM) and overall survival (OS). Clinical and metabolic parameters were evaluated by analysis of variance, receiver operating characteristics, univariate Kaplan-Meier, and multivariate Cox models. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS Significant differences were observed between initially disseminated and non-disseminated patients in mean SUV (6.05 vs 4.13, P = 0.008), TLG2.5 (802 cm(3) vs 226 cm(3); P = 0.031), and TLG30 (436 cm(3) vs 247 cm(3), P = 0.018). Higher COV was associated with poor tumour differentiation (0.47 for G3 vs 0.28 for G1 and G2; P = 0.03). MTV2.5 was positively correlated to patient weight loss (< 5%, 5%-10% and > 10%: 40.4 cm(3) vs 123.6 cm(3) vs 181.8 cm(3), respectively, P = 0.003). In multivariate Cox analysis, TLG30 was prognostic for OS (HR = 1.001, 95%CI: 1.0009-1.0017; P = 0.047) for the whole group of patients. In the same model yet only including patients without initial disease dissemination TLG30 (HR = 1.009, 95%CI: 1.003-1.014; P = 0.004) and MTV2.5 (HR = 1.02, 95%CI: 1.002-1.036; P = 0.025) were prognostic for OS; for TTM TLG30 was the only significant prognostic variable (HR = 1.006, 95%CI: 1.001-1.012; P = 0.02). CONCLUSION PET-CT in GC may represent a valuable diagnostic and prognostic tool that requires further evaluation in highly standardised environments such as randomised clinical trials.
Neuroprotective effect of dapsone in patients with acute ischemic stroke: a pilot study

Abstract Objectives: In a previous study of brain ischemia in rats, dapsone (4,4′-diamino-diphenylsulfone) was associated with a neuroprotective effect. As dapsone is safe and relatively free of adverse reactions, we conducted a pilot clinical trial to assess the possibility of using this drug in patients with a cerebral infarction. Methods: A double-blind, placebo-controlled, pilot clinical trial of dapsone was conducted from January 1999 to January 2000. Thirty patients with a CT or MRI documented ischemic stroke in the territory of the middle cerebral artery were included. Patients with >4 points of the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) were randomly allocated to receive either a single dose of 200 mg dapsone or placebo. For follow-up, NIHSS on days 0, 2, 7 and 60, modified Rankin scale and Barthel index at day 60 were applied. Adverse reactions were also recorded. The main cut point was considered when a patient obtained a variation of 2 points for modified Rankin scale and 17 points for Barthel index. Results: Fifteen patients received dapsone and 15 received placebo. Twenty-nine were followed up for 60 days and one patient in the treatment group died during follow-up. Favorable scores were achieved for treated patients by all different measures; NIHSS (p=0.032), Barthel (p=0.049) and Rankin scale (RR=0.182, 95% CI: 0.04 and 0.86). Best results were obtained when treatment started within the first 8–10 hours after stroke. No adverse reactions related to medication were reported. Discussion: Dapsone appears as a useful and safe drug for the treatment of stroke patients. Results of this pilot trial are promising and support further research to define the role of dapsone as a neuroprotective drug.
Dispenser cathode life prediction model

A dispenser cathode life prediction model is presented that provides a method of calculating how the cathode current changes with time and temperature Both the tungsten dispenser cathode and the metal coated dispenser cathode are considered. The model is compared to accelerated life test data taken in TWT type guns for tungsten dispenser B-type and for the osmium-ruthenium dispenser M-type cathodes.
Stem cells and the philosopher's stone

Stem cell biology is now one of the most exciting and rapidly advancing areas of scientific endeavor. Promises of cures of a wide variety of diseases by specific replacement of damaged or malfunctional tissues by use of totipotent or multipotent stem cells is on the horizon in clinical practice. Stem cells derived from the embryo and from adult tissues have been shown to have extensive potentials for self‐renewal and differentiation. In addition, the plasticities of phenotype exhibited in vivo by some of these cell populations challenge the doctrine of irreversibility of cell commitment after particular developmental stages. This brief review considers certain aspects of these recent findings of the many unexpected potentials of stem cells to differentiate into alternative processes, and their potential value for use in tissue reconstruction procedures are prominent areas that require further study. Rigorous investigation of these topics will lead to realistic approaches in the future for stem cell therapy in a variety of human diseases and other clinical problems. J. Cell. Biochem. Suppl. 38: 13–19, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Incidence of EGFR exon 19 deletions and L858R in tumor specimens from men and cigarette smokers with lung adenocarcinomas.

PURPOSE EGFR mutations underlie the sensitivity of lung cancers to erlotinib and gefitinib and can occur in any patient with this illness. Here we examine the frequency of EGFR mutations in smokers and men. METHODS We determined the frequency of EGFR mutations and characterized their association with cigarette smoking status and male sex. RESULTS We tested 2,142 lung adenocarcinoma specimens for the presence of EGFR exon 19 deletions and L858R. EGFR mutations were found in 15% of tumors from former smokers (181 of 1,218; 95% CI, 13% to 17%), 6% from current smokers (20 of 344; 95% CI, 4% to 9%), and 52% from never smokers (302 of 580; 95% CI, 48% to 56%; P < .001 for ever v never smokers). EGFR mutations in former or current smokers represented 40% of all those detected (201 of 503; 95% CI, 36% to 44%). EGFR mutations were found in 19% (157 of 827; 95% CI, 16% to 22%) of tumors from men and 26% (346 of 1,315; 95% CI, 24% to 29%) of tumors from women (P < .001). EGFR mutations in men represented 31% (157 of 503; 95% CI, 27% to 35%) of all those detected. CONCLUSION A large number of EGFR mutations are found in adenocarcinoma tumor specimens from men and people who smoked cigarettes. If only women who were never smokers were tested, 57% of all EGFR mutations would be missed. Testing for EGFR mutations should be considered for all patients with adenocarcinoma of the lung at diagnosis, regardless of clinical characteristics. This strategy can extend the use of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors to the greatest number individuals with the potential for substantial benefit.
Clinical assessment of a shaft screw for stabilization of the humeral condyle in dogs

Summary Objective: To report the use of a 4.5 mm shaft screw for the management of humeral condylar fractures (HCF) and incomplete ossification of the humeral condyle (IOHC) in dogs, and to assess risk factors for complications. Methods: Dogs with HCF or IOHC that were managed with a 4.5 mm shaft screw with a minimum follow-up of six months from surgery were included. Data from the case records were used to identify risk factors for complications. Long-term follow-up was provided by an owner questionnaire and veterinary re-examination. Results: Forty-three elbows were treated in 40 dogs (14 IOHC, 29 HCF). Minor complications were seen in four cases (9%) and major complications in 10 cases (23%). There were no statistically significant risk factors for major complication. Infection resulted in shaft screw removal from three IOHC cases. Four of eight IOHC cases that had a lateral approach had a major complication compared with zero out of six dogs that had a medial approach, but this difference was not significant (p = 0.085). Nine of 12 IOHC cases and 20/23 HCF cases had excellent or good limb use at the time of long-term follow- up (median of 106 weeks, range 26–227 weeks). All fractures healed but IOHC fissure healing was inconsistent. Fatigue failure of shaft screws was not seen. Clinical significance: The use of shaft screws for the management of IOHC and HCF is associated with a relatively low rate of complications (compared to previous reports) and a good long-term outcome.