Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of Human Cytomegalovirus Major Immediate-Early Proteins in Controlling the Cell Cycle and Inhibiting Apoptosis: Studies with ts13 Cells

ABSTRACT The major immediate-early (MIE) gene of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) encodes several MIE proteins (MIEPs) produced as a result of alternative splicing and polyadenylation of the primary transcript. Previously we demonstrated that the HCMV MIEPs expressed from the entire MIE gene could rescue the temperature-sensitive (ts) transcriptional defect in the ts13 cell line. This defect is caused by a ts mutation in TAFII250, the 250-kDa TATA binding protein-associated factor (TAF). These and other data suggested that the MIEPs perform a TAF-like function in complex with the basal transcription factor TFIID. In addition to the transcriptional defect, the ts mutation in ts13 cells results in a defect in cell cycle progression which ultimately leads to apoptosis. Since all of these defects can be rescued by wild-type TAFII250, we asked whether the MIEPs could rescue the cell cycle defect and/or affect the progression to apoptosis. We have found that the MIEPs, expressed from the entire MIE gene, do not rescue the cell cycle block in ts13 cells grown at the nonpermissive temperature. However, despite the maintenance of the cell cycle block, the ts13 cells which express the MIEPs are resistant to apoptosis. MIEP mutants, which have previously been shown to be defective in rescuing the ts transcriptional defect, maintained the ability to inhibit apoptosis. Hence, the MIEP functions which affect transcription appear to be separable from the functions which inhibit apoptosis. We discuss these data in the light of the HCMV life cycle and the possibility that the MIEPs promote cellular transformation by a “hit-and-run” mechanism.
Optimal H2 IMC based PID tuning rules for unstable time delay processes

Many PID tuning rules are available for unstable first order plus time delay process. However, most of them are complex. In this work, optimal H2 principles are used along with internal model control (IMC) to develop simple tuning rules for a PID controller. The tuning rules are developed for different time delay to time constant ratios. Maximum sensitivity (Ms) is used for the selection of the IMC tuning parameter. Different examples are considered to compare the closed loop performances for set point tracking and disturbance rejection. Robustness of the proposed design is also carried out under perturbations in the process parameters. It is observed that the present tuning rules provide improved performances when compared to recently reported methods in the literature.
Cause Marketing Alliances

Abstract The author used pizza brands to examine the nature of corporate and non-profit alliances and their impact on trust in the pizza company, brand equity, perceptions of product quality, consumer behavioral intentions towards the pizza brand, evaluations of cause importance and behavioral intentions towards the cause. Pizza brands with strong reputations and pizza brands with weak reputations were paired with popular or not so popular causes. The greatest increases in consumer trust in the pizza company, brand equity, behavioral intentions towards the brand, and perceptions of product quality were realized for the company with the weak reputation, regardless of the popularity of the cause it adopted. The most promising changes for a non-profit occurred when a not so popular cause was teamed with a corporation possessing a strong reputation.
Shear Behavior of Large Concrete Beams Reinforced with High-Strength Steel

This study seeks to quantify the benefits of using high-strength steel for concrete reinforcement and provides experimental evidence of its high strength capabilities. Test results are presented of six large-size concrete beams reinforced with either conventional- or high-strength steel and tested up to failure. The beams were constructed without web reinforcement to evaluate the nominal shear strength provided by the concrete. The shear behavior, ultimate load-carrying capacity, and mode of failure are presented. The applicability of the current ACI design code to large-size concrete beams constructed without web reinforcement is discussed. The influence of the shear span-depth ratio, concrete compressive strength, as well as the type and the amount of longitudinal steel reinforcement is investigated. Findings indicate that using high-strength steel alters the mode of failure from diagonal tension to shear compression failure and results in higher shear strength compared with using conventional steel. Findings also suggest that the current ACI shear design provisions are unconservative for large-size concrete beams without web reinforcement. The expression needs to account for the size effect and reinforcement characteristics.
Advertising Sex-Typed Services: The Effects of Sex, Service Type, and Employee Type on Consumer Attitudes

Abstract The use of employee spokespersons in the advertising of services has received growing attention in the academic literature because the presence of an employee in the advertisement may help visualize the service offering for the customer by providing a physical representation of the service provider. Moreover, a decrease in occupational segregation indicates a potential need for repositioning traditionally sex-typed services. The author examines the use of male versus female employees and the use of service managers versus workers for sex-typed services. Two separate samples were used: students and working adults. For the student sample, results suggest that for female-dominant services, congruency between the source and the service results in higher cognitive attitudes toward the ad. However, for a male-dominant service, a congruent approach and a progressive role portrayal produce equivalent attitudes. For the sample of working adults, results indicate that a congruent and a progressive approach.
Evaluation of serum ferritin as a tumor marker for canine histiocytic sarcoma.

BACKGROUND Canine histiocytic sarcoma (HS) is an aggressive malignancy. Hyperferritinemia has been documented in dogs with HS and could serve as a tumor marker aiding in diagnosis and treatment. In people, hyperferritinemia is found in inflammatory diseases, liver disease, and hemolysis, and thus may occur in dogs with these conditions. OBJECTIVE To determine if serum ferritin concentration is a tumor marker for canine HS. ANIMALS Dogs with HS (18), inflammatory diseases (20), liver disease (24), immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA) (15), and lymphoma (23). METHODS Prospective, observational, cohort study: Serum ferritin concentration was measured at initial diagnosis. Parametric methods were used to compare mean log ferritin concentrations among disease categories. Receiver-operating characteristic curves and likelihood ratios were used to evaluate serum ferritin concentration as a tumor marker. RESULTS Varying proportions of dogs with IMHA (94%), HS (89%), liver disease (79%), lymphoma (65%), and inflammatory diseases (40%) had hyperferritinemia. Dogs with IMHA had significantly higher mean ferritin concentration than dogs in all other categories. Dogs with HS had significantly higher mean ferritin concentration than those in the inflammatory disease and lymphoma categories. Mean serum ferritin concentration was not significantly different between dogs with HS and those with liver disease. Decision thresholds were determined to distinguish IMHA and HS from the other diseases associated with hyperferritinemia. CONCLUSION Hyperferritinemia is common in dogs with HS and, after IMHA is ruled out, the degree of hyperferritinemia may be useful in differentiating dogs with HS from dogs with inflammatory diseases, liver disease, and lymphoma.
Laboratory Evaluation of Synthetic Blends of l-(+)-Lactic Acid, Ammonia, and Ketones As Potential Attractants For Aedes aegypti

ABSTRACT Attraction of Aedes aegypti to various binary, trinary, and quaternary blends of lactic acid and ketones with or without ammonia was studied using a dual choice olfactometer. A dose dependent attraction was observed in cases of single compounds where cyclopentanone attracted the highest percentage (36.9 ± 1.8%) of Ae. aegypti when tested alone. No significant difference was observed between the attraction levels of trinary and binary blends of lactic acid and acetone or butanone when tested against clear air. However, in competitive bioassays, the trinary blend of lactic acid, acetone, and butanone was significantly preferred over binary blends of individual compounds (P < 0.05). Acetylacetone was weakly attractive when tested alone but showed additive attraction when blended with lactic acid. However, acetylacetone acted as an attraction inhibitor when blended with other compounds. Cyclopentanone was attractive, but enhancement of attraction was not observed when blended with other components. Addition of ammonia to binary or trinary blends of lactic acid, acetone, and/or butanone did not increase the attraction significantly. In competitive bioassays, the blends containing ammonia were significantly preferred over the blends lacking ammonia (P < 0.05). This highlights ammonia as an essential component of synthetic blends. A quaternary blend of lactic acid, ammonia, acetone, and butanone was most attractive (65 ± 1.5%) and preferred blend of all other combinations.
Expression and Functional Significance of Adhesion Molecules on Cultured Endothelial Cells in Response to Ionizing Radiation

Objective: Upregulation of adhesion molecules on endothelial cells following irradiation has been shown, but the functional significance of this upregulation in various endothelial cell lines is not clear. We have developed an in vitro flow model to study the functional consequences of the radiation‐induced upregulation of E‐selectin and intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM‐1).
DNA damage and eIF4G1 in breast cancer cells reprogram translation for survival and DNA repair mRNAs

The cellular response to DNA damage is mediated through multiple pathways that regulate and coordinate DNA repair, cell cycle arrest, and cell death. We show that the DNA damage response (DDR) induced by ionizing radiation (IR) is coordinated in breast cancer cells by selective mRNA translation mediated by high levels of translation initiation factor eIF4G1 (eukaryotic initiation factor 4γ1). Increased expression of eIF4G1, common in breast cancers, was found to selectively increase translation of mRNAs involved in cell survival and the DDR, preventing autophagy and apoptosis [Survivin, hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF1α), X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis (XIAP)], promoting cell cycle arrest [growth arrest and DNA damage protein 45a (GADD45a), protein 53 (p53), ATR-interacting protein (ATRIP), Check point kinase 1 (Chk1)] and DNA repair [p53 binding protein 1 (53BP1), breast cancer associated proteins 1, 2 (BRCA1/2), Poly-ADP ribose polymerase (PARP), replication factor c2–5 (Rfc2-5), ataxia telangiectasia mutated gene 1 (ATM), meiotic recombination protein 11 (MRE-11), and others]. Reduced expression of eIF4G1, but not its homolog eIF4G2, greatly sensitizes cells to DNA damage by IR, induces cell death by both apoptosis and autophagy, and significantly delays resolution of DNA damage foci with little reduction of overall protein synthesis. Although some mRNAs selectively translated by higher levels of eIF4G1 were found to use internal ribosome entry site (IRES)-mediated alternate translation, most do not. The latter group shows significantly reduced dependence on eIF4E for translation, facilitated by an enhanced requirement for eIF4G1. Increased expression of eIF4G1 therefore promotes specialized translation of survival, growth arrest, and DDR mRNAs that are important in cell survival and DNA repair following genotoxic DNA damage.
Disrupted Functional Connectivity of the Pain Network in Fibromyalgia

Objective To investigate the impact of chronic pain on brain dynamics at rest. Methods Functional connectivity was examined in patients with fibromyalgia (FM) (n = 9) and healthy controls (n = 11) by calculating partial correlations between low-frequency blood oxygen level–dependent fluctuations extracted from 15 brain regions. Results Patients with FM had more positive and negative correlations within the pain network than healthy controls. Patients with FM displayed enhanced functional connectivity of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) with the insula (INS) and basal ganglia (p values between .01 and .05), the secondary somatosensory area with the caudate (CAU) (p = .012), the primary motor cortex with the supplementary motor area (p = .007), the globus pallidus with the amygdala and superior temporal sulcus (both p values < .05), and the medial prefrontal cortex with the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and CAU (both p values < .05). Functional connectivity of the ACC with the amygdala and periaqueductal gray (PAG) matter (p values between .001 and .05), the thalamus with the INS and PAG (both p values < .01), the INS with the putamen (p = .038), the PAG with the CAU (p = .038), the secondary somatosensory area with the motor cortex and PCC (both p values < .05), and the PCC with the superior temporal sulcus (p = .002) was also reduced in FM. In addition, significant negative correlations were observed between depression and PAG connectivity strength with the thalamus (r = −0.64, p = .003) and ACC (r = −0.60, p = .004). Conclusions These findings demonstrate that patients with FM display a substantial imbalance of the connectivity within the pain network during rest, suggesting that chronic pain may also lead to changes in brain activity during internally generated thought processes such as occur at rest. Abbreviations BOLD = blood oxygen level–dependent; FM = fibromyalgia; HC = healthy control; WHYMPI = West Haven-Yale Multidimensional Pain Inventory; fMRI = functional magnetic resonance imaging; ACC = anterior cingulate cortex; PCC = posterior cingulate cortex; AMYG = amygdala; CAU = caudate; PUT = putamen; INS = insula; M1 = primary motor area; SMA = supplementary motor area; SI = primary somatosensory area; SII = secondary somatosensory area; mPFC = medial prefrontal cortex; PAG = periaqueductal gray; STS = superior temporal sulcus; THA = thalamus
Value Relevance, Idiosyncratic Risk, and External Financing Activities

This paper first examines the effects of value relevance of earnings and incremental value relevance of cash flows on net external financing, net equity financing and net debt financing. The investors, in general, suffer beta risk and idiosyncratic risk of a firm. The former is the main determinant of risk premium, and the latter can be controlled by the manager. If the firm has better control of idiosyncratic risk, it implies the manager has larger influence on stock returns. Under control accruals, value relevance of earnings and incremental value relevance of cash flows, we also examine the effects of net external, net debt and net equity financings on idiosyncratic risk. To test whether the external financing policy of a firm is consistent with over-investment hypothesis, this study investigate the effects of net external, net debt and net equity financings on future stock returns under controlling for value relevance of earnings and cash flows. This paper further analyzes the relation between current idiosyncratic risk and future stock returns following financing activities. We find that external financing activities are positively related to value relevance of earnings but are unrelated to incremental value relevance of operating cash flows, and external financing is unrelated to value relevance of operating cash flows but is positively related to incremental value relevance of earnings. Moreover, debt financing is unrelated to value relevance of cash flows but is positively correlated to incremental value relevance of earnings, and equity financing is unrelated to value or incremental value relevance of earnings but is positively correlated to value relevance and incremental value relevance of cash flows. We also find that both value relevance of earnings and cash flows are positively correlated to idiosyncratic risk, and current idiosyncratic risk and equity financing are negatively correlated to future returns after controlling value relevance of earnings and cash flows.
Lead Acetate Induces Epithelium-Dependent Contraction of Airway Smooth Muscle

The effect of lead acetate on tracheal smooth muscle (TSM) of dog pups was investigated in this study. In addition we studied the role of epithelium and involvement of nitric oxide (NO) in counteracting the effects of lead acetate on TSM as well as the modifying effects of lead acetate on contractile responses of TSM to acetylcholine (ACh) . Tracheal rings were excised and placed in in vitro organ baths. In vitro administration of lead acetate in increasing concentrations (10 -7 -10 -3 M) induced concentration-dependent contraction of TSM. Prior treatment of tissues with a single dose of lead acetate increased the contractile responses of TSM to acetylcholine (ACh) (10 -10 -10 -6 M). In additional tracheal rings the epithelium was denuded, then preparations were treated with lead acetate. Denudation of the epithelium resulted in an increase in lead acetate-induced contraction of TSM. Another set of tracheal rings were preincubated in bathing medium containing bradykinin (BK, 0.4 mM), to activate NOS. Presence of BK reduced contractile responses of TSM to lead acetate. Our data suggest that subacute exposure to lead, induces epithelium- dependent contraction of airway smooth muscle (ASM) probably via modulation of nitric oxide (NO) release.
Inhibitory effect of acetylcholine on glycogenolysis in the isolated guinea-pig heart.

In perfused guinea-pig hearts acetylcholine antagonized completely the glycogenolytic effect of epinephrine. By electrically controlling the ventricular rate, the inhibitory effect of acetylcholine upon epinephrine-induced glycogenolysis was shown to be independent of the negative chronotropic action of acetylcholine. Acetylcholine alone did not elevate significantly cardiac glycogen. Dichloroisoproterenol inhibited the glycogenolytic, chronotropic, and inotropic effects of epinephrine; veratramine prevented a rise above control cardiac rate without inhibiting the glycogenolytic effect of epinephrine. Theophylline-induced glycogenolysis was completely antagonized by acetylcholine. Anoxic glycogenolysis in the atria was significantly inhibited by acetylcholine; anoxic glycogenolysis in the ventricle was slightly, but not significantly inhibited. The possible mechanism of this inhibitory effect of acetylcholine upon glycogenolysis is discussed in the light of recent publications.
Organizational task environment: evidence from the Brazilian industry

Purpose – Using the industry as an approximation of the external environment of companies, Dess and Beard proposed the construct organizational task environment (OTE). If the precision of the definition of industry is desirable, it involves a multiplicity of elements that restrict the ability of generalization. This paper aims to contribute by identifying clusters of industries with similar environmental profiles. As the discriminant validity of the OTE construct was tested only by Harris in US manufacturing industry, not supporting it, this study also seeks to contribute by assessing the OTE construct validity for the Brazilian manufacturing industry. Design/methodology/approach – Authors collected data from all manufacturing sectors in Brazil, between 1996 and 2003; they used confirmatory factor analysis with the multi-trait multi-method matrix approach to assess the construct validity and ran environmental dimensions' factorial scores through the cluster analysis to find out natural groupings of indust.
An internationally focused synthesised marketing strategy underpinned by qualitative research

Purpose – The aim of the paper is to make explicit how qualitative research can enable senior marketers to formulate an internationally focused synthesised marketing strategy. A number of marketing research issues are highlighted including the need to track customer expectations; identify what customer value represents; and explain how scenario analysis and planning can be embraced in order to produce marketing initiatives that facilitate company‐customer interaction.Design/methodology/approach – This paper is based on a review of the literature and can be considered a critical appraisal and appreciation. The internationally focused synthesised marketing strategy represents an extension of the marketing body of knowledge.Findings – A number of trends have been identified in the business environment that will refocus the attention of senior marketers in the years ahead. It is envisaged that marketing researchers will work more closely with marketing intelligence officers and marketing strategists in order .
Disease related knowledge and quality of life: a descriptive study focusing on hypertensive population in Pakistan

Objective: This study aims to evaluate association between Health related quality of lifeand disease state knowledge among hypertensive population of Pakistan. Methods: A cross sectional descriptive study was undertaken with a representative cohort of hypertension patients. Using prevalence based sampling technique, a total of 385 hypertensive patients were selected from two public hospitals of Quetta city, Pakistan. Hypertension Fact Questionnaire (HFQ) and European Quality of Life scale (EQ-5D) were used for data collection. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences 16.0 was used to compute descriptive analysis of patients’ demographic and disease related information. Categorical variables were described as percentages while continuous variables were expressed as mean ± standard deviation (SD). Spearman’s rho correlation was used to identify the association between study variables. Results: The mean (SD) age of the patients was 39.02 (6.59), with 68.8% males (n=265). The mean (SD) duration of hypertension was 3.01 (0.93) years. Forty percent (n=154) had bachelor degree with 34.8% (n=134) working in private sector. Almost forty one percent (n=140) had monthly income of more than 15000 Pakistan rupees per month with 75.1% (n=289) having urban residency. The mean EQ-5D descriptive score (0.46±0.28) and EQ-VAS score (63.97±6.62) indicated lower HRQoL in our study participants. Mean knowledge score was 8.03 ± 0.42. Correlation coefficient between HRQoL and knowledge was 0.208 (p< 0.001), indicating a week positive association. Conclusion: Results of this study highlight hypertension knowledge to be weakly associated with HRQoL suggesting that imparting knowledge to patients do not necessarily improve HRQoL. More attention should be given to identify individualized factors affecting HRQoL.
Isolation of Cryptococcus neoformans var. gattii from Eucalyptus camaldulensis in India

Cryptococcus neoformans var. gattii has an ecological association with five Eucalyptus species: E. blakelyi, E. camaldulensis, E. gomphocephala, E. rudis, and E. tereticornis. After human infections due to C. neoformans var. gattii were diagnosed in the states of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Karnataka, India, a study was undertaken to investigate the association of C. neoformans var. gattii with Indian eucalypts, especially in the state of Punjab. A total of 696 specimens collected from E. camaldulensis, E. citriodora and E. tereticornis (hybrid) trees were examined for the presence of C. neoformans var. gattii. Flowers from two trees of E. camaldulensis in the Chak Sarkar forest and one from the village of Periana near the Ferozepur area yielded five isolates of C. neoformans var. gattii. The origin of the trees could be traced to Australia, thus providing evidence that the distribution of E. camaldulensis correlated with the distribution of human cryptococcosis cases caused by C. neoformans var. gattii in northern India.