Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The mechanism of an exceptional case of reinitiation after translation of a long ORF reveals why such events do not generally occur in mammalian mRNA translation.

The subgenomic mRNA of feline caliciviruses is bicistronic with the two cistrons overlapping by four nucleotides, . AUGA. The upstream cistron encodes a 75-kDa major capsid protein precursor (pre-VP1), and the downstream cistron a 10-kDa minor capsid protein. The kinetics of translation in reticulocyte lysates show that the downstream cistron is translated by a termination-reinitiation process, which is unusual in not requiring eIF4G or the eIF4F complex. Reinitiation requires the 3'-terminal 87 nucleotides (nt) of the pre-VP1 ORF, but no other viral sequences. The reinitiation site is selected by virtue of its proximity to this 87-nt element, and not its proximity to the pre-VP1 ORF stop codon, although this must be located not more than approximately 30 nt downstream from the restart codon. This 87-nt element was shown to bind 40S ribosomal subunits and initiation factor eIF3, and addition of supplementary eIF3 enhanced reinitiation efficiency. Mutants defective in reinitiation showed reduced affinity for eIF3 or defective 40S subunit binding (or both). These results suggest a mechanism in which some of the eIF3/40S complexes formed during disassembly of post-termination ribosomes bind to this 87-nt element in a position appropriate for reinitiation following acquisition of an eIF2/GTP/Met-tRNA i ternary complex.
Executive Functioning in Preschool Children: Performance on A-Not-B and Other Delayed Response Format Tasks

The A-not-B (AB) task has been hypothesized to measure executive/frontal lobe function; however, the developmental and measurement characteristics of this task have not been investigated. Performances on AB and comparison tasks adapted from developmental and neuroscience literature was examined in 117 preschool children (ages 23-66 months). Age significantly predicted performance on AB, Delayed Alternation, Spatial Reversal, Color Reversal, and Self-Control tasks. A four-factor analytic model best fit task performance data. AB task indices loaded on two factors with measures from the Self-Control and Delayed Alternation tasks, respectively. AB indices did not load with those from the reversal tasks despite similarities in task administration and presumed cognitive demand (working memory). These results indicate that AB is sensitive to individual differences in age-related performance in preschool children and suggest that AB performance is related to both working memory and inhibition processes in this age range.
Effects of an abrupt diet change from hay to concentrate on microbial numbers and physical environment in the cecum of the pony

Microbial numbers, pH, fluid volume, and turnover rate in the pony cecum were measured during an abrupt change from an all-forage to an all-concentrate diet, both fed at maintenance energy levels. Concentrate feeding resulted in increased (P less than 0.01) numbers of total viable anaerobic bacteria. The numbers of organisms growing on selective starch medium increased (P less than 0.01) when concentrate was fed, while numbers on xylan and pectin media decreased (P less than 0.025). Seven days after the diet change to concentrate, the number of bacteria growing on lactate medium increased (P less than 0.01), followed by a gradual decline. Cellulolytic bacteria occurred in low numbers, ranging from 1.1 x 10(4) to 4.4 x 10(4) per g of cecal contents. Feeding all concentrate decreased both the number of genera (P less than 0.01) and total protozoan numbers (P less than 0.01) in the cecum. Minimum cecal pH values of 6.4 and 5.8 were obtained when forage and concentrate, respectively, were fed, with the minimum pH occurring 6 h postfeeding. Dry-matter percentage of cecal contents followed a diurnal pattern which was the inverse of the pH curve. During forage feeding, the cecum contained an average of 2.2 liters (1.6 to 3.4 liters), which turned over 3.9 times per day. When concentrate was fed, cecal volume averaged 3.9 liters (0.6 to 8.6 liters), with a mean liquid turnover of 4.2 times per day. Microbial numbers and pH changes in the pony cecum associated with an abrupt change in diet from hay to concentrate resembled those which occur in the rumen under similar feeding conditions.
Prevalence of and characteristics associated with use of withdrawal among women in Victoria, Australia.

CONTEXT Popularly regarded as "ineffective," withdrawal is a form of contraception largely ignored by health -professionals. Thus, little is known of the prevalence and correlates of its use. METHODS A survey of 1,006 sexually active women aged 16-50 and not intending to conceive was conducted in three Family Planning Victoria clinics in 2011. The questionnaire asked about contraceptive behavior and characteristics associated with contraceptive use. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to assess prevalence of withdrawal use and characteristics associated with reliance solely on this method. RESULTS Ninety-six percent of women reported having used some form of contraception in the last three months, most commonly male condoms (67%), the pill (49%) and withdrawal (32%); use of withdrawal was especially common among the youngest women. Of women reporting withdrawal use, 40% relied solely on this method. Eighty percent of sole users of withdrawal were also inconsistent users. Women who used only withdrawal had elevated odds of saying that they were dissatisfied with their current method (odds ratio, 1.6), had had more than one partner in the last three months (1.7), had no access to contraceptives when needed (2.4) and found it too inconvenient to use contraceptives (2.1). CONCLUSION Withdrawal use is common, but there is a need for better education on proper use. Health professionals should discuss the risks and benefits of withdrawal, along with those of other methods, when discussing con-traception with their patients. Further research is needed into why women choose withdrawal.
Complex rectification of Müller cell Kir currents

Although Kir4.1 channels are the major inwardly rectifying channels in glial cells and are widely accepted to support K+‐ and glutamate‐uptake in the nervous system, the properties of Kir4.1 channels during vital changes of K+ and polyamines remain poorly understood. Therefore, the present study examined the voltage‐dependence of K+ conductance with varying physiological and pathophysiological external [K+] and intrapipette spermine ([SP]) concentrations in Müller glial cells and in tsA201 cells expressing recombinant Kir4.1 channels. Two different types of [SP] block were characterized: “fast” and “slow. ” Fast block was steeply voltage‐dependent, with only a low sensitivity to spermine and strong dependence on extracellular potassium concentration, [K+]o. Slow block had a strong voltage sensitivity that begins closer to resting membrane potential and was essentially [K+]o‐independent, but with a higher spermine‐ and [K+]i‐sensitivity. Using a modified Woodhull model and fitting i/V curves from whole cell recordings, we have calculated free [SP]in in Müller glial cells as 0.81 ± 0.24 mM. This is much higher than has been estimated previously in neurons. Biphasic block properties underlie a significantly varying extent of rectification with [K+] and [SP]. While confirming similar properties of glial Kir and recombinant Kir4.1, the results also suggest mechanisms underlying K+ buffering in glial cells: When [K+]o is rapidly increased, as would occur during neuronal excitation, “fast block” would be relieved, promoting potassium influx to glial cells. Increase in [K+]in would then lead to relief of “slow block,” further promoting K+‐influx. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Reduction in high rates of antibiotic-nonsusceptible invasive pneumococcal disease in tennessee after introduction of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine.

BACKGROUND Invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) is a burgeoning problem, with rates of antibiotic-nonsusceptible IPD, in particular, increasing during the past decade. One measure to combat IPD is vaccination with the recently introduced 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV). METHODS To evaluate the effects of the introduction of PCV in 2000 on the epidemiology of antibiotic-nonsusceptible IPD, a database of IPD cases from January 1995 through December 2002 identified through active surveillance in 5 Tennessee counties was examined. For each case, clinical data were collected, and antibiotic susceptibility testing and serotyping were performed on available isolates. RESULTS Among children younger than 2 years, IPD rates peaked at 235 cases per 100,000 in 1999 before decreasing, after PCV licensure, to 46 cases per 100,000 in 2002 (P<.001). The proportion of penicillin-nonsusceptible IPD isolates from this age group declined from 59.8% in 1999 to 30.4% in 2002 (P<.01). After 2001, similar decreases in IPD rates and in the proportion of antibiotic-nonsusceptible isolates recovered were seen among persons aged 2 years and older (P<.01). Rates of IPD due to PCV-associated serotypes declined after PCV introduction in all age groups (P<.001), whereas the rate of IPD due to nonvaccine serotypes increased among persons aged 2 years and older. CONCLUSIONS In the 2 years since licensure, widespread PCV vaccination of children has resulted in dramatic declines in the proportion of antibiotic-nonsusceptible isolates in Tennessee. PCV vaccination of children also appears to be a highly effective method for reducing the burden of IPD in adults.
Memory traces for inflectional affixes as shown by mismatch negativity

Mismatch negativity (MMN), an index of experience‐dependent memory traces, was used to investigate the processing of grammatical affixes in the human brain. The MMN was elicited by either a verb stem or an inflected verb form, phonetic contrasts being identical in both conditions. The topography of the mismatch responses showed clear left‐hemispheric laterality in both conditions. However, the MMN to the inflected form occurred later than that for the stem. Furthermore, the inflected stimulus produced MMN maximal in centroparietal sites, whereas stem‐elicited MMN was more profound at more frontal sites. We suggest that these features of the MMN to inflected form indicate delayed activation of left‐lateralized perisylvian cell assemblies that function as cortical memory traces of inflectional affixes.
Childhood Leukemia: A Preventable Disease

In contrast to most pediatric cancers, there is a growing body of literature, nationally and internationally, that has implicated the role of several environmental indoor and outdoor hazards in the etiology of childhood leukemia. For example, exposures to solvents, traffic, pesticides, and tobacco smoke have consistently demonstrated positive associations with the risk of developing childhood leukemia. Intake of vitamins and folate supplementation during the preconception period or pregnancy has been demonstrated to have a protective effect. Despite the strength of these findings, the dissemination of this knowledge to clinicians has been limited. Some children may be more vulnerable than others as documented by the high and increasing incidence of childhood leukemia in Hispanics. To protect children’s health, it is prudent to establish programs to alter exposure to those factors with well-established associations with leukemia risk rather than to suspend judgment until no uncertainty remains. This is particularly true because other serious health outcomes (both negative and positive) have been associated with the same exposures. We draw from historical examples to put in perspective the arguments of association versus causation, as well as to discuss benefits versus risks of immediate and long-term preventive actions.
Chlamydia trachomatis infection as a risk factor for invasive cervical cancer

Cervical carcinoma is a sexually transmitted disease most strongly linked with human‐papillomavirus (HPV) infection. We conducted a prospective sero‐epidemiologic study to evaluate the role of Chlamydia trachomatis infection in the development of cervical carcinoma, with invasive cancer as an end point. A nested case‐control study within a cohort of 530000 Nordic women was performed. Linking data files of 3 Nordic serum banks and the cancer registries of Finland, Norway and Sweden identified 182 women with invasive cervical carcinoma diagnosed during a mean follow‐up of 5 years after serum sampling. The serum samples of the cases and matched cancer‐free controls were analyzed for IgG antibodies to C. trachomatis, C. pneumoniae (a control microbe) and HPV types 16, 18 and 33, as well as for serum cotinine (an indicator of tobacco smoking). Serum antibodies to C. trachomatis were associated with an increased risk for cervical squamous‐cell carcinoma (HPV‐ and smoking‐adjusted OR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.3–3.5). The association remained also after adjustment for smoking both in HPV16‐seronegative and ‐seropositive cases (OR, 3.0; 95% CI, 1.8–5.1; OR, 2.3, 95% CI, 0.8–7.0 respectively). No such association was found for C. pneumoniae. Our prospective study provides sero‐epidemiologic evidence that infection with C. trachomatis confers an increased risk for subsequent development of invasive squamous‐cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix. Int. J. Cancer 85:35–39, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
E2F is involved in radioresistance of carbon ion induced apoptosis via Bax/caspase 3 signal pathway in human hepatoma cell

Deletion of p53, most common genetic alteration, is observed in human tumors and reported to lead to improve in cell radioresistance. Heavy‐ion irradiation (IR) could induce p53−/− cancer cells apoptosis. However, little is known regarding the molecular mechanism in this type of cell apoptosis. The present studies have focused on mechanisms state of signaling pathways as an activator of the cell fate decisions induced by heavy ion IR without p53. Carbon ion IR could induce up‐regulation of E2F1 expression in cancer cells. This phenomenon was not observed in X‐ray IR group. Up‐regulation of E2F1 could cause a higher reduction in clonogenic survival, low level of cellular activity, G2/M phase arrest, promotion of apoptosis rate, up‐regulation of phosphor‐Rb, Bax, and cleaved‐caspase 3 proteins expressions without p53. Changes of E2F1 expressions could partly alter radioresistance in cancer cells. The results were suggested that heavy ion IR could induce p53−/− cancer cells apoptosis via E2F1 signal pathway. Our study provides a scientific rationale for the clinical use of heavy ion as radiotherapy in patients with p53‐deficient tumors, which are often resistant to radiotherapy.
Patient participation in the emergency department: an evaluation using a specific instrument to measure patient participation (PPED).

AIM This study aimed at evaluating patient participation from the perspective of patients who received care in emergency departments, with a separate examination of the relationship between participation and age, gender, education and priority level. BACKGROUND International and national guidelines encourage patient participation. High patient participation is required to ensure a high quality of care. No studies evaluating patient participation at an emergency department have been published. METHODS An evaluating study, with the Patient Participation Emergency Department questionnaire, was conducted at emergency departments in Sweden. A consecutive sample of 356 patients participated. Data were collected in 2008: participants were 49% women and with an average age of 56 years. The statistical methods used were Student's t-test, one-way ANOVA and Spearman correlation. RESULTS The results revealed that patients experienced good requirement for participation such as time and information. Mutual participation demonstrated a reasonable level, but patient participation is low in two dimensions (Fight for participation, Participation in getting basic needs satisfied). Young and well-educated patients fought more to participate in their care and gained less attention for basic needs than older and less well-educated patients. CONCLUSIONS Patient participation in a mutual care situation between patients and healthcare professionals requires further improvement to ensure that patients are satisfied and do not have to struggle and fight to participate in their care.
Impaired Feedback Processing for Symbolic Reward in Individuals with Internet Game Overuse

Reward processing, which plays a critical role in adaptive behavior, is impaired in addiction disorders, which are accompanied by functional abnormalities in brain reward circuits. Internet gaming disorder, like substance addiction, is thought to be associated with impaired reward processing, but little is known about how it affects learning, especially when feedback is conveyed by less-salient motivational events. Here, using both monetary (±500 KRW) and symbolic (Chinese characters “right” or “wrong”) rewards and penalties, we investigated whether behavioral performance and feedback-related neural responses are altered in Internet game overuse (IGO) group. Using functional MRI, brain responses for these two types of reward/penalty feedback were compared between young males with problems of IGO (IGOs, n = 18, mean age = 22.2 ± 2.0 years) and age-matched control subjects (Controls, n = 20, mean age = 21.2 ± 2.1) during a visuomotor association task where associations were learned between English letters and one of four responses. No group difference was found in adjustment of error responses following the penalty or in brain responses to penalty, for either monetary or symbolic penalties. The IGO individuals, however, were more likely to fail to choose the response previously reinforced by symbolic (but not monetary) reward. A whole brain two-way ANOVA analysis for reward revealed reduced activations in the IGO group in the rostral anterior cingulate cortex/ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) in response to both reward types, suggesting impaired reward processing. However, the responses to reward in the inferior parietal region and medial orbitofrontal cortex/vmPFC were affected by the types of reward in the IGO group. Unlike the control group, in the IGO group the reward response was reduced only for symbolic reward, suggesting lower attentional and value processing specific to symbolic reward. Furthermore, the more severe the Internet gaming overuse symptoms in the IGO group, the greater the activations of the ventral striatum for monetary relative to symbolic reward. These findings suggest that IGO is associated with bias toward motivationally salient reward, which would lead to poor goal-directed behavior in everyday life.
Expression of full-length and splice forms of FoxP3 in rheumatoid arthritis

Objective: The aim of our study was to compare the presence of full-length and alternative splice forms of FoxP3 mRNA in CD4 cells from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and healthy controls. Methods: A quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (QRT-PCR) method was used to measure the amount of FoxP3 mRNA full-length and splice forms. CD4-positive T cells were isolated from peripheral blood from 50 RA patients by immunomagnetic separation, and the FoxP3 mRNA expression was compared with the results from 10 healthy controls. Results: We observed an increased expression of full-length FoxP3 mRNA in RA patients when compared to healthy controls, as well as an increase in CD25 mRNA expression, but no corresponding increase in CTLA-4 mRNA expression. The presence of an alternative splice form of FoxP3 lacking exon 2 was confirmed in both RA patients and healthy controls, but with no significant difference in expression between the two groups. There was a positive correlation between the amount of FoxP3 mRNA and the clinical inflammation parameters C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and a negative correlation between FoxP3 mRNA and the dose of methotrexate (MTX) given to the patients. Conclusion: RA patients express more full-length FoxP3 than healthy controls in peripheral blood CD4-positive cells, suggesting an increased number of regulatory T cells (Tregs). However, no concomitant increase in CTLA-4 expression was seen. We therefore propose that the Tregs are left unable to suppress the ongoing inflammation due to a deficiency in CTLA-4 needed for cell contact-dependent suppression.
Complement C3 and Decay-Accelerating Factor Expression Levels Are Modulated by Human Chorionic Gonadotropin in Endometrial Compartments During the Implantation Window

The control of complement activation in the embryo–maternal environment has been demonstrated to be critical for embryo survival. Complement proteins are expressed in the human endometrium; however, the modulation of this expression by embryo signals has not been explored. To assess the expression of complement proteins in response to human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), we designed an experimental study using in vivo and in vitro models. Twelve fertile women were treated with hCG or left untreated during the mid-luteal phase, and an endometrial biopsy was performed 24 hours later. The localizations of C3, membrane cofactor protein (MCP; CD46), decay-accelerating factor (DAF; CD55), and protectin (CD59) were assessed by immunohistochemistry, and the messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of these proteins were quantified by real-time reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in cells harvested from endometrial compartments using laser capture microdissection. Endometrial explants were cultured with or without hCG for 24 hours, and the C3 and DAF protein levels were measured by Western blotting. Elevated C3 mRNA levels in stromal cells and elevated DAF levels in epithelial luminal cells were detected after hCG treatment. In the endometrial explant model, the progesterone receptor antagonist RU486 inhibited the increases in the levels of C3 and DAF in response to hCG. The findings of this study indicate that hCG plays a role in embryo–endometrium communication and affects the expression of complement proteins in endometrial compartments during the implantation window.
Pre-existing Lipopolysaccharide May Increase the Risk of Heatstroke in Rats

Background:We attempted to ascertain whether pre-existing inflammatory state [caused by exogenous administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)] exacerbated multiorgan dysfunction in experimental heatstroke. Design:Immediately after the start of heat stress (42°C), anesthetized rats were divided into 2 major groups and given 0.9% NaCl solution (10 mL/kg of body weight, intravenously) or LPS (10 mg/kg of body weight, intravenously). On heat exposure, the occurrence of both hyperthermia (>42.0°C) and hypotension (mean arterial pressure <50 mm Hg) was taken as the time point for heatstroke onset. Results:The LPS-treated, but not the saline-treated, animals underwent the heat stress for 52 minutes, displayed heatstroke syndromes. As compared with those of the saline controls, the LPS-treated rats had higher extent of activated inflammation (evidenced by increased plasma levels of interleukin-1&bgr;, tumor necrosis factor-&agr;, and interleukin-6), hypercoagulable state (evidenced by increased levels of prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, and D-dimer, but decreased levels of both protein C and platelet counts), and multiorgan apoptosis and dysfunction (evidenced by increased plasma levels of creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase). Conclusion:Our results suggest that pre-existing inflammatory state may exacerbate the multiorgan injury during heat exposure. This tends to promote that pre-existing infection or sepsis may increase the risk of heatstroke.