cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of in vitro lymphoproliferative responses and antibody formation following subcutaneous injection of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and Wolinella recta in a murine model.

The potential of Wolinella recta and Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans to cause abscesses and induce an immune response was tested in BALB/c mice. Mice were injected subcutaneously with W. recta, A. actinomycetemcomitans or a mixture of these 2 microorganisms. Mice injected with A. actinomycetemcomitans alone, or with both organisms, demonstrated abscesses at the injection site 2 days later, from which pure cultures of A. actinomycetemcomitans were isolated. Mice injected with W. recta had small, flat abscesses at the injection site from which no bacteria could be cultured. W. recta was cultured from injection sites only when associated with A. actinomycetemcomitans. Mice developed positive serum IgG antibody responses to W. recta by 20 days post-injection but not to A. actinomycetemcomitans whether injected in pure culture or mixed infection. In vitro lymphoproliferative responses following injection of W. recta and/or A. actinomycetemcomitans resulted in increased lymphocyte reactivity in unstimulated cultures and decreased in vitro responses to phytohemagglutinin. In vitro lymphoproliferative responses to Escherichia coil LPS or Salmonella typhimurium LPS were depressed in mice injected with A. actinomycetemcomitans, but not in mice injected with W. recta.
A CELL MODEL TO ASSESS PROTEIN SYNTHESIS AND AMINO ACID POOLS IN NEONATES

The relation of protein synthesis (PS) to extracellular (EC) and intracellular (IC) amino acid (AA) pools, birthweight, gestational age and postnatal weight change in human neonates is unknown. Viable neutrophils isolated from 1-2 ml venous blood were used as a cell model to evaluate these relationships in 35 infants with complete data at 33 to 44 weeks postconceptual age (2d-14 weeks postnatal age), PS (3H-leucine incorp, p moles/hr/mg DNA) and 19 cell AA (n moles/mg DNA) were quantified in the leukocytes and 19 AAs in the same plasma (n moles/ml) (Dionex high pressure AA analyzer, fluorometric detection). No significant (p <.05) correlations were detected between PS and individual plasma AAs. PS was correlated with 11 of 19 IC AAs and with sets of both essential (ESSAA) and nonessential (NESSAA) IC AAs. PS also was inversely (−) correlated with birthwt., gest.age, postconceptual age and weight at time of study. When studied in a stepwise multiple regression of PS on the age-weight variables, weight at study was the only variable selected by the model and accounted for 20% (R2=.205, p=0.006) of the variance in PS. Of the AAs, the IC ESSA As were the only set explaining a significant proportion of the variance in PS (R2=0.274, p=0.001). Thus it appears that the smaller and more preterm the infant, the greater the rate of protein synthesis; which, in turn, is more closely related to levels of IC ESSA As than to plasma concentrations of the AAs. Measures of protein synthesis and IC AAs are feasible, even in neonates, and should contribute significantly to formulation and evaluation of therapies designed to improve these modalities.
INVERSE RELATIONS BETWEEN PREFERENCE AND CONTRAST

Pigeons were trained on a multiple schedule in which two target components with identical reinforcement schedules were followed by either the same-valued schedule or by extinction. Response rate increased in both target components but was higher in the target component followed by extinction, replicating previous findings of positive anticipatory contrast. A similar design was used to study negative contrast, in that the two target components were followed either by the same-valued schedule or by a higher valued schedule. Negative contrast occurred equally, on average, in both target components, thus failing to demonstrate negative contrast that is specifically anticipatory in nature. When the stimuli correlated with the two target components were paired in choice tests, the pattern of preference was in the opposite direction. For the positive contrast procedure, no significant preference between the two target stimuli was evident. But for the negative contrast procedure, preference favored the stimulus followed by the higher valued schedule. The results demonstrate a functional dissociation between positive and negative contrast in relation to stimulus value. More generally, the results demonstrate an inverse relation between response rate and preference and challenge existing accounts of contrast in terms of the concept of relative value.
Psoriasis: depression, anxiety, smoking, and drinking habits

Psoriasis is a chronic disease that can negatively impact many aspects of quality of life. Patients with psoriasis may suffer from pain and discomfort from the disease as well as psychological and social difficulties including stigmatization, embarrassment, and social inhibition. Anxiety, depression, smoking, and alcohol abuse have been found to have a higher prevalence among psoriasis patients than healthy controls. These comorbidities have also been found to have a directly negative impact on psoriasis. Awareness of the relationship between psoriasis, psychiatric disorders, and substance abuse is important for dermatologists, as these comorbidities can lead to poor compliance and treatment outcomes.
Modeling Measures of Float Monetization for Quantitative Risk Management of Construction Projects

Risk is ever-present and manifests itself in different ways in construction projects of all sizes and complexities. Its most recognizable and quantifiable form is schedule risk, which is related to float within a project, i.e. its flexibility to absorb delays. Allocating, owning, valuing, and expending such float in network schedules has been debated since the inception of the critical path method. This research investigates the first element of a three-part approach that models how float may be mitigated by allocating, correlating, and valuing it so that it may eventually become traded as a commodity, an unrequited concept in construction engineering and management. Mathematical voting models that are based on the power of a single entity to change the outcome of an election are explored as analogies for the interactions of participants in construction projects: Disparate entities, here subcontractors, participate in a complex decision-making process subject to constraints and uncertainties as to whether the project will be on time. Risk measurement is explored through the Penrose-Banzhaf 'square root law', which allocates voting power based on the square root of the population where voting rights are not equally divided. It newly adapts this theory to allocate float among participants and their activities, who likewise have unequal individual durations, values, and positions in the network, based on the square root of their respective population elements: Schedule duration or contract value. Recognizing the impact of each entity on the project outcome represents the first element of the model - allocating tradable float.
Exploring Text-Based Electronic Mail Surveys as a Means of Primary Data Collection

This paper reviews literature about on-line research and primary data collection using electronic mail. Response rate results from a text-based e-mail survey conducted in a metropolitan organizational market are discussed. Managerial implications and directions for further research are presented.
Applying generalised cross-validation to image restoration

Generalised cross-validation (GCV) is a method often used to choose the order of a model or the degree of smoothing for fitting a function to noisy values. It can also help in the design of a restoration filter for an image degraded by known uniform blur and the addition of an unknown amount of uncorrelated noise. Inefficiencies in its use can be removed by processing in the Fourier domain and reducing constraints on the filter to a carefully-chosen few. The analysis gives a useful insight into how GCV works and how to improve it. Examples of its application to image restoration are given. >
Item Response Theory Models and Testing Practices: Current International Status and Future Directions* , **

Psychological testing has been undergoing major changes. One of the main changes is the transition from the use of classical to modern test models and methods in test development. The purposes of this paper are to describe the shortcomings of classical test models which are overcome with modern test theory, i.e., item response theory, to introduce the basic concepts of item response theory, to describe several important international applications of item response theory models, and finally, to describe some likely IRT directions in the next century.
Paternity and paternal effort in the pumpkinseed sunfish

Theoretical models suggest that males should adjust their parental effort according to paternity when parental effort is costly, paternity varies amongclutches, and males have a cue to assess paternity. To date,nearly all tests of this theory havebeen conducted using birds as model organisms. In this study we examined these three factors and the relationship between paternity and male parental care in a fish system. In the pumpkinseed sunfish (Lepomis gibbosus), parental care is provided exclusively by males (parentals), but some males (sneakers) parasitize others by sneaking fertilizations. Parental males significantly lost weight during the parental care period. Clutch size and amount of parental effort did not affect a male’s probability of obtaining more eggs. Paternitywasvariableamongbroods.Theproportionofyoungsiredbyaparentalmalewasnotassociatedwithfrequencyoffanning eggs or defense of hatched young, but was positively correlated with levels of nest defense during the egg stage. Egg survivorship might restrict an adjustment of fanning behavior, and a general decline in parental behavior (with brood age) might explain the lack of adjustment once the eggs hatch. Parental males did not adjust their care when we experimentally manipulated one possible cue of paternity. Together, these results indicate that male pumpkinseeds do adjust their care in relation to paternity, but the cues used to assess paternity are not clear. Key words: alternative strategies, parental care, paternity, pumpkinseed sunfish. [Behav Ecol]
Inhibiting the inhibitors: evaluating agents targeting cancer immunosuppression

Importance of the field: Immunotherapy of cancer has not improved disease-free or overall patient survival. The lack of concordance between immunological and clinical responses in cancer immunotherapy trials is thought to result from the pervasive presence of tumor-driven immune suppression that allows tumor to escape and that has not been adequately targeted by current therapies.Areas covered in this review: Because multiple mechanisms of tumor induced suppression have been identified and shown to contribute to tumor escape, the opportunity arises to interfere with these mechanisms. A range of known tumor-derived inhibitors can now be blocked or neutralized by biologic or metabolic agents. Used alone or in combination with each other or with conventional cancer therapies, these agents offer novel therapeutic strategies for the control of tumor escape.What the reader will gain: This review deals with currently available inhibitors for counteracting tumor immune escape. The restoration of effective anti-tu...
Turbine Bypass Remote Augmentor Lift System for V/STOL Aircraft

The study of a turbine bypass remote augmentor lift system for V/STOL aircraft was designed to identify the most promising turbine bypass engine cycle for combination with a remote augmentor lift system and to evaluate the merits of this combination relative to other V/STOL propulsion concepts. Three candidate TBE cycles selected for study were: 15%-bleed TBE with simple RALS, 30%-bleed TBE with simple RALS, and 15%-bleed TBE with a turbocompressor-RALS combination. Conventional turbofan-RALS and lift-plus-lift/cruise concepts provided bases for comparison. A preliminary design was developed for each propulsion concept and airplane configuration. All the aircraft were resized for equivalent capability using a supersonic deck-launched intercept mission, specified combat performance, and hover load capability. Fair comparisons could then be based on takeoff gross weight and life-cycle cost. The turbocompressor RALS design was chosen as the best TBE-powered concept based on TOGW, LCC, and alternate mission performance, as well as operational design considerations. Sizing and performance results, together with studies of variations of design ground rules and mission requirements, indicate that overall this TBE-RALS configuration was superior to the turbofan-RALS design and competitive with L + LC.
Peptide folding driven by Van der Waals interactions

Contrary to the widespread view that hydrogen bonding and its entropy effect play a dominant role in protein folding, folding into helical and hairpin-like structures is observed in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations without hydrogen bonding in the peptide-solvent system. In the widely used point charge model, hydrogen bonding is calculated as part of the interaction between atomic partial charges. It is removed from these simulations by setting atomic charges of the peptide and water to zero. Because of the structural difference between the peptide and water, van der Waals (VDW) interactions favor peptide intramolecular interactions and are a major contributing factor to the structural compactness. These compact structures are amino acid sequence dependent and closely resemble standard secondary structures, as a consequence of VDW interactions and covalent bonding constraints. Hydrogen bonding is a short range interaction and it locks the approximate structure into the specific secondary structure when it is included in the simulation. In contrast to standard molecular simulations where the total energy is dominated by charge-charge interactions, these simulation results will give us a new view of the folding mechanism.
A correlation with exon expression approach to identify cis-regulatory elements for tissue-specific alternative splicing

Correlation of motif occurrences with gene expression intensity is an effective strategy for elucidating transcriptional cis-regulatory logic. Here we demonstrate that this approach can also identify cis-regulatory elements for alternative pre-mRNA splicing. Using data from a human exon microarray, we identified 56 cassette exons that exhibited higher transcript-normalized expression in muscle than in other normal adult tissues. Intron sequences flanking these exons were then analyzed to identify candidate regulatory motifs for muscle-specific alternative splicing. Correlation of motif parameters with gene-normalized exon expression levels was examined using linear regression and linear splines on RNA words and degenerate weight matrices, respectively. Our unbiased analysis uncovered multiple candidate regulatory motifs for muscle-specific splicing, many of which are phylogenetically conserved among vertebrate genomes. The most prominent downstream motifs were binding sites for Fox1- and CELF-related splicing factors, and a branchpoint-like element acuaac; pyrimidine-rich elements resembling PTB-binding sites were most significant in upstream introns. Intriguingly, our systematic study indicates a paucity of novel muscle-specific elements that are dominant in short proximal intronic regions. We propose that Fox and CELF proteins play major roles in enforcing the muscle-specific alternative splicing program, facilitating expression of unique isoforms of cytoskeletal proteins critical to muscle cell function.
Solar sources of geomagnetic storms

Because geomagnetic storms can have important effects on communications and electrical power distribution, an ability to predict these storms has considerable value. We have recently come to understand that coronal mass ejections (CMEs) cause most large geomagnetic storms during the most active part of the solar cycle [Gosling et al., 1991]. CMEs are huge eruptions of hydrogen gas that originate low in the corona; they are often associated with eruptive prominences and solar flares. CMEs can travel as much as three or four times faster than the slower solar wind plasma ahead of them. As a fast CME travels outward through the solar wind toward Earth, both the material ahead of the CME and the leading portion of the CME itself are compressed, shocks are formed, and magnetic field lines from the ambient solar wind are draped across the front of the CME. When this disturbance reaches the Earth, the Earth's magnetic field is affected.
Dynamins at a glance.

The superfamily of dynamins includes classical dynamins and dynamin-related proteins. Classical dynamins are proteins that share sequence similarity with the first described dynamin, which is a large GTPase with five characteristic domains. Dynamin-related proteins differ from classical dynamins in
Explaining Australian Economic Success: Good Policy or Good Luck?

Australia and some European countries experienced economic “miracles” in the 1990s that reversed prior poor export, employment, and fiscal performance. The miracles might provide transferable lessons about economic governance if it were true that economic governance institutions are malleable, and that actors deliberately changed those institutions in ways that contributed to the miracles. This paper analyzes Australian policy responses to see whether remediation should be attributed to pluck (intentional, strategic remediation of dysfunctional institutions to make them conform with the external environment), luck (environmental change that makes formerly dysfunctional institutions suddenly functional), or just being stuck (endogenous or path-dependent change that brings institutions into conformity with the environment). These distinctions help establish whether actors can consciously engineer institutional change that is “off-path.” While pluck appears to explain more than either stuck or luck in the Australian case, the analysis suggests that both off-path behavior and policy transfer are probably rare.
Characterization of a new Streptomyces strain, DS3024, that causes potato common scab.

A novel strain of Streptomyces (named DS3024) was isolated from a potato field in Michigan in 2006. The taxonomy of the organism was determined by morphology, biochemistry, and genetic analysis. Analysis of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequence indicated that the organism was most similar to an isolate of Streptomyces sp., ME02-6979.3a, which is not pathogenic to potato tubers but is distinct from other known pathogenic Streptomyces spp. Strain DS3024 has genes that encode thaxtomin synthetase (txtAB), which is required for pathogenicity and virulence, and tomatinase (tomA), which is a common marker for many pathogenic Streptomyces spp. However, the nec1 gene (associated with virulence in most pathogenic Streptomyces spp.) was not detected. The new strain was capable of growth at pH 4.5, caused necrosis on potato tuber slices, and produced thaxtomin A. In greenhouse experiments, DS3024 caused scab symptoms on potato tubers similar to those caused by Streptomyces scabies on tubers of potato cv. Atlantic, which is scab susceptible. We propose that DS3024 is a new strain of Streptomyces capable of causing common scab on potato tubers. The prevalence of this strain of Streptomyces in potato-producing areas in the north-central United States has not been determined.
Characterization of cis-regulatory elements controlling repo transcription in Drosophila melanogaster.

Abstract The glial cells missing ( gcm ) gene has been identified as a “master regulator” of glial cell fate in the fruit fly Drosophila . However, gcm is also expressed in and required for the development of larval macrophages and tendon cells. Thus, the Gcm protein activates the transcription of different sets of genes in different developmental contexts. How the Gcm protein regulates these different outcomes is not known. Our goal is to identify proteins that collaborate with Gcm to promote the transcriptional activation of Gcm target genes specifically in glial cells, or prevent their activation in the other tissues in which Gcm is expressed. To address this, we have focused on the transcriptional regulation of a well-characterized glial-specific Gcm target gene, the transcription factor reversed polarity ( repo ). We aim to understand how the transcription of the glial-specific Gcm target gene repo is regulated by Gcm and other factors. Previously we defined a 4.3 kb cis -regulatory DNA region that recapitulates the endogenous Repo expression pattern dependent on multiple Gcm binding sites. We proposed that there may be multiple cis -regulatory sub-regions that drive cell-specific expression independent of Gcm binding sites. Here, using lacZ reporter activity in transgenic lines, we have characterized three cis -regulatory elements: 1) a distal element that promotes expression in dorsolateral epidermis; 2) a repressor element that suppresses expression in the epidermis; and, 3) a proximal element that promotes expression in a subset of cell body glia. Most significantly, we have defined a minimal cis -regulatory element that recapitulates the endogenous repo expression pattern dependent on a single Gcm binding site.
Filoviruses: Recent Advances and Future Challenges

The hemorrhagic fevers caused by the two genera of filoviruses, Ebola and Marburg, are among the most severe of human infections. Outbreaks occur sporadically and unpredictably in central Africa, s...
C. Wright Mills, Power Structure Research, and the Failures of Mainstream Political Science

“Power Reconsidered” was the theme of the Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association in 2006. In a steady stream of analytically focused and empirically rich books and articles ov...
Gaussian process regression flow for analysis of motion trajectories

Recognition of motions and activities of objects in videos requires effective representations for analysis and matching of motion trajectories. In this paper, we introduce a new representation specifically aimed at matching motion trajectories. We model a trajectory as a continuous dense flow field from a sparse set of vector sequences using Gaussian Process Regression. Furthermore, we introduce a random sampling strategy for learning stable classes of motions from limited data. Our representation allows for incrementally predicting possible paths and detecting anomalous events from online trajectories. This representation also supports matching of complex motions with acceleration changes and pauses or stops within a trajectory. We use the proposed approach for classifying and predicting motion trajectories in traffic monitoring domains and test on several data sets. We show that our approach works well on various types of complete and incomplete trajectories from a variety of video data sets with different frame rates.
Amino acids in the rhizosphere: From plants to microbes

Often referred to as the "building blocks of proteins", the 20 canonical proteinogenic amino acids are ubiquitous in biological systems as the functional units in proteins. Sometimes overlooked are their varying additional roles that include serving as metabolic intermediaries, playing structural roles in bioactive natural products, acting as cosubstrates in enzymatic transformations, and as key regulators of cellular physiology. Amino acids can also serve as biological sources of both carbon and nitrogen and are found in the rhizosphere as a result of lysis or cellular efflux from plants and microbes and proteolysis of existing peptides. While both plants and microbes apparently prefer to take up nitrogen in its inorganic form, their ability to take up and use amino acids may confer a selective advantage in certain environments where organic nitrogen is abundant. Further, certain amino acids (e.g., glutamate and proline) and their betaines (e.g., glycine betaine) serve as compatible solutes necessary for osmoregulation in plants and microbes and can undergo rapid cellular flux. This ability is of particular importance in an ecological niche such as the rhizosphere, which is prone to significant variations in solute concentrations. Amino acids are also shown to alter key phenotypes related to plant root growth and microbial colonization, symbiotic interactions, and pathogenesis in the rhizosphere. This review will focus on the sources, transport mechanisms, and potential roles of the 20 canonical proteinogenic amino acids in the rhizosphere.
Bridging the LIS-Practitioner Gap: Some Frames for Research

There is a divide between published research from library school (LIS) faculty and the use of these publications by practitioners in the field. This article suggests ways to bridge the gap between theory and practice. The suggestions are ways to frame the analyses of useful research areas that can help us improve the practice of librarianship. The first two, structural secrecy and improvisation, are operational in nature and deal with the day-to-day procedures. The third, naturalistic decision making, concerns making choices in the performance of duties. The fourth area, tacit knowledge, is the assumptions rooted in our knowledge of professional and institutional values. The fifth topic, activity theory, may elicit a holistic examination of our activities to study, for example, the efficacy of specific reference practices within the context of a particular library and institution. The final topic is assessment, which helps us decide if we are doing the right things, and, if so, doing them well.
Structural Defects in InSb Quantum Wells Grown on GaAs (001) Substrates via Al0.09In0.91Sb/GaSb-AlSb Strained Layer Superlattice/AlSb/GaSb Buffer Layers

Structural defects in InSb quantum well (QW) samples have been investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Using molecular beam epitaxy, an InSb QW with remotely-doped Al0.09In0.91Sb barriers was grown on a GaAs (001) substrate with buffer layers consisting of, in order from the substrate: 1 μm of GaSb, 1 μm of AlSb, 50 nm of GaSb-AlSb strained layer superlattice (SLS), and 3 μm of Al0.09In0.91Sb. Cross-sectional TEM analysis indicates that high densities of threading dislocations (TDs) are created at the two highly lattice-mismatched interfaces, the Al0.09In0.91Sb/GaSb-AlSb SLS and the GaSb/GaAs interfaces. Pairs of stereo images taken from plan-view TEM (PV-TEM) specimens show that TDs propagate through the InSb QW layer. The densities of TDs and micro-twin (MT) defects measured by PV-TEM are 9×108/cm2 and 4×103/cm, respectively. These values are worse than those in an InSb QW layer grown with a different buffer layer by a factor of ∼4. The different buffer layer contains an InSb interlayer that effectively filters out both TDs and MTs. Adopting an interlayer structure and reducing the GaSb and AlSb layer thickness may make it possible to fabricate a lower-defect-density yet thinner InSb QW sample with the type of buffer layer examined in this study.
Vortex collisions and energy-dissipation rates in the Ginzburg–Landau heat flow. Part I: Study of the perturbed Ginzburg–Landau equation

We study vortices for solutions of the perturbed Ginzburg-Landau equations $\Delta u+ \frac{1}{\ep2} u(1-|u|^2)=\a$ where $\a$ is estimated in $L2$. We prove upper bounds for the Ginzburg-Landau energy in terms of $\|\a\|_{L2}$, and obtain lower bounds for $\|\a\|_{L2}$ in term of the vortices when these form ``unbalanced clusters" where $\sum_i d_i2\neq \(\sum_i d_i\)2$. These results will serve in Part II of this paper \cite{part2} to provide estimates on the energy-dissipation rates for solutions of the Ginzburg-Landau heat-flow, which allow to study various phenomena occurring in this flow, among which vortex-collisions; allowing in particular to extend the dynamical law of vortices passed collisions.
Targeting DNA repair pathways in AML

Cancer cells often have DNA repair pathway deficiencies, which render cancer more sensitive to treatment but can also cause resistance if the DNA repair pathway is restored. By using DNA repair pathway inhibitors, cancers can be resensitized to conventional therapies, such as radiation and chemotherapy. There are 6 major DNA repair pathways, and each pathway has druggable targets and biomarkers to identify pathway activity. DNA repair inhibitors, such as poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors, may be useful in a small subset of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients, especially those who have complex karyotypes or those with secondary AML. Biomarkers in the Fanconi anemia repair pathway may provide a predictor to identify this subset of patients who are sensitive to this new class of drugs.
Bipolar cells of the chick retina containing α-bungarotoxin-sensitive nicotinic acetylcholine receptors

Two cDNA clones for nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subunits sensitive to alpha-bungarotoxin (alpha-Bgt) have been isolated, the so-called alpha-Bgt binding proteins alpha 1 (or alpha 7 nAChR subunit) and alpha 2 (or alpha 8 nAChR subunit). Immunohistochemical experiments have shown that both alpha 7 and alpha 8 subunits, as well as subunits insensitive to alpha-Bgt (beta 2 and alpha 3), are present in amacrine and ganglion cells of the chick retina. However, only the alpha 8 subunit was observed in presumptive bipolar cells. The present study investigated in detail the pattern of distribution of the bipolar cells containing the alpha 8 nAChR subunit and its relation to the pattern of distribution of bipolar cells immunoreactive to protein kinase C (PKC). Presumptive alpha 8- and PKC-like immunoreactive (alpha 8-LI and PKC-LI) bipolar cells were observed sending their dendrites to the outer plexiform layers and their axons to the inner plexiform layer. Whereas alpha 8-LI bipolar cells corresponded to 40-53% of the whole population of bipolar cells, PKC-LI bipolar cells represented only 6-8% of the same population. The soma sizes of the alpha 8-LI bipolar cells were slightly smaller (mean +/- S.D.; 4.9 +/- 0.8 microns) than the soma sizes of the PKC-LI bipolar cells (5.4 +/- 0.9 microns). Double-labeling experiments indicated that probably all PKC-LI bipolar cells also contain alpha 8-LI. This indicates that two distinct groups of cholinoceptive bipolar cells exist in the chick retina, one that contains PKC-LI, and another one that does not.
Synergy between docosahexaenoic acid and butyrate elicits p53-independent apoptosis via mitochondrial Ca2+ accumulation in colonocytes

Butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid fiber fermentation product, induces colonocyte apoptosis in part via a Fas-mediated (extrinsic) pathway. In previous studies, we demonstrated that docosahexaenoic...
ANALYSIS OF THE PRIVATIZATION PROCESS IN POLAND IN THE YEARS 2008-2011 - OUTCOMES AND PROSPECTS †1

The paper focuses on the analysis of the privatization process conducted in the years 2008-2011 with an attempt to show a broad picture of privatization in Poland, indicate resources that still exist although hidden and show government practices in making privatization more effective or, on the contrary, in carrying out quasi-privatization practices. Three main issues are discussed. First, the privatization process that took place in 2008-2011 seems to be to some extent only sham privatization - many of the companies were simply communalized, or transferred to other state-controlled companies and various government agencies. Thus, contrary to opinions expressed by the government officials, the privatization process is far from being terminated. A new approach used by the Ministry of Treasury is to create special purpose vehicles in order to sell the state-controlled assets more effectively. It turns out that 76% of privatized enterprises in the years 2008-2011 were sold via a tender or auction mechanism - the rest can be considered sham privatization. Huge resources are still to be privatized the companies have to be identified and should report to one government agency. The novelty is the government’s approach to privatization which involves packing assets into one market attractive entity. The hypothesis verification is preceded with analysis of privatization in Poland in the years 1989-2007, its relations with politics and the economic situation.
Role of AT1 receptor-mediated salt retention in angiotensin II-dependent hypertension

Activation of type 1 angiotensin II (AT1) receptors in the kidney promotes blood pressure elevation and target organ damage, but whether renal AT1 receptors influence the level of hypertension by s...
COMMENTARY ON A NEUROENDOCRINE APPROACH TO PATIENTS WITH TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY.

Abbreviations: GCS = Glasgow Coma Scale mTBI = mild traumatic brain injury PTHP = posttraumatic hypopituitarism TBI = traumatic brain injury
The Molecular Genetics of Hemophilia A and B in Man

Hemophilias are relatively common inherited disorders of blood coagulation arising from deficiency of two different clotting factors VIII and IX. Hemophilia A, or classic hemophilia, is associated with abnormality of factor VIII and affects about 1 in every 10,000 males; hemophilia B, or Christmas disease, is associated with abnormality of factor IX and affects about 1 in every 50,000 males (McKee, 1983). Both factors are involved in the middle phase of the intrinsic clotting cascade, which consists of several inactive proteases and cofactors that are serially activated in response to an initial stimulus. The end product of the cascade is the production of the insoluble fibrin from the soluble protein fibrinogen. Fibrin then forms a filamentous network and stabilizes the platelet plug. Factor IX is a serine protease, which after proteolytic cleavage by factor XIa becomes activated (IXa) and with the help of factor VIII:Ca, Ca2+, and phospholipid activates factor X. Factor VIII in its “activated” form VIII:Ca is actually a cofactor for the activation of factor X [see Jackson and Nemerson (1980) for review].
Epidemiology of the reported severity of cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus) snakebite.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to analyze trends in the annual rates of reported medical outcomes of cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus) snakebites in the United States, published in the annual reports of the American Association of Poison Control Centers in the course of 29 years. METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of medical outcomes for cottonmouth snakebite victims who developed fatal, major, moderate, minor, or no effects. The annual rates for these medical outcomes were calculated by dividing the annual number of patients in each outcome category by the total annual number of people reported as being bitten by cottonmouths. Negative binomial regression was used to examine trends in annual rates. RESULTS: From 1985 through 2011, after controlling for the availability of CroFab, the annual incidence rate of cottonmouth snakebites causing no effect decreased significantly by 7.3%/year (incidence rate ratio [IRR] 0.927, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.885-0.970), the incidence rate of minor outcomes did not change significantly (IRR 0.989, CI 0.974-1.006), the incidence rate of moderate outcomes increased significantly by 2.3%/year (IRR 1.023, CI 1.004-1.042), and the incidence rate of major outcomes did not change significantly (IRR 0.987, CI 0.935-1.041). One fatality was reported in 2011. CONCLUSIONS: Annual rates of cottonmouth snakebites producing no effects decreased significantly, those producing minor outcomes did not change significantly, those producing moderate outcomes increased significantly, and those producing major outcomes did not change significantly, from 1985 through 2011. Language: en
A novel method to quantify the complex mask patterns

Immersion technology has successfully extends the application of ArF lithography in the semiconductor. However, as we further push the k 1 factor below 0.3, the patterning fidelities degrade significantly. In this paper, a novel method to quantify the mask fidelity of complex 2D patterns is proposed. With this method, the critical dimension (CD) error of both edge placement error (EPE) and corner rounding can be well described by using 2 indices "bias" and "blur" respectively. The "bias" is defined as the CD offset between the mask and the targets, and the "blur" is a derived term that can well represent the mask rounding. These 2 indices are not only able to describe the mask quality but also able to link with model parameters that are used in optical proximity correction (OPC) and some other applications. In this paper, we demonstrate the methodology and quantify the actual mask quality on the complex and critical 2D patterning in the advanced nodes.
Medical Student Perceptions of Healthy Lifestyles: A Qualitative Study

Medical student’s commitment to personal and professional health promotion decreases during their 4 years of medical school. Changes in their personal health behaviors are accompanied by a congruent set of changes in their attitudes regarding health promotion. The purpose of this qualitative study was to learn more about medical student attitudes about healthy lifestyles. Focus group sessions were conducted among 45 volunteer medical students at West Virginia University School of Medicine using a 9 question script. Healthy lifestyles were defined as balancing the emotional, physical, social, and spiritual aspects of life. Although no differences were observed between basic and clinical science students with regard to their stated priorities, stark differences were observed with regard to their openness to learning about lifestyle, where basic science students were more receptive.
Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return Insights Into Prenatal Detection

Objectives To review all cases of total anomalous pulmonary venous return (TAPVR) or partial anomalous pulmonary venous return (PAPVR) identified prenatally or postnatally at a single institution and to identify factors that may lead to a correct or missed diagnosis in both high- and low-risk fetuses on screening examinations. Methods Fetal images from 16 cases of prenatally or postnatally diagnosed T/PAPVR were retrospectively reviewed to analyze factors that influenced interpretations and diagnoses. Results Sixteen diagnoses of T/PAPVR were made, with a final number of 10 confirmed cases, 1 of which was PAPVR. Ten fetuses with a presumptive diagnosis of T/PAPVR before delivery were at an average gestational age of 24.7 weeks, with 5 cases diagnosed postnatally. None of the diagnoses of isolated TAPVR were made during a screening examination. Twelve of the pregnancies were complicated by complex cardiac defects, including 6 with heterotaxy syndromes. Of the 5 abnormal cases identified in the postpartum period, 3 had isolated TAPVR. In the 3 patients with isolated defects, prenatal echocardiography was not performed; the anatomy scan interpretations were confounded by multiple factors. In retrospect, there was no obvious sonographic evidence of TAPVR in these patients; however, color flow Doppler imaging of the pulmonary veins was not performed on any of them. Conclusions Although fetal echocardiography has improved the overall detection of TAPVR or PAPVR, this abnormality continues to elude prenatal diagnosis during screening in both low- and high-risk patients. We hypothesize that the use of color flow Doppler imaging in the 4-chamber view may assist in diagnosing TAPVR in screening low-risk patients, especially in those with difficult scans.
Accessibility and effectiveness of sources of information about HIV/AIDS in a rural population.

Objectives To determine the accessibility and effectiveness of different sources of information about human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) in a rural population. Methods A total of 152 (58.6% women, 76.2% nonwhite) respondents living in rural southeast Louisiana completed a questionnaire assessing demographics, exposure to information about HIV/AIDS, and prevalence of HIV-related risk and protective behaviors. Differences by number and type of information sources accessed in prevalence of these behaviors were assessed using regression and multivariate analyses of variance. Results HIV-related information was widely accessible, with most respondents having obtained information from mass media and approximately half having been exposed to information from small media and interpersonal contacts. Small media and interpersonal source exposure was positively associated with greater likelihood of asking casual and steady partners about their HIV status. Although it was the most common factor, exposure to information from mass media was overall not significantly associated with the prevalence of risk or protective behaviors. Conclusions HIV-related information sources are being used by individuals living in rural regions. Unfortunately, exposure to such information was only weakly or not at all associated with the prevalence of most risk and protective factors. It can be concluded that HIV-related information, although accessible, has at best minimal effects on behaviors. More work is needed to increase the effectiveness of information about HIV/AIDS disseminated in rural regions.
The Eighth Edition Lung Cancer Stage Classification

Stage classification provides a nomenclature about the anatomic extent of a cancer; a consistent language provides the ability to communicate about a specific patient and about cohorts of patients in clinical studies. This paper summarizes the eighth edition of lung cancer stage classification, which is the worldwide standard as of January 1, 2017. This revision is based on a large global database, a sophisticated analysis, extensive internal validation as well as multiple assessments confirming generalizability. Practicing clinicians must be familiar with the stage classification system when managing contemporary patients with lung cancer.
Acute Myeloid Leukemia - Many Diseases, Many Treatments.

Patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) generally receive stereotypical treatment.1 For example, young patients receive cytarabine for 7 days and an anthracycline for 3 days (known as “7+3 induction”). Thus treated, some groups, predictably, have an approximately 50% chance of “cure” (“favorable risk”) whereas others, also predictably, have a survival of 6 to 18 months (“unfavorable risk”). This nonrandom heterogeneity after homogeneous treatment suggests that, like pneumonia, AML is several diseases. Today, AML is primarily defined according to leukemia-cell karyotype and an increasing number of molecular aberrations.2 It follows that different types of AML should ideally be treated differently. This . . .
Introducing a Sport Experience Design (SX) framework for sport consumer behaviour research

Abstract Sport Management Review celebrates 20 years of publishing research, and this milestone provides an opportunity to reflect on sport consumer research and offer possible directions for scholarship. This article utilizes a panel of 17 academic scholars to examine sport consumer research published in SMR as an exemplar; and then, more broadly, how to enhance sport consumer research and identify future trends in the sport industry. This information, combined with an article analysis, revealed two key findings. First, the quality of scholarship was acknowledged with noted weaknesses related to improving and diversifying methodology, stronger attention to theoretical development, and relevance to industry. Second, traditional boundaries of sport consumer research will expand due to technology, a broadening sport landscape, and links to other academic disciplines. In order to account for industry trends and address noted theoretical limitations, a Sport Experience Design (SX) framework is introduced, which consists of three interrelated elements: (a) the sport context in which a sport consumer navigates through an experience and interacts with touchpoints, (b) the sport user, with mental processes, psychological needs, and personal characteristics, and (c) the sport organization, which produces the sport experience to achieve organizational goals. The framework provides a holistic consumer-centred approach that considers cognitive, organizational, and physical relevant design factors that enhance customer satisfaction and engagement by improving use and pleasure of sport experiences.
Characteristics of northward propagating intraseasonal oscillation in the Indian summer monsoon.

Indian summer monsoon exhibits strong northward propagation in intraseasonal timescale [intraseasonal oscillations (ISO)] from the equatorial Indian Ocean (EIO) to the foothills of the Himalayas. Initiation of this northward march is often marked by a strong convective activity over the EIO, which could be associated with Madden–Julian Oscillation. Satellite derived rainfall and reanalysis products are used to unravel different characteristics of ISO in terms of strength, extent and speed at different times. Eastern EIO convective events are grouped into two categories based on the intensities of the simultaneous rainfall anomalies over central India (CI). Northward propagation from EIO is observed to be much stronger and slower when CI experiences strong dry anomaly at the time of initiation of northward march of convection near the equator. Essentially, a first northward propagating dry lobe seems to impact the behavior of the next arriving wet lobe. Distinctive features in Rossby waves emanated from the eastern EIO and different surface and atmospheric conditions over the region in the two different cases are observed. Strong dry conditions over CI favors strong easterly vertical wind-shear, which eventually helps destabilizing the atmosphere. Upper tropospheric meridional temperature gradient over the region modulates the variation in vertical wind-shear via thermal wind balance. These conditions are favorable for generation of strong boundary layer convergence to the north of the convective band, producing strong northward propagation. These results indicate the dual role of convection near the equator and dryness over CI in modulating the northward march of rainfall over India.
Infant perception of sex differences in biological motion displays.

Abstract We examined mechanisms underlying infants’ ability to categorize human biological motion stimuli from sex-typed walk motions, focusing on how visual attention to dynamic information in point-light displays (PLDs) contributes to infants' social category formation. We tested for categorization of PLDs produced by women and men by habituating infants to a series of female or male walk motions and then recording posthabituation preferences for new PLDs from the familiar or novel category (Experiment 1). We also tested for intrinsic preferences for female or male walk motions (Experiment 2). We found that infant boys were better able to categorize PLDs than were girls and that male PLDs were preferred overall. Neither of these effects was found to change with development across the observed age range (∼4–18 months). We conclude that infants’ categorization of walk motions in PLDs is constrained by intrinsic preferences for higher motion speeds and higher spans of motion and, relatedly, by differences in walk motions produced by men and women.