cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lack of protein kinase C-α leads to impaired urine concentrating ability and decreased aquaporin-2 in angiotensin II-induced hypertension

Regulation of water and urea transport in the inner medullary collecting duct is essential for urine concentration. Aquaporin (AQP)2 water channels and urea transporter (UT)-A1 are inserted into the apical membrane upon phosphorylation of the channels to allow the transcellular movement of water and urea. Since ANG II activates PKC in many cell types, we tested the hypothesis that ANG II-induced regulation of water and urea transport is mediated by PKC. Osmotic minipumps delivered ANG II to wild-type (WT) or PKC-α−/− mice for 7 days. Inner medullas were harvested, and protein abundance was determined by immunoblot. ANG II increased systolic blood pressure to a similar degree in WT and PKC-α−/− mice. ANG II had no effect on the urine output of WT mice but increased that of PKC-α−/− mice. In accordance with observed differences in urine output, AQP2 abundance was unchanged in ANG II-treated WT animals but was decreased in PKC-α−/− mice. No change in membrane accumulation was seen. Phosphorylation of the cAMP-induced transcription factor CREB was decreased in PKC-α−/− mice in response to ANG II with no change in overall CREB abndance. ANG II did not alter the abundance of UT-A1 protein in WT or PKC-α−/− mice. Phosphorylation and overall abundance of tonicity-responsive enhancer-binding protein, a transcription factor that regulates UT-A1, were also unaltered by ANG II in either group. We conclude that PKC-α protects against ANG II-induced decreases in urine concentrating ability by maintaining AQP2 levels through CREB phosphorylation.
Scenarios for a Viral Etiology of Schizophrenia

Recent discoveries in the field of virus receptors have revolutionized our concepts of viral pathogenesis. The lysis of cells resulting from virus infection or immune recognition of infected cells is seen as merely one facet of a spectrum of pathogenic mechanisms which may be subtle and complex. This is particularly relevant to the central nervous and immune systems which share cell-surface receptors for various neuropeptides and neurotransmitters. A number of viruses are now known to share receptors for such endogenous ligands; indeed, some viruses (e.g., human immunodeficiency virus and vaccinia) may themselves be structural analogs of these ligands. There is, therefore, considerable scope for interference by viruses in the normal functioning of the brain and neuroendocrine systems. Brief reactive psychoses are occasionally reported as acute sequels to viral infections, but generally these are regarded as unrelated to schizophrenia. An opposite viewpoint is presented in the article: i.e., that the only reason these reactive psychoses do not progress to schizophrenia is that the majority of individuals affected are not predisposed genetically to schizophrenia. Conceivably, therefore, the genetic predisposition to schizophrenia may be attributable to genes which determine idiosyncratic differences in immune responsiveness to common viral pathogens.
Risk Factors for Penicillin-Resistant Systemic Pneumococcal Infections in Children

The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors that may differentiate children who develop systemic infections with resistant strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae from those who develop penicillin-susceptible pneumococcal infections. A retrospective case-controlled study was performed of all patients with positive blood and/or cerebrospinal fluid isolates for S. pneumoniae over a 13½-month period. Patients with penicillin-susceptible strains of S. pneumoniae were compared with those with penicillin-resistant infections in terms of age, race, gender, diagnosis, underlying conditions, antibiotic therapy within 1 month prior to systemic infection, treatment, and outcome. Sixty-nine patients with systemic pneumococcal infections were identified over the study period. Nine (13%) of these patients had infection with a penicillin-resistant isolate. Six of these patients were infected with a relatively resistant strain (MIC 0.1-1.0 μg/mL) while three were infected with a fully resistant strain (MIC ≥ 2.0 μ...
Safe and efficient sharing of persistent objects in Thor

Thor is an object-oriented database system designed for use in a heterogeneous distributed environment. It provides highly-reliable and highly-available persistent storage for objects, and supports safe sharing of these objects by applications written in different programming languages.Safe heterogeneous sharing of long-lived objects requires encapsulation: the system must guarantee that applications interact with objects only by invoking methods. Although safety concerns are important, most object-oriented databases forgo safety to avoid paying the associated performance costs.This paper gives an overview of Thor's design and implementation. We focus on two areas that set Thor apart from other object-oriented databases. First, we discuss safe sharing and techniques for ensuring it; we also discuss ways of improving application performance without sacrificing safety. Second, we describe our approach to cache management at client machines, including a novel adaptive prefetching strategy.The paper presents performance results for Thor, on several OO7 benchmark traversals. The results show that adaptive prefetching is very effective, improving both the elapsed time of traversals and the amount of space used in the client cache. The results also show that the cost of safe sharing can be negligible; thus it is possible to have both safety and high performance.
Extraction chemistry of fermentation product carboxylic acids

Within the framework of a program aiming to improve the existing extractive recovery technology of fermentation products, the state of the art is critically reviewed. The acids under consideration are propionic, lactic, pyruvic, succinic, fumaric, maleic, malic, itaconic, tartaric, citric, and isocitric, all obtained by the aerobic fermentation of glucose via the glycolytic pathway and glyoxylate bypass. With no exception, it is the undissociated monomeric acid that is extracted into carbon-bonded and phosphorus-bonded oxygen donor extractants. In the organic phase, the acids are usually dimerized. The extractive transfer process obeys the Nernst law, and the measured partition coefficients range from about 0.003 for aliphatic hydrocarbons to about 2 to 3 for aliphatic alcohols and ketones to about 10 or more for organophosphates. Equally high distribution ratios are measured when long-chain tertiary amines are employed as extractants, forming bulky salts preferentially soluble in the organic phase.
MODELING AND PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT: THE REMEDY TO TREAT SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENT ISSUES FOR ENTERPRISES IN TODAY'S DIFFICULT ECONOMIC CLIMATE

European economies have been deeply affected by different crises. The impact of the economic crisis on enterprises is now recognized by everybody. Enterprises need to reorganize in order to be better adapted to this situation and to integrate new dimensions in their development. Reduction of cost is not the only way for making enterprises more efficient. It is now clear that a mono-criterion analysis is not adapted to the actual enterprise situation. Enterprises need a multi-criteria analysis by combining quality, cost, lead time but also carbon management, social societal and environmental dimensions. If QCD criteria are already considered as necessary for obtaining the optimum enterprise system, it remains difficult to convince the enterprise management of the opportunity to integrate social, societal and environmental dimensions for improving cost. This need still needs to be clearly demonstrated. This chapter introduces concepts for showing that enterprises would be more efficient, better-organized and adapted to the new changes in society. The reduction of cost is necessary, the increase in enterprise turnover too, but it is also indispensable to change the structure of enterprises. Enterprise modeling (GRAI Methodology) and a tool will be used for illustrating the concepts presented through a detailed case study.
The role of standards in creating community

Participation in the web of communities requires a common language, a common technological structure and development of content that is relevant and captivating. This paper reports on a project that both conserves a rich regional cultural heritage and has structured the content developed during this conservation to be fluidly shared with both the domain and the broader communities. It also examines the varied degrees of acceptance within these communities.
Effect of Antioxidants on the Consumer Acceptance of Irradiated Turkey Meat

Antioxidants had no effect on the production of sulfur compounds, color change, and off-odor intensity of irradiated turkey breast meat, but addition of sesamol tocopherol or gallate tocopherol was effective in reducing thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance values and aldehydes, especially under aerobic con- ditions. Consumers preferred the color of irradiated raw and cooked meat to nonirradiated meat because the pink color of irradiated meat looked fresher. The packaging method was more important than the antioxidant treat- ment in reducing irradiation off-odor because S-compounds produced by irradiation easily volatilized under aerobic packaging conditions. Therefore, the combined use of aerobic packaging and antioxidants is recom- mended to improve consumer acceptance of irradiated poultry meat.
Competitive displacement among post-Paleozoic cyclostome and cheilostome bryozoans

Encrusting bryozoans provide one of the few systems in the fossil record in which ecological competition can be observed directly at local scales. The macroevolutionary history of diversity of cyclostome and cheilostome bryozoans is consistent with a coupled-logistic model of clade displacement predicated on species within clades interacting competitively. The model matches observed diversity history if the model is perturbed by a mass extinction with a position and magnitude analogous to the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary event, Although it is difficult to measure all parameters in the model from fossil data, critical factors are intrinsic rates of extinction, which can be measured. Cyclostomes maintained a rather low rate of extinction, and the model solutions predict that they would lose diversity only slowly as competitively superior species of cheilostomes diversified into their environment. Thus, the microecological record of preserved competitive interactions between cyclostome and cheilostome bryozoans and the macroevolutionary record of global diversity are consistent in regard to competition as a significant influence on diversity histories of post-Paleozoic bryozoans.
The Independence of Judges

Almost all discussions of judicial independence focus on the undeniably important dilemma of executive or legislative interference with the decisions of the judiciary. The common concern of these discussions is the entangling of the three separate branches of government in a way that the judiciary's decisions are pressured or influenced. This is essentially a structural approach, in that judicial independence is conceived of as something arising out of various provisions of the Constitution pertaining to the structure of government. This article considers judicial independence from a different angle, an introspective one, seen through the judges' eyes. An introspective approach seeks to understand judicial independence not by reference to the structural organization of the three branches of government, but by reference to the judge's own perception of her ability to adjudicate cases. Such an understanding of judicial independence reveals that judges occupy a place of high tension, located at the intersection of numerous different restraints and liberties, some not captured by a structural analysis. In particular, introspection highlights the threat to independent adjudication posed by and within the judiciary itself. An introspective approach also shows that many forms of constraint felt by judges that interfere with independent adjudication exist beyond the realm of law and legal doctrine, partaking of the realm of culture. Finally, it shows that the structure of the Constitution, while sometimes important to the perspective of a single judge deciding a single case, is simply one part of the foundation of independence.
Abstract A32: Dairy intake in relation to disease-specific and total mortality after prostate cancer diagnosis

Introduction: Literature is limited regarding post-diagnostic dairy intake and prostate cancer survival. We evaluated dietary intake of total, high-fat, and low-fat dairy in relation to disease-specific and total mortality after prostate cancer diagnosis. Methods: We included 926 men from the Physicians9 Health Study diagnosed with non-metastatic prostate cancer from 1982 to 2012, who completed a food frequency questionnaire a median of 5.1 years after diagnosis and were followed thereafter to assess mortality for a median of 9.9 years. Cox proportional hazards regression estimated the association between frequency categories of dairy intake and prostate cancer-specific and all-cause mortality. Person-years of follow-up were counted from the date of FFQ completion until death or end of follow-up, whichever came first. Models were adjusted for age at diagnosis, total energy intake, vigorous exercise, body mass index, smoking status, clinical stage, Gleason score, prostate specific antigen levels at diagnosis, indicators for prudent dietary pattern and western dietary pattern, and time interval between diagnosis and FFQ completion. Results: A total of 333 men died during follow-up, including 56 due to prostate cancer. Post-diagnosed dairy consumption was relatively limited, with medians of 1.7 servings/day for total dairy intake, 0.64 servings/day for high-fat dairy intake, and 1 serving/day for low-fat dairy intake. Men consuming dairy foods more than 3 times per day had a 76% higher risk of total mortality and a 144% increased risk of prostate cancer specific mortality than those consuming less than one dairy product per day (relative risk (RR)=1.76, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.21, 2.55, Plinear-trend=0.001 for total mortality; RR=2.44, 95%CI: 0.99, 6.03, Plinear-trend=0.03 for disease-specific mortality). For total mortality, high-fat dairy intake (RR≥2 times/day vs Conclusions: Among men diagnosed with non-metastatic prostate cancer, post-diagnostic dairy food intake was associated with greater prostate cancer-specific and all-cause mortality. The associations of low-fat and high-fat dairy were comparable for prostate cancer-specific mortality, while intake of high-fat dairy products may be particularly detrimental for total mortality. Citation Format: Meng Yang, Stacey A. Kenfield, Erin L. Van Blarigan, Kathryn M. Wilson, Julie L. Batista, Howard D. Sesso, Jing Ma, Meir J. Stampfer, Jorge E. Chavarro. Dairy intake in relation to disease-specific and total mortality after prostate cancer diagnosis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirteenth Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research; 2014 Sep 27-Oct 1; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Can Prev Res 2015;8(10 Suppl): Abstract nr A32.
Synthesis, base pairing and structure studies of geranylated RNA

Natural RNAs utilize extensive chemical modifications to diversify their structures and functions. 2-Thiouridine geranylation is a special hydrophobic tRNA modification that has been discovered very recently in several bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, Enterobacter aerogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella Typhimurium The geranylated residues are located in the first anticodon position of tRNAs specific for lysine, glutamine and glutamic acid. This big hydrophobic terpene functional group affects the codon recognition patterns and reduces frameshifting errors during translation. We aimed to systematically study the structure, function and biosynthesis mechanism of this geranylation pathway, as well as answer the question of why nature uses such a hydrophobic modification in hydrophilic RNA systems. Recently, we have synthesized the deoxy-analog of S-geranyluridine and showed the geranylated T-G pair is much stronger than the geranylated T-A pair and other mismatched pairs in the B-form DNA duplex context, which is consistent with the observation that the geranylated tRNA(Glu) UUC recognizes GAG more efficiently than GAA. In this manuscript we report the synthesis and base pairing specificity studies of geranylated RNA oligos. We also report extensive molecular simulation studies to explore the structural features of the geranyl group in the context of A-form RNA and its effect on codon-anticodon interaction during ribosome binding.
The Ethics of Argument: Plato's "Gorgias" and the Modern Lawyer

In the Gorgias Plato focuses upon two contrasting ways of speaking, of being, and of establishing community with others, both of which can be described as forms of argument: "rhetoric", which he attacks, and "dialectic", which he defends and intends to exemplify. To ask how the Gorgias speaks to the modern lawyer, and how he might respond, will thus shed light, in directions: forward upon the ethical character of the modern practice of law, and backward upon the Gorgias itself. The true aim of a dialogue that works this way, of the Gorgias among others, is nothing less than the shared reconstitution of self and language. The tension between these two kinds of usage creates a problem deep in Greek language and culture, which it is a central purpose of the Gorgias to address and to elaborate. The most important Greek terms of value used in the Gorgias are agathon and it's opposite kakon, and kalon and its opposite aischron.
Current Research Programs on Relational Maintenance Behaviors

This chapter addresses how communication theoretically functions to maintain personal relationships. In particular, four sustained lines of research are reviewed that specify how communication helps to maintain ongoing heterosexual, romantic involvements. A synthesis of the research programs leads the authors to believe that communication can operate as an independent, mediating, or dependent factor. In other words, the chapter highlights some specific ways in which communication behavior both affects and reflects the nature of people’s personal relationships.
Evaluating Team Performance: A Systematic Review

Effective teamwork amongst healthcare professionals has been shown to correlate with positive patient outcomes. This paper reviews research conducted with healthcare professionals to determine the extent to which assessments of team performance had been developed and evaluated between 2006 and 2012. The National Library of Medicine’s indexed database PubMed was used to identify potential articles for inclusion in the review. Of the 549 articles retrieved, 158 articles were selected for inclusion in the study based on review of the article abstracts. Of the 158 articles, 26 of the articles examined psychometric characteristics of the measures. Most instruments were observation checklists, and research was conducted primarily in emergency medicine and surgery. Measures developed that can be used in a variety of healthcare settings, in addition to surgery and acute care, will be invaluable as the complexity of providing adequate patient care will increasingly require the coordinated efforts of team members.
Does Preoperative Bowel Preparation Reduce Surgical Site Infections During Elective Ventral Hernia Repair

Background To date, little is known about the benefits of preoperative bowel preparation in patients undergoing elective ventral hernia repair (VHR). The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of preoperative bowel preparation on 30-day wound events in patients undergoing elective VHR using the Americas Hernia Society Quality Collaborative (AHSQC). Study Design All patients undergoing elective VHR from January 2013 through January 2016 were identified within the AHSQC. Patients undergoing emergency VHR and those with a CDC wound class IV were excluded from our analysis. Patients were divided into 2 groups: Clean (CDC wound class I) and Contaminated (CDC wound classes II and III). The association of preoperative bowel preparation with 30-day wound events was investigated using logistic regression modeling. Results A total of 3,709 patients met inclusion criteria; 3,101 (83.6%) had CDC wound class I, and 608 (16.4%) had CDC wound classes II or III. Within the Clean group, patients who underwent preoperative bowel preparation were significantly more likely to experience a surgical site infection (SSI), surgical site occurrence (SSO), and surgical site occurrence requiring procedural intervention (SSOPI). Within the Contaminated group, patients who underwent preoperative bowel preparation were significantly more likely to experience an SSOPI. Conclusions The use of preoperative bowel preparation in patients undergoing elective VHR does not reduce the risk of 30-day wound events.
COMPOSITION THEOREMS, MULTIPLIER SEQUENCES AND COMPLEX ZERO DECREASING SEQUENCES

An important chapter in the theory of distribution of zeros of polynomials and transcendental entire functions pertains to the study of linear operators acting on entire functions. This article surveys some recent developments (as well as some classical results) involving some specific classes of linear operators called multiplier sequences and complex zero decreasing sequences. This expository article consists of four parts: Open problems and background information, Composition theorems (Section 2), Multiplier sequences and the Laguerre-Polya class (Section 3) and Complex zero decreasing sequences (Section 4). A number of open problems and questions are also included.
PKC-epsilon and TLR4 synergistically regulate resistin-mediated inflammation in human macrophages.

Abstract Background and aims Resistin has been associated with atherosclerotic inflammation and cardiovascular complications. We and others have previously shown that PKC-epsilon (PKCe) is involved in resistin-induced smooth muscle cell (VSMC) dysfunction at a high pathological concentration. This study aimed to evaluate the role and potential pathways of resistin at a physiological concentration, in atherosclerosis-related inflammation. Methods Plasma from patients with atherosclerosis was analyzed for resistin concentration. Patients were divided into tertiles based on resistin levels and cytokines were compared between tertiles. Macrophages were then treated with resistin in the presence or absence of PKCe inhibitor and/or TLR4 blocking-antibody, and their inflammatory state was evaluated with ELISA, RT-PCR, immunocytochemistry, and Western blot. Results We observed significant associations between plasma resistin levels and TNF-α, IL-6, IL-12, MIP-1α, MIP-1β, and CD40L. Our in vitro analyses revealed that resistin activated PKCe via TLR4. This was followed by NF-kB activation and induction of a pro-inflammatory phenotype in macrophages, significantly upregulating CD40, downregulating CD206 and stimulating gene expression and secretion of the inflammatory cytokines, for which we found association in our plasma analysis. Resistin also induced persistent TRAM and CD40L upregulation up to 36 h after resistin treatment. PKCe and TLR4 inhibitors suppressed gene expression to levels similar to control, especially when used in combination. Conclusions Resistin, at a physiological concentration, exacerbates the inflammatory response of macrophages. PKCe is a key upstream mediator in resistin-induced inflammation that may interact synergistically with TLR4 to promote NF-kB activation, while TRAM is an important signal. PKCe and TRAM may represent novel molecular targets for resistin-associated chronic atherosclerotic inflammation.
Estrogen-Induced Abnormal Morphology of the Penis, Altered Sexual Behavior and Loss of Fertility in Male Rats

Penile abnormalities, including hypospadias and/or smaller phallus, have been reported in laboratory animals and alligators exposed to estrogenic chemicals, as well as in offspring of women treated with diethylstilbestrol (DES) during pregnancy. In addition, estrogen receptors have been identified in the penis; however, the mechanism of estrogen action in inducing penile abnormalities is not clear. In this study we determined whether reduced fertility and altered sexual behavior in adult rats treated with (DES) neonatally or at adulthood are associated with structural changes in the penis and whether testosterone (T) supplementation can reverse the effects of DES. Plasma T was significantly decreased (P < 0.05), whether DES was given neonatally or at adulthood. The penile morphology was adversely affected in rats that received DES neonatally, including reductions in length, diameter and weight of the penis, and complete replacement of cavernous spaces with fat cells in the body of the penis. None of the neonatal DES-treated males (0/6) sired a pup or produced a copulatory plug, in contrast to 6/7 in controls. Supplementation with T restored penile morphology and sexual behavior (as indicated by the presence of copulatory plugs, 6/6) to an almost normal level, but fecundity (ability to sire pups, 3/6) only partially. Conversely, penile morphology was not altered in rats that received DES at adulthood, although adverse effects on sexual behavior and fecundity, and their prevention by T supplementation, were similar to those of the neonatal group. Hence, neonatal estrogen exposure, but not adult estrogen exposure, leads to abnormal morphology of the penis; however, both exposures result in reduced fertility and altered sexual behavior. Supplementation with T prevents many estrogen-induced effects.
Defusing the Antitrust Threat to Institutional Investor Involvement in Corporate Governance

Thirty years of regulatory reform has focused on encouraging diversified institutional investor involvement in corporate governance. Recently, some intriguing recent economic research by Azar, Schmalz and Tecu (working paper 2015) and Azar, Raina and Schmalz (working paper 2016) purports to show that concentration among shareholdings has led to higher prices in the airline and banking industries, two concentrated industries. Based on this research, Einer Elhauge (2016) has argued that current ownership patterns by diversified institutional investors violate Section 7 of the Clayton Act. Following on Elhauge, Posner, Weyl and Scott Morton (working paper 2016) propose a “solution” in which diversified investors would be limited to acquiring one firm in any oligopoly. In this article, we critique the economic evidence, focusing on the airline industry. We then challenge Elhauge’s legal analysis and critically examine Posner et al’s proposals. Although we are unconvinced by the rather broad claims of the existing literature, we agree that an open discussion of the antitrust implications of common ownership by large institutional investors is appropriate. Thus, in the final section, we sketch out proposed “Antitrust Guidelines,” including a safe harbor, in an effort to prevent anticompetitive effects, while continuing to encourage institutional investors’ involvement in corporate governance.
An Experimental Test of Vinen’s Dimensional Theory of Turbulent He II

In a previous work,1 using submerged thermionic filaments, we measured the escape probability P of negative ions trapped on vorticity in turbulent He II and demonstrated that the vorticity is identical to that in rotating helium except for spatial configuration of the lines. Above 1.75°K the results are in agreement with observations on rotating superfluid and with Donnelly’s escape theory.2 Below this temperature anomalously large values of P were measured. In order to further investigate this effect and to observe the pressure dependence of P, we have studied the space-charge-limited diode current from an 8-Ci tritium ion source.3
No Evaluation of Serum P53 Levels in Iraqi Female Breast Cancer Patients

Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed and the second leading cause of cancer death among Iraqi women. The population was exposed to high levels of depleted uranium following the first and second Gulf Wars and this might be a risk factor. Protein 53 (p53) or Tumor protein 53 (Tp53) was originally defined as an oncogenic protein. The aim of the study was to evaluate P-53 serum concentrations in fifty Iraqi female breast cancer patients and twenty five healthy volunteers using the ELISA technique. All these patients attended the Teaching Hospital of AL Diwaniyah during the period between June 2016 to March 2017. The mean values for TP53 concentration in patients with breast cancer and apparently healthy groups were 47+33.5 U/ml and 27. 8+12.7 U/ml, respectively. The results showed no significantly difference , in contrast to most studies conducted elsewhere in the world.
Monitoring Immune Status in Critically III Patients

Although the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) has been well described [1, 2] in gross clinical terms, its actual cellular components and their interactions have only just recently come into focus. The overall inflammatory state and subsequent organ injury occurs as a result of inflammatory mechanisms. Many of the organ-system injury pathways are linked through immune effector cell activation and cytotoxic cell injury The understanding of the processes that lead to immune injury and external modulation of the endogenous control of these immune effector cells during SIRS has proven to be complex. No simple cascade of initiating sequences followed by activation of intracellular inflammatory responses and subsequent cell and organ injury explains the process seen clinically, although such a cascade does describe the initial aspects of isolated cell culture experiments. Clinically, multiple pro- and anti-inflammatory mediators appear in the blood of patients with SIRS. Most of the time when one measures the levels of inflammatory mediators in the blood of patients with SIRS, the concentration of anti-inflammatory mediators vastly outweighs that of pro-inflammatory mediators [3]. Furthermore, it has been difficult to demonstrate bioactivity of the pro-inflammatory substances in the plasma of patients with SIRS [4]. Potentially, bursts of inflammatory mediator release are very brief or pro-inflammatory mediator molecules are bound to cell surfaces and are presented locally at high concentrations, cell to cell [5].
Globalization and the American Model of Urban Development: Making the Market

Ce travail discute de l’argument selon lequel le modele de developpement urbain americain serait le reflet d’une penetration du niveau local par de nouvelles forces liberees par la globalisation economique. Bien que le modele americain contienne de nombreuses caracteristiques neo-liberales, cette analyse devoile le role important joue par le gouvernement americain dans la constitution d’un systeme urbain radicalement decentralise bien avant la nouvelle economie. Il montre egalement comment ce systeme est activement soutenu par une intervention croissante de l’Etat a tous les niveaux. La nouvelle economie ne saurait etre confondue avec le modele americain de developpement. Au contraire, l’experience urbaine americaine revele bien le caractere essentiellement politique du processus de globalisation et le role omnipresent des politiques publiques dans son fonctionnement.
FMLP provokes coronary vasoconstriction and myocardial ischemia in rabbits

Recent pathological studies of coronary arteries from humans with suspected coronary spasm have revealed an augmented intramural burden of inflammatory cells. To test the hypothesis that inappropriate activation of inflammatory cells participates in the evolution of coronary vasospasm, the present experiments employed a newly developed coronary arteriographic technique for use in pentobarbital-anesthetized rabbits to evaluate the coronary vasomotor actions of the nonselective inflammatory cell stimulant, N-formyl-L-methionyl-L-leucyl-L-phenylalanine (fMLP). In 10 of 10 animals, selective left intracoronary injection of 200 ng fMLP evoked profound left coronary narrowing accompanied in all cases by ST segment deviation and dysrhythmias. Thallium-201 scintigraphy demonstrated hypoperfusion of the left ventricular free wall and septum supplied by the spastic coronary artery. The fMLP-induced epicardial vaso-constriction, ischemic electrocardiogram (ECG) changes, and thallium perfusion defects were reversed by intravenous nitroglycerin. Neither the right coronary artery nor its distribution were influenced by left coronary injection of fMLP. Additional experiments in isolated, salt solution-perfused rabbit hearts demonstrated that fMLP failed to exert direct coronary vasoconstrictor effects. These observations indicate that the non-selective inflammatory cell stimulant, fMLP, provokes arteriographically demonstrable coronary spasm with attendant myocardial hypoperfusion and ischemic ECG changes in anesthetized rabbits. Such a model may be useful in exploring the dynamic role of inflammatory cells in development of coronary spasm.
Hypothesis Tests in Practice

Hypothesis tests, such as the t-test, chi-square test, and ANOVA test, yield p-values that represent the probability of observing a particular study result, or a more extreme result, if a pre-specified null hypothesis about the population were true. A p-value threshold, such as 0.05, is typically used to declare statistical significance. Consequently, a hypothesis test may declare a result to be significant when in fact there is no actual difference in the population (type I error) or declare a result to be nonsignificant when in fact there is an actual difference in the population (type II error). Study power, which is the probability of not making a type II error, is influenced by sample size, effect size, variation, and the threshold value for declaring significance.
Abstract P263: Renal Proximal Tubule Cells from Inverse Salt Sensitive Individuals Have Lower Basal but Higher Sodium Stimulated ENaC Compared to Salt Resistant Individuals

Our previous studies on salt sensitivity has demonstrated that approximately 11% of study participants had a paradoxical increase in blood pressure (BP) (greater than 7-mm Hg) on a low NaCl diet an...
The arrival of circadian medicine

Circadian rhythm research is beginning to show how rhythms sustain health. Genome-wide transcriptome, metabolome and proteome studies have improved our understanding of circadian regulation. This knowledge is leveraged for behavioural interventions that optimize daily rhythms, the timing of drug delivery and the targeting of clock components to prevent or treat chronic diseases.
Safety of Deep Sedation in Patients Undergoing Full-Thickness Skin Graft Harvesting and Skin Graft Reconstruction for Limb Salvage

Background: Studies on obtaining donor skin graft using intravenous sedation for patients undergoing major foot surgeries in the same operating room visit have not previously been reported. The obj...
Parry-Romberg Syndrome with Uhthoff's Phenomena: A Spectrum of Autoimmune Disease?

Parry–Romberg syndrome (PRS) is a rare disorder characterized by unilateral facial atrophy. Currently, the pathogenesis of PRS is poorly understood and no definitive treatment is available. This article reports the case of a 51-year-old woman with progressive hemifacial atrophy following herpes zoster infection, who presented with a concomitant chronic history of heat-induced diplopia. Magnetic resonance imaging showed unilateral cerebral white matter, periventricular, and medial longitudinal fasciculus lesions. The patient’s diplopia resolved following treatment with valacyclovir. Infection has been previously considered as potential cause of PRS. However, herpes-induced PRS with ophthalmologic manifestations of Uhthoff’s phenomena has not previously been reported. The present case suggests that PRS may possibly have an autoimmune etiology resembling that of multiple sclerosis.
Longitudinal measures of neighborhood poverty and income inequality are associated with adverse birth outcomes in Texas

Abstract Background Inequity in adverse birth outcomes between black and white women in the U.S. is persistent, despite decades of research and prevention efforts. Neighborhood environments are plausibly related to pre-pregnancy health and other risk factors for adverse birth outcomes and may help explain black/white inequities. Despite the fact that neighborhoods change over time, most prior work has relied upon cross-sectional measures of neighborhood economic contexts. Methods We used birth certificates for non-Hispanic black and white women in Texas (2009–2011, N = 470,896) to examine whether longitudinal measures of neighborhood economic context (poverty and income inequality, based on census tract data from 1990 to 2010) were associated with preterm birth, low birthweight and small-for-gestational-age (SGA) with hierarchical generalized linear models. We also tested whether (1) the longitudinal measures explained black/white inequities or (2) moderated the effect of race on the birth outcomes. Finally, we compared the models with longitudinal measures to models with cross-sectional measures of neighborhood economic context. Results Longitudinal measures of neighborhood economic context were associated with all three birth outcomes, but did not explain racial inequities. Except for income inequality and SGA, there was no evidence of moderation by race. Substituting cross-sectional measures of economic context for longitudinal ones resulted in similar findings. Conclusion Policies that either address structural neighborhood-level economic disadvantage or mitigate the effects of such disadvantage are warranted to improve the health of mothers and prevent adverse birth outcomes.
Leveraging innovation for last-mile connectivity to mass transit

Abstract Last-mile connectivity is an important factor in enabling greater integration and accessibility of mass transit networks to the largest number of urban residents. With the rise of new mobility enterprises, characterized by mobile applications delivering real-time information and on-demand and shared mobility, there is potential for integration with public and mass transit to bridge the last-mile gap. This paper presents and analyzes the results from a case study in which new mobility enterprises are piloted as last-mile solutions at a metro station in Bangalore. The solutions have a high perceived time savings among users, and it is found that there is a measurable modal shift from personal vehicles to these solutions for bridging the last mile gap. At the same time, the case study shows that there is need for supporting regulatory frameworks and greater multimodal integration for enabling public-private collaboration for seamless and sustainable urban mobility.
Ranking of therapeutic regimens for hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative, metastatic breast cancer (MBC) using information theoretic network meta-analysis.

2050Background: Hormone receptor-positive (HR+), HER2-negative (HER2-) metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is treated with targeted therapy, hormone therapy, chemotherapy, or combinations of these modal...
Abstract 16173: Clinical Characteristics and Short-term Outcomes of Hospitalized Patients With Sars-cov-2 Infection and Reduced Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction

Introduction: Early studies of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients suggested that heart failure (HF) may lead to poorer prognosis. We evaluated demographics and short-term clinical outcome...
4 Year Comparison of Undergraduate Students Provided Personal Laptop Computers: Initial Research

This study explores the effectiveness of Southern Utah University’s undergraduate laptop cohort program where students are given a laptop and assigned to a faculty mentor for the duration of their time at SUU. The authors seek to determine if the laptops are used, if they are used for what was intended, and if the inclusion in this program has a beneficial effect on the student’s grade point average (GPA). The program is available to both computer science and information system majors. Both groups are examined together and separate. Data was collected with a student survey and from historical records of average GPA for seniors fall and spring semesters from 2016 to 2020. Students were grouped by cohort and non-cohort students.
Neuraxial anaesthetic techniques in children: Using the evidence to make it safer

Persistent postsurgical pain (PPSP) is a recognised complication following a surgical insult in children, with a prevalence of 20% at one year postop.1 As anaesthetists caring for children, the question posed to us is simply: How can this child be guided through this traumatic event safely, while at the same time minimising his/her pain and suffering? We tend to prioritise safety, while largely neglecting pain control. This results in significant moderate-severe postsurgical pain, with all the deleterious consequences thereof. In the South African context, where postoperative pain management is a largely neglected priority and concerns around nursing care in wards are prevalent, neuraxial techniques remain an important method of providing good postoperative analgesia for painful procedures.
Monoclonal Antibodies against Streptococcal Antigens

Despite recent advancements in infant intensive care, and the introduction of broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents, generalized bacterial infections in infants less than 1 month of age remain one of the leading causes of neonatal mortality and morbidity. The lack of significant improvement during the last decade in the outlook for infected neonates is due, at least in part, to the continuing difficulty of distinguishing bacterial sepsis from several other commonly encountered diseases of neonates. Today, among infected neonates, one third to one half die, one third develop meningitis (Anthony and Okada, 1977), and up to one half of surviving children with a history of central nervous system infection later display neurological handicaps.
Water/Wastewater Infrastructure Security: A Multilayered Security Approach

Protecting critical water and wastewater infrastructure requires a multilayered security approach that includes policies, procedures, plans, protective countermeasures, training, exercises, relationships with intelligence agencies, and response capabilities. This chapter will identify common elements that drive security investments encompassing everything from a calculated risk-based approach to the gut reactions of operators who understand the consequences of a significant asset failure. This chapter will also describe available countermeasures and physical security investments designed to deter, delay, detect, assess, and respond to security incidents. The chapter wraps up with a synopsis of recommended programmatic components to ensure a comprehensive, multilayered security approach to protecting drinking water and wastewater systems.
Ecological and Physiological Factors in Compounding Forage Seed Mixtures

Publisher Summary Specific data on the relative growth responses of forage plants to simple and many interrelated growth factors is fragmentary. This chapter attempts to piece together the available data on growth factors and discusses their single and combined effects on the growth of species in mixtures. Primarily, this discussion deals with the adaptation of plant species as influenced by single climatic, soil, and biological factors. This was done to simplify the presentation although the growth of plants, alone or in mixtures, is influenced by the combined effect of many factors. Further, a description and interpretation of several examples of plant succession are presented as influenced by various growth factors. This chapter concludes that as many of the growth factors cannot be controlled, it seems logical to manipulate mixtures and management practices with the objective of developing a more uniform herbage supply during the grazing season. Instead of using one mixture solely for grazing and other mixtures entirely for silage or hay, mixtures might be managed flexibly for combinations of hay, silage, and grazing uses.
Electrical characteristics of sealed field emission diodes using sharp vertical edge structures

This paper describes the electrical characteristics of a sealed, field emission diode which use sharp vertical edge structures. The sharp vertical edges were formed using self-aligned conformal thin film deposition techniques, while the recessed sealed vacuum cavities were formed using standard semiconductor fabrication techniques. The I-V characteristics of the diodes were obtained for a variety of devices and are similar to the Fowler-Nordheim equation. This indicates that field emission is the source of electron current for the devices. In addition, it was found that the current of the devices scales linearly with the area of the sharp vertical edges, which indicates that the sharp vertical edges are the source of electron emission.
Epithelial Purinergic Receptors and Signaling in Health and Disease

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on epithelial purinergic receptors and the concept of signaling in health and disease. Purinergic signaling is implicated in the regulation of many epithelial cell functions. In addition to triggering cell signaling, mainly through cytosolic calcium and phospholipase-coupled signal transduction and possibly through other cellular mechanisms, extracellular nucleotide signaling also modulates the potency of other autacoids and hormones that regulate epithelial cell function. Extracellular nucleotides and nucleosides also regulate transepithelial ion transport. The extracellular nucleotides and nucleosides, through P2Y, P2X, and P1 receptors, stimulate secretory Cl – and H 2 O transport, activate K + channels, inhibit absorptive Na + transport, modulate acid–base transport, and potentiate regulatory volume decrease, following hypotonic cell swelling. Purinergic receptor-driven functions include the triggering of calcium sparks and waves, potentiating ciliary beat frequency, and promoting mucus, glandular, and acinar secretion. Constitutive adenosine triphosphate (ATP) release and signaling are implicated in the maintenance of cell signaling “setpoints” for cytosolic calcium, phosphoinositide turnover, and arachidonic acid metabolism. Purinergic signaling may even modulate gene expression in epithelial cells through speciﬁc transcription factors.
A chemostratigraphic and geochemical facies analysis of strata deposited in an Eocene Australo-Antarctic Seaway: Is cyclicity evidence for glacioeustasy?

In this paper, geochemical facies correlations from Ocean Drilling Program Sites 1168, 1170, 1171 and 1172 are presented. These correlations, integrated with shipboard-determined lithologic and biostratigraphic information, define stratigraphic sequences. The sequences are typically characterized as coarsening upward: claystone and clayey siltstone overlain by siltstone, and in some cases sandy siltstone and sand. Sequence boundaries are marked by coarsening upward sequence tops, as well as geochemically-defined flooding surfaces characterized primarily by peaks in total sulfur content, and secondarily by peaks in total organic carbon and carbonate content. The sequence stacking patterns can best be explained by sea-level cycles, indicating that early to middle Eocene glacioeustasy may have affected the Australo-Antarctic Seaway. This conclusion supports some conceptual models, but opposes the model in which Antarctic continental-scale glaciation, and hence glacioeustasy, did not develop until Eocene/Oligocene boundary initiation of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. The chemostratigraphic correlations also provide stratigraphic refinement of critical chronostratigraphic boundaries including the Eocene/Oligocene boundary at Site 1171, the late/middle Eocene boundary at Site 1171 (and 1168?), the middle/early Eocene boundary at Site 1170, and the Paleocene/Eocene boundary at Sites 1171 and 1172.
Clinical effectiveness of mupirocin for preventing S. aureus infections in non-surgical settings: a meta-analysis

A protective effect of mupirocin has been seen among surgical, nonsurgical and dialysis patients. Our aim is to summarize evidence for mupirocin decolonization for prevention of S. aureus infections in non-surgical healthcare settings.