cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adrenomedullin 2 Antagonist Infusion to Rats During Midgestation Causes Fetoplacental Growth Restriction Through Apoptosis

Adrenomedullin 2 (ADM2) is a recently discovered member of the calcitonin/calcitonin gene-related peptide family with an exon-intron structure similar to that of ADM. The mRNA of ADM2 is expressed in several tissues, including uterus and ovary. The present study was designed to assess the effects of ADM2 antagonist (ADM2 17–47 ) infusion to pregnant rats on fetal and placental growth. On Day 15 of gestation, rats were implanted s.c. with osmotic minipumps delivering 50 and 200 lg per rat per day of ADM2 17–47 and were killed on Gestational Day 18. In ADM2 17–47 -treated rats, placental weights were significantly inhibited in a dose-related manner, with an 11% % reduction in the group of rats receiving 200 lg/day, whereas the fetal weights were reduced by 17% % without significant differences between the two doses. 2 In ADM2 17–47 -infused rats, increased apoptosis was demonstrated in the labyrinth and junctional zones of rat placenta by the TUNEL method compared with the control animals. Western blot analysis demonstrated that in ADM2 17–47 treated rats Bcl-2, mitochondrial cytochrome c, and active caspase-9 and caspase-3 were significantly increased compared with the controls. No significant treatment-associated changes were observed in Bax, Bid, p53, and caspase-8 and caspase-10 proteins in the treated placentas. In addition, infusion of ADM217–47 caused a significant decline in the transcripts of nitric oxide synthase 3 (NOS3) and NOS2. These findings show that ADM217–47 infusion in rats during midpregnancy cause fetoplacental growth restriction through the activation of mitochondrial apoptotic pathways. This study demonstrates for the first time (to our knowledge) a potential role for ADM2 in placental functions during pregnancy. ADM, ADM2, apoptosis, fetus, placenta, pregnancy
Intra-tumor Genetic Heterogeneity and Mortality in Head and Neck Cancer: Analysis of Data from The Cancer Genome Atlas

Background Although the involvement of intra-tumor genetic heterogeneity in tumor progression, treatment resistance, and metastasis is established, genetic heterogeneity is seldom examined in clinical trials or practice. Many studies of heterogeneity have had prespecified markers for tumor subpopulations, limiting their generalizability, or have involved massive efforts such as separate analysis of hundreds of individual cells, limiting their clinical use. We recently developed a general measure of intra-tumor genetic heterogeneity based on wholeexome sequencing (WES) of bulk tumor DNA, called mutant-allele tumor heterogeneity (MATH). Here, we examine data collected as part of a large, multi-institutional study to validate this measure and determine whether intra-tumor heterogeneity is itself related to mortality.
Potential Liability for Transfusion-Associated AIDS

THE CENTERS for Disease Control (CDC) defines a case of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) as "a disease, at least moderately predictive of a defect in cell-mediated immunity, occurring in a person with no known cause for diminished resistance to that disease." 1 As of Jan 8, 1985, there were 7,788 reported cases of AIDS in the United States, with 3,687 deaths (John Ward, MD, oral communication, CDC, AIDS Activity, Jan 8, 1985). Eighty percent of cases reported to date have been concentrated in six metropolitan areas. 2 In addition, reports of AIDS have emanated from 47 states, Puerto Rico, Washington, DC, and 36 countries. 3,4 First identified in homosexual and bisexual men with multiple sexual partners, 5-11 AIDS has subsequently afflicted intravenous (IV) drug users, 1 female sexual partners of IV drug users, 12,13 hemophiliacs, 2,3,14-32 Haitians, 33 and infants born to mothers from high-risk groups—raising concerns about in
Comments on vaccines, August 1987

Because of latency and infectious recurrences, eradication of herpes simplex and herpes zoster from the world by vaccines is likely to be much more difficult to accomplish than eradication of smallpox. For some time we may have to settle for control of these diseases rather than their eradication. The live, attenuated varicella vaccine protects immunocompromised and normal persons against clinical chickenpox but it does not completely prevent subsequent infection with natural chickenpox virus or latency. With herpes simplex vaccines we may have to be satisfied with amelioration or control of clinical infections and diminution of latency and recurrent disease. Varicella zoster immune globulin plays a useful role in attenuation of varicella in immunocompromised or special-risk persons exposed to varicella zoster virus. Passive immunization for herpes simplex (herpes simplex immune globulin or other antibody preparations) has been studied very little. Maybe passive immunization will have a place in future therapies, especially for serious herpes simplex virus infections in immunocompromised hosts.
Another Look at the Encounter with the "Serranas" in the "Libro de buen amor"

This autobiographic stance on the part of the narrator must, of course, be clarifield since, as Peter Dunn reminds us, we are dealing here with a fiction and not autobiography in the true sense of the word.
A Teologia da Libertação e o Novo Pluralismo Religioso

A partir da perspectiva da Teologia da Libertacao, o projeta “Pelos muitos Caminhos de Deus”, Comissao Teologica Latino-Americana da Associacao Ecumenica de Teologos/as do Terceiro Mundo, desenvolve uma teologia de pluralismo cujo alvo e valorizar todas as religioes igualmente como caminhos de salvacao/libertacao. Na base da teologia de pluralismo de John Hick, o projeto defende o conceito que as religioes sao interpretacoes humanas, das varias culturas, de uma unica realidade divina e inefavel. O projeto rejeita o absolutismo religioso, ou seja, exclusivismo, que nega a verdade das outras fes ao dizer que sua propria verdade e a unica. O pluralismo liberta, mas o exclusivismo e fonte de opressao. Atraves um analise dos argumentos de Hick e do projeto, o artigo demonstra que, pelo contrario, o pluralismo tambem e exclusivista, pois sua afirmacao da verdade das religioes exige que elas abandonem suas doutrinas como falsas, e sejam reinterpretadas segundo as doutrinas do pluralismo. Assim, a Teologia da Libertacao pluralista comite os mesmos erros que ela alega do exclusivismo. Palavras chave : Teologia da libertacao.Pluralismo. John Hick. Religioes mundiais.
Communication Technologies and Power Relations, from Electricity to Electronics

From our perspective in the first quarter of the twenty-first century, the pace of development of new communication technologies was quite leisurely during the long interval between the evolution of speech to the invention and impact of the printing press. After each mutative technology—speech, handwriting, the printing press—had been introduced and diffused, things more or less settled down. Appropriate software emerged, and powerful orgware protected both from substantial further change until the next new communication technology (with its own modes of software and hardware) triumphed over them—or, more accurately, put the old technologies “in their place.”
MBA’s Go to War: Competition in the Private Security Market and Conflict Outcomes

Does competition shape private security firms' influence on conflict outcomes? PSFs have operated internationally for decades, but the recent U.S.-Iraq war has brought their battlefield presence into public view. Private security firms provide services ranging from armed combatants to life support and soldier entertainment. Yet, contracting in conflict environments presents unique challenges. While employers seek to minimize expenses while maximizing services, PSFs seek to maximize profits. This creates a dilemma for employers: PSFs are critical for military operations but have the potential to shirk due to weak oversight and limited failure penalties. Two factors — service specific competition and contract structure — influence PSFs' performance which, in turn, impact conflict outcomes. The expectations are tested using data from the U.S.-Iraq war from March 2003 to December 2007. Insurgent attacks are a proxy for the U.S. objective of establishing law and order. I show that competition influences firm performance and law and order in Iraq. The findings have important theoretical and policy implications for those states in the employment of private security firms.
The Declaration of Independence as Introduction to the Constitution

Throughout the course of United States history, the Declaration of Independence has played an outsized role in constitutional development. For each generation of Americans, the document has reflected the historical reason for independence and the idyllic statement of representative government. On the one hand, it is not part of the formal Constitution, on the other, it informs constitutional interpretation. For a time, until ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment, it was the nation’s only formal acknowledgment of human equality.The Supreme Court has paid scant attention to the Declaration’s overarching statement on national governance and its mandates to protect individual rights while securing the people’s “Safety and Happiness.” The early record of lawmaking in the United States, on the other hand, demonstrates the influence of the Declaration’s normative statement from the country’s inception. From the nation’s founding, Americans’ constitutional understandings have been shaped by the Declaration of Independence’s statements on human rights and mandates for just government. The judiciary has not adequately followed the will of the people to rely on the Declaration in developing constitutional interpretation.
High Performance Polymer Films

This paper represents a review of the literature on high performance films. Topics discussed include properties of major polyimide films, the preparation of polyimide films via vapor deposition techniques, special extrusion methods for liquid crystalline polymer/polyimide blends, factors affecting color in polyimide films, and barrier films.
Molecular duplexes with encoded sequences and stabilities.

Through specific molecular shapes and repeating polymeric sequences, biomacromolecules encode information about both structure and function. Inspired by DNA molecules, we have conceived a strategy ...
An Evaluation of Wellness Assessment Visualizations for Older Adults

Abstract Background: Smart home technologies provide a valuable resource to unobtrusively monitor health and wellness within an older adult population. However, the breadth and density of data available along with aging associated decreases in working memory, prospective memory, spatial cognition, and processing speed can make it challenging to comprehend for older adults. We developed visualizations of smart home health data integrated into a framework of wellness. We evaluated the visualizations through focus groups with older adults and identified recommendations to guide the future development of visualizations. Materials and Methods: We conducted four focus groups with older adult participants (n=31) at an independent retirement community. Participants were presented with three different visualizations from a wellness pilot study. A qualitative descriptive analysis was conducted to identify thematic content. Results: We identified three themes related to processing and application of visualizations: ...
A decade of contributions to understanding and ameliorating attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder

It has been 10 years since Terje Sagvolden founded Behavioral and Brain Functions. After setting the context, this paper reviews some of the contributions of articles in the journal to the literature on ADHD over that decade. Those articles provide a cross section of some of the most important ongoing themes in ADHD research. Terje’s faith in the new journal was well founded. It has survived the first threat of new journals, crib death, because of the continuing quality and relevance of the articles it carries. It has a diversified portfolio of similar research in many other fields of related interest.
Music Instruction for Elementary Students with Moderate to Severe Cognitive Impairments: A Case Study.

Although elementary general music specialists teach students with a variety of exceptionalities every day (Chen, 2007; Hahn, 2010; Hoffman, 2011), many music teacher preparation programs do not ade...
Chronic Villitis, Chronic Chorioamnionitis, and Maternal Floor Infarction

Chronic inflammatory infiltrates in the human placenta are much less common than acute inflammation. Most often, chronic inflammation is found in the villi (villitis), but rarely it may involve the fetal membranes. Villitis is associated with many well-documented maternal infections. Reviewed herein are features of the villous inflammatory infiltrate and associated villous changes that may suggest a specific bacterial or protozoal etiology. However, the majority of villitides are of unknown etiology. These may be the result of an unrecognized pathogen or, alternatively, may reflect an abnormal immune reaction. Chronic chorioamnionitis is commonly associated with villitis and has accompanied some well-documented viral, bacterial, and protozoal infections, but a specific infectious etiology is not identified in many cases. Maternal floor infarction is not a true infarct; it is characterized by the deposition of fibrin in the decidua basalis and intervillous space where enveloped villi become avascular and sclerotic. Maternal floor infarction is associated with intrauterine growth retardation and fetal demise. It frequently recurs in successive pregnancies.
Fetal Vesicoureteral Reflux

Intrauterine fetal vesicoureteral reflux has been demonstrated in a 25-week fetus. A voiding cystourethrogram when the patient was 1 year old showed persistence of the bilateral reflux. No urinary tract infectious have been documented. A survey of other physicians performing fetal transfusions indicates that fetal cystograms are infrequently obtained and that vesicoureteral reflux has been observed by ourselves and one other contributing physician. The incidence of reflux in fetal cystograms reviewed appears to be higher than would be expected when compared to normal premature babies, newborns, infants and children. This procedure provides an unusual opportunity to document intrauterine fetal vesicoureteral reflux and later obtain followup cystourethrograms in these children to determine the resolution or progression of this urinary tract abormality.
Medical Marijuana Revisited

The use of marijuana as a medicinal agent is an old practice in many parts of the world. In recent decades it has gained increased attention of the general public and of the medical profession. Ten states and Canada have legalized medical marijuana; physicians prescribe it for nausea and vomiting in patients receiving cancer chemotherapy. They also prescribe it for appetite loss and wasting in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Controversies exist about its use in the treatment of glaucoma, spasticity or chronic intractable pain. Though state governments have passed laws authorizing physicians to prescribe marijuana, the federal government contends that the drug is a Schedule I agent with no medicinal use, a high potential for abuse and no accepted safety for use in medically-supervised treatment. There are legal issues regarding its use as a medicinal agent, and the United States Supreme Court has provided rulings on these matters. This paper will explore those controversies, the history of medical marijuana and the implications for its future use as a therapeutic agent in this country.
The effect of object-centered instructions in Cartesian and polar coordinates on saccade vector

Express saccades (ES) are the most reflexive saccadic eye movements, with very short reaction times of 70-110 ms. It is likely that ES have the shortest saccade reaction times (SRTs) possible given the known physiological and anatomical delays present in sensory and motor systems. Nevertheless, it has been demonstrated that a vector displacement of ES to spatially extended stimuli can be influenced by spatial cognition. Edelman, Kristjansson, and Nakayama (2007) found that when two horizontally separated visual stimuli appear at a random location, the spatial vector, but not the reaction time, of human ES is strongly influenced by an instruction to make a saccade to one side (either left or right) of a visual stimulus array. Presently, we attempt to extend these findings of cognitive effects on saccades in three ways: (a) determining whether ES could be affected by other types of spatial instructions: vertical, polar amplitude, and polar direction; (b) determining whether these spatial effects increased with practice; and (c) determining how these effects depended on SRTs. The results demonstrate that both types of Cartesian as well as polar amplitude instructions strongly affect ES vector, but only modestly affect SRTs. Polar direction instructions had sizable effects only on nonreflexive saccades where the visual stimuli could be viewed for several hundred milliseconds prior to saccade execution. Short- (trial order within a block) and long-term (experience across several sessions) practice had little effect, though the effect of instruction increased with SRT. Such findings suggest a generalized, innate ability of cognition to affect the most reflexive saccadic eye movements.
Why municipalities fail: Implications for uncertainty disclosures

Abstract Why Nations Fail (Acemoglu and Robinson 2012), a book widely and favorably reviewed by the business press (MacLeod 2013), identifies political and economic factors that allow some jurisdictions to prosper while other, often geographically and culturally similar, jurisdictions languish. The book's propositions are based on detailed case studies of countries across time and continents. The study summarized here follows a similar approach by relying on hand-collected evidence of municipalities that failed in the sense they ceased to exist as separate legal entities. 1 This evidence is used as a basis for identifying misconceptions about governments as going concerns, redefining what it means for a government to be a going concern, suggesting ways to improve disclosures related to going concern uncertainty (as redefined), and identifying questions for future policy-relevant research.
P217 Clinical implementation of next-generation DNA sequencing improves high-resolution HLA genotyping

Aim Successful hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) requires accurate allele-level matching of donor and recipient HLA genes. To improve accuracy, we implemented next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS) methods for high-resolution HLA genotyping of HSCT patients and donors. Here we evaluate NGS HLA typing accuracy and the effect on clinical management of HSCT patients. Methods NGS genotyping for HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1, -DRB3/4/5, -DQA1, -DQB1, -DPA1, and -DPB1 was performed on peripheral blood ( n = 151) and buccal swab ( n = 7) samples for HSCT patients and potential donors between November 2016 and March 2017 using TruSight HLA v2, Nextera XT Index, and MiSeq Nano v2 300 cycle reagents (Illumina). Phased exon sequence data were analyzed using Assign TruSight v2 software. Results HLA typing by NGS resulted in unambiguous allele-level genotyping of 2739/2826 (96.9%) alleles tested. Ambiguities were primarily (71.3%) in DPB1 with inability to discriminate between G group alleles differing in exon 1 or the 5’ UTR. One DPB1 allele had non-G group ambiguity. In 19 alleles ( DRB1, DRB3/4/5, DQA1, DPA1, DPB1 ) no 100% sequence match could be identified in the IMGT reference database. NGS enabled confident identification of 24 non-CWD alleles ( B, DRB1, DPB1 ). The potential clinical impact of this improved accuracy was evaluated by re-analysis of NGS sequencing results using only non-phased DNA sequence for class I exons 2, 3, and 4, and class II exons 2 and 3 to simulate expected results from Sanger-based DNA typing. De-resolution of NGS data for 62 unrelated donors demonstrated ambiguity in 57% of alleles tested. NGS efficiently integrated into the clinical workflow with an average TAT of 5 days and 90.5% of samples meeting the 7 day TAT goal. Buccal swab samples presented difficulty, as 5/7 had to be repeated using increased DNA concentrations to account for DNA degradation. Repeat sequencing successfully genotyped 4/5 buccal swab samples. Conclusions NGS methodology provides significantly improved ability to accurately and unambiguously type HLA genes. Typing accuracy is primarily limited by incomplete reference gene DNA sequence and difficulty in generating full-gene sequence including exon 1 and the 5’ UTR for class II genes.
Variation in the resilience of cloud forest vascular epiphytes to severe drought

Epiphytes are common in tropical montane cloud forests (TMCFs) and play many important ecological roles, but the degree to which these unique plants will be affected by changes in climate is unknown. We investigated the drought responses of three vascular epiphyte communities bracketing the cloud base during a severe, El Nino-impacted dry season. Epiphytes were instrumented with sap flow probes in each site. Leaf water potential and pressure-volume curve parameters were also measured before and during the drought. We monitored the canopy microclimate in each site to determine the drivers of sap velocity across the sites. All plants greatly reduced their water use during the drought, but recovery occurred more quickly for plants in the lower and drier sites. Plants in drier sites also exhibited the greatest shifts in the osmotic potential at full saturation and the turgor loss point. Although all individuals survived this intense drought, epiphytes in the cloud forest experienced the slowest recovery, suggesting that plants in the TMCF are particularly sensitive to severe drought. Although vapor pressure deficit was an important driver of sap velocity in the highest elevation site, other factors, such as the volumetric water content of the canopy soil, were more important at lower (and warmer) sites.
Buddhism, Catholicism, Shintoism, and Whaling Culture in the Kyūshū Region

This chapter traces the history of the Kyūshū Region (on Kyūshū Island), where Yobuko in Saga prefecture and Ikitsuki Island in Nagasaki prefecture were major stations of the Saikai Classical Whaling Base. The region went through a complex and tragic history of suppression of religions (involving Buddhist temples and Catholic churches) by the local and national shogunate governments. This chapter considers how the religious conflict affected whaling culture in the region.
A biosynthetically inspired synthesis of (−)-berkelic acid and analogs

We describe a complete account of our total synthesis and biological evaluation of (-)-berkelic acid and analogs. We delineate a synthetic strategy inspired by a potentially biomimetic union between the natural products spicifernin and pulvilloric acid. After defining optimal parameters, we executed a one-pot silver-mediated in situ dehydration of an isochroman lactol to methyl pulvillorate, the cycloisomerization of a spicifernin-like alkynol to the corresponding exocyclic enol ether, and a subsequent cycloaddition to deliver the tetracyclic core of berkelic acid. Our studies confirm that the original assigned berkelic acid structure is not stable and equilibrates into a mixture of 4 diastereomers, fully characterized by X-ray crystallography. In addition to berkelic acid, C22-epi-berkelic acid, and nor-berkelic acids, we synthesized C26-oxoberkelic acid analogs that were evaluated against human cancer cell lines. In contrast to data reported for natural berkelic acid, our synthetic material and analogs were found to be devoid of activity.
Towards machine ecoregionalization of Earth's landmass using pattern segmentation method

Abstract We present and evaluate a quantitative method for delineation of ecophysiographic regions throughout the entire terrestrial landmass. The method uses the new pattern-based segmentation technique which attempts to emulate the qualitative, weight-of-evidence approach to a delineation of ecoregions in a computer code. An ecophysiographic region is characterized by homogeneous physiography defined by the cohesiveness of patterns of four variables: land cover, soils, landforms, and climatic patterns. Homogeneous physiography is a necessary but not sufficient condition for a region to be an ecoregion, thus machine delineation of ecophysiographic regions is the first, important step toward global ecoregionalization. In this paper, we focus on the first-order approximation of the proposed method – delineation on the basis of the patterns of the land cover alone. We justify this approximation by the existence of significant spatial associations between various physiographic variables. Resulting ecophysiographic regionalization (ECOR) is shown to be more physiographically homogeneous than existing global ecoregionalizations (Terrestrial Ecoregions of the World (TEW) and Bailey's Ecoregions of the Continents (BEC)). The presented quantitative method has an advantage of being transparent and objective. It can be verified, easily updated, modified and customized for specific applications. Each region in ECOR contains detailed, SQL-searchable information about physiographic patterns within it. It also has a computer-generated label. To give a sense of how ECOR compares to TEW and, in the U.S., to EPA Level III ecoregions, we contrast these different delineations using two specific sites as examples. We conclude that ECOR yields regionalization somewhat similar to EPA level III ecoregions, but for the entire world, and by automatic means.
Use of Multiple Imputation to Estimate the Proportion of Respiratory Virus Detections Among Patients Hospitalized With Community-Acquired Pneumonia.

Background Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on respiratory specimens and serology on paired blood specimens are used to determine the etiology of respiratory illnesses for research studies. However, convalescent serology is often not collected. We used multiple imputation to assign values for missing serology results to estimate virus-specific prevalence among pediatric and adult community-acquired pneumonia hospitalizations using data from an active population-based surveillance study. Methods Presence of adenoviruses, human metapneumovirus, influenza viruses, parainfluenza virus types 1-3, and respiratory syncytial virus was defined by positive PCR on nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal specimens or a 4-fold rise in paired serology. We performed multiple imputation by developing a multivariable regression model for each virus using data from patients with available serology results. We calculated absolute and relative differences in the proportion of each virus detected comparing the imputed to observed (nonimputed) results. Results Among 2222 children and 2259 adults, 98.8% and 99.5% had nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal specimens and 43.2% and 37.5% had paired serum specimens, respectively. Imputed results increased viral etiology assignments by an absolute difference of 1.6%-4.4% and 0.8%-2.8% in children and adults, respectively; relative differences were 1.1-3.0 times higher. Conclusions Multiple imputation can be used when serology results are missing, to refine virus-specific prevalence estimates, and these will likely increase estimates.
High-Energy Behavior of Two-Body Elastic Amplitudes in Gauge Field Theories

In this talk, we discuss the high-energy behavior of two-body elastic amplitudes in gauge field theories. We shall be concerned only with the limit: $$ S \to \infty , $$ (1) with t fixed at a physical value.
Targeted Agents for Wall Imaging

MRI is an increasingly important diagnostic tool for cardiovascular pathology, with the ability to assess ventricular wall motion, myocardial perfusion and viability, coronary artery disease, and the function of the cardiac valves. However, MR imaging is primarily used for diagnosis of functional abnormalities, which do not occur until relatively late in disease processes (often after irreversible tissue damage has occurred). Molecular imaging allows observation of disease processes as they occur, before functional abnormalities become apparent. Not only does it hold great promise for early and more accurate diagnoses but it also enables direct observation of therapeutic efficacy in individual patients, allowing optimization of the treatment regimen for each person. Furthermore, by allowing direct observation of physiological processes at the molecular level, molecular imaging enables longitudinal study of disease biochemistry.
A Novel Bvg-Repressed Promoter Causes vrg-Like Transcription of fim3 but Does Not Result in the Production of Serotype 3 Fimbriae in Bvg- Mode Bordetella pertussis.

ABSTRACT In Bordetella pertussis, two serologically distinct fimbriae, FIM2 and FIM3, undergo on/off phase variation independently of each other via variation in the lengths of C stretches in the promoters for their major subunit genes, fim2 and fim3. These two promoters are also part of the BvgAS virulence regulon and therefore, if in an on configuration, are activated by phosporylated BvgA (BvgA~P) under normal growth conditions (Bvg+ mode) but not in the Bvg− mode, inducible by growth in medium containing MgSO4 or other compounds, termed modulators. In the B. pertussis Tohama I strain (FIM2+ FIM3−), the fim3 promoter is in the off state. However, a high level of transcription of the fim3 gene is observed in the Bvg− mode. In this study, we provide an explanation for this anomalous behavior by defining a Bvg-repressed promoter (BRP), located approximately 400 bp upstream of the Pfim3 transcriptional start. Although transcription of the fim3 gene in the Bvg− mode resulted in Fim3 translation, as measured by LacZ translational fusions, no accumulation of Fim3 protein was detectable. We propose that Fim3 protein resulting from translation of mRNA driven by BRP in the Bvg− mode is unstable due to a lack of the fimbrial assembly apparatus encoded by the fimBC genes, located within the fha operon, and therefore is not expressed in the Bvg− mode. IMPORTANCE In Bordetella pertussis, the promoter Pfim3-15C for the major fimbrial subunit gene fim3 is activated by the two-component system BvgAS in the Bvg+ mode but not in the Bvg− mode. However, many transcriptional profiling studies have shown that fim3 is transcribed in the Bvg− mode even when Pfim3 is in a nonpermissive state (Pfim3-13C), suggesting the presence of a reciprocally regulated element upstream of Pfim3. Here, we provide evidence that BRP is the cause of this anomalous behavior of fim3. Although BRP effects vrg-like transcription of fim3 in the Bvg− mode, it does not lead to stable production of FIM3 fimbriae, because expression of the chaperone and usher proteins FimB and FimC occurs only in the Bvg+ mode.
Nus Factors Prevent Premature Transcription Termination of Bacterial CRISPR Arrays

A hallmark of CRISPR-Cas immunity systems is the CRISPR array, a genomic locus consisting of short, repeated sequences ("repeats") interspersed with short, variable sequences ("spacers"). CRISPR arrays are transcribed and processed into individual CRISPR RNAs (crRNAs) that each include a single spacer, and direct Cas proteins to complementary sequence in invading nucleic acid. Most bacterial CRISPR array transcripts are unusually long for untranslated RNA, suggesting the existence of mechanisms to prevent premature transcription termination by Rho, a conserved bacterial transcription termination factor that rapidly terminates untranslated RNA. We show that CRISPR arrays of Salmonella Typhimurium are protected from Rho by the Nus factor anti-termination complex, and we provide evidence that this is an evolutionarily ancient mechanism to facilitate complete transcription of bacterial CRISPR arrays.
Retinoic acid suppresses the response to platelet-derived growth factor in human hepatic Ito-cell-like myofibroblasts: a post-receptor mechanism independent of raf/fos/jun/egr activation.

Activated Ito-cell-like myofibroblasts proliferate in vivo during human liver injury and subsequent fibrogenesis. To examine the associated regulatory mechanisms, human liver myofibroblasts were characterized after culture purification from mixed liver-cell isolates obtained from perfused normal human livers. The cells resembled rat Ito-cell-derived myofibroblasts expressing desmin and alpha-smooth-muscle actin filaments as well as the interstitial collagens type I and III. [3H]Thymidine incorporation was inducible with platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and was suppressible with retinoic acid (RAc) in a concentration-dependent fashion. RAc suppression did not alter PDGF alpha- or beta-receptor abundance or activation. In addition, RAc functioned via a pathway distal or independent of cytoplasmic raf activation (i.e. phosphorylation, kinase function and perinuclear translocation) and nuclear fos, jun and egr expression, as these steps were similarly unaffected by RAc treatment. Since normal Ito cells contain abundant amounts of vitamin A which is lost during activation, these data suggest that retinoids could contribute to the maintenance of the quiescent non-proliferative state by suppressing mitogenesis at a post-cytokine receptor step distal from or independent of fos/jun/egr [e.g. via changes in activator protein-1 (AP-1) binding].
Conflict and Conflict Resolution, Social Psychology of

This article is a revision of the previous edition article by D.G. Pruitt, volume 4, pp. 2531–2534, © 2001, Elsevier Ltd.
Social-Experience and Temperamental Predictors of Rejection Sensitivity: A Prospective Study:

Rejection sensitivity (RS) is the tendency for individuals to anxiously expect, readily perceive, and overreact to interpersonal rejection. Existing theory presumes that early experiences of reject...
Mechanical behavior of core–shell nanostructures

Nanotexturing reduces the effective contact between surfaces in relative motion, which can result in a lower coefficient of friction. However, nanotextured surfaces lack structural integrity, resulting in permanent deformation even at moderate contact forces. Therefore, core–shell nanostructures (CSNs) have been developed to protect the structural integrity of nanotextured surfaces. These CSNs can withstand higher contact forces, might include some plastic deformation (dislocations), but during unloading there is no evidence of residual plastic deformation. Therefore, the CSN is deformation resistant. In the current study, molecular dynamics simulations are used to study the effect of core (aluminum) radius, shell (amorphous silicon) thickness, and the random atomic distribution in the amorphous shell, on mechanical properties of core–shell nanostructures. The results suggest that core radius does not have a significant influence on the initial plastic deformation of the CSN. The shell thickness should be chosen so that the core to shell ratio is less than two to have deformation resistant CSNs. Further we observe that with an increase in core radii or shell thickness, the ability of a CSN to fully recover decreases. These results will help in the design of deformation resistant surfaces for MEMS/NEMS applications.
Effect of metastatic site on survival in patients with neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs). An analysis of SEER data from 2010 to 2014

Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) display variable behaviors based on origin and grade. We assumed that both tumor origin and the location of metastasis may play a role in survival. We queried the SEER database (2010–2014) for patients with an established diagnosis of NENs and documented site of metastasis and identified 2005 patients. Overall survival (OS) at the time points were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method Cox proportional-hazards models were used to evaluate the relationship of the interested variables and OS. Lung, liver, bone and brain metastases were observed in 9, 77, 7 and 6% of metastatic patients respectively. In the multivariate model, metastasis locations were significantly associated with worse survival (liver HR: 1.677 (1.226–2.294); (bone metastasis HR: 1.412 (0.965–2.065); brain HR: 1.666 (1.177–2.357)). We produced a scoring system based on site of origin, metastasis location, age, gender, histology and tumor size that can stratify metastatic NEN patients in low, intermediate and high-risk categories to help physicians with decision making. Site of metastasis plays an important role in survival of metastatic NEN patients independent of commonly described prognostic factors and should be considered in survival estimates.
Chapter 7 – PROJECTION TECHNIQUES

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on projection techniques, which are quantitative methods used for estimating the future. Techniques to project the future are essential for making plans and for most policy decisions. The chapter reviews two types of quick and easy to use techniques to project future levels of population, employment, economic output, or other activities based on past levels of those measurements or activities. Those techniques are designed to provide reasonable projections of future levels of measurements or activities. Those two techniques are trend extrapolation projection models and ratio projection models. Good historical data are necessary for trend extrapolation projection models. Extrapolation projection models examine the historical data using a time-series plot. The trend extrapolation projection models discussed in the chapter are linear (straight line) projection model, exponential projection model and modified exponential projection model. The ratio projection models are used when it is decided to base the projection on an already prepared projection for some other entity.
Misunderstanding in diagnosis and treatment of breast inflammation

Breast inflammation is common in females, which is either local pathological change or local manifestation of a systemic disease. Although acute lactation inflammation is easy to diagnose, there are still some controversies and misunderstandings on indications of delactation, treatment of abscess and use of antibiotics. Some non-lactational mastitis has similar clinical manifestations to inflammatory breast cancer, which may lead to misdiagnosis, progression of disease and difficulty in treatment. In this paper, we discussed clinical problems and clarified some misunderstandings in the diagnosis and treatment of breast inflammation, based on the guidelines and clinical practice. Key words: Mastitis; Diagnosis; Therapeutics
Sex differences in QRS complex duration

Abstract Physiological data in healthy subjects show that QRS duration is shorter in females compared to males. QRS duration is also shorter in subjects of African origin compared to Caucasians. The same sex difference is present in both race strata, thus QRS duration progressively increases from African females to Caucasian females, to African men, and to Caucasian men. This chapter shows data of 523 healthy subjects. These data also show that the QRS durations are heart rate dependent in a nonuniform fashion. While heart rate increases lead to the increases in QRS duration in approximately 40% of the healthy population, in the remaining 60% of the population, heart rate increases led to QRS complex shortening. This might have importance for the implementation of the guidelines for cardiac resynchronization therapy initiation.
Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Apatinib for the Treatment of Patients with Metastatic, Recurrent Cervical Cancer after Failure of Radiotherapy and First-Line Chemotherapy: A Prospective Study.

Purpose: As a small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2), apatinib has shown a survival benefit in multiple solid tumors. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of apatinib in patients with metastatic, recurrent cervical cancer after failure of radiotherapy and first-line chemotherapy. Methods: A total of 42 patients between June 2018 and March 2019 were involved in this study. All patients orally received apatinib once daily in a 4-week cycle until disease progression or adverse events that prohibit further therapy. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS), the secondary endpoints were overall survival (OS), objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and adverse events. Results: During a median follow-up of 13 months, 8 patients achieved a partial response and 24 cases achieved stable disease. None of them reported a complete response. The ORR and DCR were 19.0 and 76.2%, respectively. The median PFS was 6.0 months (95% CI 4.9–7.1), and the median OS was 12.0 months (95% CI 10.1–13.9). The global health score/HRQoL improved significantly following 3-cycle treatment (50.4 ± 12.5 vs. 60.1 ± 11.8; p < 0.01). The most frequent grade 3–4 adverse events were hand-foot syndrome, hypertension and fatigue. Conclusion: Apatinib should be an effective and tolerable treatment option for patients with metastatic, recurrent cervical cancer after failure of radiotherapy and first-line chemotherapy.
Collaborating with a Graduate Marketing Class to Boost Awareness of the AIDS and Cancer Specimen Resource.

The AIDS and Cancer Specimen Resource (ACSR) was built and maintained to support research into cancers in individuals infected with the HIV by providing specimens at no charge. Numerous methods to ...
Effects of chemically induced ovarian failure on voluntary wheel-running exercise and cardiac adaptation in mice.

The role of exercise in decreasing the risk of cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women has not been studied sufficiently. Accordingly, we investigated the effect of voluntary wheel-running and forced treadmill exercise on cardiac adaptation in mice treated with 4-vinylcyclohexine diepoxide (VCD), which selectively accelerates the loss of primary and primordial follicles and results in a state that closely mimics human menopause. Two-month-old female C57BL/6 mice injected with VCD (160 mg/kg) for 20 consecutive days underwent ovarian failure by 60 to 90 d after injection. Responses to voluntary wheel running and treadmill exercise did not differ between VCD- and vehicle-treated 7-mo-old C57BL/6 or outbred B6C3F1 mice. Moreover, adaptive cardiac hypertrophy, hypertrophic marker expression, and skeletal muscle characteristics after voluntary cage-wheel exercise did not differ between VCD- and vehicle-treated mice. Because 5′ AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a key component for the maintenance of cardiac energy balance during exercise, we determined the effect of exercise and VCD-induced ovarian failure on the AMPK signaling axis in the heart. According to Western blotting, VCD treatment followed by voluntary cage-wheel exercise differently affected the upstream AMPK regulatory components AMPKα1 and AMPKα2. In addition, net downstream AMPK signaling was reduced after VCD treatment and exercise. Our data suggest that VCD did not affect exercise-induced cardiac hypertrophy but did alter cellular cardiac adaptation in a mouse model of menopause.
Mathematical Equations to Calculate True Mycophenolic Acid Concentration in Human Plasma by Using Two Immunoassays With Different Cross-Reactivities With Acyl Glucuronide Metabolite: Comparison of Calculated Values With Values Obtained by Using an HPLC-UV Method

Background Both immunoassays and chromatographic methods are available for therapeutic drug monitoring of mycophenolic acid (MPA). Although chromatographic methods are more precise, immunoassays are widely used in clinical laboratories due to ease of adopting such assays on automated analyzers. We studied the possibility of using mathematical equations to calculate true MPA concentration by accounting for acyl glucuronide cross-reactivities with immunoassays by using two immunoassays with widely different cross-reactivities with the metabolite. Methods We determined MPA concentrations in 20 specimens obtained from transplant recipients using cloned enzyme donor immunoassay (CEDIA) assay and a new particle enhanced turbidimetric inhibition immunoassay (PETINIA) assay. Then we developed mathematical equations to calculate true MPA concentration using values obtained by both immunoassays and reported cross-reactivity of acyl glucuronide with respective immunoassays. Calculated concentrations were compared with values obtained by using a high-performance liquid chromatography combined with ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV) method. Results We obtained good correlation between calculated MPA concentrations and corresponding MPA level obtained by using HPLC-UV method. Using x-axis as the MPA concentrations determined by the HPLC-UV method and y-axis as the calculated MPA level, we observed the following regression equation: y = 1.083x ‒ 0.0995 (r = 0.99, n = 20). Conclusions Mathematical equations can be used to calculate true MPA concentrations using two immunoassays with different cross-reactivities with acyl glucuronide metabolite.
Customer-Controlled Firms: The Case of Stock-Exchanges

In many industries there are firms whose shareholders are also customers. They have contrasting interests: they get more utility as the firm's profits increase but also if the prices of the good decreases as their private consumer surplus increases. An interesting example is in the stock-exchange industry given that the exchange shareholders are generally broker-dealers and listed companies. This paper shows that a customer-owned monopolist always achieves first-best social outcome, but in customer-controlled firms, profits are not necessarily maximized and minority shareholders are damaged. When customers have equal unit demand, less profits arise if they hold a share of the firm's capital lower than their proportion over the total number of customers. When customers have equal downward demand, the firm never maximizes profits; besides, if the share of capital of customer-owners is somewhat less than the weight of customer-owners over total customers, the firm will always price at 0. Customer-controlled stock exchanges are welfare efficient if their customers (listed firms, intermediaries, price vendors, etc) hold an amount of capital equal to their proportion over the total number of customers. They never price at the monopoly price and, thus, do not maximize profit. This finding casts some doubt on the policy of listing a stock-exchange company itself on exchanges.
Political Theory and the Crisis of the Political: Post-Althusserian Turns to Politics

This paper attempts to locate the theme of a "crisis of the political," which has concerned a number of left-wing political theorists over the past 30 years, in relation to particular developments in post-Althusserian Marxism and post-Marxism. The paper first identifies some features of Althusser’s theory which would come to seem problematic to those influenced by him in the 1970s, before turning to consider three of those who, in response to the perceived problems with Althusserian Marxism, turned to a concern with politics and the political: Laclau, Mouffe, and Ranciere, exploring why rehabilitating the category of "the political" was held to provide a response to these difficulties. The paper concludes with some thoughts on what the path taken by these three theorists might tell us about the continuing relevance of the crisis of the political in a time of economic crisis.