Members of the PIF quartet (PIFq; PIF1, PIF3, PIF4, and PIF5) collectively contribute to induce growth in Arabidopsis seedlings under short day (SD) conditions, specifically promoting elongation at dawn. Their action involves the direct regulation of growth-related and hormone-associated genes. However, a comprehensive definition of the PIFq-regulated transcriptome under SD is still lacking. We...

The effect of a proteolysis inducing factor (PIF) on protein synthesis and degradation and the modulation of this effect by the polyunsaturated fatty acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), have been examined using a surrogate model system, C2C12 myoblasts in vitro. After 90 min of incubation, PIF produced a significant inhibition of protein synthesis in a dose-dependent manner, with maximal inhibit...

PURPOSE To determine the incidence, risk factors, and clinical characteristics of pelvic insufficiency fracture (PIF) in patients with cervical cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS Between July 2004 and August 2009, 235 patients with non-metastatic cervical cancer were treated with definitive chemoradiation or postoperative radiotherapy. Among 235 patients, 117 (49.8%) underwent the first positron e...

BACKGROUND When choosing a specific inhalation device for a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patient, the internal airflow resistance and the ability of the patient to overcome it and to create an optimal inspiratory flow are essential. OBJECTIVES The purpose of the present study was to investigate: (1) the peak inspiratory flow (PIF) that a patient with COPD can generate while br...

The propensity interpretation of fitness (PIF) is commonly taken to be subject to a set of simple counterexamples. We argue that three of the most important of these are not counterexamples to the PIF itself, but only to the traditional mathematical model of this propensity: fitness as expected number of offspring. They fail to demonstrate that a new mathematical model of the PIF could not succ...

PIF-like transposable elements are members of the PIF/Harbinger superfamily of DNA transposons found in the genomes of many plants, animals, and fungi. The evolution of the gene that encodes the transposase responsible for mobilizing PIF-like elements has been studied in both plants and animals, but the elements' history in flowering plants remains poorly known. In this work, we describe the ph...

Miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements (MITEs) are widespread and abundant in both plant and animal genomes. Despite the discovery and characterization of many MITE families, their origin and transposition mechanism are still poorly understood, largely because MITEs are nonautonomous elements with no coding capacity. The starting point for this study was P instability factor (PIF), an ...

BACKGROUND Invasive Cronobacter infection is rare, devastating, and epidemiologically/microbiologically linked to powdered infant formulas (PIFs). In 2002-2004, the US Food and Drug Administration advised health care professionals to minimize PIF and powdered human milk fortifier (HMF)'s preparation, feeding, and storage times and avoid feeding them to hospitalized premature or immunocompromise...

BACKGROUND: Invasive Cronobacter infection is rare, devastating, and epidemiologically/microbiologically linked to powdered infant formulas (PIFs). In 2002–2004, the US Food and Drug Administration advised health care professionals to minimize PIF and powdered human milk fortifier (HMF)’s preparation, feeding, and storage times and avoid feeding them to hospitalized premature or immunocompromis...

Despite the use of adjuvant therapies, the cumulative proportion of live births remains at ~40%. Accumulating data show that low pregnancy rates, even in the presence of high fertility rates, are due to implantation failure. The present study aimed to identify and construct a profile of proteins that react with preimplantation factor (PIF) and to provide an understanding into the molecular mech...