Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Age-Dependent Changes in Temperature Regulation – A Mini Review

It is now well recognized that the body temperature of older men and women is lower than that of younger people and that their tolerance of thermal extremes is more limited. The regulation of body temperature does not depend on a single organ, but rather involves almost all the systems of the body, i.e. systems not exclusively dedicated to thermoregulatory functions such as the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Since these deteriorate naturally with advancing age, the decrement in their functions resonates throughout all the bodily processes, including those that control body temperature. To the extent that the age-related changes in some of these, e.g. in the musculoskeletal system, can be slowed, or even prevented, by certain measures, e.g. fitness training, so can the decrements in thermoregulatory functions. Some deficits, however, are unavoidable, e.g. structural skin changes and metabolic alterations. These impact directly on the ability of the elderly to maintain thermal homeostasis, particularly when challenged by ambient thermal extremes. Since the maintenance of a relatively stable, optimal core temperature is one of the body’s most important activities, its very survival can be threatened by these disorders. The present article describes the principal, age-associated changes in physiological functions that could affect the ability of seniors to maintain their body temperature when exposed to hot or cold environments.
Functional Expression of TRPM8 and TRPA1 Channels in Rat Odontoblasts

Odontoblasts produce dentin during development, throughout life, and in response to pathological conditions by sensing stimulation of exposed dentin. The functional properties and localization patterns of transient receptor potential (TRP) melastatin subfamily member 8 (TRPM8) and ankyrin subfamily member 1 (TRPA1) channels in odontoblasts remain to be clarified. We investigated the localization and the pharmacological, biophysical, and mechano-sensitive properties of TRPM8 and TRPA1 channels in rat odontoblasts. Menthol and icilin increased the intracellular free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i). Icilin-, WS3-, or WS12-induced [Ca2+]i increases were inhibited by capsazepine or 5-benzyloxytriptamine. The increase in [Ca2+]i elicited by allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) was inhibited by HC030031. WS12 and AITC exerted a desensitizing effect on [Ca2+]i increase. Low-temperature stimuli elicited [Ca2+]i increases that are sensitive to both 5-benzyloxytriptamine and HC030031. Hypotonic stimulation-induced membrane stretch increased [Ca2+]i; HC030031 but not 5-benzyloxytriptamine inhibited the effect. The results suggest that TRPM8 channels in rat odontoblasts play a role in detecting low-temperature stimulation of the dentin surface and that TRPA1 channels are involved in sensing membrane stretching and low-temperature stimulation. The results also indicate that odontoblasts act as mechanical and thermal receptor cells, detecting the stimulation of exposed dentin to drive multiple cellular functions, such as sensory transduction.
Non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease, the metabolic syndrome and the risk of cardiovascular disease: the plot thickens

Non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affects a substantial proportion of the general population and is frequently associated with many features of the metabolic syndrome (MetS). Currently, the importance of NAFLD and its relationship with the MetS is being increasingly recognized, and this has stimulated an interest in the possible role of NAFLD in the development of atherosclerosis. Recent studies have reported the association of NAFLD with multiple classical and non‐classical risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Moreover, there is a strong association between the severity of liver histopathology in NAFLD patients and greater carotid artery intima‐media thickness and plaque, and lower endothelial flow‐mediated vasodilation (as markers of subclinical atherosclerosis) independent of obesity and other MetS components. Finally, it has recently been demonstrated that NAFLD is associated with an increased risk of all‐cause death and predicts future CVD events independently of other prognostic factors, including MetS components. Overall, therefore, the evidence from these recent studies strongly emphasizes the importance of assessing the global CVD risk in patients with NAFLD. Moreover, these novel findings suggest a more complex picture and raise the possibility that NAFLD, as a component of the MetS, might not only be a marker but also an early mediator of CVD.
Effect of exercise-induced arterial O2 desaturation on VO2max in women.

PURPOSE We have recently reported that many healthy habitually active women experience exercise induced arterial hypoxemia (EIAH). We questioned whether EIAH affected VO2max in this population and whether the effect was similar to that reported in men. METHODS Twenty-five healthy young women with widely varying fitness levels (VO2max, 56.7 +/- 1.5 mL x kg(-1) x min(-1); range: 41-70 mL x kg(-1) x min(-1)) and normal resting lung function performed two randomized incremental treadmill tests to VO2max (FIO2: 0.21 or 0.26) during the follicular phase of their menstrual cycle. Arterial blood samples were taken at rest and near the end of each workload during the normoxic test. RESULTS During room air breathing at VO2max, SaO2 decreased to 91.8 +/- 0.4% (range 87-95%). With 0.26 FIO2, SaO2, at VO2max remained near resting levels and averaged 96.8 +/- 0.1% (range 96-98%). When arterial O2 desaturation was prevented via increased FIO2, VO2max increased in 22 of the 25 subjects and in proportion to the degree of arterial O2 desaturation experienced in normoxia (r = 0.88). The improvement in VO2max when systemic normoxia was maintained averaged 6.3 +/- 0.3% (range 0 to +15%) and the slope of the relationship was approximately 2% increase in VO2max for every 1% decrement in the arterial oxygen saturation below resting values. About 75% of the increase in VO2max resulted from an increase in VO2 at a fixed maximal work rate and exercise duration, and the remainder resulted from an increase in maximal work rate. CONCLUSIONS These data demonstrate that even small amounts of EIAH (i.e., >3% delta SaO2 below rest) have a significant detrimental effect on VO2max in habitually active women with a wide range of VO2max. In combination with our previous findings documenting EIAH in females, we propose that inadequate pulmonary structure/function in many habitually active women serves as a primary limiting factor in maximal O2 transport and utilization during maximal exercise.
Expertise reduces neural cost but does not modulate repetition suppression

The extent to which repetition suppression is modulated by expertise is currently unknown. We used event-related fMRI to test whether architecture students would respond faster to buildings and would exhibit stronger repetition suppression in the fusiform gyrus (FG) and parahippocampa cortex (PHC) than students from other disciplines. Behaviorally, we found shorter response latencies with target repetition in all subjects. Moreover, the repetition of targets and distracters was associated with decreased neural responses in the FG and PHC in all subjects. In control, but not in architecture students, reaction times during the first repetition of the target were correlated with activation in the cuneus, lingual gyrus, inferior parietal lobule, insula, and anterior cingulate cortex, indicating that the non-experts had to recruit additional regions in order to perform the task. Our findings suggest that due to their expertise, architects were able to encode and detect building stimuli at a lower neural cost.
Program Evolution with Explicit Learning: a New Framework for Program Automatic Synthesis

In Genetic Programming (GP) and most of the other evolutionary computing approaches, the knowledge which is learned during the evolutionary processing is implicitly encoded in the population. In this research, we proposed a new approach for program synthesis – Program Evolution with Explicit Learning (PEEL), which learns and makes use of this knowledge explicitly. PEEL learns probability distribution from previous generations and stochastically generates new populations according to this distribution. On the benchmark problems we have studied, this approach can synthesize more compact and more accurate programs than GP.
Chronic Regulatory Focus and Work-Family Conflict among Chinese Workers

Survey data from 226 service employees were used to test the hypothesized moderating role of chronic self-regulatory focus on the relationships between work–family conflict (WFC) and challenge/hindrance strain. A follow-up scenario-based experiment (N = 93 executives) confirmed the results of the hypothesized model. Results from the two studies together demonstrated the moderating role of self-regulatory processes: chronic promotion-focused individuals perceived WFC as a challenge-type strain, while chronic prevention-focused individuals viewed WFC as a hindrance-type strain. Individuals use self-regulation strategically: in work domains, they regulate themselves so that family does not interfere with work. Individuals’ stress perceptions differ depending on the two dimensions of WFC as they regard interferences from (WIF) as a personal challenge, perhaps affording them an opportunity to balance work and life and to refine their abilities, but interferences from family to work (FIW) act as a barrier preventing them from achieving career success. When two-way interactions between WIF/FIW and chronic promotion/prevention foci were taken into consideration, the WIF/FIW main effects on challenge/hindrance stress became insignificant, suggesting that chronic self-regulation fully moderated the relationship. The results extend the current work–family research by incorporating self-regulatory processes as an important moderating variable, suggesting new research directions. The findings can help human resource management establish policies and benefit programs that take individual differences into account.
Nonmuscle and muscle tropomyosin isoforms are expressed from a single gene by alternative RNA splicing and polyadenylation

The molecular basis for the expression of rat embryonic fibroblast tropomyosin 1 and skeletal muscle beta-tropomyosin was determined. cDNA clones encoding these tropomyosin isoforms exhibit complete identity except for two carboxy-proximal regions (amino acids 189 to 213 and 258 to 284) and different 3'-untranslated sequences. The isoform-specific regions delineate the troponin T-binding domains of skeletal muscle tropomyosin. Analysis of genomic clones indicates that there are two separate loci in the rat genome that contain sequences complementary to these mRNAs. One locus is a pseudogene. The other locus contains a single gene made up of 11 exons and spans approximately 10 kilobases. Sequences common to all mRNAs were found in exons 1 through 5 (amino acids 1 to 188) and exons 8 and 9 (amino acids 214 to 257). Exons 6 and 11 are specific for fibroblast mRNA (amino acids 189 to 213 and 258 to 284, respectively), while exons 7 and 10 are specific for skeletal muscle mRNA (amino acids 189 to 213 and 258 to 284, respectively). In addition, exons 10 and 11 each contain the entire 3'-untranslated sequences of the respective mRNAs including the polyadenylation site. Although the gene is also expressed in smooth muscle (stomach, uterus, and vas deferens), only the fibroblast-type splice products can be detected in these tissues. S1 and primer extension analyses indicate that all mRNAs expressed from this gene are transcribed from a single promoter. The promoter was found to contain G-C-rich sequences, a TATA-like sequence TTTTA, no identifiable CCAAT box, and two putative Sp1-binding sites.
Immunolocalization of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)-I, GnRH-II, and type I GnRH receptor during follicular development in the human ovary.

CONTEXT GnRH and its receptor have been detected at the mRNA level in different ovarian cell types, implicating an autocrine role of the GnRH system in the human ovary. However, the expression at the protein level of GnRH and its receptor in specific cell types during follicular development has not been documented in humans. OBJECTIVE We evaluated the immunohistochemical expression of GnRH-I (the classical form of mammalian GnRH), GnRH-II (the novel isoform), and the type I GnRH receptor (GnRHR) that is known to bind both forms of GnRH, in ovaries of premenopausal women. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, immunoblot assay, and real-time RT-PCR were performed. RESULTS GnRH-I, GnRH-II, and GnRHR were not immunostained in the follicles from the primordial to the early antral stage. In preovulatory follicles, both forms of GnRH and their common receptor were localized predominantly to the granulosa cell layer, whereas the theca interna layer was weakly positive. In the corpus luteum, significant levels of GnRH-I, GnRH-II, as well as GnRHR were observed in granulosa luteal cells, but not in theca luteal cells. Both GnRH isoforms and the type I GnRHR were localized also to the ovarian surface epithelium from which over 85% of ovarian cancers are thought to be derived. CONCLUSION The expression of GnRH-I, GnRH-II, and GnRHR protein in the human ovary is temporally and spatially specific and further supports the physiological role of an autocrine regulatory system involving GnRH-I, GnRH-II, and GnRHR in follicular development and corpus luteal function.
Apologizing for the Past for a Better Future: Collective Apologies in the United States, Australia, and Canada

This article examines the rhetorical phenomenon of collective apology. Specifically, collective apologies issued by American President Bill Clinton, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper were analyzed inductively to determine the purposes and strategies that make up these speeches. This inductive approach reveals that the purpose of collective apologies is to repair relationships damaged by historical wrongdoing. Moreover, it is found that rhetors use the rhetorical strategies of remembrance, mortification, and corrective action. Ultimately, this research lays the groundwork for collective apology to be considered a distinct rhetorical genre.
Reshaping the Role of the School Principal

In his recent book on globalization, The Lexus and the Olive Tree, Thomas Friedman (1999) described two events that led not only to the title of his book but also to his realization of the tensions in our society. In the first instance, he described his visit to a Lexus plant in Tokyo City. The plant, with 66 human workers and 310 robots, manufactures 300 Lexus sedans each day. Friedman observed the process of applying rubber sealant to the windshields of the cars. “The robot arm would neatly paint the hot molten rubber in a perfect rectangle around the window. When it finished its application there was always a tiny drop of rubber left hanging from the tip of the robot’s finger. This robot arm would swing around in a wide loop until the tip met a tiny, almost invisible metal wire that would perfectly slice off that last small drop of hot black rubber—leaving nothing left over” (p. 26). Friedman described how impressed he was with the planning, design and technology inherent in that automated process. The second event occurred as he rode back to Tokyo aboard a “bullet train” travelling at 180 miles an hour. Reading a news story concerning the controversy over the right of return for Palestinian refugees to Israel, he realized the conflict was over who owned which olive tree. Friedman decided that the Lexus and olive tree are both apt symbols of our society. “Half the world seemed to be emerging from the Cold War intent on building a better Lexus, dedicated to modernizing, streamlining and privatizing their economies in order to thrive in the system of globalization. And half of the world—sometimes half the same country, sometimes half the same person—was still caught up in the fight over who owns which olive tree” (p. 27).
Susceptibility of CXB recombinant inbred mice to murine plasmodia

The genetic control of susceptibility to two species of murine malarial parasites was investigated with recombinant inbred (RI) mouse strains as a model system. Initially, the nonlethal Plasmodium yoelii 17X strain was cloned by limiting dilution to minimize parasite variability. This cloned P. yoelii was used to infect C57BL and BALB/c mice, strains which are the progenitors of the CXB RI strains. Since these two strains displayed consistent differences in the kinetics of parasitemia, the seven CXB RI strains were compared for their susceptibility to the same parasite. The RI strains varied considerably when infected with P. yoelii and could be divided into susceptible and resistant groups based on mortality observed with this normally mild infection. This suggests a complex, multigenic inheritance determining susceptibility to this parasite. However, when the susceptible and resistant CXB RI mice were infected with another, unrelated plasmodial species, Plasmodium chabaudi adami, all the mice showed identical patterns of disease. Since susceptibility to different murine plasmodia does not cosegregate in the CXB RI mice, different mechanisms of resistance may be required for different plasmodial species.
Exercise and the transtheoretical model: a longitudinal test of a population sample.

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to test the ability of the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) to predict exercise stage transition of individuals in a large, untreated-population-based, random sample of Canadian adults (18-65 years of age) over two consecutive time periods. METHODS Assessments of TTM's stage of exercise behavior change, self-efficacy, pros, cons, experiential processes, and behavioral processes were made at baseline (time 1), 6 months (time 2), and 1 year (time 3). Six hundred eighty-three men and women, identified through random-digit telephone dialing, completed all measures across the three time points. Within each time period (time 1-2; time 2-3) participants were categorized as having regressed (moved back at least on stage), remained (no stage change), or progressed (moved forward at least one stage). Baseline TTM constructs were analyzed for their ability to predict change transition across the two time periods. RESULTS Of 40 possible predictions (20 for each time period) 18 (45%) were supported. CONCLUSIONS Overall, the findings demonstrate partial support for the internal validation of TTM in the exercise domain. Implications of the findings are discussed and future directions for researchers, practitioners, and program planners are provided.
Developmental Trajectory of Sexual Risk Behaviors From Adolescence to Young Adulthood

This study examined the trajectories of sexual risk behaviors among adolescents from ages 15 to 23 and factors associated with those trajectories. The sample was 5,419 adolescents from the 1997 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. Using group-based trajectory modeling, five distinctive trajectory groups were identified. The High group had a high and increased risk trajectory over the observed ages. The Decreased group had a risk trajectory that accelerated before age 19, but decreased afterwards. The risk trajectories of the Increased-Early and Increased-Late groups were low at age 15 but increased significantly starting at ages 16 and 18 for the groups, respectively. Participants in the Low group remained at low risk over time. Sexual risk behaviors were also positively associated with alcohol use, marijuana use, and delinquency. Results highlight the need for intervention efforts to consider developmental timing of sexual risk behaviors and their associations with other problem behaviors.
Antinociceptive properties of propofol: involvement of spinal cord gamma-aminobutyric acid(A) receptors.

In this study, we investigated the interaction of propofol (a compound used widely as an intravenous anesthetic) with gamma-aminobutyric acid(A) (GABA(A)) and delta opioid receptors at the level of the spinal cord. Nociceptive thresholds were measured in rats through the use of electrical current testing (ECT) and tail-flick latency. Full recovery from sedation occurred 36.3 +/- 1.7 min (mean +/- S.E.M.; n = 20) after 40 mg/kg propofol i.p. Forty minutes after administration, there was residual antinociception when assessed by ECT but not when assessed by noxious heat. The ECT antinociceptive effects of propofol at tail but not neck sites were suppressed by intrathecal injection of the GABA(A) antagonists bicuculline and SR-95531 and the delta opioid antagonist naltrindole. These results suggest that there is an interaction between propofol and antagonists at receptors in the caudal segments of the spinal cord responsible for tail innervation. Antagonist dose-response curves were compared with those for suppression of intrathecal midazolam-induced antinociception. All intrathecal antagonists reversed the antinociceptive effect of propofol with the same dose-response curves as those previously obtained for suppression of the effect of intrathecal midazolam. We conclude that propofol, when given intraperitoneally, produces antinociception in rats through an interaction with spinal GABA(A) receptors. This combination leads to activation of a spinal cord system involving a delta opioid receptor; the same mechanisms involved with midazolam-induced spinal antinociception.
Identification of Novel Listeria monocytogenes Secreted Virulence Factors following Mutational Activation of the Central Virulence Regulator, PrfA

ABSTRACT Upon bacterial entry into the cytosol of infected mammalian host cells, the central virulence regulator PrfA of Listeria monocytogenes becomes activated and induces the expression of numerous factors which contribute to bacterial pathogenesis. The mechanism or signal by which PrfA becomes activated during the course of infection has not yet been determined; however, several amino acid substitutions within PrfA (known as PrfA* mutations) that appear to lock the protein into a constitutively activated state have been identified. In this study, the PrfA activation statuses of several L. monocytogenes mutant strains were subjected to direct isogenic comparison and the mutant with the highest activity, the prfA(L140F) mutant, was identified. The prfA(L140F) strain was subsequently used as a tool to identify gene products secreted as a result of PrfA activation. By use of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis followed by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectroscopy analyses, 15 proteins were identified as up-regulated in the prfA(L140F) secretome, while the secretion of two proteins was found to be reduced. Although some of the proteins identified were known to be subject to direct regulation by PrfA, the majority have not previously been associated with PrfA regulation and their expression or secretion may be influenced indirectly by a PrfA-dependent regulatory pathway. Plasmid insertion inactivation of the genes encoding four novel secreted products indicated that three of the four have significant roles in L. monocytogenes virulence. The use of mutationally activated prfA alleles therefore provides a useful approach towards identifying gene products that contribute to L. monocytogenes pathogenesis.