Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effects of ankle prophylactic devices on force absorption during a drop jump

Title: THE EFFECTS OF ANKLE PROPHYLACTIC DEVICES ON FORCE ABSORPTION DURING A DROP JUMP Researcher: Brina J. Wade, ATC, PES Advisor: Dr. Linda Platt Meyer, ATC, PES Date: May 2008 Research Type: Master’s Thesis Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine if ankle prophylactic devices (the Ankle Stabilizing Orthosis (ASO) and the modified Gibney closed ankle basket weave tape technique) affect shock absorption during landing from a drop jump. Problem: The literature is mixed on what prophylactic devices are better at preventing injury when jumping for a drop jump. Methods: Thirty subjects participated in the study. The sample included undergraduate and graduate students and varsity athletes from California University of Pennsylvania. Subjects performed the five jumps from each box height under each prophylactic device condition. The order of the prophylactic device application was randomized. The box heights were the not (.3048m, .6096m, .9144m). The average of the five jumps from each height and each prophylactic device condition were used to calculate repeated measures ANOVA test using an alpha level of <. 05. Finding: No significant difference was found when comparing prophylactic device condition to stabilization time and peak force. However, a significant difference was found when comparing box height to stabilization time
Analysis of the DNA-Binding Activities of the Arabidopsis R2R3-MYB Transcription Factor Family by One-Hybrid Experiments in Yeast

The control of growth and development of all living organisms is a complex and dynamic process that requires the harmonious expression of numerous genes. Gene expression is mainly controlled by the activity of sequence-specific DNA binding proteins called transcription factors (TFs). Amongst the various classes of eukaryotic TFs, the MYB superfamily is one of the largest and most diverse, and it has considerably expanded in the plant kingdom. R2R3-MYBs have been extensively studied over the last 15 years. However, DNA-binding specificity has been characterized for only a small subset of these proteins. Therefore, one of the remaining challenges is the exhaustive characterization of the DNA-binding specificity of all R2R3-MYB proteins. In this study, we have developed a library of Arabidopsis thaliana R2R3-MYB open reading frames, whose DNA-binding activities were assayed in vivo (yeast one-hybrid experiments) with a pool of selected cis-regulatory elements. Altogether 1904 interactions were assayed leading to the discovery of specific patterns of interactions between the various R2R3-MYB subgroups and their DNA target sequences and to the identification of key features that govern these interactions. The present work provides a comprehensive in vivo analysis of R2R3-MYB binding activities that should help in predicting new DNA motifs and identifying new putative target genes for each member of this very large family of TFs. In a broader perspective, the generated data will help to better understand how TF interact with their target DNA sequences.
Experimental and analytical study of the shear instability of a gas-liquid mixing layer

We carry out an inviscid spatial linear stability analysis of a planar mixing layer, where a fast gas stream destabilizes a slower parallel liquid stream, and compare the predictions of this analysis with experimental results. We study how the value of the liquid velocity at the interface and the finite thickness of the gas jet affect the most unstable mode predicted by the inviscid analysis: in particular a zero interface velocity is considered to account for the presence in most experimental situations of a splitter splate separating the gas and the liquid. Results derived from this theory are compared with experimentally measured frequencies and growth rates: a good agreement is found between the experimental and predicted frequencies, while the experimental growth rates turn out to be much larger than expected.
2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)-5-(3-Hydroxypropenyl)-7-Methoxybenzofuran, a Novel Ailanthoidol Derivative, Exerts Anti-Inflammatory Effect through Downregulation of Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase in Lipopolysaccharide-Treated RAW 264.7 Cells

We reported that ailanthoidol, a neolignan from Zanthoxylum ailanthoides and Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, inhibited inflammatory reactions by macrophages and protected mice from endotoxin shock. We examined the anti-inflammatory activity of six synthetic ailanthoidol derivatives (compounds 1-6). Among them, compound 4, 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-5-(3-hydroxypropenyl)-7-methoxybenzofuran, had the lowest IC50 value concerning nitric oxide (NO) release from lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Compound 4 suppressed the generation of prostaglandin (PG) E2 and the expression of inducible NO synthase and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 induced by LPS, and inhibited the release of LPS-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines from RAW264.7 cells. The underlying mechanism of compound 4 on anti-inflammatory action was correlated with the down-regulation of mitogen-activated protein kinase and activator protein-1 activation. Compound 4 is potentially an effective functional chemical candidate for the prevention of inflammatory diseases.
Engagement of Two Distinct Binding Domains on CCL17 Is Required for Signaling through CCR4 and Establishment of Localized Inflammatory Conditions in the Lung

CCL17 (TARC) function can be completely abolished by mAbs that block either one of two distinct sites required for CCR4 signaling. This chemokine is elevated in sera of asthma patients and is responsible for establishing inflammatory sites through CCR4-mediated recruitment of immune cells. CCL17 shares the GPCR CCR4, with CCL22 (MDC) but these two chemokines differentially affect the immune response. To better understand chemokine mediated effects through CCR4, we have generated chimeric anti-mouse CCL17 surrogate antibodies that inhibit function of this ligand in vitro and in vivo. The affinities of the surrogate antibodies for CCL17 range from 685 pM for B225 to 4.9 nM for B202. One antibody, B202, also exhibits weak binding to CCL22 (KD∼2 µM) and no binding to CCL22 is detectable with the second antibody, B225. In vitro, both antibodies inhibit CCL17-mediated calcium mobilization, β-arrestin recruitment and chemotaxis; B202 can also partially inhibit CCL22-mediated β-arrestin recruitment. Both B202 and B225 antibodies neutralize CCL17 in vivo as demonstrated by reduction of methacholine-induced airway hyperreactivity in the A. fumigatus model of asthma. That both antibodies block CCL17 function but only B202 shows any inhibition of CCL22 function suggests that they bind CCL17 at different sites. Competition binding studies confirm that these two antibodies recognize unique epitopes that are non-overlapping despite the small size of CCL17. Taking into consideration the data from both the functional and binding studies, we propose that effective engagement of CCR4 by CCL17 involves two distinct binding domains and interaction with both is required for signaling.
Differences in Meiotic Recombination Rates in Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia at an MHC Class II Hotspot Close to Disease Associated Haplotypes

Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) is a malignant lymphoid disease of which B-cell precursor- (BCP) and T-cell- (T) ALL are subtypes. The role of alleles encoded by major histocompatibility loci (MHC) have been examined in a number of previous studies and results indicating weak, multi-allele associations between the HLA-DPB1 locus and BCP-ALL suggested a role for immunosusceptibility and possibly infection. Two independent SNP association studies of ALL identified loci approximately 37 kb from one another and flanking a strong meiotic recombination hotspot (DNA3), adjacent to HLA-DOA and centromeric of HLA-DPB1. To determine the relationship between this observation and HLA-DPB1 associations, we constructed high density SNP haplotypes of the 316 kb region from HLA-DMB to COL11A2 in childhood ALL and controls using a UK GWAS data subset and the software PHASE. Of four haplotype blocks identified, predicted haplotypes in Block 1 (centromeric of DNA3) differed significantly between BCP-ALL and controls (P = 0.002) and in Block 4 (including HLA-DPB1) between T-ALL and controls (P = 0.049). Of specific common (>5%) haplotypes in Block 1, two were less frequent in BCP-ALL, and in Block 4 a single haplotype was more frequent in T-ALL, compared to controls. Unexpectedly, we also observed apparent differences in ancestral meiotic recombination rates at DNA3, with BCP-ALL showing increased and T-ALL decreased levels compared to controls. In silico analysis using LDsplit sotware indicated that recombination rates at DNA3 are influenced by flanking loci, including SNPs identified in childhood ALL association studies. The observed differences in rates of meiotic recombination at this hotspot, and potentially others, may be a characteristic of childhood leukemia and contribute to disease susceptibility, alternatively they may reflect interactions between ALL-associated haplotypes in this region.
Evaluation of actigraphy-measured sleep patterns among children with disabilities and associations with caregivers’ educational attainment: results from a cross-sectional study

Objectives To use wrist-actrigrphy to collect objective measures of sleep and to characterise actigraphy-measured sleep patterns among children with disabilities. We also assessed the extent to which, if at all, caregivers’ education is associated with children's sleep disturbances. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting A rehabilitation centre in the Patagonia region, Chile. Methods This study was conducted among 125 children aged 6–12 years with disabilities (boys: 55.2%) and their primary caregivers in Chile. Children wore ActiSleep monitors for 7 days. A general linear model was fitted to generate least-square means and SEs of sleep efficiency (proportion of the sleep period spent asleep) across caregivers’ education levels adjusting for children's age, sex, disability type, caregiver–child relationship and caregivers’ age. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to estimate ORs and 95% CIs of longer sleep latency (≥30 min) and longer wake after sleep onset (WASO) (≥90 min) (a measure of sleep fragmentation) in relation to caregivers’ educational attainment. Results Median sleep latency was 27.3 min, WASO 88.1 min and sleep duration 8.0 h. Mean sleep efficiency was 80.0%. Caregivers’ education was positively and significantly associated with children's sleep efficiency (p trend<0.001). Adjusted mean sleep efficiency was 75.7% (SE=1.4) among children of caregivers <high school education, and 81.9% (SE=1.0) among children of caregivers >high school education. Compared to children whose caregivers had >high school, children of caregivers with <high school had higher odds of longer sleep latency (OR=3.27; 95% CI 1.12 to 9.61) and longer WASO (OR=5.95; 95% CI 1.91 to 18.53). Associations were consistent across disability types. Conclusions Children with disabilities experience difficulties initiating sleep (prolonged sleep latency) and maintaining sleep (long WASO, low sleep efficiency). Among children with disabilities, lower level of caregivers’ education is associated with more sleep disturbances.
The prevalence, severity, and impact of opioid-induced bowel dysfunction: results of a US and European Patient Survey (PROBE 1).

OBJECTIVE This multinational, Internet-based survey was designed to assess the prevalence, frequency, severity, and impact of opioid-induced bowel dysfunction (OBD) in patients receiving opioid therapy for chronic pain and taking laxatives. DESIGN In total, 322 patients taking daily oral opioids and laxatives completed the 45-item questionnaire. At the time of the survey, 45% of patients reported <3 bowel movements per week. The most prevalent opioid-induced side effects were constipation (81%) and straining to pass a bowel movement (58%). Those side effects considered most bothersome by patients were (in order of rank) constipation, straining, fatigue, small or hard bowel movements, and insomnia. RESULTS Most of the OBD symptoms specified in the questionnaire were experienced by the majority of patients >or=4 times a week. Constipation was the OBD symptom that was most often reported as severe. Most patients reported that their OBD symptoms had at least a moderate negative impact on their overall quality of life and activities of daily living. A third of patients had missed, decreased or stopped using opioids in order to make it easier to have a bowel movement. CONCLUSION The survey findings confirm that OBD occurs frequently, despite the use of laxatives, in individuals taking daily oral opioids for chronic pain. These gastrointestinal symptoms add to the burden already experienced by chronic pain patients, negatively impacting quality of life and, in some cases, affecting opioid treatment itself.
Formation and Toxicity of Soluble Polyglutamine Oligomers in Living Cells

Background Aggregation and cytotoxicity of mutant proteins containing an expanded number of polyglutamine (polyQ) repeats is a hallmark of several diseases, including Huntington's disease (HD). Within cells, mutant Huntingtin (mHtt) and other polyglutamine expansion mutant proteins exist as monomers, soluble oligomers, and insoluble inclusion bodies (IBs). Determining which of these forms constitute a toxic species has proven difficult. Recent studies support a role for IBs as a cellular coping mechanism to sequester levels of potentially toxic soluble monomeric and oligomeric species of mHtt. Methodology/Principal Findings When fused to a fluorescent reporter (GFP) and expressed in cells, the soluble monomeric and oligomeric polyglutamine species are visually indistinguishable. Here, we describe two complementary biophysical fluorescence microscopy techniques to directly detect soluble polyglutamine oligomers (using Htt exon 1 or Httex1) and monitor their fates in live cells. Photobleaching analyses revealed a significant reduction in the mobilities of mHttex1 variants consistent with their incorporation into soluble microcomplexes. Similarly, when fused to split-GFP constructs, both wildtype and mHttex1 formed oligomers, as evidenced by the formation of a fluorescent reporter. Only the mHttex1 split-GFP oligomers assembled into IBs. Both FRAP and split-GFP approaches confirmed the ability of mHttex1 to bind and incorporate wildtype Htt into soluble oligomers. We exploited the irreversible binding of split-GFP fragments to forcibly increase levels of soluble oligomeric mHttex1. A corresponding increase in the rate of IBs formation and the number formed was observed. Importantly, higher levels of soluble mHttex1 oligomers significantly correlated with increased mutant cytotoxicity, independent of the presence of IBs. Conclusions/Significance Our study describes powerful and sensitive tools for investigating soluble oligomeric forms of expanded polyglutamine proteins, and their impact on cell viability. Moreover, these methods should be applicable for the detection of soluble oligomers of a wide variety of aggregation prone proteins.
Central venous oxygen saturation is a good indicator of altered oxygen balance in isovolemic anemia

Red blood cell transfusion is done primarily as a means to improve oxygen delivery (DO2). Current transfusion guidelines are based solely on hemoglobin levels, regardless of actual DO2 need. As central venous oxygen saturation (ScvO2) may reflect imbalances in DO2 and consumption (VO2) the aim of this study was to investigate the value of ScvO2 as an indicator of oxygen balance in isovolemic anemia.
Nano-Sim: a step wise equivalent conductance based statistical simulator for nanotechnology circuit design

New nanotechnology based devices are replacing CMOS devices to overcome CMOS technology's scaling limitations. However, many such devices exhibit nonmonotonic I-V characteristics and uncertain properties which lead to the negative differential resistance (NDR) problem and the chaotic performance. This paper proposes a new circuit simulation approach that can effectively simulate nanotechnology devices with uncertain input sources and negative differential resistance (NDR) problem. The experimental results show a 20-30 times speedup comparing with existing simulators.
Surface modification of model hydrogel contact lenses with hyaluronic acid via thiol-ene “click” chemistry for enhancing surface characteristics

Discontinuation of contact lens wear as a result of ocular dryness and discomfort is extremely common; as many as 26% of contact lens wearers discontinue use within the first year. While patients are generally satisfied with conventional hydrogel lenses, improving on-eye comfort continues to remain a goal. Surface modification with a biomimetic, ocular friendly hydrophilic layer of a wetting agent is hypothesized to improve the interfacial interactions of the contact lens with the ocular surface. In this work, the synthesis and characterization of poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) surfaces grafted with a hydrophilic layer of hyaluronic acid are described. The immobilization reaction involved the covalent attachment of thiolated hyaluronic acid (20 kDa) on acrylated poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) via nucleophile-initiated Michael addition thiol-ene “click” chemistry. The surface chemistry of the modified surfaces was analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy–attenuated total reflectance and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The appearance of N (1s) and S (2p) peaks on the low resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectra confirmed successful immobilization of hyaluronic acid. Grafting hyaluronic acid to the poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) surfaces decreased the contact angle, the dehydration rate, and the amount of nonspecific sorption of lysozyme and albumin in comparison to pristine hydrogel materials, suggesting the development of more wettable surfaces with improved water-retentive and antifouling properties, while maintaining optical transparency (>92%). In vitro testing also showed excellent viability of human corneal epithelial cells with the hyaluronic acid-grafted poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) surfaces. Hence, surface modification with hyaluronic acid via thiol-ene “click” chemistry could be useful in improving contact lens surface properties, potentially alleviating symptoms of contact lens related dryness and discomfort during wear.
Multiaccess Multicell Distributed Resource Management Framework in Heterogeneous Wireless Networks

Efficient distributed resource allocation and users to cells assignment over a heterogeneous integrated wireless environment is addressed, where multiple-access technologies coexist and cooperate toward achieving network-wide quality-of-service (QoS)-aware utility-based performance optimization. The integrated network is viewed as a global optimizer under appropriate intracell resource allocation constraints. Multiaccess diversity is addressed by setting a user-centric service-aware goal, thus maximizing users' QoS-aware service performance satisfaction, as expressed through properly assigned utility functions. The integrated network utility maximization problem is treated through a two-level dual-decomposition methodology, leading to a low-complexity distributed iterative subgradient algorithm for attaining a network-wide near-optimal operation point. Extensive numerical results verify the analytical claims, demonstrate the applicability of the proposed framework, and illustrate that significant performance gains can be achieved over popular existing resource allocation schemes.
RALOXIFENE, TAMOXIFEN AND VASCULAR TONE

1 Oestrogen deficiency causes progressive reduction in endothelial function. Despite the benefits of hormone‐replacement therapy (HRT) evident in earlier epidemiological studies, recent randomized trials of HRT for the prevention of heart disease found no overall benefit. Instead, HRT users had higher incidences of stroke and heart attack. Most women discontinue HRT because of its many side‐effects and/or the increased risk of breast and uterine cancer. This has contributed to the development of selective oestrogen receptor modulators (SERMs), such as tamoxifen and raloxifene, as alternative oestrogenic agents. 2 A SERM is a molecule that binds with high affinity to oestrogen receptors but has tissue‐specific effects distinct from oestrogen, acting as an oestrogen agonist in some tissues and as an antagonist in others. Clinical and animal studies suggest multiple cardiovascular effects of SERMs. For example, raloxifene lowers serum levels of cholesterol and homocysteine, attenuates oxidation of low‐density lipoprotein, inhibits endothelial–leucocyte interaction, improves endothelial function and reduces vascular smooth muscle tone. 3 Available evidence suggests that raloxifene and tamoxifen are capable of acting directly on both endothelial cells and the underlying vascular smooth muscle cells and cause a multitude of favourable modifications of the vascular wall, which jointly contribute to improved local blood flow. The outcome of the Raloxifene Use for the Heart (RUTH) trial will determine whether raloxifene, currently approved for the treatment of post‐menopausal osteoporosis, could substitute for HRT in alleviating cardiovascular symptoms in post‐menopausal women.
IPL technology: A review

Intense pulsed light (IPL) systems are high‐intensity light sources, which emit polychromatic light. Unlike laser systems, these flashlamps work with noncoherent light in a broad wavelength spectrum of 515–1,200 nm. These properties allow for great variability in selecting individual treatment parameters and adapting to different types of skin types and indications. The purpose of this article was to critically review international medical publications of the many indication in which IPL technology can be used, including our own evaluations and experiences.
Fibroblast surface antigen (SF): THE external glycoprotein lost in proteolytic stimulation and malignant transformation

It was previously shown that the fibroblast surface antigen (SF antigen, SFA) is composed of polypeptides of high molecular weight 210,000 (SF210) and 145,000 (SF145) and that both of these decrease in quantity after transformation of the fibroblasts by Rous sarcoma virus (RSV). The present experiments show that SF210 is a glycoprotein. It is accessible to surface labelling by lacto‐peroxidase catalyzed iodination. The SF210 molecule is highly susceptible to trypsin on cell surface. Anti‐SFA antibodies specifically precipitated the surface labelled polypeptide. The lactoperoxidase iodinated SF210 polypeptide was greatly reduced in cells transformed by RSV. It is concluded from these studies that the large external transformation sensitive (LETS) protein detected by other workers is the same molecule as SF210. Part of the label of surface iodinated fibroblasts did not enter the polyacrylamide gels. This high molecular weight material is also susceptible to trypsin treatment and decreases in quantity after transformation by RSV. The data suggest that it may be antigenically related to SF protein. Treatment of surface or 35S‐methionine‐labelled cultures with trypsin in concentrations able to initiate proliferation of density‐inhibited cells rapidly released SF210 from fibroblast surface. A single high molecular weight polypeptide (mol. wt about 200,000, SF200) was detected in the culture medium. SF210 may thus be a major target molecule of trypsin action. Treatment of cultures with insulin that also stimulated the fibroblasts to initiate proliferation did not result in any detectable alteration in the external glycoprotein SF210. It is concluded that although release of SF210 may be a sufficient trigger to stimulate proliferation in stationary cells, this molecule appears not to be directly involved in initiation of fibroblast proliferation from the G1 (or G0) phase of the cell cycle.