Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Validity of the Jump-and-Reach Test in Subelite Adolescent Handball Players

Abstract Muehlbauer, T, Pabst, J, Granacher, U, and Büsch, D. Validity of the jump-and-reach test in subelite adolescent handball players. J Strength Cond Res 31(5): 1282–1289, 2017—The primary purpose of this study was to examine concurrent validity of the jump-and-reach (JaR) test using the Vertec system and a criterion device (i.e., Optojump system). In separate subanalyses, we investigated the influence of gym floor condition and athletes' sex on the validity of vertical jump height. Four hundred forty subelite adolescent female (n = 222, mean age: 14 ± 1 year, age range: 13–15 years) and male (n = 218, mean age: 15 ± 1 year, age range: 14–16 years) handball players performed the JaR test in gyms with region or point elastic floors. Maximal vertical jump height was simultaneously assessed using the Vertec and the Optojump systems. In general, significantly higher jump heights were obtained for the Vertec compared with the Optojump system (11.2 cm, &Dgr;31%, Cohen's d = 2.58). The subanalyses revealed significantly larger jump heights for the Vertec compared with the Optojump system irrespective of gym floor condition and players' sex. The association between Optojump- and Vertec-derived vertical jump heights amounted to r P = 0.84, with a coefficient of determination (R 2) of 0.71. The subanalyses indicated significantly larger correlations in males (r P = 0.75, R 2 = 0.56) than in females (r P = 0.63, R 2 = 0.40). Yet, correlations were not significantly different between region (r P = 0.83, R 2 = 0.69) as opposed to point elastic floor (r P = 0.87, R 2 = 0.76). Our findings indicate that the 2 apparatuses cannot be used interchangeably. Consequently, gym floor and sex-specific regression equations were provided to estimate true (Optojump system) vertical jump height from Vertec-derived data.
Protective effect of pentoxyfilline in renal toxicity after methotrexate administration.

INTRODUCTION Nephrotoxicity is an important side-effect of treatment with Methotrexate (MTX). Pentoxifylline (PTX) is an anti-inflmmatory and anti-oxidant agent. We hypothesized that pentoxifylline may affords renal protection by downregulating TNF-alpha as well as by improving cellular anti-oxidant activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS Forty five male Wistar rats were assigned to 3 groups of 15 animals each: Group 1: control group (0.9% saline). Group 2: MTX; injected with 20 mg/kg MTX intraperitoneally (i.p.). Group 3: MTX + PTX injected i.p. MTX (20 mg/kg) + PTX (50 mg/kg) i.p. PTX was administered since 3 days before MTX administration and continued for 6 days. After 6 days rats were anesthetized and serum sampled and renal tissue removed for biochemical and histological evaluation. RESULTS Data showed that glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were lower in PTX + MTX group comparing to MTX group significantly (p < 0.05). Renal tissue injury index and percent of TUNEL positive cells, renal tissue malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, serum BUN (Blood Urea Nitrogen), creatinine (Cr) and TNF-alpha levels were higher in MTX group comparing to MTX+PTX group significantly (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS In this study, the increased level of tissue MDA and serum TNF-alpha level together may be suggested that the underlying mechanism is related to direct toxicity of MTX rather than blockage in folate synthesis in kidneys. PTX administration also attenuated renal tissue injury and number of apoptic cells and suppressed the elevation of BUN and Cr levels. However, further studies are essential to elucidate the exact mechanisms of MTX-induced renal toxicity, and protection and the effect of PTX.
Offering patients entry in clinical trials: preliminary study of the views of prospective participants.

OBJECTIVE: To ascertain attitudes to different methods of obtaining informed consent for randomised clinical trials (RCTs). DESIGN: Structured interviews with members of the public, medical secretaries and medical students. SETTING: The public were approached in a variety of public places. Medical secretaries and students were approached in their place of work. SUBJECTS: Fifty members of the public, 25 secretaries and 25 students. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Views on RCTs were elicited, with particular emphasis on how subjects thought the concept of randomisation should be explained. Each participant was presented with descriptions of proposed clinical trials and asked to select his or her preference from a range of options. RESULTS: Written information was preferred over verbal information in 91% of replies. Most respondents (86%) would prefer to sign a consent form. Of the seven statements explaining randomisation, a significant difference was found in favour of explanations that were less explicit about the play of chance (ANOVA; p = 0.0004). Eighty-three per cent of participants thought that randomised trials were morally acceptable when there was no prior medical preference between treatments. However, over half (55%) thought they would find it upsetting to be offered entry in such a trial and a quarter thought the outcome of treatment might be adversely affected. CONCLUSIONS: Our results offer some support for the idea that "economy with truth" is less unsettling than a frank description of the stark reality of what randomisation means. It is a matter of debate as to whether, if we are correct, autonomy should have precedence over beneficence. The offer of entry in a clinical trial is likely to affect the experience of care for many people, especially if the process of randomisation is described explicitly. Potential participants should be given a detailed written explanation of the rationale for the trial and be asked to sign a consent form if they agree to take part.
‘Sloppy’ sperm mixing and intraspecific variation in sperm precedence (P2) patterns

Sperm precedence patterns are typically highly variable within (and between) species. Intraspecific variation in sperm precedence (measured as P2, the proportion of progeny fathered by the last male to mate) is frequently seen as a candidate for adaptive interpretation through either male effects (e.g. body size), female effects (e.g. cryptic female choice) or an interaction between the two. Here we show, using computer simulation, that if ejaculates divide into a number of ‘packets’ and packets from two males mix randomly, then a variety of patterns of sperm precedence may result. We term this process ‘sloppy’ mixing. If ejaculates break into a small number of packets, bimodal P2distributions are predicted. As the number of packets is increased, then a complex series of changes through multimodal and flat to unimodal distributions results. Sloppy mixing can thus result in many of the observed P2 distributions. Sloppy mixing is unlikely to change the predictions of adaptive models of sperm competition.
CHANGES IN MEMBRANE CHARACTERISTICS OF HEART MUSCLE DURING INHIBITION

Membrane characteristics were studied in isolated muscle strands from auricles of frogs using the "square pulse" technique. Changes in the time course and spatial spread of subthreshold electrotonic potentials were measured. If acetylcholine is applied in concentrations which cause slowing or stoppage of the heart beat, the following changes are produced: (a) the length constant (λ) of the membrane is reduced, (b) the time constant is shortened. The effects are reversible and increase with acetylcholine concentration. The membrane changes caused by acetylcholine dimmish with time. It is concluded that during acetylcholine inhibition, as well as during vagal inhibition, the conductance of the muscle membrane is increased. Appreciable changes in the resting membrane potential need not accompany inhibition.
AEI-2005-150 TAUP-2815 / 05 Holographic decays of large-spin mesons

We study the decay process of large-spin mesons in the context of the gauge/string duality, using generic properties of confining backgrounds and systems with flavour branes. In the string picture, meson decay corresponds to the quantum-mechanical process in which a string rotating on the IR “wall” fluctuates, touches a flavour brane and splits into two smaller strings. This process automatically encodes flavour conservation as well as the Zweig rule. We show that the decay width computed in the string picture is in remarkable agreement with the decay width obtained using the phenomenological Lund model.
Nonhematopoietic Toll-Like Receptor 2 Contributes to Neutrophil and Cardiac Function Impairment During Polymicrobial Sepsis

Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) has been implicated in neutrophil and cardiac dysfunction during sepsis. Here we tested the hypothesis that nonhematopoietic (parenchymal) and hematopoietic TLR2 play distinct roles in sepsis pathogenesis. To achieve this, we generated two groups of chimeric mice with TLR2 deletions either in nonhematopoietic cells (knockout [KO] mice with wild-type [WT] bone marrow [BM]) or in BM cells (WT mice with KO-BM). Polymicrobial sepsis was created by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). Neutrophil functions, cytokine production, and bacterial clearance were investigated following CLP or sham procedures. Cardiac contractile function was measured in a Langendorff apparatus. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) were measured using redox-sensitive dye and flow cytometry. Cecal ligation and puncture mice had markedly increased peritoneal neutrophil recruitment compared with the sham-operated mice. Toll-like receptor 2 KO mice, regardless their TLR2 phenotypes (WT vs. KO) in their BM-derived hematopoietic cells, had markedly increased neutrophil migration as well as phagocytosis and reduced cytokine productions compared with TLR2 WT mice following polymicrobial peritonitis. These changes in the chimeric TLR2 KO mice were associated with enhanced blood bacterial clearance and markedly improved cardiac contractile function. Moreover, CLP induced a robust ROS production in the peritoneal leukocytes isolated from WT mice but not from TLR2 KO mice. Taken together, these data indicate that TLR2, particularly that of nonhematopoietic cells, plays a major role in sepsis pathogenesis by impairing neutrophil migratory and phagocytic function, promoting cytokine production, and mediating cardiac contractile dysfunction during polymicrobial sepsis. Toll-like receptor 2 also mediates critical ROS production during polymicrobial sepsis.
Characterizations and accumulation of lacustrine source rocks in the Zhu I Depression, Pearl River Mouth Basin, China

The study of source rocks is a key component in the exploration and discovery of hydrocarbon plays in the offshore petroliferous basins of China. Geochemical analyses, drilling, seismic, and microfossil data were integrated to document the formation mechanism of lacustrine source rocks contained in the Wenchang Formation in the Zhu I Depression of the Pearl River Mouth Basin, China. Several factors that control the development of lacustrine source rocks were evaluated in this study, including tectonics, sedimentary conditions, palaeoclimate, the supply of organic matter, and redox conditions. The deposition and occurrence of source rocks is a combined function of these factors. Lacustrine source rocks are characterized by high organic matter contents (average TOC value = 1.33 wt.%) and are dominated by type I and type II1–2 kerogen, which primarily originate from planktonic algae. The rifting of basement rocks, syn‐sedimentary faults, and palaeoclimate played significant roles in controlling the geochemical properties of the source rocks (e.g., controlling the abundance and types of organic matter). The Eocene lacustrine source rocks were deposited when the palaeoclimate was characterized by humid to semi‐humid, subtropical to tropical weather that did not have a stable temperature or humidity. Controlled by large‐scale faults, “Half‐graben patterns” and “Graben patterns” are the two main palaeotopographic patterns where the thermal stratification of deep lake water resulted in flourishing planktonic algae in its surface zones. Dysoxic to anoxic conditions prevailed during the deposition of the lacustrine source rocks. An underfilled basin situation caused the occurrence of abundant organic matter during the period of maximum surface flooding.
Neural-Network-Based Near-Optimal Control for a Class of Discrete-Time Affine Nonlinear Systems With Control Constraints

In this paper, the near-optimal control problem for a class of nonlinear discrete-time systems with control constraints is solved by iterative adaptive dynamic programming algorithm. First, a novel nonquadratic performance functional is introduced to overcome the control constraints, and then an iterative adaptive dynamic programming algorithm is developed to solve the optimal feedback control problem of the original constrained system with convergence analysis. In the present control scheme, there are three neural networks used as parametric structures for facilitating the implementation of the iterative algorithm. Two examples are given to demonstrate the convergence and feasibility of the proposed optimal control scheme.
Climate warming: a loss of variation in populations can accompany reproductive shifts.

The most documented response of organisms to climate warming is a change in the average timing of seasonal activities (phenology). Although we know that these average changes can differ among species and populations, we do not know whether climate warming impacts within-population variation in phenology. Using data from five study sites collected during a 13-year survey, we found that the increase in spring temperatures is associated with a reproductive advance of 10 days in natural populations of common lizards (Zootoca vivipara). Interestingly, we show a correlated loss of variation in reproductive dates within populations. As illustrated by a model, this shortening of the reproductive period can have significant negative effects on population dynamics. Consequently, we encourage tests in other species to assess the generality of decreased variation in phenological responses to climate change.
SUPPLEMENTAL EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES

SUPPLEMENTAL EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES Plasmid constructions The full-length coding region of human HIF2α or HIF1α genes (gifts from Dr. Richard Bruick and Dr. Amato Giaccia, respectively) was PCR amplified in frame with a forward linker encoding HA tag downstream a NheI restriction site and a reverse linker with a Not1 site downstream cDNA sequence (see supplemental table 3 for oligonucleotide sequences). The amplified PCR fragments and pCMV hygro 2xFLAG expression vector (gift from Dr. Pierre Lutz, IPBS, Toulouse) were digested by Nhe1 and Not1 restriction enzymes, purified and sub-cloned. Fidelity of PCR and identity of the constructs were confirmed by sequencing the inserts.
Production and quality of Urochloa decumbens (stapf) r.d.webster forage co-related to the physical and chemical properties of the soil

Frequently degraded pastureland characterized by low soil fertility and compacted surface is the basic environment of Brazilian livestock. The physical and chemical characterization of soil and its co-relationship with forage production are determining factors for performance of animals raised on pasture. The objective was to analyze the forage production of Urochloa decumbens grass correlated, linearly and spatially, with physical and chemical attributes of a savannah soil in Selviria - MS, Brazil. A geostatistical web was introduced for the collection of soil and plant data, with 120 sampling sites within an area of 56.09 ha. The descriptive analysis of the data was undertaken and linear co-relationships, both simple and multiple, were established between plant and soil properties. Semivariograms were modeled and their respective krigings and cross-validations obtained, coupled to co-krigings (plant and soil). Production of dry matter and crude protein rates of U. decumbens may be estimated by regressions and the mechanical resistance to penetration and gravimetric humidity of the soil evaluated. Since organic matter rate and the gravimetric humidity of the soil are corelated spatially with the rate of crude protein of U. decumbens, they are the best factors to calculate or increase the forage crude protein rate.
Insights into cis-autoproteolysis reveal a reactive state formed through conformational rearrangement

ThnT is a pantetheine hydrolase from the DmpA/OAT superfamily involved in the biosynthesis of the β-lactam antibiotic thienamycin. We performed a structural and mechanistic investigation into the cis-autoproteolytic activation of ThnT, a process that has not previously been subject to analysis within this superfamily of enzymes. Removal of the γ-methyl of the threonine nucleophile resulted in a rate deceleration that we attribute to a reduction in the population of the reactive rotamer. This phenomenon is broadly applicable and constitutes a rationale for the evolutionary selection of threonine nucleophiles in autoproteolytic systems. Conservative substitution of the nucleophile (T282C) allowed determination of a 1.6-Å proenzyme ThnT crystal structure, which revealed a level of structural flexibility not previously observed within an autoprocessing active site. We assigned the major conformer as a nonreactive state that is unable to populate a reactive rotamer. Our analysis shows the system is activated by a structural rearrangement that places the scissile amide into an oxyanion hole and forces the nucleophilic residue into a forbidden region of Ramachandran space. We propose that conformational strain may drive autoprocessing through the destabilization of nonproductive states. Comparison of our data with previous reports uncovered evidence that many inactivated structures display nonreactive conformations. For penicillin and cephalosporin acylases, this discrepancy between structure and function may be resolved by invoking the presence of a hidden conformational state, similar to that reported here for ThnT.
Storm Catalog‐Based Analysis of Rainfall Heterogeneity and Frequency in a Complex Terrain

Urban development, topographic relief, and coastal boundaries can all exert influences on storm hydroclimatology, making rainfall and flood frequency analysis a major challenge. This study explores heterogeneity in extreme rainfall in the Baltimore Metropolitan region at small spatial scales using hydrometeorological analyses of major storm events in combination with hydroclimatological analyses based on storm catalogs developed using a 16‐year record of high‐resolution bias‐corrected radar rainfall fields. Our analyses demonstrate the potential for rainfall frequency methods using storm catalogs combined with stochastic storm transposition (SST); procedures are implemented for Dead Run, a small (14.3 km2) urban watershed located within the Baltimore Metropolitan area. The results point to the pronounced impact of complex terrain (including the Chesapeake Bay to the east, mountainous terrain to the west and urbanization in the region) on the regional rainfall climatology. Warm‐season thunderstorm systems are shown to be the dominant mechanism for generating extreme, short‐duration rainfall that leads to flash flooding. The SST approach is extended through the implementation of a multiplier field that accounts for spatial heterogeneities in extreme rainfall magnitude. SST‐based analyses demonstrate the need to consider rainfall heterogeneity at multiple scales when estimating the rainfall intensity‐duration‐frequency relationships.
Representations for Phonotactic Learning in Infancy

Infants rapidly learn novel phonotactic constraints from brief listening experience. Four experiments explored the nature of the representations underlying this learning. 16.5- and 10.5-month-old infants heard training syllables in which particular consonants were restricted to particular syllable positions (first-order constraints) or to syllable positions depending on the identity of the adjacent vowel (second-order constraints). Later, in a headturn listening-preference task, infants were presented with new syllables that either followed the experimental constraints or violated them. Infants at both ages learned first- and second-order constraints on consonant position (Experiments 1 and 2) but found second-order constraints more difficult to learn (Experiment 2). Infants also spontaneously generalized first-order constraints to syllables containing a new, transfer vowel; they did so whether the transfer vowel was similar to the familiarization vowels (Experiment 3), or dissimilar from them (Experiment 4). These findings suggest that infants recruit representations of individuated segments during phonological learning. Furthermore, like adults, they represent phonological sequences in a flexible manner that allows them to detect patterns at multiple levels of phonological analysis.
Polymeric triple-shape materials

Shape-memory polymers represent a promising class of materials that can move from one shape to another in response to a stimulus such as heat. Thus far, these systems are dual-shape materials. Here, we report a triple-shape polymer able to change from a first shape (A) to a second shape (B) and from there to a third shape (C). Shapes B and C are recalled by subsequent temperature increases. Whereas shapes A and B are fixed by physical cross-links, shape C is defined by covalent cross-links established during network formation. The triple-shape effect is a general concept that requires the application of a two-step programming process to suitable polymers and can be realized for various polymer networks whose molecular structure allows formation of at least two separated domains providing pronounced physical cross-links. These domains can act as the switches, which are used in the two-step programming process for temporarily fixing shapes A and B. It is demonstrated that different combinations of shapes A and B for a polymer network in a given shape C can be obtained by adjusting specific parameters of the programming process. Dual-shape materials have already found various applications. However, as later discussed and illustrated by two examples, the ability to induce two shape changes that are not limited to be unidirectional rather than one could potentially offer unique opportunities, such as in medical devices or fasteners.
The RNA‐Binding Protein Musashi‐1 Regulates Proteasome Subunit Expression in Breast Cancer‐ and Glioma‐Initiating Cells

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) or tumor‐initiating cells, similar to normal tissue stem cells, rely on developmental pathways, such as the Notch pathway, to maintain their stem cell state. One of the regulators of the Notch pathway is Musashi‐1, a mRNA‐binding protein. Musashi‐1 promotes Notch signaling by binding to the mRNA of Numb, the negative regulator of Notch signaling, thus preventing its translation. CSCs have also been shown to downregulate their 26S proteasome activity in several types of solid tumors, thus making them resistant to proteasome‐inhibitors used as anticancer agents in the clinic. Interestingly, the Notch pathway can be inhibited by proteasomal degradation of the Notch intracellular domain (Notch‐ICD); therefore, downregulation of the 26S proteasome activity can lead to stabilization of Notch‐ICD. Here, we present evidence that the downregulation of the 26S proteasome in CSCs constitutes another level of control by which Musashi‐1 promotes signaling through the Notch pathway and maintenance of the stem cell phenotype of this subpopulation of cancer cells. We demonstrate that Musashi‐1 mediates the downregulation of the 26S proteasome by binding to the mRNA of NF‐YA, the transcriptional factor regulating 26S proteasome subunit expression, thus providing an additional route by which the degradation of Notch‐ICD is prevented, and Notch signaling is sustained. Stem Cells 2014;32:135–144