Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A qualitative study of physicians' own wellness-promotion practices.

OBJECTIVE To delineate the specific practices that physicians use to promote their own well-being. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS 304 members of a primary care practice-based research group responded by mail to a survey on physician well-being. From the original survey, 130 subjects responded to an open-ended survey item regarding their own wellness-promotion practices. METHODS Qualitative content analysis was used to identify the common themes in the physicians' responses to the open-ended question. A validated 18-item instrument, the Scales of Psychological Well-Being (SPWB), was used for measurement. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Similarities and differences between the various wellness-promotion practices that respondents reported using and associations between the use of these practices and SPWB scores. RESULTS The 5 primary wellness-promotion practices that evolved from thematic analysis of the survey responses included "relationships," "religion or spirituality," "self-care," "work," and "approaches to life. " The use of the last type of practice was significantly associated with increased psychological well-being (SPWB) scores compared with the use of any of the other wellness-promotion practice categories (P<0.01), and there was a trend toward increased well-being among users of any category of wellness-promotion practices. Comments by our respondents provide specific descriptions of how physicians attend to their emotional, spiritual, and psychological well-being. CONCLUSION Physicians use a variety of approaches to promote their own well-being, which sort themselves into 5 main categories and appear to correlate with improved levels of psychological well-being among users.
Reinforcement Learning Via Practice and Critique Advice

We consider the problem of incorporating end-user advice into reinforcement learning (RL). In our setting, the learner alternates between practicing, where learning is based on actual world experience, and end-user critique sessions where advice is gathered. During each critique session the end-user is allowed to analyze a trajectory of the current policy and then label an arbitrary subset of the available actions as good or bad. Our main contribution is an approach for integrating all of the information gathered during practice and critiques in order to effectively optimize a parametric policy. The approach optimizes a loss function that linearly combines losses measured against the world experience and the critique data. We evaluate our approach using a prototype system for teaching tactical battle behavior in a real-time strategy game engine. Results are given for a significant evaluation involving ten end-users showing the promise of this approach and also highlighting challenges involved in inserting end-users into the RL loop.
Plasma pharmacokinetics and urinary excretion of isoflavones after ingestion of soy products with different aglycone/glucoside ratios in South Korean women

Asian populations are thought to receive significant health benefits from traditional diets rich in soybeans due to high isoflavone contents. However, available epidemiologic data only weakly support this hypothesis. The present study was carried out to assess the pharmacokinetics of isoflavones in South Korean women after ingestion of soy-based foods. Twenty-six healthy female volunteers (20-30 y old) consumed three different soy products (i.e., isogen, soymilk, and fermented soybeans) with different aglycone/glucoside ratios. Plasma and urine isoflavone concentrations were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) after ingestion of one of the soy products. Pharmacokinetic parameters were determined using the WinNonlin program. The area under the curve (AUC) for plasma daidzein levels of the soymilk group (2,101 ± 352 ng · h/mL) was significantly smaller than those of the isogen (2,628 ± 573 ng · h/mL) and fermented soybean (2,593 ± 465 ng · h/mL) groups. The maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) of daidzein for the soymilk group (231 ± 44 ng/mL) was significantly higher than those of the isogen (160 ± 32 ng/mL) and fermented soybean (195 ± 35 ng/mL) groups. The half-lives of daidzein and genistein in the soymilk group (5.9 and 5.6 h, respectively) were significantly shorter than those in the individuals given isogen (9.6 and 8.5 h, respectively) or fermented soybean (9.5 and 8.2 h, respectively). The urinary recovery rates of daidzein and genistein were 42% and 17% for the isogen group, 46% and 23% for the fermented soybean group, and 33% and 22% for the soymilk group. In conclusion, our data indicated that soy products containing high levels of isoflavone aglycone are more effective for maintaining plasma isoflavone concentrations. Additional dose-response, durational, and interventional studies are required to evaluate the ability of soy-based foods to increase the bioavailability of isoflavones that positively affect human health.
No differences in grades or level of satisfaction in a flipped classroom for neuroanatomy.

OBJECTIVE The intensive nature of a 5- or 6-week teaching block poses unique problems for adequate delivery of content. This study was designed to compare the delivery of a unit of undergraduate neuroanatomy in a short summer school period, as a traditionally taught unit, with a rendition given in the form of the "Flipped Classroom. " The aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of the flipped classroom in the intensive mode classroom. METHODS The flipped classroom encompassed the same learning outcomes, but students were responsible for covering the content at home in preparation for tutorials that applied their acquired knowledge to higher levels of thinking. The main outcome measures were the final course grades and the level of satisfaction with the course. RESULTS There were no significant differences between the 2 cohorts in final grades (p = .259), self-rated knowledge (p = .182), or overall satisfaction with the course (p = .892). CONCLUSION This particular design of the flipped classroom did not add value to the intensive mode experience. It may be that this mode of delivery is ill suited to intensive classes for subjects that carry a lot of content. The use of the flipped classroom requires further research to fully evaluate its value.
Association between One-Hour Post-Load Plasma Glucose Levels and Vascular Stiffness in Essential Hypertension

Objectives Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is a surrogate end-point for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. A plasma glucose value ≥155 mg/dl for the 1-hour post-load plasma glucose during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) is able to identify subjects with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) at high-risk for type-2 diabetes (T2D) and for subclinical organ damage. Thus, we addressed the question if 1-hour post-load plasma glucose levels, affects PWV and its central hemodynamic correlates, as augmentation pressure (AP) and augmentation index (AI). Methods We enrolled 584 newly diagnosed hypertensives. All patients underwent OGTT and measurements of PWV, AP and AI. Insulin sensitivity was assessed by Matsuda-index. Results Among participants, 424 were NGT and 160 had impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). Of 424 NGT, 278 had 1-h post-load plasma glucose <155 mg/dl (NGT<155) and 146 had 1-h post-load plasma glucose ≥155 mg/dl (NGT≥155). NGT≥155 had a worse insulin sensitivity and higher hs-CRP than NGT<155, similar to IGT subjects. In addition, NGT ≥155 in comparison with NGT<155 had higher central systolic blood pressure (134±12 vs 131±10 mmHg), as well as PWV (8.4±3.7 vs 6.7±1.7 m/s), AP (12.5±7.1 vs 9.8±5.7 mmHg) and AI (29.4±11.9 vs 25.1±12.4%), and similar to IGT. At multiple regression analysis, 1-h post-load plasma glucose resulted the major determinant of all indices of vascular stiffness. Conclusion Hypertensive NGT≥155 subjects, compared with NGT<155, have higher PWV and its hemodynamic correlates that increase their cardiovascular risk profile.
Neutral Evolution: a Null Model for Language Dynamics

We review the task of aligning simple models for language dynamics with relevant empirical data, motivated by the fact that this is rarely attempted in practice despite an abundance of abstract models. We propose that one way to meet this challenge is through the careful construction of null models. We argue in particular that rejection of a null model must have important consequences for theories about language dynamics if modeling is truly to be worthwhile. Our main claim is that the stochastic process of neutral evolution (also known as genetic drift or random copying) is a viable null model for language dynamics. We survey empirical evidence in favor and against neutral evolution as a mechanism behind historical language changes, highlighting the theoretical implications in each case.
Osteoporosis in men: its pathophysiology and the role of teriparatide in its treatment

As the population ages, the burden of osteoporosis in men is expected to rise. Implementation of preventive measures such as falls prevention strategies, exercise and adequate calcium and vitamin D intake is recommended. However, when the diagnosis of osteoporosis is made, effective treatments need to be initiated to prevent fractures. As opposed to postmenopausal women, reduced bone formation is the predominant mechanism of age-related bone loss in men, making anabolic agents a logical treatment option for men with osteoporosis. Teriparatide is the only anabolic agent currently approved for treatment of osteoporosis in men. This paper summarizes the mechanism of action of teriparatide, as well as its tolerability and safety. Furthermore, the evidence supporting the efficacy of teriparatide treatment in men with osteoporosis is reviewed and its current role in the management of osteoporosis in men is discussed.
The Effects of Resiniferatoxin in an Experimental Rat Thoracotomy Model

BACKGROUND: Chronic pain after thoracotomy has been reproduced in a rat model that allows investigation of drugs that might reduce the incidence of allodynia after thoracotomy. Previous studies suggest that morphine, clonidine, neostigmine, gabapentin, and bupivacaine reduce the incidence of allodynia in the rat postthoracotomy pain model. One purpose of this study was to test whether intercostal injection of resiniferatoxin (RTX) decreased the amount of allodynia in an animal model of chronic postthoracotomy pain. We also tested whether RTX induced a transient mechanical hyperalgesic response in uninjured animals. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were anesthetized, and the right fourth and fifth ribs were surgically exposed. The pleura was opened, and the ribs were retracted. Intercostal RTX 0.8 or 8 μg was injected in animals that developed allodynia after surgery; a control group underwent rib retraction and received vehicle only. An additional group of uninjured animals received RTX. Rats were tested for mechanical allodynia at a predetermined area around the incision site for 3 wk. RESULTS: Allodynia developed in 42% of the animals that underwent thoracotomy. A transient hyperalgesic response was noted in the uninjured group that underwent drug injections. Intercostal RTX did not modify the course of allodynia in injured rats. DISCUSSION: The current results suggest that intercostal RTX causes a transient hyperalgesic response in uninjured animals and is ineffective in reducing the mechanical allodynia after thoracotomy.
The DiscoDNC v2 - A Comprehensive Tool for Deterministic Network Calculus

In this paper, we present the Disco Deterministic Network Calculator v2 -- our continuation in the effort to provide open-source tool support for worst-case performance analysis. The major achievement of this release is the provision of a well-documented network calculus implementation that enables for straight-forward application as well as easy extensibility. Apart from a fair amount of bug fixes that improve the tightness of the derived bounds, our efforts resulted in two main differences to the previous versions: the first is the rigorous modularization of network calculus analyses into their distinct components and the second is a comprehensive set of functional tests for our tool.
Structural Phylogenetics and the Reconstruction of Ancient Language History

The contribution of language history to the study of the early dispersals of modern humans throughout the Old World has been limited by the shallow time depth (about 8000 ± 2000 years) of current linguistic methods. Here it is shown that the application of biological cladistic methods, not to vocabulary (as has been previously tried) but to language structure (sound systems and grammar), may extend the time depths at which language data can be used. The method was tested against well-understood families of Oceanic Austronesian languages, then applied to the Papuan languages of Island Melanesia, a group of hitherto unrelatable isolates. Papuan languages show an archipelago-based phylogenetic signal that is consistent with the current geographical distribution of languages. The most plausible hypothesis to explain this result is the divergence of the Papuan languages from a common ancestral stock, as part of late Pleistocene dispersals.
Protective Effects of α-Tocopherol and N-Acetyl-Cysteine on Diazinon-Induced Oxidative Stress and Acetylcholinesterase Inhibition in Rats

ABSTRACT Diazinon, an organophosphate (OP) insecticide, is widely used in agriculture and domestically. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) caused by OPs are involved in the toxicity of various pesticides. The aim of the present study was to analyze the role of diazinon in inducing oxidative stress in adult male Wistar rats and to evaluate the possible protective effects of α-tocopherol (TPH) and the glutathione prodrug N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) after 4 weeks of exposure to a sublethal dose of diazinon. TPH (10 mg/kg/day), NAC (160 mg/kg/day), diazinon (25 mg/kg/day), a combination of NAC (160 mg/kg/day) and diazinon (25 mg/kg/day), and a combination of TPH (10 mg/kg/day) and diazinon (25 mg/kg/day) were given to rats orally via gavage for 4 weeks. The thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) marker of lipid peroxides levels, total thiol molecules, and total antioxidant capacity of plasma were all analyzed as biomarkers of oxidative stress. In addition, the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity was measured as a biomarker of toxicity. The results from this study well indicate diazinon-induced oxidative stress demonstrated by enhanced TBARS, decreased total thiol molecules, and total antioxidant capacity. In addition, AChE activity was inhibited as a marker of OP toxicity. Data show the protective roles of TPH and NAC in reducing the diazinon-induced oxidative stress. Interestingly, both TPH and NAC recovered diazinon-induced AChE inhibition. It is concluded that supplementation with TPH and NAC can reduce toxicity of OP in human exposure.
The Effector Domain Region of the Vibrio vulnificus MARTX Toxin Confers Biphasic Epithelial Barrier Disruption and Is Essential for Systemic Spread from the Intestine

Vibrio vulnificus causes highly lethal bacterial infections in which the Multifunctional Autoprocessing Repeats-in-Toxins (MARTX) toxin product of the rtxA1 gene is a key virulence factor. MARTX toxins are secreted proteins up to 5208 amino acids in size. Conserved MARTX N- and C-terminal repeat regions work in concert to form pores in eukaryotic cell membranes, through which the toxin’s central region of modular effector domains is translocated. Upon inositol hexakisphosphate-induced activation of the of the MARTX cysteine protease domain (CPD) in the eukaryotic cytosol, effector domains are released from the holotoxin by autoproteolytic activity. We previously reported that the native MARTX toxin effector domain repertoire is dispensable for epithelial cellular necrosis in vitro, but essential for cell rounding and apoptosis prior to necrotic cell death. Here we use an intragastric mouse model to demonstrate that the effector domain region is required for bacterial virulence during intragastric infection. The MARTX effector domain region is essential for bacterial dissemination from the intestine, but dissemination occurs in the absence of overt intestinal tissue pathology. We employ an in vitro model of V. vulnificus interaction with polarized colonic epithelial cells to show that the MARTX effector domain region induces rapid intestinal barrier dysfunction and increased paracellular permeability prior to onset of cell lysis. Together, these results negate the inherent assumption that observations of necrosis in vitro directly predict bacterial virulence, and indicate a paradigm shift in our conceptual understanding of MARTX toxin function during intestinal infection. Results implicate the MARTX effector domain region in mediating early bacterial dissemination from the intestine to distal organs–a key step in V. vulnificus foodborne pathogenesis–even before onset of overt intestinal pathology.
Synergistic Structure in the Speed Dependent Modulation of Muscle Activity in Human Walking

Recently, a modular organisation has been proposed to simplify control of the large number of muscles involved in human walking. Although previous research indicates that a single set of modular activation patterns can account for muscle activity at different speeds, these studies only provide indirect evidence for the idea that speed regulation in human walking is under modular control. Here, a more direct approach was taken to assess the synergistic structure that underlies speed regulation, by isolating speed effects through the construction of gain functions that represent the linear relation between speed and amplitude for each point in the time-normalized gait cycle. The activity of 13 muscles in 13 participants was measured at 4 speeds (0.69, 1.00, 1.31, and 1.61 ms-1) during treadmill walking. Gain functions were constructed for each of the muscles, and gain functions and the activity patterns at 1.00 ms-1 were both subjected to dimensionality reduction, to obtain modular gain functions and modular basis functions, respectively. The results showed that 4 components captured most of the variance in the gain functions (74.0% ± 1.3%), suggesting that the neuromuscular regulation of speed is under modular control. Correlations between modular gain functions and modular basis functions (range 0.58–0.89) and the associated synergistic muscle weightings (range 0.6–0.95) were generally high, suggesting substantial overlap in the synergistic control of the basic phasing of muscle activity and its modulation through speed. Finally, the combined set of modular functions and associated weightings were well capable of predicting muscle activity patterns obtained at a speed (1.31 ms-1) that was not involved in the initial dimensionality reduction, confirming the robustness of the presently used approach. Taken together, these findings provide direct evidence of synergistic structure in speed regulation, and may inspire further work on flexibility in the modular control of gait.
Differential Regulation of Elevated Renal Angiotensin II in Chronic Renal Ischemia

The present study was undertaken to clarify the role of intrarenal angiotensin (Ang) II and its generating pathways in clipped and nonclipped kidneys of 4-week unilateral renal artery stenosis in anesthetized dogs. After 4 weeks, renal plasma flow (RPF) decreased in clipped and nonclipped kidneys (baseline, 59±3; clipped, 16±1; nonclipped, 44±2 mL/min;P <0.01, n=22). Renal Ang I levels increased only in clipped, whereas intrarenal Ang II contents were elevated in both clipped (from 0.7±0.1 to 2.0±0.2 pg/mg tissue) and nonclipped kidneys (from 0.6±0.1 to 2.5±0.3 pg/mg tissue). Intrarenal ACE activity was increased in nonclipped kidneys but was unaltered in clipped kidneys. An angiotensin receptor antagonist (olmesartan medoxomil) given into the renal artery markedly restored RPF, and dilated both afferent and efferent arterioles (using intravital videomicroscopy). Furthermore, in clipped kidneys, the elevated Ang II was suppressed by a chymase inhibitor, chymostatin (from 2.1±0.6 to 0.8±0.1 pg/mg tissue;P <0.05), but not by cilazaprilat. In nonclipped kidneys, in contrast, cilazaprilat, but not chymostatin, potently inhibited the intrarenal Ang II generation (from 2.4±0.3 to 1.5±0.2 pg/mg tissue;P <0.05). Finally, [Pro11-d-Ala12]Ang I (an inactive precursor that yields Ang II by chymase but not by ACE; 1 to 50 nmol/kg) markedly elevated intrarenal Ang II in clipped, but not in nonclipped, kidneys. In conclusion, renal Ang II contents were elevated in both clipped and nonclipped kidneys, which contributed to the altered renal hemodynamics and microvascular tone. Furthermore, the mechanisms for intrarenal Ang II generation differ, and chymase activity is enhanced in clipped kidneys, whereas ACE-mediated Ang II generation is possibly responsible for elevated Ang II contents in nonclipped kidneys.
Differences in Muscle Oxygenation, Perceived Fatigue and Recovery between Long-Track and Short-Track Speed Skating

Due to the technical nature of speed skating, that is affecting physiological mechanisms such as oxygenation and blood flow, this sport provides a unique setting allowing us to uncover novel mechanistic insights of the physiological response to exercise in elite middle-distance and endurance sports. The present study aimed to examine the influence of skating mode (short-track vs. long-track) on muscle oxygenation, perceived fatigue, and recovery in elite speed skating. Muscle oxygenation of 12 talented short-track speed skaters was continuously monitored during a long-track (LT) and a short-track (ST) skating time-trial of maximal effort using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) on the m. vastus lateralis for both legs. Video captures were made of each testing session for further interpretation of the muscle oxygenation. To determine recovery, perceived exertion was measured 2 and 4 h after each testing sessions. Repeated measures ANOVA's were used for statistical analysis (p < 0.05). After a rapid desaturation in both legs directly after the start, an asymmetry in muscle oxygenation between both legs was found during LT (tissue saturation-index (TSI%)-slope: left = 0.053 ± 0.032; right = 0.023 ± 0.020, p < 0.05) and ST speed skating (TSI%-slope: left = 0.050 ± 0.052, right = 0.001 ± 0.053, p < 0.05). Resaturation of the right leg was relatively lower in ST compared to LT. For the left leg, no difference was found between skating modes in muscle oxygenation. Respectively, two (ST = 5.8 ± 2.0; LT = 4.2 ± 1.5) and 4 h (ST = 4.6 ± 1.9; LT = 3.1 ± 1.6) after the time-trials, a higher rate of perceived exertion was found for ST. Based on our results, ST seems more physiologically demanding, and longer periods of recovery are needed after training compared to LT. Technical aspects unique to the exercise mode seem to impact on oxygenation, affecting processes related to the regulation of exercise intensity such as fatigue and recovery.