Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of aerobic exercise training on cardiovascular parameters and CD4 cell count of people living with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE Despite the significant positive effect of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy on physical and psychosocial well-being of people living with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) (PLWHA); decreased physical activity and its associated cardiovascular risk still pose some consequences for health and general well-being. This study investigated the effect of an 8 week aerobic exercise training on cardiovascular parameters and CD4 cell (T-cells) count of PLWHA. MATERIALS AND METHODS This randomized controlled trial recruited 30 age matched PLWHA who were randomly assigned into exercise group (EG) ( n = 15) and control group (CG) ( n = 15) respectively. The PLWHA were patients receiving treatment in President's Emergency Plan for AIDS relief at the HIV clinic of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. The EG in addition to conventional therapy received moderate intensity continuous exercise training (60-79% of the maximum heart rate [max]) of between 45 and 60 min, 3 times/week for 8 weeks, while the CG received conventional therapy involving antiretroviral therapy and counseling only. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), maximum oxygen uptake (VO₂ max) and CD4 cell count were assessed at baseline (week 1) and week 8 respectively. Analysis of co-variance and Pearson correlation tests were used in data analysis. RESULTS Findings of the study revealed a significant effect (ANCOVA test) of moderate intensity continuous exercise training program on, SBP, DBP, VO₂ max and CD4 cell count at P < 0.05. Changes in VO₂ max significantly correlated (Pearson correlation test) with changes in CD4 cell count ( r = 0.528) at P < 0.05. CONCLUSION Moderate intensity aerobic exercise is an effective complementary therapy in lowering blood pressure and increasing CD4 cell count in PLWHA.
NF-κB Signaling Is Required for XBP1 (Unspliced and Spliced)-Mediated Effects on Antiestrogen Responsiveness and Cell Fate Decisions in Breast Cancer

ABSTRACT Antiestrogen therapy induces the unfolded protein response (UPR) in estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer. X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1), which exists in the transcriptionally inactive unspliced form [XBP1(U)] and the spliced active form [XBP1(S)], is a key UPR component mediating antiestrogen resistance. We now show a direct link between the XBP1 and NF-κB survival pathways in driving the cell fate decisions in response to antiestrogens in ER+ breast cancer cells, both in vitro and in a xenograft mouse model. Using novel spliced and nonspliceable forms of XBP1, we show that XBP1(U) functions beyond being a dominant negative of XBP1(S). Both isoforms regulate NF-κB activity via ERα; XBP1(S) is more potent because it also directly regulates p65/RelA expression. These findings provide new insights into the fundamental signaling activities of spliced and unspliced XBP1 in breast cancer, establish NF-κB to be a mediator of these activities, and identify XBP1 and its splicing to be novel therapeutic targets.
Ayahuasca Scientific Information

La ayahuasca is a serotonergic-acting psychotropic brew of which one of the main uses in traditional cultures is as a medicine. This is the reason why in Western culture ayahuasca is popularly considered to have medicinal properties, even if it is used outside of its traditional context. But what are the evidences of efficacy as a therapeutic tool? Is ayahuasca safe? And what are its exact mechanisms of action?
Novel investigational adenosine A2A receptor antagonists for Parkinson's disease

The development of non-dopaminergic therapies for Parkinson's disease (PD) has attracted much interest in recent years. Among new classes of drugs, adenosine A2A antagonists have emerged as the best candidates. BIIB014, preladenant and ST-1535 are new adenosine A2A antagonists currently in Phase I and II clinical trials for evaluation of their efficacy in patients with PD. All these compounds have been proven safe and well tolerated. Moreover, results from Phase II trials also demonstrate that BIIB014 and preladenant are effective in reducing the waking time spent in OFF state in patients at the late stage of PD treated with L-DOPA. BIIB014 is also efficacious as monotherapy in patients at the early stage of PD. Finally, ST-1535, at this time, displays a very promising potential in experimental models of PD and a safe profile in clinical studies. This review summarizes pharmacological data available on these three A2A antagonists, their effects in animal models of PD and their profiles in clinical trials.
A comparison of electromyography and stroke kinematics during ergometer and on-water rowing

Abstract This study assessed muscle recruitment patterns and stroke kinematics during ergometer and on-water rowing to validate the accuracy of rowing ergometry. Male rowers (n = 10; age 21 ± 2 years, height 1.90 ± 0.05 m and body mass 83.3 ± 4.8 kg) performed 3 × 3 min exercise bouts, at heart and stroke rates equivalent to 75, 85 and 95% V̇O2peak, on both dynamic and stationary rowing ergometers, and on water. During exercise, synchronised data for surface electromyography (EMG) and 2D kinematics were recorded. Overall muscle activity was quantified by the integration of rmsEMG and averaged for each 10% interval of the stroke cycle. Muscle activity significantly increased in rectus femoris (RF) and vastus medialis (VM) (P <0.01), as exercise intensity increased. Comparing EMG data across conditions revealed significantly (P <0.05) greater RF and VM activity during on-water rowing at discrete 10% intervals of stroke cycle. In addition, the drive/recovery ratio was significantly lower during dynamic ergometry compared to on-water (40 ± 1 vs. 44 ± 1% at 95%, P <0.01). Results suggest that significant differences exist while comparing recruitment and kinematic patterns between on-water and ergometer rowing. These differences may be due to altered acceleration and deceleration of moving masses on-ergometer not perfectly simulating the on-water scenario.
IQGAP1 modulates activation of B-Raf

IQGAP1 modulates several cellular functions, including cell–cell adhesion, transcription, cytoskeletal architecture, and selected signaling pathways. We previously documented that IQGAP1 binds ERK and MAPK kinase (MEK) and regulates EGF-stimulated MEK and ERK activity. Here we characterize the interaction between IQGAP1 and B-Raf, the molecule immediately upstream of MEK in the Ras/MAPK signaling cascade. B-Raf binds directly to IQGAP1 in vitro and coimmunoprecipitates with IQGAP1 from cell lysates. Importantly, IQGAP1 modulates B-Raf function. EGF is unable to stimulate B-Raf activity in IQGAP1-null cells and in cells transfected with an IQGAP1 mutant construct that is unable to bind B-Raf. Interestingly, binding to IQGAP1 significantly enhances B-Raf activity in vitro. Our data identify a previously unrecognized interaction between IQGAP1 and B-Raf and suggest that IQGAP1 is a scaffold necessary for activation of B-Raf by EGF.
The capacity to vote of persons with serious mental illness.

OBJECTIVE Despite legal protections, persons with mental illness continue to experience discrimination that limits their access to voting in elections. In response, a number of states have adopted individualized functional determinations of mental capacity to vote. A 2001 federal court decision offered clear criteria for determining voting capacity that are based on understanding the nature and effect of voting ("the Doe standard"). This study explored the performance on these criteria by a sample of individuals with serious mental illness. METHODS The Doe standard has been operationalized with the Competency Assessment Tool for Voting (CAT-V) along with measures of reasoning and appreciation. Performance was assessed with the CAT-V in a sample of 52 community-dwelling persons with serious mental illness and then compared on measures of cognition, verbal IQ, and symptom severity. RESULTS The interview questions were scored with good interrater reliability and took an average of less than five minutes to administer. Performance was high, with 92% scoring a 5 or 6 out of 6 possible points on the Doe-standard criteria. Performance did not correlate with cognition, verbal IQ, or symptom severity. CONCLUSIONS The CAT-V is an easy and efficient method of determining voting capacity according to the Doe standard. Assuming that the high scores in this sample are confirmed in other groups, in general it may be appropriate to assume that even persons with serious mental illness are capable of voting. When a person's capacity to vote is called into question, screening instruments such as the CAT-V may be useful to guide an assessment.
Autonomous Low Power Microsystem Powered by Vibration Energy Harvesting

This paper reports, for the first time, the implementation of a microsystem powered entirely from ambient vibrations. Sufficient electrical energy is harvested to power a radio-frequency (RF) linked accelerometer based microsystem. The microsystem is energy aware and will adjust the measurement/transmit duty cycle according to the available energy; this is typically every 50 seconds during normal operation. The system is fully powered from 45 muWrms scavenged by a miniature electromagnetic (EM) vibration energy harvester of volume ; level of 0.6ms-2.
Validation of the Adult OMNI Scale of perceived exertion for walking/running exercise.

PURPOSE Concurrent and construct validity of the OMNI-Walk/Run Scale of Perceived Exertion was examined using young adult women and men (18-36 yr). METHODS Concurrent validity was established by correlating OMNI-Walk/Run Scale ratings of perceived exertion (RPE-OMNI) with oxygen uptake (VO2), relative maximal oxygen uptake (%VO2(max)), ventilation (VE), respiratory rate (RR), respiratory exchange ratio (RER), and heart rate (HR) to a graded exercise test on a treadmill. Construct validity was established by correlating RPE-OMNI with RPE from the Borg (6-20) Scale (RPE-BORG). Measurements were made every min throughout the test. RESULTS The range of exercise responses across the incremental walking/running test for the female and male groups were: VO2 = 0.99-3.9 L x min(-1), HR = 98-190 beats x min(-1) and RPE-OMNI = 1.3-9.4. Correlation/regression analyses indicated that RPE-OMNI distributed as a positive linear function for all criterion measures; r = 0.67 to 0.88 (P < 0.05). RPE-OMNI was positively and linearly related to the RPE-BORG; r = 0.96 (P < 0.01) for both the female and male groups. CONCLUSIONS Concurrent and construct evidence supports use of the OMNI-Walk/Run Scale by adult women and men to estimate RPE during graded exercise test on a treadmill.
Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy: Status and Challenges

Although the failure to develop a satisfying intimate relationship with one’s partner is the single most frequently presented problem in therapy (Horowitz, 1979), couples therapy, the modality that most directly addresses this problem, is a relatively young discipline. In this discipline, systematic approaches to changing distressed relationships are still being developed and evaluated. At present there are only two clearly delineated treatments for marital distress that have been empirically tested in a number of stud-
Predictive abilities of the STOP-Bang and Epworth Sleepiness Scale in identifying sleep clinic patients at high risk for obstructive sleep apnea.

This study compared the predictive abilities of the STOP-Bang and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) for screening sleep clinic patients for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). Forty-seven new adult patients without previous diagnoses of OSA or SDB were administered the STOP-Bang and ESS and were assigned to OSA or SDB risk groups based on their scores. STOP-Bang responses were scored with two Body Mass Index cut points of 35 and 30 kg/m(2) (SB35 and SB30). The tools' predictive abilities were determined by comparing patients' predicted OSA and SDB risks to their polysomnographic results. The SB30 correctly identified more patients with OSA and SDB than the ESS alone. The ESS had the highest specificity for OSA and SDB.
Self-Perception in Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Davis CH: Self-perception in mild traumatic brain injury. Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2002;81:609–618. Objective The objectives of this study were (1) to describe a procedure for measuring preinjury and postinjury symptoms, (2) to compare these symptoms with normal controls and individuals with non–head related traumas, (3) to describe patterns in persistent symptomatology after mild traumatic brain injury, and (4) to document trends in self-perception as measured by retrospective ratings of symptoms after trauma. Design A total of 102 individuals with mild traumatic brain injury and 69 individuals with non-head-related traumas completed preinjury and postinjury symptom questionnaires 1 wk after trauma. Symptoms were compared with 115 normal controls. Three months after injury, a subgroup of the mild traumatic brain injury group completed symptom questionnaires again. A factor analysis and subsequent discriminant function analysis of the symptoms differentiated the groups. Results Retrospective ratings of preinjury symptoms by the two trauma groups were significantly less than the normal controls, implying misattribution. Most symptoms were somatic at 1 wk postinjury in both trauma groups. At 3 mo, the mild traumatic brain injury group endorsed more recall symptoms. Conclusions The procedure was useful in differentiating groups by symptom patterns and increasing our knowledge of persistent symptomatology after mild traumatic brain injury. Misattribution, the unrealistic self-perception of symptoms after the event of a trauma, was detected in both the head and non-head trauma groups.
Psychotic Consciousness

Congruent with recent demands for greater attention to be given to patients' actual experiences at a fine-grained level in the understanding of psychosis (e.g. Thomas 1997) the present paper first describes one day in an actual psychotic episode suffered by the author in 1979 and then subjects this narrative to analytic and normalisation interpretations. It is suggested that acute psychotic thinking of paranoid form is critically mediated by real social events and by intrapsychic deficits in attentional capacity; metacognition; thought regulation and signal discriminative ability. Cognitive processes in delusion however, are suggested to be influenced by the presence of a threatening external locus of control. This reflects the strong social and political quality to delusional suffering. The effects therefore of victimisation on cognitive processes is suggested to be an important issue in social cognitive psychology and psychiatry.
The status of varying constants: a review of the physics, searches and implications

The observational evidence for the recent acceleration of the universe demonstrates that canonical theories of cosmology and particle physics are incomplete—if not incorrect—and that new physics is out there, waiting to be discovered. A key task for the next generation of laboratory and astrophysical facilities is to search for, identify and ultimately characterize this new physics. Here we highlight recent developments in tests of the stability of nature’s fundamental couplings, which provide a direct handle on new physics: a detection of variations will be revolutionary, but even improved null results provide competitive constraints on a range of cosmological and particle physics paradigms. A joint analysis of all currently available data shows a preference for variations of α and μ at about the two-sigma level, but inconsistencies between different sub-sets (likely due to hidden systematics) suggest that these statistical preferences need to be taken with caution. On the other hand, these measurements strongly constrain Weak Equivalence Principle violations. Plans and forecasts for forthcoming studies with facilities such as ALMA, ESPRESSO and the ELT, which should clarify these issues, are also discussed, and synergies with other probes are briefly highlighted. The goal is to show how a new generation of precision consistency tests of the standard paradigm will soon become possible.
Contracting for Environmental Property Rights: The Case of Vittel

Based on a real case of contracting for environmental property rights, we explore several implications of Coase's insights. The case study adds empirical content to basic transaction costs concepts by analysing the design and implementation of a contractual arrangement between a pollutee—a bottler of mineral water—and several polluting farmers. We analyse the bargaining between the two parties to determine how transaction cost issues (valuation disputes, bilateral monopoly conditions and third-party effects) were overcome and how they succeeded in contracting for environmental property rights. We compare the Vittel case with other similar cases to draw lessons for environmental rights negotiations.
Association of ABO blood group B with myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to find out the association between blood group B and Myocardial Infarction (MI) in sample population in Malaysia. STUDY DESIGN A case-control study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY The study was conducted at Hospital Kepala Batas, Penang, Malaysia, from 2006 to 2007. METHODOLOGY The study was approved by the Research and Ethics Committee, School of Medical Sciences, University Sains Malaysia. The study included 170 patients with confirmed MI as cases and 170 subjects without MI were taken as controls. After ethical approval, patients were recruited for the study from Hospital Kepala Batas after informed consent. Blood sample around 2 ml was collected from each patient and control. Each blood sample was tested by ABO gel card test for the blood group. Sample size was calculated using a power and sample size software, whereby power of study was 80%, Confidence Interval (CI) was 95%, odds ratio was 2 and ratio of control to case was 1. Odds ratio and the CI were used to describe the association between MI and group B. RESULTS A total of 170 MI patients and 170 controls were tested for ABO blood groups. Statistical analysis showed that among 170 MI subjects, 54 (31.8%) were blood group B and among 170 controls, 51 (30%) were blood group B. Simple logistic regression analysis showed no association of MI with blood group B (p=0.824, crude OR 0.95, 95% confidence interval 0.62-1.47). Multiple logistic regression analysis also did not show association of blood group B with MI (p=0.222, adjusted OR 0.68, 95% confidence interval 0.37-1.26). CONCLUSION This study failed to demonstrate any association of blood group B with MI in sample population in Malaysia compared to few studies reporting positive association, however, we suggest further studies to elaborate on this finding in Malaysian population.
Dynamic gene expression regulation model for growth and penicillin production in Penicillium chrysogenum

As is often the case for microbial product formation, the penicillin production rate of Penicillium chrysogenum has been observed to be a function of the growth rate of the organism. The relation between the biomass specific rate of penicillin formation (qp) and growth rate (µ) has been measured under steady state conditions in carbon limited chemostats resulting in a steady state qp(µ) relation. Direct application of such a relation to predict the rate of product formation during dynamic conditions, as they occur, for example, in fed‐batch experiments, leads to errors in the prediction, because qp is not an instantaneous function of the growth rate but rather lags behind because of adaptational and regulatory processes. In this paper a dynamic gene regulation model is presented, in which the specific rate of penicillin production is assumed to be a linear function of the amount of a rate‐limiting enzyme in the penicillin production pathway. Enzyme activity assays were performed and strongly indicated that isopenicillin‐N synthase (IPNS) was the main rate‐limiting enzyme for penicillin‐G biosynthesis in our strain. The developed gene regulation model predicts the expression of this rate limiting enzyme based on glucose repression, fast decay of the mRNA encoding for the enzyme as well as the decay of the enzyme itself. The gene regulation model was combined with a stoichiometric model and appeared to accurately describe the biomass and penicillin concentrations for both chemostat steady‐state as well as the dynamics during chemostat start‐up and fed‐batch cultivation. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2010;106: 608–618. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Webcam delivery of the Camperdown Program for adolescents who stutter: a phase I trial.

PURPOSE This Phase I clinical trial explored the viability of webcam Internet delivery of the Camperdown Program for adolescents who stutter. Method and Procedure Participants were 3 adolescents ages 13, 15, and 16 years, with moderate-severe stuttering. Each was treated with the Camperdown Program delivered by webcam with no clinic attendance. Primary outcome measures were percentage of syllables stuttered and number of treatment sessions to maintenance. Secondary outcome measures were speech naturalness, situation avoidance, self-reported stuttering severity, and parent and adolescent satisfaction. Data were collected pre treatment and at 1 day, 6 months, and 12 months post entry to maintenance. RESULTS Participants entered maintenance after means of 18 sessions and 11 clinician hours. Group mean reduction of stuttering from pre treatment to entry to maintenance was 83%, from pre treatment to 6 months post entry to maintenance was 93%, and from pre treatment to 12 months post entry to maintenance was 74%. Self-reported stuttering severity ratings confirmed these results. Post entry to maintenance speech naturalness for participants fell within the range of that of 3 matched controls. However, avoidance of speech situations showed no corresponding improvements for 2 of the participants. CONCLUSION The service delivery model was efficacious and efficient. All of the participants and their parents also found it appealing. Results justify a Phase II trial of the delivery model.
THE ACTIVE ASTEROIDS

Some asteroids eject dust, unexpectedly producing transient, comet-like comae and tails. First ascribed to the sublimation of near-surface water ice, mass-losing asteroids (also called “main-belt comets”) can in fact be driven by a surprising diversity of mechanisms. In this paper, we consider 11 dynamical asteroids losing mass, in nine of which the ejected material is spatially resolved. We address mechanisms for producing mass loss including rotational instability, impact ejection, electrostatic repulsion, radiation pressure sweeping, dehydration stresses, and thermal fracture, in addition to the sublimation of ice. In two objects (133P and 238P) the repetitive nature of the observed activity leaves ice sublimation as the only reasonable explanation, while in a third ((596) Scheila), a recent impact is the cause. Another impact may account for activity in P/2010 A2, but this tiny object can also be explained as having shed mass after reaching rotational instability. Mass loss from (3200) Phaethon is probably due to cracking or dehydration at extreme (∼1000 K) perihelion temperatures, perhaps aided by radiation pressure sweeping. For the other bodies, the mass-loss mechanisms remain unidentified, pending the acquisition of more and better data. While the active asteroid sample size remains small, the evidence for an astonishing diversity of mass-loss processes in these bodies is clear.