Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Muscle pyruvate availability can limit the flux, but not activation, of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex during submaximal exercise in humans

While lowering muscle glycogen availability to an extent that would reduce muscle pyruvate formation during intense exercise, we investigated the importance of muscle pyruvate availability to pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) activation during intense exercise in human skeletal muscle. The present study demonstrated that regardless of whether pre‐exercise muscle glycogen content was at a habitual resting concentration (412 ± 30 mmol (kg dry muscle)−1) or depleted (60 ± 3 mmol (kg dry muscle)−1), the increase in PDC activation from its resting value (5.46 ± 0.96 and 3.67 ± 0.34 nmol acetyl‐CoA min−1 (mg protein)−1, respectively) during 10 min of exercise at 75% of the maximum rate of oxygen consumption (Δ12.82 ± 1.72 and Δ13.24 ± 1.42 nmol acetyl‐CoA min−1 (mg protein)−1, respectively) was the same, despite pyruvate accumulation during exercise being 3‐fold lower in the glycogen depleted state (Δ0.34 ± 0.04 and Δ0.11 ± 0.06 mmol (kg dry muscle)−1, P < 0.001). However, as a result of the reduction in pyruvate availability, calculated flux through the PDC reaction was at least 2‐fold lower in the glycogen depleted state compared with normal (21.81 ± 2.62 and 9.41 ± 0.63 nmol acetyl‐CoA min−1 (mg protein)−1, respectively; P < 0.001). It is therefore pertinent to conclude that whilst muscle pyruvate availability appears to be important to the rate of flux through the PDC reaction during in vivo contraction, it is not of primary importance to the control of PDC activation under these conditions, which is probably principally regulated by muscle calcium availability. The proposed central role of pyruvate in muscle PDC activation during in vivo contraction may therefore have been over stated.
Direct identification of serotypes of natural human rotavirus isolates by hybridization using cDNA probes derived from segment 9 of the rotavirus genome

Under stringent hybridization conditions, cDNA of segment 9 of the rotavirus genome, which codes for the viral protein VP7, permitted differentiation of serotypes of culture-grown rotaviruses and natural isolates of human rotaviruses directly from clinical specimens. This was evident for the following reasons. (i) The cDNA of one serotype selectively hybridized with the RNA of the same serotype of culture-grown rotaviruses. (ii) Natural isolates of the virus thus identified as serotype 2 were also those which gave the short electrophoretic pattern characteristic of the genome of serotype 2, subgroup 1 viruses. Isolates having the long electrophoretic pattern characteristic of the genome of subgroup 2 viruses were identified as serotype 1, 3, or 4 by this method. (iii) For patients who had previously undergone serological analysis, the serotypes being excreted were the same serotypes against which there was the most marked serum neutralizing antibody response. Although the virus population was genetically diverse, the preponderance of the population prevalent in Guangzhou and Foshan in each of the three successive years between 1982 and 1985 comprised a single serotype. The dominant serotype changed from one year to another, but there was minimal cocirculation of different serotypes in this community. All virus isolates belonged to serotype 1,2,3, or 4, and there was no evidence to suggest that the other human rotavirus serotypes were prevalent in this community.
Ineffectiveness of Pitocin on the Sheep Gravid Uterus

Summary Infusion of Syntocinon into pregnant ewes increased tonus but never induced rhythmic contraction of the gravid uterus. The infusion rates spanned a range of 0.76 to 1928 mμ per min. This is many times the effective infusion rate that elicits rhythmic uterine contractility in the human. Since sheep blood contains no pitocinase whereas that of the human does, it is suggested that pitocin is effective in the presence of pitocinase.
Detecting genes for variation in parasite burden and immunological traits in a wild population: testing the candidate gene approach

Identifying the genes underlying phenotypic variation in natural populations can provide novel insight into the evolutionary process. The candidate gene approach has been applied to studies of a number of traits in various species, in an attempt to elucidate their genetic basis. Here, we test the application of the candidate gene approach to identify the loci involved in variation in gastrointestinal parasite burden, a complex trait likely to be controlled by many loci, in a wild population of Soay sheep. A comprehensive literature review, Gene Ontology databases, and comparative genomics resources between cattle and sheep were used to generate a list of candidate genes. In a pilot study, these candidates, along with 50 random genes, were then sequenced in two pools of Soay sheep; one with low gastrointestinal nematode burden and the other high, using a NimbleGen sequence capture experiment. Further candidates were identified from single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that were highly differentiated between high‐ and low‐resistance sheep breeds. A panel of 192 candidate and control SNPs were then typed in 960 individual Soay sheep to examine whether they individually explained variation in parasite burden, as measured as faecal egg count, as well as two immune measures (Teladorsagia circumcincta‐specific antibodies and antinuclear antibodies). The cumulative effect of the candidate and control SNPs were estimated by fitting genetic relationship matrices (GRMs) as random effects in animal models of the three traits. No more significant SNPs were identified in the pilot sequencing experiment and association study than expected by chance. Furthermore, no significant difference was found between the proportions of candidate or control SNPs that were found to be significantly associated with parasite burden/immune measures. No significant effect of the candidate or control gene GRMs was found. There is thus little support for the candidate gene approach to the identification of loci explaining variation in parasitological and immunological traits in this population. However, a number of SNPs explained significant variation in multiple traits and significant correlations were found between the proportions of variance explained by individual SNPs across multiple traits. The significant SNPs identified in this study may still, therefore, merit further investigation.
Pre‐oxygenation using face mask or mouthpiece with and without nose clip: patient preferences and efficacy

We assessed the effectiveness of mouthpieces for oxygenation before induction of anaesthesia. In part 1 of the study we asked 52 day case patients whether they would prefer mask, mouthpiece, or mouthpiece with nose clip, and which they would be willing to use. In part 2 we pre‐oxygenated 18 volunteers using each of the three methods in a crossover study. We measured time to 90% end tidal oxygen concentration (FE′O2), or maximum FE′O2 after 3 min if less than 90%. Of the patients surveyed, 20 (39%) preferred mask, 23 (44%) mouthpiece, one mouthpiece with nose clip and nine (17%) expressed no preference. Only 88% would be willing to use the face mask, but all would accept either the face mask or the mouthpiece with nose clip. In part 2 of the study, the mouthpiece alone proved significantly worse than the mask or mouthpiece with nose clip. The latter two did not differ significantly. Offering the alternative of mouthpiece with nose clip would increase patient acceptance of effective pre‐oxygenation.
EVENT DETECTION USING MOBILE PHONE MASS GPS DATA AND THEIR RELIAVILITY VERIFICATION BY DMSP/OLS NIGHT LIGHT IMAGE

In this study, we developed a method to detect sudden population concentration on a certain day and area, that is, an “Event,” all over Japan in 2012 using mass GPS data provided from mobile phone users. First, stay locations of all phone users were detected using existing methods. Second, areas and days where Events occurred were detected by aggregation of mass stay locations into 1-km-square grid polygons. Finally, the proposed method could detect Events with an especially large number of visitors in the year by removing the influences of Events that occurred continuously throughout the year. In addition, we demonstrated reasonable reliability of the proposed Event detection method by comparing the results of Event detection with light intensities obtained from the night light images from the DMSP/OLS night light images. Our method can detect not only positive events such as festivals but also negative events such as natural disasters and road accidents. These results are expected to support policy development of urban planning, disaster prevention, and transportation management.
Deceleration capacity of heart rate predicts 1‐year mortality of patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation

Risk prediction in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is challenging. Development of novel markers for patient risk assessment is of great clinical value. Deceleration capacity (DC) of heart rate is a strong risk predictor in post‐infarction patients.
EFFECT OF PERIPHERAL SYMPATHETIC NERVE DYSFUNCTION ON SALT SENSITIVITY OF ARTERIAL PRESSURE

1 Dysregulation of peripheral sympathetic pathways contributes to some forms of salt‐dependent hypertension. However, at the present time it is not known whether salt‐induced activation of sympathetic nerves or loss of normal sympathoinhibitory responses to salt‐induced volume expansion contributes to neurogenic salt‐dependent hypertension. The present study was performed to the test the hypothesis that loss of peripheral sympathetic nerve function results in salt‐dependent hypertension. 2 The effect of three pharmacological interventions of sympathetic nerve function on the long‐term salt‐sensitivity of mean arterial pressure (MAP) were measured: (i) blockade of ganglionic transmission with hexamethonium (HEX; n = 5); (ii) destruction of sympathetic nerve terminals with guanethidine (GUAN; n = 7); and (iii) a‐adrenoceptor blockade with two specific antagonists, namely prazosin (PRAZ; n = 7) and terazosin (TERAZ; n = 8). 3 Mean arterial pressure and heart rate were measured 24 h/day by radiotelemetry in conscious rats during 5 days of normal and 7 days of high (HNa) dietary sodium intake. Despite marked increases in both sodium and water intake during 7 days of the HNa diet, no statistically significant changes in MAP were observed in HEX, GUAN, PRAZ or TERAZ groups. 4 We conclude that loss of peripheral sympathetic neural pathways alone does not cause salt‐dependent hypertension in the rat.
Atypical depression: clinical aspects and noradrenergic function.

OBJECTIVE The authors assessed the frequency of atypical depression in depressed outpatients and compared clinical and biological features of patients with atypical and nonatypical depression. METHOD Depressed outpatients (N = 114) were diagnosed with the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (SADS) according to Research Diagnostic Criteria. Patients were assessed for presence or absence of atypical depression with the Atypical Depressive Disorder Scale. Atypical depression was defined as the presence of mood reactivity during the depressive episode, along with at least one of four associated features: hypersomnia, hyperphagia, leaden paralysis, and rejection sensitivity. All patients completed the SCL-90 and were rated with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, extracted from the SADS. To assess biological functioning, the authors examined cortisol response to 75 mg of desipramine, a relatively selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. RESULTS Twenty-nine percent of patients met criteria for atypical depression. Patients with atypical depression were significantly more likely to be female. Patients with atypical and nonatypical depression did not differ on SCL-90 subscale scores. Although extracted Hamilton depression scale scores were significantly higher for patients with nonatypical depression, the difference was not clinically significant. Patients with atypical depression exhibited a significantly different cortisol response to desipramine injection than patients with nonatypical depression, which suggested that nonatypical depression may be associated with a more impaired norepinephrine system. CONCLUSIONS In view of data in this study, as well as earlier studies, atypical depression has a unique symptom profile, may be widely prevalent, has a distinct treatment response, and may indicate a less impaired biological system than nonatypical depression. Since this is the first report to evaluate the frequency of atypical depression as well as the norepinephrine system in atypical depression, this study needs to be replicated. Nonetheless, the data support the inclusion of atypical depression as a subtype of the depressive disorders in DSM-IV.
Exploring relatedness in single-player video game play

Self-Determination Theory (SDT) is often used to measure aspects of the player experience (PX) in videogame research. In aggregate, work in this vein is concerned with measuring basic need satisfaction during play. These needs are competence, autonomy and relatedness. While measures of competence and autonomy are relatively straightforward, there are still questions about how we measure the connectedness that players achieve in and through videogame play. Relatedness is most often studied in dyadic relationships, despite broader definitional origins. The present work therefore approaches the conceptual application of relatedness need satisfaction to videogame play, with a view towards facilitating its empirical study. As a result, this research proposes avenues from which even single-player videogames can support relatedness needs --- arising from parasocial relationships, culture, and the videogame itself.
The HEXACO personality domains in the Croatian sample

The paper examines Ashton and Lee's six-factor model of personality (2001; Lee & Ashton, 2004). The Croatian version of HEXACO-PI-(R) has been applied on a sample of Croatian university students (N=1004). According to the data obtained, the designated six HEXACO factors were confirmed in the Croatian sample. Six HEXACO dimensions showed expected relations with Big Five personality traits. Gender differences in HEXACO personality domains are mainly in line with theoretical expectations. The results of our study confirm the validity of the HEXACO personality model in Croatia.
X-ray Image Segmentation using Active Shape Models

Image segmentation is an important stage in any image processing process. Regions of interest in the image are extracted from the image and are used to interpret the information in the image. This study investigates the image segmentation of X-ray images and aims at separating the bone from the rest of the X-ray. Basic edge detection techniques and Active Shape Models are the image segmentation techniques analyzed. The performance of these methods is tested using error functions and bestt curves. The process is modi ed to automate it to decrease human involvement. These are the initial steps of an automatic bone fracture detection algorithm. Basic edge detection techniques consist of texture analysis and morphological operations on the image to nd edges. In this thesis, the bone can be separated from the X-ray image using the bone boundary. The bone boundary can be found using edge detection techniques. The advantages of these techniques are examined and their drawbacks are explained. A study of these techniques shows their inadequacies in detecting the edges in certain bones, creating the need to nd a robust and e cient way of nding bone boundaries. Active Shape Models, presented in Cootes and Taylor [9, 10], is a method of nding a shape in an image. Active shape models are used to t a shape, learnt from training images, to a test image. The algorithm is trained using X-ray images by manually selecting landmark points on the images. The shape of the bone is learnt using these images and then the model tried to t the shape to a test image. Performance of these models is tested and variations on the model are studied. Interpretation of the results of experiments shows the best way to use Active Shape Models to segment X-ray images. It is proved that this technique extracts the bone in the X-ray e ectively.
PTHrP [67-86] regulates the expression of stress proteins in breast cancer cells inducing modifications in urokinase-plasminogen activator and MMP-1 expression

It was previously reported that a midregion domain of parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP), that is, [67-86]-amide, is able to restrain growth and promote matrigel penetration by the 8701-BC cell line, derived from a biopsy fragment of a primary ductal infiltrating carcinoma of the human breast, and that cell invasion in vitro is drastically impaired by inactivation of urokinase-plasminogen activator (uPa). In this study we started a more detailed investigation of the possible effects on gene expression arising from the interaction between PTHrP [67-86]-amide and 8701-BC breast cancer cells by a combination of conventional-, differential display-and semi-quantitative multiplex-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays. We present here the first evidence that the upregulation of some stress-related genes, most noticeably heat shock factor binding protein-1 (hsbp1) and heat shock protein 90 (hsp-90), is involved in the acquisition of an in vitro more invasive phenotype by cells treated with midregion PTHrP. This is conceivably accomplished by sequestering and inactivating heat shock factor-1 (hsf1) which is able to recognize Ets transcription-factor-binding sites present in some gene promoters, such as those of uPa and matrix metalloprotease-1 (MMP-1). In fact, our data show that incubation of PTHrP [67-86]-amide-treated cells with either antisense hsbp1-oligonucleotide or geldanamycin, an hsp90-inactivating antibiotic, results in downregulation of uPa and upregulation of MMP-1, and in a prominent inhibition of cell invasion in matrigel-containing Transwell chambers. Alternatively, incubation of untreated 8701-BC cells with quercetin, a flavonoid known to decrease the amount of free hsf1, is found to induce upregulation of uPa and downregulation of MMP-1, and an increase of matrigel invasion by cells, thus providing further supporting data of the involvement of hsf unavailability on the modulation of uPa and MMP-1 expression and on cell invasive behaviour. These studies confirm a previous postulate that over-secretion of uPa, rather than of other extracellular proteases, is a primary condition for the increase of invasive activity triggered by PTHrP [67-86]-amide in vitro, and support a role for midregion forms of PTHrP in potentially affecting pathological mammary growth and differentiation. They also identify two new key protagonists in the complex scenario of breast tumor cell invasiveness in vitro, that is, hsbp1 and hsp90, which deserve further and more extensive studies as potential and attractive molecular targets for anti-breast cancer treatments.
Effects of climate change and UV-B on materials

The outdoor service life of common plastic materials is limited by their susceptibility to solar ultraviolet radiation. Of the solar wavelengths the UV-B component is particularly efficient in bringing about photodamage in synthetic and naturally occurring materials. This is particularly true of plastics, rubber and wood used in the building and agricultural industries. Any depletion in the stratospheric ozone layer and resulting increase in the UV-B component of terrestrial sunlight will therefore tend to decrease the service life of these materials. The extent to which the service life is reduced is, however, difficult to estimate as it depends on several factors. These include the chemical nature of the material, the additives it contains, the type and the amount of light-stabilizers (or protective coatings) used, and the amount of solar exposure it receives. Concomitant climate change is likely to increase the ambient temperature and humidity in some of the same regions likely to receive increased UV-B radiation. These factors, particularly higher temperatures, are also well known to accelerate the rate of photodegradation of materials, and may therefore further limit the service life of materials in these regions. To reliably assess the damage to materials as a consequence of ozone layer depletion, the wavelength sensitivity of the degradation process, dose-response relationships for the material and the effectiveness of available stabilizers need to be quantified. The data needed for the purpose are not readily available at this time for most of the commonly used plastics or wood materials. Wavelength sensitivity of a number of common plastic materials and natural biopolymers are available and generally show the damage (per photon) to decrease exponentially with the wavelength. Despite the relatively higher fraction of UV-A in sunlight, the UV-B content is responsible for a significant part of light-induced damage of materials. The primary approach to mitigation relies on the effectiveness of the existing light stabilizers (such as hindered amine light stabilizers, HALS) used in plastics exposed to harsh solar UV conditions coupled with climate change factors. In developing advanced light-stabilizer technologies, more light-resistant grades of common plastics, or surface protection technologies for wood, the harsh weathering environment created by the simultaneous action of increased UV-B levels due to ozone depletion as well as the relevant climate change factors need to be taken into consideration. Recent literature includes several studies on synergism of HALS-based stabilizers, stabilizer effectiveness in the new m-polyolefins and elucidation of the mechanism of stabilization afforded by titania pigment in vinyl plastics.
A comparative study on the effect of tumor promoters on poly ADP‐ribosylation in A431 cells

Poly ADP‐ribosylation is a post‐translational modification of chromatin proteins catalyzed by the enzyme poly‐ADPR transferase (poly‐ADPRT) and affects the structure as well as the functional properties of chromatin. It is of particular relevance in carcinogenesis, as it represents an epigenetic mechanism for modulation of gene expression. In the present study, A431 cells were exposed to tumor promoters phorbol 12‐myristate‐ 13‐acetate (PMA), benzoyl peroxide (BP), mezerein and 6‐keto‐lithocholic acid (KA), and their effect on poly‐ADP‐ribosylation was studied. All these tumor promoters increased the activity of poly‐ADPRT in these cells‐PMA 2.3‐fold, BP and mezerein 2.2‐fold each and KA 1.3‐fold. The enzyme inhibitor 3‐amino benzamide (3AB) partially prevented the stimulation of poly‐ADPRT by these promoters. There was a concomitant decrease in NAD levels, the substrate for poly‐ADPRT. The decrease was 44% for PMA, 46% for BP, 21% for KA and 34% for mezerein. The induction of poly‐ADP‐ribose synthesis by PMA and BP appears to be mediated at least in part by active oxygen species, as they induced an increase in superoxide anions and anti‐oxidants prevented the increase of poly‐ADPRT activity to varying extents.