Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Increased insulin sensitivity and decreased body weight in female rats after postnatal corticosterone exposure.

OBJECTIVE Glucocorticoids are important for normal brain development. Elevation or removal of these hormones can permanently modify the structure and function of the fetal brain. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of postnatal corticosterone exposure of female pups on metabolic, endocrine and anthropometric variables in adulthood. DESIGN Female pups were given subcutaneous injections of corticosterone (5 mg/kg, CORT) or vehicle 3 and 5 days after birth. RESULTS From 6 weeks of age, the CORT rats weighed significantly less than did controls, with diminished fat depots, decreased serum levels of leptin and reduced food intake. Adult CORT rats showed increased insulin sensitivity, measured by hyperinsulinemic, euglycemic clamp (5 mU/kg/min), as compared with controls. CORT rats had lower basal corticosterone levels and lower corticosterone levels 15 and 90 min after exposure to stress. CONCLUSION The results indicate that postnatal exposure to corticosterone leads to increased insulin sensitivity, low body weight with diminished fat depots, leptin and food intake. This suggests that postnatal exposure to corticosterone induces specific programming, with consequences in adult life.
Cold and Muscle Performance

The effects of muscle temperature on the development of muscular power are discussed. Temperature influences power (both metabolic and mechanical) by means of its effects on the rate of ATP hydrolysis and/or resynthesis. One would therefore expect reduced power outputs at cold muscle temperatures in humans. However, this is not the case during submaximal aerobic exercise. In fact, no changes in metabolic power output at any given submaximal work load were found at cold muscle temperatures, despite the reduced rate of ATP resynthesis and/or splitting. To explain this, it has been postulated that the fraction of active muscle mass at any given time instant could increase in the cold, thus compensating for the reduced ATP splitting rate. This means that the aerobic ATP resynthesis in the cold may be carried out at a slower rate by a greater activated muscle mass. This compensation cannot be operational when maximal power is attained, for in this case the instantaneously activated muscle mass is constant and limited. In fact the maximal aerobic power and the maximal instantaneous anaerobic power decrease with decreasing muscle temperature, as indicated by an average Q10 of 1.4 in the physiological muscle temperature range. The reduction in maximal aerobic power in the cold may be the consequence particularly of a decrease in O2 supply associated with reduced maximal cardiac output and muscle blood flow. On the other hand, the Q10 of the maximal anaerobic power should strictly depend on the reduced rate of ATP hydrolysis. The Q10 of the latter, however, according to Arrhenius law, should be 2 to 3 instead of 1.4. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Envelopment of Sindbis Virus: Synthesis and Organization of Proteins in Cells Infected with Wild Type and Maturation-Defective Mutants

The synthesis and organization of Sindbis virus structural proteins was investigated in BHK cells infected with wild-type virus (SVHR) or temperature-sensitive (ts) mutants defective in maturation. Cells infected with ts-23 or ts-20 (complementation groups D and E) were similar in the polypeptides synthesized at the nonpermissive temperature and differed from SVHR-infected cells in that the envelope protein E2 was not cleaved from the PE2 precursor. Data from experiments utilizing pulse-chase procedures or protein synthesis inhibitors indicated that although infectious virions were released from cells infected with these mutants in shift-down experiments, the particles were produced almost exclusively from proteins synthesized after the return to permissive temperature. This suggests that a stable complex may be formed among the structural proteins before budding. A membrane fraction isolated from cells infected with either ts mutants or SVHR contained the PE2, E1, and C polypeptides, whereas E2 was restricted to fractions obtained from SVHR-infected cells. Although equivalent amounts of virus-specific protein were synthesized in cells infected with either mutant and the cells contained qualitatively the same proteins in the isolated membranes, cells infected with ts-23 did not have virus-specific proteins exposed on their surface that could be detected by ferritin-conjugated antibody-labeling procedures or lactoperoxidase-mediated iodination. In contrast, ts-20-infected cells had significant amounts of viral protein, mainly E1, that could be detected on the plasma membrane by either procedure. Iodine was incorporated into E1 and E2 on the surface of SVHR-infected cells in the same relative amounts as seen in iodinated virions. PE2, however, although present in membranes, could not be iodinated on the surface of infected cells under any of the conditions used in this study. We also monitored the relative efficiency with which these viral proteins could be removed from intact cells by dilute solutions of nonionic detergents. The results indicated that E2 was most efficiently removed, followed by E1. PE2 (the precursor to E2) and C remained associated with the cell and could be subsequently isolated in the membrane fraction.
Endophthalmitis Due to Trichosporon beigelii in Acute Leukemia

We describe 2 patients with hematologic malignancy who developed endophthalmitis due to Trichosporon beigelii during the course of treatment with multiagent chemotherapy. Blood cultures revealed T beigelii for both patients. Although one of the patients was treated with fluconazole (FLCZ) and 5-fluorocytosine, the trichosporonous endophthalmitis was resistant to both drugs. This patient subsequently received amphotericin B (AMPH-B) therapy, and the eyes were treated with vitrectomy. The second patient also received AMPH-B for FLCZ-resistant trichosporonous chorioretinitis. In both patients, systemic treatment with AMPH-B successfully resolved the trichosporonous endophthalmitis that was resistant to multiple antifungal drugs. Endophthalmitis due to trichosporonosis is difficult to treat. The administration of AMPH-B is likely to be more effective in treating endophthalmitis due to trichosporonosis when the disease is at an early stage.
Human recombinant interferons‐beta and ‐gamma decrease gelatinase production and invasion by human KG‐2 renal‐carcinoma cells

We investigated the effects of human recombinant interferons (r‐IFNs) on gelatinase production and invasion by human renal‐cell carcinoma (HRCC). Incubation of KG‐2 HRCC with human r‐IFN‐β or ‐γ (but not ‐α) suppressed transcription of the 72‐kDa gelatinase gene and, hence, production of gelatinase activity. These inhibitory effects of interferons (IFNs) were independent of their antiproliferative effects. Treatment of KG‐2 cells with r‐IFN‐β or ‐γ significantly inhibited cell invasion through reconstituted basement membrane toward chemoattractants produced by kidney fibroblasts. The inhibitory activity of r‐IFNs was specific to the KG‐2 cells since gelatinase activity by various fibroblasts was unaffected. These findings suggest that r‐IFN‐β or IFN‐γ may be used to inhibit the invasive potential of HRCC.
Neuromedin U Receptor 2-Deficient Mice Display Differential Responses in Sensory Perception, Stress, and Feeding

ABSTRACT Neuromedin U (NMU) is a highly conserved neuropeptide with a variety of physiological functions mediated by two receptors, peripheral NMUR1 and central nervous system NMUR2. Here we report the generation and phenotypic characterization of mice deficient in the central nervous system receptor NMUR2. We show that behavioral effects, such as suppression of food intake, enhanced pain response, and excessive grooming induced by intracerebroventricular NMU administration were abolished in the NMUR2 knockout (KO) mice, establishing a causal role for NMUR2 in mediating NMU's central effects on these behaviors. In contrast to the NMU peptide-deficient mice, NMUR2 KO mice appeared normal with regard to stress, anxiety, body weight regulation, and food consumption. However, the NMUR2 KO mice showed reduced pain sensitivity in both the hot plate and formalin tests. Furthermore, facilitated excitatory synaptic transmission in spinal dorsal horn neurons, a mechanism by which NMU stimulates pain, did not occur in NMUR2 KO mice. These results provide significant insights into a functional dissection of the differential contribution of peripherally or centrally acting NMU system. They suggest that NMUR2 plays a more significant role in central pain processing than other brain functions including stress/anxiety and regulation of feeding.
Stochastic Models of Soil Denitrification

Soil denitrification is a highly variable process that appears to be lognormally distributed. This variability is manifested by large sample coefficients of variation for replicate estimates of soil core denitrification rates. Deterministic models for soil denitrification have been proposed in the past, but none of these models predicts the approximate lognormality exhibited by natural denitrification rate estimates. In this study, probabilistic (stochastic) models were developed to understand how positively skewed distributions for field denitrification rate estimates result from the combined influences of variables known to affect denitrification. Three stochastic models were developed to describe the distribution of measured soil core denitrification rates. The driving variables used for all the models were denitrification enzyme activity and CO2 production rates. The three models were distinguished by the functional relationships combining these driving variables. The functional relationships used were (i) a second-order model (model 1), (ii) a second-order model with a threshold (model 2), and (iii) a second-order saturation model (model 3). The parameters of the models were estimated by using 12 separate data sets (24 replicates per set), and their abilities to predict denitrification rate distributions were evaluated by using three additional independent data sets of 180 replicates each. Model 2 was the best because it produced distributions of denitrification rate which were not significantly different (P > 0.1) from distributions of measured denitrification rates. The generality of this model is unknown, but it accurately predicted the mean denitrification rates and accounted for the stochastic nature of this variable at the site studied. The approach used in this study may be applicable to other areas of ecological research in which accounting for the high spatial variability of microbiological processes is of interest.
Complex and Compound Odontomas

Purpose This study aimed to analyze and discuss the demographic, clinical, and surgical aspects of 53 surgically treated odontomas and to review the literature. Patients and Methods A retrospective review was performed on all cases of treated odontomas in our center. A review of the recent literature about demographic aspects of odontomas was performed. Results A total of 53 odontomas with a mean age of 35 years were surgically treated during the study period: 32 complex odontomas, 20 compound odontomas, and 1 immature odontoma. Compound odontomas occurred more often at the mandible with a predilection for the anterior region, whereas complex odontomas showed up more often in the posterior regions of the mandible. Odontomas most commonly occurred in patients in the second decade of life. The main presenting sign was the eruption failure of permanent teeth (44 cases), whereas 1 patient referred pain as the presenting symptom. Conclusions Odontomas are hamartomas not rarely encountered by oral and maxillofacial surgeons. Odontomas usually determine delayed eruption; thus, in case of any dentition anomaly or jaw deformation in children and adolescents, it is very important to investigate the presence of possible odontomas with radiographs.
Is glucose/amino acid supplementation after exercise an aid to strength training?

Background—The precise timing of carbohydrate and amino acid ingestion relative to a bout of resistance exercise may modulate the training effect of the resistance exercise. Objective—To assess whether regular glucose/amino acid supplementation immediately after resistance exercise could enhance the gain in muscle strength brought about by resistance training. Methods—Seven untrained participants with a median age of 23 years and mean (SD) body mass 68.9 (13.5) kg resistance trained on a leg extension machine for five days a week for 10 weeks, using four sets of 10 repetitions. Alternate legs were trained on successive days, one leg each day. Subjects ingested either a supplement including 0.8 g glucose/kg and 0.2 g amino acids/kg, or placebo, on alternate training days immediately after training. Therefore the supplement was always ingested after training the same leg (supplement leg). Isometric, isokinetic, and 1 repetition maximum (RM) strength were measured before, during, and after training. Blood samples were analysed to determine the acute responses of insulin and glucose to resistance exercise and supplementation or placebo. Results—Serum insulin concentration peaked 20 minutes after supplement ingestion at ninefold the placebo level, and remained significantly elevated for at least 80 minutes (p<0.01). Isometric, isokinetic, and 1 RM strength improved on both supplement and placebo legs (p<0.05). There were no significant differences in the gain in strength between the supplement leg and the placebo leg (p>0.05). Conclusion—Regular glucose/amino acid supplementation immediately after resistance exercise is unlikely to enhance the gain in muscle strength brought about by resistance training.
The art of developmental care in the NICU: a concept analysis.

INTRODUCTION The survival rate of infants born prematurely and hospitalized in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) has increased due to improvement of the technology in obstetrics and neona tology that allows saving preterm infants at earlier gestational ages. Preterm infants are hospitalized in a care environment which is quite different from the maternal womb. Therefore the application of developmental care in NICUs is critical to promote the development of preterm infants while they are hospitalized. AIM This concept analysis contributes to the body of knowledge in developmental care and clarifies its understanding as well as its involvement in neonatal practice and research. METHODS Using the method of concept analysis of Walker and Avant, this article identifies the definitions and uses of the concept of developmental care, exposes its main attributes and introduces a model case representing the acknowledged attributes. The antecedents of the concept and consequences of the application of developmental care are discussed. CONCLUSION This concept analysis provides guidelines for nurses and health professionals to establish a 'developmental care' environment which is conducive for preterm infants. Moreover, it suggests conceptual and operational foundations of developmental care for clinicians and researchers in the neonatal field.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in Adolescence

Abstract: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common disorder among reproductive‐age women, yet the diagnosis may be overlooked during adolescence. Although the clinical and metabolic features are similar to those found in adult women, it can be difficult to distinguish the young woman with PCOS from a normal adolescent. Irregular menses, anovulatory cycles, and acne are not uncommon in adolescent women. Adolescents with a history of premature pubarche, a family history of PCOS, Caribbean‐Hispanic and African‐American ancestry, and/or obesity are at risk for PCOS and deserve close surveillance. The laboratory evaluation of the adolescent with suspected PCOS or hyperandrogenism should be individualized based on the history, symptoms, and examination findings. The cornerstone of management of PCOS in adolescence includes either a combination oral contraceptive or progestin. Consideration of insulin‐sensitizing agents, antiandrogens, topical treatments for acne, and various treatments for hair removal are dependent on the patient's symptoms and concerns. Healthy eating, regular exercise, and for the overweight adolescent, weight reduction, are encouraged to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes mellitus. Numerous studies have shown that weight loss and exercise decrease androgen levels, improve insulin sensitivity, and lead to the resumption of ovulation. Although initial studies suggest that Metformin may be particularly useful for treating the PCOS adolescent with insulin resistance and obesity, additional studies are needed to determine the efficacy and long‐term outcome. Management of the adolescent with PCOS is challenging and requires a supportive, multidisciplinary team approach for optimal results.
Identification of a TcpC-TcpQ Outer Membrane Complex Involved in the Biogenesis of the Toxin-Coregulated Pilus of Vibrio cholerae

ABSTRACT The toxin-coregulated pilus (TCP) of Vibrio cholerae and the soluble TcpF protein that is secreted via the TCP biogenesis apparatus are essential for intestinal colonization. The TCP biogenesis apparatus is composed of at least nine proteins but is largely uncharacterized. TcpC is an outer membrane lipoprotein required for TCP biogenesis that is a member of the secretin protein superfamily. In the present study, analysis of TcpC in a series of strains deficient in each of the TCP biogenesis proteins revealed that TcpC was absent specifically in a tcpQ mutant. TcpQ is a predicted periplasmic protein required for TCP biogenesis. Fractionation studies revealed that the protein is not localized to the periplasm but is associated predominantly with the outer membrane fraction. An analysis of the amount of TcpQ present in the series of tcp mutants demonstrated the inverse of the TcpC result (absence of TcpQ in a tcpC deletion strain). Complementation of the tcpQ deletion restored TcpC levels and TCP formation, and similarly, complementation of tcpC restored TcpQ. Metal affinity pull-down experiments performed using His-tagged TcpC or TcpQ demonstrated a direct interaction between TcpC and TcpQ. In the presence of TcpQ, TcpC was found to form a high-molecular-weight complex that is stable in 2% sodium dodecyl sulfate and at temperatures below 65°C, a characteristic of secretin complexes. Fractionation studies in which TcpC was overexpressed in the absence of TcpQ showed that TcpQ is also required for proper localization of TcpC to the outer membrane.
Pertussis is Common in Nonvaccinated Infants Hospitalized for Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection

Background: There is some evidence that Bordetella pertussis can cause co-infection with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Subjects and Methods: RSV etiology was studied by antigen detection in 117 infants <6 months of age, who were hospitalized for respiratory tract infection during an RSV epidemic. B. pertussis etiology was studied by polymerase chain reaction in those 88 in whom parents or nurses reported cough. Results: RSV was found in 91 (78%) infants and B. pertussis in 9 (8%) infants. In 7 cases, there was mixed RSV-pertussis infection. In retrospective analysis, RSV and mixed RSV-pertussis cases could not be separated by clinical characteristics. Conclusions: Co-infection caused by B. pertussis was present in 8% of infants, aged <6 months, who were hospitalized for RSV infection. To avoid under-diagnosis, pertussis should be considered in all nonvaccinated infants with lower respiratory tract infection.
F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography and the Prognosis of Patients with Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND. Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) detected by positron emission tomograBunzo Nakata, M.D. phy (PET) can be used to measure the glycolytic activity of tumor cells. Though Yong-Suk Chung, M.D. the prognosis of patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma is usually poor, a subset Shigehiko Nishimura, M.D. of patients with good prognoses may be discovered by determining the degree of Tamahiro Nishihara, M.D. FDG integration into tumors. Yasuhiro Sakurai, M.D. METHODS. Fourteen patients with histologically proven pancreatic adenocarciTetsuji Sawada, M.D. noma underwent F-FDG PET. The standardized uptake value (SUV) of F-FDG Terue Okamura, M.D. was calculated, and the patients were divided into high (¢3.0) and low (õ3.0) SUV Joji Kawabe, M.D. groups. Hironobu Ochi, M.D. RESULTS. The two groups were not significantly different in terms of age, tumor Michio Sowa, M.D., F.A. C.S. location and size, staging, and treatment. However, analysis by the Kaplan-Meier method revealed that the groups had different prognoses (log rank test, P õ 0.05). 1 First Department of Surgery, Osaka City UniThe mean survival of patients with high SUV was 5 months, whereas that of patients versity Medical School, Osaka, Japan. with low SUV was 14 months. There were not strong correlations between the 2 Division of Nuclear Medicine, Osaka City UniSUVs and tumor size (0.56), serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (0.39), or carcinoemversity Medical School, Osaka, Japan. bryonic antigen (0.52). CONCLUSIONS. SUV calculated with F-FDG can be utilized as a prognostic factor for patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Cancer 1997; 79:695–9.
Pacemaker current i(f) in adult canine cardiac ventricular myocytes.

1. Single cells enzymatically isolated from canine ventricle and canine Purkinje fibres were studied with the whole‐cell patch clamp technique, and the properties of the pacemaker current i(f) compared. 2. Steady‐state i(f) activation occurred in canine ventricular myocytes at more negative potentials (‐120 to ‐170 mV) than in canine Purkinje cells (‐80 to ‐130 mV). 3. Reversal potentials were obtained in various extracellular Na+ (140, 79 or 37 mM) and K+ concentrations (25, 9 or 5.4 mM) to determine the ionic selectivity of i(f) in the ventricle. The results suggest that this current was carried by both sodium and potassium ions. 4. The plots of the time constants of i(f) activation against voltage were ‘bell shaped’ in both canine ventricular and Purkinje myocytes. The curve for the ventricular myocytes was shifted about 30 mV in the negative direction. In both ventricular and Purkinje myocytes, the fully activated I‐V relationship exhibited outward rectification in 5.4 mM extracellular K+. 5. Calyculin A (0.5 microM) increased i(f) by shifting its activation to more positive potentials in ventricular myocytes. Protein kinase inhibition by H‐7 (200 microM) or H‐8 (100 microM) reversed the positive voltage shift of i(f) activation. This effect of calyculin A also occurred when the permeabilized patch was used for whole‐cell recording. 6. These results indicate i(f) is present in ventricular myocytes. If shifted to more positive potentials i(f) could play a role in ischaemia‐induced ventricular arrhythmias. The negative shift of i(f) in the ventricle might play a role in differentiating non‐pacing regions of the heart from those regions that pace.
Predictors of Personal Investment in Physical Activity among Middle-Aged and Older Adults

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the social psychological components of Personal Investment Theory and exercise behaviors among 47 middle-aged and older men and women participating in an organized exercise program. Specifically, the degree to which personal incentives for exercise, perceptions of sense of self (i.e., physical self-efficacy, fitness locus of control, self-motivation, social identity), and the congruence between program and participants' goals predict present physical activity and estimated future physical activity was examined. Multiple regression analyses indicated that present and future exercise behaviors significantly related to social psychological variables reflecting personal investment.