Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Acute passive stretching in a previously fatigued muscle: Electrical and mechanical response during tetanic stimulation

Abstract The aim of this study was to assess the effects of acute passive stretching on the electrical and mechanical response of a previously fatigued muscle. Eleven participants underwent maximal tetanic stimulations (50 Hz) of the medial gastrocnemius, before and after a fatiguing protocol and after a bout of passive stretching of the fatigued muscle. During contraction, surface electromyography (EMG), mechanomyography (MMG), and force were recorded. The following parameters were calculated: (1) the EMG root mean square (RMS), mean frequency, and fibre conduction velocity; (2) MMG peak-to-peak and RMS; (3) the peak force, contraction time, half-relaxation time, peak rate of force development (dF/dt) and its acceleration (d2 F/dt 2). Fatigue reduced peak force by 18% (P < 0.05) and affected the other force, EMG, and MMG parameters. After stretching: (1) all EMG parameters recovered to pre-fatigue values; (2) MMG peak-to-peak remained depressed, while RMS recovered to pre-fatigue values; (3) the peak force, peak rate of force development and its acceleration were further reduced by 22, 18, and 51%, respectively, and half-relaxation time by 40% (P < 0.05). In conclusion, acute passive stretching, when applied to a previously fatigued muscle, further depresses the maximum force-generating capacity. Although stretching does not alter the electrical parameters of the fatigued muscle, it does affect the mechanical behaviour of the muscle–tendon unit.
Early Childhood Screen Time and Parental Attitudes Toward Child Television Viewing in a Low-Income Latino Population Attending the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children.

BACKGROUND Early childhood media exposure is associated with obesity and multiple adverse health conditions. The aims of this study were to assess parental attitudes toward childhood television (TV) viewing in a low-income population and examine the extent to which child BMI, child/parent demographics, and household media environment are associated with adherence to American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines for screen time. METHODS This was a cross-sectional survey study of 314 parents of children ages 0-5 years surveyed in English or Spanish by self-administered questionnaire at a Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) clinic in Oregon. RESULTS In this majority Latino sample (73%), half (53%) of the children met AAP guidelines on screen time limits, 56% met AAP guidelines for no TV in the child's bedroom, and 29% met both. Children were more likely to meet AAP guidelines when there were <2 TVs in the home, there was no TV during dinner, or their parents spent less time viewing electronic media. Parents who spent less time viewing electronic media were more likely to report believing that TV provides little value or usefulness. CONCLUSIONS In this low-income, predominantly Latino population attending WIC, parent media-viewing and household media environment are strongly associated with child screen time. Programs aimed at reducing child screen time may benefit from interventions that address parental viewing habits.
Comparison of Asymptomatic Bacteriuria Escherichia coli Isolates from Healthy Individuals versus Those from Hospital Patients Shows that Long-Term Bladder Colonization Selects for Attenuated Virulence Phenotypes

ABSTRACT Asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU) is a condition where bacteria stably colonize the urinary tract, in a manner closely resembling commensalism at other mucosal sites. The patients carry >105 CFU/ml for extended periods of time and rarely develop symptoms. Contrasting the properties of ABU strains to those of uropathogenic isolates causing symptomatic infection is therefore highly relevant to understand mechanisms of bacterial adaptation. The prototype ABU strain Escherichia coli 83972 has a smaller genome than uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) strains with deletions or point mutations in several virulence genes, suggesting that ABU strains undergo a programmed reductive evolution within human hosts. This study addressed if these observations can be generalized. Strains causing ABU in outpatients or hospitalized patients after catheterization or other invasive procedures were compared to commensal E. coli isolates from the intestinal flora of healthy individuals. Notably, clonal complex 73 (CC73) was a prominent phylogenetic lineage dominated by ABU isolates. ABU isolates from outpatients and hospitalized patients had a similar overall virulence gene repertoire, which distinguished them from many commensals, but typical UPEC virulence genes were less frequently attenuated in hospital strains than in outpatient strains or commensals. The decreased virulence potential of outpatient ABU isolates relative to that of ABU strains from hospitalized patients supports the hypothesis that loss of expression or decay of virulence genes facilitates long-term carriage and adaptation to host environments.
Effects of Servant Leadership on Gratitude, Empowerment, Innovativeness and Performance: Turkey Example

Bu calismada, pozitif orgut okulundan esinlenilerek, iki onemli pozitif orgutsel davranis kavrami olan, guclendirme ve sukran duygulari uzerine odaklandik. Bu arastirmada, populerligi her gecen gun artan hizmetkar liderlik tarzinin, yukarida bahsi gecen iki kavram uzerindeki etkisi arastirilmis ve hizmetkar liderlik tarzindan etkilenerek, sukran duygusu ve guclendirmenin bireylerin yaraticilik kapasitelerini arttiracagi ongorusu test edilmistir. Ve bu durumun da orgutun genel performansini pozitif yonde etkileyecegi ongorulmustur. Saha arastirmamizda, Turkiye'de, Marmara Bolgesinde calisan 527 beyaz yakali calisan arastirmaya katkida bulunmustur. Calismanin sonucunda, hizmetkâr liderligin, takipcilerin hissettigi guclendirme ve sukran duygulari uzerinde olumlu etkileri oldugu ve bu duygularin yenilikciligi ve orgutsel performansi etkiledigi kanitlanmistir. Sonuclar, yenilikciligin orgutsel performans uzerindeki olumlu etkilerini gostererek ilgili literature katkida bulunmus ve firmalarin daha yenilikci olduklarinda daha yuksek performans seviyeleri gosterme egilimininde olduklarini desteklemistir.
Mixed Chroma Sampling-Rate High Efficiency Video Coding for Full-Chroma Screen Content

Computer screens contain discontinuous-tone content and continuous-tone content. Thus, the most effective way for screen content coding (SCC) is to use two essentially different coders: a dictionary-entropy coder and a traditional hybrid coder. Although screen content is originally in a full-chroma (e.g., YUV444) format, the current method of compression is to first subsample chroma of pictures and then compress pictures using a chroma-subsampled (e.g., YUV420) coder. Using two chroma-subsampled coders cannot achieve high-quality SCC, but using two full-chroma coders is overkill and inefficient for SCC. To solve the dilemma, this paper proposes a mixed chroma sampling-rate approach for SCC. An original full-chroma input macroblock (coding unit) or its prediction residual is chroma-subsampled. One full-chroma base coder and one chroma-subsampled base coder are used simultaneously to code the original and the chroma-subsampled macroblock, respectively. The coder minimizing rate-distortion (R-D) is selected as the final coder for the macroblock. The two base coders are coherently unified and optimized to get the best overall coding performance and share coding components and resources as much as possible. The approach achieves very high visual quality with minimal computing complexity increment for SCC, and has better R-D performance than two full-chroma coders approach, especially in low bitrate.
Molecular Characterization of Increasing Fluoroquinolone Resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae Isolates in Canada, 1997 to 2005

ABSTRACT Molecular characterization of fluoroquinolone-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae in Canada was conducted from 1997 to 2005. Over the course of the study, 205 ciprofloxacin-resistant isolates were evaluated for ParC and GyrA quinolone resistance-determining region (QRDR) substitutions, substitutions in the full genes of ParC, ParE, and GyrA, reserpine sensitivity, and serotype and by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Rates of ciprofloxacin resistance of S. pneumoniae increased significantly, from less than 1% in 1997 to 4.2% in 2005. Ciprofloxacin resistance was greatest in people >64 years of age and least in those <16 years of age. Significant increases were also noted in rates of resistance to gatifloxacin, gemifloxacin, levofloxacin, and moxifloxacin, to the current rates of 1.6%, 1.0%, 1.1%, and 1.0%, respectively. The most common genotype observed consisted of QRDR substitutions in GyrA (Ser81Phe) and ParC (Ser79Phe). Substitutions outside the QRDR of GyrA, ParC, and ParE were not associated with fluoroquinolone resistance in this study. Overall, 21% of isolates were reserpine-sensitive and were thus assumed to be efflux positive. The ciprofloxacin-resistant isolates belonged to 35 different serotypes, but 10 (19F, 11A, 23F, 6B, 22F, 12F, 6A, 14, 9V, and 19A) accounted for 72% of all isolates. The majority of the isolates were found to be genetically unrelated by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Within the observed clusters, there was considerable genetic heterogeneity with regard to fluoroquinolone resistance mechanisms and serotypes. Continued surveillance and molecular analysis of fluoroquinolone-resistant S. pneumoniae in Canada are essential for appropriate empirical treatment of infections and early detection of novel resistance mechanisms.
Longitudinal associations between dietary protein intake and survival in hemodialysis patients.

BACKGROUND Decreased dietary protein intake may be associated with increased mortality risk in individuals with kidney failure undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (MHD). We hypothesized that longitudinal changes in dietary protein intake have independent associations with survival in MHD patients. METHODS The relation between urea kinetic-based normalized protein nitrogen appearance (nPNA) and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality was examined in a 2-year (July 2001 to June 2003) cohort of 53,933 MHD patients from virtually all DaVita dialysis clinics in the United States, using both conventional and time-dependent (repeated-measure) Cox models to estimate death hazard ratios for quarterly averaged nPNA categories controlled for case-mix, comorbidity, dialysis dose (Kt/V), and available markers of malnutrition-inflammation complex syndrome (MICS). RESULTS The best survival was associated with nPNA between 1.0 and 1.4 g/kg/d, whereas nPNA less than 0.8 or greater than 1.4 g/kg/d was associated with greater mortality in almost all models. Adjustment for MICS mitigated the associations substantially. A decrease in protein intake during the first 6 months in patients with an nPNA in the 0.8- to 1.2-g/kg/d range was associated incrementally with greater death risks in the subsequent 18 months, whereas an increase in nPNA tended to correlate with reduced death risk. CONCLUSION Low daily protein intake or decrease in its magnitude over time is associated with increased risk for death in MHD patients. Whether the association between time-varying protein intake and survival is causal or a consequence of anorexia secondary to MICS or other factors needs to be explored further in interventional trials.
May-Grünwald-Giemsa stain for detection of spermatogenic cells in the ejaculate: a simple predictive parameter for successful testicular sperm retrieval.

BACKGROUND Testicular sperm extraction (TESE) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) have become standard treatments for patients with non-obstructive azoospermia. A diagnostic testicular biopsy for histopathological examination is not always predictive of TESE outcome. Moreover, it is not without potential complications. The aim of this study was to determine the value of various clinical and laboratory parameters, particularly identification of seminal spermatids using May-Grünwald-Giemsa (MGG) stain in predicting TESE results. METHODS A total of 100 patients with non-obstructive azoospermia was subjected to clinical examination, serum FSH measurement, identification of seminal spermatids and spermatocytes using MGG staining and TESE with multiple testicular sampling. Spermatozoa were retrieved from 49% of patients. Results of TESE were compared with previous parameters in addition to histopathology. RESULTS Testicular histopathology was, in general, an inaccurate parameter, and identification of testicular spermatids by histology predicted successful TESE in only 74% of cases. Testicular volume and serum FSH concentration also had poor predictive values. Round spermatids were identified in the ejaculate of 83.7% of TESE-positive cases, and in 22% of TESE-negative cases. CONCLUSIONS The detection of round spermatids in semen by MGG staining provides the greatest predictive value for successful testicular sperm retrieval, and also has the advantages of simplicity, low cost and availability.
Peptidoglycan and mannose‐based molecular patterns trigger the arachidonic acid cascade in human polymorphonuclear leukocytes

The release of arachidonic acid (AA) in response to microorganism‐derived products acting on pattern recognition receptors (PRR) was assayed in human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN). Peptidoglycan (PGN) and mannan were found to be strong inducers of AA metabolism, as they produced the release of AA at a similar extent to that produced by agonists of pathophysiological relevance such as complement‐coated zymosan particles and IgG immune complexes. In sharp contrast, lipoteichoic acid, LPS, muramyldipeptide, and the bacterial lipoprotein mimic palmitoyl‐3‐cysteine‐serine‐lysine‐4 failed to do so. Leukotriene B4 and PGE2 were synthesized in response to mannan and PGN, thus suggesting that the lipoxygenase and the cyclooxygenase routes are operative in human PMN in response to pathogen‐associated molecular patterns (PAMP). Analysis of the lipid extracts of supernatants and cell pellets as well as pharmacological studies with the calpain inhibitor calpeptin and the cytosolic phospholipase A2 (PLA2) inhibitor pyrrolidine‐1 showed the dependence of AA release on cytosolic PLA2‐catalyzed reactions. The effect of PGN was not inhibited by previous treatment with anti‐TLR2 mAb, thus suggesting a nonarchetypal involvement of the TLR2 signaling route and/or participation of other receptors. Because of the abundance of mannose‐based and PGN‐containing PAMP in fungi and bacteria and the wide array of PRR in human PMN, these finding disclose a role of prime importance for PAMP and PRR in AA metabolism in the inflammatory response mediated by PMN.
From “Communautaire Spirit” to the “Ghosts of Maastricht”: European Integration and the Rise of Financialization

Abstract The present article addresses the relationship between the process of economic integration of the European Union and the rise of financialization in the continental economy. For that purpose, it analyzes the policies applied and the main macroeconomic indicators of a selected group of countries. The conditions imposed by the Treaty of Maastricht and the Convergence Criteria show a strong neoliberal mark, in alignment with those of the Washington Consensus Agenda, promoting the development of the financial activities and favoring the interest of the financial actors to the detriment of other sectors, such as the industrial and the salaried and middle-income groups. The article also emphasizes the importance of the structural reforms applied, by arguing that it would have been impossible to meet the objectives of the Economic and Monetary Union without a substantial transformation of the European economy. Additionally, the article introduces a novel concept called “the paradox of financialization. ” It refers to the increasing dependence of EU economies on the financial sector for economic growth, while the only way for the financial sector to expand is by engaging in riskier and more speculative practices. Consequently, this situation makes economic growth more unstable and cycles more volatile.
Swim training alters sympathoadrenal and endocrine responses to hemorrhage in borderline hypertensive rats.

Swim training alters cardiovascular, sympathoadrenal, and endocrine responses to hemorrhage in borderline hypertensive rats (BHR). The effects of 10, 20, and 30% blood volume hemorrhages on cardiovascular, sympathoadrenal, and endocrine function in swim-trained (T; 2 h/day, 5 day/wk for 10-12 wk) and age-matched, untrained, sedentary, control (UT) borderline hypertensive rats (BHR) were assessed. Heart rate (HR) in UT BHR was significantly greater during the baseline (rest) period than T BHR. HR increased slightly from baseline in both groups after 10% hemorrhage but was significantly decreased in both groups after 20 and 30% hemorrhages. The decrease was eliminated by atropine (1 mg/kg iv). Systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressures decreased significantly after 20 and 30% hemorrhages in both T and UT BHR but were not different between the groups at these times. Plasma norepinephrine levels were significantly increased above baseline after 20 and 30% hemorrhages in UT BHR and were significantly greater in UT BHR than T BHR after 30% hemorrhage. Plasma glucose levels increased significantly after 30% hemorrhage in both groups but were significantly greater in UT BHR than T BHR. Both plasma norepinephrine and plasma epinephrine levels showed strong positive correlations with plasma glucose. After 20 and 30% hemorrhages, plasma insulin levels were unchanged in T BHR but were significantly decreased in UT BHR. Plasma insulin levels were significantly less in UT than T BHR after 30% hemorrhage. These results suggest that swim training alters the effect that hemorrhage exerts on endocrine and sympathoadrenal function in BHR. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The impact of the US retreat from the Paris Agreement: Kyoto revisited?

ABSTRACT The United States’ decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement (pending possible re-engagement under different terms) may have significant ramifications for international climate policy, but the implications of this decision remain contested. This commentary illustrates how comparative analysis of US participation in multilateral environmental agreements can inform predictions and future assessments of the decision. We compare and contrast US non-participation in the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement, focusing on four key areas that may condition the influence of US treaty decisions on international climate policy: (i) global momentum on climate change mitigation; (ii) the possibility of US non-participation giving rise to alternative forms of international collaboration on climate policy; (iii) the timing and circumstances of the US decision to exit; and (iv) the influence of treaty design on countries’ incentives to participate and comply. We find that differences across the two treaties relating to the first three factors are more likely to reduce the negative ramifications of US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement compared to the Kyoto Protocol. However, the increased urgency of deep decarbonization renders US non-participation a major concern despite its declining share of global emissions. Moreover, key design features of the Paris Agreement suggest that other countries may react to the US decision by scaling back their levels of ambition and compliance, even if they remain in the Agreement. Key policy insights Increasing global momentum on mitigation since 1997 means that US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement is potentially less damaging than its non-participation in the Kyoto Protocol Despite the declining US share of global emissions, greater urgency of deep decarbonization means that the non-participation of a major player, such as the US, remains problematic for global cooperation and achieving the Paris Agreement’s goals Differences in the design of the Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement suggest that US non-participation is more likely to prompt reluctant countries to stay within the Paris framework but reduce levels of ambition and compliance, rather than exit the Agreement altogether
Identifying the Relationship between Soil Properties and Rice Growth for Improving Consolidated Land in the Yangtze River Delta, China

China has widely implemented land consolidation, which was expected to increase the amount of cultivated land and enhance grain yields. Key components of land consolidation include filling mall waterbodies and leveling land, both of which have strong impacts on the environment in the Yangtze River Delta. The impacts of land consolidation on soil ecology and agricultural production are not yet clear. Here, we conducted a field survey of soil properties and rice growth to detect the effects of land consolidation in the first growing season. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) was used to analyze the remote sensing data. We found significant differences in the soil properties under different types of land leveling, with a general NDVI pattern of: control > borrowed topsoil area > filled waterbodies area > topsoil cutting area. We found significant heterogeneity in rice NDVI after land consolidation. The NDVI of rice had extremely significant positive correlations with soil organic matter and available zinc. The spatial variation in soil properties caused by land consolidation was a dominant factor leading to the heterogeneity of rice NDVI. Fertilizing soil and strengthening field management should be adopted to provide more ecological services while increasing quantity.
Detection of HOXA9 gene methylation in tumor tissues and induced sputum samples from primary lung cancer patients

Abstract Background: Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer deaths. Unfortunately, no effective early screening modality exists for lung cancer. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of HOXA9 promoter methylation in tissue and induced sputum samples from Korean patients with lung cancer. Methods: Using pyrosequencing, HOXA9 methylation was analyzed for 40 pairs of primary lung cancer and normal tissues and 185 induced sputum specimens, including 76 patients with lung cancer. Results: The methylation of HOXA9 in lung cancer tissue was significantly higher compared with normal tissues (67.4%±17.6% vs. 23.6%±10.3%, respectively; p<0.001). With a cut-off of >45.6% of HOXA9 gene methylation in tissues, the sensitivity was 90.5% and the specificity was 97.5%. In induced sputum specimens, the HOXA9 gene in lung cancer patients was significantly more hypermethylated compared with patients with benign lung diseases and the healthy group (23.4%±15.9%, 14.9%±7.9%, and 9.7%±5.0%, respectively; p<0.001). Conclusions: The HOXA9 gene was hypermethylated in 32 of 40 tumors (80%), especially in early stages of lung cancer. HOXA9 methylation could be a potential biomarker to aid early detection and prognosis.