Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Electromyographic timing analysis of forward and backward cycling.

PURPOSE Backward walking to running progressions are becoming a popular, nontraditional component of functional knee rehabilitation programs. The purpose of this electromyographic (EMG) and motion analysis study was to compare the activation duration of the vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, rectus femoris, medial hamstrings, lateral hamstring, tibialis anterior, and gastrocnemius muscles during forward and backward cycling. We hypothesized that the hamstrings would demonstrate greater activation duration during backward cycling. METHODS The right lower extremity of 12 healthy subjects (6 male and 6 female) was instrumented with surface EMG electrodes and retroreflective markers to confirm lower extremity kinematic consistency between conditions. RESULTS Statistical analysis of hip, knee, and ankle kinematics (200 Hz sampling rate) and gender failed to reveal significant differences between conditions (P > 0.05). Quadrant analysis of muscle activation duration with Bonferroni corrections for multiple comparisons revealed that medial and lateral hamstring activation duration was greater during the early recovery phase (quadrant III) of backward cycling than forward cycling (P < 0.00156). Rectus femoris activation duration was greater in the early propulsive phase of backward cycling (quadrant 1) (P < 0.00156) and in the early recovery phase of forward cycling (quadrant III) (P < 0.00156). CONCLUSIONS These findings lend support for the use of backward cycling during the early recovery phase (quadrant III) to achieve a selective hamstring muscle response of relatively decreased patellofemoral stress and anterior cruciate ligament strain.
Major Differences Exist in Frequencies of Virulence Factors and Multidrug Resistance between Community and Nosocomial Escherichia coli Bloodstream Isolates

ABSTRACT Escherichia coli is a major cause of bloodstream infections and death due to sepsis. It is the most frequent Gram-negative bacterial pathogen recovered from cultures of blood from both community-acquired and nosocomial cases. We set out to determine the relationships between E. coli virulence factors (VFs), phylogenetic groups, and antibiotic resistance and whether bacteremia cases had a community, health care-associated. or nosocomial origin. Isolates from consecutive episodes of E. coli bacteremia in 303 patients presenting to a university hospital were screened for their VFs, phylogenetic group, and antibiotic resistance. The majority of VFs present in the collection were equally distributed between antibiotic-susceptible and multiple-drug-resistant (MDR) isolates, but the overall VF score was higher for isolates of community and health care-associated origin than those of nosocomial origin (P = 0.0002 and P = 0.0172, respectively); the papA, papG allele II, hlyA, and hek VFs were more prevalent in this cohort. Most isolates belonged to phylogenetic group B2, which harbored a greater proportion of antibiotic-susceptible isolates than MDR isolates (P = 0.04). The community, health care-associated, or nosocomial origin of E. coli bacteremia determines the virulence capacity of an isolate better than the phylogenetic group does. This study provides new insights into the relationships between the pathogenesis and epidemiology of E. coli bacteremia.
Effect of low temperatures on glucose-induced insulin secretion and ionic fluxes in rat pancreatic islets.

The direct effect of cold on the inhibition of B cell secretion is well known in hibernating and experimentally hypothermic mammals. This temperature dependency may result from the inhibition of ion transport across the membranes. In order to verify this hypothesis, ionic effluxes and insulin secretion from rat islets loaded with 86Rb+ and 45Ca+ were measured during perifusion. At 37 degrees C, the rise in glucose concentration from zero to 16.7 mmol/l provoked a rapid decrease in 86Rb+ efflux, an early fall and subsequent rise in 45Ca2+ efflux and a typical biphasic pattern of insulin secretion. At 27 degrees C, glucose induced only a very slight increase in insulin secretion, while the fluxes of radioactive ions were not significantly modified in amplitude but were clearly delayed. At 17 degrees C, no insulin response to glucose was observed and the decrease in K+ conductance indicated by 86Rb+ flux decrease was less temperature-dependent than the movement of Ca2+. After supplementary stimulation with a high extracellular concentration of Ca2+, insulin secretion was enhanced at 27 degrees C and reached levels induced by glucose alone at 37 degrees C. An increase in hormone secretion occurred even at 17 degrees C, but only during a first phase of secretion. Regular increases in temperature potentiated insulin secretion and provoked changes in ionic fluxes which suggest that B cell depolarization (86Rb+ flux decrease) induced by glucose can occur at 15 degrees C but cannot induce the opening of voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels (increase in 45Ca2+ efflux) until temperatures higher than 27 degrees C are reached. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Methamphetamine use and infectious disease-related behaviors in men who have sex with men: implications for interventions.

AIMS Review the current evidence regarding the prevalence of methamphetamine use among men who have sex with men (MSM) and to evaluate the factors that contribute to methamphetamine use and potential for sexual transmission of HIV and other infectious diseases. METHODS Databased reports address (1) epidemiology of methamphetamine use in MSM; (2) methamphetamine use and risk behaviors for sexually transmitted infections; and (3) interventions. FINDINGS Methamphetamine use is highly prevalent in MSM. Strong associations between methamphetamine use and HIV-related sexual transmission behaviors are noted across studies of MSM and correspond to increased incidence for HIV and syphilis compared to MSM who do not use the drug. Behavioral treatments produce sustained reductions in methamphetamine use and concomitant sexual risk behaviors among methamphetamine-dependent MSM. CONCLUSIONS Brief screening of methamphetamine use for MSM who seek physical, mental health and substance abuse services is recommended. Behavioral interventions that address methamphetamine use may range from brief interventions to intensive out-patient treatments.
The Streptococcal Lipoprotein Rotamase A (SlrA) Is a Functional Peptidyl-prolyl Isomerase Involved in Pneumococcal Colonization*

Streptococcus pneumoniae expresses two surface-exposed lipoproteins, PpmA and SlrA, which share homology with distinct families of peptidyl-prolyl isomerases (PPIases). In this study, we demonstrated for the first time that the lipoprotein cyclophilin, SlrA, can catalyze the cis-trans isomerization of proline containing tetrapeptides and that SlrA contributes to pneumococcal colonization. The substrate specificity of SlrA is typical for prokaryotic and eukaryotic cyclophilins, with Suc-Ala-Ala-Pro-Phe-p-nitroanilide (pNA) being the most rapidly catalyzed substrate. In a mouse pneumonia model the slrA knock-out D39ΔslrA did not cause significant differences in the survival times of mice compared with the isogenic wild-type strain. In contrast, a detailed analysis of bacterial outgrowth over time in the nasopharynx, airways, lungs, blood, and spleen showed a rapid elimination of slrA mutants from the upper airways but did not reveal significant differences in the lungs, blood, and spleen. These results suggested that SlrA is involved in colonization but does not contribute significantly to invasive pneumococcal disease. In cell culture infection experiments, the absence of SlrA impaired adherence to pneumococcal disease-specific epithelial and endothelial non-professional cell lines. Adherence of the slrA mutant could not be restored by exogenously added SlrA. Strikingly, deficiency in SlrA did not reduce binding activity to host target proteins, but resulted in enhanced uptake by professional phagocytes. In conclusion, SlrA is a functional, cyclophilin-type PPIase and contributes to pneumococcal virulence in the first stage of infection, namely, colonization of the upper airways, most likely by modulating the biological function of important virulence proteins.
Neurofilament protein is differentially distributed in subpopulations of corticocortical projection neurons in the macaque monkey visual pathways

Previous studies of the primate cerebral cortex have shown that neurofilament protein is present in pyramidal neuron subpopulations displaying specific regional and laminar distribution patterns. In order to characterize further the neurochemical phenotype of the neurons furnishing feedforward and feedback pathways in the visual cortex of the macaque monkey, we performed an analysis of the distribution of neurofilament protein in corticocortical projection neurons in areas V1, V2, V3, V3A, V4, and MT. Injections of the retrogradely transported dyes Fast Blue and Diamidino Yellow were placed within areas V4 and MT, or in areas V1 and V2, in 14 adult rhesus monkeys, and the brains of these animals were processed for immunohistochemistry with an antibody to nonphosphorylated epitopes of the medium and heavy molecular weight subunits of the neurofilament protein. Overall, there was a higher proportion of neurons projecting from areas V1, V2, V3, and V3A to area MT that were neurofilament protein‐immunoreactive (57–100%), than to area V4 (25–36%). In contrast, feedback projections from areas MT, V4, and V3 exhibited a more consistent proportion of neurofilament protein‐containing neurons (70–80%), regardless of their target areas (V1 or V2). In addition, the vast majority of feedback neurons projecting to areas V1 and V2 were located in layers V and VI in areas V4 and MT, while they were observed in both supragranular and infragranular layers in area V3. The laminar distribution of feedforward projecting neurons was heterogeneous. In area V1, Meynert and layer IVB cells were found to project to area MT, while neurons projecting to area V4 were particularly dense in layer III within the foveal representation. In area V2, almost all neurons projecting to areas MT or V4 were located in layer III, whereas they were found in both layers II–III and V–VI in areas V3 and V3A. These results suggest that neurofilament protein identifies particular subpopulations of corticocortically projecting neurons with distinct regional and laminar distribution in the monkey visual system. It is possible that the preferential distribution of neurofilament protein within feedforward connections to area MT and all feedback projections is related to other distinctive properties of these corticocortical projection neurons. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The ERK/MAP kinase pathway couples light to immediate‐early gene expression in the suprachiasmatic nucleus

Signalling via the p42/44 mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway has been identified as an intermediate event coupling light to entrainment of the mammalian circadian clock located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Given this observation, it was of interest to determine where within the entrainment process the MAPK pathway was functioning. In this study, we examined the role of the MAPK pathway as a regulator of light‐induced gene expression in the SCN. Towards this end, we characterized the effect pharmacological disruption of the MAPK cascade has on the expression of the immediate‐early genes c‐Fos, JunB and EGR‐1. We report that uncoupling light from MAPK pathway activation attenuated the expression of all three gene products. In the absence of photic stimulation, inhibition of the MAPK pathway did not alter basal gene product expression levels. Light‐induced activation of cAMP response element (CRE)‐dependent transcription, as assessed using a CRE‐LacZ transgenic mouse strain, was also disrupted by blocking MAPK pathway activation. These results reveal that the MAPK cascade functions as one of the first transduction steps leading from light to rapid transcriptional activation, an essential event in the entrainment process. MAPK pathway‐dependent gene expression in the SCN may result, in part, from stimulation of CRE‐dependent transcription.
Emergence and Kinetics of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus-Specific CD8+ T Cells in the Intestines of Macaques during Primary Infection

ABSTRACT In this report, three Mamu-A*01+ rhesus macaques were examined to compare the emergence of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-specific CD8+ T cells in the intestines and blood in early SIV infection using a major histocompatibility complex class I tetramer complexed with the Gag181–189 peptide. Fourteen days after intravenous inoculation with SIVmac251, large numbers of SIV Gag181–189-specific CD8+ T cells were detected in the intestinal mucosa (3.1 to 11.5% of CD3+CD8+ lymphocytes) as well as in the blood (3.1 to 13.4%) of all three macaques. By 21 days postinoculation, levels of tetramer-binding cells had dropped in both the intestines and blood. At day 63, however, levels of SIV Gag181–189-specific CD8+ T cells in the intestines had rebounded in all three macaques to levels that were higher (8.6 to 18.7%) than those at day 21. In contrast, percentages of tetramer-binding cells in the peripheral blood remained comparatively stable (2.5 to 4.5%) at this time point. In summary, SIV Gag181–189-specific CD8+ T cells appeared in both the intestinal mucosa and peripheral blood at a comparable rate and magnitude in primary SIV infection. Given that the intestine is a major site of early viral replication as well as the site where most of the total body lymphocyte pool resides, these data indicate that it is also an early and important site of development of antiviral immune responses.
Turning On or Turning Off? Mobilization and Demobilization Effects of Participation in Presidential Nomination Campaigns

Much of the literature emphasizes the negative effects of presidential nomination campaigns on the general election stage. Studies of "divisive primaries" have suggested that primaries undermine a party's chances in the fall campaign, and the literature on the "carryover effect" finds that supporters of nomination-round losers are less likely to support their party's nominee than are those who backed the winner. We argue this literature has underestimated the mobilization effects that result from nomination campaigns. Employing data from our studies of caucus attenders in 1984 and 1988, we find evidence of a mobilizing effect of participation in nomination campaigns. In a properly specified analysis, the evidence for mobilizing effects is much stronger than for demobilization. That is, activity for a nomination contender-even when the activity is in support of a candidate who loses his or her nomination bid-increases the level of participation for the party's ticket in the fall campaign. We suggest some ways our findings can be reconciled with the literature, and we argue that an appreciation of these positive effects can motivate a reassessment of the contemporary nomination process.
Myotendinous alterations and effects of resistive loading in old age

The loss of muscle mass associated with ageing only partly explains the observed decline in muscle strength. This paper provides evidence of the contribution of muscular, tendinous and neural alterations to muscle weakness in old age and discusses the complex interplay between the changes of the contractile tissue with those of the tendinous tissue in relation to the mechanical behavior of the muscle as a whole. Despite the considerable structural and functional alterations, the elderly musculoskeletal system displays remarkable adaptability to training in old age and many of these adverse effects may be substantially mitigated, if not reversed, by resistive loading. The interplay between these muscular and tendinous adaptations has an impact both on the length–force and force–velocity relationships of the muscle and is likely to affect the range of motion, rate of force development, maximum force development and speed of movement of the older individual.
Hybrid Iterative Updates Detection Scheme for Uplink Dynamic Multiuser Massive MIMO Systems

A new signal detection scheme based on joint Chebyshev polynomials acceleration and semi-iterative plus symmetric successive over relaxation (SSOR+CP) method is proposed to fast update the linear minimum mean square error (MMSE) detection when a user is added to or removed from the massive multipleinput multiple- output (MIMO) systems. Chebyshev polynomials (CP) acceleration and semi-iterative method not only is employed to construct a secondary iteration for the SSOR method to significantly accelerate the convergence rate, but also has inexpensive cost. Furthermore, by utilizing Schur complements and the block matrix inverse lemma, we can fast update a matrix inverse that further reduce the complexity by an order of magnitude in real massive MIMO systems with a dynamic set of users. Through numerical simulations, it is observed that the proposed hybrid iterative updates method, with only a few operations, is almost able to perform the optimal detection performance in contrast with recently proposed detection algorithms, even when the number of user equipments (UEs) significantly increased. Meanwhile, our hybrid iterative updates method can provide more robust signal detection in high-spatial correlation of massive MIMO channels.
Goal disengagement, functional disability, and depressive symptoms in old age.

OBJECTIVES This longitudinal study examined the associations between older adults' goal adjustment capacities (i.e., goal disengagement and goal reengagement capacities), functional disability, and depressive symptoms. It was expected that goal disengagement capacities would prevent an adverse effect of heightened functional disability on increases in depressive symptoms. METHOD Multivariate regression analyses were conducted, using four waves of data from a six-year longitudinal study of 135 community-dwelling older adults (>60 years old). RESULTS Depressive symptoms and functionality disability increased over time. Moreover, poor goal disengagement capacities and high levels of functional disability forecasted six-year increases in depressive symptoms. Finally, goal disengagement buffered the association of functional disability with increases in depressive symptoms. No associations were found for goal reengagement capacities. CONCLUSION The findings suggest an adaptive role for goal disengagement capacities in older adulthood. When confronted with increases in functional disability, the capacity to withdraw effort and commitment from unattainable goals can help protect older adults from experiencing long-term increases in depressive symptoms.
Tissue restricted expression of two human Frzbs in preadipocytes and pancreas.

Frzb is a newly discovered family of secreted glycoproteins that function to modulate signaling activity of Wnt. Frzb proteins share sequence homology with the extracellular domain of the Wnt receptor (frizzled) and are capable of binding to Wnt. Thus, Frzb functions to antagonize Wnt activity by sequestering Wnt and preventing its binding to the frizzled receptor. Since the initial identification of bovine and human Frzb, several related members of this family have been isolated from rodent and human. In this paper, we describe the cloning and expression of two human frzb homologues termed hFRP-1b and hFRP-2. These human FRPs share significant homology to mouse sFRP-1 and sFRP-2 (55 and 98% identity at amino acid level, respectively). Northern blot experiments revealed that these Frzb homologues have highly restricted tissue distribution. hFRP-1b is exclusively expressed in pancreatic tissue while high levels of hFRP-2 were found in adipose tissue. In addition, low levels of hFRP-2 were also observed in other tissues including heart, pancreas and muscle. Remarkably, FRP-2 is predominantly expressed in un-differentiated preadipocytes in both rodent and man. The expression of FRP-2 is also significantly reduced in fat pads from obese mice. Taken together, these data indicate that distinctive members of the Frzb family exhibit different expression patterns in vivo, suggesting their ability to modulate diverse aspects of Wnt signaling. The expression and dysregulation of sFRP-2 in fat and obesity also suggest a potential roles on the Wnt signaling pathway in the pathology of obesity and related metabolic diseases. Molecular cloning and expression of these Frzbs will allow detailed molecular and biochemical analysis of Wnt-Frzb interaction and their impact on Wnt-Frizzled receptor signal transduction.
Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors and Serotonin Transporter Genotype Modulate Performance Monitoring Functions But Not Their Electrophysiological Correlates

Serotonin (5-HT) has been hypothesized to be implicated in performance monitoring by promoting behavioral inhibition in the face of aversive events. However, it is unclear whether this is restricted to external (punishment) or includes internal (response errors) events. The aim of the current study was to test whether higher 5-HT levels instigate inhibition specifically in the face of errors, measured as post-error slowing (PES), and whether this is represented in electrophysiological correlates of error processing, namely error-related negativity (ERN) and positivity. Therefore, from a large sample of human subjects (n = 878), two extreme groups were formed regarding hypothesized high and low 5-HT transporter (5-HTT) expression based on 5-HTTLPR and two additional single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs25531, rs25532). Seventeen higher (LL) and 15 lower (SS) expressing Caucasian subjects were administered the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) citalopram (10 mg) intravenously in a double-blind crossover design. We found pharmacogenetic evidence for a role of 5-HT in mediating PES: SSRI administration increased PES in both genetic groups, and SS subjects displayed higher PES. These effects were absent on post-conflict slowing. However, ERN and error positivity were unaffected by pharmacogenetic factors, but ERN was decoupled from behavioral adaptation by SSRI administration in the LL group. Thus, pharmacogenetic evidence suggests that increased 5-HT levels lead to behavioral inhibition in the context of internal aversive events, but electrophysiological correlates of performance monitoring appear unrelated to the 5-HT system. Therefore, our findings are consistent with theories suggesting that 5-HT mediates the link between aversive processing and inhibition.