Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Aging‐related changes in the relationship between the physical self‐concept and the physical fitness in elderly individuals

The paper focuses on long‐term changes in parameters of self‐perception (ie, physical self‐concept, self‐esteem, and self‐efficacy), physical activity, and its relationship to physical fitness of healthy and active old adults. The sample of 22 physically active and healthy elderly (age Mt1 = 66.00) originates in an earlier skiing intervention study following a longitudinal study design with four time points of measurement over a period of 6 years. Self‐reports on physical self‐concept (PSK), general self‐esteem and self‐efficacy, and an activity index were assessed and compared to physical fitness data (VO2max and muscle strength). Significant time effects (over 6 years) were obtained with respect to global physical self‐concept, endurance (PSK), and VO2max. Muscle strength turned out to be stable over time. The positive correlations between VO2max and the corresponding self‐concept evaluation of endurance abilities diminished across the 6 years. Self‐esteem correlated with the PSK scales and VO2max. In contrast to our expectation, self‐esteem, self‐efficacy, and activity level hardly predicted changes in the PSK scales, VO2max, and physical strength. Although VO2max and some parameters of the physical self‐concept declined over the 6 years, results indicate that physical self‐concept, self‐esteem, self‐efficacy, physical fitness, and physical activity display a complex pattern. The decrease in self‐perception measured by the correlation of PSK and physical fitness suggests that self‐concept of old adults is not sensitive to changes in physical fitness.
Monitoring Antifungal Agents of Artemisia annua against Fusarium oxysporum and Fusarium solani, Associated with Panax notoginseng Root-Rot Disease

Root rot of Panax notoginseng has received great attention due to its threat on the plantation and sustainable utilization of P. notoginseng. To suppress the root-rot disease, natural ingredients are of great importance because of their environment friendly properties. In this study, we found that the methanol extract from Artemisia annua leaves has strong antifungal effects on the growth of Fusarium oxysporum and Fusarium solani resulting into root-rot disease. Essential oil (EO) thereof was found to be the most active. GC-MS analysis revealed 58 ingredients and camphor, camphene, β-caryophyllene, and germacrene D were identified as the major ingredients. Further antifungal assays showed that the main compounds exhibit various degrees of inhibition against all the fungi tested. In addition, synergistic effects between A. annua EO and chemical fungicides were examined. Finally, in vivo experiments were conducted and disclosed that P. notoginseng root rot could be largely inhibited by the petroleum ether extract from A. annua, indicating that A. annua could be a good source for controlling P. notoginseng root-rot.
Age‐dependent changes in the reproductive axis responsiveness to kisspeptin‐10 administration in healthy men

The present study was designed to assess the responsiveness of hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis to kisspeptin administration with increasing age in men. Human kisspeptin‐10 was administered in single iv bolus dose (1 µg/kg BW) to healthy adult, middle and advanced age men. Serial blood samples were collected for 30 min pre‐ and 120 min post‐kisspeptin injection periods at 30‐min interval. Analysis of plasma LH by ELISA showed a significant (p < 0.05) increase after kisspeptin‐10 administration in all groups, whereas plasma testosterone concentration was significantly elevated (p < 0.05) after kisspeptin‐10 injection only in the adult men group. Present results suggest that in men, central hypothalamic–pituitary axis remains active and shows responsiveness to kisspeptin stimulation across life. However, Leydig cell responsiveness to kisspeptin‐induced LH decreases with age in men.
Systematic Review of Behavioral Therapy to Improve Swallowing Functions of Patients With Parkinson's Disease

Decreased swallowing function is a common and main cause of malnutrition and aspiration pneumonia in patients with Parkinson's disease. The aims of this systematic review were to summarize and qualitatively analyze the studies that have been published on behavioral therapies for improving swallowing functions in patients with Parkinson's disease. Studies published from January 2000 to December 2015 were identified via electronic database searches using Ovid-MEDLINE, Ovid-EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and 8 Korean databases. Two reviewers independently evaluated the studies using inclusion criteria. Nine studies were included, of which 6 evaluated rehabilitation technique studies and 3 evaluated compensatory strategies. The 9 studies were evaluated qualitatively using a methodology checklist of the Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network, according to which all of the studies had acceptable quality. The available data on the effects of rehabilitation techniques and compensatory strategies remain insufficient. Further randomized controlled studies should be done to investigate the effect of behavioral therapy on improving swallowing functions in patients with Parkinson's disease.
Elevated PHD2 expression might serve as a valuable biomarker of poor prognosis in lung adenocarcinoma, but no lung squamous cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE Using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), we aimed to explore the association between Egl nine homolog 1 (EGLN1/PHD2) expression and survival outcomes in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC), respectively. PATIENTS AND METHODS A retrospective study was conducted based on the level-3 data in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-LUAD and TCGA-LUSC and data from the Human Protein Atlas (HPA). RESULTS Both LUAD and LUSC had elevated PHD2 expression compared to their respective adjacent normal tissues. However, Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that the high PHD2 expression LUAD patients had a significantly shorter overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) (p=0.001 and p<0.001) compared to the low expression group. However, these differences were not observed in LUSC patients. Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that high PHD2 expression was an independent indicator of unfavorable OS (HR: 1.685, 95%CI: 1.251-2.269, p=0.001) and unfavorable RFS (HR: 2.008, 95%CI: 1.430-2.818, p<0.001) in LUAD patients. The methylation status of two CpG sites (cg07040244 and cg21875980) in PHD2 was at least moderately and negatively correlated with PHD2 expression. High methylation level of these two CpG sites was associated with better OS in LUAD patients. CONCLUSIONS Elevated PHD2 expression might only serve as a valuable biomarker of poor prognosis in LUAD, but no in LUSC. Cg07040244 and cg21875980 might be two CpG sites modulating PHD2 expression in LUAD.
Foliar Accumulation of Melatonin Applied to the Roots of Maize (Zea mays) Seedlings

Plants absorb melatonin from the environments as well as they synthesize the regulatory molecule. We applied melatonin to the roots of maize (Zea mays) seedlings and examined its accumulation in the leaves. Melatonin accumulation in the leaves was proportional to the exogenously applied concentrations up to 5 mM, without saturation. Time-course analysis of the accumulated melatonin content did not show an adaptable (or desensitizable) uptake system over a 24-h period. Melatonin accumulation in the leaves was reduced significantly by the plant hormones abscisic acid (ABA) and salicylic acid (SA), which commonly cause stomatal closure. The application of ABA and benzo-18-crown-6 (18-CR, a stomata-closing agent) induced stomatal closure and simultaneously decreased melatonin content in the leaves. When plants were shielded from airflow in the growth chamber, melatonin accumulation in the leaves decreased, indicating the influence of reduced transpiration. We conclude that melatonin applied exogenously to the root system is absorbed, mobilized upward according to the transpirational flow, and finally accumulated in the leaves.
Regional brain stem activations during capsaicin inhalation using functional magnetic resonance imaging in humans.

Coughing is an airway protective behavior elicited by airway irritation. Animal studies show that airway sensory information is relayed via vagal sensory fibers to termination sites within dorsal caudal brain stem and thereafter relayed to more rostral sites. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in humans, we previously reported that inhalation of the tussigenic stimulus capsaicin evokes a perception of airway irritation ("urge to cough") accompanied by activations in a widely distributed brain network including the primary sensorimotor, insular, prefrontal, and posterior parietal cortices. Here we refine our imaging approach to provide a directed survey of brain stem areas activated by airway irritation. In 15 healthy participants, inhalation of capsaicin at a maximal dose that elicits a strong urge to cough without behavioral coughing was associated with activation of medullary regions overlapping with the nucleus of the solitary tract, paratrigeminal nucleus, spinal trigeminal nucleus and tract, cardiorespiratory regulatory areas homologous to the ventrolateral medulla in animals, and the midline raphe. Interestingly, the magnitude of activation within two cardiorespiratory regulatory areas was positively correlated ( r2 = 0.47, 0.48) with participants' subjective ratings of their urge to cough. Capsaicin-related activations were also observed within the pons and midbrain. The current results add to knowledge of the representation and processing of information regarding airway irritation in the human brain, which is pertinent to the pursuit of novel cough therapies. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Functional brain imaging in humans was optimized for the brain stem. We provide the first detailed description of brain stem sites activated in response to airway irritation. The results are consistent with findings in animal studies and extend our foundational knowledge of brain processing of airway irritation in humans.
Cross-Modal Competition: The Default Computation for Multisensory Processing

Mature multisensory superior colliculus (SC) neurons integrate information across the senses to enhance their responses to spatiotemporally congruent cross-modal stimuli. The development of this neurotypic feature of SC neurons requires experience with cross-modal cues. In the absence of such experience the response of an SC neuron to congruent cross-modal cues is no more robust than its response to the most effective component cue. This “default” or “naive” state is believed to be one in which cross-modal signals do not interact. The present results challenge this characterization by identifying interactions between visual-auditory signals in male and female cats reared without visual-auditory experience. By manipulating the relative effectiveness of the visual and auditory cross-modal cues that were presented to each of these naive neurons, an active competition between cross-modal signals was revealed. Although contrary to current expectations, this result is explained by a neuro-computational model in which the default interaction is mutual inhibition. These findings suggest that multisensory neurons at all maturational stages are capable of some form of multisensory integration, and use experience with cross-modal stimuli to transition from their initial state of competition to their mature state of cooperation. By doing so, they develop the ability to enhance the physiological salience of cross-modal events thereby increasing their impact on the sensorimotor circuitry of the SC, and the likelihood that biologically significant events will elicit SC-mediated overt behaviors. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The present results demonstrate that the default mode of multisensory processing in the superior colliculus is competition, not non-integration as previously characterized. A neuro-computational model explains how these competitive dynamics can be implemented via mutual inhibition, and how this default mode is superseded by the emergence of cooperative interactions during development.
The effect of copper nanoparticles and copper (II) salt on redox reactions and epigenetic changes in a rat model

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of a diet containing different levels of Cu in two different chemical forms (carbonate and nanoparticles) on redox reactions and epigenetic changes in a rat model. For 4 weeks, five experimental groups (eight rats in each) were fed diets with two dosages of added Cu (standard-6.5 mg/kg or half of the standard dosage-3.25 mg/kg, and as a negative control no additional Cu in the mineral mixture) in two forms (standard-CuCO3 and copper nanoparticles). Addition of Cu nanoparticles resulted in higher Cp (ceruloplasmin) activity and LOOH (lipid peroxides) and MDA (malondialdehyde) content, as well as decrease the CAT (catalase) activity and level of PC (protein carbonyl), 3-NT (3-nitrotyrosine), 8-OHdG (8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine), GSH + GSSG (total glutathione) and DNA methylation. Reducing the dose of copper resulted in a decrease in the level of LOOH and GSH + GSSG as well as CAT activity, but increased the level of PC and methylated DNA. Based on these evidence, we concluded that addition of copper nanoparticles in the diet reduces protein oxidation and nitration as well as DNA oxidation and methylation. Lowering the level of Cu in the diet increases the oxidation of proteins and DNA methylation.
Asthma patient satisfaction with different dry powder inhalers

ABSTRACT Background: The preferences and opinions of patients are important when choosing the optimal inhaler device for asthma management. We compared patient satisfaction of three dry powder inhalers in patients with moderate to severe asthma. Methods: We selected a group of patients treated with EasyhalerTM (n = 164) and a second group of patients treated with TurbuhalerTM (n = 100) or DiskusTM (AccuhalerTM) (n = 64) from the register of an observational, multicenter study. Data of patients were paired according to age, gender, and asthma severity. Patient satisfaction with the inhaler type was assessed with the specific ‘Feeling of Satisfaction with Inhaler’ (FSI-10) questionnaire. Results: Specific satisfaction with inhaler was statistically significantly higher with EasyhalerTM, as well as the percentage of patients with high satisfaction with inhaler. (FSI-10 score ≥43). Scores for EasyhalerTM were also statistically significantly better for individual FSI-10 items such as learning how to use, inhaler preparation, inhaler use, weight and size, and portability. There were no significant differences in asthma control (ACT, Mini-AQLQ) and adherence (TAI global score). Conclusions: Specific satisfaction with inhaler was higher with EasyhalerTM in a homogeneous population of patients with moderate to severe asthma. However, the relationship between satisfaction with the inhaler and adherence and asthma control deserves more investigation.
In vitro characterization of goat skeletal muscle satellite cells

Abstract Skeletal muscle satellite cells (SMSCs) provide a good model for the study of postnatal muscle growth and intramuscular adipogenesis because they have myogenic and adipogenic differentiation ability. In this study, we harvested goat SMSCs using pronase digestion method. Then, the cells were purified from stratified liquids between 40 and 90% percoll. Multinucleated myotubes formed and the myogenic genes were expressed during the myogenic differentiation. PAX7 showed the highest expression level on the proliferating phase and decreased during differentiation. On the proliferating stage, the expression level of MyoG and MEF2C was relatively low. After entering the differentiation stage, the expression of MyoD, MyoG, and MEF2C was increased, and then decline subsequently. During adipogenic differentiation, a lot of lipid droplets were present around the cells at 7 d, and the adipogenic-related genes were expressed. The ADIPOQ, PPARγ and SREBP-1 expression levels were up-regulated during adipogenic differentiation, while the expression of ACC, FASN and C/EBPα were increased at 4 d, and then declined at 7 d. This study established a successful system for isolation, purification and identification of goat SMSCs. It is demonstrated that goat skeletal satellite cells are multipotential and can be induced into myoblasts and adipocytes.
Assessing the Role of Differential Herbivore Performance Among Plant Species in Associational Effects Involving the Invasive Stink Bug Bagrada hilaris (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)

Abstract Co-occurring plant species can influence the extent of damage to each other by altering the activity or abundance of a shared herbivore. One mechanism by which neighboring host plants exacerbate damage to a focal host is if the neighbor amplifies herbivore populations. We studied the performance of a shared herbivore on a native and an invasive plant, to estimate how strongly the presence of the invasive plant increases local herbivore abundance—in a system in which highly asymmetric spillover herbivory may occur. Specifically, we conducted a series of greenhouse experiments that measured reproduction, development, and survival of the invasive stink bug Bagrada hilaris Burmeister on an invasive annual forb, Sahara mustard (Brassica tournefortii), or a native perennial shrub, four-winged saltbush (Atriplex canescens). All measured aspects of stink bug performance revealed consistently greater performance on Br. tournefortii. Indeed, A. canescens appears to be insufficient for Ba. hilaris to complete its development. Nonetheless, preliminary damage assessments found that both plant species were used as feeding hosts, putative feeding lesions were a more reliable indicator of herbivory than was the degree of yellowing, and higher Ba. hilaris abundance was generally associated with greater sublethal damage to A. canescens. Thus, A. canescens appears to be susceptible to Ba. hilaris herbivory, though more research is needed to assess fitness impacts of this novel herbivore. Our results indicate that differential herbivore performance among host plants may be an important contributor to observed patterns of abundance of a shared herbivore and spillover herbivory between plants.
Motor tests for primary school aged children: A systematic review

ABSTRACT Motor testing in education has gained in relevance in light of recent developments in educational systems (Köller & Baumert, 2012). The purpose of this systematic review was to identify studies using motor tests in primary school children aged 4 to 12 years and to synthetize information about the quality and application of the test instruments used. A systematic review of 910 records identified by a search of nine databases yielded 144 papers reporting motor testing in primary school age children, including 25 articles reporting on the quality of 20 test instruments. In the selected articles, tests grounded on the constructs of “motor abilities” and/or “motor skills” are the most frequent and are mostly used for monitoring purposes or for impact research. Tests based on the construct “motor competencies” have become popular only recently, being relevant for educational motor testing due to their curricular validity. The test instruments have been investigated towards their validity and reliability to different extents. However, for several test instruments factorial validity has not been established and more validation studies are needed to improve their psychometric quality especially if used in educational contexts.
18F-FDG PET/CT versus conventional investigations for cancer screening in autoimmune inflammatory myopathy in the era of novel myopathy classifications

Background To compare the performance of fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) PET/computed tomography (CT) and conventional tests for cancer screening in autoimmune inflammatory myopathy (AIM) patients. Patients and methods We carried out a retrospective cohort study of AIM patients from one academic center in Montreal, Canada, classified using myositis-specific antibodies, who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT between April 2005 and February 2018 and were followed up on average 3.5±2.4 years. Patients were excluded if follow-up was insufficient, AIM diagnosis was indeterminate, and/or malignancy was diagnosed before an 18F-FDG PET/CT scan. Demographic/clinical data, 18F-FDG PET/CT results, and available conventional screening tests results were retrieved from electronic and paper medical records. Results 100 18F-FDG PET/CT studies in 63 unique patients [31/63 dermatomyositis (DM), 25/63 overlap myositis, 1/63 inclusion body myositis, 1/63 polymyositis, 1/63 orbital myositis and 4/63 unspecified myositis] were evaluated. Three patients, all classified as DM, were diagnosed with cancer during follow-up with conventional cancer screening tests: breast cancer detected by mammography; squamous cell carcinoma of the skin detected by physical examination; and multiple myeloma detected by blood work. 18F-FDG PET/CT did not detect any malignancy and led to more additional biopsies than conventional screening (8 vs. 5). Conclusion 18F-FDG PET/CT does not appear to be useful in cancer screening for AIM patients compared with conventional screening and carries potential harms associated with follow-up investigations. The risk of cancer in AIM differs by myositis-specific antibodies-defined subsets and cancer screening is likely to be indicated only in high-risk patients, particularly DM. These results, replicated in larger, multicentered studies, may carry significant consequences for optimal management of AIM and health resource utilization.
A cellular complex of BACE1 and γ-secretase sequentially generates Aβ from its full-length precursor

Intramembrane proteolysis of transmembrane substrates by the presenilin–&ggr;-secretase complex is preceded and regulated by shedding of the substrate’s ectodomain by &agr;- or &bgr;-secretase. We asked whether &bgr;- and &ggr;-secretases interact to mediate efficient sequential processing of APP, generating the amyloid &bgr; (A&bgr;) peptides that initiate Alzheimer’s disease. We describe a hitherto unrecognized multiprotease complex containing active &bgr;- and &ggr;-secretases. BACE1 coimmunoprecipitated and cofractionated with &ggr;-secretase in cultured cells and in mouse and human brain. An endogenous high molecular weight (HMW) complex (∼5 MD) containing &bgr;- and &ggr;-secretases and holo-APP was catalytically active in vitro and generated a full array of A&bgr; peptides, with physiological A&bgr;42/40 ratios. The isolated complex responded properly to &ggr;-secretase modulators. Alzheimer’s-causing mutations in presenilin altered the A&bgr;42/40 peptide ratio generated by the HMW &bgr;/&ggr;-secretase complex indistinguishably from that observed in whole cells. Thus, A&bgr; is generated from holo-APP by a BACE1–&ggr;-secretase complex that provides sequential, efficient RIP processing of full-length substrates to final products.