Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Iowa wrestling study. Weight loss in high school students.

Changes in body weight were measured in 747 wrestlers from 30 Iowa high schools. During a 17-day period before certification, the average weight loss was 6.8 lb (3.1 kg) or 4.9% of the initial body weight, with most of these changes occurring during the final ten days. Questionnaire results indicated that the coach and the "other wrestler" were the most frequently consulted on how to "make weight" whereas the local physician was seldom consulted on this matter. Comparison of weight gains after the end of the season showed that the average increase was 13.6 lb (6.2 kg) higher than the weight at certification. Until more information is available that is specific for this age group, it is our opinion that medical supervision be provided when wrestlers have lost 7% to 10% of their initial weight or are losing weight in excess of 4 lb (1.8 kg) per week.
Quantitative Assessment of Mixed Chimerism in Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant Patients: A Comparison of Molecular Genetic and Cytogenetic Approaches

After allogeneic stem cell transplantation, dual donor and recipient populations may be present. Donor/recipient ratio changes over time may predict clinical outcome: accurate measurement of these changes are needed. Chimerism may be measured by XY-fluorescence in situ hybridization for donor/recipient sex mismatch, or polymerase chain reaction amplification of short tandem repeat loci with donor/recipient sex match. Patients were monitored by each method. Additionally, mononuclear cells from 2 sex-mismatched individuals were mixed and analyzed using both methods. Each gave concordant estimates of patient chimerism and discriminated cell population ratios in mixed blood. We conclude that cytogenetic and molecular methods give accurate donor chimerism estimates.
Emotional and Behavioural Problems and Competencies among Immigrant and Non-Immigrant Adolescents

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare levels of emotional and behavioural problems and competencies among immigrant and non-immigrant adolescents, and to determine factors that may contribute to any differences reported. Method: Subjects were selected randomly from students aged 12-16 years attending a high school with a high proportion of immigrants in Perth, Western Australia. Parents completed the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL), and students completed the Youth Self-Report (YSR) and a Personal History Questionnaire. Results: On univariate analyses, non-immigrant adolescents had significantly higher CBCL and YSR scores than immigrant adolescents. Multivariate analyses suggested that CBCL scores were predicted by a number of variables other than immigration, including family intactness, socioeconomic status (SES) and gender. Higher YSR scores were predicted by non-intact families, school setting and non-immigrant status, and higher competencies scores were predicted by higher SES and parents not being immigrants. Conclusions: In assessing the effects of immigration on adolescent mental health, it is important to control for factors associated with adolescent behavioural and emotional problems and to use multiple informants. Overall, immigrant adolescents report fewer total and externalising problems and fewer competencies than native-born adolescents. This finding may reflect strict immigration policies or cultural differences in definitions of psychopathology and the social expectations for adolescents' behaviour.
Randomised controlled trial of auto‐adjusting positive airway pressure in morbidly obese patients requiring high therapeutic pressure delivery

Auto‐adjusting positive airway pressure (APAP) devices are being increasingly used to treat obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). Anecdotal encounters of obese patients requiring high therapeutic pressure whose OSA was inadequately controlled by APAP led to this study aiming to compare the effectiveness of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and APAP (S8 Autoset II®, ResMed, NSW, Australia) in a randomised, single‐blinded crossover trial. Twelve morbidly obese patients with severe OSA [mean ± SD apnoea–hypopnoea index (AHI) 75.8 ± 32.7, body mass index 49.9 ± 5.2 kg m−2, mean pressure 16.4 cmH2O] were consecutively recruited, and received CPAP or APAP in random order for six nights at home, separated by a four‐night washout. Polysomnographic (PSG) indices of OSA were recorded at baseline and following each treatment arm. Both therapies substantially reduced the AHI (APAP 9.8 ± 9.5 and CPAP 7.3 ± 6.6 events h−1; P = 0.35), but residual PSG measures of disease (AHI >5) were common. APAP delivered a significantly lower 95th percentile pressure averaged over the home‐use arm than CPAP (14.2 ± 2.7 and 16.1 ± 1.8 cmH2O, respectively, P = 0.02). The machine‐scored AHI significantly overestimated the level of residual disease compared with the laboratory‐scored AHI (using Chicago criteria); however, when the machine‐scored AHI was ≤5 and ≤10 this was always confirmed by the PSG data. In morbidly obese OSA patients without significant co‐morbid disease requiring high therapeutic pressure, our data provide support for the use of either APAP or manually titrated CPAP. We recommend objective assessment by sleep study if the S8 Autoset II indicates a high level of residual disease.
Simple in vitro migration assay for neural crest cells and the opposite effects of all‐trans‐retinoic acid on cephalic‐ and trunk‐derived cells

Here, we describe a simple in vitro neural crest cell (NCC) migration assay and the effects of all‐trans‐retinoic acid (RA) on NCCs. Neural tubes excised from the rhombencephalic or trunk region of day 10.5 rat embryos were cultured for 48 h to allow emigration and migration of NCCs. Migration of NCCs was measured as the change in the radius (radius ratio) calculated from the circular spread of NCCs between 24 and 48 h of culture. RA was added to the culture medium after 24 h at embryotoxic concentrations determined by rat whole embryo culture. RA (10 μM) reduced the migration of cephalic NCCs, whereas it enhanced the migration of trunk NCCs, indicating that RA has opposite effects on these two types of NCCs.
Effects of multi walled carbon nanotubes and graphene on the mechanical properties of hybrid polymer composites

A small amount of Graphene and Multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) by direct mixing were employed to disperse these nanoparticles into a mono-component epoxy system and used as matrix for advanced composites with woven Glass and Carbon fiber reinforcements. These nanoparticles were added directly into the hosting system and dispersion was carried out by using mechanical stirring. In this study the hybrid polymer composite with Glass fiber, Carbon fiber and epoxy polymer in the ratio of 9:12.5:78.5, 13.5:18.75:67.75 and 18:25:57 percent of volume with addition of fillers, Graphene (0.2 wt%) and MWCNT (0.2wt%) have been developed. The mechanical characterization results confirm that the composite developed by using graphene nanoparticles represents a fundamental feature in enhancing the tensile elastic modulus and hardness behavior of the composite system, where as MWCNT has significant effect on the bending modulus and impact behavior. The optical microscopic study for the fractured samples reveals a significant increase in the fiber-matrix interface adhesion where as decrease in fiber breakage, fiber pullout and debonding. Copyright © 2013 VBRI press.
Infection by coronavirus JHM of rat neurons and oligodendrocyte-type-2 astrocyte lineage cells during distinct developmental stages

Primary telencephalic cultures derived from neonatal Wistar Furth rats were able to support the growth of coronavirus JHM if a viable neuronal population was maintained. This occurred under serum-free defined, but not serum-supplemented, growth conditions. The importance of neurons in establishing infections in mixed cultures was confirmed by immunocytochemical and electron microscopic studies. Glia, although more abundant than neurons in these cultures, were less frequently infected during the initial 48 h postinoculation. The two glial lineages present in mixed telencephalic cultures were separated into type-1 astrocytes and oligodendrocyte-type-2 astrocyte (O-2A) lineage cells and individually assessed for their ability to support virus growth. Infection could not be established in type-1 astrocytes regardless of the culture conditions employed, consistent with our previous study (S. Beushausen and S. Dales, Virology 141:89-101, 1985). In contrast, infections could be initiated in selected O-2A lineage cells grown in serum-free medium. Virus multiplication was however significantly reduced by preconditioning the medium with mixed telencephalic or enriched type-1 astrocyte cultures, suggesting that intercellular interactions mediated by soluble factor(s) can influence the infectious process in O-2A lineage cells. This presumption was supported by eliciting similar effects with basic fibroblast growth factor and platelet-derived growth factor, two central nervous system cytokines known to control O-2A differentiation. The presence of these cytokines, which synergistically block O-2A cells from differentiating into oligodendrocytes was correlated with specific and reversible resistance to JHM virus (JHMV) infection. These data, combined with our finding that accelerated terminal differentiation of the oligodendrocyte phenotype confers resistance to JHMV (Beushausen and Dales, Virology, 1985), suggest that the permissiveness of O-2A cells for JHMV is restricted to a discrete developmental stage.
Factors associated with response to clozapine in schizophrenia: a review.

BACKGROUND Clozapine has been serving as the gold standard medication for patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia who failed to respond to other antipsychotics. However, factors affecting response to this medication have not been comprehensively reviewed recently. METHODS In order to find factors associated with response to clozapine in schizophrenia, a literature search was conducted using PubMed through January 2011 with keywords of clozapine, response, and schizophrenia. Cross-referencing of relevant articles was also performed. Factors were arbitrarily classified into the following: demographic/clinical, oral dosage/pharmacokinetic, biochemical, (electro)physiological, genetic, imaging, and combinations. RESULTS A synthesis from 280 articles indicated that demographic and clinical variables such as high baseline symptoms and low premorbid functioning have not been particularly useful in predicting response to clozapine. Pharmacokinetic evidence points to a threshold clozapine level of 350 ng/ml but in a context of significant inter- as well as intra-individual variability. Pharmacokinetic perspectives appear to have more implication in special situations including poor response, suspected toxicity and nonadherence. A number of laboratory-based studies have reported on many potential candidates for response prediction to clozapine, however, reproducibility, specificity, robustness of the findings, as well as clinical feasibility and cost-effectiveness all pose a significant practical challenge, in relation with the fact that pathophysiological bases of treatment resistance in schizophrenia largely remain to be elucidated. CONCLUSIONS No unequivocal factors to clozapine response were found despite a relatively rich body of the literature, which calls for more works on this important topic. Clozapine level of 350 ng/ml appears to be useful in case of nonresponse.
Desulphurization performance of TiO2-modified activated carbon by a one-step carbonization-activation method

ABSTRACT In this study, TiO2 powder was used as the additive to directly blend with raw bituminous coal and coking coal for preparing modified activated carbon (Ti/AC) by one-step carbonization-activation method. The Ti/AC samples were prepared through blending with different ratios of TiO2 (0–12 wt%) and their desulphurization performance was evaluated. The results show that the desulphurization activity of all Ti/AC samples was higher than that of the blank one, and the highest breakthrough sulphur capacity was obtained at 200.55 mg/g C when the blending ratio of TiO2 was 6 wt%. The Brunauer-Emmett-Temer results show that the micropores were dominant in the Ti/AC samples, and their textual properties did not change evidently compared with the blank one. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results show that the loaded TiO2 could influence the relative content of surface functional groups, with slightly higher content of π–π* transitions groups on the Ti/AC samples, and the relative contents of C=O and π–π* transitions groups decreased evidently after the desulphurization process. The X-ray diffraction results show that the anatase TiO2 and rutile TiO2 co-existed on the surface of the Ti/AC samples. After the desulphurization process, TiO2 phases did not change and Ti(SO4)2 was not observed on the Ti/AC samples, while sulphate was the main desulphurization product. It can be assumed that SO2 could be catalytically oxidized into SO3 by TiO2 indirectly, rather than TiO2 directly reacted with SO2 to Ti(SO4)2.
Insulin Half‐Life and Utilization in Normal Pregnancy

The half-life in plasma of immunoreactive insulin was determined in pregnant and normal volunteer subjects of comparable age after the intravenous injection of bovine insulin, 0.1 unit/kg. Insulin resistance was characteristic of the pregnant patients as manifested by decreased blood glucose responsiveness to the injected insulin, although fasting plasma insulin and glucose concentrations were not significantly elevated in pregnancy. The average half-life (T) of insulin for the two groups were, respectively, 8.7 ± 0.9 and 8.5 ± 1.0 minutes. There was no significant difference in the insulin T or other parameters of plasma insulin disappearance after injection for the pregnant compared to nonpregnant subjects. Pregnant and normal control subjects were also given a standard glucose load (25 g) intravenously, and plasma endogenous immunoreactive insulin was measured. The results from these experiments indicated a fundamental difference in pancreatic response to glucose in pregnancy, characterized by an exaggerated rate and amount of insulin released. In pregnancy the decay of plasma endogenous insulin was of the same magnitude as that observed for injected insulin. The mechanism of the insulin resistance in pregnancy remains speculative, but these results suggest that it probably resides in decreased sensitivity of the tissues to insulin action.
Clinical Manifestations and Diagnosis of Neuroborreliosis

Lyme borreliosis has in a few years turned out to be a health problem not only in the United States, but also in many European countries. When it affects the nervous system, Lyme borreliosis acts as the great disease imitator. Because of this characteristic it is often difficult to diagnose on clinical grounds. Patients with neuroborreliosis might appear within all medical disciplines. Clinical markers, such as preceding tick bite and/or ECM, are important clues to the diagnosis. Mononuclear pleocytosis and elevated CSF protein are present in most patients with neuroborreliosis. Final evidence for the diagnosis is the demonstration of specific antibodies in serum and/or CSF. Measurement of antibody titers should be carried out in both serum and CSF, since these methods are complementary when trying to obtain a serological diagnosis of neuroborreliosis.
Stimulation of NF-kappa B-mediated transcription by mutant derivatives of the latent membrane protein of Epstein-Barr virus

The latent membrane protein (LMP) of Epstein-Barr virus contributes to the immortalizing activity of the virus in primary, human B lymphocytes, but its mechanism of function is unknown. LMP is expressed at the plasma membrane and may act by influencing the signalling pathways of infected cells. LMP increases transcription of reporter plasmids that are responsive to members of the NF-kappa B/Rel family of transcription factors (M.-L. Hammarskjold and M. C. Simurda, J. Virol. 66:6496-6501, 1992, and A. Krikos, C. D. Laherty, and V. M. Dixit, J. Biol. Chem. 267:17971-17976, 1992). We measured the stimulation of the activity of a reporter plasmid by LMP in Jurkat and 293 cells in transfection experiments. Expression of LMP stimulated plasmids that contained kappa B enhancer elements but not plasmids that lacked the elements. In 293 cells, expression of the NF-kappa B inhibitor, I kappa B-alpha, reduced the stimulatory activity of LMP. We used deletional analysis to map the domains of LMP that are required for its activity in 293 cells. Wild-type LMP stimulated NF-kappa B by a factor of 20 to 30, while mutant derivatives of LMP that lack oncogenic activity stimulated NF-kappa B by a factor of 3. The multiple membrane-spanning segments together with the carboxy-terminal 55 amino acid residues of LMP were required for its maximal stimulatory function. Residues within its cytoplasmic amino terminus were not required for LMP's stimulation of NF-kappa B. We tested also for stimulation of NF-kappa B activity in cell lines known to support phenotypic changes mediated by expression of LMP. LMP stimulated little NF-kappa B activity in HEp2 cells and no detectable NF-kappa B activity in BALB/3T3 cells. The LMP stimulation of NF-kappa B factors that occurs in some cell lines provides a useful and biochemically tractable assay for determining the function of LMP.
Proinflammatory Cytokine-Induced NF-κB Activation in Human Mesangial Cells Is Mediated through Intracellular Calcium but Not ROS: Effects of Silymarin

Background: It is not fully understood whether intracellular calcium and/or reactive oxygen species (ROS) are involved in nuclear factor-ĸB (NF-ĸB) activation by proinflammatory cytokines. Silymarin exhibits anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects but the effect of silymarin in human mesangial cells is largely unknown. Method: NF-ĸB binding activity was measured by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Intracellular calcium was monitored by confocal microscopy using Fluo-3 and intracellular ROS production was determined by flow cytometry. Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) expression was measured by Northern blot analysis and ELISA. Results: NF-ĸB was activated within 30 min by tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) or interleukin-1β (IL-1β). Intracellular ROS was not produced until 30 min and also antioxidants such as N-acetylcysteine and tiron had no effect on the TNF-α- or IL-1β-induced NF-ĸB activation. Intracellular calcium was increased by TNF-α and IL-1β. Furthermore, a calcium chelator, BAPTA-AM, attenuated the NF-ĸB activation. Silymarin dose-dependently inhibited the TNF-α- or IL-1β-induced NF-ĸB activation and MCP-1 expression. Silymarin also inhibited TNF-α-induced intracellular calcium. Conclusions: Induction of NF-ĸB within 30 min by TNF-α- and IL-1β was mediated through intracellular calcium but not ROS. Silymarin inhibited TNF-α-induced calcium-dependent NF-ĸB activation irrespective of its antioxidant effect.
On "stability" in the Erdös-Ko-Rado Theorem

Denote by $K_p(n,k)$ the random subgraph of the usual Kneser graph $K(n,k)$ in which edges appear independently, each with probability $p$. Answering a question of Bollobas, Narayanan, and Raigorodskii, we show that there is a fixed $p<1$ such that a.s. (i.e., with probability tending to 1 as $k\rightarrow\infty$) the maximum independent sets of $K_p(2k+1, k)$ are precisely the sets $\{A\in V(K(2k+1,k)): x\in A\}$ ($x\in [2k+1]$). We also complete the determination of the order of magnitude of the “threshold" for the above property for general $k$ and $n\geq 2k+2$. This is new for $k\sim n/2$, while for smaller $k $ it is a recent result of Das and Tran.
Reward‐related decision making in older adults: relationship to clinical presentation of depression

Impairment in reward processes has been found in individuals with depression and in the aging population. The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to use an affective neuroscience probe to identify abnormalities in reward‐related decision making in late‐life depression; and (2) to examine the relationship of reward‐related decision making abnormalities in depressed, older adults to the clinical expression of apathy in depression. We hypothesized that relative to older, healthy subjects, depressed, older patients would exhibit impaired decision making and that apathetic, depressed patients would show greater impairment in decision making than non‐apathetic, depressed patients.
Phase Behavior and Induced Interdigitation in Bilayers Studied with Dissipative Particle Dynamics

Bilayers formed by coarse-grained models of amphiphilic surfactants are studied using dissipative particle dynamics combined with a Monte Carlo scheme to achieve the natural state of a tensionless bilayer. We address the issue of the influence of the molecular structure and the level of coarse graining on the bilayer properties by studying two models of different complexity: a single tail and a double tail surfactant. We compute the area per surfactant, the bilayer thickness, and the orientational order parameters and show how their dependence on the surfactant structure and temperature. We reproduce the gel to liquid crystalline phase transition, and we study the conditions that induce a gel interdigitated phase in the bilayer. We show how the interdigitated state in a bilayer containing double-tail surfactants can be reproduced by adding an extra bead in the surfactant headgroup, which mimics an ester-linkage to the phosphate group. In a bilayer formed by single tail surfactants, we induce interdigitation by changing the strength of the repulsive interaction between the headgroups, which corresponds with adding salt to the system. We are then able to derive a phase diagram as function of temperature and repulsion parameter for surfactants of different chain lengths.
Antimicrobial peptides extend lifespan in Drosophila

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are important defense molecules of the innate immune system. High levels of AMPs are induced in response to infections to fight pathogens, whereas moderate levels induced by metabolic stress are thought to shape commensal microbial communities at barrier tissues. We expressed single AMPs in adult flies either ubiquitously or in the gut by using the inducible GeneSwitch system to tightly regulate AMP expression. We found that activation of single AMPs, including Drosocin, resulted in a significant extension of Drosophila lifespan. These animals showed reduced activity of immune pathways over lifetime, less intestinal regenerative processes, reduced stress response and a delayed loss of gut barrier integrity. Furthermore, intestinal Drosocin induction protected the animals against infections with the natural Drosophila pathogen Pseudomonas entomophila, whereas a germ-reduced environment prevented the lifespan extending effect of Drosocin. Our study provides new insights into the crosstalk of innate immunity, intestinal homeostasis and ageing.