Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exercise‐induced histone modifications in human skeletal muscle

Skeletal muscle adaptations to exercise confer many of the health benefits of physical activity and occur partly through alterations in skeletal muscle gene expression. The exact mechanisms mediating altered skeletal muscle gene expression in response to exercise are unknown. However, in recent years, chromatin remodelling through epigenetic histone modifications has emerged as a key regulatory mechanism controlling gene expression in general. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of exercise on global histone modifications that mediate chromatin remodelling and transcriptional activation in human skeletal muscle in response to exercise. In addition, we sought to examine the signalling mechanisms regulating these processes. Following 60 min of cycling, global histone 3 acetylation at lysine 9 and 14, a modification associated with transcriptional initiation, was unchanged from basal levels, but was increased at lysine 36, a site associated with transcriptional elongation. We examined the regulation of the class IIa histone deacetylases (HDACs), which are enzymes that suppress histone acetylation and have been implicated in the adaptations to exercise. While we found no evidence of proteasomal degradation of the class IIa HDACs, we found that HDAC4 and 5 were exported from the nucleus during exercise, thereby removing their transcriptional repressive function. We also observed activation of the AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) and the calcium–calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) in response to exercise, which are two kinases that induce phosphorylation‐dependent class IIa HDAC nuclear export. These data delineate a signalling pathway that might mediate skeletal muscle adaptations in response to exercise.
Averaging, passage through resonances, and capture into resonance in two-frequency systems

Applying small perturbations to an integrable system leads to its slow evolution. For an approximate description of this evolution the classical averaging method prescribes averaging the rate of evolution over all the phases of the unperturbed motion. This simple recipe does not always produce correct results, because of resonances arising in the process of evolution. The phenomenon of capture into resonance consists in the system starting to evolve in such a way as to preserve the resonance property once it has arisen. This paper is concerned with application of the averaging method to a description of evolution in two-frequency systems. It is assumed that the trajectories of the averaged system intersect transversally the level surfaces of the frequency ratio and that certain other conditions of general position are satisfied. The rate of evolution is characterized by a small parameter . The main content of the paper is a proof of the following result: outside a set of initial data with measure of order the averaging method describes the evolution to within for periods of time of order . This estimate is sharp. The exceptional set of measure contains the initial data for phase points captured into resonance. A description of the motion of such phase points is given, along with a survey of related results on averaging. Examples of capture into resonance are presented for some problems in the dynamics of charged particles. Several open problems are stated. Bibliography: 65 titles.
Low‐dose dexamethasone prevents endotoxaemia‐induced muscle protein loss and impairment of carbohydrate oxidation in rat skeletal muscle

We recently provided evidence suggesting a role for cytokine‐mediated inhibition of Akt/Forkhead box O 1 (FOXO1) signalling in the induction of muscle atrophy and impairment of muscle carbohydrate oxidation during lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced endotoxaemia in rats. We hypothesized that a low‐dose dexamethasone (Dex; anti‐inflammatory agent) infusion during endotoxaemia would prevent the LPS‐induced impairment of Akt/FOXO1 signalling, and therefore prevent the muscle atrophy and impairment of carbohydrate oxidation. Chronically instrumented Sprague–Dawley rats received a continuous intravenous infusion of LPS (15 μg kg−1 h−1), Dex (12.5 μg kg−1 h−1), Dex+LPS or saline for 24 h at 0.4 ml h−1. LPS infusion caused haemodynamic changes consistent with a hyperdynamic circulation and induced increases in muscle tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α; 10‐fold, P < 0.001), interleukin‐6 (IL‐6; 14‐fold, P < 0.001) and metallothionein‐1A (MT‐1A; 187‐fold, P < 0.001) mRNA expression. Dex co‐administration abolished most of the haemodynamic effects of LPS and reduced the increase in muscle TNF‐α, IL‐6 and MT‐1A by 51% (P < 0.01), 85% (P < 0.001) and 58% (P < 0.01), respectively. Dex infusion during endotoxaemia also prevented the LPS‐induced 40% reduction in the muscle protein:DNA ratio and decrease in Akt phosphorylation, and partially prevented the reduction in FOXO1 phosphorylation. However, Dex did not prevent the LPS‐mediated increase in muscle atrophy F‐box (MAFbx) and muscle RING finger 1 (MuRF1) mRNA expression, but did significantly reduce the LPS‐mediated increase in cathepsin‐L mRNA expression and enzyme activity by 43% (P < 0.001) and 53% (P < 0.05), respectively. Furthermore, Dex suppressed LPS‐induced pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (PDK4) mRNA upregulation by ∼50% (P < 0.01), and prevented LPS‐mediated muscle glycogen breakdown and lactate accumulation. Thus, low‐dose Dex infusion during endotoxaemia prevented muscle atrophy and the impairment of carbohydrate oxidation, potentially through suppression of cytokine‐mediated Akt/FOXO inhibition, and blunting of cathepsin‐L‐mediated lysosomal protein breakdown.
Epigenetic modification of fetal baboon hepatic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase following exposure to moderately reduced nutrient availability

Decreased maternal nutrient availability during pregnancy induces compensatory fetal metabolic and endocrine responses. Knowledge of cellular changes involved is critical to understanding normal and abnormal development. Several studies in rodents and sheep report increased fetal plasma cortisol and associated increased gluconeogenesis in response to maternal nutrient reduction (MNR) but observations in primates are lacking. We determined MNR effects on fetal liver phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 1 (protein, PEPCK1; gene, PCK1 orthologous/homologous human chromosomal region 20q13.31) at 0.9 gestation (G). Female baboon social groups were fed ad libitum (control, CTR) or 70% CTR (MNR) from 0.16 to 0.9G when fetuses were delivered by caesarean section under general anaesthesia. Plasma cortisol was elevated in fetuses of MNR mothers (P < 0.05). Immunoreactive PEPCK1 protein was located around the liver lobule central vein and was low in CTR fetuses but rose to 63% of adult levels in MNR fetuses. PCK1 mRNA measured by QRT‐PCR increased in MNR (2.3‐fold; P < 0.05) while the 25% rise in protein by Western blot analysis was not significant. PCK1 promoter methylation analysis using bisulfite sequencing was significantly reduced in six out of nine CpG‐dinucleotides evaluated in MNR compared with CTR liver samples. In conclusion, these are the first data from a fetal non‐human primate indicating hypomethylation of the PCK1 promoter in the liver following moderate maternal nutrient reduction.
Quality of Life in Mothers of Children with Cerebral Palsy

Objective. To investigate health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in mothers of children with cerebral palsy (CP) and to determine factors into HRQoL. Materials and Method. Participants comprised 137 mothers of children with spastic-type CP, and controls comprised 140 mothers with healthy children. Functional levels of children with CP were evaluated using Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMCFS). HRQoL of mothers with CP children and control groups was assessed with 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and depression levels with Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Results. Social function, mental health, role limitation emotional, and vitality as subscale of mental component of SF-36 were found to be lower in CP children’s mothers than controls. BDI scores were higher in CP children’s mothers than controls. Among mothers with CP children, a negative correlation was detected between BDI scores and all subscale scores of SF-36 and age rate of mothers and physical function, bodily pain, and physical component scale scores, among subscales of SF-36. Conclusion. Our study indicates that HRQoL is impaired in CP children’s mothers, and depression is a significant symptom affecting HRQoL of mothers with CP children. Therefore, to increase HRQoL, mothers of children with CP should be motivated to join social activities related to their interests, and mothers with depressive symptoms should be psychologically supported.
The Prevalence of Military Sexual Assault Among Female Veterans' Administration Outpatients

Considerable publicity has focused on sexual violence among military women. The authors report the prevalence of military sexual violence and make comparisons among women veterans who report they experienced sexual violence while in the military and those who did not. Data are from the Veterans' Administration (VA) Womens' Health Project, which was designed to assess the health status of women veterans receiving VA ambulatory care. The nationally representative sample (N = 3,632) consists of female veterans who had at least one ambulatory visit at a VA facility between July 1, 1994, and June 30, 1995. More than half (55%) of the women report they were sexually harassed while in the military, and almost one quarter (23%) report they were sexually assaulted. There are differences in sociodemographic characteristics, military experiences, and current health perceptions of women who reported sexual harassment or sexual assault while in the military as compared to those who did not. The prevalence of military sexual harassment and sexual assault is high and screening for sexual assault is important in all women patients given the differences between groups.
Prenatal benefits improve birth outcomes among working Mexican women.

A survey of 2623 women who gave birth at three hospitals in Mexico City Mexico in 1992 and had worked for at least 3 months while pregnant identified determinants of poor pregnancy outcomes among working women. 96% of these women received prenatal care and 77% had no medical conditions during pregnancy that might have compromised the outcome; however only 64% were employed in jobs that provided a 6-week prenatal leave. Overall 10% of women delivered infants that were small for gestational age (under the 10th percentile of weight for Mexican infants) and 11% gave birth prematurely. Women working in the commercial and service sectors were significantly more likely than professionals to have an undersized infant as were those delivering at the hospital that serves unemployed and uninsured persons. Mexican women whose jobs offered no prenatal leave benefits were 1.5 times as likely to bear an infant who was small for gestational age and three times as likely to give birth prematurely. Women who worked more than 50 hours a week those whose job required them to stand more than 7 hours a day those experiencing conflict at work and women having no financial help in an emergency were also at increased risk of having an undersized infant. The strong association between a lack of prenatal leave benefits and the risk of poor birth outcomes suggests a need for enforcement of existing labor laws and the provision of such benefits to uninsured women.
Regulation of plasticity of glutamate synapses by endocannabinoids and the cyclic‐AMP/protein kinase A pathway in midbrain dopamine neurons

Endocannabinoids (eCBs) are lipid signalling molecules which play a key role in the regulation of synaptic transmission and plasticity in the central nervous system. Previous studies have reported that eCBs are released ‘on demand’ in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), a brain region critical for reward learning. However, their role in modulating the long‐term plasticity of glutamate synapses of VTA dopamine (DA) neurons remains unknown. In the present study, we showed that low frequency afferent stimulation paired with moderate postsynaptic depolarization elicited an N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate (NMDA) receptor‐independent long‐term depression (LTD) at glutamate synapses of VTA DA neurons. This form of LTD was caused by a decrease in the probability of glutamate release. Examination of the mechanisms underlying this form of LTD revealed that it was mediated by retrograde eCB signalling. In addition, we found that inhibition of 2‐arachidonoyl glycerol biosynthesis blocked LTD induction, suggesting that 2‐arachidonoyl glycerol is the most likely retrograde eCB messenger mediating LTD. The eCB‐LTD induced at glutamate synapses of VTA DA neurons also required the inhibition of the presynaptic cAMP/PKA pathway. Taken together, these results reveal a critical role of eCBs in controlling the long‐term plasticity of glutamate synapses in VTA DA neurons.
The effect of passive movement training on angiogenic factors and capillary growth in human skeletal muscle

The effect of a period of passive movement training on angiogenic factors and capillarization in skeletal muscle was examined. Seven young males were subjected to passive training for 90 min, four times per week in a motor‐driven knee extensor device that extended one knee passively at 80 cycles min−1. The other leg was used as control. Muscle biopsies were obtained from m. v. lateralis of both legs before as well as after 2 and 4 weeks of training. After the training period, passive movement and active exercise were performed with both legs, and muscle interstitial fluid was sampled from microdialysis probes in the thigh. After 2 weeks of training there was a 2‐fold higher level of Ki‐67 positive cells, co‐localized with endothelial cells, in the passively trained leg which was paralleled by an increase in the number of capillaries around a fibre (P < 0.05). Capillary density was higher than pre‐training at 4 weeks of training (P < 0.05). The training induced an increase in the mRNA level of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), the angiopoietin receptor Tie‐2 and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)‐9 in the passively trained leg and MMP‐2 and tissue inhibitor of MMP (TIMP)‐1 mRNA were elevated in both legs. Acute passive movement increased (P < 0.05) muscle interstitial vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels 4‐ to 6‐fold above rest and the proliferative effect, determined in vitro, of the muscle interstitial fluid ∼16‐fold compared to perfusate. The magnitude of increase was similar for active exercise. The results demonstrate that a period of passive movement promotes endothelial cell proliferation and angiogenic factors and initiates capillarization in skeletal muscle.
Reconstruction of Foot and Ankle Defects with a Free Anterolateral Thigh Flap in Pediatric Patients

Abstract Background There are a limited number of published studies describing reconstruction with an anterolateral thigh (ALT) flap following lower extremity injury in pediatric patients. The aim of this study was to present our experiences with the application of a free ALT flap not only in the reconstruction of soft tissue defects around the pediatric foot and ankle but also in patients with bone, tendon, and ligament injuries that require repair. Materials and Methods Reconstruction with a free ALT flap was performed in 11 pediatric patients (mean age, 8.9 years; range, 3–15 years) between November 2010 and February 2013. The modes of injury were as follows: six traffic accidents, three firearm accidents, one agricultural machinery accident, and one bicycle chain accident. A retrospective evaluation of the applied surgical procedures was performed: flap size, perforator type and number, placement area, site of anastomosis, closure of the donor site, complications, and flap survival. Results The mean size of the skin flap was 83.2 mm2 (range, 48–117 mm2). Except for two patients, there were two perforators in the obtained flaps, which were 75% musculocutaneous and 25% septocutaneous. To strengthen the Achilles tendon in one patient, the ALT, together with the fascia lata, was raised as a composite flap. This flap was used as a “sensate flap” in three patients with defects in the heel area and as a “perforator flap” in seven patients. Anastomosis was performed in the anterior tibial artery in five patients and in the posterior tibial artery in six patients. Primary closure was performed for the donor site in all patients. Due to venous thrombus after 24 hours in one patient, reexploration was performed, and blood flow was regained with a vein graft. In the same patient, partial necrosis developed on the lateral edge of the flap; after debridement of the necrotic areas, closure was performed with a split thickness skin graft. After the ALT flap procedure, the primary flap survival rate was 90.9%. Conclusion The free ALT flap could be a safe, reliable, and aesthetically appealing option for foot/ankle resurfacing in children after traumatic soft tissue loss. The ALT flap can cover a far greater area and provide the versatility needed to optimize soft-tissue coverage. Clinical Question/Level of Evidence Level IV.
An integrated theoretical model for determinants of knowledge sharing behaviours

Purpose – Knowledge sharing has been recognized as a positive force for the survival of an organization but the factors that promote or discourage knowledge sharing behaviors in the organizational context are poorly understood. The purpose of this paper is to enhance our collective understanding of the factors affecting knowledge sharing behaviors of knowledge workers in the organizational context.Design/methodology/approach – Drawing from multiple streams of research including social psychology, organizational learning, knowledge management, information systems and so forth, this research developed an integrated theoretical model. The Theory of Planned Behavior model, motivation theory, social exchange theory, economic exchange theory and self determination theory were employed here. In total, 180 responses from ten companies in China were collected.Findings – The theoretical model was validated within the context of a single empirical study. The findings provided significant statistical support for the .
ATP overflow in skeletal muscle 1A arterioles

The purpose of this study was to investigate the sources of ATP in the 1A arteriole, and to investigate age‐related changes in ATP overflow. Arterioles (1A) from the red portion of the gastrocnemius muscle were isolated, cannulated and pressurized in a microvessel chamber with field stimulation electrodes. ATP overflow was determined using probes specific for ATP and null probes that were constructed similar to the ATP probes, but did not contain the enzyme coating. ATP concentrations were determined using a normal curve (0.78 to 25 μmol l−1 ATP). ATP overflow occurred in two phases. Phase one began in the first 20 s following stimulation and phase two started 35 s after field stimulation. Tetrodotoxin, a potent neurotoxin that blocks action potential generation in nerves, abolished both phases of ATP overflow. α1‐Receptor blockade resulted in a small decrease in ATP overflow in phase two, but endothelial removal resulted in an increase in ATP overflow. ATP overflow was lowest in 6‐month‐old rats and highest in 12‐ and 2‐month‐old rats (P < 0.05). ATP overflow measured via biosensors was of neural origin with a small contribution from the vascular smooth muscle. The endothelium seems to play an important role in attenuating ATP overflow in 1A arterioles.
Needy or resilient? How women with breast cancer think about peer support

Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Southport, QLD, Australia Cancer Research Centre, Cancer Council Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia School of Social Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia 5 Institute for Resilient Regions, University of Southern Queensland, Springfield, QLD, Australia Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia Health and Wellness Institute, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, Australia
Test-retest reliability and validity of Audioscan and Békésy compared with pure tone audiometry

Abstract Objective: With the development of more sophisticated and sensitive measures of auditory dysfunction, both the Audioscan test and Békésy audiometry can provide detailed information on hearing status between the octaves, which has clinical importance. This study investigated the reliability and validity of Audioscan and Békésy audiometry. Method: Audioscan and Bekesy audiometry were undertaken at a comparable sweep rate in 21 subjects with normal hearing. Each subject underwent conventional pure tone audiometry, Audioscan and Békésy audiometry. Test sessions were conducted on four consecutive days. Results: The results indicate that more than 90% of participants had variability of hearing threshold of less than 10dB at all frequencies. Median variances for thresholds obtained from Audioscan were less than 10dB2 for all frequencies except 4.0 kHz. In contrast, thresholds obtained from Békésy showed greater variance, more than 15dB2 at all frequencies when it was undertaken at the same sweep rate. Audioscan results were in excellent agreement with the PTA at all frequencies except at 0.25, 6 and 8 kHz, whereas Békésy results differed significantly from PTA at all frequencies except at 6 kHz. Conclusion: Data from the present study indicate that the Audioscan can provide reliable and valid hearing thresholds. However, a slow sweep rate appears to be more desirable for Békésy audiometry to improve its reliability and validity in detecting hearing sensitivity.
Role of glycogen availability in sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ kinetics in human skeletal muscle

Glucose is stored as glycogen in skeletal muscle. The importance of glycogen as a fuel during exercise has been recognized since the 1960s; however, little is known about the precise mechanism that relates skeletal muscle glycogen to muscle fatigue. We show that low muscle glycogen is associated with an impairment of muscle ability to release Ca2+, which is an important signal in the muscle activation. Thus, depletion of glycogen during prolonged, exhausting exercise may contribute to muscle fatigue by causing decreased Ca2+ release inside the muscle. These data provide indications of a signal that links energy utilization, i.e. muscle contraction, with the energy content in the muscle, thereby inhibiting a detrimental depletion of the muscle energy store.
Attenuated exercise induced hyperaemia with age: mechanistic insight from passive limb movement

The influence of age on the central and peripheral contributors to exercise‐induced hyperaemia is unclear. Utilizing a reductionist approach, we compared the peripheral and central haemodynamic responses to passive limb movement (exercise without an increase in metabolism) in 11 old (71 ± 9 years of age s.d.) and 11 young (24 ± 2 years of age) healthy subjects. Cardiac output (CO), heart rate (HR), stroke volume (SV), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and femoral blood flow of the passively moved and control legs were evaluated second‐by‐second during 2 min of passive knee extension at a rate of 1 Hz. Compared to the young, the old group exhibited a significantly attenuated increase in HR (7 ± 4%vs. 13 ± 7%s.d.), CO (10 ± 6%vs. 18 ± 8%) and femoral blood flow in the passively moved (123 ± 55%vs. 194 ± 57%) and control legs (47 ± 43%vs. 77 ± 96%). In addition, the change in vascular conductance in the passively moving limb was also significantly attenuated in the old (2.4 ± 1.2 ml min−1 mmHg−1) compared to the young (4.3 ± 1.7 ml min−1 mmHg−1). In both groups all main central and peripheral changes that occurred at the onset of passive knee extension were transient, lasting only 45 s. In a paradigm where metabolism does not play a role, these data reveal that both central and peripheral haemodynamic mechanisms are likely to be responsible for the 30% reduction in exercise‐induced hyperaemia with age.