Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ACUTE EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT WARM‐UP PROTOCOLS WITH AND WITHOUT A WEIGHTED VEST ON JUMPING PERFORMANCE IN ATHLETIC WOMEN

The purpose of this study was to examine the acute effects of 3 different warm-up protocols with and without a weighted vest on vertical jump (VJ) and long jump (LJ) performance in athletic women. Sixteen subjects (19.7 ± 1.4 years, 67.0 ± 10.7 kg, 165.7 ± 11.4 cm) participated in 3 testing sessions in random order on 3 nonconsecutive days. Prior to the testing of the VJ and LJ, the subjects performed 1 of the following 10-minute warm-up protocols: (a) low- to moderate-intensity stationary cycling followed by 4 lower-body static stretches (SS) (3 × 20 seconds); (b) 12 moderate- to high-intensity dynamic exercises (DY); and (c) the same 12 dynamic exercises with a weighted vest (10% of body mass) worn for the last 4 exercises (DYV). Analysis of the data revealed that VJ performance was significantly greater (p < 0.05) following DYV (43.9 ± 6.7 cm) and DY (43.6 ± 6.5 cm) as compared to SS (41.7 ± 6.0 cm). Long jump performance was significantly greater (p < 0.05) following DYV (186.8 ± 19.5 cm) as compared to DY (182.2 ± 19.1 cm), which in turn was significantly greater (p < 0.05) than performance following SS (177.2 ± 18.8 cm). Warm-up protocols that include dynamic exercise may be a viable method of enhancing jumping performance in athletic women as compared to stationary cycling and static stretching. In addition, these data suggest that it may be desirable for athletic women to perform dynamic exercises with a weighted vest on some movements prior to the performance of the long jump.
Second‐generation sequencing of entire mitochondrial coding‐regions (∼15.4 kb) holds promise for study of the phylogeny and taxonomy of human body lice and head lice

The Illumina Hiseq platform was used to sequence the entire mitochondrial coding‐regions of 20 body lice, Pediculus humanus Linnaeus, and head lice, P. capitis De Geer (Phthiraptera: Pediculidae), from eight towns and cities in five countries: Ethiopia, France, China, Australia and the U.S.A. These data (∼310 kb) were used to see how much more informative entire mitochondrial coding‐region sequences were than partial mitochondrial coding‐region sequences, and thus to guide the design of future studies of the phylogeny, origin, evolution and taxonomy of body lice and head lice. Phylogenies were compared from entire coding‐region sequences (∼15.4 kb), entire cox1 (∼1.5 kb), partial cox1 (∼700 bp) and partial cytb (∼600 bp) sequences. On the one hand, phylogenies from entire mitochondrial coding‐region sequences (∼15.4 kb) were much more informative than phylogenies from entire cox1 sequences (∼1.5 kb) and partial gene sequences (∼600 to ∼700 bp). For example, 19 branches had > 95% bootstrap support in our maximum likelihood tree from the entire mitochondrial coding‐regions (∼15.4 kb) whereas the tree from 700 bp cox1 had only two branches with bootstrap support > 95%. Yet, by contrast, partial cytb (∼600 bp) and partial cox1 (∼486 bp) sequences were sufficient to genotype lice to Clade A, B or C. The sequences of the mitochondrial genomes of the P. humanus, P. capitis and P. schaeffi Fahrenholz studied are in NCBI GenBank under the accession numbers KC660761‐800, KC685631‐6330, KC241882‐97, EU219988‐95, HM241895‐8 and JX080388‐407.
EVIDENCE THAT RENAL PROSTAGLANDIN AND THROMBOXANE PRODUCTION IS STIMULATED IN CHRONIC CYCLOSPORINE NEPHROTOXICITY

Previous reports suggest that cyclosporine (CsA) may have direct effects on arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism in several different tissues. However, the effects of CsA on renal eicosanoid production are unclear. Furthermore, the potential role of changes in renal prostaglandin and thromboxane metabolism in mediating CsA nephrotoxicity is not known. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the effects of CsA toxicity on the production of AA metabolites by the kidney. In a postischemic, denervated rat model, CsA (50 mg/kg/day) administered for 12-14 days resulted in significant nephrotoxicity with marked decreases in both glomerular filtration rate and renal blood flow. This reduction in renal function was associated with an increase in the renal production of TXB2, PGE2, and 6-PGF1 alpha in vitro. Arachidonic acid significantly stimulated renal eicosanoid production above control values. Increased urinary excretion of TXB2, 2,3-dinorTXB2 (a major TXB2 metabolite), and 6-keto-PGF1 alpha also occurred in rats with CsA nephrotoxicity and reflected the increase in renal production of these eicosanoid products. In contrast, urinary PGE2 excretion was not increased in CsA toxic rats. Thus, CsA nephrotoxicity is associated with specific alterations in renal AA metabolism. Furthermore, alterations in AA metabolism may be important in modulating renal hemodynamics and excretory function in this model. These studies suggest that specific inhibition of vasoconstrictor products of AA metabolism might ameliorate the nephrotoxic effects of CsA.
Post-term pregnancy is an independent risk factor for neonatal morbidity even in low-risk singleton pregnancies

Objective To determine the independent association of post-term pregnancy with neonatal outcome in low-risk newborns. Design Retrospective cohort. Setting Tertiary university-affiliated medical centre. Patients All newborns of low-risk singleton pregnancies born at 39+0 to 44+0 weeks’ gestation over a 5-year period. Exclusion criteria: multiple gestation, maternal hypertensive disorder, diabetes or cholestasis, placental abruption or intrapartum fever (>38°C), small for gestational age (<10th centile) and major congenital or chromosomal anomalies. Interventions None. Outcome measures Admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), hospital length of stay, 5-min Apgar score, birth trauma, respiratory, neurological, metabolic and infectious morbidities and neonatal mortality. The adverse outcome rate was compared among three groups based on gestational age at birth: post-term (≥42+0 weeks), late term (41+0 to 41+6 weeks) and full term (39+0 to 40+6 weeks). Results Of the 23 524 eligible neonates, 747 (3.2%) were born post-term, 4632 (19.7%) late term and 18 145 (77.1%) full term. Women in the post-term group versus the late-term group had a significantly higher rate of caesarean section (8.9% vs 5.6%, p<0.001) and operative vaginal delivery (9.6% vs 7.4%, p=0.024). Post-term pregnancy versus full-term pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of NICU admission (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.4 to 2.8), respiratory morbidity (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.3 to 3.8) and infectious morbidity (OR 1.88, 95% CI 1.32 to 2.69). Post-term pregnancy versus late-term pregnancy was similarly associated with an increased risk of NICU admission (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.4 to 2.9), respiratory morbidity (OR 2.7, 95% CI 1.5 to 5.0) and infectious morbidity (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.2 to 2.7) and with hypoglycaemia (OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.2 to 5.4). Post-term delivery was not associated with neonatal mortality. Conclusions Post-term pregnancy is an independent risk factor for neonatal morbidity even in low-risk singleton pregnancies.
Negative emotion can enhance human motor cortical plasticity

Although emotion often primes us for action, its effects on the human motor system are not well understood. The relationship between emotion and motor plasticity also remains unclear, despite the close link between emotion and memory formation. Here, we tested the hypothesis that emotion modulates the plasticity of the human primary motor cortex, using the International Affective Picture System and transcranial magnetic stimulation. Intermittent theta‐burst stimulation was applied to the primary motor cortex to produce long‐term potentiation‐like changes in normal volunteers experimentally. Primary motor cortex plasticity was enhanced and sustained in both excitatory and inhibitory systems only when intermittent theta‐burst stimulation was combined with the presentation of pictures that induced negative, but not positive or neutral, emotion. Moreover, negative emotion was found to enhance the inhibitory networks within the primary motor cortex, and to improve motor behavior during the choice reaction‐time task. Our findings indicate that negative emotion can increase primary motor cortex plasticity by modulating the intracortical GABAergic system, as well as N‐methyl‐d‐aspartic acid receptor‐dependent changes. These findings could help to explain the physiological basis of abnormal motor symptoms in psychogenic movement disorders following emotional events.
Molecular Characterization of a Clostridium difficile Bacteriophage and Its Cloned Biologically Active Endolysin

ABSTRACT Clostridium difficile infection is increasing in both frequency and severity, with the emergence of new highly virulent strains highlighting the need for more rapid and effective methods of control. Here, we show that bacteriophage endolysin can be used to inhibit and kill C. difficile. The genome sequence of a novel bacteriophage that is active against C. difficile was determined, and the bacteriophage endolysin gene was subcloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The partially purified endolysin was active against 30 diverse strains of C. difficile, and importantly, this group included strains of the major epidemic ribotype 027 (B1/NAP1). In contrast, a range of commensal species that inhabit the gastrointestinal tract, including several representatives of the clostridium-like Firmicutes, were insensitive to the endolysin. This endolysin provides a platform for the generation of both therapeutic and detection systems to combat the C. difficile problem. To investigate a method for the protected delivery and production of the lysin in the gastrointestinal tract, we demonstrated the expression of active CD27L endolysin in the lactic acid bacterium Lactococcus lactis MG1363.
Right ventricular outflow and apical pacing comparably worsen the echocardiographic normal left ventricle.

AIMS A depressed left ventricular function (LVF) is sometimes observed during right ventricular apical (RVA) pacing, but any prediction of this adverse effect cannot be done. Right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) pacing is thought to deteriorate LVF less frequently because of a more normal LV activation pattern. This study aims to assess the acute effects of RVA and RVOT pacing on LVF in order to determine the contribution of echocardiography for the selection of the optimum pacing site during pacemaker (PM) implantation. METHODS AND RESULTS Fourteen patients with a DDD-pacemaker (7 RVA, 7 RVOT) and normal LVF without other cardiac abnormalities were studied. PM dependency, because of sick sinus syndrome with normal atrioventricular and intraventricular conduction, was absent in all, allowing acute programming changes. Wall motion score (WMS), longitudinal LV strain, and tissue Doppler imaging for electromechanical delay were assessed with echocardiography during AAI pacing constituting baseline and DDD pacing. The WMS was normal at baseline (AAI pacing) in all patients and LV dyssynchrony was absent. Acute RVA and RVOT pacing deteriorated WMS, electromechanical delay, and longitudinal LV strain, but no difference of the deterioration between both pacing sites was present and dyssynchrony did not emerge. CONCLUSION Both acute RVA and RVOT pacing negatively affect WMS, longitudinal LV strain, and mechanical activation times, without clear differences between both pacing sites. Thus echocardiographic techniques do not facilitate the selection between RVOT and RVA pacing to exclude adverse effects on LVF during PM implantation in patients with a normal LVF.
Live Donor Liver Transplantation in High MELD Score Recipients

Background:In 2002, the New York State Committee on Quality Improvement in Living Liver Donation prohibited live liver donation for potential recipients with Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores greater than 25. Despite the paucity of evidence to support this recommendation, many centers in North America remain reluctant to offer living donor (LD) to patients with moderate to high MELD scores. Methods:We analyzed 271 consecutive adult-to-adult right lobe LD liver transplants performed at our institution between 2002 and 2008 to study the relationship, between recipient MELD scores and the outcome of LD liver transplantation. The recipients were categorized according to their MELD score into a low (Low: <25)and high (Hi: ≥25) MELD group. We compared short-term donor morbidity, graft loss within 30 days, length of hospital stay, biochemical markers of hepatocyte injury and graft function, and 90 day posttransplant complications including infection, rejection, bleeding, and renal failure. Long-term posttransplant outcome was measured by graft and patient survival after 1-, 3-, and 5-years. Results:Donor and recipient characteristics were similar between groups. Donor outcomes were similar in both groups. Peak recipient aspartat aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and length of hospital stay were similar between both groups. The proportional decrease in postoperative INR and creatinine within the first week was greater in the high versus low MELD score group. High MELD score recipients had more frequent postoperative pneumonia (Low: 2.2% vs. Hi: 14%, P = 0.003), while no differences were observed in rates of biliary complications, rejection, renal failure, or overall infections. Recipients with a MELD <25 versus ≥25 had a similar 1-year (Low: 92% vs. Hi: 83%), 3-year (Low: 86% vs. Hi: 80%), and 5-year (Low: 78% vs. Hi: 80%) graft survival after LD liver transplantation (P = 0.51). Conclusion:LD liver transplantation can provide excellent graft function and survival rates in high MELD score recipients. Thus, when deceased donor organs are scare, a high MELD score alone should not be an absolute contraindication to living liver donation.
Role of actin filaments in targeting of Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever virus nucleocapsid protein to perinuclear regions of mammalian cells

Crimean‐Congo hemorrhagic fever virus is the causative agent of a severe disease throughout Africa, Europe, and Asia. Like other members of the genus Nairovirus, the Crimean‐Congo hemorrhagic fever virus contains three genomic RNA segments, the small (S), medium (M), and large (L) segments. The S segment encodes the viral nucleocapsid protein (NP), while the M and L segments encode the glycoproteins and the RNA‐dependent RNA polymerase, respectively. In this study, the site of expression and assembly of Crimean‐Congo hemorrhagic fever virus NP in mammalian cells have been investigated. It was found that the NP is localized in the perinuclear region of infected cells. By using the Semliki forest virus expression system, it was shown that the Crimean‐Congo hemorrhagic fever virus NP is targeted to the perinuclear region of cells in the absence of native RNA segments and virally encoded glycoproteins. It was also demonstrated that the Crimean‐Congo hemorrhagic fever virus NP was not expressed as a Golgi‐membrane associated protein. By using Cytochalasin D, an agent that disrupts actin filaments, it was found that actin filaments are involved in targeting the viral NP to perinuclear regions. We also demonstrated that disruption of actin filaments reduced the assembly of infectious Crimean‐Congo hemorrhagic fever virus up to 97%. Furthermore, we showed that the NP of Crimean‐Congo hemorrhagic fever virus NP interacts with actin. J. Med. Virol. 72:83–93, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Inostamycin prevents malignant phenotype of cancer: inhibition of phosphatidylinositol synthesis provides a therapeutic advantage for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is the sixth most common type of neoplasm worldwide, but its prognosis has not improved significantly in recent years. Therefore, efforts need to be intensified to gain a better understanding of this disease and develop novel treatment strategies. Inhibition of cytidine 5′‐diphosphate 1,2‐diacyl‐sn‐glycerol: inositol transferase by inostamycin, an antibiotic isolated from Streptomyces sp. MH816‐AF15, induces G1 cell cycle arrest accompanied by a decrease in cyclin D1 and phosphorylated RB protein levels, along with suppression of in vitro invasive ability through reduced production of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP‐2 and MMP‐9) and cell motility in head and neck cancer cell lines. Furthermore, inostamycin abrogated the stimulatory effect of VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) on growth and migration activities of endothelial cells by targeting extracellular signal‐regulated kinase‐cyclin D1 and p38 pathways, respectively. Because inostamycin has both antiproliferative and anti‐invasive abilities, inhibition of phosphatidylinositol synthesis could be a potent therapeutic strategy for head and neck cancer as the ‘cancer dormant therapy’, i.e. a therapeutic concept to prolong ‘time to treatment failure’ or ‘time to progression’.
Family centred care in the paediatric high dependency unit: Parents’ and Staff's perceptions

Aim: This study explored parent and staff perceptions of family centred care (FCC) within a paediatric high dependency in one New Zealand hospital. Background: FCC is a partnership approach to healthcare delivery where the child’s treatment is aligned to the family’s needs. Despite widespread endorsement of FCC, variations between parents and staff in healthcare settings continues to be evident. Method: A descriptive qualitative cross-sectional design was used with a convenience sample where written responses for one open ended question from 91 parents and 66 staff resident with their child or working within a paediatric high dependency unit in New Zealand. Results: The parents’ responses generated three themes (family, treatment and relationships) and the staff’s responses generated two themes (family and treatment). Conclusion: Whilst there were similarities in describing the meaning of family centred care between parents and staff, their views on the central focus of this differed.
Tools for Detection of Mycoplasma amphoriforme: a Primary Respiratory Pathogen?

ABSTRACT Mycoplasma amphoriforme is a recently described organism isolated from the respiratory tracts of patients with immunodeficiency and evidence of chronic infection. Novel assays for the molecular detection of the organism by real-time quantitative PCRs (qPCRs) targeting the uracil DNA glycosylase gene (udg) or the 23S rRNA gene are described here. The analytical sensitivities are similar to the existing conventional M. amphoriforme 16S rRNA gene PCR, with the advantage of being species specific, rapid, and quantitative. By using these techniques, we demonstrate the presence of this organism in 17 (19.3%) primary antibody-deficient (PAD) patients, 4 (5%) adults with lower respiratory tract infection, 1 (2.6%) sputum sample from a patient attending a chest clinic, and 23 (0.21%) samples submitted for viral diagnosis of respiratory infection, but not in normal adult control subjects. These data show the presence of this microorganism in respiratory patients and suggest that M. amphoriforme may infect both immunocompetent and immunocompromised people. Further studies to characterize this organism are required, and this report provides the tools that may be used by other research groups to investigate its pathogenic potential.
Influence of gentamicin and tobramycin on binary biofilm formation by co‐cultures of Burkholderia cepacia and Pseudomonas aeruginosa

The aim of this study was to investigate the stability and dynamics of binary culture biofilm formation following antibiotic treatment. Pseudo steady‐state biofilm cultures of clinical strains of P. aeruginosa and B. cepacia concurrently isolated from a single CF patient were established in separate Constant Depth Film Fermenters (CDFFs). Pans, containing established biofilms, were swapped between CDFFs. Biofilms were treated either for 5 days with tobramycin (0.3 mg/ml) prior to pan‐swapping, or with gentamicin (1 mg/ml) immediately following pan‐swapping. In both instances stable binary biofilms were formed. In addition, fresh un‐colonised surfaces added at the time of pan‐swapping and exposed simultaneously to biofilm derived P. aeruginosa and B. cepacia and subjected to antibiotic challenge also established stable binary communities. Treatment of P. aeruginosa and B. cepacia with tobramycin or gentamicin, either prior to or immediately after surface colonisation had little effect on the establishment of stable binary biofilms. Such treatment also had little effect on the immigration of one organism into an established biofilm of a second organism. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Study regarding the optimal sensors placement on the body for human activity recognition

In this work we have proposed to make a study of the optimal number of sensors, and their optimal placement on the human body for proper recognition of certain body positions. In our experiment we used three-axis accelerometer sensor built into the intelligent watch Chronos eZ430 product of Texas Instruments. Studying a large part of the published work addressing this issue [1-11], we placed the three sensors as follows: the first on the right hand, the second on the right thigh and the third one, on the chest. The Chronos devices transmit the data collected, wireless, to three access points connected to an Arduino ChipKIT MAX32 microcontroller module. Data are transmitted either to a PC through a serial port, or can be stored on the SD-card. WiFi Shield module provides the ability to connect and communicate through wireless IEEE 802.11 networks with portable equipment (e.g. smart phones, tablets, etc.). The data were imported into Matlab and after processing and analysis, we can draw conclusions on how the three sensors can be used in the activity recognition. To recognize the type of activity we used an artificial neural network modeled in Matlab. This network has been configured according to the number of sensors that acquired data and the number of activities that we want to recognize.
Ligands on the string: single-molecule AFM studies on the interaction of antibodies and substrates with the Na+-glucose co-transporter SGLT1 in living cells

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to probe topology, conformational changes and initial substratecarrier interactions of Na+-glucose co-transporter (SGLT1) in living cells on a single-molecule level. By scanning SGLT1-transfected Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells with AFM tips carrying an epitope-specific antibody directed against the extramembranous C-terminal loop 13, significant recognition events could be detected. Specificity was confirmed by the absence of events in nontransfected CHO cells and by the use of free antigen and free antibody superfusion. Thus, contrary to computer predictions on SGLT1 topology, loop 13 seems to be part of the extracellular surface of the transporter. Binding probability of the antibody decreased upon addition of phlorizin, a specific inhibitor of SGLT1, suggesting a considerable conformational change of loop 13 when the inhibitor occludes the sugar translocation pathway. Using an AFM tip carrying 1-thio-D-glucose, direct evidence could be obtained that in the presence of Na+ a sugarbinding site appears on the transporter surface. The binding site accepts the sugar residue of the glucoside phlorizin, free D-glucose, and D-galactose, but not free Lglucose and probably represents the first of several selectivity filters of the transporter. This work demonstrates the potential of AFM to study the presence and dynamics of plasma membrane transporters in intact cells on the single molecule level.