Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Self-report and physical performance measures of physical function in hip osteoarthritis: relationship to isometric quadriceps torque development.

OBJECTIVE Quadriceps strength (knee extensor torque) is an important correlate of physical function in individuals with hip osteoarthritis (OA). However, it remains unclear whether the ability to rapidly generate quadriceps torque in the early phase of muscle contraction (maximal rate of torque development [MRTD]) is also associated with physical function. The purpose of this study was to quantify the independent impact of quadriceps strength and quadriceps MRTD on self-report and physical performance measures of physical function in community-dwelling adults with hip OA. METHODS Ninety-two adults with radiographically confirmed symptomatic hip OA (mean age 62 years) participated. Unilateral isometric quadriceps strength and MRTD were measured using a dynamometer. Self-report measure of physical function was assessed by the Short Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire, and physical performance was assessed by the timed stair and step tests. RESULTS In the hierarchical regression models, high maximal quadriceps strength and high quadriceps MRTD uniquely covaried with high SF-36 physical function scores after accounting for demographic, anthropometric, and pain measures. For the timed stair test, all else being equal, in 2 participants with low but identical levels of quadriceps strength, the one with a higher MRTD had better stair-climbing function. For the step test, quadriceps MRTD was not associated with step test performance over and above that of quadriceps strength. CONCLUSION In individuals with hip OA, maximal quadriceps strength and quadriceps MRTD positively impact self-report and physical performance measures of physical function. These findings are of importance in developing intervention strategies, but they call for further study.
The Real Effects of Credit Constraints: Evidence from Discouraged Borrowers in the Euro Area

This paper uses a new survey-based data set and a model with strong theoretical under-pinnings to explain the characteristics and behaviour of discouraged borrowers in the euro area. The results show that more borrowers are discouraged when the average interest rate charged by banks in a country is higher. Higher corporate tax rates, on the other hand, lead to lower discouragement. We show that discouragement has strong negative effects on in- vestment growth (-4.7pp), employment growth (-2.7pp) and asset growth (-2.9pp) due to the lack of access to bank finance in the two years following the discouragement. Furthermore, we estimate that the majority of discouraged borrowers would be unable to get a loan if they would apply. Consistent with this low loan approval likelihood, discouraged borrowers tend to be relatively risky firms. JEL Classification: G01, G10, G30, G32
Decreased pulmonary vasoreactivity in an animal model of chronic Pseudomonas pneumonia.

Chronic pulmonary infection/colonization caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa accounts for much of the morbidity and mortality in cystic fibrosis (CF). The effect of chronic pulmonary P. aeruginosa infection on the pulmonary circulation has not been studied. Therefore, we investigated the effect of chronic P. aeruginosa infection on pulmonary hemodynamics in a rat model. Two groups of rats were inoculated with either agar beads containing 1.0 x 10(4) colony-forming units of P. aeruginosa (infected) or an equal volume of sterile beads alone (control). In vivo, pulmonary vasoreactivity measured as the percent change in total pulmonary resistance during hypoxia was decreased at 1 wk (22 +/- 7% versus 57 +/- 3%), 2 wk (29 +/- 5% versus 73 +/- 17%), 3 wk (41 +/- 8% versus 77 +/- 14%), and 6 to 9 wk (23 +/- 10 versus 53 +/- 7; p less than 0.05 all time points; mean +/- SEM) postinoculation in infected animals when compared with that in time-matched control animals. At 6 to 9 wk postinoculation, pulmonary artery pressure was significantly elevated in infected rats (25.8 +/- 1.6 versus 21.0 +/- 1.0 mm Hg; p less than 0.05) when compared with that in control animals. Histopathologic findings were characterized by bronchiectasis as well as by chronic bronchial, parenchymal, and perivascular inflammation at all time points in infected animals. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Psychosocial considerations of the premenstrual syndrome

ABSTRACT– For many years a possible conjoint physical and psychological cyclicity among women has been discussed. To date there has been no biological explanation for psychological cyclicity. Attempts to treat negative psychological symptoms during the premenstrual phase by pharmacological means have not been significantly superior to placebo. The psychological viewpoint stresses that the repetitive confrontation with often conflicting material during the premenstrual phase must be seen in light of the development and integration of the personality. This process occurs by identification with the mother, and premenstrual symptoms can be seen as reflecting problems with feminine self‐acceptance and self‐esteem. The attributional explanation where women's negative but not positive moods are seen as biological could further affect women's self‐esteem. Important scientific problems regarding the study of cyclical moods and behavior, the description of a baseline, the validity of self‐reports and the soundness and validity of questionnaires often used, remain unsolved.
Thyrotropin, but not a polymorphism in type II deiodinase, predicts response to paroxetine in major depression.

OBJECTIVE The determinants of response to antidepressant treatment in major depression are unknown at present. The aim of the present study was to establish whether response is predicted by Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Thyroid (HPT) axis parameters or by a recently discovered polymorphism in the enzyme type II deiodinase (DII), which catalyzes the production of T3 in the brain. DESIGN We analyzed prediction of response to paroxetine treatment by calculating response rates per tertile of HPT-axis parameters and per DII genotype. METHODS Ninety-eight outpatients with major depression (DSM-IV) were included. Serum concentrations of TSH, FT4 and delta TSH in a DEX/CRH-TRH test were measured. In addition, the presence of a polymorphism in the DII sequence (Thr92Ala) was determined. RESULTS The overall treatment response was 48 of 98 patients (49%). After exclusion of patients with subclinical hypothyroidism and/or TPO antibodies (n = 16), higher serum TSH significantly predicted response (response rate per tertile from low to high TSH: 36%, 42%, and 67%). Heterozygous patients for the DII polymorphism (44%) had slightly lower serum TSH (P = 0.03) as compared to patients with the wild-type DII (47%). The polymorphism was unrelated to treatment response. CONCLUSION Higher serum TSH was associated with response to paroxetine in patients with major depression.
Plant natural products: from traditional compounds to new emerging drugs in cancer therapy

Natural products are chemical compounds or substances produced naturally by living organisms. With the development of modern technology, more and more plant extracts have been found to be useful to medical practice. Both micromolecules and macromolecules have been reported to have the ability to inhibit tumour progression, a novel weapon to fight cancer by targeting its 10 characteristic hallmarks. In this review, we focus on summarizing plant natural compounds and their derivatives with anti‐tumour properties, into categories, according to their potential therapeutic strategies against different types of human cancer. Taken together, we present a well‐grounded review of these properties, hoping to shed new light on discovery of novel anti‐tumour therapeutic drugs from known plant natural sources.
The Enterococcus faecalis fsr Two-Component System Controls Biofilm Development through Production of Gelatinase

ABSTRACT Bacterial growth as a biofilm on solid surfaces is strongly associated with the development of human infections. Biofilms on native heart valves (infective endocarditis) is a life-threatening disease as a consequence of bacterial resistance to antimicrobials in such a state. Enterococci have emerged as a cause of endocarditis and nosocomial infections despite being normal commensals of the gastrointestinal and female genital tracts. We examined the role of two-component signal transduction systems in biofilm formation by the Enterococcus faecalis V583 clinical isolate and identified the fsr regulatory locus as the sole two-component system affecting this unique mode of bacterial growth. Insertion mutations in the fsr operon affected biofilm formation on two distinct abiotic surfaces. Inactivation of the fsr-controlled gene gelE encoding the zinc-metalloprotease gelatinase was found to prevent biofilm formation, suggesting that this enzyme may present a unique target for therapeutic intervention in enterococcal endocarditis.
Early Events in Phagosome Establishment Are Required for Intracellular Survival of Legionella pneumophila

ABSTRACT During infection, the Legionnaires’ disease bacterium,Legionella pneumophila, survives and multiplies within a specialized phagosome that is near neutral pH and does not fuse with host lysosomes. In order to understand the molecular basis of this organism’s ability to control its intracellular fate, we have isolated and characterized a group of transposon-generated mutants which were unable to kill macrophages and were subsequently found to be defective in intracellular multiplication. These mutations define a set of 20 genes (19 icm [for intracellular multiplication] genes and dotA [for defect in organelle trafficking]). In this report, we describe a quantitative assay for phagosome-lysosome fusion (PLF) and its use to measure the levels of PLF in cells that have been infected with either wild-type L. pneumophila or one of several mutants defective in different icm genes ordotA. By using quantitative confocal fluorescence microscopy, PLF could be scored on a per-bacterium basis by determining the extent to which fluorescein-labeled L. pneumophilacolocalized with host lysosomes prelabeled with rhodamine-dextran. Remarkably, mutations in the six genes that were studied resulted in maximal levels of PLF as quickly as 30 min following infection. These results indicate that several, and possibly all, of the icmand dotA gene products act at an early step during phagosome establishment to determine whether L. pneumophila-containing phagosomes will fuse with lysosomes. Although not ruled out, subsequent activity of these gene products may not be necessary for successful intracellular replication.
Evaluation of percentage of free serum prostate-specific antigen to improve specificity of prostate cancer screening.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate measurement of percentage of free prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in serum to improve the specificity of prostate cancer screening in men with serum PSA levels between 4.1 and 10.0 ng/mL. DESIGN Retrospective, nonrandomized analysis using a research assay for measuring free PSA in frozen serum from men with a spectrum of prostate sizes and digital rectal examination results. SETTING General community outpatient prostate cancer screening program at a university center. PATIENTS One hundred thirteen men aged 50 years or older, 99% of whom were white, with serum PSA concentrations of 4.1 to 10.0 ng/mL, including 63 men with histologically confirmed benign prostatic hyperplasia, 30 with prostate cancer with an enlarged gland, and 20 with cancer with a normal-sized gland. All study volunteers had undergone prostatic ultrasonography and biopsy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Percentage of free PSA in serum and percentage of free PSA cutoff that maintained at least 90% sensitivity for prostate cancer detection. RESULTS Median percentage of free PSA was 9.2% in men with cancer and a normal-sized gland, 15.9% in men with cancer and an enlarged gland, and 18.8% in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (P < .001). The percentage of free PSA cutoff was higher in men with an enlarged gland and in those with a palpably benign gland. In men with an enlarged, palpably benign gland, a free PSA cutoff of 23.4% or lower detected at least 90% of cancers and would have eliminated 31.3% of negative biopsies. CONCLUSIONS Measurement of percentage of free serum PSA improves specificity of prostate cancer screening in selected men with elevated total serum PSA levels and can reduce unnecessary prostate biopsies with minimal effects on the cancer detection rate; however, further studies are needed to define optimal cutoffs. Final evaluation of PSA screening also must consider the ability of current treatments to improve the prognosis of screen-detected prostate cancer.
Profile, Gaming Usage and Purposes of Gaming of Internet Café Users in Manila: An Exploratory Study

This descriptive-exploratory study attempted to give the readers a portrait of cyber cafA© gamers in Manila. It determined the profile of gamers, their gaming usage, and their purposes of cyber cafA© gaming. Descriptive statistics revealed that most of the respondents were Manila settlers, students, pursuing or had obtained college degrees, male, young, Roman Catholic, single, belonged to middle-income class, and played games in cyber cafA©s in the afternoon once to twice a week. One-way chi-square showed that frequency of gaming was not equally distributed in a week and gamers showed tendency to play games in a cyber in a particular time of the day. Real-time strategy games were the most frequently played games in cyber cafA©s. To recreate, to relieve boredom, and to have fun were the top three reasons in playing games in cyber cafA©s. Conclusions and directions for future research were also presented.
Reductions in Mortality Associated With Intensive Public Reporting of Hospital Outcomes

It is unclear whether public reporting of hospital and physician performance has improved outcomes for the conditions being reported. We studied the effect of intensive public reporting on hospital mortality for 6 high-frequency, high-mortality medical conditions. Patients in Pennsylvania were matched to patients in other states with varying public reporting environments using propensity score methods. The effect of public reporting was estimated using a difference in differences approach. Patients treated at hospitals subjected to intensive public reporting had significantly lower odds of in-hospital mortality when compared with similar patients treated at hospitals in environments with no public reporting or only limited reporting. Overall, the 2000-2003 in-hospital mortality odds ratio for Pennsylvania patients versus non-Pennsylvania patients ranged from 0.59 to 0.79 across 6 clinical conditions (all P < .0001). For the same comparison using the 1997-1999 period, odds ratios ranged from 0.72 to 0.90, suggesting improvement when intensive public reporting occurred. (Am J Med Qual 2008;23:279-286)
Modeling organic matter stabilization during windrow composting of livestock effluents

Composting is a complex bioprocess, requiring a lot of empirical experiments to optimize the process. A dynamical mathematical model for the biodegradation of the organic matter during the composting process has been developed. The initial organic matter expressed by chemical oxygen demand (COD) is decomposed into rapidly and slowly degraded compartments and an inert one. The biodegradable COD is hydrolysed and consumed by microorganisms and produces metabolic water and carbon dioxide. This model links a biochemical characterization of the organic matter by Van Soest fractionating with COD. The comparison of experimental and simulation results for carbon dioxide emission, dry matter and carbon content balance showed good correlation. The initial sizes of the biodegradable COD compartments are explained by the soluble, hemicellulose-like and lignin fraction. Their sizes influence the amplitude of the carbon dioxide emission peak. The initial biomass is a sensitive variable too, influencing the time at which the emission peak occurs.
White Coat Hypertension May Be an Initial Sign of an Accelerated Atherosclerotic Process

Background: Role of white coat hypertension (WCH) is unknown in metabolic syndrome. Methods: The study was performed in the Internal Medicine Polyclinic. Results: The study included 1,068 patients (628 females). Prevalence of excess weight increased from the third (28.7%) up to the seventh decades (87.0%), gradually (p<0.05 nearly in all steps), and then decreased in the eighth decade of life (78.5%, p<0.05). The most significant increase was detected during the passage from the third to the fourth decade (28.7% versus 63.6%, p<0.001) parallel to the smoking. Similarly, hypertriglyceridemia, hyperbetalipoproteinemia, dyslipidemia, impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and WCH increased up to the seventh decade of life and decreased afterwards (p<0.05 nearly in all steps). On the other hand, hypertension (HT), type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), and coronary heart disease (CHD) always increased without any decrease by decades (p<0.05 nearly in all steps) indicating their irreversible properties. Conclusion: Probably metabolic syndrome is an accelerated atherosclerotic process all over the body. It includes some reversible parameters such as smoking, alcohol, sedentary life style, animal-rich diet, overweight, hypertriglyceridemia, hyperbetalipoproteinemia, dyslipidemia, impaired fasting glucose, IGT, and WCH for the development of terminal illnesses such as early aging, obesity, DM, HT, peripheric artery disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cirrhosis, CHD, and stroke. The terminal illnesses are mainly due to the chronic inflammatory process on the arterial endothelial systems due to the much higher blood pressure in them. WCH may be an initial sign of the accelerated atherosclerotic process that can be detected easily.
Family history and psychiatric comorbidity in persons with compulsive buying: preliminary findings.

OBJECTIVE The authors explored the family history and psychiatric comorbidity of a group of compulsive buyers who volunteered for medication studies. Compulsive buying is characterized by inappropriate shopping and spending behavior that leads to impairment. METHOD Thirty-three subjects who met the criteria of McElroy and colleagues for compulsive buying, and who scored more than two standard deviations above the mean on the Compulsive Buying Scale, were recruited. Twenty-two comparison subjects were recruited in the course of another study, and the presence of obsessive-compulsive disorder was the only reason for exclusion. Both groups were administered the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R disorders. The Family History Research Diagnostic Criteria were used to collect information about psychiatric disorders in first-degree relatives. RESULTS Compulsive buyers had a mean age of 40 years; two (6%) were men. Comparison subjects had a mean age of 39 years; six (27%) were men. The two groups differed in gender distribution but not in age, marital status, or educational achievement. Compulsive buyers were more likely than comparison subjects to have lifetime mood disorders (especially major depression) and to have more than one psychiatric disorder. First-degree relatives of compulsive buyers were more likely than comparison relatives to suffer from depression, alcoholism, and a drug use disorder and to suffer more psychiatric disorders in general. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that persons who report compulsive buying behavior, and their first-degree relatives, are more likely to have a higher prevalence of psychiatric disorder than are comparison subjects.
Adaptive regulation of the flying height in hard disk drives

The increase in data storage density in hard disk drives is critically dependent on maintaining a small flying height of the read/write head above the disk surface. Disk and suspension vibrations as well as disk surface microwaviness make it difficult to maintain a desired flying height during normal disk operation. It is proposed in this paper to use an adaptive regulation approach to maintain the flying height at its desired value, despite the unknown vibrations and the unknown microwaviness in the disk surface profile. The performance of the proposed approach is analyzed and simulation results are presented to illustrate the capability of the proposed adaptive regulation approach to achieve and maintain the desired flying height
Culture and Phenotypic Characterization of a Wolbachia pipientis Isolate

ABSTRACT The recent isolation of Wolbachia pipientis in the continuous cell line Aa23, established from eggs of a strain of the Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus, allowed us to perform extensive characterization of the isolate. Bacterial growth could be obtained in C6/36, another A. albopictus cell line, at 28°C and in a human embryonic lung fibroblast monolayer at 28 and 37°C, confirming that its host cell range is broader than was initially thought. The bacteria were best visualized by Diff-Quik and May-Grünwald-Giemsa staining. Proteins from 213 to 18 kDa with two major protein bands of 65 and 25 kDa were observed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. By Western blotting with specific polyclonal mouse and rabbit antisera, dominant immunoreactive antigens were found at approximately 100, 80, and 30 kDa. The genome size was calculated to be 1,790 ± 17 kb by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. The sequence of the citrate synthase gene (gltA) of W. pipientis was determined by gene walking. Its position in the phylogenetic tree constructed with gltA confirmed that found in a phylogenetic tree constructed with 16S rRNA genes and that it belongs in the α subgroup of the class Proteobacteria and that it is closely related to but independent from the genera Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, and Neorickettsia.
Nuclear targeting of Akt antagonizes aspects of cardiomyocyte hypertrophy

The serine/threonine kinase Akt regulates cellular survival, proliferation, gene transcription, protein translation, metabolism, and differentiation. Although Akt substrates are found throughout the cell, activated Akt normally accumulates in the nucleus, suggesting that biologically relevant targets are located there. Consequences of nuclear Akt signaling in cardiomyocytes were explored by using nuclear-targeted Akt (Akt-nuc). Accumulation of Akt-nuc did not provoke hypertrophy, unlike constitutively activated Akt. Instead, Akt-nuc inhibited hypertrophy concurrent with increased atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) expression that depended upon phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase activity. Akt-nuc antihypertrophic effects were blocked by inhibition of either guanylyl cyclase A receptor or cyclic guanosine monophosphate-dependent protein kinase in cultured cardiomyocytes. Corroborating evidence showed blunted acute hypertrophic remodeling in Akt-nuc transgenic mice after transverse aortic constriction coincident with higher ANP expression and smaller myocyte volume. In addition, Akt-nuc expression improved systolic function and survival in the chronic phase of transverse aortic constriction-induced hypertrophy. Thus, Akt-nuc antagonizes certain aspects of hypertrophy through autocrine/paracrine stimulation of a phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase-dependent signaling cascade that promotes ANP expression, resulting in a unique combination of prosurvival coupled with antihypertrophic signaling.