Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Eccentric muscle action increases site-specific osteogenic response.

PURPOSE Strain magnitude is known to be a primary determinant of the osteogenic response to loading. However, whether bone adaptation to muscle loading is determined primarily by load magnitude is unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine the contribution of load magnitude from muscle action on the site-specific osteogenic response. METHODS Twenty young women (12 exercise, 8 control) served as subjects. Bone mineral density (BMD) of the whole body and mid-femur segment and body composition were determined by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Knee extension and flexion strengths were determined on a KinCom dynamometer, with surface electromyography of the vastus lateralis muscle. Exercise subjects trained three times weekly for 18 wk on a KinCom. One leg trained using eccentric knee extension and flexion, and the opposite leg trained using concentric knee extension and flexion. RESULTS Eccentric exercise demonstrated greater force production with lower integrated electromyographic signal (IEMG) compared with concentric exercise. Significant increases in muscle strength occurred in both exercised legs (P < 0.05), which were of similar relative change. However, only the eccentric trained leg significantly increased mid-femur segment BMD (+3.9%, P < 0.05) and mid-thigh segment lean mass (+5.2%, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that eccentric muscle training is more osteogenic than concentric muscle training and that eccentric training is more efficient by attaining higher force production with lower IEMG.
New Approaches to Understanding the Mechanics of Burgess Shale-type Deposits: From the Micron Scale to the Global Picture

ABSTRACT Cambrian Burgess Shale-type (BST) deposits are among the most significant deposits forunderstanding the “Cambrian explosion” because they contain the fossilized tissues ofnonmineralized organisms and provide a substantially different window on the radiationof the Metazoa than is afforded by the more “typical” fossil record of skeletal parts ofbiomineralized organisms.Despite nearly a century of research,BST deposits remainpoorly investigated as sedimentologic entities largely because they comprise fine-grainedmudrocks.Here,we describe a new,integrative approach to understanding a single BSTdeposit,the middle Cambrian Wheeler Formation of Utah,which reveals a dynamicinterplay of paleoenvironmental,paleoecologic,and sedimentologic/diagentic factorswithin a superficially homogeneous lithofacies.This millimeter-scale microstratigraphicand paleontologic approach is augmented by both outcrop and microscopic study.Thesetypes of data are applicable to issues of quite different scales,including micron-scale dia-genetic processes involved in fossil preservation,organism-environment interactions andpaleoecology of the early Metazoa,and regional and global controls on the distributionof BST deposits.
PARTY COHESION , PARTY FACTIONS AND LEGISLATIVE PARTY DISCIPLINE IN ITALY

Moving beyond a unitary actor assumption that models members of a self-evidently collective entity such as a political party “as if” they all shared a single brain, this paper explores the cohesion and discipline of party legislators in multi-party systems operating under the constitutional rules of parliamentary government. We do this in the context of Italian politics, for which a consistent received wisdom is that many of the main political parties have a well-defined factional structure, with intra-party factional politics driving how parties behave in the wider political system. We first review some of the theoretical issues arising from treating political parties as endogenous coalitions of politicians, exploring the incentive structure of legislators at the levels of electoral, legislative and executive politics. We then elaborate these issues at an empirical level by mapping the internal factional structure of the main Italian left-wing party, DS (Sinistra Democratica /Democratic Left), then using this to explain why different DS deputies regularly voted in different ways on the same key foreign policy roll calls. We gratefully thank Elisabetta De Giorgi, an invaluable source of information about the Italian DS. Prepared for delivery at the 2005 Joint Workshop Sessions of the European Consortium for Political Research: Granada, 13-19 April. PARTY COHESION, PARTY FACTIONS AND LEGISLATIVE PARTY DISCIPLINE IN ITALY/ 2
Potential impact of subject-based risk factor control on periodontitis.

AIMS To assess the potential impact of the control of subject-based modifiable risk factors on periodontitis. BACKGROUND Cross-sectional and longitudinal data from epidemiological research indicate that risk factors can be identified and, if modified, may improve both periodontal conditions and the outcome of treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS A search was conducted to identify factors involved in the etiology and pathogenesis of periodontal diseases. The factors identified were separated into modifiable and non-modifiable, and control of the subject-based modifiable risk factors were further analyzed. RESULTS The analysis was limited to the influence of the control of the remaining modifiable subject-based risk factors. It was observed that most of the subject related risk factors were hitherto not validated in controlled intervention studies. Therefore, the evidence for the efficacy of risk factor control had to be based on results from cohort studies. While the control of most of the modifiable risk factors for periodontitis was not tested, some evidence suggested that smoking cessation may retard the progression of periodontitis. CONCLUSIONS Although only limited evidence was available, it appeared reasonable to suggest that second to the removal of the bacterial biofilm, smoking cessation was the most important measure in the management of periodontitis.
Urinary Neopterin Levels in Hematologic Malignancies

We studied urinary excretion levels of neopterin in 30 cancer patients affected by non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, Hodgkin's disease and multiple myeloma compared to 30 healthy subjects. Mean value of neopterin excretion in cancer patients (576.01 ± 620.37) appeared significantly increased (p < 0.001) compared to normal controls (134.40 ± 41.65). A neopterin excretion above the upper normal limit was observed in 23/28 (82%) patients with active disease. A trend to an increased urinary level of neopterin with more advanced stage was observed, namely in patients with bone marrow involvement and constitutional symptoms. We suggest that the evaluation of urinary neopterin levels may be of value in the diagnosis and follow-pu of hematologic malignancies.
VIEWS OF PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS ON THE USE OF INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY ( ICT ) IN TEACHING AND LEARNING

The study sought to find out the teachers’ views in the use of ICT in curriculum implementation in Bindura urban District. In this study the descriptive survey design was used in this study. One hundred and ten teachers participated as research subjects. Questionnaires were administered to one hundred teachers and ten were interviewed . Data were qualitatively analysed. Analysis was made basing on the trends and patterns emerging from summarized data. The study revealed that teachers are well aware of the benefits of ICT in curriculum implementation. Teachers lacked relevant knowledge on how to use ICT in teaching and learning. The study also revealed that there is lack of ICT infrastructure in schools and teachers did not have access to computers. The study recommends in-service training for teachers and a review of the teacher education training curriculum.SDC and SDA to be made aware of the importance of ICT in teaching and learning. The study recommends inclusion of ICT as one of the core curriculum subjects in the primary school curriculum as well extensive staff development of teachers on the use of ICT in teaching and learning.
Three-dimensional wall filtering formulation for large-eddy simulation

Large-eddy simulation (LES) is a method for computing the solution of the spatially low-pass filtered Navier-Stokes equations. In most formulations, the filtering operation is not taken to pass through boundaries. Instead, the wall-normal filter width approaches zero at walls to allow the application of the no-slip condition (e.g., Carati 2001; Sagaut 2002). However, this introduces commutation error and adds modeling complexity due to filter anisotropy. One approach to reduce this error is to use one-sided commuting filters near the wall which have less commutation error than the numerical differentiation error in the simulation (Vasilyev et al. 1998). The drawback of one-sided filters is that they require slip velocities at the wall. Prescribing slip conditions both on (Iovieno et al. 2004; Borggaard & Illiescu 2006) and off (Baggett 1997) the wall has proven quite challenging. A recently proposed alternative involves filtering the wall in conjunction with the optimal LES technique (Moser et al. 2005). This method has thus far been applied only to channel flow, allowing periodic conditions to be used in the wall-normal directions. Recently, Templeton & Shoeybi (2006) proposed an approach based on filtering the solution over an infinite domain for 1-D problems. This allows the LES equations, including boundary conditions, to be precisely defined without any commutation error. This work considers formulating the LES problem in such a way that the filtering operation can take place through the wall. This forms a fully consistent LES system that has compact support, precise boundary conditions, and known forcing terms. Thus, the LES equations can be solved without any ambiguity concerning the boundary conditions and filter definition. To clarify the presentation in three dimensions, we will first briefly review the work of Templeton & Shoeybi (2006) for the 1-D Burgers’ equation. This method will then be extended to the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations.
Disruption of the Cereblon Gene Enhances Hepatic AMPK Activity and Prevents High-Fat Diet–Induced Obesity and Insulin Resistance in Mice

A nonsense mutation in cereblon (CRBN) causes a mild type of mental retardation in humans. An earlier study showed that CRBN negatively regulates the functional activity of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in vitro by binding directly to the α1-subunit of the AMPK complex. However, the in vivo role of CRBN was not studied. For elucidation of the physiological functions of Crbn, a mouse strain was generated in which the Crbn gene was deleted throughout the whole body. In Crbn-deficient mice fed a normal diet, AMPK in the liver showed hyperphosphorylation, which indicated the constitutive activation of AMPK. Since Crbn-deficient mice showed significantly less weight gain when fed a high-fat diet and their insulin sensitivity was considerably improved, the functions of Crbn in the liver were primarily investigated. These results provide the first in vivo evidence that Crbn is a negative modulator of AMPK, which suggests that Crbn may be a potential target for metabolic disorders of the liver.
Modifications of the 5′ Cap of mRNAs duringXenopus Oocyte Maturation: Independence from Changes in Poly(A) Length and Impact on Translation

ABSTRACT The translation of specific maternal mRNAs is regulated during early development. For some mRNAs, an increase in translational activity is correlated with cytoplasmic extension of their poly(A) tails; for others, translational inactivation is correlated with removal of their poly(A) tails. Recent results in several systems suggest that events at the 3′ end of the mRNA can affect the state of the 5′ cap structure, m7G(5′)ppp(5′)G. We focus here on the potential role of cap modifications on translation during early development and on the question of whether any such modifications are dependent on cytoplasmic poly(A) addition or removal. To do so, we injected synthetic RNAs into Xenopus oocytes and examined their cap structures and translational activities during meiotic maturation. We draw four main conclusions. First, the activity of a cytoplasmic guanine-7-methyltransferase increases during oocyte maturation and stimulates translation of an injected mRNA bearing a nonmethylated GpppG cap. The importance of the cap for translation in oocytes is corroborated by the sensitivity of protein synthesis to cap analogs and by the inefficient translation of mRNAs bearing nonphysiologically capped 5′ termini. Second, deadenylation during oocyte maturation does not cause decapping, in contrast to deadenylation-triggered decapping in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Third, the poly(A) tail and the N-7 methyl group of the cap stimulate translation synergistically during oocyte maturation. Fourth, cap ribose methylation of certain mRNAs is very inefficient and is not required for their translational recruitment by poly(A). These results demonstrate that polyadenylation can cause translational recruitment independent of ribose methylation. We propose that polyadenylation enhances translation through at least two mechanisms that are distinguished by their dependence on ribose modification.
Therapeutic Plasma Concentrations of Antidepressants and Antipsychotics: Lessons from PET Imaging

Abstract Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) of psychotropic drugs is strongly depending on the validity of recommended therapeutic plasma concentration reference ranges. Rational pharmacotherapy is based on the assumption that plasma concentrations are directly related to target occupancy by the respective drug. Here we show that positron emission tomography (PET) of molecular drug targets in the brain (neuroreceptors and transporters) allows for establishment of these relationships, thereby providing guidance for TDM services. Associations between brain target occupancy, plasma concentrations, and clinical effects and adverse reactions will be discussed for the most commonly used antidepressant and antipsychotic drugs.
Impairment of GH/IGF-1 Axis in the Liver of Patients with HCV-Related Chronic Hepatitis

Abstract Resistance to the action of growth hormone (GH) frequently complicates liver cirrhosis, while, physiologically, the activation of GH receptor (GHR) determines phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)-5 and the consequent induction of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) expression. The suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS)-3 negatively regulates this intracellular cascade. We aimed to evaluate the hepatic expression of the GH/IGF-1 axis components in the liver of patients with HCV-related chronic hepatitis at different fibrosis stages. The expression of GH/IGF-1 axis components, such as GHR, IGF-1, STAT5-p, and SOCS-3, was assessed by immunohistochemistry at the lobular level in 61 patients with HCV-related hepatitis. At the hepatocyte level, IGF-1 and nuclear STAT5-p positivity scores showed negative correlations with fibrosis stage, while SOCS-3 score a positive one (p<0.05 for all). Furthermore, the reduction of hepatocyte score of IGF-1 expression was associated with the serological parameters of liver damage (p<0.05) and with the increase of the score of IGF-1 expression by hepatic stellate cells (p<0.05). IGF-1 expression by hepatocytes was reduced with fibrosis progression, probably due to the impairment of GHR intracellular cascade by the SOCS-3 activation already in pre-cirrhotic stages. The inverse correlation between IGF-1 expressed by hepatocytes and by hepatic stellate cells suggests that IGF-1 may exert specific functions in different hepatic cells.
Baseline characteristics of patients predicting suitability for rapid naltrexone induction.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Extended-release (XR) injection naltrexone has proved promising in the treatment of opioid dependence. Induction onto naltrexone is often accomplished with a procedure known as rapid naltrexone induction. The purpose of this study was to evaluate pre-treatment patient characteristics as predictors of successful completion of a rapid naltrexone induction procedure prior to XR naltrexone treatment. METHODS A chart review of 150 consecutive research participants (N = 84 completers and N = 66 non-completers) undergoing a rapid naltrexone induction with the buprenorphone-clonidine procedure were compared on a number of baseline demographic, clinical and psychosocial factors. Logistic regression was used to identify client characteristics that may predict successful initiation of naltrexone after a rapid induction-detoxification. RESULTS Patients who failed to successfully initiate naltrexone were younger (AOR: 1.040, CI: 1.006, 1.075), and using 10 or more bags of heroin (or equivalent) per day (AOR: 0.881, CI: 0.820, 0.946). Drug use other than opioids was also predictive of failure to initiate naltrexone in simple bivariate analyses, but was no longer significant when controlling for age and opioid use level. CONCLUSIONS Younger age, and indicators of greater substance dependence severity (more current opioid use, other substance use) predict difficulty completing a rapid naltrexone induction procedure. Such patients might require a longer period of stabilization and/or more gradual detoxification prior to initiating naltrexone. SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE Our study findings identify specific characteristics of patients who responded positively to rapid naltrexone induction.
The Canadian Neurological Scale

The Canadian Neurological Scale (CNS) was designed to monitor mentation and motor functions in stroke patients. We assessed its validity and reliability on a group of 157 patients with a diagnosis of acute cerebrovascular accident. We determined validity by (1) correlating scale items and total score with the standard neurologic examination; (2) exploring the scale's predictive power with different end points at 6 months—the initial CNS was a significant predictor of outcome; (3) showing that the CNS had higher correlation coefficients with the initial neurologic examination than the Glasgow Coma Scale; and (4) assessing the responsiveness of the scale to change in the neurologic status of stroke patients. Interobserver reliability, measured by kappa statistics on each scale item, was good. Accordingly, we established the validity and reliability of the CNS for its use in clinical studies and in the care of stroke patients.
Infections complicating multiple myeloma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Patients with multiple myeloma had 15 times more infections a year than a control population with arteriosclerotic heart disease. The prevalence of hospital-acquired, gram-negative infections with myeloma has increased in recent years. Infections occurred five times more frequently in persons with chronic lymphocytic leukemia than among the controls; the prevalence of gram-positive infections acquired away from the hospital may be declining with this leukemia. Patients with either of these immune cell neoplasms were particularly susceptible to body surface infections with common bacterial pathogens as others have observed with primary antibody deficiency diseases. These infections caused marked morbidity and mortality. Infections appeared to occur most frequently among relatively young and geriatric patients.
ASFNR Recommendations for Clinical Performance of MR Dynamic Susceptibility Contrast Perfusion Imaging of the Brain

This article discusses the utility of DSC perfusion MR imaging in the setting of tumors and ischemia and suggests guidance on its implementation, processing, interpretation, and reporting. SUMMARY: MR perfusion imaging is becoming an increasingly common means of evaluating a variety of cerebral pathologies, including tumors and ischemia. In particular, there has been great interest in the use of MR perfusion imaging for both assessing brain tumor grade and for monitoring for tumor recurrence in previously treated patients. Of the various techniques devised for evaluating cerebral perfusion imaging, the dynamic susceptibility contrast method has been employed most widely among clinical MR imaging practitioners. However, when implementing DSC MR perfusion imaging in a contemporary radiology practice, a neuroradiologist is confronted with a large number of decisions. These include choices surrounding appropriate patient selection, scan-acquisition parameters, data-postprocessing methods, image interpretation, and reporting. Throughout the imaging literature, there is conflicting advice on these issues. In an effort to provide guidance to neuroradiologists struggling to implement DSC perfusion imaging in their MR imaging practice, the Clinical Practice Committee of the American Society of Functional Neuroradiology has provided the following recommendations. This guidance is based on review of the literature coupled with the practice experience of the authors. While the ASFNR acknowledges that alternate means of carrying out DSC perfusion imaging may yield clinically acceptable results, the following recommendations should provide a framework for achieving routine success in this complicated-but-rewarding aspect of neuroradiology MR imaging practice.
Early application of topical 15% idoxuridine in dimethyl sulfoxide shortens the course of herpes simplex labialis: a multicenter placebo-controlled trial.

In a double-blind, randomized, patient-initiated treatment study at five medical centers, 301 immunocompetent patients experiencing a recurrence of herpes labialis were treated with topical 15% idoxuridine (IDU) in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), 80% DMSO control solution, or 2% DMSO control solution. IDU did not prevent the development of lesions but significantly accelerated lesion resolution in comparison with the combined control groups. For the total population, the mean duration of pain was reduced by 1.3 days (35%, P = .01) and the mean healing time to loss of crust by 1.7 days (21%, P = .004). Analysis of subpopulations revealed that the beneficial activity of the treatment was concentrated among the patients who began treatment in the prodrome or erythema lesion stage. For these patients, the mean duration of pain was reduced by 1.8 days (42%, P = .08) and the mean healing time to loss of crust by 3.3 days (38%, P less than .001). If only patients with classic herpes lesions (vesicle, ulcer, or crust formation) were considered, there was a greater drug effect on the duration of pain (reduction by 2.6 days, 49%; P = .03) and the mean healing time to normal skin was significantly shortened (reduction by 2.3 days, 23%; P = .004). Adverse reactions to the medication were minimal.
Effect of the Treatment with Allopurinol on the Endothelial Function in Patients with Hyperuricemia

Background. Hyperuricemia has been associated with an increased risk of endothelial dysfunction (ED), cardiovascular and renal disease. The role of uric acid (UA) on vascular damage is still controversial because previous studies have included patients with other risk factor for ED. Objective. To determine if the treatment with allopurinol improved endothelial function in hyperuricemic patients without other risk factors for ED. Material and methods. In order to gain more insight about the contribution of UA to the ED, we screened 369 apparently healthy male individuals for UA in a period of 9 months. Only 9 patients fulfill the inclusion criteria: UA plasma levels > 7 mg/dL without other risk factors for ED such as hypercholesterolemia, obesity, diabetes and hypertension. Results. Endothelial function, assessed by flow mediated dilatation (FMD) in the brachial artery improved significantly after 30 days of allopurinol treatment (9.6% [6.3–13.3%] vs. 13.7% [11–14.7%], p = 0.036), concomitantly with a decrease of about 45% in the uric acid plasma levels. Other parameters were not modified by allopurinol treatment. Any No significant correlation was found (r = –0.367, p = 0.33) between the ΔUA plasma levels (UA after treatment – UA in basal conditions) and ΔFMD (FMD after treatment – FMD in basal conditions). Conclusions. These results strongly suggest that allopurinol improves flow-mediated vasodilation regardless of uric acid plasma concentrations.