Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Alcohol Consumption in Diabetic Patients with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Aim To examine the association between lifetime alcohol consumption and significant liver disease in type 2 diabetic patients with NAFLD. Methods A cross-sectional study assessing 151 patients with NAFLD at risk of clinically significant liver disease. NAFLD fibrosis severity was classified by transient elastography; liver stiffness measurements ≥8.2 kPa defined significant fibrosis. Lifetime drinking history classified patients into nondrinkers, light drinkers (always ≤20 g/day), and moderate drinkers (any period with intake >20 g/day). Result Compared with lifetime nondrinkers, light and moderate drinkers were more likely to be male (p = 0.008) and to be Caucasian (p = 0.007) and to have a history of cigarette smoking (p = 0.000), obstructive sleep apnea (p = 0.003), and self-reported depression (p = 0.003). Moderate drinkers required ≥3 hypoglycemic agents to maintain diabetic control (p = 0.041) and fibrate medication to lower blood triglyceride levels (p = 0.044). Compared to lifetime nondrinkers, light drinkers had 1.79 (95% CI: 0.67–4.82; p = 0.247) and moderate drinkers had 0.91 (95% CI: 0.27–3.10; p = 0.881) times the odds of having liver stiffness measurements ≥8.2 kPa (adjusted for age, gender, and body mass index). Conclusions In diabetic patients with NAFLD, light or moderate lifetime alcohol consumption was not significantly associated with liver fibrosis. The impact of lifetime alcohol intake on fibrosis progression and diabetic comorbidities, in particular obstructive sleep apnea and hypertriglyceridemia, requires further investigation.
Financial Development and Technology

Research in development economics reveals that the bulk of cross-country differences in economic growth is attributable to differences in productivity. By some accounts, productivity contributes to more than 60 percent of countries? growth in per capita GDP. I examine a particular channel through which financial development could explain cross-country and crossindustry differences in realized productivity. I argue that financial development induces technological innovations ? a major stimulus of productivity - through facilitating capital mobilization and risk sharing. In a panel of industries across thirty eight countries, I find that financial development explains the cross-country differences in industry rates of technological progress, rates of real cost reduction and rates of productivity growth. I find that the effect of financial development on productivity and technological progress is heterogeneous across industrial sectors that differ in their needs for financing innovation. In particular, industries whose younger firms depend more on external finance realize faster rate of technological change in countries with more developed banking sector.
Human immunodeficiency virus infection and macrophage cholesterol metabolism

Macrophages play a central role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and are also a host for a number of viruses, most importantly, HIV. Many viruses, including HIV, require cholesterol for their replication and as a structural element. Cholesterol also plays a pivotal role in innate antiviral immune responses. Although impairing innate immune response by increasing cell cholesterol content may be a deliberate strategy used by a pathogen to improve its infectivity, enhancing the risk of atherosclerosis is likely a byproduct. Consistent association between HIV infection and elevated risk of atherosclerosis suggested a connection between virus‐induced changes in cholesterol metabolism and atherogenesis, but the mechanisms of such connection have not been identified. We describe in this review various mechanisms enabling viruses to exploit macrophage pathways of cholesterol metabolism, thus diverting cholesterol for a purpose of increasing viral replication and/or for altering innate immune responses. To alter the cellular cholesterol content, viruses “hijack” the pathways responsible for maintaining intracellular cholesterol metabolism. The damage to these pathways by viral infection may result in the inability of macrophages to control cholesterol accumulation and may lead to formation of foam cells, a characteristic feature of atherosclerosis. Further elucidation of the mechanisms connecting viral infection and macrophage cholesterol metabolism may be fruitful for developing approaches to treatment of atherosclerosis and viral diseases.
The Influence of Death Exposure on Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors

The present study investigated the relationship between exposure to both suicidal and non-suicidal deaths and current suicidal ideation and suicide attempt history among urban college students. Three hundred and ninety-six (n = 396) undergraduate students attending an urban university completed a series of questionnaires assessing their exposure to death (including suicide), suicide attempt history, and current level of suicidal ideation. Exposure to suicide and non-suicidal death were not related to current suicidal ideation; however, students who had made a suicide attempt were more likely to have been exposed to a death by suicide or acute disease. The findings of this study suggest that exposure to death by suicide or acute disease increased the likelihood a student made a past suicide attempt.
Bacillus subtilis early sporulation genes kinA, spo0F, and spo0A are transcribed by the RNA polymerase containing sigma H

The Bacillus subtilis genes kinA (spoIIJ), spo0F, and spo0A encode components of the sporulation signal transduction pathway. Recent work has suggested that these genes are transcribed by a minor form of RNA polymerase, E sigma H (sigma H is the product of spo0H, another early sporulation gene). We directly tested this hypothesis by performing in vitro transcription assays with reconstituted E sigma H and a set of plasmids containing the kinA, spo0F, and spo0A promoter regions. We were able to obtain distinct transcripts of the expected sizes with all three genes by using linearized or supercoiled templates. Furthermore, primer extension experiments indicate that the transcription start sites for the three genes in vitro and in vivo are the same. In addition, we measured steady-state levels of kinA, spo0F, and spo0A mRNAs during growth in sporulation medium; all of them were increased at or near the beginning of the stationary phase.
Learning Safe Prediction for Semi-Supervised Regression

Semi-supervised learning (SSL) concerns how to improve performance via the usage of unlabeled data. Recent studies indicate that the usage of unlabeled data might even deteriorate performance. Although some proposals have been developed to alleviate such a fundamental challenge for semi-supervised classification, the efforts on semi-supervised regression (SSR) remain to be limited. In this work we consider the learning of a safe prediction from multiple semi-supervised regressors, which is not worse than a direct supervised learner with only labeled data. We cast it as a geometric projection issue with an efficient algorithm. Furthermore, we show that the proposal is provably safe and has already achieved the maximal performance gain, if the ground-truth label assignment is realized by a convex linear combination of base regressors. This provides insight to help understand safe SSR. Experimental results on a broad range of datasets validate the effectiveness of our proposal.
A Longitudinal Cohort Study on Quality of Life in Stroke Patients and Their Partners: Restore4Stroke Cohort

Background Stroke is a major cause of disability in the Western world. Its long-term consequences have a negative impact on the quality of life of both the patients and their partners. Aim The aim of the Restore4Stroke Cohort study is to investigate the changes in quality of life of stroke patients and their partners over time, and to determine factors predicting quality of life in several domains, especially personal and environmental factors. Method Multicentre prospective longitudinal cohort study. Inclusion and the first assessment take place during hospital stay in the first week post-stroke. Follow-up assessments take place at two months, six months, one year, and two years post-stroke. Recruitment of 500 patients from stroke units in six participation hospitals is foreseen. If the patient has a partner, he or she is also asked to participate in the study. Outcomes The main outcome is quality of life, considered from a health-related quality of life and domain-specific quality of life perspective. Factors predicting long-term quality of life will be determined by taking into account the health condition (pre-stroke health condition and stroke-related health condition), personal factors (e.g. coping and illness cognitions), and environmental factors (e.g. caregiver burden and social support). Discussion This study is expected to provide information about the changes in quality of life of stroke patients and their partners over time. Furthermore, the identification of factors predicting quality of life can be used to improve rehabilitation care and develop new interventions for stroke patients and their partners.
Thiazide diuretics and the risk of gallbladder disease requiring surgery in women.

BACKGROUND Previous studies have suggested that thiazide diuretic use increases the risk of cholecystitis. METHODS We prospectively examined the association between thiazide use and cholecystectomy, a surrogate for symptomatic cholelithiasis, in a cohort of 81 351 US women who were aged 30 to 55 years in 1980 and followed up to 2000. Regular use of thiazide diuretics was assessed at baseline by asking the participants to report whether they currently took "any of the following medications in most weeks" and listing "thiazide diuretics (eg, Diuril and Hydrodiuril)" among other drugs. Respondents were also requested to report the duration of thiazide diuretic use. Assessment of thiazide diuretic use was updated in 1982, 1988, 1994, 1996, and 1998. Cox regression was used to adjust simultaneously for other potential risk factors for cholecystectomy. RESULTS During follow-up, 8607 women reported undergoing a cholecystectomy. A modest positive relation between the use of thiazide diuretics and cholecystectomy was observed. Compared with never users of thiazide diuretics, the multivariate relative risk of cholecystectomy for past users was 1.16 (95% confidence interval,1.08-1.24) and the multivariate relative risk for current users was 1.39 (95% confidence interval, 1.29-1.50). CONCLUSIONS These findings are compatible with the hypothesis that the use of thiazide diuretics increases the risk of symptomatic cholecystitis. However, we cannot rule out the possibility that our results are in part explained by unconsidered factors related to the indication for antihypertensive therapy or by differences in medical surveillance between users and nonusers of thiazide diuretics.
Comparison of the acute effects of static and dynamic stretching exercises on flexibility, agility and anaerobic performance in professional football players

Cite this article as: Kurt C, Fırtın İ. Comparison of the acute effects of static and dynamic stretching exercises on flexibility, agility and anaerobic performance in professional football players. Turk J Phys Med Rehab 2016;62(3):206-13. ABSTRACT Objectives: In this study, we compared the acute effects of static and dynamic stretching exercises on flexibility, agility, fatigue index and anaerobic performance in professional football players. Patients and methods: Between August 2013 and September 2013, a total of 20 professional football players (mean age, 25.3±4.3 years; height, 1.83±0.03 m; body mass, 79.1±4.1 kg; football experience, 11.1±2.2 years) completed three different warm-up sessions at 24-hour intervals. First, second and third warmup sessions were named as “aerobic running”, “aerobic running combined with static stretching” and “aerobic running combined with dynamic stretching”, respectively. After each session, the athletes were evaluated in terms of stand and reach flexibility, Illinois agility, and running-based anaerobic sprint tests, respectively. Results: Analysis of variance indicated that “aerobic running combined with static stretching” increased agility (p≤0.05) and decreased relative average power, and relative maximum power (p≤0.05). However, no significant effect of static stretching on minimum power was detected (p>0.05). The fatigue index score was greater following “aerobic running” and “aerobic running combined with dynamic stretching” than following “aerobic running combined with static stretching”. We observed that aerobic running combined with static or dynamic stretching increased the f lexibility more effectively than aerobic running alone (p≤0.05). Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrated that football players could prevent possible decreases in anaerobic performance by removing static stretching exercises from warm-up routines used before training and/or competitions. On the other hand, static and/or dynamic stretching exercises can be applied in addition to aerobic running to enhance flexibility.
Neuromuscular transmission and excitation-contraction coupling in fish red muscle.

TAKEUCHI (1959) has studied on red and white muscle fibres of fresh water fish teleost (snake fish) and observed that (1) there was no difference between the membrane potential of the red muscle and that of white one (60-70mV) , (2) the red muscle did not generate the spike but did only junction potential, (3) the white muscle generated the spike but usually did not overshoot the resting potential. Furthermore, he observed that junction potentials could be recorded from any point on the surfaces of both muscle fibres , and his results indicated that both muscles have polyaxonal innervation . Different results were observed from the sea water fish (hagfish) by ANDERSEN, JANSEN and LOYNING (1963). The membrane potential of the fast fibre was 74.6mV and that of the slow fibre was 46mV. The fast fibre gave rapid twitch contraction, while that of the slow fibre last more than 500msec . The fast muscle fibre appeared to be innervated with only one motor axon but the slow muscle fibre was usually innervated with more than two motor axons reaching the fibre. Furthermore, they reported that the red muscle could generate the spike. The different results observed from the muscles of fresh water fish and sea water fish are partly due to the phylogenitic difference. Red (fin) muscle of sea water fish, namely puffer fish, showed about 70mV of resting potential and generated overshoot potential by nerve stimulation and the spike was sodium dependent, although tetrodotoxin (10-5g/ml) had no effect on the spike generation. Furthermore, the muscle fibres were innervated multi-diffusely. (T. HIDAKA, H. KURIYAMA, T. OSA and N. TOIDA, unpublished observation). However, the red muscle in the fresh water fish, namely silver carp did not generate a spike by nerve stimulation but did an excitatory junction potential, and the membrane capacitance measured in the red muscle was much higher than that observed in the white muscle. These relations agreed nicely with those observed in the tonic and twitch fibre of frog (ADRIAN and PEACHEY 1965, HIDAKA and TOIDA 1969).
Bim directly antagonizes Bcl-xl in doxorubicin-induced prostate cancer cell apoptosis independently of p53

ABSTRACT Doxorubicin and other anthracycline compounds exert their anti-cancer effects by causing DNA damage and initiating cell cycle arrest in cancer cells, followed by apoptosis. DNA damage generally activates a p53-mediated pathway to initiate apoptosis by increasing the level of the BH3-only protein, Puma. However, p53-mediated apoptosis in response to DNA damage has not yet been validated in prostate cancers. In the current study, we used LNCaP and PC3 prostate cancer cells, representing wild type p53 and a p53-null model, to determine if DNA damage activates p53-mediated apoptosis in prostate cancers. Our results revealed that PC3 cells were 4 to 8-fold less sensitive than LNCaP cells to doxorubicin-inuced apoptosis. We proved that the differential response of LNCaP and PC3 to doxorubicin was p53-independent by introducing wild-type or dominant negative p53 into PC3 or LNCaP cells, respectively. By comparing several apoptosis-related proteins in both cell lines, we found that Bcl-xl proteins were much more abundant in PC3 cells than in LNCaP cells. We further demonstrated that Bcl-xl protects LNCaP and PC3 cells from doxorubicin-induced apoptosis by using ABT-263, an inhibitor of Bcl-xl, as a single agent or in combination with doxorubicin to treat LNCaP or PC3 cells. Bcl-xl rather than p53, likely contributes to the differential response of LNCaP and PC3 to doxorubicin in apoptosis. Finally, co-immunoprecipitation and siRNA analysis revealed that a BH3-only protein, Bim, is involved in doxorubicin-induced apoptosis by directly counteracting Bcl-xl.
Robust adaptive finite‐time parameter estimation and control for robotic systems

This paper studies adaptive parameter estimation and control for nonlinear robotic systems based on parameter estimation errors. A framework to obtain an expression of the parameter estimation error is proposed first by introducing a set of auxiliary filtered variables. Then three novel adaptive laws driven by the estimation error are presented, where exponential error convergence is proved under the conventional persistent excitation (PE) condition; the direct measurement of the time derivatives of the system states are avoided. The adaptive laws are modified via a sliding mode technique to achieve finite‐time convergence, and an online verification of the alternative PE condition is introduced. Leakage terms, functions of the estimation error, are incorporated into the adaptation laws to avoid windup of the adaptation algorithms. The adaptive algorithm applied to robotic systems permits that tracking control and exact parameter estimation are achieved simultaneously in finite time using a terminal sliding mode (TSM) control law. In this case, the PE condition can be replaced with a sufficient richness requirement of the command signals and thus is verifiable a priori. The potential singularity problem encountered in TSM controls is remedied by introducing a two‐phase control procedure. The robustness of the proposed methods against disturbances is investigated. Simulations based on the ‘Bristol‐Elumotion‐Robotic‐Torso II’ (BERT II) are provided to validate the efficacy of the introduced methods. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Proton Fall or Bicarbonate Rise

Glycolysis is the primary step for major energy production in the cell. There is strong evidence suggesting that glucose consumption and rate of glycolysis are highly modulated by cytosolic pH/[H+], but those can also be stimulated by an increase in the intracellular [HCO3−]. Because proton and bicarbonate shift concomitantly, it remained unclear whether enhanced glucose consumption and glycolytic rate were mediated by the changes in intracellular [H+] or [HCO3−]. We have asked whether glucose metabolism is enhanced by either a fall in intracellular [H+] or a rise in intracellular [HCO3−], or by both, in mammalian astrocytes. We have recorded intracellular glucose in mouse astrocytes using a FRET-based nanosensor, while imposing different intracellular [H+] and [CO2]/[HCO3−]. Glucose consumption and glycolytic rate were augmented by a fall in intracellular [H+], irrespective of a concomitant rise or fall in intracellular [HCO3−]. Transport of HCO3− into and out of astrocytes by the electrogenic sodium bicarbonate cotransporter (NBCe1) played a crucial role in causing changes in intracellular pH and [HCO3−], but was not obligatory for the pH-dependent changes in glucose metabolism. Our results clearly show that it is the cytosolic pH that modulates glucose metabolism in cortical astrocytes, and possibly also in other cell types.
Tumor suppressor roles of CENP-E and Nsl1 in Drosophila epithelial tissues

Depletion of spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) genes in Drosophila epithelial tissues leads to JNK-dependent programmed cell death and additional blockade of the apoptotic program drives tumorigenesis. A recent report proposes that chromosomal instability (CIN) is not the driving force in the tumorigenic response of the SAC-deficient tissue, and that checkpoint proteins exert a SAC-independent tumor suppressor role. This notion is based on observations that the depletion of CENP-E levels or prevention of Bub3 from binding to the kinetochore in Drosophila tissues unable to activate the apoptotic program induces CIN but does not cause hyperproliferation. Here we re-examined this proposal. In contrast to the previous report, we observed that depletion of CENP-E or Nsl1—the latter mediating kinetochore targeting of Bub3—in epithelial tissues unable to activate the apoptotic program induces significant levels of aneuploidy and drives tumor-like growth. The induction of the JNK transcriptional targets Wingless, a mitogenic molecule, and MMP1, a matrix metaloproteinase 1 involved in basement membrane degradation was also observed in these tumors. An identical response of the tissue was previously detected upon depletion of several SAC genes or genes involved in spindle assembly, chromatin condensation, and cytokinesis, all of which have been described to cause CIN. All together, these results reinforce the role of CIN in driving tumorigenesis in Drosophila epithelial tissues and question the proposed SAC-independent roles of checkpoint proteins in suppressing tumorigenesis. Differences in aneuploidy rates might explain the discrepancy between the previous report and our results.
Long-latency Cerebral Event-related Potentials in Multiple Sclerosis

Summary The objective of this study was to characterize electrophysiologically the basis of the cognitive dysfunction in multiple sclerosis. The cognitive dysfunction experienced by patients with multiple sclerosis has recently become more widely appreciated, but the best means of monitoring such function is unknown. Long-latency cerebral event-related potentials were recorded in a group of patients with relapsing/remitting or secondarily progressive multiple sclerosis and in a group of age-matched normal control subjects. Subjects were presented a series of auditory tones, with one (1,000 Hz) occurring during 86% of the trials (frequent tone) and the other (2,000 Hz) occurring during 14% of the trials (rare tone). Subjects were required to listen to the stimuli and count the occurrence of the rare tones. Cerebral responses recorded from the scalp were averaged separately for the rare and frequent tones. The N1, P2, N2, and P3 components of the long-latency response were all prolonged in latency in patients with MS, as were the N1-N2 and N1-P3 interpeak latencies. In addition, the amplitude of the P2 and P3 peaks was diminished in patients compared with control subjects. Significant correlations were found between the changes in both interpeak latency peak amplitude and the scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination. Electrophysiologic changes occur in MS that are the result of central disease (as opposed to involvement of primary afferent pathways) and correlate with cognitive status. The recording of event-related potentials may thus provide a useful tool, not only as an objective measure of cognitive function in patients with MS, but also as an aid in the evaluation of response to treatment.
Darwin Loves You: Natural Selection and the Re-Enchantment of the World

Preface ix Acknowledgments xxv CHAPTER 1: Secular Re-enchantment 1 CHAPTER 2: The Disenchanting Darwin 45 CHAPTER 3: Using Darwin 73 CHAPTER 4: A Modern Use Sociobiology 93 CHAPTER 5: Darwin and Pain 129 Why Science Made Shakespeare Nauseating CHAPTER 6: "And if it be a pretty woman all the better" 169 Darwin and Sexual Selection CHAPTER 7: A Kinder, Gentler, Darwin 202 EPILOGUE: What Does It Mean? 252 Notes 275 Index 297