Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mechanical work and muscular efficiency in walking children

SUMMARY The effect of age and body size on the total mechanical work done during walking is studied in children of 3–12 years of age and in adults. The total mechanical work per stride (Wtot) is measured as the sum of the external work, Wext (i.e. the work required to move the centre of mass of the body relative to the surroundings), and the internal work, Wint (i.e. the work required to move the limbs relative to the centre of mass of the body, Wint,k, and the work done by one leg against the other during the double contact period, Wint,dc). Above 0.5 m s–1, both Wext and Wint,k, normalised to body mass and per unit distance (J kg–1 m–1), are greater in children than in adults; these differences are greater the higher the speed and the younger the subject. Both in children and in adults, the normalised Wint,dc shows an inverted U-shape curve as a function of speed, attaining a maximum value independent of age but occurring at higher speeds in older subjects. A higher metabolic energy input (J kg–1 m–1) is also observed in children, although in children younger than 6 years of age, the normalised mechanical work increases relatively less than the normalised energy cost of locomotion. This suggests that young children have a lower efficiency of positive muscular work production than adults during walking. Differences in normalised mechanical work, energy cost and efficiency between children and adults disappear after the age of 10.
Longer Term Effect of Randomized, Controlled Group Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Internet Addiction in Adolescent Students in Shanghai

Objective: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness of group cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for Internet addiction in adolescents. Method: A total of 56 patients, who met Beard's diagnostic criteria for Internet addiction, aged 12–17 years, were divided randomly into an active treatment group (n = 32) and a clinical control group (n = 24). Participants in the active treatment group were treated with an eight-session multimodal school-based group CBT while participants in the clinical control group received no intervention. Internet use, time management, emotional, cognitive and behavioural measures were assessed for both groups at baseline, immediately after the intervention and at 6 month follow up by investigators blind to the participants’ group status. Results: Internet use decreased in both groups while only the multimodal school-based group CBT evinced improved time management skills and better emotional, cognitive and behavioural symptoms. Conclusions: Multimodal school-based group CBT is effective for adolescents with Internet addiction, particularly in improving emotional state and regulation ability, behavioural and self-management style.
Acquisition of T Regulatory Function in Cathepsin L-Inhibited T Cells by Eye-Derived CTLA-2α during Inflammatory Conditions1

Pigment epithelium isolated from the eye possesses immunosuppressive properties such as regulatory T (Treg) cell induction; e.g., cultured retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) converts CD4+ T cells into Treg cells in vitro. RPE constitutively expresses a novel immunosuppressive factor, CTLA-2α, which is a cathepsin L (CathL) inhibitor, and this molecule acts via RPE to induce Treg cells. To clarify CTLA-2α’s role in the T cell response to RPE in ocular inflammation, we used the experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU) animal model to examine this new immunosuppressive property of RPE. In EAU models, TGF-β, but not IFN-γ inflammatory cytokines, promotes the up-regulation of the expression of CTLA-2α in RPE. Similarly, CTLA-2α via RPE was able to promote TGF-β production by the CD4+ T cells. The RPE-exposed T cells (RPE-induced Treg cells) greatly produced TGF-β and suppressed bystander effector T cells. There was less expression of CathL by the RPE-exposed T cells, and CathL-inhibited T cells were able to acquire the Treg phenotype. Moreover, CathL-deficient mice spontaneously produced Treg cells, with the increase in T cells potentially providing protection against ocular inflammation. More importantly, CD4+ T cells from EAU in CathL knockout mice or rCTLA-2α from EAU animals were found to contain a high population of forkhead box p3+ T cells. In both EAU models, there was significant suppression of the ocular inflammation. These results indicate that RPE secretes CTLA-2α, thereby enabling the bystander T cells to be converted into Treg cells via TGF-β promotion.
The Effects of Maternal Rearing Attitudes and Depression on Compulsive-Like Behavior in Children: The Mediating Role of Children’s Emotional Traits

This study was designed to examine the effects of maternal rearing attitudes and depression on children’s compulsive-like behavior, mediated by children’s emotional traits. A questionnaire was completed by 116 mothers of 3 - 6-year-old children. There were no significant correlations between maternal factors and compulsive-like behavior in children. However, structural equation modeling using children’s emotional traits as the mediating variable indicated that maternal rearing attitudes influence children’s compulsive-like behavior via children’s anger trait. This finding suggests that mothers’ behavior does not lead directly to compulsive behavior in children, but that it influences children’s behavior through the process of shaping fundamental properties of emotion in children. While no association was found between compulsive-like behavior and the anxiety trait, which has been considered the core of compulsion, the findings suggest that the anger trait plays a principal role in the genesis of compulsive-like behavior. We suggest new possibilities in obsession-compulsion research.
Trajectories of BMI from early childhood through early adolescence: SES and psychosocial predictors.

OBJECTIVES This study examined the ways in which body mass index (BMI) percentile - an identified risk factor for overweight and cardiovascular disease in adulthood - develops from birth through early adolescence. In addition, we examined whether psychosocial factors, such as parenting style and maternal depression, mediated the link between socio-economic status (SES) and BMI growth. Design. Data were obtained from phases 1-3 of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (SECCYD) - a longitudinal study that followed children from 10 communities in the United States from birth to age 11. METHODS We applied growth mixture models to identify distinct subtypes of BMI development. Within these models, we performed between- and within-class mediation analyses to examine whether SES predicted class membership or differences in development within each class via maternal depression and parenting styles. RESULTS Results identified three prototypic trajectories of BMI percentile growth, elevated, steady increase, and stable. We found evidence for both between- and within-class mediation, suggesting multiple pathways by which SES can affect BMI development. CONCLUSIONS These findings add to the research that suggests that being in a family with a low SES is associated with falling into patterns of development characterized by early and lasting increases in BMI relative to one's peers, and that this association is partly accounted for by maternal depression and parenting styles. STATEMENT OF CONTRIBUTION What is already known? Past research has found evidence that patterns of childhood overweight are impacted by socioeconomic status through psychosocial factors like parenting and depression. This evidence is often limited to individual points in time where neglectful, permissive, and authoritarian parenting and higher levels of maternal depression are associated with higher levels of overweight status among children from infancy to adolescence. However, little research has linked together whether the children who receive non-authoritative parenting and are overweight in infancy are the same children who are overweight in adolescence. WHAT DOES THIS STUDY ADD? : • Evidence for 3 different prototypes of BMI percentile growth over the course of childhood approaching adolescence. • Adds complexity re the influence of parenting styles as an influence on patterns of weight gain. • Buttresses existing research as to early and lasting effects of SES on patterns of BMI.
Interventional musculoskeletal procedures performed by using MR imaging guidance with a vertically open MR unit: assessment of techniques and applicability.

PURPOSE To evaluate the safety of and time required for a broad range of musculoskeletal interventional procedures performed by using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging guidance with a vertically open 0.5-T unit. MATERIALS AND METHODS Sixty-three MR imaging-guided procedures were performed. A vertically open MR unit equipped with in-room display monitors allowed interactive freehand MR guidance predominantly with fast spin-echo and gradient-echo sequences. Each procedure was classified in terms of the anatomic location, procedure type, and tissue type involved. The procedures were evaluated for success of needle placement, adequacy of tissue sampling, total procedural time, needle time, number of needle passes, and complications. RESULTS Procedures consisted of tissue sampling with core-needle (n = 6) or fine-needle aspiration (n = 20) biopsy, corticosteroid or contrast agent injection (n = 19), joint cyst aspiration (n = 7), and drainage (n = 11). Successful needle placement was achieved in all 63 cases. Cytologic and histologic tissue samples were sufficient for pathologic diagnosis in 24 of 26 cases. In two cases, complications occurred: transient local bleeding and a brief vasovagal episode. The mean total procedural time was 64.8 minutes; the mean needle time, 26.2 minutes; and the mean number of needle passes per patient, 1.6. CONCLUSION With use of a vertically open MR unit, MR-guided interventional procedures involving bone, soft tissue, intervertebral disks, and joints are safe and sufficiently rapid for use in clinical practice.
Risk behaviour and HIV prevalence in international travellers

ObjectiveTo assess risk factors for infection and to determine HIV prevalence in a sample of international travellers. DesignA cross-sectional survey of new patients attending a hospital outpatient clinic, and self-completion of an anonymous questionnaire on sexual behaviour prior to and during travel. Urine samples were tested for the presence of antibodies to HIV. SettingThe Hospital for Tropical Diseases, London, UK. SubjectsAll new patients over a 6-month period. ResultsOf 782 people approached, 757 (97%) agreed to participate: 141 (18.6%) had had new sexual partners during their most recent trip abroad. Almost two-thirds of those having sex abroad did not use condoms on every occasion with a new partner, and 5.7% contracted a sexually transmitted disease (STD) during their most recent trip; 26% of men from World Health Organization Pattern I countries who had new sexual partners abroad paid for sex. Sixteen out of 731 (2.2%) participants were HIV-antibody-positive. HIV positivity was associated with being born in east, central or southern Africa, having symptoms of an STD since arriving in the United Kingdom and being treated for an STD since arrival. ConclusionThe rates of unsafe sex and payment for sex abroad reported by these international travellers indicate the potential for contracting and transmitting STD, including HIV, in both their foreign and domestic sexual partnerships. With the increasing HIV incidence in Asia (the most common destination for UK travellers after sub-Saharan Africa), the number of cases of HIV contracted abroad may rise in the future.
Distribution of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in fish tissues from the Pearl River Delta, China: Levels, compositions, and potential sources

Fish tissues from three different farming types (freshwater farmed, seawater farmed, and seawater wild fish collected from the Pearl River Delta of South China), including skin, gills, gastrointestinal tract (GIT), liver, and muscle, were analyzed for polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). In general, the dry weight based concentrations of Σ10PBDE (sum of BDE‐28, ‐47, ‐66, ‐85, ‐99, ‐100, ‐138, ‐153, ‐154, and ‐183) in fish tissues followed the sequence of liver > gill > skin > GIT and muscle. The BDE congener profiles varied with fish species. Decabrominated diphenyl ether was detected in 37.4% of the total 187 samples, and this ratio may actually have been underestimated because the reporting limit for BDE‐209 was considerably higher than those for other congeners. Decabrominated diphenyl ether was the dominant BDE congener in skin and GIT, and less abundant in gills, muscle, and liver. Except for skin, no significant difference in BDE‐209 lipid‐normalized concentrations was observed among fish tissues. These results suggest that BDE‐209 can occur abundantly in the fish species under investigation, somewhat inconsistent with the results from most previous studies that reported low bioaccumulative potential of BDE‐209. Combined with the likelihood that BDE‐209 can be debrominated into lower brominated congeners that tend to be more toxic than BDE‐209, the abundant occurrence of BDE‐209 could continue to pose prolonged health risk to the ecological environment.
Communication Styles of Persons with ALS as Recounted by Surviving Partners

The purpose of this study was to describe the communication patterns of individuals with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) as reported from the surviving spouses’ perspectives. Six surviving spouses of people with ALS participated in semi-structured interviews after the deaths of their partners. The interviews were transcribed and coded. Data analysis revealed four primary themes: communication styles, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) use, decision-making, and lifestyle changes. Spouses described unique changes in communication styles as their partners began to use augmentative communication strategies and devices. AAC devices were described as essential for individuals with ALS with respect to decision making and maintaining social roles. Spouses stated the importance of adapting social activities in order to maintain involvement in the community as well as with family and friends.
Dietary Carbohydrates: Effects on Self-selection, Plasma Glucose and Insulin, and Brain Indoleaminergic Systems in Rat

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of different dietary carbohydrates such as corn starch, sucrose, fructose and glucose on carbohydrate and protein self-selection and on arterial and venous concentrations of glucose and insulin, and brain indoleamines in rats. Fructose and sucrose feeding induced the lowest food intakes which were due respectively to a lower carbohydrate and protein selection. The present data showed that feeding with dietary glucose as the main carbohydrate source gave the highest glycemic response, the lowest one being found with fructose and corn starch, and an intermediate one with sucrose feeding. The insulin response to the dietary carbohydrates followed a somewhat different pattern with the highest insulin secretion observed after fructose feeding whereas highly variable and inconsistent results were obtained following corn starch, sucrose and glucose feeding. Feeding chemically different sugars was also characterized by decreased serotonin synthesis in the raphe nuclei, brainstem and thalamus, and increased 5-HT synthesis in the hypothalamus of rats fed fructose when compared to glucose fed animals. The present results highlight the importance of considering the nature of dietary carbohydrates in the regulation of feeding.
EXPOSURE OF THE SWISS POPULATION BY MEDICAL X-RAYS: 2008 REVIEW

AbstractNationwide surveys on radiation dose to the population from medical radiology are recommended in order to follow the trends in population exposure and ensure radiation protection. The last survey in Switzerland was conducted in 1998, and the annual effective dose from medical radiology was estimated to be 1 mSv y−1 per capita. The purpose of this work was to follow the trends in diagnostic radiology between 1998 and 2008 in Switzerland and determine the contribution of different modalities and types of examinations to the collective effective dose from medical x-rays. For this reason, an online database (www.raddose.ch) was developed. All healthcare providers who hold a license to run an x-ray unit in the country were invited to participate in the survey. More than 225 examinations, covering eight radiological modalities, were included in the survey. The average effective dose for each examination was reassessed. Data from about 3,500 users were collected (42% response rate). The survey showed that the annual effective dose was 1.2 mSv/capita in 2008. The most frequent examinations are conventional and dental radiographies (88%). The contribution of computed tomography was only 6% in terms of examination frequency but 68% in terms of effective dose. The comparison with other countries showed that the effective dose per capita in Switzerland was in the same range as in other countries with similar healthcare systems, although the annual number of examinations performed in Switzerland was higher.
Dual Regulation of Mammalian Myosin VI Motor Function*

Myosin VI is expressed in a variety of cell types and is thought to play a role in membrane trafficking and endocytosis, yet its motor function and regulation are not understood. The present study clarified mammalian myosin VI motor function and regulation at a molecular level. Myosin VI ATPase activity was highly activated by actin with K actin of 9 μm. A predominant amount of myosin VI bound to actin in the presence of ATP unlike conventional myosins.K ATP was much higher than those of other known myosins, suggesting that myosin VI has a weak affinity or slow binding for ATP. On the other hand, ADP markedly inhibited the actin-activated ATPase activity, suggesting a high affinity for ADP. These results suggested that myosin VI is predominantly in a strong actin binding state during the ATPase cycle. p21-activated kinase 3 phosphorylated myosin VI, and the site was identified as Thr406. The phosphorylation of myosin VI significantly facilitated the actin-translocating activity of myosin VI. On the other hand, Ca2+ diminished the actin-translocating activity of myosin VI although the actin-activated ATPase activity was not affected by Ca2+. Calmodulin was not dissociated from the heavy chain at high Ca2+, suggesting that a conformational change of calmodulin upon Ca2+ binding, but not its physical dissociation, determines the inhibition of the motility activity. The present results revealed the dual regulation of myosin VI by phosphorylation and Ca2+ binding to calmodulin light chain.
Candidatus Phytoplasma australiense is associated with pumpkin yellow leaf curl disease in Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory

Pumpkin plants (Cucurbita maxima andC. moschata) with pumpkin yellow leaf curl (PYLC) disease were observed at production fields in Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Diseased samples were positive for a phytoplasma indistinguishable fromCandidatus Phytoplasma australiense, the phytoplasma associated with papaya dieback and strawberry lethal yellows. This is the first timeCandidatus Phytoplasma australiense has been detected in pumpkin.
Methionine catabolism in Arabidopsis cells is initiated by a γ-cleavage process and leads to S-methylcysteine and isoleucine syntheses

Despite recent progress in elucidating the regulation of methionine (Met) synthesis, little is known about the catabolism of this amino acid in plants. In this article, we present several lines of evidence indicating that the cleavage of Met catalyzed by Met γ-lyase is the first step in this process. First, we cloned an Arabidopsis cDNA coding a functional Met γ-lyase (AtMGL), a cytosolic enzyme catalyzing the conversion of Met into methanethiol, α-ketobutyrate, and ammonia. AtMGL is present in all of the Arabidopsis organs and tissues analyzed, except in quiescent dry mature seeds, thus suggesting that AtMGL is involved in the regulation of Met homeostasis in various situations. Also, we demonstrated that the expression of AtMGL was induced in Arabidopsis cells in response to high Met levels, probably to bypass the elevated Km of the enzyme for Met. Second, [13C]-NMR profiling of Arabidopsis cells fed with [13C]Met allowed us to identify labeled S-adenosylmethionine, S-methylmethionine, S-methylcysteine (SMC), and isoleucine (Ile). The unexpected production of SMC and Ile was directly associated to the function of Met γ-lyase. Indeed, we showed that part of the methanethiol produced during Met cleavage could react with an activated form of serine to produce SMC. The second product of Met cleavage, α-ketobutyrate, entered the pathway of Ile synthesis in plastids. Together, these data indicate that Met catabolism in Arabidopsis cells is initiated by a γ-cleavage process and can result in the formation of the essential amino acid Ile and a potential storage form for sulfide or methyl groups, SMC.
Blocking Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Triggers Apoptotic Cell Death in Human Pancreatic Cancer Cells

Objectives: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is an aggressive malignancy with an annual mortality rate close to its annual incidence. We recently demonstrated that angiotensin II (AngII) type 1 receptor (AT1R) might be involved in PDA angiogenesis. This study evaluated the antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects of an AT1R blocker, losartan, in PDA cells with different p53 mutation status. Methods: Cell cycle was analyzed by flow cytometric analysis of DNA content; apoptosis by annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate (V-FITC) and terminal deoxytransferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling staining; messenger RNA and protein by real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting; caspase-3 activity by colorimetric assay; and promoter activity by luciferase assay. Results: Losartan dose-dependently decreased cell survival and increased their preG1 accumulation. It also increased p53, p21, p27, and Bax and reduced Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl expression. In wtp53 cells, losartan increased p53 transcription and activated caspase-3 in both cell lines. However, its proapoptotic effects in mtp53 cells were mainly caspase-3-dependent. Conclusion: Our data describe the involvement of AT1R in PDA cell apoptotic machinery and provide the first evidences that losartan stimulates the proapoptotic signaling pathways regardless of the p53 mutation status. As loss of p53 function is frequently observed in PDA patients, our data suggest AT1R blockade as a novel therapeutic strategy to control PDA growth.