Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Early Adaptations to Eccentric and High-Velocity Training on Strength and Functional Performance in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Abstract Leszczak, TJ, Olson, JM, Stafford, J, and Di Brezzo, R. Early adaptations to eccentric and high-velocity training on strength and functional performance in community-dwelling older adults. J Strength Cond Res 27(2): 442–448, 2013—The authors examined whether an eccentric training program or a high-velocity training program was more beneficial in regards to function and strength. Nineteen community-dwelling older adults, between the ages of 65 and 89 years, from a local senior center participated in the 8-week exercise program. All participants were randomly assigned to either an eccentric or a high-velocity training group. A doubly multivariate analysis of variance with 1 between-subjects factor and repeated measures was used to examine group and time differences. This analysis revealed that no differences existed between the groups (p > 0.05). However, there were within-group differences for both the high-velocity and the eccentric groups. For both groups, walking speed, 8-ft up-and-go time, chair stand, leg extension strength, leg curl strength, and leg press strength increased from preintervention to postintervention (p < 0.05). This suggests that a high-velocity training program provides similar results as an eccentric training program but with less total work. The eccentric training group trained at a higher percentage of their 1RM and tested with higher loads, which may suggest that a longer exercise program would show the eccentric training group to be stronger and more functional. Fitness practitioners dealing with an older adult population should focus on training with all types of training velocities. Not only are these types of training modalities safe for this population but they also can improve their ability to perform activities of daily living.
The internal structure of evidentiality in Romance

This article discusses the evidential uses of the Future, Conditional and Indicative Imperfect in various Romance languages (mostly French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish) and the semantic factors that underlie the choice be-tween them. The Romance data are used as a background for an evaluation of proposed taxonomies of evidentiality (Willett 1988; Frawley 1992; Botne 1997). It is shown that Willett's model, based on the primary distinction direct vs. indirect type of evidence, is better suited to account for eviden-tiality in Romance, while the notion of source should be considered as inde-pendently interacting with the type of evidence/mode of knowing
Irregular pupil localization using connected component analysis

Irregular pupil boundary localization is proposed in this paper by designing a new approach that extracts the irregular pupil boundary points from the edge map using 4-neighborhood connected component analysis. Initially, Canny's edge detection is adopted to extract the edge map in the eye image. Then the proposed boundary extraction technique is employed to extract the pupil boundary points perfectly and it is independent of the specific eye image characteristics such as pupil deformation, poor contrast, poor brightness, etc., The proposed approach is adaptable to all monochrome databases and exhibits encouraging results when compared with the existing techniques.
A cell‐block preparation using Glucomannan extracted from Amorphophallus konjac

To evaluate a cell‐block preparation using glucomannan, which was extracted from Amorphophallus konjac. Ten specimens were centrifuged at 1,500 rpm for 5 minutes, the supernatant was removed; the remnant after the preparation of smear specimens for routine cytological examination was fixed with 20% formalin. The specimen was recentrifuged at 1,500 rpm for 5 minutes, and the supernatant was removed. The residue was resuspended with 2 ml of eosin solution and 1–5 ml of 80% alcohol, and stirred well. After further centrifugation, the supernatant was removed, and one drop of a glucomannan‐formalin water solution was added gently. After immersion in methanol for 2 hours, glucomannan is solidified and becomes gelatinous. The obtained cell block was placed in the cassette for the preparation of tissue specimens, dehydrated by the routine method, infiltrated with paraffin, and a paraffin‐embedded block was prepared. Thin sections were prepared from the paraffin‐embedded cell block, and hematoxylin–eosin (H&E) stain with immunological stains was performed. H&E stain, periodic acid‐Schiff reaction, Alcian blue, and immunohistochemical stain were clearly demonstrated.
An Assessment of Epidemiological Trends of Malaria in Lusaka Province of Zambia, 2009-2013

Background: Malaria is endemic in Zambia, with seasonal and geographical variations. It has over a decade been the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the country. Malaria accounts for up to 50% of all infant mortality and 20% of all maternal mortality in Zambia and presents severe social and economic burdens on communities living in endemic areas. Methods: A retrospective, observational study was performed at each of the four original districts in Lusaka Province of Zambia. Annual reported, district-level, aggregated malaria surveillance data were collected from all the four original districts of Lusaka Province from 2009 to 2013 using the Zambian District Health Information System (DHIS) through structured questionnaires. Data on annual provincial population were collected from Central Statistics Office (CSO) of the Republic of Zambia. District aggregated malaria data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel to show the trends of malaria morbidity and mortality in Lusaka Province by district. Results: Lusaka Province malaria morbidity was 80 per 1000 in 2009, 90 per 1000 in 2010, 92 per 1000 in 2011, 40 per 1000 in 2012 and 60 per 1000 population in 2013. Malaria mortality rate was 0.13 per 1000 in 2009, 0.15 per 1000 in 2010, 0.06 per 1000 in 2011, 0.02 per 1000 in 2012 and 0.01 per 1000 population in 2013. Conclusion: There was a significant reduction in the burden of malaria in Lusaka province from 2009 to 2013. However, malaria remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the Province with Luangwa District as the most affected. Although malaria affected everyone, children below five years of age were the most affected. Malaria control interventions should be intensified in the province more especially in the rural districts where malaria badly hit the province.
Mechanisms That Mediate Negative Regulation of the Thyroid-stimulating Hormone α Gene by the Thyroid Hormone Receptor*

A group of transcriptional cofactors for nuclear hormone receptors, referred to as corepressors (CoRs) and coactivators (CoAs), has been shown to induce transcriptional silencing and hormone-induced activation, respectively, of genes that contain positive hormone response elements. Transcriptional silencing by CoRs involves the recruitment of histone deacetylases (HDACs), whereas ligand-dependent activation is associated with the recruitment of CoAs, which possess or recruit histone acetyltransferases (HATs). In a reciprocal manner, negatively regulated genes are stimulated by nuclear receptors in the absence of ligand and are repressed in response to ligand binding to receptors. We show here that negative regulation of the thyroid-stimulating hormone α (TSHα) promoter by the thyroid hormone receptor (TR) involves a novel mechanism in which the recruitment of CoRs by TR is associated with transcriptional stimulation and histone acetylation. Expression of excess HDAC reverses the stimulation mediated by the TR·CoR complex, consistent with a pivotal role for acetylation in this event. Addition of the ligand, 3,5,3′-triiodothyronine (T3), induces transcriptional repression of the TSHα promoter and is associated with the loss of histone acetylation. T3-dependent repression is blocked by phosphorylation of cAMP response element binding protein, or by inhibition of HDAC, indicating that receptor action is subverted by maneuvers that stimulate histone acetylation of the target gene. We propose that negative regulation of a subset of genes by TR involves the active exchange of CoRs and CoAs with intrinsic promoter regulatory elements that normally strongly induce histone acetylation and transcriptional activation.
Pathology of the placenta.

The Development and Structure of the Placenta. Physiology of the Placenta. Abnormalities of Placentation. The Placenta in Multiple Pregnancy. Macroscopic Abnormalities of the Placenta. Histological Abnormalities of the Placenta. The Placenta in Pregnancies of Abnormal Duration. The Placenta in Maternal Disorders. The Placenta in Abnormalities and Disorders of the Fetus. The Placenta in Abortion. Infections and Inflammatory Lesions of the Placenta. Immunopathology of the Placenta. Nontrophoblastic Tumours of the Placenta. Trophoblastic Tumours of the Placenta. Pathology of the Umbilical Cord. Pathology of the Membranes. Appendix 1: Pathological Examination of the Placenta. Appendix 2: Placental Weight. Appendix 3: Placental Biopsy. Appendix 4: Medico-Legal Aspects of Placental Pathology.
Outcome Measures for Gait and Ambulation in the Spinal Cord Injury Population

Abstract Background: At the 2006 National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) sponsored pre-conference on spinal cord injury (SCI) outcomes, several gait and ambulation measures were evaluatedfor utility in clinical practice, validity, and reliability as research measurement tools. The Conference Subcommittee on Gait and Ambulation chose to review the Walking Index for Spinal Cord Injury II (WISCIII), 50-Foot Walk Test (50FTWT), 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), 10-Meter Walk Test (1 OMWT), andFunctional Independence Measure-Locomotor (FIM-L). Methods: A subcommittee of international experts evaluated each instrument for test construct,administration, population applicability, reliability, sensitivity to change, and validity. Evaluations for eachoutcome measure were compiled, distributed to the whole committee, and then further reviewed withaddition of comments and recommendations for consensus. An audience of experts voted on the validity and usefulness of each measure. Results: WISCI II and 1 OMWT were found to be the most valid and clinically useful tests to measureimprovement in gait for patients with SCI. FIM-L had little utility and validity for research in SCI. 6MWT and50FTWT were found to be useful but in need of further validation or changes for the SCI population. Conclusion: A combination of the 1 OMWT and WI SCI II would provide the most valid measure of improvement in gait and ambulation in as much as objective changes of speed, and functional capacity allow for interval measurement. To provide the most comprehensive battery, however, it will be importantto include a measure of endurance such as the 6MWT. Further validation and study should be devoted toWISCI II, 1 OMWT, and 6MWT as primary outcome measuresfor gait in SCI.
Application of the difference lmis method to robust stochastic H∞ control and filtering of distinct plants

A recently developed method is applied to the solution of linear matrix inequalities over a finite horizon for stochastic, state-multiplicative, linear, discrete-time varying systems with or without uncertainties. The method is used to solve a variety of problems beginning with the stochastic H∞ discrete-time bounded real lemma and extending to robust state-feedback control, robust a priori and a posteriori filtering, robust H∞ general-filtering and static output-feedback control design of uncertain systems. In all the above cases a solution is presented in the form of difference linear matrix inequalities. An example is brought which demonstrates the efficiency of the method.
Predictors of Cancer-Related Pain Improvement Over Time

Objective To determine the predictors of pain improvement among patients being treated for cancer-related pain over 12 months. Methods A secondary analysis of the telephone care Indiana Cancer Pain and Depression trial was performed. Patients (n = 274) were interviewed at baseline and after 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. Pain improvement outcomes included both a continuous measure (Brief Pain Inventory score) and a categorical measure (pain improved versus pain not improved). Predictor variables included change in depression, age, sex, race, marital status, socioeconomic disadvantage, medical comorbidity, type of cancer, and phase of cancer. Multivariable repeated measures were conducted, adjusting for intervention group assignment, baseline pain severity, and time in months since baseline assessment. Results Factors significantly predicting both continuous and categorical pain improvement included participating in the intervention group (&bgr; = −0.92, p < .001, odds ratio [OR] = 2.53, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.65–3.89), greater improvement in depression (&bgr; = −0.31, p = .003, OR = 1.84, 95% CI = 1.35–2.51), higher socioeconomic status (Socioeconomic Disadvantage index; &bgr; = 0.25, p = .034; OR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.56–0.94), and fewer comorbid conditions (&bgr; = 0.20, p = .002; OR = 0.84, 95% CI = 0.73–0.96). Patients with more severe pain at baseline or with recurrent or progressive cancer were less likely to experience continuous or categorical pain improvement, respectively. Conclusions Effective management of depression and comorbid conditions along with improvement of social services could be critical components of a comprehensive pain management. Patients with more severe pain or with recurrent or progressive cancers may require closer monitoring and adequate treatment of pain. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00313573. Abbreviations BPI = Brief Pain Inventory HSCL-20 = Hopkins Symptom Checklist 20-item depression scale INCPAD = Indiana Cancer Pain and Depression MMRM = mixed-effects models for repeated measures PGRI = Pain Global Rating of Improvement SED = Socioeconomic Disadvantage T0 = baseline data collection T1 = 1-month data collection T3 = 3-month data collection T6 = 6-month data collection T12 = 12-month data collection Telecare = centralized telephone care management
Metabolic model for acetate uptake by a mixed culture of phosphate‐ and glycogen‐accumulating organisms under anaerobic conditions

This paper proposes a new metabolic model for acetate uptake by a mixed culture of phosphate‐ and glycogen‐accumulating organisms (PAOs and GAOs) under anaerobic conditions. The model uses variable overall stoichiometry based on the assumption that PAOs may have the ability of using the glyoxylate pathway to produce the required reducing power for polyhydroxyalkonate (PHA) synthesis. The proposed model was tested and verified by experimental results. A sequencing batch reactor system was operated for enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) with acetate as the sole carbon source at different influent acetate/phosphate ratios. The resulting experimental data supported the validity of the proposed model, indicating the presence of GAOs for all tested HAc/P ratios, especially under P‐limiting conditions. Strong agreement is observed between experimental values and model predictions for all model components, namely, PHB production, PHA composition, glycogen utilization, and P release. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 84: 359–373, 2003.
In Vivo Study of Dynamics and Stability of Dendritic Spines on Olfactory Bulb Interneurons in Xenopus laevis Tadpoles

Dendritic spines undergo continuous remodeling during development of the nervous system. Their stability is essential for maintaining a functional neuronal circuit. Spine dynamics and stability of cortical excitatory pyramidal neurons have been explored extensively in mammalian animal models. However, little is known about spiny interneurons in non-mammalian vertebrate models. In the present study, neuronal morphology was visualized by single-cell electroporation. Spiny neurons were surveyed in the Xenopus tadpole brain and observed to be widely distributed in the olfactory bulb and telencephalon. DsRed- or PSD95-GFP-expressing spiny interneurons in the olfactory bulb were selected for in vivo time-lapse imaging. Dendritic protrusions were classified as filopodia, thin, stubby, or mushroom spines based on morphology. Dendritic spines on the interneurons were highly dynamic, especially the filopodia and thin spines. The stubby and mushroom spines were relatively more stable, although their stability significantly decreased with longer observation intervals. The 4 spine types exhibited diverse preferences during morphological transitions from one spine type to others. Sensory deprivation induced by severing the olfactory nerve to block the input of mitral/tufted cells had no significant effects on interneuron spine stability. Hence, a new model was established in Xenopus laevis tadpoles to explore dendritic spine dynamics in vivo.
Aminopeptidase A: a nephritogenic target antigen of nephrotoxic serum.

BACKGROUND We investigated potential targets of antibody-mediated glomerular injury induced with a noncomplement binding fraction of sheep anti-rat nephrotoxic serum (NTS). This model is characterized by severe complement- and leukocyte-independent proteinuria within 24 hours of NTS injection into rats. METHODS NTS-reactive glomerular cell and matrix proteins were identified by immunoprecipitation, Western blot analysis, protein sequencing, cDNA library screening, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Proteinuria was measured in rats injected with NTS from which reactivity against type IV collagen had been removed by immunoadsorption, and antibodies were eluted from the glomeruli of proteinuric rats that had been injected with unabsorbed NTS. Having identified aminopeptidase A (APA) as a major target of NTS, we studied the effect of NTS and anti-APA on mouse glomerular epithelial cells in culture. RESULTS NTS identified several podocyte and matrix proteins; however, APA was the only cell surface protein reactive with antibodies eluted from the glomeruli of rats injected with NTS. Although the eluate also contained reactivity to the noncollagenous domains of alpha1 and alpha3 chains of type IV collagen, immunodepletion of these antibodies did not diminish the ability of NTS to cause proteinuria. We also documented the surface expression of APA on mouse glomerular epithelial cells in culture, and found that NTS and specific anti-APA antibodies induce a time- and temperature-dependent redistribution of the antigen. CONCLUSIONS APA, a type II integral membrane metallopeptidase, is a major target of NTS in vivo and is known to be present on the surface of podocytes. NTS-induced proteinuria is independent of reactivity to known nephritogenic matrix proteins. These findings, in combination with previous studies showing that monoclonal anti-APA antibodies induce severe proteinuria in mice, suggest that anti-APA antibodies are responsible for complement-independent proteinuria in this model.
Review article: Hypertonic saline use in the emergency department

Hypertonic saline (HS) is being increasingly used for the management of a variety of conditions, most notably raised intracranial pressure. This article reviews the available evidence on HS solutions as they relate to emergency medicine, and develops a set of recommendations for its use. To conclude, HS is recommended as an alternative to mannitol for treating raised intracranial pressure in traumatic brain injury. HS is also recommended for treating severe and symptomatic hyponatremia, and is worth considering for both recalcitrant tricyclic antidepressant toxicity and for cerebral oedema complicating paediatric diabetic ketoacidosis. HS is not recommended for hypovolaemic resuscitation.
A small-molecule therapeutic lead for Huntington's disease: Preclinical pharmacology and efficacy of C2-8 in the R6/2 transgenic mouse

Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease caused by a glutamine expansion within huntingtin protein. The exact pathological mechanisms determining disease onset and progression remain unclear. However, aggregates of insoluble mutant huntingtin (mhtt), a hallmark of HD, are readily detected within neurons in HD brain. Although aggregated polyglutamines may not be inherently toxic, they constitute a biomarker for mutant huntingtin useful for developing therapeutics. We previously reported that the small molecule, C2-8, inhibits polyglutamine aggregation in cell culture and brain slices and rescues degeneration of photoreceptors in a Drosophila model of HD. In this study, we assessed the therapeutic potential of C2-8 in the R6/2 mouse model of HD, which has been used to provide proof-of-concept data in considering whether to advance therapies to human HD. We show that, at nontoxic doses, C2-8 penetrates the blood–brain barrier and is present in brain at a high concentration. C2-8-treated mice showed improved motor performance and reduced neuronal atrophy and had smaller huntingtin aggregates. There have been no prior drug-like, non-toxic, brain-penetrable aggregation inhibitors to arise from cell-based high-throughput screens for reducing huntingtin aggregation that is efficacious in preclinical in vivo models. C2-8 provides an essential tool to help elucidate mechanisms of neurodegeneration in HD and a therapeutic lead for further optimization and development.
A Comparison of Serological Methods for Detecting the Immune Response After Rabies Vaccination in Dogs and Cows From Rabies-Endemic Areas in Brazil

During a serosurvey of domestic dogs and cows in Brazil, a fluorescent antibody virus neutralization (FAVN) test, liquid-phase competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (LPC-ELISA), and sandwich competitive ELISA (SC-ELISA) were used to measure rabies antibodies in vaccinated animals. Post-vaccination titers measured by LPCELISA for vaccinated dogs and cows correlated closely with those found by FAVN (r = 0.893). The LPC-ELISA presented relative specificity of 98.00%, sensitivity of 99.49%, and accuracy of 100% when the titers were compared with those obtained by FAVN for the dog testing sera. Thereafter, for the cow sera, the same accuracy was observed, and the relative specificity of 86.90% and relative sensitivity of 98.43% were lower. These results suggested that LPC-ELISA applied here, using polyclonal immunoreagents,
Neonatal capsaicin treatment impairs vasopressin‐mediated blood pressure recovery following acute hypotension

1 Rats were treated with a single injection of either capsaicin (50 mg kg−1 s.c.) or vehicle on day 2 after birth. When the animals were adult, they were challenged with osmotic (water deprivation) and haemodynamic (acute hypotension) stimuli that normally evoke vasopressin release. 2 Capsaicin‐treated and vehicle‐injected rats showed similar body weight losses and plasma osmolalities following 48 h of water deprivation. Thus it appears that neonatal treatment with capsaicin does not impair the antidiuretic response to plasma hyperosmolality. 3 Following acute ganglion blockade in the presence of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibition, there was some recovery of blood pressure in the vehicle‐injected rats, but recovery was significantly (P < 0.001) less in the capsaicin‐treated animals. The recovery may be attributed to vasopressin since it was abolished by an antagonist selective for the pressor action of the peptide (d(CH2)5DAVP). 4 These results suggest that neonatal treatment with capsaicin impairs vasopressin‐mediated recovery of blood pressure following acute hypotension. The possible involvement of baro‐ or chemoreceptor afferents is discussed.