Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
BJSM reviews: A–Z of nutritional supplements: dietary supplements, sports nutrition foods and ergogenic aids for health and performance Part 4

Welcome to Part 4 in our A–Z of nutritional supplement series. One of the enjoyable aspects of reviewing the many supplements in a fairly logical order from A to Z means that, every now and then, a review comprises a real assortment of supplements, and Part 4 is certainly one of them! In Part 4, the review takes us from aspartame, a sweetening ingredient found in many foods and drinks, to BCAA, the three branched chain essential amino acids; then onto bee pollen, marketed as a “superfood,” followed by the ultra trace element boron, known more for its association with bone health, and finally to l-carnitine, a supplement which is widely used in the sporting arena and seems to be gaining in popularity. We are grateful for the excellent contributions from our invited reviewers, which facilitate the provision of access to impartial advice on the value of these individual ingredients and supplements. These contributions are establishing that, for some, the performance evidence is limited or simply does not yet exist. In the January 2010 issue, we will be turning our attention to “buffers,” where we will be covering the key ones used by many athletes, such as beta-alanine and carnosine, together with the two more established compounds of sodium bicarbonate and sodium citrate. ### PJ Rogers Aspartame (C14H18N2O5) is an example of an intense or non-nutritive sweetener and an ingredient of many thousands of drink and food products consumed worldwide. It is a methyl ester of a dipeptide composed of the amino acids aspartic acid and phenylalanine, which are constituents of all protein-containing foods. Aspartame is about 180 times sweeter than sucrose with, for most individuals, minimal bitterness and a good quality of sweet taste. Being composed of amino acids, it has an energy value …
Psychodynamic and Esthetic Motivations for Plastic Surgery

During the last decade the number of people who have sought plastic surgery for cosmetic reasons has grown tremendously. Misshapen or unesthetic noses, premature or excessive facial wrinkles and folds, protruding ears, and pendulous or asymmetrical breasts have all been more successfully treated through advanced technics (6). Though methods and judgment have so matured that a good cosmetic correction is the rule, little attention has been given to the total adjustment of the patient, to his character structure, or to the motivations for such surgery.
Glucagon inhibits hepatocyte nitric oxide synthesis.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of glucagon on nitric oxide (NO) synthesis in cultured rat hepatocytes. SETTING Laboratory. MATERIALS Male Sprague-Dawley rats (weight, 200-250 g). INTERVENTIONS Isolated rat hepatocytes were cultured with interleukin-1 to stimulate NO synthesis. Glucagon was added at increasing concentrations (from 10(-9) to 2 x 10(-5) mol/L) at the time of interleukin-1 stimulation. Selected cultures were treated with the adenylate cyclase inhibitor, SQ 22536 (from 10(-5) to 10(-3) mol/L). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Nitric oxide synthesis was assessed by measuring the concentrations of culture supernatant nitrite and nitrite plus nitrate, hepatocyte nitric oxide synthase-2 (NOS-2) messenger RNA (mRNA), and NOS-2 protein. RESULTS Interleukin-1 stimulated hepatocyte NO synthesis, and this synthesis was inhibited by glucagon in a dose-dependent manner. Glucagon inhibited the accumulation of supernatant nitrite and the expression of NOS-2 mRNA and NOS-2 protein. SQ 22536 restored glucagon-induced decreases in NO synthesis. CONCLUSIONS Glucagon inhibits NO synthesis in interleukin-1-stimulated hepatocytes in vitro. This inhibition seems to be mediated by glucagon-induced changes in cyclic adenosine monophosphate.
PCR-Based Identification of Bacteria Associated with Endodontic Infections

ABSTRACT PCR primers that target the bacterial 16S rRNA genes (or the tuf gene for the genus Enterococcus) were used to identify 10 putative bacterial pathogens in root canals with necrotic pulp. In addition, the associations of these microorganisms with symptoms and a history of diabetes mellitus were investigated. Microbial samples from the root canals of 24 teeth with necrotic pulp were included in the study. PCR with universal bacterial primers identified bacterial DNA in 22 specimens; the remaining 2 specimens were from intact teeth that had been traumatized 6 months prior to treatment. PCR with specific primers showed that preoperative symptoms were significantly associated with the presence of Streptococcus spp. (P < 0.001 by chi-square analysis). There was also a nonsignificant trend for symptoms to be associated with Fusobacterium nucleatum and Porphyromonas gingivalis (odds ratio, >2) and for diabetes mellitus to be associated with P. gingivalis and Porphyromonas endodontalis (odds ratio, >2). Cloning and sequencing of the universal PCR product in one specimen revealed the presence of an organism related to the genus Olsenella, which has not previously been described in endodontic infections.
Low ON-Resistance SiC Trench/Planar MOSFET With Reduced OFF-State Oxide Field and Low Gate Charges

We propose a SiC trench/planar MOSFET (TP-MOS) which features a trench channel and a planar channel in one half-cell. Numerical simulations with Sentaurus TCAD have been carried out to study the proposed device architecture. Compared with traditional planar MOSFET (P-MOS), the TP-MOS has a much lower RON owing to the increased channel density. Unlike traditional trench MOSFET (T-MOS) which enables a higher channel density at the price of a high bottom-oxide field in the high-voltage OFF-state, the TP-MOS features bottom p-bases as in the P-MOS that protect the gate oxide from high electric field. The OFF-state oxide field in the TP-MOS is found to be even lower than the P-MOS. In addition, the TP-MOS boasts a low feedback capacitance (Crss) and gateto-drain charge (QGD), since the coupling between the gate and the drain is suppressed by the collective effects of the top p-bases and the bottom p-bases. The QG of the TP-MOS is nearly the same as the P-MOS, and is much smaller than the T-MOS. Superior figures of merit (QG×RON and QGD×RON) are achieved in the TP-MOS.
Knowledge of and Adherence to Fruit and Vegetable Recommendations and Intakes: Results of the 2003 Health Information National Trends Survey

Attention to cancer-relevant communication (e.g., fruit/vegetable intake recommendations) through various media has been shown to be a pivotal step in reduction of the cancer burden, thus underscoring the importance of examining associations between exposure to health media and knowledge of and adherence to fruit/vegetable intake recommendations. The purpose of the present study was to assess factors associated with fruit/vegetable intake knowledge and behavior. The authors analyzed data collected from the 2003 Health Information National Trends Survey to evaluate the effect of fruit/vegetable intake knowledge on behavior, and the relationship of this effect with biobehavioral, sociodemographic, and communication characteristics. Participants who were knowledgeable of fruit/vegetable intake recommendations and consumed at least 5 fruit/vegetable servings per day were classified as informed compliers. Associations were observed for being an informed complier and paying “a lot” of attention to health media on the radio, in the newspaper, and in magazines and “a little” or “some” attention to health media in magazines or on the Internet. The recent explosion of available cancer-related information through various media underscores the importance of examining associations between exposure to health media and knowledge of and adherence to fruit/vegetable intake recommendations.
Can intensive agricultural landscapes favour some raptor species? The Marsh harrier in north‐eastern Spain

Agricultural intensification over the last 60 decades has been linked to decreases in biodiversity and in the breeding populations of several avian species in farmlands. However, agricultural intensification has not affected all species in the same way and transformed landscapes can still provide suitable habitats for species tolerant to some degree of anthropogenic change. Understanding habitat selection in man‐made landscapes is a pre‐requisite to effective management and conservation of the species that use them. However, habitat‐related choices made by individuals occupying these landscapes are often difficult to explain, as the cues they use may be decoupled from the ecological context in which they evolved. Here, we investigated nesting habitat selection in a ground‐nesting raptor breeding mainly in wetlands, which, unlike many other species occupying farmlands, has experienced a population increase in some agricultural regions. We used multivariate analysis to assess the extent to which habitat characteristics, human disturbance or proximity to other occupied sites influenced nesting‐site occupancy. Our results indicate that Marsh harriers occupied breeding sites according to habitat cues obtained at two complementary spatial scales (i.e. the breeding site and the foraging area). This study indicates that a raptor species that uses human‐made structures such as ponds for breeding while exploiting their surrounding crops for hunting can take advantage of agricultural intensification. Environmental disturbances are often viewed only in terms of their harmful impacts on the affected species. However, human activities are causing many types of alterations in natural landscapes that can be exploited by certain species with positive responses towards these transformations. The adaptation of some raptors to human‐altered environments, such as the Marsh harrier in our study area, raises doubts regarding the appropriateness of using such species as indicators of natural habitat quality.
Review of the function of a telephone helpline in the treatment of outpatients with rheumatoid arthritis

Objectives: To examine the role, acceptability, and cost effectiveness of a telephone helpline organised and run by specialist nurses in a district general hospital outpatient rheumatology department. Material and methods: Patients accessed the telephone helpline by leaving a taped message on an answer phone with a 24 hour response time. Assessment included an audit of the nature and outcome of helpline calls, patient satisfaction with the helpline, and a health economic analysis of the helpline operation. A postal questionnaire was used to assess patient satisfaction; this was sent to the 87 patients who called the helpline during one month, and overall satisfaction with the helpline was assessed. The nature and outcome of all calls was analysed retrospectively using a helpline record book for February and October of one year and February of the following year. From the results of the retrospective analysis and an estimate of the number of general practitioner consultations avoided by provision of the helpline, the cost effectiveness of the helpline was calculated. Results: Of those returning questionnaires, 61/63 (97%) were satisfied with the response time, 63/63 (100%) with the courtesy, and 60/63 (95%) felt that their questions were answered directly and to their satisfaction in 62 (98%) of cases. Had the helpline not been available, 38/63 (60%) patients would have made an appointment with their GP. When these figures were extrapolated to an annual estimation, a basic cost analysis showed that the helpline produced a cost saving to the NHS, largely as a result of GP consultations avoided. Conclusion: Clinical advice and support can be provided by a rheumatology helpline set up as an adjunct to a standard outpatient service. The results of a postal questionnaire suggested more than 95% satisfaction with all aspects of the helpline service and that 99% of callers would call the helpline again. The provision of the helpline service contributes to the quality of care provided by an outpatient department and provides benefit to the NHS.
Broadband PLC-channel equalisation in the frequency domain based on complementary sequences

Multipath channels, like power lines, have a periodic time-variant response that impacts on data transmission. Power Line Communications (PLC) performance, in the context of a cyclic-prefix single carrier modulation scheme, can benefit from frequency domain equalisation techniques. This study proposes a frequency-domain dynamic characterisation and equalisation algorithm based on the properties of complementary sequences (CSs). This proposal takes advantage of CS properties to reduce the complexity of the algorithm by performing all the operations in the frequency domain, and without the necessity of noise/variance estimators. The proposal is compared to some well-known methods like zero forcing and minimum mean-square error (MMSE) through the transmission of data under different PLC channels. Bit error rate (BER) is also measured using Middleton Class A impulse noise (IN) model and the performance of all methods is finally evaluated under a time-variant PLC channel model showing the importance of dynamic equalisation on PLC systems. Reported computational resources and simulations show that the proposal is four time faster than MMSE and improves the BER performance by up to 4 dB. In addition, the proposed identification algorithms shows to work properly even in PLC channels with attenuations higher than 40 dB and severe IN scenarios.
GROSS MORPHOLOGY AND ULTRASTRUCTURE OF MYCOPLASMA GALLISEPTICUM

Domermuth, C. H. (Statens Seruminstitut, Copenhagen, Denmark), M. Nielsen, E. A. Freundt, and A. Birch-Andersen. Gross morphology and ultrastructure of Mycoplasma gallisepticum. J. Bacteriol. 88:1428–1432. 1964. —The ultrastructure and gross morphology of Mycoplasma gallisepticum strains JA and W were studied with an electron microscope. Intact specimens were grown on Parlodion membranes, fixed with formaldehyde, and studied in situ. Sectioned specimens were grown on agar and were prepared for study by conventional sectioning techniques. Grossly, single and multiple (as many as four) protrusions were frequently observed extending from the surface of cells of the W strain. Single short protrusions extended from many of the cells of strain JA. In sectioned material, rows of what appeared to be developing elementary bodies (as many as four) were observed in cells of strain W, whereas, single, apparently developing elementary bodies were observed in strain JA. In both strains, these bodies were located within the protruding areas of the cell wall. The inclusion-containing portions of the cell appeared to be the protrusions which extended from the surface of the intact cell.
Novel insight into the distribution of L-cells in the rat intestinal tract.

BACKGROUND Gut secreted incretin hormones and gastric bypass surgery currently provides some of the most successful treatments for diabetes and obesity respectively. However, despite the evident importance of the gut endocrine system no information exists on the total number and distribution of different types of endocrine cells in the gut. Here we have used the established preclinical Zucker Diabetic Fatty (ZDF) rat model which displays elevated levels of GLP-1 to assess L-cell distribution and L-cell dynamics in the full rostro-caudal extension of the rat intestinal tract. METHODS Using mathematically unbiased stereology we provide total and regional estimates of gut volume, gut surface area and the total number of L-cells throughout the intestinal tract in obese ZDF rats and lean controls. RESULTS The total number of L-cells in the lean and obese ZDF gut is estimated to 4.8 and 10.9 million, respectively, coupled with a corresponding near doubling in total gut volume and total surface area. L-cell numbers were found to be distributed rather evenly throughout the jejunum, ileum and colon. CONCLUSION The present study provides the first stereological report of total L-cell number and L-cell distribution throughout the rat intestinal tract. In contrast to the currently held view, the majority of L-cells are actually located proximal to the traditionally defined ileum and colon.
Molecular biology and biophysical properties of ion channel gating pores

Abstract The voltage sensitive domain (VSD) is a pivotal structure of voltage-gated ion channels (VGICs) and plays an essential role in the generation of electrochemical signals by neurons, striated muscle cells, and endocrine cells. The VSD is not unique to VGICs. Recent studies have shown that a VSD regulates a phosphatase. Similarly, Hv1, a voltage-sensitive protein that lacks an apparent pore domain, is a self-contained voltage sensor that operates as an H+ channel. VSDs are formed by four transmembrane helices (S1–S4). The S4 helix is positively charged due to the presence of arginine and lysine residues. It is surrounded by two water crevices that extend into the membrane from both the extracellular and intracellular milieus. A hydrophobic septum disrupts communication between these water crevices thus preventing the permeation of ions. The septum is maintained by interactions between the charged residues of the S4 segment and the gating charge transfer center. Mutating the charged residue of the S4 segment allows the water crevices to communicate and generate gating pore or omega pore. Gating pore currents have been reported to underlie several neuronal and striated muscle channelopathies. Depending on which charged residue on the S4 segment is mutated, gating pores are permeant either at depolarized or hyperpolarized voltages. Gating pores are cation selective and seem to converge toward Eisenmann's first or second selectivity sequences. Most gating pores are blocked by guanidine derivatives as well as trivalent and quadrivalent cations. Gating pores can be used to study the movement of the voltage sensor and could serve as targets for novel small therapeutic molecules.
Biological Solids Reduction Using the Cannibal Process

A laboratory study of the Cannibal process was undertaken to determine if the Cannibal system would generate less sludge compared with a conventional activated sludge system. Side‐by‐side sequencing batch reactors were operated—one using the Cannibal configuration and the other as conventional activated sludge. It was found that the Cannibal process generated 60% less solids than the conventional activated sludge system, without any negative effect on the effluent quality or the settling characteristics of the activated sludge. The oxygen uptake rate for the centrate from the Cannibal bioreactor showed that readily biodegradable organic matter was released from the recycled biomass in the Cannibal bioreactor. It is proposed that the mechanism for reduced solids from the Cannibal system is that, in the Cannibal bioreactor, iron is reduced, releasing iron‐bound organic material into solution. When the Cannibal biomass is recirculated back to the aeration basin, the released organic material is rapidly degraded.
Accuracy of liquid based versus conventional cytology: overall results of new technologies for cervical cancer screening: randomised controlled trial

Objective To compare the accuracy of conventional cytology with liquid based cytology for primary screening of cervical cancer. Design Randomised controlled trial. Setting Nine screening programmes in Italy. Participants Women aged 25-60 attending for a new screening round: 22 466 were assigned to the conventional arm and 22 708 were assigned to the experimental arm. Interventions Conventional cytology compared with liquid based cytology and testing for human papillomavirus. Main outcome measure Relative sensitivity for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia of grade 2 or more at blindly reviewed histology, with atypical cells of undetermined significance or more severe cytology considered a positive result. Results In an intention to screen analysis liquid based cytology showed no significant increase in sensitivity for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia of grade 2 or more (relative sensitivity 1.17, 95% confidence interval 0.87 to 1.56) whereas the positive predictive value was reduced (relative positive predictive value v conventional cytology 0.58, 0.44 to 0.77). Liquid based cytology detected more lesions of grade 1 or more (relative sensitivity 1.68, 1.40 to 2.02), with a larger increase among women aged 25-34 (P for heterogeneity 0.0006), but did not detect more lesions of grade 3 or more (relative sensitivity 0.84, 0.56 to 1.25). Results were similar when only low grade intraepithelial lesions or more severe cytology were considered a positive result. No evidence was found of heterogeneity between centres or of improvement with increasing time from start of the study. The relative frequency of women with at least one unsatisfactory result was lower with liquid based cytology (0.62, 0.56 to 0.69). Conclusion Liquid based cytology showed no statistically significant difference in sensitivity to conventional cytology for detection of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia of grade 2 or more. More positive results were found, however, leading to a lower positive predictive value. A large reduction in unsatisfactory smears was evident. Trial registration Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN81678807.
Reference values for concentric knee isokinetic strength and power in nonathletic men and women from 20 to 80 years old.

STUDY DESIGN A prospective, controlled, randomized study. OBJECTIVE To establish reference values for prediction of concentric isokinetic knee strength and power in a sample of nonathletic men and women. BACKGROUND Adequate interpretation of knee isokinetic strength and power relies on a representative frame of reference. However, none of the most widely cited prediction studies used a randomly selected sample of nonathletic subjects, therefore limiting the clinical application of these studies. METHODS AND MEASURES We evaluated the concentric right and left knee extensor and flexor peak torque, total work, set total work, average power, and torque acceleration energy (Cybex 6000 System) in 96 healthy subjects (45 men and 51 women, aged 20 to 80), randomly selected from more than 8000 individuals. RESULTS By stepwise regression analysis, we found that gender, age, weight, height, and regular physical activity explained up to 84% of the variability of the dependent variables: a set of linear prediction equations for strength (at 60 degrees/s) and power (at 300 degrees/s) is provided. CONCLUSIONS Results from this study might provide a clinically useful frame of reference for interpretation of concentric isokinetic knee strength and power in nonathletic men and women.
A comprehensive survey of wnt and frizzled expression in the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus

WNT signaling is, in all multicellular animals, an essential intercellular communication pathway that is critical for shaping the embryo. At the molecular level, WNT signals can be transmitted by several transduction cascades, all activated chiefly by the binding of WNT ligands to receptors of the FRIZZLED family. The first step in assessing the biological functions of WNT signaling during embryogenesis is thus the establishment of the spatiotemporal expression profiles of wnt and frizzled genes in the course of embryonic development. To this end, using quantitative polymerase chain reaction, Northern blot, and in situ hybridization assays, we report here the comprehensive expression patterns of all 11 wnt and 4 frizzled genes present in the genome of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus during its embryogenesis. Our findings indicate that the expression of these wnt ligands and frizzled receptors is highly dynamic in both time and space. We further establish that all wnt genes are chiefly transcribed in the vegetal hemisphere of the embryo, whereas expression of the frizzled genes is distributed more widely across the embryonic territories. Thus, in P. lividus, WNT ligands might act both as short‐ and long‐range signaling molecules that may operate in all cell lineages and tissues to control various developmental processes during embryogenesis. genesis 52:235–250. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.