Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Weather, day length and physical activity in older adults: Cross-sectional results from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) Norfolk Cohort

Background A wide range of environmental factors have been related to active ageing, but few studies have explored the impact of weather and day length on physical activity in older adults. We investigate the cross-sectional association between weather conditions, day length and activity in older adults using a population-based cohort in England, the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) Norfolk study. Methods Physical activity was measured objectively over 7 days using an accelerometer and this was used to calculate daily total physical activity (counts per minute), daily minutes of sedentary behaviour and light, moderate and vigorous physical activity (LMVPA). Day length and two types of weather conditions, precipitation and temperature, were obtained from a local weather station. The association between these variables and physical activity was examined by multilevel first-order autoregressive modelling. Results After adjusting for individual factors, short day length and poor weather conditions, including high precipitation and low temperatures, were associated with up to 10% lower average physical activity (p<0.01) and 8 minutes less time spent in LMVPA but 15 minutes more sedentary time, compared to the best conditions. Conclusion Day length and weather conditions appear to be an important factor related to active ageing. Future work should focus on developing potential interventions to reduce their impact on physical activity behaviours in older adults.
Maintenance therapy and 3-year outcome of opioid-dependent prisoners: a prospective study in France (2003-06).

AIMS To describe the profile of imprisoned opioid-dependent patients, prescriptions of maintenance therapy at imprisonment and 3-year outcome in terms of re-incarceration and mortality. DESIGN Prospective, observational study (France, 2003-06). SETTING Health units of 47 remand prisons. PARTICIPANTS A total of 507 opioid-dependent patients included within the first week of imprisonment between June 2003 and September 2004, inclusive. MEASUREMENTS Physicians collected socio-demographic data, penal history, history of addiction, maintenance therapy and psychoactive agent use, general health status and comorbidities. Prescriptions at imprisonment were recorded by the prison pharmacist. Re-incarceration data were retrieved from the National Register of Inmates, survival data and causes of death from the National Registers of vital status and death causes. FINDINGS Prison maintenance therapy was delivered at imprisonment to 394/507 (77.7%) patients. These patients had poorer health status, heavier opioid use and prison history and were less socially integrated than the remaining 113 patients. Over 3 years, 238/478 patients were re-incarcerated [51.3 re-incarcerations per 100 patient-years, 95% confidence interval (CI) 46.4-56.2]. Factors associated independently with re-incarceration were prior imprisonment and benzodiazepine use. After adjustment for confounders, maintenance therapy was not associated with a reduced rate of re-incarceration (adjusted relative risk 1.28, 95% CI 0.89-1.85). The all-cause mortality rate was eight per 1000 patient-years (n = 10, 95% CI 4-13). CONCLUSIONS Prescription of maintenance therapy has increased sharply in French prisons since its introduction in the mid-1990s. However, the risk of re-imprisonment or death remains high among opioid-dependent prisoners. Substantial efforts are needed to implement more effective preventive policies.
The use of gene therapy vs. corticotomy surgery in accelerating orthodontic tooth movement.

OBJECTIVE Alveolar corticotomy surgery is an adjunctive therapy for reducing orthodontic treatment duration. The activation pathways of bone resorption involved in the tooth movement (TM) process are directly linked to the receptor activator of the nuclear factor-kB ligand (RANKL). Whether similar molecular pathways through RANKL, are shared by the acceleratory TM process (corticotomy-induced or not), sustained acceleration would therefore be expected with transgenic overexpression of this factor. We hypothesize that maintaining transgenic overexpression of RANKL will accelerate TM under force over time rather than at the beginning of therapy only; this contrasts with the corticotomy procedure. MATERIAL AND METHODS We transfected the pcDNA3.1(+)-mRANKL transgene in vitro into NIH3T3 cells, then evaluated by PCR, Western blot and ex vivo resorption assay. Quantification of RANKL immunofluorescence, fluorescence-based tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase+ (TRAP+) osteoclast counts and histological analyses of the bone resorption area were performed and clinically correlated after a 32-day in vivo experiment comparing corticotomy and gene therapy. RESULTS In vitro experiments resulted in increased level of RANKL protein (46%, p<0.05) and greater mineral resorption (39%, p<0.05) compared to the controls. In vivo results showed increased RANKL immunoexpression for both corticotomy (twofold) and transfection groups (threefold) after 10 days. After 32 days, a similar result was obtained for the transfected group but not for the surgery group. These data correlate with the clinical effect of decelerating TM in the surgery group. CONCLUSIONS Selective gene therapy with RANKL has been experimentally tested as an alternative method to corticotomy surgery, showing higher effectiveness than surgical methods used for acceleratory purposes in orthodontics.
INFLUENCE OF IRRADIANCE ON VIRUS–ALGAL HOST INTERACTIONS 1

The effect of different irradiance levels on the interactions between the algal host and its virus was investigated for two marine phytoplankton, Phaeocystis globosa Scherff. and Micromonas pusilla (Butcher) Manton et Parke. The algal cultures were acclimated at 25, 100, and 250 μmol photons · m−2 · s−1 (LL, ML, and HL, respectively), after which they were infected with a lytic virus (PgV‐07T and MpV‐02T) and monitored under the appropriate irradiance and in darkness. The effect of irradiance levels on the host–virus interactions differed for the two algal host–virus systems examined. For P. globosa, the LL‐acclimated cultures showed a 4 h prolonged latent period (11–16 h), which may be related to the subsaturated growth observed at this irradiance. The burst size was reduced by 50% at LL and HL compared to ML (525 PgV · cell−1). The fraction of infectious viruses, however, remained unchanged. Viral replication was prevented when the LL P. globosa cultures were kept in darkness (up to 48 h) but recovered when placed back into the light. PgV‐07T still replicated in the dark for the ML‐ and HL‐acclimated cultures, but viral yield was reduced by 50%–85%. For M. pusilla, the burst size (285–360 MpV · cell−1), the infectivity, and the latent period of MpV‐02T (7–11 h) remained unaffected by the incident light. Conversely, darkness not only inhibited MpV replication but also resulted in substantial cell lysis of the noninfected cultures. Our study implies that irradiance level is an important factor controlling algal host–virus interactions and hence the dynamics of phytoplankton populations.
Medial synovial shelf plica syndrome

Medial synovial shelf plica syndrome is caused by ac quired thickening and inflammation of a commonly present residual embryonic synovial fold. Treatment with a local injection into the plica and surrounding synovium of a steroid and a long-acting local anesthetic was tested in a series of 30 patients to see if more involved and expensive treatment could be avoided. Thirty-one knees were studied and treated prospec tively ; rigid criteria for making the diagnosis were main tained. Twenty-two (73%) patients had complete relief of pain and full return to activity; five patients had some amelioration of their symptoms and partial return to activity; and three patients had poor results. Two of the poor results were secondary to errors in diagnosis, and one was secondary to the presence of mature fibrosis confirmed during subsequent arthroscopic re section. As a control, ten patients were injected with long-acting local anesthetic alone. In all ten, symptoms were relieved only for the duration of the anesthetic. Intraplical steroid injection appears to be a reasonable, prudent, initial step in the treatment of medial synovial shelf plica syndrome. For competitive athletes, it pro vides very short morbidity and the ability to return to full practice and participation in a very short period of time.
A new autosomal recessive syndrome of characteristic facies, joint contractures, skeletal abnormalities, and normal development: second report with further clinical delineation

We describe a girl of Pakistani origin, born to consanguineous parents, with a multiple congenital anomaly (MCA) syndrome. This is the second report confirming an apparently new autosomal recessive syndrome reported earlier by van den Ende et al in 1992. The hallmarks of this MCA syndrome include characteristic facies with blepharophimosis, narrow, beaked nose, hypoplastic maxilla with or without cleft palate and everted lower lip, arachnodactyly, self-limiting congenital joint contractures, peculiar skeletal abnormalities, and normal growth and development. Further clinical and radiological delineation of the syndrome in this report suggests that the term “Marden-Walker-like syndrome without psychomotor retardation”, used in the first report to describe this condition, does not accurately reflect its clinical picture. The overall prognosis in this syndrome seems good.
Effects of diet and exercise in men and postmenopausal women with low levels of HDL cholesterol and high levels of LDL cholesterol.

BACKGROUND Guidelines established by the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) promote exercise and weight loss for the treatment of abnormal lipoprotein levels. Little is known, however, about the effects of exercise or the NCEP diet, which is moderately low in fat and cholesterol, in persons with lipoprotein levels that place them at high risk for coronary heart disease. METHODS We studied plasma lipoprotein levels in 180 postmenopausal women, 45 through 64 years of age, and 197 men, 30 through 64 years of age, who had low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels (< or =59 mg per deciliter in women and < or =44 mg per deciliter in men) and moderately elevated levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (>125 mg per deciliter but <210 mg per deciliter in women and >125 mg per deciliter but <190 mg per deciliter in men). The subjects were randomly assigned to aerobic exercise, the NCEP Step 2 diet, or diet plus exercise, or to a control group, which received no intervention. RESULTS Dietary intake of fat and cholesterol decreased during the one-year study (P<0.001), as did body weight, in women and men in either the diet group or the diet-plus-exercise group, as compared with the controls (P<0.001) and the exercise group (P<0.05), in which dietary intake and body weight were unchanged. Changes in HDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels and the ratio of total to HDL cholesterol did not differ significantly among the treatment groups, for subjects of either sex. The serum level of LDL cholesterol was significantly reduced among women (a decrease of 14.5+/-22.2 mg per deciliter) and men (a decrease of 20.0+/-17.3 mg per deciliter) in the diet-plus-exercise group, as compared with the control group (women had a decrease of 2.5+/-16.6 mg per deciliter, P<0.05; men had a decrease of 4.6+/-21.1 mg per deciliter, P<0.001). The reduction in LDL cholesterol in men in the diet-plus-exercise group was also significant as compared with that among the men in the exercise group (3.6+/-18.8 mg per deciliter, P<0.001). In contrast, changes in LDL cholesterol levels were not significant among the women (a decrease of 7.3+/-18.9 mg per deciliter) or the men (10.8+/-18.8 mg per deciliter) in the diet group, as compared with the controls. CONCLUSIONS The NCEP Step 2 diet failed to lower LDL cholesterol levels in men or women with high-risk lipoprotein levels who did not engage in aerobic exercise. This finding highlights the importance of physical activity in the treatment of elevated LDL cholesterol levels.
Sustainable Valorization of Halophytes from the Mediterranean Area: A Comprehensive Evaluation of Their Fatty Acid Profile and Implications for Human and Animal Nutrition

Halophytic plants can provide an economical and environmentally sustainable source of products for human and animal feeding, in the context of the increase of worldwide emergent semi-arid landscapes. This work reports a comprehensive evaluation of the qualitative and quantitative composition of fatty acids (FA) of nineteen Mediterranean halophytes collected in southern Portugal, with the purpose of establishing their possible uses as food and feed. For FA determination, lipids and free FA were converted to the corresponding fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) and analyzed by GC-MS. Beta maritima had the highest FAME levels (7.3 mg/g DW) while Suaeda vera had the lowest content (1.0 mg/g DW). The most common saturated fatty acid (SFA) across all studied species was palmitic acid. The most prevalent monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) was oleic acid. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) levels were led by linoleic acid. Less common FAMEs were also detected, namely eicosadienoic and hexadecatrienoic acids. Cotula coronopifolia, Phragmites australis and Suaeda vera displayed the best FA nutritional profiles. These species also showed bioactivities relevant for both human and animal health according to the literature and thus, collectively with this study, they could be further explored as food and feed.
Effort Test Performance in Clinical Acute Brain Injury, Community Brain Injury, and Epilepsy Populations

Effort tests have become commonplace within medico-legal and forensic contexts and their use is rising within clinical settings. It is recognized that some patients may fail effort tests due to cognitive impairment and not because of poor effort. However, investigation of the base rate of failure among clinical populations other than dementia is limited. Forty-seven clinical participants were recruited and comprised three subgroups: acute brain injury (N = 11), community brain injury (N = 20), and intractable epilepsy (N = 16). Base rates of failure on the Word Memory Test (WMT; Green, 2003) and six other less well-validated measures were investigated. A significant minority of patients failed effort tests according to standard cutoff scores, particularly patients with severe traumatic brain injury and marked frontal-executive features. The WMT was able to identify failures associated with significant cognitive impairment through the application of profile analysis and/or lowered cutoff levels. Implications for clinical assessment, effort test interpretation, and future research are discussed.
Institutionalization of cross-border regional innovation systems: the role of university institutional entrepreneurs

ABSTRACT Cross-border regions are faced with the difficulty that resources for knowledge and innovation may be nearby but difficult to connect to because of the border. Universities could play a supportive role in building innovation environments, facilitating cross-border knowledge exchange. In this research we attempt to understand the systemic roles that universities might play by considering the activities in which they build these cross-border institutional arrangements. We focus upon activities of individual actors, conceptualized as ‘institutional entrepreneurs’. We ask the research question: How can universities through their institutional entrepreneurship activities contribute to the institutionalization of cross-border innovation environments that facilitate cross-border resource access for innovating actors? We address it by developing a conceptual framework for how these institutional entrepreneurs may operate, and identify three repertoires of contributions. We then explore how university actors in a specific cross-border region have built linkages that have acquired a degree of permanence.
Aerobic Training Improves Angiogenic Potential Independently of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Modifications in Postmenopausal Women

Purpose The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of walking-training on the balance between pro- and antiangiogenic signals and on the angiogenic potential in postmenopausal women. Materials and methods Thirty-four postmenopausal women (56.18 ± 4.24 years) participated in a 13 weeks program of walking-training. Anthropometric measures, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p70, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), C-reactive protein, insulin, IGF-1, cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), leptin, visfatin, resistin, and adiponectin were evaluated before and after training. Moreover, serum samples were tested for their ability to chemo—attract endothelial cells and to support the in vitro formation of capillary—like structures. Results After training, the levels of IL-8, TNF-α, leptin, and resistin were significantly lower, levels of DHEA-S and adiponectin increased, serum angiogenic properties improved, whereas no changes in anthropometric parameters or VEGF were detected. Conclusion Walking training reduces inflammatory status and leads to a significant improvement in serum angiogenic properties in the absence of modifications in body composition and VEGF level.
The determinants of differing legislative responses in similar states: A Nordic Case Study

This article examines the domestic legislative responses of three of the five social-democratic Nordic states: Norway, Sweden, and Finland. This exploratory study attempts to answer the question: Why do the social-democratic Nordic states differ in their legislative responses to terrorism? It analyzes state membership in supranational bodies (NATO, EU), [domestic] political climate, the number of ‘high-profile’ terrorist attacks on [domestic] soil, and the perceived level of threat. The field lacks significant comparison between states, specifically the Nordic states. The main differences between these Nordic states are their counter-terrorism policy responses towards law enforcement, immigrants, gun-control, and their levels of Europeanization.
Outcomes of minimally invasive lung transplantation in a single centre: the routine approach for the future or do we still need clamshell incision?

OBJECTIVES Minimally invasive lung transplantation (MILT) via bilateral anterior thoracotomies has emerged as a novel surgical strategy with potential patient benefits when compared with transverse thoracosternotomy (clamshell incision, CS). The aim of this study is to compare MILT with CS by focusing on operative characteristics, postoperative organ function and support and mid-term clinical outcomes at Harefield Hospital. METHODS It was a retrospective observational study evaluating all bilateral sequential lung transplants between April 2010 and November 2013. RESULTS CS was performed in 124 patients and MILT in 70 patients. Skin-to-skin surgical time was less in the MILT group [285 (265, 339) min] compared with CS [380 (306, 565) min] and MILT-cardiopulmonary bypass [426 (360, 478) min]. Ischaemic time was significantly longer (502 ± 116 vs 395 ± 145 min) in the MILT group compared with CS (P < 0.01). Early postoperative physiological variables were similar between groups. Patients in the MILT group required less blood [2 (0, 4) vs 3 (1, 5) units, P = 0.16] and platelet transfusion [0 (0, 1) vs 1 (0, 2) units, P < 0.01]. The median duration of mechanical ventilation was shorter (26 vs 44 h, P < 0.01) and intensive therapy unit stay was 2 days shorter (5 vs 7) in the MILT group. While overall survival was similar, fraction of expired volume in 1 s (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) were consistently higher in the MILT group compared with CS during mid-term follow-up after transplantation. Specifically, FEV1 and FVC were, respectively, 86 ± 21 and 88 ± 18% predicted in the MILT group compared with 74 ± 21 and 74 ± 19% predicted in the CS group (P < 0.01) at the 6-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS MILT was successfully introduced at our centre as a novel operative strategy. Despite longer ischaemic times and a more complex operation and management, MILT appears to offer early postoperative and mid-term clinical benefits compared with our traditional approach of clamshell operations. These observations warrant larger definite studies to further evaluate the impact of MILT on physiological, clinical and patient-reported outcomes.
Evidence that retinal pigment epithelium functions as an immune-privileged tissue.

PURPOSE Tissues derived from immune-privileged sites sometimes possess special characteristics that promote their own survival when transplanted to a nonprivileged site. This study was undertaken to evaluate whether retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) behaves as an immune-privileged tissue when transplanted extraocularly. METHODS RPE grafts were prepared from eyes of neonatal C57BL/6 or C57BL/6 gld/gld (deficient in CD95 ligand expression) mice. These grafts (or conjunctival grafts as positive controls) were transplanted into the anterior chamber, the subretinal space, the subconjunctival space, and underneath the kidney capsule of histoincompatible BALB/c mice. Transplant survival was evaluated by histology at selected time points after engraftment. Recipients were tested for acquisition of C57BL/6-specific delayed-type hypersensitivity (DH) and for the ability to suppress DH. RESULTS Allogeneic neonatal RPE grafts from normal donors showed significantly enhanced survival at all graft sites compared with conjunctival grafts. However, allogeneic RPE cell grafts from gld/gld mice were rapidly rejected after transplantation beneath the kidney capsule. Allogeneic RPE grafts placed in extraocular sites induced systemic DH directed at donor alloantigens, whereas RPE allografts placed intraocularly induced suppression of systemic DH. CONCLUSIONS Allogeneic neonatal RPE grafts, through constitutive expression of CD95 ligand, promote their own survival at heterotopic sites. Paradoxically, these grafts also display immunogenicity. Thus, neonatal RPE tissue owes its immune privilege to the capacity to prevent immune rejection rather than to inhibit sensitization.
Interactions that determine the assembly of a retinoid X receptor/corepressor complex

The retinoid X receptor (RXR) is a key regulator in multiple signaling pathways because it can form either a homodimer with itself or a heterodimer with members of the class I nuclear receptors. The RXR-containing dimers regulate transcription by recruiting coactivators or corepressors to the target promoters. The binding of coactivators to RXR is mediated through a hydrophobic pocket formed in part by the C-terminal activation helix (AF-2). However, little is known about interactions of corepressors with RXR and its roles in transcriptional repression. Here we show that the repression activity of RXR correlates with its binding to the corepressor silencing mediator for retinoid and thyroid hormone receptors (SMRT). This intrinsic repression activity is masked by the AF-2 helix, which antagonizes SMRT binding. Inhibition of SMRT binding by the AF-2 helix requires specific amino acid sequences and the helical structure. Furthermore, the SMRT-binding site on RXR is independent of helix 11 but overlaps with the coactivator-binding pocket. On the basis of these results, we propose a structural model to help understand the molecular mechanism of corepressor recruitment by RXR.