Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dietary intakes and biochemical profiles of nutritional status of ultramarathoners.

Nutritional status was determined in 17 ultramarathoners registered to participate in the Old Dominion 100-Miler. They had a mean age of 40 +/- 2 yr and ran 67.7 +/- 9.0 miles.wk-1. Subjects maintained 4-d dietary records on two occasions: usual and prerace. Fasting blood samples and 24-h urine collections were also obtained, and concentrations of selected vitamins and minerals were analyzed. Usual and prerace energy, carbohydrate and fat intakes of the ultramarathoners were not significantly different, but usual protein and alcohol intakes were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than prerace intakes. The amount of energy supplied by carbohydrates rose from a usual intake of 54.2 +/- 2.3% to 60.1 +/- 2.4% in the prerace period. Twelve subjects reported taking vitamin/mineral supplements and mean usual and prerace intakes of vitamin and minerals from food and supplements combined met the current recommendations. Biochemical indices of vitamin and mineral status were normal. However, our findings suggest that vitamin B12 metabolism may be altered in ultraendurance runners. Further research is required to determine whether ultraendurance athletes have special nutrition needs.
Antibiogram of Methicillin- Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Isolates among Healthy Human Subjects in Oleh, South-Southern Nigeria

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the common Gram positive bacterial pathogens significantly contributing to hospital and community-acquired infections globally (Ugwu et al., 2016). Frequent use of antibiotics has modified S. aureus antibiotic susceptibility to methicillin and related antibiotics such that strains that were methicillin-sensitive (MSSA) have become Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA (Rosina et al.,2017). A strain of S. aureus is said to be MRSA when is resistant to a methiccilin, oxacillin and vancomycin (Ike et al., 2016). MRSA started as hospitalacquired, but has reached a pandemic status and now it is community-acquired and International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 6 Number 9 (2017) pp. 3710-3716 Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas. com
Construct Validation of 17-item Utrecht University Work Engagement Scale Amongst the White Collar employees of Malaysian Universities

Primarily, the study investigated the psychometric properties of UWES work engagement scale were assessed in the context of education sector of Malaysia. Staff members from the two public sector universities in the Kedah state were sampled whereby, 205 questionnaires were distributed that resulted in 180 appropriate responses for final data analysis. The results have indicated towards satisfactory level of internal consistency reliability, convergent; as well as discriminant validity. The structural equation modeling has highlighted higher order stabilities for work engagement ranging between 0.803 and 0.838. The findings henceforth, conclude that UWES-17 is construct is robust in assessing work engagement amongst the while collar employees working in the education sector of Malaysia.
Migration and differentiation of nuclear fluorescence‐labeled bone marrow stromal cells after transplantation into cerebral infarct and spinal cord injury in mice

There is increasing evidence that bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC) have the potential to migrate into the injured neural tissue and to differentiate into the CNS cells, indicating the possibility of autograft transplantation therapy. The present study was aimed to clarify whether the mouse BMSC can migrate into the lesion and differentiate into the CNS cells when transplanted into the mice subjected to focal cerebral infarct or spinal cord injury. The BMSC were harvested from mice and characterized by flow cytometry. Then, the BMSC were labeled by bis‐benzimide, a nuclear fluorescence dye, over 24 h, and were stereotactically transplanted into the brain or spinal cord of the mice. The cultured BMSC expressed low levels of CD45 and high levels of CD90 and Sca‐1 on flow cytometry. A large number of grafted cells survived in the normal brain 4 weeks after transplantation, many of which were located close to the transplanted sites. They expressed the neuronal marker including NeuN, MAP2, and doublecortin on fluorescent immunohistochemistry. However, when the BMSC were transplanted into the ipsilateral striatum of the mice subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion, many of the grafted cells migrated into the corpus callosum and injured cortex, and also expressed the neuronal markers 4 weeks after transplantation. In particular, NeuN was very useful to validate the differentiation of the grafted cells, because the marker was expressed in the nuclei and was overlapped with bis‐benzimide. Similar results were obtained in the mice subjected to spinal cord injury. However, many of the transplanted BMSC expressed GFAP, an astrocytic protein, in injured spinal cord. The present results indicate that the mouse BMSC can migrate into the CNS lesion and differentiate into the neurons or astrocytes, and that bis‐benzimide is a simple and useful marker to label the donor cells and to evaluate their migration and differentiation in the host neural tissues over a long period.
Screening of stabilized crosslinked polyethylene using a novel wear tester.

A novel pin-on-disk type wear tester is described allowing a rapid screening of different types of polyethylene under both unidirectional and multidirectional sliding motion. The wear of four polyethylene materials sliding against a roughened CoCrMo alloy was evaluated: a non-irradiated UHMWPE, a UHMWPE irradiated with a dose of 25 kGy in air, and two types of crosslinked UHMWPE (100 kGy, air), which were subjected to a stabilization heat treatment in nitrogen at 155 degrees C for 72 hours (XLPE I) and in water at 130 degrees C for 72 hours (XLPE II), respectively.Under multidirectional sliding conditions both types of XLPE exhibited significantly less wear with respect to the 25 kGy irradiated UHMWPE and the non-irradiated UHMWPE, even under the rough counterface conditions applied. Under unidirectional sliding motion both types of XLPE exhibited the highest wear of all materials tested, because the orientation hardening effect acting under linear lubricated condition is less pronounced for crosslinked polyethylene.
Nitrogen isotopic signature of vegetables from the Slovenian market and its suitability as an indicator of organic production

The aim of this study was to obtain preliminary data on δ15N values in organically and conventionally grown vegetables available on the Slovenian market to determine whether there are any characteristic differences in δ15N values, which could be used as a marker to differentiate between organically and conventionally grown vegetables, namely vegetables grown with synthetic or organic nitrogen fertilisers. Therefore, 14 different varieties of organically and conventionally grown vegetables were analysed. The results obtained show clear differences in mean δ15N values between organically and conventionally grown vegetables (up to 6.3\permil). However, due to overlapping results, it was not possible to differentiate between organically and conventionally grown counterparts in eight vegetable varieties, despite the differences in mean δ15N values. The results obtained indicate that the method has several limitations. Hence, δ15N could be a reliable indicator for organic production, but nevertheless, the conclusion has to be validated by background information.
Microscopic comparative study of the exposure effects of testosterone cypionate and ethinylestradiol during prenatal life on the prostatic tissue of adult gerbils

There is an increasing variety of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) either with (anti)estrogenic or (anti)androgenic potential widely present in the environment. These xenosteroids may mimic endogenous steroid hormones disrupting the homeostasis of physiological pathways and leading to several disturbances, especially in tissues highly dependent on steroid hormones such as the prostate. Taking this into account, this comparative study aimed to verify the potential of ethinylestradiol (EE) and testosterone acting as ECDs on the prostate of both male and female adult gerbils exposed to these agents during the embryonic phase. Consequently, pregnant gerbils were treated either with 10 μg/kg/day of EE or with a single dose of 1 mg of testosterone cypionate. The pups that were born 6–8 days after testosterone exposure and the pups that were born after 3 days of EE exposure were allowed to grow but were sacrificed within 4 months. Serological, morphological, stereological, and immunohistochemical analyses were used. Overall, the results showed that both sexes exposed to testosterone and EE during gestation had a prostatic gland with an increased stromal and epithelial and a reduced luminal compartment. Moreover, we observed that glands affected with prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia showed intense stromal reshuffling. In conclusion, although these alterations were observed in both sexes, more relevant to this study was the differential responsiveness of males and females exposed to these different drugs. Whereas the EE affected males more, the testosterone was more harmful to the females. Microsc. Res. Tech. 75:1084–1092, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Cytoskeletal targeting of calponin in differentiated, contractile smooth muscle cells of the ferret

1 Biochemical and quantitative image analysis methods were used to investigate the anatomical basis for the previously described agonist‐induced redistribution of calponin. 2 At 140 nm resolution, the quantitative distribution of calponin in resting cells was statistically indistinguishable from that of filament bundles containing α‐smooth muscle actin and myosin, but was significantly different from that of filaments containing β‐non‐muscle actin. Conversely, in stimulated cells, the distribution of calponin was not significantly different from that of β‐actin filaments in the subplasmalemmal cell cortex but was significantly different from the distribution of α‐actin‐ and myosin‐containing filamentous bundles. 3 The distribution of calponin significantly differed from that of the intermediate filament proteins vimentin and desmin as well as that of the dense body protein α‐actinin either by ratio analysis of the subcellular distribution or by colocalization analysis. 4 The imaging results, although limited to 140 nm spatial resolution, suggested the hypothesis that the agonist‐induced redistribution involves the binding of calponin to isoform‐specific actin filaments. This hypothesis was tested by quantifying the relative affinity of calponin for purified α‐ and β‐actin. Light scattering measurements showed that calponin induces bundle formation with β‐actin more readily than α‐actin, indicating that calponin may be preferentially sequestered by β‐actin under appropriate conditions. 5 These results are consistent with a model whereby agonist activation decreases calponin's binding to filaments, but the tighter binding to β‐actin filaments results in a spatial redistribution of calponin to the submembranous cortex.
The Arabidopsis Leucine-Rich Repeat Receptor–Like Kinases BAK1/SERK3 and BKK1/SERK4 Are Required for Innate Immunity to Hemibiotrophic and Biotrophic Pathogens[W]

This work demonstrates that the leucine-rich receptor kinases (LRR-RKs) EFR and FLS2 form a ligand-induced complex with several LRR-RKs that belong to the SERK subfamily. Among these, BAK1 and BKK1 play an important role in responses to EF-Tu, flagellin, and other elicitors of plant defense and are required for full immunity to hemibiotrophic and biotrophic pathogens. Recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) by surface-localized pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) constitutes an important layer of innate immunity in plants. The leucine-rich repeat (LRR) receptor kinases EF-TU RECEPTOR (EFR) and FLAGELLIN SENSING2 (FLS2) are the PRRs for the peptide PAMPs elf18 and flg22, which are derived from bacterial EF-Tu and flagellin, respectively. Using coimmunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry analyses, we demonstrated that EFR and FLS2 undergo ligand-induced heteromerization in planta with several LRR receptor-like kinases that belong to the SOMATIC-EMBRYOGENESIS RECEPTOR-LIKE KINASE (SERK) family, including BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE1-ASSOCIATED KINASE1/SERK3 (BAK1/SERK3) and BAK1-LIKE1/SERK4 (BKK1/SERK4). Using a novel bak1 allele that does not exhibit pleiotropic defects in brassinosteroid and cell death responses, we determined that BAK1 and BKK1 cooperate genetically to achieve full signaling capability in response to elf18 and flg22 and to the damage-associated molecular pattern AtPep1. Furthermore, we demonstrated that BAK1 and BKK1 contribute to disease resistance against the hemibiotrophic bacterium Pseudomonas syringae and the obligate biotrophic oomycete Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis. Our work reveals that the establishment of PAMP-triggered immunity (PTI) relies on the rapid ligand-induced recruitment of multiple SERKs within PRR complexes and provides insight into the early PTI signaling events underlying this important layer of plant innate immunity.
Percutaneous Drainage of Multiseptated Hepatic Abscess

Thirteen patients with multiseptated, hepatic abscesses were initially treated by percutaneous drainage using computed tomographic guidance. One of these 13 patients required surgery because of failure of percutaneous drainage due to the viscosity of the debris within the multiseptated cavities. Another patient required a second percutaneous drainage procedure due to recurrent hepatic fluid collection. Eleven of the 12 successful drainages were accomplished with one catheter because there was communication between the multiseptated “pockets. ” Our approach to hepatic abscess drainage is discussed with specific attention to the multiseptated abscess. The multiseptated abscess should not discourage an attempt at percutaneous catheter drainage.
Traits underlying community consequences of plant intra-specific diversity

A plant’s performance and interactions with other trophic levels are recorgnized to be contingent upon plant diversity and underlying associational dynamics, but far less is known about the plant traits driving such phenomena. We manipulated diversity in plant traits using pairs of plant and a substitutive design to elucidate the mechanisms underlying diversity effects operating at a fine spatial scale. Specifically, we measured the effects of diversity in sex (sexual monocultures vs. male and female genotypes together) and growth rate (growth rate monocultures vs. fast- and slow-growing genotypes together) on growth of the shrub Baccharis salicifolia and on above- and belowground consumers associated with this plant. We compared effects on associate abundance (# associates per plant) vs. density (# associates per kg plant biomass) to elucidate the mechanisms underlying diversity effects; effects on abundance but not density suggest diversity effects are mediated by resource abundance (i.e. plant biomass) alone, whereas effects on density suggest diversity effects are mediated by plant-based heterogeneity or quality. Sexual diversity increased root growth but reduced the density (but not abundance) of the dietary generalist aphid Aphis gossypii and its associated aphid-tending ants, suggesting sex mixtures were of lower quality to this herbivore (e.g. via reduced plant quality), and that this effect indirectly influenced ants. Sexual diversity had no effect on the abundance or density of parasitoids attacking A. gossypii, the dietary specialist aphid Uroleucon macolai, or mycorrhizae. In contrast, growth rate diversity did not influence plant growth or any associates except for the dietary specialist aphid U. macolai, which increased in both abundance and density at high diversity, suggesting growth rate mixtures were of higher quality to this herbivore. These results highlight that plant associational and diversity effects on consumers are contingent upon the source of plant trait variation, and that the nature of such dynamics may vary both within and among trophic levels.
The Perception Superiors and Subordinates toward Performance Evaluation of Auditors

The primary purpose of this research is to examine the level of superior-subordinate congruence in the importance of various dimensions of job performance as an individual progress through the ranks from staff auditor to partner. Secondary purpose is to develop a systematic description of how performance criteria dimensions change as auditors progress through positions. In auditing firms, individual at different levels are evaluated on different criteria (McNair 1991). Dirsmith and Covaleski (1985a), for example, found that staff auditors and senior were involved primarily in executing the “craft of auditing” as opposed to the “business of auditing. ”
Size-dependent nitrogen uptake in micro- and macroalgae

The role of algal size as a controlling factor for nltrogen uptake kinetics is examined by comparing published values of N uptake rate and half-saturation constants in microand macroalgae. The uptake kinetics differ substantially among algae very different in size. Microalgae take up nitrogen much faster per unit of biomass than macroalgae at both high and low substrate concentrations, and microalgae have significantly higher affinity for nitrogen than macroalgae. These typical differences in the uptake kinetics among small and large algae are commonly attributed to size-specific differences in the relative surface area (SA:V). Regression analysis demonstrates that size-specific variations in the kinetic parameters can be attributed to changes in relative surface area over an extensive range of algal sizes, covering both microand macroalgae. These results agree with previously described relationships between maximum uptake rate of nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) and SA:V within narrow size-ranges (either phytoplankton or macroalgae), and emphasize the existence of a general coupling between physiological and morpholog~cal properties in algae.
Early Differentiation of the Earth and the Problem of Mantle Siderophile Elements: A New Approach

The long-standing problem of the excess abundances of siderophile elements in the mantle can be resolved by considering an equilibrium core-mantle differentiation in the earth at 3000 to 3500 kelvin. This high-temperature differentiation results in mantle siderophile element abundances that closely match the observed values. Some lithophile (light) elements could enter the core in this process as is necessary to account for its low density. The abundances of siderophile elements in the mantle are consistent with the conclusion derived from the recent physical models that the earth was molten during accretion.
Cyclosporin A regulates interleukin-1beta and interleukin-6 expression in gingiva: implications for gingival overgrowth.

BACKGROUND Gingival overgrowth is a common side effect following the administration of cyclosporin A (CsA); however, the cellular mechanisms remain poorly understood. CsA's immunosuppressant properties involve the regulation of synthesis and cellular response to cytokines. A CsA-induced alteration in the cytokine profile within gingival tissue could provide a mechanism for gingival hyperplasia. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of CsA on the production of 2 cytokines - interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) - by both gingival fibroblasts and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). METHODS Cells were stimulated for 24 hours in the presence of CsA over a concentration range of 100 to 2,000 ng/ml and the resultant cytokine production determined by ELISA. In addition, levels of both cytokines within normal, inflamed, and overgrown gingival tissue were determined. RESULTS CsA inhibited IL-6 production by gingival fibroblasts in a dose-dependent manner. In contrast, at a concentration of 2,000 ng/ml, CsA stimulated IL-6 production by PBMC (P <0.05). Fibroblasts derived from overgrown gingiva produced significantly higher levels of IL-6 than their normal counterparts (P <0.05). CsA inhibited IL-1beta production by PBMC over the whole concentration range (P <0.05). IL-1beta was not found in measurable quantities in any of the fibroblast cultures. Levels of IL-6 extracted from overgrown gingival tissue were significantly higher than in inflamed or normal tissue. In contrast IL-1beta levels in overgrown tissue were not statistically significantly greater than those in inflamed tissue. CONCLUSIONS These results show that CsA does regulate cytokine expression in gingival tissue. This effect may play an important role in the pathogenesis of CsA-induced gingival overgrowth.
Gastric emptying of solids in morbid obesity.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of weight loss induced by dietetic treatment, with or without an intragastric balloon, on gastric emptying of obese subjects. SUBJECTS 20 morbidly obese subjects (21-54 years, 45.3-58.0 kg/m2) and 20 healthy controls (21-56 years, 20.3-24.8 kg/m2). DESIGN Parallel study of a 4 month, low calorie dietetic treatment with or without a 500 ml intragastric balloon. RESULTS In basal conditions, obese subjects had accelerated gastric emptying as compared to healthy controls. At the end of the dietetic treatment period, a significant decrease of body weight was obtained. Patients also showed a slowing of gastric emptying. Both the weight loss and the slowing of gastric emptying occurred irrespective of the presence or absence of the intragastric balloon. CONCLUSION The present findings are compatible with the hypothesis that gastric emptying, food intake and body weight are integrated parameters in subjects with morbid obesity.
Androgen pathway resistance in prostate cancer and therapeutic implications

Introduction: Metastatic prostate cancer is an incurable disease that is treated with a variety of hormonal therapies targeting various nodes of the androgen receptor (AR) pathway. Invariably patients develop resistance and become castration resistant. Common treatments for castration-resistant disease include novel hormonal therapies, such as abiraterone and enzalutamide, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiopharmaceuticals. As this disease generally remains incurable, understanding the molecular underpinnings of resistance pathways is critical in designing therapeutic strategies to delay or overcome such resistance. Areas covered: This review will explore the resistance mechanisms relevant to hormonal agents, such as AR-V7 expression and others, as well as discussing new approaches being developed to treat patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer that take advantage of these new insights. A literature search was performed to identify all published clinical trials related to androgen therapy mechanisms of drug resistance in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Expert opinion: Androgen therapy resistance mechanisms are varied, and include modification of all nodes in the androgen signaling pathway. The optimal treatment for men with relapsed metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer is uncertain at this time. The authors recommend using available clinical data to guide treatment decision making until more specific biomarkers are clinically available.