Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Isokinetic strength and anaerobic/intermittent capacity of Japanese lacrosse players

We investigated and compared isokinetic strength, anaerobic and intermittent capacity of men's lacrosse players at various playing positions. The subjects were 33 men's lacrosse players (attacker; AT n = 11, defender; DF n = 10, midfielder; MF n = 12). Measurements contained physical characteristics, isokinetic strength, anaerobic capacity (maximal anaerobic power; Pmax, Wingate anaerobic power; WAnP), and 10-s (R10IC) and 20-s (R20IC) rest intervals of intermittent capacity. Knee flexor strength at angular velocities of 60 ◦ /s and 180 ◦ /s was significantly greater in DF players than in AT players ( p< 0.05), 300 ◦ /s was significantly higher in MF players than in AT players ( p< 0.05). With regard to Pmax, MF players showed significantly higher values compared with AT players ( p< 0.05), and WAnP of MF players showed significantly higher values compared with that of AT and DF players (AT; p< 0.01, DF; p< 0.05). R10IC was significantly higher in MF players than in both AT and DF players (AT: p< 0.05, DF: p< 0.05), whereas R20IC was significantly higher in MF players than in AT players ( p< 0.05). These results indicate that knee flexor strength, anaerobic capacity, and intermittent capacity are greater in µ Ft han the other positions in men's lacrosse.
A critical appraisal of motivational interviewing within the field of alcohol misuse

A critical appraisal of the evidence that supports efficacy of the brief intervention, motivational interviewing (MI), within the field of alcohol misuse, was made. In order to undertake this appraisal the author will focus on a review of the concept of MI prior to considering the efficacy for MI within the specific field of alcohol misuse. A review of the concept of motivational interviewing (MI)
Structural and Functional Characterization of a Lytic Polysaccharide Monooxygenase with Broad Substrate Specificity*

Background: The recently discovered lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) are important in enzymatic conversion of lignocellulosic biomass. Results: We describe structural and functional studies of NcLPMO9C, which cleaves both cellulose and certain hemicelluloses. Conclusion: NcLPMO9C has structural and functional features that correlate with the enzyme's catalytic capabilities. Significance: This study shows how LPMO active sites are tailored to varying functionalities and adds to a growing LPMO knowledge base. The recently discovered lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) carry out oxidative cleavage of polysaccharides and are of major importance for efficient processing of biomass. NcLPMO9C from Neurospora crassa acts both on cellulose and on non-cellulose β-glucans, including cellodextrins and xyloglucan. The crystal structure of the catalytic domain of NcLPMO9C revealed an extended, highly polar substrate-binding surface well suited to interact with a variety of sugar substrates. The ability of NcLPMO9C to act on soluble substrates was exploited to study enzyme-substrate interactions. EPR studies demonstrated that the Cu2+ center environment is altered upon substrate binding, whereas isothermal titration calorimetry studies revealed binding affinities in the low micromolar range for polymeric substrates that are due in part to the presence of a carbohydrate-binding module (CBM1). Importantly, the novel structure of NcLPMO9C enabled a comparative study, revealing that the oxidative regioselectivity of LPMO9s (C1, C4, or both) correlates with distinct structural features of the copper coordination sphere. In strictly C1-oxidizing LPMO9s, access to the solvent-facing axial coordination position is restricted by a conserved tyrosine residue, whereas access to this same position seems unrestricted in C4-oxidizing LPMO9s. LPMO9s known to produce a mixture of C1- and C4-oxidized products show an intermediate situation.
The Nicotine Metabolite, Cotinine, Alters the Assembly and Trafficking of a Subset of Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors*

Background: Nicotine-induced changes in nAChRs are linked to nicotine addiction. Results: Cotinine, the primary metabolite of nicotine, alters the assembly and expression of some subtypes of nAChRs. Conclusion: Cotinine affects trafficking and assembly of a subset of nAChRs. Significance: Cotinine has a much longer half-life in the body than nicotine, and therefore may contribute to physiological effects attributed to nicotine. Exposure to nicotine alters the trafficking and assembly of nicotinic receptors (nAChRs), leading to their up-regulation on the plasma membrane. Although the mechanism is not fully understood, nicotine-induced up-regulation is believed to contribute to nicotine addiction. The effect of cotinine, the primary metabolite of nicotine, on nAChR trafficking and assembly has not been extensively investigated. We utilize a pH-sensitive variant of GFP, super ecliptic pHluorin, to differentiate between intracellular nAChRs and those expressed on the plasma membrane to quantify changes resulting from cotinine and nicotine exposure. Similar to nicotine, exposure to cotinine increases the number of α4β2 receptors on the plasma membrane and causes a redistribution of intracellular receptors. In contrast to this, cotinine exposure down-regulates α6β2β3 receptors. We also used single molecule fluorescence studies to show that cotinine and nicotine both alter the assembly of α4β2 receptors to favor the high sensitivity (α4)2(β2)3 stoichiometry.
The effect of 40 h constant wakefulness on task‐switching efficiency

This study investigated efficiency of switching between different tasks in 12 male participants (19–30 years) during 40 h of constant wakefulness. As index of task‐switching efficiency, switch costs in reaction time were assessed every 3 h under controlled behavioural and environmental conditions. Overall reaction times and switch costs showed a temporal pattern consistent with the assumption of a combined influence of a sleep homeostatic and a circadian process. An additional analysis indicated that the variation in switch costs could not be attributed to interference of the current task with persisting activation from preceding tasks. We therefore conclude that sleep loss and the circadian system affect the ability to prepare the current task rather than automatic processing of irrelevant stimulus information.
Daily light exposure profiles in older non‐resident extreme morning and evening types

Differences in daily light exposure profiles have been reported, with younger M‐types shown to spend more time in bright light, especially in the morning, compared with E‐types. This study aimed to investigate how patterns of daily light exposure in older non‐resident M‐types and E‐types compare. Sleep diaries were kept during actigraphic measurement of activity and light using the Actiwatch‐L for 14 days in 12 M‐types [eight females, mean ± standard deviation (SD) Horne–Östberg Morning–Eveningness Questionnaire (HÖ MEQ) score 75.2 ± 1.6] and 11 E‐types (seven females, HÖ MEQ 41.5 ± 4.8), over 60 years old, living in their own homes. Light data were log‐transformed, averaged over each hour, and group × time analysis of covariance (ancova) performed with age as a covariate. M‐types had significantly earlier bed and wake time than E‐types, but there was no significant difference in sleep duration, sleep efficiency or time spent in bed between groups. Daily exposure to light intensity greater than 1000 lux was compared between the two groups, with no significant difference in the duration of exposure to >1000 lux between M‐types and E‐types. Twenty‐four‐hour patterns of light exposure show that M‐types were exposed to higher light intensity at 06:00 h than E‐types. Conversely, E‐types were exposed to higher light intensity between 22:00 and 23:00 h than M‐types. These findings show that differences in daily light exposure patterns found previously in younger M‐types and E‐types are also found in older M‐types and E‐types, but at an earlier clock‐time, confirming the tendency to advance with ageing.
Glioblastoma-derived Macrophage Colony-stimulating Factor (MCSF) Induces Microglial Release of Insulin-like Growth Factor-binding Protein 1 (IGFBP1) to Promote Angiogenesis*

Background: Glioblastoma is highly aggressive and incurable by current treatment modalities. Results: MCSF is regulated by the SYK-PI3K-NFκB pathway in glioma and induces secretion of IGFBP1 from microglia to promote angiogenesis. Conclusion: Microglial IGFBP1 is a key mediator of MCSF-induced angiogenesis. Significance: IGFBP1 is a potential target for glioblastoma therapy. Glioblastoma (grade IV glioma/GBM) is the most common primary adult malignant brain tumor with poor prognosis. To characterize molecular determinants of tumor-stroma interaction in GBM, we profiled 48 serum cytokines and identified macrophage colony-stimulating factor (MCSF) as one of the elevated cytokines in sera from GBM patients. Both MCSF transcript and protein were up-regulated in GBM tissue samples through a spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK)-dependent activation of the PI3K-NFκB pathway. Ectopic overexpression and silencing experiments revealed that glioma-secreted MCSF has no role in autocrine functions and M2 polarization of macrophages. In contrast, silencing expression of MCSF in glioma cells prevented tube formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells elicited by the supernatant from monocytes/microglial cells treated with conditioned medium from glioma cells. Quantitative proteomics based on stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture showed that glioma-derived MCSF induces changes in microglial secretome and identified insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 1 (IGFBP1) as one of the MCSF-regulated proteins secreted by microglia. Silencing IGFBP1 expression in microglial cells or its neutralization by an antibody reduced the ability of supernatants derived from microglial cells treated with glioma cell-conditioned medium to induce angiogenesis. In conclusion, this study shows up-regulation of MCSF in GBM via a SYK-PI3K-NFκB-dependent mechanism and identifies IGFBP1 released by microglial cells as a novel mediator of MCSF-induced angiogenesis, of potential interest for developing targeted therapy to prevent GBM progression.
Involvement of sympathetic function in the sleep‐related change of gastric myoelectrical activity in rats

The gastric myoelectrical activity (GMA) fluctuates across sleep–wake states as a result of modulation by the brain–gut axis. The role of the autonomic nervous system in this phenomenon, however, was not elucidated fully. Through simultaneous recording and subsequent continuous power spectral analysis of electroencephalogram, electromyogram, electrocardiogram and electrogastromyogram (EGMG) in 16 freely moving Wistar rats, the sleep–wake states of the animals were defined and indices of cardiac autonomic regulation and GMA were calculated. We found that both cardiac autonomic regulation and GMA fluctuated through sleep–wake cycles. Correlation analysis further revealed significant correlations between EGMG power and each of the R–R interval, high‐frequency power, low‐frequency power, very‐low‐frequency power, low‐frequency power to high‐frequency power ratio and normalized low‐frequency power of heart rate variability with respect to their trend of change across different sleep–wake states. These results suggest that the sleep–wake‐related change of GMA was related to sympathovagal balance. The sympathetic nerve may play a more important role in the central modulation of GMA than perceived previously.
Priming affects poor sleepers but not normal sleepers on an Insomnia Ambiguity Task

With increasing importance being placed on the role of cognitive biases as a maintaining factor in insomnia, the influence of order effects on interpretative responses should be examined and subsequently accounted for. The aim of the present study was to examine whether asking participants about their sleep experiences, prior to testing for a perceptual bias, affects responses on a sleep‐related ambiguity task. One hundred and seventeen undergraduate students, blind to the aims of the experiment, were issued either the Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes to Sleep scale (DBAS‐10) and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) before, or following, completion of an Insomnia Ambiguity Task (IAT). As expected, a multivariate analysis of variance showed that the order in which participants completed the task affected the responses on the IAT with those given the DBAS‐10 and ISI first, showing greater insomnia‐related interpretations than those given the IAT first. However, on closer examination, this effect was evident only for those who were defined as poor sleepers, and that normal sleepers were largely unaffected by the order in which the tests are given. The results are discussed in terms of design and management of sleep‐related research protocols involving implicit cognitive tasks.
The sleep of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder on and off methylphenidate: a matched case–control study

In the present study, we assessed the effects of regular use of methylphenidate medication in children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) on sleep timing, duration and sleep architecture. Twenty‐seven children aged 6–12 years meeting diagnostic criteria for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual version IV ADHD and 27 control children matched for age (±3 months) and gender. Two nights of standard polysomnographic (PSG) recordings were conducted. ADHD children were allocated randomly to an on‐ or 48 h off‐methylphenidate protocol for first or second recordings. Control children’s recordings were matched for night, but no medication was used. Mixed modelling was employed in the analyses so that the full data set was used to determine the degree of medication effects. Methylphenidate in ADHD children prolonged sleep onset by an average of 29 min [confidence interval (CI) 11.6, 46.7], reduced sleep efficiency by 6.5% (CI 2.6, 10.3) and shortened sleep by 1.2 h (CI 0.65, 1.9). Arousal indices were preserved. Relative amounts of stages 1, 2 and slow wave sleep were unchanged by medication. Rapid eye movement sleep was reduced (−2.4%) on the medication night, an effect that became non‐significant when control data were incorporated in the analyses. PSG data from ADHD children off‐medication were similar to control data. Our findings suggest that methylphenidate reduces sleep quantity but does not alter sleep architecture in children diagnosed with ADHD. An adequate amount of sleep is integral to good daytime functioning, thus the sleep side effects of methylphenidate may affect adversely the daytime symptoms the drug is targeted to control.
The Nuclear Factor (Erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 and Proteasome Maturation Protein Axis Mediate Bortezomib Resistance in Multiple Myeloma*

Background: Acquired proteasome inhibitor resistance emerges in myeloma patients through incompletely understood mechanisms. Results: Activation of nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (NRF2) and proteassemblin (POMP) was linked to bortezomib resistance, while their inhibition reversed resistance. Conclusion: The NRF2/POMP axis contributes to bortezomib resistance. Significance: NRF2/POMP axis inhibition can be translated to the clinic to reverse bortezomib resistance and induce chemosensitization. Resistance to the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib is an emerging clinical problem whose mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. We considered the possibility that this could be associated with enhanced proteasome activity in part through the action of the proteasome maturation protein (POMP). Bortezomib-resistant myeloma models were used to examine the correlation between POMP expression and bortezomib sensitivity. POMP expression was then modulated using genetic and pharmacologic approaches to determine the effects on proteasome inhibitor sensitivity in cell lines and in vivo models. Resistant cell lines were found to overexpress POMP, and while its suppression in cell lines enhanced bortezomib sensitivity, POMP overexpression in drug-naive cells conferred resistance. Overexpression of POMP was associated with increased levels of nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like (NRF2), and NRF2 was found to bind to and activate the POMP promoter. Knockdown of NRF2 in bortezomib-resistant cells reduced POMP levels and proteasome activity, whereas its overexpression in drug-naive cells increased POMP and proteasome activity. The NRF2 inhibitor all-trans-retinoic acid reduced cellular NRF2 levels and increased the anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic activities of bortezomib in resistant cells, while decreasing proteasome capacity. Finally, the combination of all-trans-retinoic acid with bortezomib showed enhanced activity against primary patient samples and in a murine model of bortezomib-resistant myeloma. Taken together, these studies validate a role for the NRF2/POMP axis in bortezomib resistance and identify NRF2 and POMP as potentially attractive targets for chemosensitization to this proteasome inhibitor.
A study of examiner variability in assessment of preclinical class II amalgam preparation

Introduction: Training in typodont preclinical restorative exercises is one of the ways by which the required manual skill dexterity could be developed in students. The assessment of these exercises has been associated with inter and intra examiner variability. This study was undertaken to examine whether introduction of objective scoring criteria can reduce the examiner variability and evaluate for inter and intra examiner variability in assessing class II amalgam tooth preparation by using two different methods i.e., glance and grade and objective checklist criteria scoring. Materials and Methods: The study evaluated 41 undergraduate students performing two Class II disto-occlusal amalgam preparations performed on plastic typodont left lower and upper first molars. The preparations were evaluated by four blinded independent examiners using two methods viz., glance and grade and objective checklist scoring methods. Statistical analysis for inter and intra examiner variability was tested using Friedman test and Wilcoxon signed rank test, respectively. Results: Results of this study show that intra-examiner variability was significantly reduced with objective checklist criteria scoring. The inter-examiner variability was present both in a glance and grading method and objective checklist scoring method. Conclusion: This study concludes by recommending that preclinical operative work of students be assessed by objective checklist criteria scoring and it should be introduced after sufficient training and calibration sessions to reduce examiner variability.
Young poor sleepers mobilize extra effort in an easy memory task: evidence from cardiovascular measures

Insomniacs often complain of memory deficits, yet objective measures have not consistently corroborated their subjective impressions. A possible explanation for the partial gap between self‐report and behavioral measures of memory impairment is that insomniacs recruit extra effort to compensate for the consequences of poor sleep. The present study investigated whether subjective insomnia severity would predict objective effort mobilization, as indexed by cardiovascular measures, in an easy memory task. Seventy‐seven university students, mostly women, with a mean age of 22 years were asked to memorize four strings of four random letters in 5 min while cardiovascular measures were obtained. After taking an immediate recall test, participants completed the Insomnia Severity Index, the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory, and a questionnaire on last night’s sleep and today’s fatigue. Finally, they were given a surprise delayed recall test. Analyses indicated that self‐reported insomnia severity was associated with an increase in systolic blood pressure during the learning phase. Regarding memory performance, insomnia severity was unrelated to immediate recall but related to a decrement in delayed recall. These findings reveal for the first time that subjective insomnia severity predicts objective effort mobilization in an easy memory task, suggesting that young poor sleepers recruit extra resources to cope with everyday cognitive challenges.
Sleep quantity, quality and optimism in children

We tested the relationship of objectively measured sleep quantity and quality with positive characteristics of the child. Sleep duration, sleep latency and sleep efficiency were measured by an actigraph for an average of seven (range = 3–14) consecutive nights in 291 8‐year‐old children (standard deviation = 0.3 years). Children’s optimism, self‐esteem and social competence were rated by parents and/or teachers. Sleep duration showed a non‐linear, reverse J‐shaped relationship with optimism (P = 0.02), such that children with sleep duration in the middle of the distribution scored higher in optimism compared with children who slept relatively little. Shorter sleep latency was related to higher optimism (P = 0.01). The associations remained when adjusting for child’s age, sex, body mass index, and parental level of education and optimism. In conclusion, sufficient sleep quantity and good sleep quality are related to children’s positive characteristics. Our findings may inform why sleep quantity and quality and positive characteristics are associated with wellbeing in children.
Association of sleep duration with weight and weight gain: a prospective follow‐up study

The objective of this study was to examine the associations of sleep duration with subsequent weight and major weight gain in women and men during a follow‐up period of 5–7 years. The data were derived from the Helsinki Health Study cohort mail questionnaire surveys among 40–60‐year‐old employees of the City of Helsinki, Finland. At baseline in 2000–2002, 8960 people responded to the survey (80% women, response rate 67%). The follow‐up survey was conducted in 2007 among all respondents to the baseline survey (n = 7332, response rate 83%). Sleep duration (5 h or less up to 10 h or more) and weight and weight gain of at least 5 kg were based on self‐reports. Analyses of variance and logistic regression analyses were used to examine the associations between sleep duration and weight, as well as major weight gain. Short sleep duration was associated with major weight gain [odds ratio (OR) 1.52; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.08, 2.14] during the follow‐up. Adjusting for several covariates had only minor effects on that association. Long sleep duration was associated with major weight gain after adjusting for age (OR 1.35; 95% CI 1.00–1.81). No associations were found among men. Sleep duration was associated with major weight gain among middle‐aged employed women. Short sleep may be a risk factor for subsequent weight gain.