Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prior resistance training and sex influence muscle responses to arm suspension.

PURPOSE The magnitude of atrophy and strength loss induced by partial or complete disuse of skeletal muscles varies greatly among individuals. Factors predisposing some individuals to more extreme responses have not been identified. The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether 1) level of activity before disuse or 2) sex differences influence the magnitude of atrophy and changes in muscle strength, endurance, and sense of muscular effort in response to 21 d of arm suspension. METHODS Thirty-one individuals (18 women, 13 men) completed either 8 wk of resistance training (TRAINED group) or no training (UNTRAINED group) before 21 d of elbow muscle arm suspension achieved by having one arm in a sling tethered to the body by a swathe. Muscle volume was measured using serial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) cross-sectional images. Functional measurements included maximal isometric force (MIF) for elbow flexion, one-repetition maximum (1RM) for biceps curl, number of repetitions to fatigue at 50% of 1RM, and sense of muscular effort measured using a force-matching task. RESULTS Flexor muscle volume decreased (P < 0.001) by -7.7 +/- 7.3% across all subjects. The decrease (P < 0.001) in flexor muscle volume was significant in men but not women. Arm suspension induced decreases (P < 0.001) in MIF and 1RM that did not differ across sex or training groups. The number of repetitions to fatigue decreased (P < 0.05) in the UNTRAINED but not TRAINED groups. No changes in sense of muscular effort were measured. CONCLUSION The smaller initial muscle size or sex-specific factors attenuated muscle loss but not strength or endurance losses in females during disuse. Resistance training before disuse may attenuate the loss in muscular endurance.
Collagen/hyaluronan membrane as a scaffold for chondrocytes cultivation

Rabbit chondrocytes were cultivated in vitro using the collagen/hyaluronan membrane. The membrane did not show any adverse effects on chondrocyte viability during in vitro cultivation. The inoculated cells grew without any negative changes. According to the histochemical analyses: (i) hematoxylin and eosin; (ii) safranin O; and (iii) rabbit anti-human collagen type II staining, the rabbit chondrocytes maintained their morphology and phenotype during in vitro cultivation. The collagen/hyaluronan membrane became more stable and stiffer after long time cultivation. The proliferation of the chondrocytes stabilised the structure of the membrane. The collagen/hyaluronan membrane is suitable material for the chondrocyte growth and could provide functional tissue-engineered scaffold for cartilage repair.
Apolipoprotein E polymorphisms in Mexican patients with coronary artery disease

Abstract Background: Apolipoprotein E polymorphisms have important effects on plasma lipid levels and in the genetic susceptibility to development of cardiovascular diseases. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the association of apolipoprotein E polymorphisms with coronary artery disease and with plasma lipid levels in a group of Mexican Mestizo patients. Methods: Apolipoprotein E polymorphisms were determined in 156 Mexican patients with coronary artery disease and 200 non-related healthy controls using the restriction fragment length polymorphism technique. The correlation of these polymorphisms with lipid profile (total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides) in the patient group was determined. Results: A similar distribution of allele and genotype frequencies in coronary artery disease patients and healthy controls was found. Higher serum levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and lower levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides and glucose were found in patients with the APOE*2/3 genotype when compared to patients with the APOE*3/4 and APOE*3/3 genotypes, although these differences were not significant. Conclusions: Our data suggest that genetic variation at the APOE is not a genetic factor related to the genetic susceptibility to coronary artery disease in Mexican individuals, but the role of this polymorphism in determining the lipid profile cannot be excluded. Clin Chem Lab Med 2008;46:481–5.
The Complexities of Family Caregiving at Work: A Mixed-Methods Study

The current project examined the impact of caregiving and caregiving–work conflict on employees’ well-being. A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design (QUAN→qual) was utilized, and a total of 880 employees from a large health-care plan employer completed an online survey. Forty-five caregivers who completed the survey also participated in one of the five focus groups held 1 to 2 months later. Employed caregivers were significantly (p < .05) more likely to indicate poorer physical and mental health than noncaregivers; among caregivers (n = 370), caregiving–work conflict emerged as the most significant predictor of well-being and fully mediated the empirical relationship between burden and well-being. The focus group findings complemented the quantitative results; many of the challenges employed caregivers experience stem from their ability or inability to effectively balance their employment and caregiving roles. The results suggest the need to focus on caregiving–work conflict when constructing new or translating existing evidence-based caregiver interventions.
Postpartum depressive symptoms: the B-vitamin link.

Objective This study examined longitudinal relationships between maternal red-cell folate status and dietary intakes of vitamins B(6), B(12) and folate before and during pregnancy and subsequent postpartum depressive symptoms.Study design and setting Within a cohort study of women aged 20-34 years (the Southampton Women's Survey) dietary data were obtained before pregnancy and at 11 and 34 weeks' gestation. Red-cell folate was measured before pregnancy and at 11 weeks' gestation. We derived relative risks of postpartum depressive symptoms using an Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) score of ≥ 13 administered from 6 months to 1 year postpartum.Results No significant differences were found between those with postpartum depressive symptoms (n = 905) and those without (n = 1951) in relation to red-cell folate concentration or dietary intake of folate, vitamin B(12) and vitamin B(6), before or during pregnancy. A prior history of mental illness (relative risk (RR) 1.83; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.53-2.19) was associated with postpartum depressive symptoms, and women who breastfed until 6 months were less likely to experience postpartum depressive symptoms (RR 0.68; 95% CI 0.55-0.84). Conclusion This study suggests that folate status and dietary folate, B(6) and B(12) intakes before and during pregnancy are not associated with postpartum depressive symptoms. A history of mental illness, however, was a strong risk factor.
Spinal muscular atrophy: a delayed development hypothesis

Spinal muscular atrophy is an inherited neuromuscular disorder. The gene responsible for the disease has been identified and named the SMN gene. This review is prompted by recent advances in understanding cellular function of the SMN gene and its gene product and by the increasing evidence that maturation of all parts of the neuromuscular system is delayed in spinal muscular atrophy patients. We suggest that the timing of developmental changes in motoneurons and muscles is critical for their survival. Delayed maturation of either motoneuron or muscle can cause these cells to die so the molecules that are involved in controlling their rate of maturation are crucial for normal development. We suggest that SMN gene/protein is one such molecule, because the neuromuscular system develops more slowly in spinal muscular atrophy patients, where SMN protein is absent, and in animals models, where SMN protein is reduced.
Clinical outcome of extramedullary plasmacytoma.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was a retrospective analysis of the presenting features of extramedullary plasmacytoma, its response to therapy and its clinical course. DESIGN AND METHODS Forty-six cases diagnosed between August 1970 and June 1993 were carefully reviewed. The follow-up was continued until June 1998 and the median observation time was 118 months. RESULTS The disease was most frequently localized in the upper airways (37/46; 80%), with the mass limited to a single site in all but seven patients in whom two contiguous sites were involved. Other localizations were the lymph nodes, thyroid, skin, stomach, and brain. The clinical symptoms were related to the site of presentation, and the median time between appearance and diagnosis was 7.5 months. The median age at diagnosis was 55 years (range 16-80), with 14 patients (30%) being under 50 years old. The disorder was approximately twice as common in males as in females. Ten patients (21%) had a monoclonal component. The therapeutic strategy varied, although the most frequent form of treatment was local radiotherapy. Thirty-nine patients (85%) achieved complete remission (CR), five (11%) a partial remission (PR) and two (4%) did not respond to therapy (NR). Local recurrence (LR) or recurrence at other sites (ROS) occurred in 7.5% and 10%, respectively. Seven patients (15%) developed multiple myeloma (MM), characterized by multiple sites of osteolysis in almost all cases with soft tissue involvement in some of them. The 15 year survival rate was 78%. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS This review of a relatively large series of patients confirms the favorable prognosis of EMP when treated locally by irradiation and/or surgery.
Gift Exchange with Surprise

We consider a wage-effort psychological game (Geanakoplos, Pearce and Stacchetti, 1989) where the agent's reciprocal behavior depends on the surprise generated by the wage paid by the principal. The agent works harder when the wage is greater than expected and works less when the wage is smaller than expected. Consistent equilibrium beliefs oblige the principal to randomize in order to surprise the agent, which results in the principal being worse off than if she were dealing with an agent unaffected by surprise.
The London School of Economics and Political Science Essays on performance, corporate financial strategy and organization of multinational banks in Africa

This thesis is composed of three stand-alone essays interlinked within the context of banking markets in sub-Saharan Africa. This research is motivated by the lack of comparative research on North-South and South-South foreign direct investment (FDI), especially on the service sector and on the African context, despite the rapid expansion of multinationals from developing and emerging countries over the last two decades. Theoretically, this thesis builds on strategy, corporate finance and organizational economics theories. The first chapter compares the financial performance of the foreign affiliates of global banks to that of regional African banks in sub-Saharan Africa over a 10-year period. The results suggest that affiliates of regional African banks are significantly less profitable (lower return on equity and higher cost income ratio) than those of global banks. Furthermore, the performance differentials are not strongly related to the quality and sectoral allocation of banks’ loan portfolio but to differences in their access to funding. The second chapter examines the benefits and drawbacks of being part of a large banking group by analyzing the flows of internal capital between foreign affiliates located in an emerging economy, South Africa, and their global headquarters. It provides evidence for a support motive to internal funding, as foreign affiliates receive on average more internal group funding when their solvency ratio declines. However, using the event of the East Asian Crisis, I show that foreign affiliates’ balance sheet are not immune to “reversal of fortune” when other members of their banking group need large amounts of internal capital to cushion capital losses, leading to abrupt reallocation of internal capital. Finally, using an instrument variable technique I find a positive impact of the volume of internal funding received by a foreign affiliate on its credit supply in the mortgage market. In the third chapter I examine how environmental and firm factors influence the organizational structure of multinational banks relying on survey data on commercial banks located in 14 sub-Saharan African countries. I find evidence of a positive and significant association between several indicators of environmental distance between host and home countries (institutional, economic and cultural distance) and centralization of operational processes inside multinationals. In addition, I find that lower quantity of “hard” information available on borrowers in the host markets and higher reliance on qualitative or “soft” information by bank managers is negatively and significantly associated with centralization. To my parents, Jean-Claude and Dominique.
Condyloma eradication: self-therapy with 0.15-0.5% podophyllotoxin versus 20-25% podophyllin preparations--an integrated safety assessment.

Topical application of podophyllin solution, long considered the therapy of first choice against condylomata acuminata, can no longer be recommended due to its low efficacy and gross toxicity. Self-treatment with 0.15-0.5% purified podophyllotoxin preparations, applied twice daily for 3 days, is now advocated as the alternative first-line therapy of choice, when significant improvement is conveniently, and cost-effectively, accomplished within a few weeks. This review provides a summary of the comparative efficacy and utility of podophyllin versus podophyllotoxin as well as a compilation of in vivo and in vitro safety evaluations. In light of overwhelming safety and efficacy data in favor of podophyllotoxin-derived products, it is concluded that podophyllin preparations have no place in the modern treatment portfolio for anogenital warts.
Analysis of Virus-Specific CD4+ T Cells during Long-Term Gammaherpesvirus Infection

ABSTRACT Major histocompatibility complex class II-mediated antigen presentation after intranasal infection with murine gammaherpesvirus 68 differs in mediastinal lymph nodes and spleen. Evidence that virus-specific CD4+ T cells were being stimulated was found as late as 6 to 8 months after infection, and cells specific for the viral gp15067–83 and ORF11168–180 peptides were maintained as a fairly stable proportion of the total response.
Association between urinary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine, an indicator of oxidative stress, and the cardio-ankle vascular index in hypertensive patients.

AIMS Oxidative stress has been recently postulated to be an important factor in the pathogenesis and development of arteriosclerosis. Although urinary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) is clinically used as a marker of oxidative stress, its usefulness in diagnosing arteriosclerosis has not been fully examined. This study aimed to evaluate the association between urinary 8-OHdG and the cardioankle vascular index (CAVI) as a marker of arterial stiffness in hypertensive patients. METHODS We enrolled 100 hypertensive patients (70 ± 10 years) who had been taking antihypertensive medications for at least one year. Urinary 8-OHdG levels were measured by an immunochromatographic assay (ICR-001; Selista Inc., Tokyo, Japan). CAVIs were measured at the same visit. RESULTS Urinary 8-OHdG was correlated with smoking habits (r=0.382, p<0.001) and CAVIs (r= 0.223, p= 0.026). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed two independent determinants of urinary 8-OHdG: smoking habits (β=0.501, p<0.001) and CAVI (β=0.325, p=0.001). In addition, CAVIs were correlated with age (r= 0.600, p<0.001), BMI (r=-0.348, p<0.001), systolic blood pressure (r= 0.343, p<0.001), pulse pressure (r= 0.358, p<0.001), serum creatinine level (r=0.408, p<0.001), urinary 8-OHdG level (r= 0.223, p= 0.026), and diabetes (r= 0.210, p=0.036). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed two independent determinants of CAVI: age (β= 0.568, p<0.001) and 8-OHdG (β=0.357, p<0.001). CONCLUSION Elevated CAVI is independently associated with an elevated urinary 8-OHdG level in hypertensive patients.
Mass screening for colorectal cancer is not justified in most developing countries

Most developed countries insist on the prevention of colorectal cancer (CRC) and offer screening to the population. Mass screening is proposed to both sexes in the population aged 50 years or more. Colonoscopy is then offered to persons having a positive faecal occult blood test. This recommendation should not be diffused over the world without considering the distinct dimensions of the risk and resources in developed and developing countries. A national screening policy is legitimate in developed countries like Japan, South Korea, and in North America and Europe. On the other hand, a mass screening policy for CRC is not recommended in most developing countries. The limited amount of resources attributed to health care for cancer should concern other indications in the control of common cancers, particularly in the cervix or liver. Indeed the risk of CRC is very low in most regions of Africa, and in some countries of South America and Asia. © 2009 UICC
Structures of a Human Papillomavirus (HPV) E6 Polypeptide Bound to MAGUK Proteins: Mechanisms of Targeting Tumor Suppressors by a High-Risk HPV Oncoprotein

ABSTRACT Human papillomavirus (HPV) E6 oncoprotein targets certain tumor suppressors such as MAGI-1 and SAP97/hDlg for degradation. A short peptide at the C terminus of E6 interacts specifically with the PDZ domains of these tumor suppressors, which is a property unique to high-risk HPVs that are associated with cervical cancer. The detailed recognition mechanisms between HPV E6 and PDZ proteins are unclear. To understand the specific binding of cellular PDZ substrates by HPV E6, we have solved the crystal structures of the complexes containing a peptide from HPV18 E6 bound to three PDZ domains from MAGI-1 and SAP97/Dlg. The complex crystal structures reveal novel features of PDZ peptide recognition that explain why high-risk HPV E6 can specifically target these cellular tumor suppressors for destruction. Moreover, a new peptide-binding loop on these PDZs is identified as interacting with the E6 peptide. Furthermore, we have identified an arginine residue, unique to high-risk HPV E6 but outside the canonical core PDZ recognition motif, that plays an important role in the binding of the PDZs of both MAGI-I and SAP97/Dlg, the mutation of which abolishes E6's ability to degrade the two proteins. Finally, we have identified a dimer form of MAGI-1 PDZ domain 1 in the cocrystal structure with E6 peptide, which may have functional relevance for MAGI-1 activity. In addition to its novel insights into the biochemistry of PDZ interactions, this study is important for understanding HPV-induced oncogenesis; this could provide a basis for developing antiviral and anticancer compounds.
Inhibition by acetaminophen of intestinal cancer in rats induced by an aromatic amine similar to food mutagens

The widely used analgesic acetaminophen (APAP) was studied in rats for its ability to inhibit intestinal carcinogenesis induced by 3,2'-dintethyl-4-aminobiphenyl (DMAB), which was selected as the carcinogen because of its similarity to the heterocyclic amines formed during cooking and which are postulated to be involved in colon cancer in humans. APAP was fed to male F344 rats at 250 ppm, which is about 1/4 the human therapeutic dose and at 5000 ppm, which is about fivefold the human dose. DMAB was injected subcutaneously at 50 mg/kg body weight weekly for 20 weeks, to assure identical exposures to all animals, followed by 22 weeks of maintenance. The DMAB was an effective inducer of tumours in the small and large intestines, producing an average of 1.3 tumours per animal. Feeding of APAP began 2 weeks before DMAB administration and continued for 44 weeks. A 9% reduction in the number of colon tumours per rat cancer at the low dose and an 86% reduction at the high dose were found. Small intestinal tumour incidence was reduced at both doses. The number of multiple intestinal tumours per rat was reduced by 27% and 49% for the low and high doses, respectively. The dimensions of these neoplasms, especially those in the colon, were also reduced in both dose groups. Thus, APAP, even at a sub-therapeutic dose, inhibited intestinal carcinogenesis induced by DMAB. This allows us to speculate that the effects of low exposures to dietary carcinogens of the heterocyclic amine type could be inhibited by therapeutic doses of APAP.
Human Serum Immunoglobulin Counteracts Rotaviral Infection in Caco-2 Cells1

Oral administration of human serum immunoglobulin reduces the duration of diarrhea and of rotaviral excretion in children. To investigate the in vitro effects of immunoglobulin on virusenterocyte interaction, Caco-2 cells were infected with Rotavirus strain SA11. Immunoglobulin was added prior to and at various times postinfection. Indirect immunofluorescence was performed with an antibody against VP-6 rotaviral antigen. Cell viability and monolayer transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) were monitored. Immunofluorescence showed a perinuclear distribution in 90% of cells.Rotavirus infection induced a progressive decrease in TEER and a parallel reduction in cell viability, depending on viral load. Preincubation of the virus with immunoglobulin prevented cell infection as judged by immunofluorescence. Immunoglobulin addition to infected cells partially prevented the decrease in TEER and induced a later shift of TEER toward increasing values, suggesting restoration of monolayer's integrity. The efficacy of immunoglobulin depended on its concentration and on the time of its addition. These results indicate that immunoglobulin is effective in preventing infection and in reducing cell damage, through a direct anti-Rotavirus action and may indicate that immunoglobulin should be administered in the early phase of diarrhea, to reduce the severity ofRotavirus infection.
Altered CSF 5-HIAA Disposition in Pathologic Male Gamblers

Abstract Previous reports concerning the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of pathologic gamblers have described disturbed norepinephrine and dopamine (but not serotonin) functioning in the central nervous system. We analyzed neurotransmitter metabolites in two consecutive 6-mL samples of CSF obtained from 10 pathologic male gamblers punctured at the L4-5 level following 8 hours of fasting along with strict bed rest. Data were compared with those for healthy male controls. In conformity with findings in healthy male controls, we found gradients in CSF 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) and homovanillic acid (HVA), but not 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl glycol (HMPG). Expressing the CSF concentrations as nmol x L-1 x min-1 of tapping time (an estimate of the mass flow through the needle), the levels of 5-HIAA and HMPG (but not HVA) were found to be significantly lower in gamblers. Levels of 5-HIAA and HVA showed a significant correlation in gamblers but not in healthy controls. Taking tapping time into account, the CSF levels of HMPG and 5-HIAA were significantly lower in gamblers. We concluded that, in light of previous CSF findings of disturbed norepinephrine and dopamine function, altered indolamine function cannot be fully ruled out.