Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of L-arginine supplementation on exercise metabolism

Purpose of reviewTo describe the influence of acute and chronic administration of L-arginine on metabolism at rest and during exercise. Recent findingsThere has been substantial examination of the effect of infusion and ingestion of L-arginine at rest. It has been clearly demonstrated that L-arginine administration improves endothelial function in various disease states. In addition, L-arginine infusion at rest increases plasma insulin, growth hormone, glucagon, catecholamines and prolactin. Such hormonal changes affect metabolism. There has, however, been very little examination of the effect of increases in L-arginine availability during exercise. This is important to study as there is preliminary evidence that L-arginine infusion, probably via increases in nitric oxide (NO), alters skeletal-muscle metabolism during exercise. There is a need for further research, especially to understand the mechanisms of how L-arginine affects exercise metabolism and also to determine whether the hormonal responses that occur in response to L-arginine at rest are also present to some extent during exercise. SummaryThis line of research may have important therapeutic implications as there are indications that L-arginine augments the effects of exercise training on insulin sensitivity and capillary growth in muscles.
Age of Obsidian Butte in Imperial County, California, Through Infrared Stimulated Luminescence Dating of Potassium Feldspar from Tuffaceous Sediment

ABSTRACT Obsidian Butte is an important lithic source for obsidian and artifacts from this location are distributed across archaeological sites in southern California and adjacent parts of northern Mexico. For this study, we used drill core material for infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) dating of potassium feldspar extracted from tuffaceous sediment directly underlying obsidian-bearing lava from Obsidian Butte. In addition, a core sample from lacustrine sediment below the tuffaceous sedimentary unit was dated by the same method. Stratigraphically consistent ages between 2.51 ± 0.32 kilo-annum (ka) (1 sigma uncertainty; average of two tuffaceous sediment samples) and 4.39 ± 0.49 ka (lacustrine sediment sample) were obtained. This constrains the eruption and earliest availability of the lithic resource of Obsidian Butte to 490 BCE (with uncertainty limits of ±320 years at ∼68 percent confidence, and ±640 years at ∼95 percent confidence). Since then, it would have been accessible during intermittent desiccation of Lake Cahuilla. This new date redefines obsidian from Obsidian Butte as a marker for the late prehistoric period.
Association of acute ischemic stroke with the MTHFR C 677 T polymorphism but not with NOS 3 gene polymorphisms in a Singapore population

Received 2 April 2008 Accepted 11 August 2008 Background and purpose: The association of polymorphisms in the nitric oxide synthase 3 (NOS3) gene (T-786C, variable number tandem repeats 4A/B/C, and G894T) and in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene (C677T) with acute ischemic stroke have been reported. Methods: First-time onset acute ischemic stroke patients (n = 120) and controls (n = 207) with no past history of stroke were compared. Allele specific gene amplification and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis were used to determine the genotype and allelic frequencies in both groups. Plasma homocysteine (Hcy) and nitrite levels were measured. Results: No significant association of NOS3 polymorphisms with ischemic stroke was noted. The TT genotype of the MTHFR C677T polymorphism was significantly associated with ischemic stroke (P = 0.004). Elevated plasma Hcy levels were also significantly associated with ischemic stroke (P = 0.001). Conclusions: The TT genotype of C677T polymorphism in the MTHFR gene contributes to genetic susceptibility of acute ischemic stroke in a Singapore population.
Periodontopathic bacterial infection in childhood.

BACKGROUND Little information is available on periodontopathic bacterial infection in childhood. We assessed the prevalence by age of 10 putative periodontopathic microorganisms in periodontally healthy children using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. METHODS Plaque samples were collected from the buccal-mesial sulcus of the first molar or second primary molar in the right upper quadrant of 144 children (2 to 13 years old, 12 subjects from each year of age) who showed negligible periodontal inflammation. Using species-specific primers of Porphyromonas gingivalis, Bacteroides forsythus, Prevotella intermedia, Prevotella nigrescens, Campylobacter rectus, Eikenella corrodens, Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Capnocytophaga ochracea, Capnocytophaga sputigena, and Treponema denticola, PCR amplification was performed with bacterial genomic DNA from plaque samples. RESULTS The results indicated that C. rectus, E. corrodens, A. actinomycetemcomitans, C. ochracea, and C. sputigena were found in about 50% of the plaque samples from all age groups, while B. forsythus and P. intermedia were detected less frequently, and P. gingivalis and T. denticola were not found. In contrast, the percentage of P. nigrescens-positive subjects increased with age in primary dentition, and reached about 50% at 7 years of age and older. Subject-based analyses suggested that the number of bacterial species in the plaque samples increased gradually with age until 5 years old, and then reached a plateau after the mixed dentition period. CONCLUSIONS The colonization of many putative periodontopathic microorganisms can occur quite early in childhood without clinical signs of periodontal disease. However, colonization by P. gingivalis and T. denticola was not detected in periodontally healthy children.
Accounting for Accountability: A Critical Reflection on the Private Higher Education in Bangladesh

The World Bank has pioneered the concept of “private” in developing countries with the aim of creating economic and social sustainability since the 1990s. This study examines private universities by focusing on the accountability framework in Bangladesh. Using a multi-method approach (a survey of 1,046 students from all 52 universities in the country and policy documents from 1992-2014), the study reveals that weak macro accountability (specifically, a vague regulatory framework, lack of enforcement, government leniency, and corruption) is a contributing factor in the unsuccessful drive for higher growth of private higher education institutions (HEIs). The study also raises a question on the success of the Washington Consensus in a developing country. The findings demonstrate that urgent attention is required from the Bangladesh government and donor agencies (The World Bank, the UNESCO, and the International Monetary Fund [IMF]).
Health selection operating between classes and across employment statuses

Backgrounds The debate on health selection which describes the influence of health on subsequent social mobility is highly contested. The authors set out to examine the effect of health selection by looking at the effect of previous health status on changes in socio-economic position (SEP) over two time periods. Method Data were pooled from 13 waves (1991–2003) of the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS). Using a multilevel multinomial approach, the presence of health selection between classes and into/out of employment was concurrently tested and compared. Results In the descriptive analysis, poor health was consistently associated with moving downward, while the outcome was inverse for upward movement. After accounting for the data structure using multilevel analysis, health was a predictor for social mobility when leaving and entering employment, but the effect was minimal for transitions between classes for both men and women. Conclusion The non-significant impact of health on mobility inside employment may reflect the presence of the significant impact of health on mobility between employment and non-employment. This implies that the effect of health was not evenly spread over all social mobility, but rather tends to concentrate on some types of mobility. The effect of each predictor on social mobility is more concentrated among specific transitions, and health and age were likely to be substantial in moving into/out of the labour force, whereas education was a relevant predictor for mobility into/out of upper classes, in particular, classes I/II.
ADP modulates the dynamic behavior of the glycolytic pathway of Escherichia coli.

A mathematical model that includes biochemical interactions among the PTS system, phosphofructokinase (PFK), and pyruvate kinase (PK) is used to evaluate the dynamic behavior of the glycolytic pathway of Escherichia coli under steady-state conditions. The influence of ADP, phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP), and fructose-6-phosphate (F6P) on the dynamic regulation of this pathway is also analyzed. The model shows that the dynamic behavior of the system is affected significantly depending on whether ADP, PEP, or F6P is considered constant a steady state. Sustained oscillations are observed only when dADP/dt not equal 0 and completely suppressed if dADP/dt = 0 at any steady-state value. However, when PEP or F6P is constant, the system evolves toward the formation of stable limit cycles with periods ranging from 0.2 min to hours.
Water stress and seedling growth of two eucalypt species from contrasting habitats.

Seedlings of Eucalyptus maculata Hook (mesic environment) and E. brockwayi C.A. Gardn. (arid environment) were supplied 100, 70 or 40% of their water requirements estimated from leaf area and the water used by well-watered seedlings. Restricting water supply caused large differences in growth rates, which were related to large differences in total leaf area. There was a fivefold range of variation in number of leaves per plant, and a reduction of up to 20% in average leaf size as a consequence of restricting water supply. Eucalyptus maculata seedlings produced more dry matter than E. brockwayi seedlings, but net assimilation rate was higher in E. brockwayi seedlings. Transpiration rates were also higher in E. brockwayi than in E. maculata. Leaf expansion was analyzed as a function of water stress integral (S(Psi)), which is the cumulative integral over time of predawn water potential below a datum. The leaf area achieved at any stress level was not uniquely dependent on total S(Psi), there was a secondary effect associated with reduced leaf growth caused by previous stress. At any value of S(Psi), reductions in leaf growth of water-stressed seedlings relative to leaf growth of well-watered control seedlings were greater in E. maculata seedlings than in E. brockwayi. Treatment differences in both species showed that, within the levels of stress applied, a moderate water stress over a long period of time was more detrimental to dry matter production than a severe stress for a short time.
Factors Responsible for Diabetes Among Adult People of Bangladesh

The present analysis was conducted in the American International University of Bangladesh using the data collected from 900 respondents. Among the respondents 70.6 percent were diabetic patients. Finding reveals that the largest percentage of patients was of the age group more than or equal to 50 years. About 34 percent patients were suffering from Type II diabetes and among them 63.3 percent were in the age group 50+ years. Higher prevalence rates of diabetes were observed among farmers and retired persons and among obese and severe obese group of persons. The factors responsible for diabetes were identified by logistic regression analysis using prevalence and non-prevalence of diabetes as dependent variable. Age was the most important influencing factor for diabetes followed by level of education of the respondents.
Development of Obesity in Zucker Rats: Early Insulin Resistance in Muscles But Normal Sensitivity in White Adipose Tissue

Euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamps were performed on 4- and 12-wk-old anesthetized lean and obese Zucker rats. During the clamp studies, total glucose production and utilization were assessed with a 3-[3H]glucose perfusion, whereas local glucose utilization was determined by measuring 2-deoxy-1-[3H]glucose 6-phosphate accumulation in various tissues. In the basal state, 4 wk-old obese rats were hyperinsulinemic (159 ± 8 vs. 82 ± 9 μU/ml), whereas glucose turnover rate was similar to that observed in lean rats (14.9 ± 1.9 vs. 12.5 ± 1.9 mg · min−1 · kg−1). Glucose utilization was identical in skeletal muscles, whereas it was increased in white adipose tissue of obese rats (22 ± 4 vs. 8 ± 2 ng · min−1 · mg−1). At plasma insulin level of 500 μU/ml, glucose production was totally suppressed in both groups, whereas overall glucose utilization was slightly less in 4-wk-old obese than in lean rats. This was due to a reduced stimulation of glucose utilization in skeletal muscles and brown adipose tissue. In contrast, glucose utilization in periovarian white adipose tissue was similarly increased in lean and obese rats. For a maximal insulin concentration (1500 μU/ml), all the differences were abolished between lean and obese young Zucker rats. In older (12-wk-old) obese rats, glucose utilization in various tissues was markedly reduced at maximal insulin level compared with that observed in age-matched lean animals. Thus, a decreased insulin sensitivity in skeletal muscles and brown adipose tissue with a normal insulin sensitivity in white adipose tissue could contribute to the development of obesity in young Zucker rats by preferentially channeling glucose toward this tissue.
Misuse of “Power” and Other Mechanical Terms in Sport and Exercise Science Research

Abstract Winter, EM, Abt, G, Brookes, FBC, Challis, JH, Fowler, NE, Knudson, DV, Knuttgen, HG, Kraemer, WJ, Lane, AM, Mechelen, Wv, Morton, RH, Newton, RU, Williams, C, and Yeadon, MR. Misuse of “Power” and other mechanical terms in sport and exercise science research. J Strength Cond Res 30(1): 292–300, 2016—Despite the Système International d'Unitès (SI) that was published in 1960, there continues to be widespread misuse of the terms and nomenclature of mechanics in descriptions of exercise performance. Misuse applies principally to failure to distinguish between mass and weight, velocity and speed, and especially the terms “work” and “power. ” These terms are incorrectly applied across the spectrum from high-intensity short-duration to long-duration endurance exercise. This review identifies these misapplications and proposes solutions. Solutions include adoption of the term “intensity” in descriptions and categorizations of challenge imposed on an individual as they perform exercise, followed by correct use of SI terms and units appropriate to the specific kind of exercise performed. Such adoption must occur by authors and reviewers of sport and exercise research reports to satisfy the principles and practices of science and for the field to advance.
A Two-Stage Push-Pull Power Amplifier with Electro-Thermal Effects Study in 130 nm SOI CMOS for IEEE 802.11ac Applications

The paper presents a two-stage cascade push-pull power amplifier (PA) with floating-body transistors in 130 nm Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) CMOS process for IEEE 802.11ac application. In the proposed design, on chip baluns, which can realize impedance matching, are used in driver stage amplifier input and power stage amplifier output matching networks. The proposed PA can achieve high gain, high output power and wide bandwidth at the same time with 0.819mm2 chip area including pads. With 2.5 V supply voltage, the implemented PA achieves 20.31 dB power gain with 3 dB bandwidth range from 3.9 GHz to 6.19 GHz, 20.96 dBm output power at 1 dB compression point (OP-1dB) and 9.85% power added efficiency (PAE).
Rational treatment of empyema in children.

HYPOTHESIS Efficacious and cost-effective treatment of pediatric empyema can be accomplished following a protocol based on its radiographic appearance. Therapeutic modalities include thoracostomy tube drainage (TTD) with or without fibrinolytic therapy (FT) and video-assisted thoracoscopic debridement (VATD). DESIGN Retrospective case series. SETTING Tertiary referral center. RESULTS From 1995 through 1999, 31 children were treated ranging in age from 11 months to 18 years (mean age, 5.1 years). Twenty-seven (87.1%) underwent TTD; of these, 22 (81.5%) received FT with urokinase. The TTD failed in 4 children (14.8%) who required salvage VATD. Primary VATD was performed in another 4 children (12.9%). The mean length of stay was 14.6 days (TTD, 14.1 days; salvage VATD, 20. 0 days; primary VATD, 11.5 days), ranging from 8.0 to 30.0 days. Complications included readmission for fever (2 patients [6.5%]) and gastrointestinal bleeding (1 patient [3.2%]). There were no anaphylactic reactions or bleeding episodes due to urokinase. Two patients (7.4%) treated with TTD and FT developed an air leak that resolved spontaneously. The mean hospital charges were $78,832 (TTD with or without FT, $75,450; salvage VATD, $107,476; primary VATD, $69,634). The procedural charges were highest for salvage VATD. CONCLUSIONS Most cases of pediatric empyema can be treated by TTD with or without FT. This therapy is safe and effective for children with nascent disease. Primary VATD is preferred in children with advanced disease. Cost-effectiveness could be further improved through better prediction of those patients likely to fail TTD and require salvage VATD. An algorithmic approach based on findings from computed tomography or (better) ultrasonography of the chest may be the best way to make this distinction and rationalize care.
Analysis of passing sequences, shots and goals in soccer

Early research into how goals were scored in association football (Reep and Benjamin, 1968) may have shaped the tactics of British football. Most coaches have been affected, to a greater or lesser extent, by the tactics referred to as the “long-ball game” or “direct play”, which was a tactic employed as a consequence of this research. Data from these studies, published in the late 1960s, have been reconfirmed by analyses of different FIFA World Cup tournaments by several different research groups. In the present study, the number of passes that led to goals scored in two FIFA World Cup finals were analysed. The results conform to that of previous research, but when these data were normalized with respect to the frequency of the respective lengths of passing sequences, there were more goals scored from longer passing sequences than from shorter passing sequences. Teams produced significantly more shots per possession for these longer passing sequences, but the strike ratio of goals from shots is better for “direct play” than for “possession play”. Finally, an analysis of the shooting data for successful and unsuccessful teams for different lengths of passing sequences in the 1990 FIFA World Cup finals indicated that, for successful teams, longer passing sequences produced more goals per possession than shorter passing sequences. For unsuccessful teams, neither tactic had a clear advantage. It was further concluded that the original work of Reep and Benjamin (1968), although a key landmark in football analysis, led only to a partial understanding of the phenomenon that was investigated.
Selection of Plasmodium falciparum Multidrug Resistance Gene 1 Alleles in Asexual Stages and Gametocytes by Artemether-Lumefantrine in Nigerian Children with Uncomplicated Falciparum Malaria

ABSTRACT We assessed Plasmodium falciparum mdr1 (Pfmdr1) gene polymorphisms and copy numbers as well as P. falciparum Ca2+ ATPase (PfATPase6) gene polymorphisms in 90 Nigerian children presenting with uncomplicated falciparum malaria and enrolled in a study of the efficacy of artemether-lumefantrine (AL). The nested PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism and the quantitative real-time PCR methodologies were used to determine the alleles of the Pfmdr1 and PfATPase6 genes and the Pfmdr1 copy number variation, respectively, in patients samples collected prior to treatment and at the reoccurrence of parasites during a 42-day follow-up. The Pfmdr1 haplotype 86N-184F-1246D was significantly associated (P < 0.00001) with treatment failures and was selected for among posttreatment samples obtained from patients with newly acquired or recrudescing infections (P < 0.00001; χ2 = 36.5) and in gametocytes (log rank statistic = 5; P = 0.0253) after treatment with AL. All pre- and posttreatment samples as well as gametocytes harbored a single copy of the Pfmdr1 gene and the wild-type allele (L89) at codon 89 of the PfATPase6 gene. These findings suggest that polymorphisms in the Pfmdr1 gene are under AL selection pressure. Pfmdr1 polymorphisms may result in reduction in the therapeutic efficacy of this newly adopted combination treatment for uncomplicated falciparum malaria in Saharan countries of Africa.
Diversification in the Supply Chain of 99Mo Ensures a Future for 99mTc

The uncertain availability of 99mTc has become a concern for nuclear medicine departments across the globe. An issue for the United States is that currently it is dependent on a supply of 99mTc (from 99Mo) that is derived solely by production outside the United States. Since the United States uses half the world’s 99Mo production, the U.S. 99Mo supply chain would be greatly enhanced if a producer were located within the United States. The fragility of the old 99Mo supply chain is being addressed as new facilities are constructed and new processes are developed to produce 99Mo without highly enriched uranium. The conversion to low-enriched uranium is necessary to minimize the potential misuse of highly enriched uranium in the world for nonpeaceful means. New production facilities, new methods for the production of 99Mo, and a new generator elution system for the supply of 99mTc are currently being pursued. The progress made in all these areas will be discussed, as they all highlight the need to embrace diversity to ensure that we have a robust and reliable supply of 99mTc in the future.
Mycobacterium bovis BCG Substrains Confer Different Levels of Protection against Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection in a BALB/c Model of Progressive Pulmonary Tuberculosis

ABSTRACT Mycobacterium bovis BCG is the only available vaccine against tuberculosis. Reasons for why diverse BCG substrains induce different levels of protection in clinical trials remain unclear. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of 10 BCG substrains in a mouse model of pulmonary tuberculosis. BALB/c mice were subcutaneously vaccinated and 2 months later were challenged with Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv by intratracheal injection. Two and 4 months after challenge, delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response, lung tissue affected by pneumonia, CFU, T-cell counts, and cytokine expression (interleukin-2 [IL-2], IL-4, IL-10, and gamma interferon) were determined. A differential protective effect of the diverse BCG substrains was found. BCG Phipps led to the largest and most persistent reduction of CFU counts and of the area of pneumonia at 2 and 4 months after challenge. This protection was accompanied by reduced IL-10-producing T cells. Contemporary BCG substrains induce a wide range of protection in this animal model. These data can help in the selection of the best vaccine for human immunization and for the development of novel recombinant BCG-based vaccine.