Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Resistance Training RESISTANCE TRAINING AND TESTOSTERONE REPLACEMENT INDUCED CHANGES IN BODY COMPOSITION , FREE TESTOSTERONE , IGF-1 , and IGFBP-3 IN THE FRAIL ELDERLY

Lambert CP, Bopp MM, Johnson LE, Sullivan DH. Resistance Training and Testosterone Replacement Induced Changes in Body Composition, Free Testosterone, IGF-I, and IGFBP-3 in the Frail Elderly. JEPonline 2007;10(1):48-56. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the effects of two resistance exercise intensities and testosterone replacement on changes in circulating hormone/growth factor concentrations and their relationship to body composition changes in frail elderly individuals. This study design was a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial with Drug (100 mg/wk of testosterone; T or no-testosterone), Resistance Exercise (Low Intensity and High-Intensity) and Time (Pre and Post Intervention). The duration of the interventions was 12 weeks. Subjects for this investigation were sixty-one men with a mean age of 77.8+6.1, a total testosterone concentration of <480 ng/dL, and who were in the recuperative phase of a recent illness. Serum was analyzed for insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), IGF binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3), sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), and total testosterone. Leg strength and mid-thigh cross-sectional muscle area were also measured preand post-intervention. As expected, total testosterone and free testosterone were significantly elevated by testosterone administration (each p<0.001). There were trends for a reduction in IGFBP-3 (p=0.175) and an increase in IGF-I/IGFBP-3 ratio (p=0.094) by testosterone administration. There was a significant time effect with regard to IGF-I with the mean of the four groups increasing over time (p=0.013). Significant correlations were observed between the post-intervention Resistance Training in the Frail Elderly 49 total (r=0.385; p=0.002) and free (r=0.315;p=0.013) testosterone concentrations and the % change in mid-thigh cross-sectional muscle area. The Post-intervention IGF-I/IGFBP-3 ratio correlated significantly with % change in mid-thigh cross-sectional muscle area (r=0.269 p=0.036) and the % change in fat free mass (r=0.261; p=0.05). These data would suggest that elevations in the total and free testosterone as well as in the IGF-I/IGFBP-3 ratio after testosterone administration may be indicators of changes in muscle mass with testosterone administration in older hypogonadal men recovering from a recent illness.
A Structural View on the Maturation of Lanthipeptides

Lanthipeptides are ribosomally synthesized and posttranslationally modified peptides, which display diverse bioactivities (e.g., antifungal, antimicrobial, and antiviral). One characteristic of these lanthipeptides is the presence of thioether bonds, which are termed (methyl-) lanthionine rings. These modifications are installed by corresponding modification enzymes in a two-step modality. First, serine and threonine residues are dehydrated followed by a subsequent catalyzed cyclization reaction, in which the dehydrated serine and threonine residues are undergoing a Michael-type addition with cysteine residues. The dedicated enzymes are encoded by one or two genes and the classification of lanthipeptides is pending on this. The modification steps form the basis of distinguishing the different classes of lanthipeptides and furthermore reflect also important mechanistic differences. Here, we will summarize recent insights into the mechanisms and the structures of the participating enzymes, focusing on the two core modification steps – dehydration and cyclization.
The Applicability of TAM Outside North America: An Empirical Test in the United Kingdom

Recently, researchers in IS have begun to rely on the theories of innovation diffusion to study implementation problems. A major focus of these studies has been how potential users' perceptions of the information technology IT innovation influence its adoption. User acceptance of IT has been a primary focus in the MIS implementation research for the past decade. Why do users accept or reject information systems? How is user acceptance affected by perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and attitude toward acceptance behavior? The present research addresses these questions in the Western Europe culture. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the applicability of the technology acceptance model in the United Kingdom. This study seeks empirical support for the well-known technology acceptance model, or TAM in the UK. TAM is used as a base model to produce a causal model resembling a network of relationships among the constructs of the study. A field study of 324 users regarding an IT system was conducted in the UK to validate measures used to operationalize model variables and to test the hypothesized network of relationships. Partial Least Squares PLS, a second-generation multivariate analysis technique, was used to estimate the parameters of the proposed causal model. The study findings indicate that TAM is very applicable to the UK, which lend a hand to a good tool of assessing IT acceptance in this developed region of the world. They also indicate that perceived usefulness has the largest influence on IT acceptance followed by users' attitudes toward IT. Perceived usefulness demonstrate to operate directly on IT acceptance and indirectly through attitudes. Meanwhile, perceived ease of use has a larger influence on users' attitudes than does perceived usefulness. Suggestions for future research and implications of findings are discussed.
Incidence and Predictors of Clinical Failures Following Catheter-Based Treatment of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms

An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a balloon-like bulge or weakened area in the wall of aorta. The larger the aneurysm becomes, the more likely it will rupture which could lead to life-threatening bleeding, and potentially death. Surgical repair of the aneurysm prior to rupture is often life-saving. This can be performed either as an open procedure or endoluminal with a stent graft. The management of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA), whether discovered incidentally on imaging studies or by an astute physician on physical exam, continues to have a huge impact on clinical practice and the lives of patients. Through research, the art of medicine, and extensive patient counseling, surveillance versus elective repair continues to be a dynamic and changing science. When indications for elective repair arise, such as worsening symptoms, increased or rapid growth of the aneurysm, or a diameter greater than 5 cm is present, a decision regarding surgical options are brought to the forefront. Open AAA repair was the sole form of surgical treatment until endoluminal repair was introduced into practice in 1991. Much research has been publicized supporting the decreased recovery time and the short term morbidity of endoluminal repair compared to open repair. However, some authors suggest that the benefits of endoluminal repair with respect to mortality rate achieved in the early postoperative period disappear in the long term recovery scheme (Zeebregts et al., 2004). The controversies surrounding endoluminal repair of AAA have involved defining the ideal candidate based on risk factor stratification and overcoming challenging anatomy of the aorta. According to Steinmetz et al, “the ideal candidate for endovascular repair [is] still to be defined” (Steinmetz et al., 2010). However, with new improvements to detect complications intraoperatively, and advances in technology to prevent/treat migration and endoleaks, the quest to determine the ideal candidate may be unnecessary. The presence of an intraoperative endoleak may increase the likelihood of an endoleak being seen during the follow-up period, but not necessarily the likelihood of an additional reintervention or operative procedure (Sampaio et al., 2009). The ultimate goal is to enable the applicability of this elective, minimally invasive approach to prevent the catastrophic event of a ruptured AAA to be widespread. Endoluminal AAA repair obviates the three major physiologic insults associated with open repair laparotomy, aortic cross-clamping, and ischemia reperfusion injury (Halak et al.,
Identifying Functional Impacts of Heat-Resistant Fungi on Boreal Forest Recovery After Wildfire

Fungi play key roles in carbon (C) dynamics of ecosystems: saprotrophs decompose organic material and return C in the nutrient cycle, and mycorrhizal species support plants that accumulate C through photosynthesis. The identities and functions of extremophile fungi present after fire can influence C dynamics, particularly because plant-fungal relationships are often species-specific. However, little is known about the function and distribution of fungi that survive fires. We aim to assess the distribution of heat-resistant soil fungi across burned stands of boreal forest in the Northwest Territories, Canada, and understand their functions in relation to decomposition and tree seedling growth. We cultured and identified fungi from heat-treated soils and linked sequences from known taxa with high throughput sequencing fungal data (Illumina MiSeq, ITS1) from soils collected in 47 plots. We assessed functions under controlled conditions by inoculating litter and seedlings with heat-resistant fungi to assess decomposition and effects on seedling growth, respectively, for black spruce (Picea mariana), birch (Betula papyrifera), and jack pine (Pinus banksiana). We also measured litter decomposition rates and seedling densities in the field without inoculation. We isolated seven taxa of heat-resistant fungi and found their relative abundances were not associated with environmental or fire characteristics. Under controlled conditions, Fayodia gracilipes and Penicillium arenicola decomposed birch, but no taxa decomposed black spruce litter significantly more than the control treatment. Seedlings showed reduced biomass and/or mortality when inoculated with at least one of the fungal taxa. Penicillium turbatum reduced growth and/or caused mortality of all three species of seedlings. In the field, birch litter decomposed faster in stands with greater pre-fire proportion of black spruce, while black spruce litter decomposed faster in stands experiencing longer fire-free intervals. Densities of seedlings that had germinated since fire were positively associated with ectomycorrhizal richness while there were fewer conifer seedlings with greater heat-resistant fungal abundance. Overall, our study suggests that extremophile fungi present after fires have multiple functions and may have unexpected negative effects on forest functioning and regeneration. In particular, heat-resistant fungi after fires may promote shifts away from conifer dominance that are observed in these boreal forests.
Developmental correlation of diffusion anisotropy with auditory-evoked response

White matter diffusion anisotropy in the acoustic radiations of the auditory pathway was characterized as a function of development in children and adolescents. Auditory-evoked neuromagnetic fields were also recorded from the same individuals, and the latency of the left and right superior temporal gyrus auditory response of approximately 100 ms was also obtained. White matter diffusion anisotropy increased with age. There was a commensurate shortening of the auditory-evoked response latency with increased age as well as with increased white matter diffusion anisotropy. The significant negative correlation between structural integrity of white matter pathways and electrophysiological function (response timing) of distal cortex supports a biophysical model of developmental changes in white matter myelination, conduction velocity, and cortical response timing.
Identification of Enterococcus, Streptococcus, andStaphylococcus by Multivariate Analysis of Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Data from Plate Cultures

ABSTRACT A new fingerprinting technique with the potential for rapid identification of bacteria was developed by combining proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS) with multivariate statistical analysis. This resulted in an objective identification strategy for common clinical isolates belonging to the bacterial species Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus agalactiae, and the Streptococcus milleri group. Duplicate cultures of 104 different isolates were examined one or more times using 1H MRS. A total of 312 cultures were examined. An optimized classifier was developed using a bootstrapping process and a seven-group linear discriminant analysis to provide objective classification of the spectra. Identification of isolates was based on consistent high-probability classification of spectra from duplicate cultures and achieved 92% agreement with conventional methods of identification. Fewer than 1% of isolates were identified incorrectly. Identification of the remaining 7% of isolates was defined as indeterminate.
Implications of bank regulation for loan supply and bank stability: a dynamic perspective

ABSTRACT We show that internal funds play a particular role in the regulation of bank capital, which has not received much attention, yet. A bank's decision on loan supply and capital structure determines its immediate bankruptcy risk as well as the future availability of internal funds. These internal funds in turn determine a bank's future costs of external finance and its future vulnerability to bankruptcy risks. Using a partial equilibrium model, we study how internal funds affect these intra- and intertemporal links. Moreover, our positive analysis identifies the effects of risk-weighted capital-to-asset ratios, liquidity coverage ratios and regulatory margin calls on the dynamics of internal funds and thus loan supply and bank stability. Only regulatory margin calls or large liquidity coverage ratios achieve bank stability for all risk levels, but for large risks a bank will stop credit intermediation.
Histone H3K9 acetylation level modulates gene expression and may affect parasite growth in human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum

Three‐dimensional positioning of the nuclear genome plays an important role in the epigenetic regulation of genes. Although nucleographic domain compartmentalization in the regulation of epigenetic state and gene expression is well established in higher organisms, it remains poorly understood in the pathogenic parasite Plasmodium falciparum. In the present study, we report that two histone tail modifications, H3K9Ac and H3K14Ac, are differentially distributed in the parasite nucleus. We find colocalization of active gene promoters such as Tu1 (tubulin‐1 expressed in the asexual stages) with H3K9Ac marks at the nuclear periphery. By contrast, asexual stage inactive gene promoters such as Pfg27 (gametocyte marker) and Pfs28 (ookinete marker) occupy H3K9Ac devoid zones at the nuclear periphery. The histone H3K9 is predominantly acetylated by the PCAF/GCN5 class of lysine acetyltransferases, which is well characterized in the parasite. Interestingly, embelin, a specific inhibitor of PCAF/GCN5 family histone acetyltransferase, selectively decreases total H3K9Ac acetylation levels (but not H3K14Ac levels) around the var gene promoters, leading to the downregulation of var gene expression, suggesting interplay among histone acetylation status, as well as subnuclear compartmentalization of different genes and their activation in the parasites. Finally, we found that embelin inhibited parasitic growth at the low micromolar range, raising the possibility of using histone acetyltransferases as a target for antimalarial therapy.
Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase polymorphisms C677T and A1298C as maternal risk factors for Down syndrome in Jordan.

BACKGROUND The activity of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) enzyme is regulated by the two polymorphisms C677T and A1298C, which reduce enzyme activity and result in hypomethylation of chromosomes that increase the risk of nondisjunction. These polymorphisms are suggested to be risk factors for Down syndrome (DS) in some populations. AIM The aim of this study was to test if C677T and A1298C polymorphisms are correlated to maternal risk of DS in Jordan. METHODS The proportions of C677T and A1298C polymorphisms were examined in 53 case mothers who delivered DS children and 29 controls. The median age of case mothers was 35 years when delivering their affected children. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism was used for genotyping. RESULTS The frequency of MTHFR C677T allele in all DS mothers was 3.2-fold higher than in the controls (odds ratio [OR] = 3.12, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.303-7.677). Also, the proportion of 677T in the older case mothers was different from the controls, but was significantly higher in younger case mothers than in the controls (OR = 4.2, 95% CI: 1.61-10.97, p = 0.003). The proportions of 677CT and 677TT genotypes in younger cases are, respectively, 10- and 9-fold higher than in the controls. The proportions of MTHFR A1298C are significantly different among all case groups and the controls (χ(2) = 4.27, p = 0.127), but there was a significant difference between young case mothers and both older case mothers group and the controls (OR = 1.25, 95% CI: 0.405-3.85, p = 0.698). CONCLUSIONS There is strong association between MTHFRC677T and maternal risk of DS in Jordanian mothers younger than 35 years old and the MTHFR1298C allele has a lesser but additive risk effect in MTHFR677T/1298C compound heterozygotes.
Insurance status and the use of guideline therapy in the treatment of selected cancers.

PURPOSE This study estimates the impact of type of insurance coverage on the receipt of guideline therapy in a population-based sample of cancer patients treated in the community. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients (n = 7,134) from the National Cancer Institute's Patterns of Care studies who were newly diagnosed with 11 different types of cancer were analyzed. The definition of guideline therapy was based on the National Comprehensive Cancer Network treatment recommendations. Insurance status was categorized as a mutually exclusive hierarchical variable (no insurance, any private insurance, any Medicaid, Medicare only, and all other). Multivariate analyses were used to examine the association between insurance and receipt of guideline therapy. RESULTS Adjusting for clinical and nonclinical variables, insurance status was a modest, although statistically significant, determinant of receipt of guideline therapy, with 65% of the privately insured patients receiving recommended therapy compared with 60% of patients with Medicaid. Seventy percent of the uninsured patients received guideline therapy, which was nonsignificantly different compared with private insurance. When stratified by race, insurance was a statistically significant predictor of the receipt of guideline therapy only for non-Hispanic blacks. CONCLUSION Overall, levels of guideline treatment were lower than expected and particularly low for patients with Medicaid or Medicare only. The use of guideline therapy for ovarian and cervical cancer patients and for patients with rectal cancers was unrelated to type of insurance. Of particular concern is the significantly lower use of guideline therapy for non-Hispanic black patients with Medicaid. After adjusting for other factors, only half of these patients received guideline therapy.
PER3 and ADORA2A polymorphisms impact neurobehavioral performance during sleep restriction

The objective of the study was to determine whether ADORA2A or PER3 polymorphisms contribute to individual responsivity to sleep restriction. Nineteen healthy adults (ages 18–39, 11 males, 8 females) underwent sleep restriction (SR) which consisted of seven nights of 3 h time in bed (TIB) (04:00–07:00). SR was preceded by seven in‐laboratory nights of 10 h TIB (21:00–07:00) and followed by three nights of 8 h TIB (23:00–07:00). Volunteers underwent psychomotor vigilance, objective alertness, and subjective sleepiness assessments throughout. Volunteers were genotyped for the PER3 VNTR polymorphism (PER34/4 n = 7; PER34/5 n = 10; PER35/5 n = 2) and the ADORA2A c.1083T>C polymorphism, (ADORA2AC/T n = 9; ADORA2AT/T n = 9; ADORA2AC/C n = 1) using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Separate mixed‐model anovas were used to assess contributions of ADORA2A and PER3 polymorphisms. Results showed that PER34/4 and ADORA2AC/T individuals expressed greater behavioral resiliency to SR compared to PER4/5and ADORA2AT/T individuals. Our findings contrast with previously reported non‐significant effects for the PER3 polymorphism under a less challenging sleep restriction regimen (4 h TIB per night for five nights). We conclude that PER3 and ADORA2A polymorphisms become more behaviorally salient with increasing severity and/or duration of sleep restriction (based on psychomotor vigilance). Given the small sample size these results are preliminary and require replication.
Alcohol Consumption, Dependence, and Treatment Barriers: Perceptions Among Nontreatment Seekers with Alcohol Dependence

Background: Alcohol use disorders are highly prevalent worldwide. However, only a minority with alcohol dependence seek and undergo treatment. From a public health perspective, it is important to understand why people do not seek treatment. Objectives: This study aims to describe how people with alcohol dependence perceive and discuss treatment for alcohol use disorders and their reasons for seeking and not seeking treatment. Methods: 32 alcohol dependent adults from the general population participated in focus groups and individual interviews in Stockholm during 2011–2012. Data were analyzed with thematic content analysis. Results: Suffering from alcohol dependence, as well as realizing the need for, and entering treatment, were associated with shame and stigma, and were strong barriers to treatment. Other barriers included the desire to deal with alcohol problems on one's own and the view that seeking treatment required total abstinence. Negative health-effects were mainly a nonissue. The participants’ knowledge about treatment options was limited to lifelong abstinence, medication with Disulfiram and residential treatment. These were seen as unappealing and contrasted sharply with preferred treatment. Conclusions/Importance: Public health literacy regarding alcohol use, dependence, and treatment ought to be improved in order to lower barriers to treatment. Treatment services need to better match the needs and wishes of potential service users, as well as taking stigmatization into account. In order to develop suitable treatments, and to reach the majority who do not seek treatment, the clinical understanding of alcohol dependence needs to be expanded to include mild to moderate dependence.