Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of Combining Whole-Body Vibration With Exercise on the Consequences of Detraining on Muscle Performance in Untrained Adults

Abstract Osawa, Y and Oguma, Y. Effects of combining whole-body vibration with exercise on the consequences of detraining on muscle performance in untrained adults. J Strength Cond Res 27(4): 1074–1082, 2013—This study investigated whether whole-body vibration (WBV) coupled with low-velocity exercise (EX) for 13 weeks retains muscle performance gains after 5 weeks of subsequent detraining compared with the results of an identical EX program without WBV. Thirty-two untrained healthy adults (22–49 years of age) were randomly assigned to groups that performed EX with or without WBV (EX-WBV and EX, respectively; n = 16 per group). The following outcome variables were evaluated: countermovement jump height; maximal isometric, concentric, and eccentric knee extension strengths; local muscular endurance; and lumbar extension torque before, during, and after the 13-week training period, and after 5 weeks of detraining. Compared with the EX group, significantly higher increases in countermovement jump height and isometric and concentric knee extension strengths were detected in the EX-WBV group after the 13-week training period. However, detraining caused significant declines in these 3 muscle performance tests only in the EX-WBV group (−4.8, −10.2, and −17.2%, respectively), resulting in no significant differences between the test and control groups after the detraining period. After detraining, all examined variables showed significantly better performance compared with pretraining (p < 0.05) and did not significantly differ from midtraining (7 weeks) in both groups (p > 0.05). These results suggest that muscle strength in the lower extremities, particularly isometric and concentric contractions, and muscle power might be more susceptible to short-term detraining effects when exercise is combined with WBV. Thus, it is necessary to perform regular exercise to maximize the benefits of WBV on muscle strength and power during the early stages of training in previously untrained individuals.
Functional transcranial Doppler sonography as a tool in psychophysiological research.

Functional transcranial Doppler sonography (fTCD) allows the noninvasive and uncomplicated registration of intracranial blood flow parameters under defined conditions of stimulation. Although local distribution patterns of regional blood perfusion can be measured with high spatial resolution through neuroimaging methods (e.g., PET or SPECT), these methods are limited by their low temporal resolution. The high temporal resolution provided by fTCD, however, allows the recording of the dynamic component of cerebral blood perfusion by continuously measuring the cerebral blood flow velocity in the basal cerebral arteries. Hence, this method is especially appropriate for the investigation of fast neuronal activation processes, which are generally accompanied by changes in local blood perfusion. In this review, we present methodical issues regarding fTCD, as well its application in the field of psychology, especially psychophysiology. The relevant studies available to date investigate processes of attention and perception, higher cognitive functions, and emotional and psychomotor processes. Considering the current state of methodology and research, fTCD can be seen to be an important complement to the other psychophysiological methods for studying brain function.
Late infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis: quantitative description of the clinical course in patients with CLN2 mutations.

We examined 26 individuals with clinical and electron microscopic signs of late infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (LINCL). In 22 cases, we found both pathogenic alleles. Sixteen patients exclusively carried either one or a combination of the two common mutations R208X and IVS5-1G > C. In the remaining cases, four missense mutations could be detected, of which R127Q, N286S, and T353P represent novel, previously not described alleles. A clinical performance score was developed by rating motor, visual, and verbal functions and the incidence of cerebral seizures in 3-month intervals during the course of the disease. A Total Disability Score was derived by summing up the single scores for motor, visual, and verbal functions. The 16 individuals with the two common mutations were grouped together (referred to as standard patients), and the 5th, 50th, and 95th centiles were calculated and graphically depicted over time. The scores for motor function and language ability dropped earliest and progressed very similarly in the standard patients. The performance curves of two children with the N286S mutation slightly diverged from the 95th centile. However, the performance curves of one patient with atypical LINCL carrying the R127Q mutation fell far beyond the 95th centile. The presented performance rating clearly and quantitatively delineates the disease course of the LINCL patients and hence offers a useful tool for clinical evaluation of future therapeutic interventions. In addition, the described performance score system can be applied to other types of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses and could be adapted to various other neurodegenerative diseases of childhood.
Orally active lysophosphatidic acid receptor antagonist attenuates pancreatic cancer invasion and metastasis in vivo

Pancreatic cancer is highly metastatic and has a poor prognosis. However, there is no established treatment for pancreatic cancer. Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) has been shown to be present in effluents of cancers and involved in migration and proliferation in a variety of cancer cells, including pancreatic cancer cells, in vitro. In the current study, we examined whether an orally active LPA antagonist is effective for pancreatic cancer tumorigenesis and metastasis in vivo. Oral administration of Ki16198, which is effective for LPA1 and LPA3, into YAPC‐PD pancreatic cancer cell‐inoculated nude mice significantly inhibited tumor weight and remarkably attenuated invasion and metastasis to lung, liver, and brain, in association with inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) accumulation in ascites in vivo. Ki16198 inhibited LPA‐induced migration and invasion in several pancreatic cancer cells in vitro, which was associated with the inhibition of LPA‐induced MMP production. In conclusion, Ki16198 is a promising orally active LPA antagonist for inhibiting the invasion and metastasis of pancreatic cancer cells. The inhibitory effects of the antagonist on invasion and metastasis in vivo may be partially explained by the inhibition of motility activity and MMP production in cancer cells. (Cancer Sci 2012; 103: 1099–1104)
Diabetes mellitus and obesity in the French Caribbean: A special vulnerability for women?

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to analyze the prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of diabetes and its risk factors among French Caribbean adults. This cross-sectional study included 18–74-year olds (N = 2252; 56.5 percent women) who underwent a heath examination in Guadeloupe during July–December 2014. Diabetes was defined as using antidiabetic treatment, or fasting glucose ≥7 mmol/l, and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) ≥6.5 percent; diabetes control was defined as HbA1c < 7 percent. Multilevel logistic regression was used. Diabetes prevalence was 8.2 percent for women and 5 percent for men (age-adjusted odds ratio [aOR] for women = 2.0; 95 percent confidence interval [CI]: 1.4–2.9). The proportion of women with diabetes who were aware of it was 84.5 versus 67.3 percent in men (aOR = 2.7; 95 percent CI: 1.2–6.2). Nearly, all diagnosed participants were being treated. In less than a third of diabetics in both sexes was diabetes control obtained. Most women (55.3 percent) had a waist circumference at or above the National Cholesterol Education Program thresholds versus 14 percent of men (aOR = 9.3; 95 percent CI: 7.5–11.7), which wholly accounted for excess diabetes in women. In women, obesity and diabetes were associated with low education and income. In this French Caribbean sample, abdominal obesity and diabetes affected more women. Diabetes was rarely controlled. A comprehensive women’s health policy for the prevention of abdominal obesity and diabetes is needed.
Pulmonary embolism: comprehensive evaluation with MR ventilation and perfusion scanning with hyperpolarized helium-3, arterial spin tagging, and contrast-enhanced MRA.

PURPOSE Development of a comprehensive magnetic resonance (MR) examination consisting of MR angiography (MRA) and MR ventilation and perfusion (MR V/Q) scan for the detection of pulmonary emboli (PE) and assessment of the technique in a rabbit model. MATERIALS AND METHODS Reversible PE was induced by inflating a non-detachable silicon balloon in the left pulmonary artery of five New Zealand White rabbits. MR V/Q scans were obtained prior to, during, and after balloon deflation. MRA was performed during balloon inflation. MR ventilation imaging was performed after the inhalation of hyperpolarized helium-3. MR perfusion imaging was performed with Flow-sensitive Alternating Inversion Recovery with an Extra Radiofrequency pulse technique (FAIRER). High-resolution contrast-enhanced MR pulmonary angiography was used to confirm the occlusion of the pulmonary artery. All imaging was performed on a 1.5-T whole body scanner with broadband capabilities. RESULTS High-resolution ventilation images of the lungs were obtained. No ventilation defects were detected before, during, or after resolution of simulated PE. FAIRER imaging allowed visualization of pulmonary perfusion. No perfusion defects were detected prior to balloon inflation. During balloon inflation (PE), there was decreased perfusion in the left lower lobe. After reversal of the PE, there was improved perfusion to the left lower lobe. In analogy to nuclear medicine techniques, acute PE produced a mismatched defect in the MR V/Q scan. MRA verified the occlusive filling defect in the left pulmonary artery. CONCLUSION High-resolution MRA and MR V/Q imaging of the lung is feasible and allows comprehensive assessment of pulmonary embolism in one imaging session.
Application of statistical sampling to predict faults from real time alarm data

The faults in today's telecommunication systems happen frequently. The reason is simply the complexity of the telecommunication networks and other supported hardware. Various parts of the network may be supplied by various vendors, thus adding to the overall operational complexity. Furthermore these networks may consist of various types of networks, e.g. computer, switching, circuit and wireless networks, inter-operating. The result of such complexities is that a number of faults will happen over unit time intervals. Many of these faults may result in denial of service to the end users, consequently causing revenue losses to the telecommunication companies. Therefore various fault prediction and correction techniques have been proposed. Most, if not all, of these techniques are based on analysis of the historical alarm logs. The Telecom Alarm Sequence Analyzer (TASA) project has proposed associate and episodal rules for historical alarms. We have practically applied TASA episodal rules to identify sequence of alarms and then used the probabilities of these alarm sequences to predict future sequences of alarms. We have used the proposed alarm prediction technique on the real time alarm data of a telecommunication company and predicted future alarms sequences. Furthermore we have compared the predicted alarms against the actual alarm sequences to check the accuracy of our technique. The proposed technique does not make any assumption about the alarm data. We have concluded that the proposed technique has practical usage for alarm prediction in telecommunication networks.
Phylogeography of the Bluegill Sunfish, Lepomis macrochirus, in the Mississippi River Basin

The Mississippi River Basin supports the richest fish fauna in eastern North America and has played a key role in the maintenance of fish biodiversity, especially as a refuge for freshwater fishes during glaciations. In this study, we investigated the phylogeography of the bluegill sunfish, Lepomis macrochirus, in eastern North America, using complete sequence of the mitochondrial ND1 gene from 369 samples collected at 15 sites. Phylogenetic analysis revealed two major lineages (northern and southern clades) in a parsimony network. A sympatric distribution of the lineages was widely observed in the Mississippi Basin. Sequence diversity in the two lineages was significantly lower in glaciated regions around the Great Lakes than in unglaciated regions. The two lineages were estimated to have diverged in the Kansan glaciation, and refugia for both existed around the Ouachita Highlands. The southern clade dispersed during the Yasmouth Interglacial, prior to the dispersal of the northern clade during the Sangamon Interglacial. In the northern clade, low genetic diversity and population fragmentation inferred by nested clade analysis (NCA) were considered due to bottleneck events in the Wisconsin glaciation, while the southern clade showed isolation by distance in a Mantel test. A difference in demographic fluctuation suggests that sympatry of the two lineages has resulted from recent secondary admixture through the range expansion of the northern clade in the post-Pleistocene. Large-scale admixture of multiple mtDNA lineages in L. macrochirus, which has not been recorded in other fishes in the Mississippi River Basin, may result from their high vagility.
Altered expression of basement‐membrane components and collagenases in ascitic xenografts of OVCAR‐3 ovarian cancer cells

Ascitic ovarian cancer cells, which derive from solid tumors, complicate the treatment of ovarian cancer by spreading throughout the peritoneal cavity. Because basement‐membrane components may influence tumor‐cell proliferation and dissemination, the present studies examined the production of (a) basement‐membrane attachment and migration factors (laminin, fibronectin and type IV collagen); (b) a laminin receptor, the 32/67‐kDa laminin‐binding protein, the presence of which correlates with malignancy; and (c) metalloproteinases (types I and IV collagenase and stromelysin), by ascitic and cultured OVCAR‐3 cells and solid OVCAR‐3 tumors. The cultured cells and solid tumors produced high levels of mRNA encoding attachment factors and metalloproteinases, and low levels of mRNA for the 32/67‐kDa laminin receptor. In contrast, the ascitic ovarian cells had low or undetectable levels of mRNA encoding laminin, type IV collagen and metalloproteinases, but higher levels of transcripts for the laminin receptor. Our results suggest that the apparent inability of ascitic OVCAR‐3 cells to attach to host‐tissue surfaces may be a consequence, in part, of low levels of expression of laminin, type IV collagen and/or type IV collagenase. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Genetic variation and phylogeographic analyses of two species of Carpobrotus and their hybrids in California

Despite the commonality and study of hybridization in plants, there are few studies between invasive and noninvasive species that examine the genetic variability and gene flow of cytoplasmic DNA. We describe the phylogeographical structure of chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) variation within and among several interspecific populations of the putative native, Carpobrotus chilensis and the introduced, Carpobrotus edulis (Aizoaceae). These species co‐occur throughout much of coastal California and form several ‘geographical hybrid populations’. Two hundred and thirty‐seven individuals were analysed for variation in an approximate 7.0 kb region of the chloroplast genome using PCR‐RFLP (polymerase chain reaction – restriction fragment length polymorphism) data. Phylogenetic analyses and cpDNA population differentiation were conducted for all morphotypes. Historic geographical dispersion and the coefficient of ancestry of the haplotypes were determined using nested clade analyses. Two haplotypic groupings (I and II) were represented in C. chilensis and C. edulis, respectively. The variation in cpDNA data is in agreement with the previously reported allozyme and morphological data; this supports relatively limited variation and high population differentiation among C. chilensis and hybrids and more wide‐ranging variation in C. edulis and C. edulis populations backcrossed with C. chilensis. C. chilensis disproportionately contributes to the creation of hybrids with the direction of gene flow from C. chilensis into C. edulis. The cpDNA data support C. chilensis as the maternal contributor to the hybrid populations.
Contextual Determinants of Alcohol Consumption Changes and Preventive Alcohol Policies: A 12-Country European Study in Progress

Beginning with France in the 1950s, alcohol consumption has decreased in Southern European countries with few or no preventive alcohol policy measures being implemented, while alcohol consumption has been increasing in Northern European countries where historically more restrictive alcohol control policies were in place, even though more recently they were loosened. At the same time, Central and Eastern Europe have shown an intermediate behavior. We propose that country-specific changes in alcohol consumption between 1960 and are explained by a combination of a number of factors: (1) preventive alcohol policies and (2) social, cultural, economic, and demographic determinants. This article describes the methodology of a research study designed to understand the complex interactions that have occurred throughout Europe over the past five decades. These include changes in alcohol consumption, drinking patterns and alcohol-related harm, and the actual determinants of such changes.
Protein biomarker analysis of primary Peyronie's disease cells.

INTRODUCTION The molecular pathogenesis of Peyronie's Disease (PD) remains unclear more than 250 years after its initial description. Because of this, no test is currently available to accurately predict PD progression among those affected. AIM To investigate the expression of wound healing and fibrosis-associated proteins in primary cell cultures of PD fibroblasts to determine whether altered protein expression patterns can be used as predictors of clinical course and natural history. METHODS Primary cell cultures derived from normal Tunica albuginea tissue and PD plaque tissue were examined by immuno-cytochemistry. Protein expression profiles were analyzed by Surface-Enhanced Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (SELDI-TOF-MS) and Western immunoblotting. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Expression of wound healing and fibrosis-associated proteins and protein expression patterns were assessed. RESULTS Statistically significant increases in smooth muscle alpha-actin, beta-catenin, and Heat shock proteins (Hsp47) were identified in cells derived from PD relative to cells derived from normal Tunica albuginea tissue. Changes in TGFbeta-1 receptor and Fibronectin were also observed. In addition, altered expression of additional as yet unidentified proteins at 4.7, 8.9, 10.8, 16.8, and 76.8 kDa were detected by complementary SELDI-TOF-MS approaches. CONCLUSIONS Primary cells derived from PD plaques display up-regulated expression of several proteins that are established components of fibrosis and wound healing. In addition, changes in other, as yet unidentified proteins were measured. It will be of interest to conduct further studies to see whether these dysregulated protein peaks represent potential biological markers of disease progression.
Two Distinct Interacting Classes of Nuclear Envelope–Associated Coiled-Coil Proteins Are Required for the Tissue-Specific Nuclear Envelope Targeting of Arabidopsis RanGAP[W]

Ran GTPase plays essential roles in multiple cellular processes, including nucleocytoplasmic transport, spindle formation, and postmitotic nuclear envelope (NE) reassembly. The cytoplasmic Ran GTPase activating protein RanGAP is critical to establish a functional RanGTP/RanGDP gradient across the NE and is associated with the outer surface of the NE in metazoan and higher plant cells. Arabidopsis thaliana RanGAP association with the root tip NE requires a family of likely plant-specific nucleoporins combining coiled-coil and transmembrane domains (CC-TMD) and WPP domain–interacting proteins (WIPs). We have now identified, by tandem affinity purification coupled with mass spectrometry, a second family of CC-TMD proteins, structurally similar, yet clearly distinct from the WIP family, that is required for RanGAP NE association in root tip cells. A combination of loss-of-function mutant analysis and protein interaction data indicates that at least one member of each NE-associated CC-TMD protein family is required for RanGAP targeting in root tip cells, while both families are dispensable in other plant tissues. This suggests an unanticipated complexity of RanGAP NE targeting in higher plant cells, contrasting both the single nucleoporin anchor in metazoans and the lack of targeting in fungi and proposes an early evolutionary divergence of the underlying plant and animal mechanisms.
An automatic atrial fibrillation detection scheme based on statistical features from differential electrocardiogram signals

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a irregular heartbeat which can lead to many heart-related complications. The risk due to this complications can be greatly minimized if AF can be detected early. Therefore, computer aided AF detection technique from Electrocardiogram (ECG) signal is in great demand. This paper proposes an automatic efficient atrial fibrillation detection scheme from Differential Electrocardiogram (dECG) signals. At first, from the given ECG signal, baseline signal is removed with the help of median filter. Then, variation patterns in consecutive samples are analyzed and R-peaks are detected from dECG. After that, statistical features are extracted from the possible P-wave location from each ECG bit. Finally, to classify the Atrial Fibrillation frames with the help of extracted statistical features, the Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) classifier is employed. Experimentation on a publicly available database show that the proposed methodology shows noteworthy performance in detection of AF in terms of accuracy, sensitivity and specificity.
Molecular Epidemiology and Genetic Diversity of Echovirus Type 30 (E30): Genotypes Correlate with Temporal Dynamics of E30 Isolation

ABSTRACT Echovirus type 30 (E30) (genus, Enterovirus; family,Picornaviridae) has caused large outbreaks of aseptic meningitis in many regions of the world in the last 40 years. U.S. enterovirus surveillance data for the period 1961 to 1998 indicated that the annual proportion of E30 isolations relative to total enterovirus isolations has fluctuated widely, from a low of 0% in 1966 to a high of 42% in 1998. Peaks of E30 isolations occurred in the years 1968 to 1969, 1981 to 1984, 1990 to 1993, and 1997 to 1998, coincident with large nationwide outbreaks of E30-associated aseptic meningitis. Analysis of the complete VP1 sequence (876 nucleotides) of 136 E30 strains isolated in geographically dispersed regions of the United States and nine other countries between 1956 and 1998 indicated that the currently circulating E30 strains are genetically distinct from those isolated 30 to 40 years ago. Phylogenetic reconstruction demonstrated the existence of at least four distinct genetic groups, three of which have not been isolated in North America since 1981. Two of the three groups disappeared during periods when E30 was isolated infrequently. All North American E30 strains isolated after 1988 were closely related to one another, and all post-1993 isolates were of the same lineage within this group. Surveillance data indicate that E30 causes large national outbreaks of 2- to 4-year durations, separated by periods of relative quiescence. Our results show that shifts in the overall genetic diversity of E30 and the predominant genetic type correlate temporally with the dynamics of E30 isolation. The sequence data also provide a basis for the application of molecular techniques for future epidemiologic investigations of E30 disease.