Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Short-time high-intensity exercise increases peripheral BDNF in a physical fitness-dependent way in healthy men

Abstract BDNF is associated with brain health and positively modulated by exercise; however, the influence of physical fitness status on BDNF is incipient. This study investigated the BDNF response after acute-exercise sessions performed at low, moderate, and high intensities and the relationship between physical fitness status and BDNF response. Twenty-eight men, divided according to physical fitness status (<50th or >50th percentile for VO2max), performed three randomised acute exercise sessions at low (90% of VT1), moderate (midpoint between VT1-VT2), and high (midpoint between VT2-Wmax) intensities until exhaustion or for up to 60 min. Lactate and BDNF were determined pre and post-exercises. For BDNF, there were main effects of time (p = 0.003) and interaction (p < 0.001), showing an increase post high-intensity exercise (p < 0.001). Changes in BDNF presented differences between conditions (p < 0.001) with greater increase in high-intensity compared with the others (p = 0.003). For lactate, there were main effects of time (p < 0.001), condition (p < 0.001), and interaction (p < 0.001) with greater concentration in high-intensity. High-intensity exercise exhibited inverse correlation between the changes in BDNF and lactate (r=−0.38, p = 0.044). There was significant correlation between BDNF and VO2max for moderate (r = −0.57, p = 0.002) and a trend for high-intensity condition (r = −0.37, p = 0.050) and when evaluating BDNF according to physical fitness level, it was observed that subjects with lower physical fitness levels had greater increases in BDNF in short-time high-intensity exercise (p = 0.041). In conclusion, short-time high-intensity exercise seems to be more efficient in increasing BDNF concentration, and physical fitness level influences this response, as healthy individuals with lower physical fitness levels were more responsive.
Choline supply during negative nutrient balance in Holstein cows alters hepatic cystathionine β-synthase, intermediates of the methionine cycle and transsulfuration pathway, and liver function in Holstein cows.

Although choline requirements for cows are unknown, enhanced postruminal supply may decrease liver triacylglycerol and increase flux through the Met cycle to improve immunometabolic status during a negative nutrient balance (NNB). Our objectives were to investigate the effects of postruminal choline supply during a feed restriction-induced NNB on (1) hepatic activity cystathionine β-synthase and transcription of enzymes in the transsulfuration pathway and Met cycle; (2) hepatic metabolites in the Met cycle and the transsulfuration pathway, bile acids, and energy metabolism; and 3) plasma biomarkers of liver function, inflammation, and oxidative stress. Ten primiparous rumen-cannulated Holstein cows (158 ± 24 d postpartum) were used in a replicated 5 × 5 Latin square design with 4-d treatment periods and 10 d of recovery (14 d/period). Treatments were unrestricted intake with abomasal infusion of water, restricted intake (R; 60% of net energy for lactation requirements) with abomasal infusion of water, or R plus abomasal infusion of 6.25, 12.5, or 25 g/d choline ion. Liver tissue was collected on d 5 after infusions ended, and blood was collected on d 1, 3, and 5. Statistical contrasts were A0 versus R0 (CONT1), R versus the average of choline doses (CONT2), and tests of linear and quadratic effects of choline dose. Activity of cystathionine β-synthase was lower with R (CONT1) and decreased linearly with choline. Hepatic glutathione was not different with R or choline, but taurine tended to be greater with choline (CONT2). Betaine and carnitine were greater with R (CONT1) and further increased with choline (CONT2). Concentrations of NAD+ were greater with choline (CONT2). Cholic and glycol-chenodeoxycholic acids were decreased by R and choline, while taurocholic and tauro-chenodeoxycholic acids were not altered. Plasma aspartate aminotransferase and bilirubin were greater with R (CONT1) but decreased with choline (CONT2). Paraoxonase was lower with R and increased with choline (CONT2). Data suggest that enhanced supply of choline during NNB decreases entry of homocysteine to the transsulfuration pathway, potentially favoring remethylation to Met by acquiring a methyl group from betaine. As such, Met may provide methyl groups for synthesis of carnitine. Along with production data indicating that 12.5 g/d choline ion improved milk yield and liver fatty acid metabolism during NNB, the changes in blood biomarkers also suggest a beneficial effect of choline supply on liver function and oxidative stress.
Decreased expression of ubiquilin-1 following neonatal hypoxia-ischemic brain injury in mice

Ubiquilin-1 (Ubqln), a ubiquitin-like protein, regulates degradation of misfolded proteins and has been reported to have a crucial role in multiple pathologic and physiologic conditions. The current study was undertaken to investigate the expression of Ubqln in the brain of a neonatal hypoxia-ischemic (HI) brain injury model induced using the Rice method with some modifications. Mouse pups at postnatal day 7 day were used in this study. Pups underwent permanent ligation of the left common carotid artery and a consecutive hypoxic challenge (8% O2 and 92% N2 for 120 min). The expression of Ubqln in the brain of pups following HI was analyzed by immunofluorescence staining and western blot analysis. Immunofluorescence staining demonstrated that Ubqln was extensively distributed in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus, and Ubqln was expressed in neurons, astrocytes and microglia in the brains of the HI brain injury model mice. Western blot analyses revealed decreased expression of Ubqln in the HI penumbra of the mouse model compared with Ubqln in the sham control group. The results of this study revealed that HI alters the expression of Ubqln, thus may provide a novel understanding of role of Ubqln in neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy.
Blind calibration for compressed sensing by convex optimization

We consider the problem of calibrating a compressed sensing measurement system under the assumption that the decalibration consists in unknown gains on each measure. We focus on blind calibration, using measures performed on a few unknown (but sparse) signals. A naive formulation of this blind calibration problem, using ℓ1 minimization, is reminiscent of blind source separation and dictionary learning, which are known to be highly non-convex and riddled with local minima. In the considered context, we show that in fact this formulation can be exactly expressed as a convex optimization problem, and can be solved using off-the-shelf algorithms. Numerical simulations demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach even for highly uncalibrated measures, when a sufficient number of (unknown, but sparse) calibrating signals is provided. We observe that the success/failure of the approach seems to obey sharp phase transitions.
Factors Influencing the Outcomes of Artificial Hip Replacements

Hip replacement is one of the most successful surgeries in the clinic for the removal of painful joints. Hip osteoarthritis and femoral head necrosis are the 2 main reasons for hip replacement. Several factors are associated with the outcomes of surgery. Nonsurgical factors include gender, age, body mass index, prosthetic material, and risk factors. Surgical factors are anesthesia, postoperative complications, and rehabilitation. Considering the increasing demand for hip arthroplasty and the rise in the number of revision operations, it is imperative to understand factor-related progress and how modifications of these factors promotes recovery following hip replacement. In this review, we first summarize recent findings regarding crucial factors that influence the outcomes of artificial hip replacement surgery. These findings not only show the time-specific effect for the treatment and recovery from hip arthroplasty in the clinic, but also provide suitable choices for different individuals for clinicians to consider. This, in turn, will help to develop the best possible postoperative program for specific patients.
THE METABOLOMICS SIGNATURE ASSOCIATED WITH RESPONSIVENESS TO STEROID THERAPY IN FOCAL SEGMENTAL GLOMERULOSCLEROSIS: A PILOT STUDY.

Background Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is considered one of the most severe glomerular diseases and around 80% of cases are resistant to steroid treatment. Since a large proportion of steroid-resistant (SR) FSGS patients progress to end-stage renal disease, other therapeutic strategies may benefit this population. However, identification of non-invasive biomarkers to predict this high-risk population is needed. Objective We aimed to identify the biomarker candidates to distinguish SR from steroid-sensitive (SS) patients using metabolomics approach and to identify the possible molecular mechanism of resistance. Methods Urine was collected from biopsy-proven FSGS patients eligible for monotherapy with prednisolone. Patients were followed for 6-8 weeks and categorized as SS or SR. Metabolite profile of urine samples was analyzed by one-dimensional 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR). Predictive biomarker candidates and their diagnostic importance impaired molecular pathways in SR patients, and the common target molecules between biomarker candidates and drug were predicted. Results Homovanillic acid, 4-methylcatechol, and tyrosine were suggested as the significant predictive biomarker candidates, while L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine, norepinephrine, and gentisic acid had high accuracy as well. Tyrosine metabolism was the most important pathway that is perturbed in SR patients. Common targets of the action of biomarker candidates and prednisolone were molecules that contributed in apoptosis. Conclusion Urine metabolites including homovanillic acid, 4-methylcatechol, and tyrosine may serve as potential non-invasive predictive biomarkers for evaluating the responsiveness of FSGS patients.
Structural Dynamics of Tropical Moist Forest Gaps

Gap phase dynamics are the dominant mode of forest turnover in tropical forests. However, gap processes are infrequently studied at the landscape scale. Airborne lidar data offer detailed information on three-dimensional forest structure, providing a means to characterize fine-scale (1 m) processes in tropical forests over large areas. Lidar-based estimates of forest structure (top down) differ from traditional field measurements (bottom up), and necessitate clear-cut definitions unencumbered by the wisdom of a field observer. We offer a new definition of a forest gap that is driven by forest dynamics and consistent with precise ranging measurements from airborne lidar data and tall, multi-layered tropical forest structure. We used 1000 ha of multi-temporal lidar data (2008, 2012) at two sites, the Tapajos National Forest and Ducke Reserve, to study gap dynamics in the Brazilian Amazon. Here, we identified dynamic gaps as contiguous areas of significant growth, that correspond to areas > 10 m2, with height <10 m. Applying the dynamic definition at both sites, we found over twice as much area in gap at Tapajos National Forest (4.8 %) as compared to Ducke Reserve (2.0 %). On average, gaps were smaller at Ducke Reserve and closed slightly more rapidly, with estimated height gains of 1.2 m y-1 versus 1.1 m y-1 at Tapajos. At the Tapajos site, height growth in gap centers was greater than the average height gain in gaps (1.3 m y-1 versus 1.1 m y-1). Rates of height growth between lidar acquisitions reflect the interplay between gap edge mortality, horizontal ingrowth and gap size at the two sites. We estimated that approximately 10 % of gap area closed via horizontal ingrowth at Ducke Reserve as opposed to 6 % at Tapajos National Forest. Height loss (interpreted as repeat damage and/or mortality) and horizontal ingrowth accounted for similar proportions of gap area at Ducke Reserve (13 % and 10 %, respectively). At Tapajos, height loss had a much stronger signal (23 % versus 6 %) within gaps. Both sites demonstrate limited gap contagiousness defined by an increase in the likelihood of mortality in the immediate vicinity (~6 m) of existing gaps.
Isolation and characterization of equine influenza virus (H3N8) from an equine influenza outbreak in Malaysia in 2015

Summary Equine influenza is a major cause of respiratory infections in horses and can spread rapidly despite the availability of commercial vaccines. In this study, we carried out molecular characterization of Equine Influenza Virus (EIV) isolated from the Malaysian outbreak in 2015 by sequencing of the HA and NA gene segments using Sanger sequencing. The nucleotide and amino acid sequences of HA and NA were compared with representative Florida clade 1 and clade 2 strains using phylogenetic analysis. The Florida clade 1 viruses identified in this outbreak revealed numerous amino acid substitutions in the HA protein as compared to the current OIE vaccine strain recommendations and representative strains of circulating Florida sub‐lineage clade 1 and clade 2. Differences in HA included amino acids located within antigenic sites which could lead to reduced immune recognition of the outbreak strain and alter the effectiveness of vaccination against the outbreak strain. Detailed surveillance and genetic information sharing could allow genetic drift of equine influenza viruses to be monitored more effectively on a global basis and aid in refinement of vaccine strain selection for EIV.
To what extent is the association between disability and mental health in adolescents mediated by bullying? A causal mediation analysis.

Background: Disability among adolescents is associated with both poorer mental health (MH) and higher levels of bullying-victimization. Bullying, therefore, conceivably mediates the association between disability and MH. Quantifying this pathway is challenging as the exposure (disability), mediator (bullying) and outcome (MH) are subjective, and subject to dependent measurement error if the same respondent reports on two or more variables. Methods: Utilizing the counterfactual and potential outcomes approaches to causal mediation, we decomposed the total effect of disability on MH into natural indirect effects (through bullying) and natural direct effects (not through bullying) using a sample of 3409 adolescents. As the study included data from multiple informants (teacher, parent, adolescent) on the outcome (MH, as measured on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire) and two informants (adolescent, parent) on the mediator (bullying), we assessed the influence of dependent measurement error. Results: For preferred analysis (using parent-reported bullying and adolescent-reported MH), the total effect was a 2.18 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.66–3.40] lower MH score for adolescents with a disability, compared with those with no disability (strength of association equivalent to 37% of the standard deviation for MH). Bullying explained 46% VC The Author(s) 2018; all rights reserved. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Epidemiological Association 1402 International Journal of Epidemiology, 2018, 1402–1413 doi: 10.1093/ije/dyy154 Advance Access Publication Date: 3 August 2018
Homeobox Genes and Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common type of cancer, and is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths each year. It involves a multi-step progression and is strongly associated with chronic inflammation induced by the intake of environmental toxins and/or viral infections (i.e., hepatitis B and C viruses). Although several genetic dysregulations are considered to be involved in disease progression, the detailed regulatory mechanisms are not well defined. Homeobox genes that encode transcription factors with homeodomains control cell growth, differentiation, and morphogenesis in embryonic development. Recently, more aberrant expressions of Homeobox genes were found in a wide variety of human cancer, including HCC. In this review, we summarize the currently available evidence related to the role of Homeobox genes in the development of HCC. The objective is to determine the roles of this conserved transcription factor family and its potential use as a therapeutic target in future investigations.
Programmed Minichromosome Elimination as a Mechanism for Somatic Genome Reduction in Tetrahymena thermophila

The maintenance of chromosome integrity is crucial for genetic stability. However, programmed chromosome fragmentations are known to occur in many organisms, and in the ciliate Tetrahymena the five germline chromosomes are fragmented into hundreds of minichromosomes during somatic nuclear differentiation. Here, we showed that there are different fates of these minichromosomes after chromosome breakage. Among the 326 somatic minichromosomes identified using genomic data, 50 are selectively eliminated from the mature somatic genome. Interestingly, many and probably most of these minichromosomes are eliminated during the growth period between 6 and 20 doublings right after conjugation. Genes with potential conjugation-specific functions are found in these minichromosomes. This study revealed a new mode of programmed DNA elimination in ciliates similar to those observed in parasitic nematodes, which could play a role in developmental gene regulation.
Energy modeling and optimization through joint packet size analysis of BSN and WiFi networks

In this paper, we propose to optimize energy consumption in heterogeneous wireless networks through joint packet size optimization. Specifically, we consider a two-hop data communication system composed of a body sensor network (BSN) and a WiFi network. Within the system, we formulate an energy consumption optimization problem with the constraints of both throughput and time delay. Mathematically, we convert this problem into a geometric programming (GP) problem, which is then numerically solved. The solutions can be used by both the BSN and the WiFi network to dynamically change their packets' payload sizes based on their current packet delivery ratios (PDRs). Since the PDRs are time-varying, we tabulate an offline payload size lookup table for online packet size selection using PDRs as indices. Finally, we collect PDRs from a deployed two-hop BSN-WiFi network and simulate the energy consumption. The performance evaluation results show that our solution achieves up to 70% energy savings compared with solutions that use fixed packet sizes.
Observations from the national implementation of Measurement Based Care in Mental Health in the Department of Veterans Affairs.

In 2016, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) began the Measurement-Based Care in Mental Health Initiative to implement measurement-based care (MBC) across all mental health programs with the goal of making MBC the national standard of care. Phase 1 of this initiative, beginning in fall 2016 through fall 2017, was carefully designed to meet the ambitious goals of the organization while minimizing implementation barriers. Phase 1 participants reported an increase in MBC implementation across mental health programs with a simultaneous increase in the proportion of patient-reported outcome measures among veterans new to mental health care. The initiative adopted a broad range of strategies informed by implementation science to facilitate implementation at the organizational, provider, and patient level which are described here. The initiative was successful, but use of patient-reported outcome measures across VA mental health remains proportionally low. Technology, VA's hierarchical structure, and competition from other VA mental health initiatives may have slowed national implementation efforts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
Dietary Fat Supply to Failing Hearts Determines Dynamic Lipid Signaling for Nuclear Receptor Activation and Oxidation of Stored Triglyceride

Background— Intramyocardial triglyceride (TG) turnover is reduced in pressure-overloaded, failing hearts, limiting the availability of this rich source of long-chain fatty acids for mitochondrial &bgr;-oxidation and nuclear receptor activation. This study explored 2 major dietary fats, palmitate and oleate, in supporting endogenous TG dynamics and peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor-&agr; activation in sham-operated (SHAM) and hypertrophied (transverse aortic constriction [TAC]) rat hearts. Methods and Results— Isolated SHAM and TAC hearts were provided media containing carbohydrate with either 13C-palmitate or 13C-oleate for dynamic 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and end point liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry of TG dynamics. With palmitate, TAC hearts contained 48% less TG versus SHAM (P=0.0003), whereas oleate maintained elevated TG in TAC, similar to SHAM. TG turnover in TAC was greatly reduced with palmitate (TAC, 46.7±12.2 nmol/g dry weight per min; SHAM, 84.3±4.9; P=0.0212), as was &bgr;-oxidation of TG. Oleate elevated TG turnover in both TAC (140.4±11.2) and SHAM (143.9±15.6), restoring TG oxidation in TAC. Peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor-&agr; target gene transcripts were reduced by 70% in TAC with palmitate, whereas oleate induced normal transcript levels. Additionally, mRNA levels for peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor-&ggr;-coactivator-1&agr; and peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor-&ggr;-coactivator-1&bgr; in TAC hearts were maintained by oleate. With these metabolic effects, oleate also supported a 25% improvement in contractility over palmitate with TAC (P=0.0202). Conclusions— The findings link reduced intracellular lipid storage dynamics to impaired peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor-&agr; signaling and contractility in diseased hearts, consistent with a rate-dependent lipolytic activation of peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor-&agr;. In decompensated hearts, oleate may serve as a beneficial energy substrate versus palmitate by upregulating TG dynamics and nuclear receptor signaling.
MASSIVE SPINNING PARTICLE ON ANTI-DE SITTER SPACE

To describe a massive particle with fixed, but arbitrary, spin on d=4 anti-de Sitter space M4, we propose the point particle model with configuration space ℳ6=M4×S2, where the sphere S2 corresponds to the spin degrees of freedom. The model possesses two gauge symmetries expressing strong conservation of the phase space counterparts of the second and fourth order Casimir operators for so(3, 2). We prove that the requirement of energy to have a global positive minimum Eo over the configuration space is equivalent to the relation Eo>s, s being the particle’s spin, which presents the classical counterpart of the quantum massive condition. States with minimal energy are studied in detail. The model is shown to be exactly solvable. It can be straightforwardly generalized to describe a spinning particle on d-dimensional anti-de Sitter space Md, with ℳ2(d−1)=Md×S(d−2) the corresponding configuration space.