Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Autoregulation by “Repetitions in Reserve” Leads to Greater Improvements in Strength Over a 12-Week Training Program Than Fixed Loading

Abstract Graham, T and Cleather, DJ. Autoregulation by “repetitions in reserve” leads to greater improvements in strength over a 12-week training program than fixed loading. J Strength Cond Res 35(9): 2451–2456, 2021—Autoregulated (AR) training involves altering resistance session parameters based on the athlete's readiness to train. One potential benefit of AR training may be that training intensity can reflect an athlete's increasing strength level throughout a training program and can be contrasted with fixed loading (FL) where the load is stipulated at the start of the program. In this study, 31 resistance-trained men participated twice weekly in an AR or a FL squat program. For the FL group, the load was prescribed as a percentage of the pre-test 1-repetition maximum, whereas for the AR group, the load was prescribed based on the number of “repetitions in reserve,” such that the intensities were theoretically the same (volume was also matched). Both groups showed a significant increase in front squat (FS) and back squat (BS) performance, but the magnitude of this was significantly greater for the AR program (FS: AR +11.7%, FL +8.3%, p = 0.004, ηp2 = 0.255; BS: AR +10.8%, FL +7.1%, p = 0.006, ηp2 = 0.233). The AR group was trained at a greater intensity (average weekly intensity; FS: AR 83.2 ± 13.3%, FL 80.4 ± 10.0%, p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.240; BS: AR 83.6 ± 12.7%, FL 80.4 ± 10.0%, p = 0.006, ηp2 = 0.159). The results of this study support the contention that AR can be used to accommodate the increasing strength level of the athlete during the course of a program and that such a strategy is effective in eliciting greater strength adaptations across 12 weeks.
In Situ Structures of Polar and Lateral Flagella Revealed by Cryo-Electron Tomography

The bacterial flagellum has evolved as one of the most sophisticated self-assembled molecular machines, which confers locomotion and is often associated with virulence of bacterial pathogens. Variation in species-specific features of the flagellum, as well as in flagellar number and placement, results in structurally distinct flagella that appear to be adapted to the specific environments that bacteria encounter. Here, we used cutting-edge imaging techniques to determine high-resolution in situ structures of polar flagella in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and peritrichous flagella in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, demonstrating substantial variation between flagella in these organisms. Importantly, we observed novel flagellar subassemblies and provided additional insight into the structural basis of flagellar assembly and loss in both P. aeruginosa and S. Typhimurium. ABSTRACT The bacterial flagellum is a sophisticated self-assembling nanomachine responsible for motility in many bacterial pathogens, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Vibrio spp. , and Salmonella enterica. The bacterial flagellum has been studied extensively in the model systems Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, yet the range of variation in flagellar structure and assembly remains incompletely understood. Here, we used cryo-electron tomography and subtomogram averaging to determine in situ structures of polar flagella in P. aeruginosa and peritrichous flagella in S. Typhimurium, revealing notable differences between these two flagellar systems. Furthermore, we observed flagellar outer membrane complexes as well as many incomplete flagellar subassemblies, which provide additional insight into mechanisms underlying flagellar assembly and loss in both P. aeruginosa and S. Typhimurium. IMPORTANCE The bacterial flagellum has evolved as one of the most sophisticated self-assembled molecular machines, which confers locomotion and is often associated with virulence of bacterial pathogens. Variation in species-specific features of the flagellum, as well as in flagellar number and placement, results in structurally distinct flagella that appear to be adapted to the specific environments that bacteria encounter. Here, we used cutting-edge imaging techniques to determine high-resolution in situ structures of polar flagella in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and peritrichous flagella in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, demonstrating substantial variation between flagella in these organisms. Importantly, we observed novel flagellar subassemblies and provided additional insight into the structural basis of flagellar assembly and loss in both P. aeruginosa and S. Typhimurium.
Six Month Abstinence Heterogeneity in the Best Quit Study.

BACKGROUND Understanding the characteristics of smokers who are successful in quitting may help to increase smoking cessation rates. PURPOSE To examine heterogeneity in cessation outcome at 6 months following smoking cessation behavioral counseling with or without weight management counseling. METHODS 2,540 smokers were recruited from a large quitline provider and then randomized to receive proactive smoking cessation behavioral counseling without or with two versions of weight management counseling. A Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analysis was conducted to identify the individual pretreatment and treatment characteristics of groups of smokers with different quitting success (as measured by point prevalence of self-reported smoking of any amount at 6 months). RESULTS CART analysis identified 10 subgroups ranging from 25.5% to 70.2% abstinent. The splits in the CART tree involved: the total number of counseling and control calls received, whether a smoking cessation pharmacotherapy was used, and baseline measures of cigarettes per day, confidence in quitting, expectation that the study would help the participant quit smoking, the motivation to quit, exercise minutes per week, anxiety, and lack of interest or pleasure in doing things. Costs per quitter ranged from a low of $US270 to a high of $US630. Specific treatment recommendations are made for each group. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate the presence of a substantial variation in abstinence following treatment, and that the total extent of contact via counseling calls of any type and baseline characteristics, rather than assigned treatment, were most important to subgroup membership and abstinence. Tailored treatments to subgroups who are at high risk for smoking following a quit attempt could increase successful smoking cessation.
Prepartum body condition score affects milk yield, lipid metabolism, and oxidation status of Holstein cows

Objective This study aimed to investigate the effects of prepartum body condition score (BCS) on the milk yield, lipid metabolism, and oxidative status of Holstein cows. Methods A total of 112 multiparous Holstein cows were divided into 4 groups according to the BCS at 21 days before calving: medium BCS (3.0 to 3.25, MBCS), high BCS (3.5 to 3.75, HBCS), higher BCS (4.0 to 4.25, HerBCS), and highest BCS (4.5 to 5.0, HestBCS). Blood samples were collected on 21, 14, and 7 days before calving (precalving), on the calving day (calving), and on 7, 14, and 21 days after calving (postcalving). The indices of lipid metabolism and oxidative status were analyzed using bovine-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Colostrum were taken after calving and analyzed by a refractometer and milk analyzer. The individual milk yield was recorded every 3 days. Results The density and levels of immune globulin and lactoprotein of colostrum from Holstein cows in the HestBCS group were the highest (p<0.05). These animals not only had the highest (p<0.05) levels of serum non-esterified fatty acids and beta-hydroxybutyrate, but also had the highest (p<0.05) levels of malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, catalase, vitamin A, and vitamin E. In addition, greater (p<0.05) BCS loss was observed in the HestBCS cows. Conclusion This study demonstrates that the milk yield, lipid metabolism, and oxidative status of Holstein cows are related to prepartum BCS and BCS loss during the transition period. HestBCS cows are more sensitive to oxidative stress and suffer greater loss of BCS after calving, whereas the MBCS animals had better milk yield performance.
Does the Expectancy on the Static Stretching Effect Interfere With Strength-Endurance Performance?

Abstract Bertolaccini, AL, da Silva, AA, Teixeira, EL, Schoenfeld, BJ, and de Salles Painelli, V. Does the expectancy on the static stretching effect interfere with strength-endurance performance? J Strength Cond Res 35(9): 2439–2443, 2021—Static stretching (SS) may interfere with strength performance. Such interference, however, may be partially attributed to the subjects' or researcher's expectancy about the SS effects. We aimed to examine whether the manipulation of subjects' expectancy of SS on force production could influence strength-endurance during unilateral knee extension exercise. Eighteen strength-trained men were randomly divided into positively biased (PB; N = 9) or negatively biased (N = 9) groups on the possible effects of SS on performance. Subjects' total number of repetitions and total volume of exercise were assessed during strength-endurance tests (4 sets performed to failure at 70% of 1 repetition maximum) performed under 2 different conditions on separate days: Control—no stretching (CON); or SS. Static stretching consisted of 3 sets of 3 stretching exercises, lasting 30 seconds each. Data were analyzed using mixed models. Neither the total number of repetitions nor the total volume was significantly different between the CON and SS conditions, nor for type of bias (all p > 0.05). However, the number of repetitions in the last set of exercise was greater during SS compared with CON for the PB group (p = 0.01). Although previous negative or positive information about SS did not interfere with the total number of repetitions and total volume of exercise, previous positive information about SS improved performance in the last set of exercise. Expectancy therefore may have played a partial role influencing strength-endurance in previous studies.
“All Eyes on Me”: A Qualitative Study of Parent and Patient Experiences of Multidisciplinary Care in Craniofacial Conditions

Objective: The present study investigated how adults with congenital craniofacial anomalies (CFAs) and parents experience the long-term and complex treatment offered by a multidisciplinary team (MDT). Design: Exploratory-descriptive qualitative study based on individual semistructured interviews. Setting: Centralized national follow-up and treatment of CFAs by a multidisciplinary craniofacial team from which participants were systematically recruited. Participants: The sample included 48 parents of children with CFAs and 16 adults with CFAs (N = 64). Results: In general, participants reported to be satisfied with the follow-up and treatment they received from the MDT. Still, some aspects of treatment were experienced as demanding such as the large number of health professionals present during the consultation and being the object of their scrutinizing attention. Health professionals’ communication skills were described as central for participants’ involvement in, and satisfaction with, treatment. Participants also expressed a need for more treatment-related information regarding future treatment. Conclusions: Findings could have implications for the organization of care for parents and patients with rare CFAs. The many advantages of MDTs also create unique challenges for patients and parents that need to be addressed. Patients and families should be prepared for the first consultation with the MDT. Health professionals should be aware of their communication style when interacting with patients and be aware of individual differences and needs regarding treatment-related experiences and expectations.
Regulation of subcellular dendritic synapse specificity by axon guidance cues

Neural circuit assembly occurs with subcellular precision, yet the mechanisms underlying this precision remain largely unknown. Subcellular synaptic specificity could be achieved by molecularly distinct subcellular domains that locally regulate synapse formation, or by axon guidance cues restricting access to one of several acceptable targets. We address these models using two Drosophila neurons: the dbd sensory neuron and the A08a interneuron. In wild-type larvae, dbd synapses with the A08a medial dendrite but not the A08a lateral dendrite. dbd-specific overexpression of the guidance receptors Unc-5 or Robo-2 results in lateralization of the dbd axon, which forms anatomical and functional monosynaptic connections with the A08a lateral dendrite. We conclude that axon guidance cues, not molecularly distinct dendritic arbors, are a major determinant of dbd-A08a subcellular synapse specificity.
Noise exposure as a risk factor for acoustic neuroma: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Objective: To investigate whether acoustic neuroma is associated with noise. Design: PubMed, Cochrane, Embase and CINAHL databases were searched. A meta-analysis was performed to calculate odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) using quality-effect models. Study sample: A total of eight studies with moderate or high quality involving 75,571 participants met the inclusion criteria. Results: There was no significant relationship between overall noise exposure and acoustic neuroma (OR:1.02, 95% CI: 0.64–1.63). However, further subgroup analysis showed that leisure noise exposure (OR: 1.73, 95% CI: 1.10–2.73), above five years’ exposure (OR: 1.81, 95% CI: 1.14–2.85) and continuous exposure (OR:2.77, 95% CI: 1.70–4.49) were associated with an increased risk of acoustic neuroma. Conclusions: These results suggest an elevated risk of acoustic neuroma among individuals who have been exposed to occupational noise when some subgroup analysis are conducted. Leisure noise in particular seems to play a significant role in the development of acoustic neuroma. However, due to the heterogeneity among the included studies, this conclusion should be interpreted with cautions, even though the continuous long-term consequences should not be ignored.
External Validation of the Prostate Cancer Specific Comorbidity Index, A Claims Based Tool for the Prediction of Life Expectancy in Men with Prostate Cancer.

PURPOSE Accurate assessment of life expectancy is critical to treatment decision making in men with prostate cancer. We sought to externally validate the PCCI (Prostate Cancer Comorbidity Index) to predict long-term mortality in men with prostate cancer and make it operational using claims data. MATERIALS AND METHODS We performed an observational study of 181,009 men with prostate cancer in the Veterans Affairs Health System who were diagnosed from 2000 to 2013. Overall mortality across the PCCI scores was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards analysis. Discrimination and calibration were measured using the C-index and the mean prediction error, respectively. RESULTS Among men with a PCCI score of 0, 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-9 and 10 or greater the 10-year overall mortality rate was 15%, 26%, 36%, 41%, 52% and 69%, respectively. Multivariable Cox analysis showed an increasing hazard of mortality with higher PCCI scores, including 1.22 (95% CI 1.18-1.27), 1.69 (95% CI 1.61-1.76), 2.08 (95% CI 2.00-2.17), 2.88 (95% CI 2.76-3.00) and 4.50 (95% CI 4.32-4.69) for a score of 1 to 2, 3 to 4, 5 to 6, 7 to 9 and 10 or greater, respectively. The C-index to predict overall mortality was 0.773. The mean absolute error to predict 10-year overall mortality was 0.032. Of the men with clinically localized, Gleason 6 disease or less with less than 10-year life expectancy and Gleason 7 or less disease with life expectancy less than 5 years as defined by the PCCI 3,999 of 12,185 (33%) and 1,038 of 3,930 (26%), respectively, underwent definitive local treatment. CONCLUSIONS The PCCI is a claims based, externally validated tool to predict mortality in men with prostate cancer. Integrating the PCCI into clinical pathways may improve prostate cancer management through more accurate assessment of life expectancy.
Dual-Species Biofilms: Biomass, Viable Cell Ratio/Cross-Species Interactions, Conjugative Transfer

Biofilms as a form of adaptation are beneficial for bacterial survival and may be hot spots for horizontal gene transfer, including conjugation. The aim of this research was to characterize the biofilm biomass, viable cell ratios and conjugative transfer of the pOX38 plasmid, an F-plasmid derivative, from the Escherichia coli N4i pOX38 strain (donor) into a uropathogenic E. coli DL82 strain (recipient) within dual-species biofilms with one of the following opportunistic pathogenic bacteria: Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterococcus faecalis or Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Dual-species biofilms of E. coli with K. pneumoniae or P. aeruginosa but not E. faecalis were more massive and possessed more exopolysaccharide matrix compared to single-species biofilms of donor and recipient cells. Correlation between biofilm biomass and exopolysaccharide matrix was rs = 0.888 in dual-species biofilms. In dual-species biofilm with E. faecalis the proportion of E. coli was the highest, while in the biofilm with P. aeruginosa and K. pneumoniae, the E. coli was less abundant. The conjugative frequencies of plasmid transfer in dual-species biofilms of E. coli with E. faecalis and P. aeruginosa were reduced. A decrease in conjugative frequency was also observed when cell-free supernatants (CFSs) of E. faecalis and P. aeruginosa were added to the E. coli conjugation mixture. Further, the activity of the autoinducer AI-2 in the CFSs of the E. coli conjugation mixture was reduced when bacteria or CFSs of E. faecalis and P. aeruginosa were added to the E. coli conjugation mixture. Hence, the intercellular and interspecies interactions in dual-species biofilms depend on the partners involved.
Matrix metalloproteinase‐9 gene polymorphisms are associated with ischemic stroke severity and early neurologic deterioration in patients with atrial fibrillation

The mechanisms of ischemic stroke severity and early neurologic deterioration (END) are not fully understood. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association of six variants in MMP‐9 gene with ischemic stroke severity and the risk for END in ischemic stroke (IS) patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).
Spatial control of oxygen delivery to three‐dimensional cultures alters cancer cell growth and gene expression

Commonly used monolayer cancer cell cultures fail to provide a physiologically relevant environment in terms of oxygen delivery. Here, we describe a three‐dimensional (3D) bioreactor system where cancer cells are grown in Matrigel in modified six‐well plates. Oxygen is delivered to the cultures through a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membrane at the bottom of the wells, with microfabricated PDMS pillars to control oxygen delivery. The plates receive 3% oxygen from below and 0% oxygen at the top surface of the media, providing a gradient of 3–0% oxygen. We compared growth and transcriptional profiles for cancer cells grown in Matrigel in the bioreactor, 3D cultures grown in 21% oxygen, and cells grown in a standard hypoxia chamber at 3% oxygen. Additionally, we compared gene expression of conventional two‐dimensional monolayer culture and 3D Matrigel culture in 21% oxygen. We conclude that controlled oxygen delivery may provide a more physiologically relevant 3D system.
Plasma-Coated Polycaprolactone Nanofibers with Covalently Bonded Platelet-Rich Plasma Enhance Adhesion and Growth of Human Fibroblasts

Biodegradable nanofibers are extensively employed in different areas of biology and medicine, particularly in tissue engineering. The electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibers are attracting growing interest due to their good mechanical properties and a low-cost structure similar to the extracellular matrix. However, the unmodified PCL nanofibers exhibit an inert surface, hindering cell adhesion and negatively affecting their further fate. The employment of PCL nanofibrous scaffolds for wound healing requires a certain modification of the PCL surface. In this work, the morphology of PCL nanofibers is optimized by the careful tuning of electrospinning parameters. It is shown that the modification of the PCL nanofibers with the COOH plasma polymers and the subsequent binding of NH2 groups of protein molecules is a rather simple and technologically accessible procedure allowing the adhesion, early spreading, and growth of human fibroblasts to be boosted. The behavior of fibroblasts on the modified PCL surface was found to be very different when compared to the previously studied cultivation of mesenchymal stem cells on the PCL nanofibrous meshes. It is demonstrated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) that the freeze–thawed platelet-rich plasma (PRP) immobilization can be performed via covalent and non-covalent bonding and that it does not affect biological activity. The covalently bound components of PRP considerably reduce the fibroblast apoptosis and increase the cell proliferation in comparison to the unmodified PCL nanofibers or the PCL nanofibers with non-covalent bonding of PRP. The reported research findings reveal the potential of PCL matrices for application in tissue engineering, while the plasma modification with COOH groups and their subsequent covalent binding with proteins expand this potential even further. The use of such matrices with covalently immobilized PRP for wound healing leads to prolonged biological activity of the immobilized molecules and protects these biomolecules from the aggressive media of the wound.
Metal Coating Synthesized by Inkjet Printing and Intense Pulsed-Light Sintering

The inkjet printing of nanoparticle inks to produce metal coatings is low in manufacturing cost and high in efficiency compared to conventional methods such as electroplating and etching. However, inkjet-printed metal coatings require sintering to provide better metal conductivity and adhesion. Traditional sintering methods require high processing temperatures that can easily damage the coating substrate. In this study, an enhanced overall conductivity is achieved by sintering a nanoparticle metal coating with intense pulsed light. Metal coatings sintered using different parameters were characterized by a profilometer and a four-probe tester, which showed that the surface topographies differed with different sintering degrees. The adhesion of the metal coating was proportional to the pre-sintering temperature within the allowable range of the substrate. Finally, the optimization of the sintering process according to the experimental results improved both the electrical conductivity and adhesion of the metal coating. The optimized parameters were used to fabricate a microstrip antenna and perform the return loss test and microwave darkroom test. The results matched the simulation results well.
Accurate detection of chemical modifications in RNA by mutational profiling (MaP) with ShapeMapper 2

Mutational profiling (MaP) enables detection of sites of chemical modification in RNA as sequence changes during reverse transcription (RT), subsequently read out by massively parallel sequencing. We introduce ShapeMapper 2, which integrates careful handling of all classes of adduct-induced sequence changes, sequence variant correction, basecall quality filters, and quality-control warnings to now identify RNA adduct sites as accurately as achieved by careful manual analysis of electrophoresis data, the prior highest-accuracy standard. MaP and ShapeMapper 2 provide a robust, experimentally concise, and accurate approach for reading out nucleic acid chemical probing experiments.