Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adolescent fertility behavior: trends and determinants in northeastern Brazil.

Demographic and health surveys identified the trends and determinants of fertility behavior among northeastern Brazilian adolescents in 1986 1991 and 1996. Discrete-time hazard models estimated the probability of a woman having a first birth during adolescence and evaluated individual and environmental factors influencing personal fertility choices. Data showed that the factor most strongly and consistently associated with the probability of giving birth during adolescence was the young womans level of educational attainment. Adolescents who had not attended school beyond the primary level had a higher average incidence of having a first birth by comparison with those who had attained a secondary education. Multivariate analysis revealed that religious affiliation and mass media exposure did not consistently influence adolescent fertility over time. This study suggests that the promotion of education may be the most effective strategy for delaying childbearing among adolescents in northeastern Brazil. In addition the impact of health and family planning programs on teenage fertility needs to be researched further.
Identification of potential virulence determinants associated H9N2 avian influenza virus PB2 E627K mutation by comparative proteomics

Some highly pathogenic H5N1, H7N9, and H10N8 isolated from China carried six internal genes from H9N2 avian influenza viruses (AIV) and the key amino acids at 627 in PB2 of these viruses had mutated to K. To investigate the mechanism of increased pathogenicity for H9N2 AIV PB2 627K, we analyzed the difference in mouse lung proteins expression response to PB2 K627E. By iTRAQ method, we found that the mutated K627E contributed to a set of differentially expressed lung proteins, including five upregulated proteins and nine downregulated proteins at 12 h postinfection; ten upregulated proteins and 25 downregulated proteins at 72 h postinfection. These proteins were chiefly involved within the cytoskeleton and motor proteins, antiviral proteins, regulation of glucocorticoids signal‐associated proteins, pro‐ and anti‐inflammatory proteins. Alteration of moesin, FKBP4, Hsp70, ezrin, and pulmonary surfactant protein A (sp‐A) may play important roles in increasing virulence and decreasing lungs antiviral response. Further, three upregulated proteins (moesin, ezrin, and sp‐A) caused by PB2 K627E were also confirmed in A549 cells. Moreover, overexpression of sp‐A in A549 inhibited virus replication and downregulation promoted virus replication. In this study, sp‐A as a potential virulence determinant associated H9N2 AIV PB2 E627K mutation was identified using comparative proteomics.
The Physiological Consequences of Acceleration During Shuttle Running

Abstract This study examined the acceleration demands associated with changing direction and the subsequent physiological consequences of acceleration during running at 3 submaximal speeds. 10 male professional footballers completed four 600 m running bouts at 3 speeds (2.50, 3.25 & 4.00 m·s−1). Each bout was in the format of either: i) 3 laps of a 200 m track (CON), ii) ten 60 m shuttles (S60), iii) twenty 30 m shuttles (S30), or iv) thirty 20 m shuttles (S20). Peak heart rate (HRPEAK), blood lactate concentration (BLa) and RPE (Borg CR-10) were recorded for each bout. A single change of direction required 1.2, 1.5 and 2.0 s of acceleration at running speeds of 2.50, 3.25 and 4.00 m s−1 respectively. An increase in time spent accelerating produced a linear increase in BLa (r=0.43–0.74) and RPE (r=0.81–0.93) at all speeds. Acceleration increases linearly with change of direction frequency during submaximal shuttle running. Increased time spent accelerating elicits proportional increases in perceived exertion, BLa and HRPEAK. The current study further underlines the need to consider acceleration when quantifying training load during activities involving numerous changes of direction.
A 10-Week Training Study Comparing Resistaball® and Traditional Trunk Training

The Resistaball® is an inflatable plastic ball designed for “stability training” of the trunk. The purpose of this study was to compare traditional floor work (T) with Resistaball® exercise (R) in training the abdominal and back extensor muscles. Fifty-five female subjects ranging in age from 20 to 40 years participated in the study. The T group (15 subjects) and R group (20 subjects) participated in pretesting, 10-weeks of exercise, and post-testing; while the non-exercising controls (C group; 20 subjects) participated only in pretesting and post-testing. The exercise program for both the T and R groups consisted of crunches, oblique twists, and back extensions on the floor (T) or ball (R). Subjects performed no other abdominal or back training over the 10-week period. The pretest and post-test consisted of double leg lowering (DLL), trunk flexion (AB), and back extension (BE). For DLL, each subject was supine with hips flexed at 90° and was asked to slowly lower both legs. The point at which there was any movement at the lower back or pelvis was measured using a Universal goniometer. The AB and BE tests were conducted on Cybex® machines. Subjects self-selected a resistance they determined to be “somewhat hard to hard” and flexed or extended repeatedly against that resistance to volitional failure or until they were unable to perform the movement correctly. During post-testing, subjects completed the AB and BE tests to volitional failure using the pretest resistance. A one-way ANOVA with paired t-tests and General Linear Model were used to analyze the data for initial differences, net gain, percent gain, and group factor. For DLL, those in the R group using the Resistaball® improved significantly more than either those who used traditional floor work or controls (p < 0.05). For AB, there was no significant difference between any of the groups (p > 0.05). For BE, both those who used Resistaball® training and those who used traditional floor work improved significantly more than controls (p < 0.05), but there was no difference between the R and T groups (p > 0.05). In conclusion, exercise training with the Resistaball® was comparable to traditional floor work for training the abdominal and back muscles and may be of greater benefit for functional activities that require spinal and pelvic stabilization.
Physiological roles for the subfornical organ: a dynamic transcriptome shaped by autonomic state

The subfornical organ (SFO) is a circumventricular organ recognized for its ability to sense and integrate hydromineral and hormonal circulating fluid balance signals, information which is transmitted to central autonomic nuclei to which SFO neurons project. While the role of SFO was once synonymous with physiological responses to osmotic, volumetric and cardiovascular challenge, recent data suggest that SFO neurons also sense and integrate information from circulating signals of metabolic status. Using microarrays, we have confirmed the expression of receptors already described in the SFO, and identified many novel transcripts expressed in this circumventricular organ including receptors for many of the critical circulating energy balance signals such as adiponectin, apelin, endocannabinoids, leptin, insulin and peptide YY. This transcriptome analysis also identified SFO transcripts, the expressions of which are significantly changed by either 72 h dehydration, or 48 h starvation, compared to fed and euhydrated controls. Expression and potential roles for many of these targets are yet to be confirmed and elucidated. Subsequent validation of data for adiponectin and leptin receptors confirmed that receptors for both are expressed in the SFO, that discrete populations of neurons in this tissue are functionally responsive to these adipokines, and that such responsiveness is regulated by physiological state. Thus, transcriptomic analysis offers great promise for understanding the integrative complexity of these physiological systems, especially with development of technologies allowing description of the entire transcriptome of single, carefully phenotyped, SFO neurons. These data will ultimately elucidate mechanisms through which these uniquely positioned neurons respond to and integrate complex circulating signals.
Proteomic profile of the plant‐pathogenic oomycete Phytophthora capsici in response to the fungicide pyrimorph

Pyrimorph is a novel fungicide from the carboxylic acid amide (CAA) family used to control plant‐pathogenic oomycetes such as Phytophthora capsici. The proteomic response of P. capsici to pyrimorph was investigated using the iTRAQ technology to determine the target site of the fungicide and potential biomarker candidates of drug efficacy. A total of 1336 unique proteins were identified from the mycelium of wild‐type P. capsici isolate (Hd3) and two pyrimorph‐resistant mutants (R3‐1 and R3‐2) grown in the presence or absence of pyrimorph. Comparative analysis revealed that the three P. capsici isolates Hd3, R3‐1, and R3‐2 produced 163, 77, and 13 unique proteins, respectively, which exhibited altered levels of abundance in response to the pyrimorph treatment. Further investigations, using Cluster of Orthologous Groups of Proteins (COG) analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis identified 35 proteins related to the mode of action of pyrimorph against P. capsici and 62 proteins involved in the stress response of P. capsici to pyrimorph. Many of the proteins with altered expression were associated with glucose and energy metabolism. Biochemical analysis using d‐[U‐14C]glucose verified the proteomics data, suggesting that the major mode of action of pyrimorph in P. capsici is the inhibition of cell wall biosynthesis. These results also illustrate that proteomics approaches are useful tools for determining the pathways targeted by novel fungicides as well as for evaluating the tolerance of plant pathogens to environmental challenges, such as the presence of fungicides.
[Surgical Risk Profile and Audiological Outcome in the Elderly after Cochlea-implantation].

BACKGROUND The number of elderly patients with indication for cochlear implantation is increasing. Our aim was to investigate whether seniors with cochlea implants differ from younger patients with regard to hearing improvement, surgical complications and rehabilitation. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients older than 60 years (ys) having received a cochlea implant in 2007-2012 were included (Group I 60-70 ys; Group II <70 ys). Preoperative risk factors according to ASA-Criteria and postoperative complications were analyzed. Improvements in quality of live were evaluated by questionnaire. Audiological outcome was tested by Freiburger speech test and OLSA sentence test with background noise. Patients with comparable conditions for cochlea implantation between 40 and 59 years of age served as control group (Group K). RESULTS Patient cohort consisted of 94 patients, 29 of which being older than 70 years. Severe complications were inexistent postoperatively. Gr. II achieved a speech perception for numbers of 95% (65 dB) and 50% (65 dB) for monosyllables. The speech perception in Gr. II was not significantly different from Gr. I or K. According to the quality of life test all groups experienced an improvement in their social life. CONCLUSION Old age itself is no contraindication to cochlea implantation. It has little influence on the postoperative speech perception even though the learning curve of the elderly rises slower. However, careful assessment with regard to surgical risk factors and expected outcome is necessary.
Microenvironmental regulation of oligodendrocyte replacement and remyelination in spinal cord injury

Myelin is a proteolipid sheath enwrapping axons in the nervous system that facilitates signal transduction along the axons. In the central nervous system (CNS), oligodendrocytes are specialized glial cells responsible for myelin formation and maintenance. Following spinal cord injury (SCI), oligodendroglia cell death and myelin damage (demyelination) cause chronic axonal damage and irreparable loss of sensory and motor functions. Accumulating evidence shows that replacement of damaged oligodendrocytes and renewal of myelin (remyelination) are promising approaches to prevent axonal degeneration and restore function following SCI. Neural precursor cells (NPCs) and oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) are two main resident cell populations in the spinal cord with innate capacities to foster endogenous oligodendrocyte replacement and remyelination. However, due to the hostile microenvironment of SCI, the regenerative capacity of these endogenous precursor cells is conspicuously restricted. Activated resident glia, along with infiltrating immune cells, are among the key modulators of secondary injury mechanisms that create a milieu impermissible to oligodendrocyte differentiation and remyelination. Recent studies have uncovered inhibitory roles for astrocyte‐associated molecules such as matrix chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs), and a plethora of pro‐inflammatory cytokines and neurotoxic factors produced by activated microglia/macrophages. The quality of axonal remyelination is additionally challenged by dysregulation of the supportive growth factors required for maturation of new oligodendrocytes and axo‐oligodendrocyte signalling. Careful understanding of factors that modulate the activity of endogenous precursor cells in the injury microenvironment is a key step in developing efficient repair strategies for remyelination and functional recovery following SCI.
CrossTalk proposal: High intensity interval training does have a role in risk reduction or treatment of disease

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: PUGH, J.K. and FAULKNER, S.H. , 2016. Comments on Crosstalk 26: High intensity interval training does/does not have a role in risk reduction or treatment of disease. Personalised exercise – time to HIIT the right balance. Journal of Physiology, 593(24), pp. 5215–5404. , which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi. org/10.1113/JP271041. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving. It is a comment on the original article and can be found in supporting information.
Increased susceptibility of spontaneously hypertensive rats to ventricular tachyarrhythmias in early hypertension

Hypertension is a risk factor for sudden cardiac death caused by ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation. Whether hypertension in its early stage is associated with an increased risk of ventricular tachyarrhythmias is not known. Based on experiments performed at the cellular and whole heart levels, we show that, even early in chronic hypertension, the hypertrophied and fibrotic ventricles of spontaneously hypertensive rats aged 5 to 6 months have already developed increased stress‐induced arrhythmogenicity, and this increased susceptibility to ventricular arrhythmias is primarily a result of tissue remodelling rather than cellular electrophysiological changes. Our findings highlight the need for early hypertension treatment to minimize myocardial fibrosis, ventricular hypertrophy, and arrhythmias.
Proteomic profiling of dextran sulfate sodium induced acute ulcerative colitis mice serum exosomes and their immunomodulatory impact on macrophages

Macrophages are essential for the maintenance of intestinal homeostasis, and their activation has been proposed to be critical to the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Although there are many recognized mediators of macrophage activation, increasing evidence suggests that macrophages respond to exosome stimulation. Exosomes are 40–150 nm microvesicles released from different cell types and are found in a variety of physiological fluids, including serum. As studies have shown that circulating exosomes participate in intercellular communication and can mediate the immune response, we hypothesized that exosomes may play a role in the pathogenesis of IBD though modulation of macrophage activity. In this study, we used the dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) induced acute colitis mice model to investigate the effect of serum exosomes on macrophages and identify exosome proteins potentially involved in macrophage activation. We treated RAW264.7 macrophages with serum exosomes isolated from dextran sulfate sodium induced mice and found that treatment induced phosphorylation of p38 and ERK and production of tumor necrosis factor α when compared to treatment with exosomes isolated from control mice. Subsequent proteomic analysis identified 56 differentially expressed proteins, a majority of which were acute‐phase proteins and immunoglobulins. Bioinformatics analysis suggested these proteins were mainly involved in the complement and coagulation cascade, which has been implicated in macrophage activation. Our findings provide new insight into the role of circulating serum exosomes in acute colitis and contribute to the understanding of macrophage activation in the pathogenesis of IBD.
Reviewing the Benefits of Physical Activity During Cancer Survivorship

Increasing physical activity is a possible strategy for the prevention and/or treatment of many physical and mental health conditions that are experienced among cancer survivors. Although engaging in physical activity is safe, feasible, and effective for cancer survivors, few are sufficiently active to obtain health benefits. This review summarizes findings from published research studies and review articles to highlight the benefits of physical activity for cancer survivors. For the purpose of this review, a cancer survivor is defined as an individual who has been diagnosed with cancer and who has completed all systemic or primary treatments. This review includes evidence from a wide range of sources to help provide a holistic summary of both quantitative and qualitative findings on the benefits of physical activity for cancer survivors. The benefits are presented within survival, biological/physiological, psychological, and social themes using a using a broad quality of life model. The evidence suggests physical activity is associated with reduced rates of mortality, improved immune function, improved health-related quality of life, decreased fatigue, improved fitness, maintenance of healthy weight and bone density, improved physical and psychological indicators of well-being, and that physical activity programs can foster social support and feelings of connectedness. This review establishes that physical activity may reduce the various adverse side effects associated with cancer treatments and improve cancer survivors’ physical, psychological and social quality of life facets. Encouraging physical activity is the first step in helping cancer survivors experience long-term health and well-being.
Exploring the further integration of machine translation in English-Chinese cross language information access

Purpose – This paper seeks to examine the further integration of machine translation technologies with cross language information access in providing web users the capabilities of accessing information beyond language barriers. Machine translation and cross language information access are related technologies, and yet they have their own unique contributions in handling information in multiple languages. This paper aims to demonstrate that there are many opportunities to further integrate machine translation with cross language information access, and the combination can greatly empower web users in their information access.Design/methodology/approach – Using English and Chinese as the language pair for studying, this paper looks at machine translation in query translation‐based cross language information access at multiple important aspects, which include query translation, relevance feedback, interactive cross language information access, out‐of‐vocabulary term translation, and data fusion. The goal is .
Enhancing employability in the “ME generation”

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to place all of the contributions to this special issue into a theoretical framework and to highlight the role that the so-called “information age mindset” has in the facilitation of employability skills. Design/methodology/approach – The paper discusses the major themes of this special issue. Findings – Undergraduate students do see the importance of technological innovation in the classroom but they see the development of experiential or work-based skills to be more important. Practical implications – Future curriculum design should consider the expectations and attitudes of the modern day undergraduate student to ensure that potential employability is maximised. Originality/value – The findings are placed into the wider context of the emerging field of evolutionary educational psychology.
Alpha-2-Adrenoceptor agonists in Veterinary Practice

Since the first a2- adrenoceptor agonist xylazine (Rompun) was synthesized in 1962 in Germany, and subsequent development of others in this group, a2-adrenoceptor agonists have been used for decades for their sedative, analgesic and muscle relaxant properties in laboratory, domestic and wild animal species. Although drugs in this group induce physiologic alterations in many species whose magnitude depends on the dose, rate of administration and concomitantly administered drugs, they have proven to be safe adjunctive agents in augmenting central nervous system depression, analgesia and muscle relaxation in healthy patients. One of the more significant advances in veterinary anesthesiology during the last decade has been the utilization of antagonists for the reversal of injectable anesthetic regimens. Most notable of these is the clinical application of a2-antagonists such as yohimbine, telazoline, midazoxam, and atipamazole for the reversal of the sedative –muscle relaxant action actions induced by xylazine and other a2- adrenoceptor agonists. This advance has made the use of drugs in this group safer and they will continue to play an important role in the evolution and development of reliable synergistic receptor mediated analgesia and anesthesia. This paper looks at the role a2-adrenoceptor agonists have played and continue to play in veterinary practice. The Kenya Veterinarian Vol. 22 2001: pp. 82-90