Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Abundance diagnosis of E+A (post-starburst) galaxies

E+A galaxies are characterized as galaxies with strong Balmer absorption lines but without any [O II ]o r Hα emission lines. The existence of strong Balmer absorption lines means that E+A galaxies have experienced a starburst within the last <1‐1.5 Gyr. However, the lack of [O II ]o r Hα emission lines indicates that E+A galaxies do not have any ongoing star formation. Therefore, E+A galaxies are interpreted as post-starburst galaxies. Morphologically, E+A galaxies appear as early-type galaxies, implying that E+A galaxies may be one of the progenitors of present-day elliptical galaxies. However, there remain other possibilities, such as the dusty starburst scenario, where E+A galaxies have ongoing star formation, but optical emission lines are invisible as a result of heavy obscuration by dust. Therefore, additional evidence of the post-starburst phenomenon has been eagerly awaited. Using one of the largest samples of 451 E+A galaxies carefully selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 4, here we show the abundance diagnosis of E+A galaxies using Mg and Fe lines. Our findings are as follows. (i) E+A galaxies have an enhanced α-element abundance ratio compared to star-forming galaxies with similar Balmer absorption strength. Because the truncation of strong starburst is required to enhance the α-element ratio, this is additional evidence that E+A galaxies are in the post-starburst phase. (ii) The metallicity and α-element abundance of E+A galaxies are consistent with those of elliptical galaxies, suggesting that E+A galaxies could be one of the progenitors of present-day elliptical galaxies in terms of chemical abundances.
Apoptosis, Expression of PAX3 and P53, and Caspase Signal in Fetuses with Neural Tube Defects.

BACKGROUND Neural tube defects (NTDs) are among the most common and severe congenital malformations of the central nervous system. Animal studies have shown that apoptosis is involved in the development of NTDs. However, little evidence is available from human studies. We aim to examine the level of apoptosis and expression of apoptosis-regulating proteins of human terminated fetuses. METHODS A total of 37 NTD cases and 21 controls from pregnancy terminations were recruited. Tissues of the central nervous system were obtained through autopsy. Apoptosis of neuroepithelial cells was examined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridinetriphosphate nick end-labeling (TUNEL) assay. Expression of PAX3, p53, and caspase 3/8/9 in central nervous tissue was measured using Western blotting. RESULTS More TUNEL-positive apoptosis cells were observed in the central nervous tissue of NTD cases than those of controls (p < 0.05). In spinal cord tissue, lower PAX3 expression, higher p53 expression, and increased levels of cleaved caspase 3(17kD) and cleaved caspase 8 (18kD) were found in anencephaly cases but not in spina bifida cases when compared with controls. In brain tissue, levels of PAX3 were significantly reduced in both encephalocele and spina bifida subtypes; the expression levels of cleaved caspase 3(17 kD) of encephalocele cases and cleaved caspase 8(47/45 kD) in spina bifida cases were higher than in controls; no difference was found in the expression of p53 or caspase 9 between NTDs and controls. CONCLUSION These findings provide some evidence that excessive apoptosis in fetal central nervous tissues may be associated with the development of human NTDs. Birth Defects Research 109:1596-1604, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Role of Electrotonic Coupling in the Olivocerebellar System

textabstractThe level of electrotonic coupling in the inferior olive is higher than in any other brain region. Connexin36 is the main protein that forms the olivary gap junctions. Yet, the functional role of electrotonic coupling in the cerebellar motor control remains to be determined. In this thesis mice that lack coupling among their olivary neurons were subjected to classical eyeblink conditioning. Cx36 deficient mice showed impaired learning-dependent timing in that they were not able to fix the timing of their conditioned responses at the moment when the unconditioned stimulus is about to occur. The timing of spike activities generated in the olive of coupling- deficient mice was abnormal in that their latencies in response to the unconditioned stimulus were inconsistent and that their overall synchrony was reduced. Whole cell recordings of olivary neurons in vivo showed that these different spiking activities over time result in part from altered interaction! s with their subthreshold oscillations. These results, combined with analysis of olivary activities in a computer simulation of the cerebellar system, suggest that electrotonic coupling among olivary neurons is necessary for proper synchronous oscillations in the inferior olive, which in turn determine the pace of the olivary responses necessary for learning-dependent timing in cerebellar motor control.
Guidelines of the American Thyroid Association for the diagnosis and management of thyroid disease during pregnancy and postpartum.

Pregnancy has a profound impact on the thyroid gland and thyroid function. The gland increases 10% in size during pregnancy in iodine-replete countries and by 20%– 40% in areas of iodine deficiency. Production of thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) increases by 50%, along with a 50% increase in the daily iodine requirement. These physiological changes may result in hypothyroidism in the later stages of pregnancy in iodine-deficient women who were euthyroid in the first trimester. The range of thyrotropin (TSH), under the impact of placental human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), is decreased throughout pregnancy with the lower normal TSH level in the first trimester being poorly defined and an upper limit of 2.5 mIU/L. Ten percent to 20% of all pregnant women in the first trimester of pregnancy are thyroid peroxidase (TPO) or thyroglobulin (Tg) antibody positive and euthyroid. Sixteen percent of the women who are euthyroid and positive for TPO or Tg antibody in the first trimester will develop a TSH that exceeds 4.0 mIU/L by the third trimester, and 33%–50% of women who are positive for TPO or Tg antibody in the first trimester will develop postpartum thyroiditis. In essence, pregnancy is a stress test for the thyroid, resulting in hypothyroidism in women with limited thyroidal reserve or iodine deficiency, and postpartum thyroiditis in women with underlying Hashimoto’s disease who were euthyroid prior to conception. Knowledge regarding the interaction between the thyroid and pregnancy/the postpartum period is advancing at a rapid pace. Only recently has a TSH of 2.5 mIU/L been accepted as the upper limit of normal for TSH in the first trimester. This has important implications in regards to interpretation of the literature as well as a critical impact for the clinical diagnosis of hypothyroidism. Although it is well accepted that overt hypothyroidism and overt hyperthyroidism have a deleterious impact on pregnancy, studies are now focusing on the potential impact of subclinical hypothyroidism and subclinical hyperthyroidism on maternal and
The rapid resolution of depression and anxiety symptoms after lower limb amputation

Objective : To ascertain the course of depressive and anxiety symptoms shortly after amputation and again after a period of inpatient rehabilitation. Design and settings : A cohort study in inpatients admitted to a rehabilitation ward after lower limb amputation. Subjects : One hundred and five successive admissions over a one-year period. Interventions : Nil. Main measures : Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) on admission and discharge with correlation to demographic and patient features. Results : At admission, 28 (26.7%) and 26 (24.8%) patients had symptoms of depression and anxiety respectively. This dropped to 4 (3.8%) and 5 (4.8%) by time of discharge, a mean of 54.3 days later. These reductions were statistically significant, as was the association between patients having symptoms of both depression and anxiety (P < 0.001). Patient stay was longer in those with symptoms (depression, P < 0.03; anxiety P < 0.001). There was no association with level of amputation, success of limb-fitting, age or gender. Depressive symptoms were associated with presence of other medical conditions (P < 0.01) and anxiety scores with living in isolation (P < 0.05). Conclusion : Depression and anxiety are commonly reported after lower limb amputation and previously thought to remain high for up to 10 years. We have found that levels of both depression and anxiety resolve rapidly. It is possible that a period of rehabilitation teaching new skills and improving patient independence and mobility may modify the previous bleak outlook of amputees. This positive finding may be useful in the rehabilitation of even the most distressed of amputees.
A combined large-scale meta-analysis identifies COG6 as a novel shared risk locus for rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus

Objectives During the last years, genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified a number of common genetic risk factors for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, the genetic overlap between these two immune-mediated diseases has not been thoroughly examined so far. The aim of the present study was to identify additional risk loci shared between RA and SLE. Methods We performed a large-scale meta-analysis of GWAS data from RA (3911 cases and 4083 controls) and SLE (2237 cases and 6315 controls). The top-associated polymorphisms in the discovery phase were selected for replication in additional datasets comprising 13 641 RA cases and 31 921 controls and 1957 patients with SLE and 4588 controls. Results The rs9603612 genetic variant, located nearby the COG6 gene, an established susceptibility locus for RA, reached genome-wide significance in the combined analysis including both discovery and replication sets (p value=2.95E−13). In silico expression quantitative trait locus analysis revealed that the associated polymorphism acts as a regulatory variant influencing COG6 expression. Moreover, protein–protein interaction and gene ontology enrichment analyses suggested the existence of overlap with specific biological processes, specially the type I interferon signalling pathway. Finally, genetic correlation and polygenic risk score analyses showed cross-phenotype associations between RA and SLE. Conclusions In conclusion, we have identified a new risk locus shared between RA and SLE through a meta-analysis including GWAS datasets of both diseases. This study represents the first comprehensive large-scale analysis on the genetic overlap between these two complex disorders.
Role of Toll-Interacting Protein Gene Polymorphisms in Leprosy Mexican Patients

Background. Leprosy is a debilitating infectious disease of human skin and nerves. Genetics factors of the host play an important role in the disease susceptibility. Toll-interacting protein (TOLLIP) is an inhibitory adaptor protein within the toll-like receptor (TLR) pathway, which recognizes structurally conserved molecular patterns of microbial pathogens, initiating immune responses. The objective of this study was to investigate the association of variants in the TOLLIP gene with susceptibility to leprosy in Mexican patients. Methods. TOLLIP polymorphisms were studied using a case-control design of Mexican patients with lepromatous leprosy (LL). The polymorphisms of TOLLIP at loci −526 C>G (rs5743854), 1309956C>T (rs3750920), 1298430C>A (rs5744015), and 1292831 G>A (rs3750919) were analyzed by PCR, with sequence-specific primers in LL patients and healthy subjects (HS) as controls. Results. Genotype distributions were in Hardy Weinberg equilibrium for all sites except for rs3750920. Neither genotype nor allele frequencies were statistically different between LL patients and controls (P > 0.05). The maximum pairwise D' coefficient reached was 0.44 of linkage (P = 0.01) for all the polymorphisms except for rs5743854. The three loci haplotype comparison yielded no significant differences between groups. Conclusions. Just the individuals with genotype C/C of rs3750920 have a trend of protective effect to developing LL.
A complex pattern of agreement between oscillometric and tonometric measurement of arterial stiffness in a population-based sample

Objective: Arterial stiffness can be estimated by several noninvasive methods. In a large population-based sample we performed an agreement analysis of the set of arterial stiffness indices (ASIs) measured by tonometric (SphygmoCor) and oscillometric (Arteriograph) techniques. Methods: Central augmentation index (cAIx) and peripheral augmentation index (pAIx), as well as central SBP (cSBP) were measured in 1012 participants from a population-based study. Data were analyzed using Bland–Altman agreement analysis, multivariate adaptive regression splines and Fisher's linear discriminant analysis. Results: In contrast to high initial correlation between two devices (r = 0.87 for pAIx, 0.88 for cAIx and 0.95 for cSBP), plotting against each other the values of measured ASIs revealed their uneven distribution and grouping into three distinctive clusters of participants. The strongest cluster discriminators were age and DBP (cluster 1: age <40, DBP 70.42 ± 7.41; cluster 2: age >40, DBP 77.36 ± 10.16; cluster 3: age >60, DBP 82.56 ± 9.48). Bland–Altman analysis of clusters showed complex differences in agreement pattern for cAIx and pAIx. For cAIx SphygmoCor gives lower readings, especially in cluster 1, whereas for pAIx Arteriograph gives lower readings in cluster 1 and higher readings in clusters 2 and 3. The agreement for pAIx was better in younger participants and the same for cAIx in older participants. Conclusion: ASIs obtained by SphygmoCor and Arteriograph cannot be interchangeably used as they seem to be differently influenced by predictors of arterial stiffness, predominantly by age. Different pattern of pAIx and cAIx agreement across clusters demonstrates importance of distinguishing cAIx and pAIx. Homogeneity of the study population for age should be considered when interpreting results of the studies investigating ASI.
Healthy and Ready to Learn.

Things have changed in recent decades. Students no longer go home for lunch, restaurant serving sizes have expanded along with customers' waistlines, and many children—out of desire or necessity—stay indoors watching television or playing computer games. Only 2 percent of school-age children in the United States consume the recommended daily number of servings from all five major food groups (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1994–1996). Schools have changed, too, selling candy, chips, and soda while offering fewer opportunities for students to be physically active.
Prevalence of Internet gaming disorder in German adolescents: diagnostic contribution of the nine DSM-5 criteria in a state-wide representative sample.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is included as a condition for further study in Section 3 of the DSM-5. Nine criteria were proposed with a threshold of five or more criteria recommended for diagnosis. The aims of this study were to assess how the specific criteria contribute to diagnosis and to estimate prevalence rates of IGD based on DSM-5 recommendations. DESIGN Large-scale, state-representative school survey using a standardized questionnaire. SETTING Germany (Lower Saxony). PARTICIPANTS A total of 11 003 ninth-graders aged 13-18 years (mean = 14.88, 51.09% male). MEASUREMENTS IGD was assessed with a DSM-5 adapted version of the Video Game Dependency Scale that covered all nine criteria of IGD. FINDINGS In total, 1.16% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.96, 1.36] of respondents were classified with IGD according to DSM-5 recommendations. IGD students played games for longer periods, skipped school more often, had lower grades in school, reported more sleep problems and more often endorsed feeling 'addicted to gaming' than their non-IGD counterparts. The most frequently reported DSM-5 criteria overall were 'escape adverse moods' (5.30%) and 'preoccupation' (3.91%), but endorsement of these criteria rarely related to IGD diagnosis. Conditional inference trees showed that the criteria 'give up other activities', 'tolerance' and 'withdrawal' were of key importance for identifying IGD as defined by DSM-5. CONCLUSIONS Based on a state-wide representative school survey in Germany, endorsement of five or more criteria of DSM-5 internet gaming disorder (IGD) occurred in 1.16% of the students, and these students evidence greater impairment compared with non-IGD students. Symptoms related to 'give up other activities', 'tolerance' and 'withdrawal' are most relevant for IGD diagnosis in this age group.
The Role of Parents, Peers, and Autonomy in Alcohol Use during the First Year of College

Drinking among college students is a serious problem that can have severe consequences, and research on the factors which influence student drinking are prevalent in the literature. Two such factors, parental knowledge and close friend/peer norms about alcohol use, were examined in the current study. It was hypothesized that drinking behavior among college students would be influenced by parental knowledge, close friend alcohol use, and peer norms about alcohol use. In addition, parental and peer influences on alcohol use among college students were expected to differ depending on the levels of autonomy the students possessed. Data were collected from freshmen college students at the University of Pittsburgh during the Fall semester of 2009. Results showed that higher levels of parental knowledge were significantly related to lower levels of alcohol use, and higher levels of both close friend alcohol use and peer norms were associated with higher levels of alcohol use. The moderating effect of autonomy was found for peer norms about alcohol use, but not for parental knowledge or friend alcohol use. The pattern of the results was, however, not in the hypothesized direction, with a stronger association between peer norms and alcohol use among those with higher autonomy than those with lower autonomy. Potential explanations for the findings, along with the limitations of the current study and the future directions, are discussed.
Structural Basis for Preferential Recognition of Diaminopimelic Acid-type Peptidoglycan by a Subset of Peptidoglycan Recognition Proteins*

Drosophila peptidoglycan recognition protein (PGRP)-LCx and -LCa are receptors that preferentially recognize meso-diaminopimelic acid (DAP)-type peptidoglycan (PGN) present in Gram-negative bacteria over lysine-type PGN of Gram-positive bacteria and initiate the IMD signaling pathway, whereas PGRP-LE plays a synergistic role in this process of innate immune defense. How these receptors can distinguish the two types of PGN remains unclear. Here the structure of the PGRP domain of Drosophila PGRP-LE in complex with tracheal cytotoxin (TCT), the monomeric DAP-type PGN, reveals a buried ionic interaction between the unique carboxyl group of DAP and a previously unrecognized arginine residue. This arginine is conserved in the known DAP-type PGN-interacting PGRPs and contributes significantly to the affinity of the protein for the ligand. Unexpectedly, TCT induces infinite head-to-tail dimerization of PGRP-LE, in which the disaccharide moiety, but not the peptide stem, of TCT is positioned at the dimer interface. A sequence comparison suggests that TCT induces heterodimerization of the ectodomains of PGRP-LCx and -LCa in a closely analogous manner to prime the IMD signaling pathway, except that the heterodimer formation is nonperpetuating.
Survivorship of patients with head and neck cancer receiving care in a tertiary health facility in Nigeria

Background Head and neck cancer (HNC) is a major clinical and public health concern worldwide which impairs the vital functions of life. The treatment of metastatic HNCs is mainly palliative. This study examined the survival patterns and treatment outcomes in patients with HNCs in a tertiary hospital in Nigeria. Materials and methods A review of the case files and treatment cards of patients with histological diagnosis of HNCs seen between January 2002 and December 2011 at the Radiotherapy Department, University College Hospital, Ibadan, was conducted. A total of 494 cases were identified, of which 481 had valid records. Analyses were done using Kaplan–Meier survival function and Cox proportional hazard regression techniques at 5% significance level. Results The median age of patients was 42 years with a male-to-female ratio of 2:1. Most patients presented at stages 3 (50.7%) and 4 (36.8%). Nasopharyngeal carcinoma was the most common (42.6%) HNC, followed by paranasal sinus (17.7%) and laryngeal cancer (11.6%). The lung was the most common site of metastasis (25.5%). Patients who presented at stages 1 and 4 disease had a median survival of 7.8 years and 1.9 years, respectively. Patients treated with a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy had a median survival of 8.0 years compared with those who had a single modality of treatment (~6.3 years). Conclusion Patient survival was inversely proportional to the stage of the disease. To encourage the early presentation of HNC cases, health education of the population on routine medical check-ups and on the symptoms suggestive of HNC is recommended. Health care providers should be trained to refer suspected cases promptly to tertiary health facilities for management.
Empty Sella Syndrome: A Case Report and Literature Review

An empty sella occurs due to herniation of the arachnoid through an incompetent diaphragma sellae. Over time, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pulsations may enlarge the sella and compress the gland against the floor of the sella. Empty sella syndrome is considered as a less common entity and is usually asymptomatic and an incidental finding. However, it can be a manifestation of increased intracranial pressure and can be occasionally severe. Compression of the pituitary gland may affect function, or traction on the optic chiasm and nerves may cause visual symptoms. An empty sella may be classified as primary when this occurs in persons who have not received pituitary radiation or pituitary surgery, while an empty sella discovered following such procedures is classified as secondary empty sella. In this report, we presented a 41-year-old multiparous patient who presented to us with symptoms of headache and left sided hemi-sensory disturbance. Examination was unrevealing except for the fact that she was obese. On evaluation, she was detected to have impaired blood sugars, dyslipidemia and vitamin insufficiency. MRI brain revealed presence of Empty Sella. Further hormonal analysis was normal. She was treated conservatively and regular follow-up was advised.