Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hormonally Mediated Increases in Sex-Biased Gene Expression Accompany the Breakdown of Between-Sex Genetic Correlations in a Sexually Dimorphic Lizard

The evolution of sexual dimorphism is predicted to occur through reductions in between-sex genetic correlations (rmf) for shared traits, but the physiological and genetic mechanisms that facilitate these reductions remain largely speculative. Here, we use a paternal half-sibling breeding design in captive brown anole lizards (Anolis sagrei) to show that the development of sexual size dimorphism is mirrored by the ontogenetic breakdown of rmf for body size and growth rate. Using transcriptome data from the liver (which integrates growth and metabolism), we show that sex-biased gene expression also increases dramatically between ontogenetic stages bracketing this breakdown of rmf. Ontogenetic increases in sex-biased expression are particularly evident for genes involved in growth, metabolism, and cell proliferation, suggesting that they contribute to both the development of sexual dimorphism and the breakdown of rmf. Mechanistically, we show that treatment of females with testosterone stimulates the expression of male-biased genes while inhibiting the expression of female-biased genes, thereby inducing male-like phenotypes at both organismal and transcriptomic levels. Collectively, our results suggest that sex-specific modifiers such as testosterone can orchestrate sex-biased gene expression to facilitate the phenotypic development of sexual dimorphism while simultaneously reducing genetic correlations that would otherwise constrain the independent evolution of the sexes.
Association of polymorphisms in APOE, p53, and p21 with primary open-angle glaucoma in Turkish patients

Purpose To investigate the association between Apolipoprotein E (APOE), tumor suppressor protein p53 (p53), and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A (p21) genes and primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) in a cohort of Turkish subjects. Methods Seventy-five POAG patients (49 women, 26 men) and 119 healthy subjects (67 women, 52 men) were genotyped with polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Allele and genotype frequencies between healthy subjects and glaucoma patients were compared by the χ2 test, and intraocular pressure (IOP), cup/disc ratio (C/D) and visual field indices (MD and PSD) were compared among different APOE, p53, and p21 genotypes in POAG group. A p value <0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results The mean ages were 63.8±9.5 and 61.8±10.2 years in POAG and control groups, respectively (p=0.18). There were no significant differences in the distribution of APOE, p53, and p21 genotypes between the healthy subjects and POAG patients (p=0.38, p=0.12, and p=0.2, respectively). There were no significant differences in maximum IOP, MD, and PSD values among different groups of p53 and p21 genotypes (p>0.05). POAG subjects with the ε2ε3 genotype had a worse PSD value (median=2.2) than those with the ε3ε4 genotype (median=1.77; p=0.01) and POAG subjects with the ε3ε3 genotype had worse MD and PSD values (median= -7.4 and 3.4, respectively) than those with the ε3ε4 genotype (median= -4.1 and 1.77, respectively; p=0.034 and 0.028, respectively). Conclusions Our study found no link between polymorphisms in APOE, p53, and p21 genes and POAG in Turkish patients, although a larger sample is required to elucidate the role of these polymorphisms in the pathogenesis and course of glaucoma.
Risks and benefits of hormone therapy: has medical dogma now been overturned?

Abstract Background In an integrated overview of the benefits and risks of menopausal hormone therapy (HT), the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) investigators have claimed that their ‘findings … do not support use of this therapy for chronic disease prevention’. In an accompanying editorial, it was claimed that ‘the WHI overturned medical dogma regarding menopausal [HT]‘. Objectives To evaluate those claims. Methods Epidemiological criteria of causation were applied to the evidence. Results A ‘global index’ purporting to summarize the overall benefit versus the risk of HT was not valid, and it was biased. For coronary heart disease, an increased risk in users of estrogen plus progestogen (E + P), previously reported by the WHI, was not confirmed. The WHI study did not establish that E+ P increases the risk of breast cancer; the findings suggest that unopposed estrogen therapy (ET) does not increase the risk, and may even reduce it. The findings for stroke and pulmonary embolism were compatible with an increased risk, and among E+ P users there were credible reductions in the risk of colorectal and endometrial cancer. For E+ P and ET users, there were credible reductions in the risk of hip fracture. Under ‘worst case’ and ‘best case’ assumptions, the changes in the incidence of the outcomes attributable to HT were minor. Conclusions Over-interpretation and misrepresentation of the WHI findings have damaged the health and well-being of menopausal women by convincing them and their health professionals that the risks of HT outweigh the benefits.
Constructing Understandings of the Mole Concept: Interactions of Chemistry Text, Teacher and Learners.

Due to its abstract, theoretical nature, the mole concept has been recognized as one of the most difficult topics to teach and learn within the chemistry curriculum. The purpose of this study was to chronicle the development of high school students' conceptions of the mole following a period of instruction in a chemistry class. This investigation is part of an ethnographic study of curriculum modulation that documents class activities through participant observation. An analysis of the chemistry textbook's presentation of the mole concept and a comparison to the teachers' instructional techniques are discussed. Students' understandings of the mole concept are examined in relation to the textbook presentation and teacher influences. The findings indicate that students may fail to construct meaningful understandings of the mole concept for the following reasons: (1) inconsistency between the instructional approaches of the textbook and teacher; 2) confusing mole concept vocabulary; (3) students' math anxiety and proportional reasoning ability; (4) learners' cognitive levels; and (5) lack of practice in problem solving. (Author/DDR) *********************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. * *********************************************************************** CONSTRUCTING UNDERSTANDINGS OF THE MOLE CONCEPT: INTERACTIONS OF CHEMISTRY TEXT, TEACHER AND LEARNERS
Chronic pelvic pain in women

Chronic pelvic pain in women is commonly seen in general practice. Chronic pain is usually defined as the continuation of pain for more than 3 to 6 months, and it may have more than one cause. Pelvic pain is defined as pain in the lower abdomen or within the pelvis. Chronic pelvic pain may include dysmenorrhoea, dyspareunia, dysuria and pain on passing a stool (dyschesia), but can occur without any of these symptoms. Managing chronic pelvic pain can seem daunting, but it is appropriate to assess, investigate and manage this problem in primary care. This article provides a framework for history, examination and initial investigation of chronic pelvic pain in primary care. However, more complex cases may require a multidisciplinary approach, with referral to secondary care services such as a pain clinic, urology or gynaecology.
Principal component analysis based method for detection and evaluation of ECG T-wave alternans

The method for detection and evaluation of T-wave alternance in ECG was elaborated for monitoring of the status of the patients in the Intensive Care Unit of Cardiology Clinics. 24 h ECG recordings registered mostly in patients after myocardial infarction were used for elaboration of the method. Data preprocessing included ECG structural analysis, respiration and/or other factors caused baseline wander removal and T-wave duration correction using modified Bazettpsilas formula. The arrays of samples representing T-wave of one cardio cycle in all ECG leads were concatenated into one array. Such arrays from all cardiocycles formed two dimensional array of samples, representing all samples of T-waves of all cardio cycles in the recording. Principal component analysis method was used to reduce the dimensionality of the set of samples, concentrating representation of interrelated variables into principal components. T-wave alternance usually was represented by one or mostly by few principal components. Amplitude of specific alternance of the coefficients of these principal components used to represent T-wave of every cardio cycle gives the quantitative estimate of the phenomena. Cluster analysis of these coefficients could reveal the variety of T-wave morphology during T-wave alternance. The method was tested on the ECG recordings from CinC/Physionet Challenge 2008 database.
Minnesota nurses' perceptions of nursing diagnoses.

PURPOSE The study aims to identify Minnesota nurses' perceptions regarding nursing diagnoses and to examine how these perceptions have changed over time. METHODS Five hundred sixty-four out of 2,000 randomly selected registered nurses in Minnesota responded to the Perceptions of Nursing Diagnosis Survey. FINDINGS Nurses have neutral to slightly negative perceptions of nursing diagnoses. These results differ slightly from the results of the original study which demonstrated neutral to slightly positive perceptions. IMPLICATIONS After 30 years of use, it is concerning that more than half of nurses surveyed have a negative perception of nursing diagnosis. Consideration should be given to methods that facilitate the use of nursing diagnoses in practice, improvement of diagnostic language, or a more accepted method of planning patient care.
Clinical Significance of Dysadherin Expression in Gastric Cancer Patients

Purpose: Dysadherin, a cancer-associated cell membrane glycoprotein, has been reported to down-regulate E-cadherin expression and promote metastasis. To evaluate the role of dysadherin in gastric cancer, we examined dysadherin and E-cadherin expression in gastric cancer patients. Experimental Design: Dysadherin and E-cadherin expression were evaluated in 276 gastric cancer patients by immunohistochemistry, and the results were compared with the clinicopathological findings of the subjects. Results: Dysadherin was not expressed in normal gastric epithelium. Both dysadherin and E-cadherin were localized to the cell membrane. Dysadherin expression was sometimes largely localized to infiltrating tumor cells or cells dissociating. Ninety gastric cancer patients (32.6%) were positive for dysadherin, and 151 patients (54.7%) showed preservation of E-cadherin expression. Expression of dysadherin was associated with moderately differentiated carcinoma and hematogenous metastasis, whereas reduced expression of E-cadherin showed an association with poorly differentiated carcinoma and peritoneal dissemination. As a result, dysadherin positivity and reduced E-cadherin expression were associated with a poor prognosis. In addition, patients with both dysadherin positivity and reduced E-cadherin had the worst prognosis. Multivariate analysis revealed that reduced E-cadherin expression was an independent prognostic factor, but dysadherin expression was not. Conclusion: Combined analysis of dysadherin and E-cadherin expression may help to predict the prognosis and the mode of metastasis in gastric cancer patients. Patients with dysadherin positivity have a higher risk of hematogenous metastasis, whereas patients with reduced E-cadherin expression have an increased risk of peritoneal dissemination.
Morphology of the orbital region in adults following the cleft lip-palate repair in childhood.

Four measurements and two qualitative signs related to the orbits of 145 adult Caucasian cleft lip/palate patients operated on in childhood were compared with similar data on 100 normal Caucasian Canadians. The average interorbital distance in male patients with unilateral and bilateral cleft lip/palate was greater than in controls, while the interorbital distance in both male and female patients with isolated cleft palate was the same as that in controls. A hypertelorism increased interorbital distance of greater than 2 S.D. above the normal was recorded in 10 cleft patients out of 145, the maximum in male cleft patients being 48 mm and in female cleft patients 38 mm. Orbital eye fissure length asymmetry was seen only in the cleft study group while a dislocation of the eye fissure levels in the frontal plane was found both in patients with clefts and in controls. No direct relationship was found between the extent of the cleft and the incidence of hypertelorism, nor between the site of the cleft and eye fissure asymmetry in unilateral cleft lip/palate patients. The epicanthic fold was significantly more frequent in cleft lip/palate patients (28/145) than in controls (10/100). Anti-mongoloid eye fissure type was recorded only in patients with cleft but mongoloid eye fissure was present both in patients with clefts and controls.
Angiotensin II–Independent Upregulation of Cyclooxygenase-2 by Activation of the (Pro)Renin Receptor in Rat Renal Inner Medullary Cells

During renin–angiotensin system activation, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)-derived prostaglandins attenuate the pressor and antinatriuretic effects of angiotensin II (AngII) in the renal medulla. The (pro)renin receptor (PRR) is abundantly expressed in the collecting ducts (CD) and its expression is augmented by AngII. PRR overexpression upregulates COX-2 via mitogen-activated kinases/extracellular regulated kinases 1/2 in renal tissues; however, it is not clear whether this effect occurs independently or in concert with AngII type 1 receptor (AT1R) activation. We hypothesized that PRR activation stimulates COX-2 expression independently of AT1R in primary cultures of rat renal inner medullary cells. The use of different cell-specific immunomarkers (aquaporin-2 for principal cells, anion exchanger type 1 for intercalated type-A cells, and tenascin C for interstitial cells) and costaining for AT1R, COX-2, and PRR revealed that PRR and COX-2 were colocalized in intercalated and interstitial cells whereas principal cells did not express PRR or COX-2. In normal rat kidney sections, PRR and COX-2 were colocalized in intercalated and interstitial cells. In rat renal inner medullary cultured cells, treatment with AngII (100 nmol/L) increased COX-2 expression via AT1R. In addition, AngII and rat recombinant prorenin (100 nmol/L) treatments increased extracellular regulated kinases 1/2 phosphorylation, independently. Importantly, rat recombinant prorenin upregulated COX-2 expression in the presence of AT1R blockade. Inhibition of mitogen-activated kinases/extracellular regulated kinases 1/2 suppressed COX-2 upregulation mediated by either AngII or rat recombinant prorenin. Furthermore, PRR knockdown using PRR-short hairpin RNA blunted the rat recombinant prorenin-mediated upregulation of COX-2. These results indicate that COX-2 expression is upregulated by activation of either PRR or AT1R via mitogen-activated kinases/extracellular regulated kinases 1/2 in rat renal inner medullary cells.
Urethral Sphincter EMG as Event Detector for Neurogenic Detrusor Overactivity

The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of using external urethral sphincter electromyogram (EMG) (EUSEMG) to detect the onset of detrusor contractions in patients with both neurogenic detrusor overactivity (NDO) and detrusor sphincter dyssynergia (DSD). Detrusor pressure (Pdet) and EUSEMG was recorded in 23 neurogenic patients during slow artificial bladder filling. The time delay between the onset of EUSEMG detrusor contraction and the onset of activity was calculated together with the detrusor pressure increase related to this delay. Of 23 patients enrolled, 12 patients showed both NDO and DSD. Of these 12 patients, 10 had a strong correlation between detrusor pressure and EUSEMG . One patient in this group was excluded due to a storage pressure above 30 cmH2O . Two detection methods were applied on the remaining 9 patients. Method 1 was a root mean square (RMS)-integrator with simple thresholding. This approach had a good sensitivity but also a poor specificity (many false-positive detections). Detection method 2 included a kurtosis-based scaling function, which was multiplied to a similar RMS-integrator as used in method 1. Onset detection occurred before Pdet exceeded 18 cmH2O with both methods. However, method 1 resulted in 14.1plusmn12. 8 false-positive detections during one bladder filling.Pdet at onset detection was on average 1.0plusmn1. 1 cmH2O higher with detection method 2 but the number of false-positives was reduced by 95.8%. This paper demonstrates the feasibility of using EUSEMG to estimate the onset of a detrusor contraction in selected patients.
An adaptive grid approach for the simulation of electromigration induced void migration

For tracking electromigration induced evolution of voids a diffuse interface model is applied. We assume an interconnect as two-dimensional electrically conducting via which contains initially a circular void. The diffuse interface governing equation was solved applying a finite element scheme with a robust local grid adaptation algorithm. Simulations were carried out for voids exposed to high current.
A Two-Step Signal Detection Model of Belief Bias

When asked to assess the deductive validity of an argument, people are influenced by their prior knowledge of the content. Recently, two competing explanations for this belief bias effect have been proposed, each based on signal detection theory. Under a response bias explanation, people set more lenient decision criteria for believable than for unbelievable arguments. Alternatively, believable and unbelievable arguments may differ in subjective argument strength for both valid and invalid items. Two experiments tested these accounts by asking participants to assess the validity of categorical syllogisms and rate their confidence. Conclusionbelievability was manipulated either withinor betweengroups. A two-step signal detection model was applied to examine the effects on the relative location of the decision threshold and the distributions of argument strength. Equivalent belief bias effects were found when believability was manipulated withinand between-groups, supporting the view that the belief bias effect is due to response bias.
Relation of microvessel density with microvascular invasion, metastasis and prognosis in renal cell carcinoma

To clarify the significance of microvessel density (MVD) in a retrospective investigation the relationship between the pattern of MVD (reflecting angiogenesis), and tumour stage, grade, size, and occurrence of microvessel invasion (MVI), metastasis, and cancer‐specific survival (CSS) in patients who had surgery for renal cell carcinoma (RCC).
Genetic Algorithms for Evolving Computer Chess Programs

This paper demonstrates the use of genetic algorithms for evolving: 1) a grandmaster-level evaluation function, and 2) a search mechanism for a chess program, the parameter values of which are initialized randomly. The evaluation function of the program is evolved by learning from databases of (human) grandmaster games. At first, the organisms are evolved to mimic the behavior of human grandmasters, and then these organisms are further improved upon by means of coevolution. The search mechanism is evolved by learning from tactical test suites. Our results show that the evolved program outperforms a two-time world computer chess champion and is at par with the other leading computer chess programs.
Prison brain? Executive dysfunction in prisoners

A better understanding of the functioning of the brain, particularly executive functions, of the prison population could aid in reducing crime rates through the reduction of recidivism rates. Indeed, reoffending appears to be related to executive dysfunction and it is known that executive functions are crucial for self-regulation. In the current paper, studies to executive functions in regular adult prisoners compared to non-offender controls were reviewed. Seven studies were found. Specific executive functions were found to be impaired in the general prison population, i.e., attention and set-shifting, as well as in separate subgroups of violent (i.e., set-shifting and working memory) and non-violent offenders (i.e., inhibition, working memory and problem solving). We conclude that the limited number of studies is remarkable, considering the high impact of this population on society and elaborate on the implications of these specific impairments that were found. Further empirical research is suggested, measuring executive functioning within subjects over time for a group of detainees as well as a control group.
Asymptotics and Power Allocation for State Estimation Over Fading Channels

State estimation of linear systems using analog amplify and forwarding with multiple sensors, for both multiple access and orthogonal access schemes is considered. Optimal state estimation can be achieved at the fusion center using a time-varying Kalman filter. We show that in many situations, the estimation error covariance decays at a rate of 1/M when the number of sensors M is large. We consider optimal allocation of transmission powers that 1) minimizes the sum power usage subject to an error covariance constraint, and 2) minimizes the error covariance subject to a sum power constraint. In the case of fading channels with channel-state information, the optimization problems are solved using a greedy approach, while for fading channels without channel state information (CSI) but with channel statistics available, a suboptimal linear estimator is derived.
Employers' Viewpoint on Clinical Education.

ISSUE This qualitative study gathered the opinions of healthcare employers to better understand the importance, benefits, obstacles, and evolving issues related to allied health (AH) clinical education from the employers' perspective, with the goal to identify opportunities to strengthen and improve clinical-educational partnerships. METHOD Member deans of the Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions (ASAHP) provided names and contact information of employers that routinely educate their students. Interviews were scheduled with employers who responded to Clinical Education Task Force (CETF) invitation. Twenty-one interviews were conducted by CETF members in early 2016 and analyzed utilizing qualitative software. OUTCOMES Themes included benefits of working with students and hiring trainees, and obstacles of time and effort required to host students. A trend was noted in gaps between educational preparation and clinical performance. Recent changes highlighted increased technology and regulation, while anticipated changes included more focus on learning on site, longer clinical experiences, and payment for clinical education. CONCLUSION Collaboration between educators and employers is essential to ensure that curriculum and outcomes match the needs of the field and effectively prepare students as entry-level clinicians.