Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
How many SNPs are enough?

Since the days of allozyme analysis, we have been enamored with the idea that if we just had enough polymorphic mendelian loci, we could gauge the inbreeding level of individuals by measuring heterozygosity and simultaneously measure the degree of genetic relatedness between pairs of individuals. Given Mendel’s Laws, we have always known that we would need numerous independently segregating loci to achieve any reasonable degree of accuracy. Santure et al. (2010, this issue) use a 771 marker SNP panel to assess heterozygosity levels and to assess pairwise relatedness, and compare both with theoretical expectations obtained from a carefully recorded pedigree of a zebra finch breeding colony, as a function of increasing numbers of SNP markers. They also compare the SNP results with those from a 20‐locus microsatellite panel, showing that adding SNPs to a fairly large microsatellite panel improves accuracy, but given an existing panel of 125 SNPs, little is to be gained by adding microsatellites. They show that the accuracy available for estimating individual levels of inbreeding is somewhat limited. They also show that the average pairwise relatedness measures bracket pedigree relationship very nicely, but the variances for individual pairs remain substantial, even with a very large panel.
A Meritocratic Origin of Egalitarian Behavior

We report from a study of how uncertainty about whether a given inequality reflects performance or luck shapes distributive behaviour. We show theoretically that the reaction to uncertainty depends on how people trade off the probability of making a mistake when redistributing, and the size of this mistake. We show experimentally that uncertainty causes a strong egalitarian pull among a majority of meritocratic individuals. The theoretical framework and the experimental results are supported in general population surveys in the US and Norway. Our findings suggest that how people handle uncertainty about the source of inequality may be of great importance for understanding distributive conflicts in society.
The truncated phage lysin CHAPk eliminates Staphylococcus aureus in the nares of mice

The endolysin LysK derived from staphylococcal phage K has previously been shown to have two enzymatic domains, one of which is an N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidase and the other a cysteine/histidine-dependant amidohydrolase/peptidase designated CHAPk. The latter, when cloned as a single-domain truncated enzyme, is conveniently over-expressed in a highly-soluble form. This enzyme was shown to be highly active in vitro against live cell suspensions of S. aureus. In the current study, the IVIS imaging system was used to demonstrate the effective elimination of a lux labeled S. aureus from the nares of BALB/c mice.
'I'd Only Let You Down': Guilt Proneness and the Avoidance of Harmful Interdependence

Five studies demonstrated that highly guilt-prone people may avoid forming interdependent partnerships with others whom they perceive to be more competent than themselves, as benefitting a partner less than the partner benefits one's self could trigger feelings of guilt. Highly guilt-prone people who lacked expertise in a domain were less willing than were those low in guilt proneness who lacked expertise in that domain to create outcome-interdependent relationships with people who possessed domain-specific expertise. These highly guilt-prone people were more likely than others both to opt to be paid on their performance alone (Studies 1, 3, 4, and 5) and to opt to be paid on the basis of the average of their performance and that of others whose competence was more similar to their own (Studies 2 and 5). Guilt proneness did not predict people's willingness to form outcome-interdependent relationships with potential partners who lacked domain-specific expertise (Studies 4 and 5). It also did not predict people's willingness to form relationships when poor individual performance would not negatively affect partner outcomes (Study 4). Guilt proneness therefore predicts whether, and with whom, people develop interdependent relationships. The findings also demonstrate that highly guilt-prone people sacrifice financial gain out of concern about how their actions would influence others' welfare. As such, the findings demonstrate a novel way in which guilt proneness limits free-riding and therefore reduces the incidence of potentially unethical behavior. Lastly, the findings demonstrate that people who lack competence may not always seek out competence in others when choosing partners.
In the Privacy of Their Own Homes: Using the Internet to Assess Racial Bias

Recent studies suggest that research participants show reduced distortion of their taboo attitudes and behaviors when they take part in Internet-based procedures from outside the laboratory. We explored whether such procedures would reduce distortion in the assessment of racial bias. In Study 1, White participants who completed the study in the laboratory evaluated Black targets more favorably than White targets. This unexpected “outgroup-favoring” pattern occurred in both pencil-and-paper and Internet versions of the study, showing that modality did not produce it; but when participants worked outside the laboratory via the Internet, this pattern disappeared. Study 2 replicated the above findings and further indicated that the reduced distortion in Internet-based studies was due to the removal of the experimenter rather than removing the participants from the laboratory environment. The implications of these findings for the study of controlled processes of prejudice and the nature of Internet-based social communication are discussed.
Anti-nucleosome antibody: significance in lupus patients lacking anti-double-stranded DNA antibody.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the clinical significance of anti-nucleosome antibodies in SLE patients lacking anti-double stranded DNA (dsDNA) antibodies. METHODS IgG anti-nucleosome antibodies were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) in the sera of SLE patients. Anti-dsDNA antibodies were measured by Farr assays and ELISA, not only in the samples taken for anti-nucleosome testing, but also in sera obtained regularly during the follow-up. RESULTS Ninety-eight (76.0%) out of 129 patients with SLE had anti-nucleosome antibodies. Twenty-five patients (19.4%) consistently showed little or no anti-dsDNA reactivity during the course of their disease, and among these anti-nucleosome antibodies were present in the sera of 15 (60.0%). Of the patients with anti-dsDNA-negative SLE, renal disorders were present in 8 patients (32.0%), all of whom had anti-nucleosome antibodies. Renal disorders were not found in patients (n = 10) who had neither anti-dsDNA nor anti-nucleosome antibodies. Other autoantibodies such as anti-Ro, anti-Sm and anti-cardiolipin were not associated with renal disorders in this group. The levels of anti-nucleosome antibody strongly correlated with the SLEDAI scores, but inversely correlated with serum complement levels in anti-dsDNA negative SLE patients. CONCLUSION Our data suggest that the anti-nucleosome antibody may be a useful marker for diagnosis and activity assessment of anti-dsDNA negative SLE. Anti-nucleosome antibody may be an important factor for renal involvement in this subgroup of patients.
Determinants of hemodialysis‐induced segmental wall motion abnormalities

Patients who demonstrate worsening of cardiac wall motion (WM) during hemodialysis have higher 1‐year mortality. We sought to identify risk factors for dialysis‐induced WM abnormalities. Additionally, we examined the effects of hemodialysis on other parameters of cardiac function. Forty patients underwent echocardiography directly before dialysis and during the last hour of dialysis (79 dialysis sessions). Candidate predictors for intradialytic worsening of WM included age, a history of heart failure (HF) or coronary artery disease, changes in blood pressure or heart rate, high sensitivity cardiac troponin T and N‐terminal brain natriuretic peptide. Among 40 patients, WM worsened segmentally in eight patients (20%), worsened globally in one patient (3%), and improved segmentally in four patients (10%). Diastolic function worsened in 44% of patients, and left ventricular ejection fraction was largely unchanged during dialysis. The case of globally worsened WM occurred in the setting of intradialytic hypertension in a patient without HF. Surprisingly, history of coronary artery disease, hemodynamics, and serologic factors were not associated with worsened segmental WM during dialysis. After adjustment for history of coronary artery disease and other cardiac risk factors, patients with a history of HF had a threefold higher risk of worsening segmental WM during dialysis (RR 3.1, 95% CI [1.1, 9], p = 0.04). In conclusion, patients with a history of clinical HF were at higher risk of intradialytic worsening of segmental WM. Further studies are needed to determine the mechanism of this association and whether cardioprotective medications could ameliorate this adverse cardiac effect of hemodialysis.
Laparoscopic Resection of Low Rectal Cancer With a Mean Follow-Up of Seven Years

The role of laparoscopic surgery in the management of cancer of the rectum remains controversial. The main concern is the risk of port-site metastasis and neoplastic dissemination. The aim of this study was to evaluate prospectively 29 patients who underwent laparoscopic resection with total mesorectum excision for lower rectal carcinoma with a mean follow-up of 7 years. From January 1993 to December 1998, 29 patients with proven low (<10 cm from the anal verge) rectal cancer were operated by a laparoscopic approach. They were followed up at 1-, 3-, and then every 6-month intervals, postoperatively for an average of 7 years. Mean operative time was 157 ± 46 minutes. The conversion rate was 13.7% (4 cases): 1 for tumor invasion of adjacent structures, 2 for inadequate margins of resection, and 1 for locally advanced cancer. First flatus occurred after 37.3 ± 11.5 hours, and oral feeding started at 48.3 ± 23 hours postoperatively. The length of the suprapubic incision for extraction of the specimen was 5.6 ± 1.7 cm. Hospital stay was 7.2 ± 3.0 days. There were no deaths. The morbidity rate was 14.8%. Length of the specimen, lateral and distal margins, and the number of lymph nodes resected were comparable to those of an open surgical approach. The average postoperative follow-up was 7 years (5-10 years). The late complication rate was 3.7%. There were no port-site metastases. Five-year recurrence rates were 0%, 22%, and 37% for Duke's A, B, and C cancers, respectively. The 5-year survival rate was 100% for Duke's A, 89% for B, and 50% for C. Laparoscopic resection for low rectal cancer with total mesorectum excision can be performed with the same oncologic principles, low morbidity, and long-term complications. Five-year survival and recurrence rates are comparable to those of open surgery.
Relation of oxygen uptake to work rate in prepubertal healthy children – reference for VO2/W‐slope and effect on cardiorespiratory fitness assessment

Exercise testing by cycle ergometer allows to observe the interaction between oxygen uptake (VO2) and workload (W), and VO2/W‐slope can be used as a diagnostic tool. Respectively, peak oxygen uptake (VO2PEAK) can be estimated by maximal workload. We aim to determine reference for VO2/W‐slope among prepubertal children and define agreement between estimated and measured VO2PEAK.
Coevolution in host–parasite systems: behavioural strategies of slave–making ants and their hosts

Recently, avian brood parasites and their hosts have emerged as model systems for the study of host–parasite coevolution. However, empirical studies of the highly analogous social parasites, which use the workers of another eusocial species to raise their own young, have never explicitly examined the dynamics of these systems from a coevolutionary perspective. Here, we demonstrate interpopulational variation in behavioural interactions between a socially parasitic slave–maker ant and its host that is consistent with the expectations of host–parasite coevolution. Parasite pressure, as inferred by the size, abundance and raiding frequency of Protomognathus americanus colonies, was highest in a New York population of the host Leptothorax longispinosus and lowest in a West Virginia population. As host–parasite coevolutionary theory would predict, we found that the slave–makers and the hosts from New York were more effective at raiding and defending against raiders, respectively, than were conspecifics from the West Virginia population. Some of these variations in efficacy were brought about by apparently simple shifts in behaviour. These results demonstrate that defence mechanisms against social parasites can evolve, and they give the first indications of the existence of a coevolutionary arms race between a social parasite and its host.
HMGA2 overexpression in non‐small cell lung cancer

Lung cancer is still the leading cause of death from cancer worldwide primarily because of the fact that most lung cancers are diagnosed at advanced stages. Overexpression of the high mobility group protein HMGA2 has been observed in a variety of malignant tumors and often correlates with poor prognosis. Herein, HMGA2 expression levels were analyzed in matching cancerous and non‐cancerous lung samples of 17 patients with adenocarcinoma (AC) and 17 patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) with real‐time quantitative RT‐PCR (qRT‐PCR). Transcript levels were compared to results obtained by immunohistochemistry (IHC). HMGA2 expression was detectable by qRT‐PCR in all samples tested and varied from 5422 to 16 991 545 copies per 250 ng total RNA in the carcinoma samples and from 289 to 525 947 copies in the non‐cancerous tissue samples. In 33/34 non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) samples tested, an overexpression of HMGA2 was revealed with statistically highly significant differences between non‐neoplastic and tumor samples for both AC (P < 0.0001) as well as for SCC (P < 0.0001). Expression varies strongly and is increased up to 911‐fold for AC and up to 2504‐fold for SCC, respectively, with statistically significant higher increase in SCC (P < 0.05). The results presented herein indicate that HMGA2 overexpression is a common event in NSCLC and could serve as molecular marker for lung cancer. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Types of social support in African Americans with cancer.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To determine the types of social support that African Americans use to cope with the experience of cancer. RESEARCH APPROACH Qualitative study using a grounded theory approach. SETTING Participants' homes in the southeastern United States. PARTICIPANTS A purposeful sample of 13 African American men (aged 61-79 years) treated for prostate cancer and 15 African American women (aged 42-87 years) treated for breast cancer. Participants were selected according to key variables known to influence social support: age, gender, marital status, education, geographic region, and proximity to family. METHODOLOGIC APPROACH Open-ended and semistructured interviews were conducted with each participant (N = 28). Participants were interviewed until informational redundancy was achieved. Constant comparison techniques were used to identify variations of social support within and across cases. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES The experience of social support during diagnosis or treatment for cancer as well as post-treatment. FINDINGS Participants used types of social support not currently emphasized in the literature. The emotional support of "presence" was reported most frequently. Instrumental support included not only current conceptualizations but also offers of prayers, assistance to continue religious practices, and assistance to maintain social roles. Informational support included what to expect and how to manage symptoms, interpret information, and validate information received. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest the need to reconceptualize social support for African Americans with cancer and to refine instruments to include these different manifestations of social support. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING Researchers can use these findings in the design of culturally relevant questionnaires and interventions for this population. Clinicians can use knowledge of the types of social support valued among African American patients with cancer to develop more appropriate strategies to promote healthy outcomes for this population.
The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Scale (AUDIT) normative scores for a multiracial sample of Rhodes University residence students

Objective: The objective of this research is to obtain accurate drinking norms for students living in the university residences in preparation for future social norms interventions that would allow individual students to compare their drinking to an appropriate reference group. Method: Random cluster sampling was used to obtain data from 318 residence students who completed the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), a brief, reliable and valid screening measure designed by the World Health Organisation (Babor et al. 2001). Results: The Cronbach alpha coefficient of 0.83 reported for this multicultural sample is high, suggesting that the AUDIT may be reliably used in this and similar contexts. Normative scores are reported in the form of percentiles. Comparisons between the portions of students drinking safely and hazardously according to race and gender indicate that while male students are drinking no more hazardously than female students, white students drink far more hazardously than black students. Conclusions: These differences suggest that both race- and gender-specific norms would be essential for an effective social norms intervention in this multicultural South African context. Finally, the racialised drinking patterns might reflect an informal segregation of social space at Rhodes University.
Differential insulin sensitivities of glucose, amino acid, and albumin metabolism in elderly men and women.

Regulation of glucose homeostasis by insulin is modified during aging, but whether this alteration is associated with changes in protein metabolism is less defined. Insulin dose responses of whole body glucose, leucine, and albumin metabolism have been investigated using isotopic dilution of D-[6, 6-(2)H(2)]glucose and L-[1-(13)C]leucine in 14 young (Y; 24.0 +/- 0.9 yr; mean +/- SEM, 20.5 +/- 0.4 kg/m(2)) and 12 healthy elderly subjects (E; 69.4 +/- 0.6 yr; 24.6 +/- 0.8 kg/m(2)) using a euglycemic and euaminoacidemic hyperinsulinemic clamp at two insulin infusion rates of 0.2 and 0.5 mU/kg.min (CL1 and CL2, respectively). Despite significantly higher plasma insulin in E than in Y, the glucose disposal rate was lower in E than in Y at both insulin levels, whereas glucose production was normally suppressed. Whole body protein breakdown was less inhibited by insulin in E than in Y at CL1 (-13.5 +/- 1.4% vs. -8.8 +/- 1.3%, Y vs. E, P < 0.05), but not significantly at CL2 (-22.0 +/- 1.4% vs. -18.8 +/- 1.7%, Y vs. E, P = NS). The albumin synthesis rate was identical and stimulated to the same extent by insulin in groups Y and E. Gender affected basal leucine metabolism, but the response to insulin was similar in both groups. In conclusion, decreased insulin action on glucose disposal is associated with a reduced insulin sensitivity for protein breakdown in healthy elderly subjects at low insulin concentrations. Higher insulin levels compensate for a reduced insulin action on protein metabolism in elderly subjects.
Differences of the medial lemniscus and spinothalamic tract according to the cortical termination areas: A diffusion tensor tractography study

Abstract We investigated differences of the medial lemniscus and its thalamocortical pathway (ML), and the spinothalamic tract and its thalamocortical pathway (STT) according to the cortical termination areas. We found that the ML and STT terminated in the motor cortex and the somatosensory cortex. The ML may be closely related to the motor cortex for motor planning and execution, while the STT may be closely related to the cerebral cortex for somatosensory function and motor execution.
The anticatabolic and wound healing effects of the testosterone analog oxandrolone after severe burn injury.

PURPOSE Severe burn injury leads to marked catabolism and decreased lean mass, which can impair healing. Anabolic agents can attenuate net catabolism. Our purpose was to determine whether the testosterone analog, oxandrolone, given during the acute post burn period decreased the degree of nitrogen loss and loss of body weight while also increasing the healing rate of a skin donor site. MATERIALS AND METHODS Patients with burns between 40% and 70% of body surface were studied. A randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled study design was used. Patients were given oxandrolone 20 mg/day (n = 11) or a placebo 20 mg/day (n = 9) beginning between days 2 and 3 post burn. Net nitrogen balance and the healing time of a standardized donor site were measured. Patients were monitored until transferred to a burn rehabilitation facility, an average time period of 33 +/- 9 days. RESULTS Mean burn size was 49 +/- 8% for placebo and 53 +/- 9% of total body surface for the oxandrolone group. Smoke inhalation was present in approximately 50% of patients in both groups. All patients survived the burn injury. Net weight loss was 8 +/- 3.1 kg in the placebo group compared with 3 +/- 1.9 kg in the oxandrolone group, a statistically significant decrease. Net daily nitrogen loss over a 3-week period (days 7 to 28) was 13 +/- 4 g in placebo treated compared with 4 +/- 1.9 g for the oxandrolone group, a statistically significant decrease. The healing time of a standardized donor site, decreased from the placebo group value of 13 +/- 3 days to 9 +/- 2 days for oxandrolone treated patients, a significant improvement. No major liver dysfunction, or other complication attributable to an anabolic steroid was seen in either group. CONCLUSION We found the anabolic agent, oxandrolone, significantly decreased weight loss and net nitrogen loss and increased donor site wound healing compared with placebo controls. We noted no complications with the use of oxandrolone.
Identification of GABAA receptor subunit variants in midbrain dopaminergic neurons

Modulation of the activity of dopamine (DA)‐producing neurons by GABA plays an important role in the control of DA‐mediated brain functions. Ionotropic GABAA receptors exist as heteropentametric structures assembling different subunits composed of various subtypes. However, the expression pattern of these subunits in DA neurons in the ventral midbrain has not been fully defined. In the present study, we investigated the subunit composition of GABAA receptors in DA neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) and the ventral tegmental area (VTA). We isolated DA neurons from the ventral midbrain of transgenic mice that express green fluorescent protein under the control of the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) gene promoter and analyzed expression of various GABAA receptor subunits in single cells by using the reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction. This analysis showed the presence of the transcripts encoding α2, α3, α4, β1, β3 and γ2 subunits in the isolated DA neurons. Double fluorescence in situ hybridization with probes for TH and GABAA receptor subunit mRNAs revealed the expression of these six subunits in the majority of DA neurons in the SNc and the VTA.