Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of Overt and Subclinical Hypothyroidism on Exercise Tolerance: A Systematic Review

Purpose: This systematic review describes the state of the art of the impact of hypothyroidism on exercise tolerance and physical performance capacity in untreated and treated patients with hypothyroidism. Method: A systematic computer-aided search was conducted using biomedical databases. Relevant studies in English, German, and Dutch, published from the earliest date of each database up to December 2012, were identified. Results: Out of 116 studies, a total of 38 studies with 1,379 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. These studies emphasize the multifactorial causes of exercise intolerance in untreated patients by the impact of limitations in different functional systems, with cardiovascular, cardiopulmonary, musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, and cellular metabolic systems acting in concert. Moreover, the studies affirm that exercise intolerance in patients is not always reversible during adequate hormone replacement therapy. As a consequence, despite a defined euthyroid status, there remains a significant group of treated patients with persistent complaints related to exercise intolerance who are suffering from limitations in daily and sport activities, as well as an impaired quality of life. An explanation for this phenomenon is lacking. Only 2 studies investigated the effects of a physical training program, and they showed inconsistent effects on the performance capacity in untreated patients with subclinical hypothyroidism. Conclusions: A limited body of knowledge exists concerning exercise tolerance in treated patients with hypothyroidism, and there is an insufficient amount of quantitative studies on the effects of a physical training program. To enhance exercise and sports participation for this specific group, more research in this forgotten area is warranted.
Exercise training improves plantar flexor muscle function in mdx mice.

PURPOSE We tested the hypothesis that low-intensity exercise in mdx mice improves plantar flexor muscle contractile function, resistance to fatigue, and mitochondrial adaptations without exacerbating muscular dystrophy. METHODS We subjected mdx mice to 12 wk of voluntary low-resistance wheel running (Run, n = 17) or normal cage activities (sedentary (Sed), n = 16) followed by in vivo analyses for plantar flexor torque generation and fatigue resistance or running capacity on a treadmill. Gastrocnemius muscles were further evaluated for exercise-induced mitochondrial adaptations and fiber type distribution and central nuclei. t-tests were used to determine differences between the Sed and Run groups. RESULTS Plantar flexor submaximal isometric torques and maximal isometric torque at multiple ankle joint angles and resistance to fatigue were greater in Run compared with Sed mdx mice (P G 0.05). Citrate synthase and A-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase enzyme activities and cytochrome c oxidase IV protein expression in gastrocnemius muscles were greater in Run than in Sed mdx mice(P e 0.04), along with a trend of fiber type transformation from Type IIb to Type IIx fibers. Exercise training in mdx mice did not elevate serum creatine kinase levels but led to a significant reduction of centrally nucleated myofibers. CONCLUSIONS Voluntary low-resistance wheel running in mdx mice can result in skeletal muscle adaptation, leading to improved contractile function and reduced fatigability,with no indication that exercise was detrimental. This study supports the need for further investigation of low-intensity exercise as an early therapeutic intervention in ambulatory boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Early pregnancy termination: a comparison between vacuum aspiration and medical abortion using prostaglandin (16,16 dimethyl‐trans‐Δ2‐PGE1 methyl ester) or the antiprogestogen RU 486

Dear Sir, We were very interested in the article by Dr Cameron and Professor Baird [Br J Obstet Gynaecol(1988) 95, 271-2761, We have been using Cervagem (gemcprost) pessaries to induce a medical abortion in women with missed abortion or a recognized fetal abnormality such as spina bifida or Down's syndrome diagnosed by either ultrasound scan, amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling. The majority of pregnancies were mid-trimester. Between 1986 and 1987, we treated 53 patients with Cervagem pessaries (gemeprost 1 mg) either for missed abortion in 21 or proven fetal abnormality in 32. All the patients were admitted to a single ward adapted to their needs, providing private selfcontained accommodation, with emotional and physical support during the in-patient period, and community support at home if required. All patients were given one Ccrvagem pessary vaginally every 3 h until abortion took place, and there was no limit placed on the number of pessaries to be used. In the missed-abortion group, the mean gestational age at diagnosis was 19 weeks (range 12-27 weeks) based on the last menstrual period. These patients required an average of three pessaries (range 1-5) before the fetus aborted. Of the 21 abortions 11 (52%) were complete and did not require evacuation of retained products, or blood transfusion; 10 (48%) required evacuation of retained products or manual removal of placenta under general anaesthesia, two of these patients required blood transfusion for excessive blood loss. In the fetal abnormality group, where fetal death had not occurred, the same procedure was followed. In this group mean gestation was tS weeks (range 12-23 weeks), the average number of pessaries used was 4.4 (range 1-8). Of the 32 patients 18 ( 5 6 % ) aborted completely and required no transfusion or evacuation, in 14 (44%) the abortion was incomplete and required evacuation of uterus or manual removal of placenta, four of these patients required blood transfusion. All the patients had adequate pain relief either with oral analgesics or intramuscular opiate. There were no major side-effects in any of the patients sufficient to cause the proccdure to be abandoned Previous reports on uses of Cervagem in midtrimester abortions have involved normal pregnancies (Nair et al. 1986; Sakamoto et al. 1982) and have reached favourable conclusions. Our experience in the use of Cervagem in pregnancies associated with fetal abnormality or early fetal death at a variety of gestational ages shows no major side-effects and avoids any operative procedures in just SO% of the patients studied. We would therefore recommend the further assessment of this method of termination of abnormal and normal pregnancies at all gestations. P. K. Iqbal Senior SHO R. E. Hopkins Consultant T. C. Stevenson Consultant F. N. Mayers Consultant M. W. Gartside Consultant Bolton General Hospital Minerva Road, Farn worth Bolton BL4 OGR
Association of the type of induction immunosuppression with posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder, graft survival, and patient survival after primary kidney transplantation1

Background. The use of antilymphocyte antibodies for induction therapy or for treatment for rejection has been associated with an increased risk of posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD). The authors investigated the incidence of PTLD after monoclonal antilymphocyte, polyclonal antilymphocyte, interleukin (IL)-2 receptor antibody, or no induction therapy in primary kidney transplant recipients. Methods. A multivariate Cox analysis of 38,519 primary kidney transplants from January 1, 1997, to December 31, 2000, was performed to compare the incidence of PTLD, graft survival, and patient survival among the induction groups. Results. The actual incidence of PTLD was 0.85% in 2,713 recipients with monoclonal, 0.81% in 4,343 with polyclonal, 0.50% in 7,800 with IL-2, and 0.51% in 23,663 recipients with no induction therapy (P =0.02). The Cox model indicated that as compared with no induction, the increased risk of PTLD was 72% with monoclonal (P =0.03), 29% with polyclonal (P =0.27), and 14% with IL-2 induction (P =0.52). IL-2 receptor antibody was associated with a 17% reduced risk of graft loss (P =0.002) and a 21% reduced risk of mortality (P =0.005) compared with no induction. Monoclonal and polyclonal induction therapies were not associated with a reduced risk of graft loss or mortality. Mycophenolate mofetil discharge maintenance immunosuppression was associated with a significantly reduced risk of PTLD and graft loss compared with azathioprine. Conclusions. Among induction therapies, IL-2 receptor antibody induction was associated with the smallest risk of PTLD and improved graft and patient survival. Monoclonal or polyclonal induction was not associated with improved graft or patient survival, and monoclonal induction was associated with an increased risk of PTLD.
Is protrusion of French rounded vowels affected by prosodic positions?

This paper examines whether lip protrusion is affected by initial strengthening of rounded vowels in French. Three speakers produced sentences containing the vowels /i, e, ɛ, a, y, ø, œ, u, o, ɔ/ at the beginning of different prosodic constituents: Intonational Phrase (IP), Accentual Phrase (AP) and Word (W). Using video and Qualisys motion capture data, three parameters (lip protrusion, area/lip protrusion and lip protrusion/area) are compared to characterize the labial configuration, first between [-round] and [+round] vowels, then within [+round] vowels. These three parameters are found to discriminate between [+/-rounded], to reflect some within category distinction and to show speaker-specific labial patterns. Concerning the effect of prosodic boundary, only the combined measurement of lip protrusion/area reveals a speaker dependent effect on prosodic boundaries. Two speakers out of three show a tendency to decrease lip protrusion/area in IP initial position for back rounded vowels (/o/ and /ɔ/) and for /y/. Prosodic boundary effects are discussed in terms of feature enhancement.
Metabolism of Low-Density Lipoprotein from Patients with Diabetic Hypertriglyceridemia by Cultured Human Skin Fibroblasts

To test whether triglyceride-enriched low-density lipoprotein (LDL) obtained from subjects with diabetic hypertriglyceridemia is metabolized normally by cells, LDL was separated from seven healthy control subjects (fasting plasma glucose [FPG] 91 ± 10 mg/dl [mean ± SD], triglyceride [TG] 110 ± 47 mg/dl), six diabetic normolipidemic patients (FPG 218 ± 65 mg/dl; TG 139 ± 75 mg/dl), six diabetic hypertriglyceridemic patients (FPG 214 ± 71 mg/dl; TG 1915 ± 1680 mg/dl), and five nondiabetic hypertriglyceridemic patients (FPG 92 ± 8 mg/dl; TG 2013 ± 1889 mg/dl). Binding of 125l-labeled LDL from hypertriglyceridemic subjects with and without diabetes to cultured skin fibroblasts was significantly decreased to 74 ± 19% and 78 ± 14% of that seen with LDL from normolipidemic nondiabetic subjects and diabetic normolipidemic controls (100 ± 0%, 101 ± 25%; P < 0.005). Unlabeled LDL from hypertriglyceridemic subjects with and without diabetes failed to suppress LDL receptor activity and sterol synthesis from 14C-acetate as efficiently as unlabeled LDL from healthy subjects. The ability of LDL from hypertriglyceridemic subjects, whether diabetic or not, to suppress LDL binding was inversely related to the ratio of triglyceride to protein in LDL (r = 0.71, P < 0.01) and showed a positive correlation with the LDL cholesterol/protein ratio (0.69, P < 0.01). Thus, LDL from patients with hypertriglyceridemia, with or without coexistent diabetes, shows impaired binding to LDL receptors and less ability to downregulate LDL receptor activity and sterol synthesis than does LDL from normolipidemic diabetic and nondiabetic subjects. These findings suggest that factors associated with hypertriglyceridemia rather than with diabetes result in altered metabolism of LDL in these disorders.
The POWER Campaign for Promotion of Female and Male Condoms: Audience Research and Campaign Development

In this study, we conducted and content analyzed 12 focus groups with women aged 15-25 living in inner city Denver as a process of audience research to develop a male and female condom promotion campaign. We recruited 89 women from school and community sites in central Denver neighborhoods to discuss their knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding both male and female condoms, then solicited opinions about how to increase knowledge about and familiarity with female condoms, increase positive attitudes toward both male and female condoms, and how to increase access to and use of both male and female condoms. Opinions on these topics drove the development of a targeted media campaign promoting condom use in this population. We report here on the general findings from focus groups and provide details about the campaign the participants helped to develop.
Model Order Reduction of Aeroservoelastic Model of Flexible Aircraft

This paper presents a holistic model order reduction (MOR) methodology and framework that integrates key technological elements of sequential model reduction, consistent model representation, and model interpolation for constructing high-quality linear parameter-varying (LPV) aeroservoelastic (ASE) reduced order models (ROMs) of flexible aircraft. The sequential MOR encapsulates a suite of reduction techniques, such as truncation and residualization, modal reduction, and balanced realization and truncation to achieve optimal ROMs at grid points across the flight envelope. The consistence in state representation among local ROMs is obtained by the novel method of common subspace reprojection. Model interpolation is then exploited to stitch ROMs at grid points to build a global LPV ASE ROM feasible to arbitrary flight condition. The MOR method is applied to the X-56A MUTT vehicle with flexible wing being tested at NASA/AFRC for flutter suppression and gust load alleviation. Our studies demonstrated that relative to the fullorder model, our X-56A ROM can accurately and reliably capture vehicles dynamics at various flight conditions in the target frequency regime while the number of states in ROM can be reduced by 10X (from 180 to 19), and hence, holds great promise for robust ASE controller synthesis and novel vehicle design.
Analytical methods for the accurate computation of stator leakage inductances in multi-phase synchronous machines

Multi-phase machines are of increasing importance in today's electric drives and generation systems. While in three-phase machines stator leakage flux phenomena are usually described with a single parameter, a higher number of independent leakage inductances is required as the number of phases increases. The impact of leakage inductances on multi-phase machine performance, especially in PWM inverter-supplied motors, is proved by many studies. Hence the need originates for the electromagnetic designer to have easy-to-use but sufficiently accurate calculation formulas giving the complete set of mutual inductance in a multi-phase machine. This paper aims at providing such formulas making abstraction of the particular phase arrangement in the stator winding and under the hypothesis of equal phase belts. The computation algorithms provided are assessed against measurements on actual machines wherever possible; otherwise accurate Finite Element (FE) analyses are used for validation.
Creation of “Humanized” Mice to Study Human Immunity

“Humanized” mice are a promising translational model for studying human hematopoiesis and immunity. Their utility has been enhanced by the development of new stocks of immunodeficient hosts, most notably mouse strains such as NOD‐scid IL2rγnull mice that lack the IL‐2 receptor common gamma chain. These stocks of mice lack adaptive immune function, display multiple defects in innate immunity, and support heightened levels of human hematolymphoid engraftment. Humanized mice can support studies in many areas of immunology, including autoimmunity, transplantation, infectious diseases, and cancer. These models are particularly valuable in experimentation where there is no appropriate small animal model of the human disease, as in the case of certain viral infections. This unit details the creation of humanized mice by engraftment of immunodeficient mice with hematopoietic stem cells or peripheral blood mononuclear cells, provides methods for evaluating engraftment, and discusses considerations for choosing the appropriate model system to meet specific goals. Curr. Protoc. Immunol. 81:15.21. 1‐15.21. 21. © 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The Effect of Active Parental Consent On the Ability to Generalize the Results of an Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Prevention Trial to Rural Adolescents

The authors report the effect of active parental consent on sample bias among rural seventh graders participating in a drug abuse prevention trial. Students obtaining active consent from their parents to complete the survey were of higher academic standing, missed fewer days of school, and were less likely to participate in the special education program at their school as compared to students who did not return a parental consent form. However, students with consent were not significantly different from students whose parents actively declined. The sample obtained under active parental consent represents students less at risk for problem behaviors than would have been obtained under passive consent procedures.
Current concept of the finer structure of the lung.

A prodigious amount of research has clarified many of the problems of lung structure at both gross and microscopic levels. The structural components of the larger elements of the respiratory tree are adequately described in current textbooks of histology; there is little disagreement concerning them. However, as the respiratory areas of the lung are approached, structures become increasingly delicate and their delineation becomes correspondingly more difficult. The point of greatest contention and the one most difficult to settle has been the question of whether or not the pulmonary alveolus is lined by a continuous epithelium. During the past century, hundreds of authors have applied a multitude of technical procedures in attempts to solve this problem and have arrived at conflicting conclusions as to the nature of the alveolar surface. Since an understanding of normal and abnormal pulmonary physiology and a rational approach to the treatment of lung diseases must have
The vibrational mode structure of a golf ball

In this paper, we report the discrete frequencies at which golf balls can vibrate, the mode patterns of these vibrations and how these modes can be excited. There are two broad classes of modes: those that radiate sound waves and those that do not. Both silent and acoustic modes are excited by tangential (i.e. spin-producing) impact forces; only acoustic modes are excited by radial impact forces. Exact analytical results for a homogeneous ball core are compared with finite element numerical results for both a core and a model two-piece ball. Correspondences are readily established for the important low-frequency modes, and the good agreement suggests the validity of these results for real golf balls. The results potentially provide the basis for a rapid, simple and non-destructive method of measuring the effective high-frequency elastic shear modulae of balls (and ball cores) as well as a method for 'tuning' the performance of balls for specific clubs. Some of these aspects are explored further in our companion paper in this issue.
Reliability of Navigated Lower Limb Alignment in High Tibial Osteotomies

Background Navigation allows for determination of the mechanical axis of the lower extremity during high tibial osteotomy (HTO) procedures. The objectives of this study were to (1) evaluate the reliability of noninvasive registration with an image-free navigation system for HTO and (2) determine the accuracy of the navigation system to monitor changes in lower limb alignment as compared with alignment measured with a novel 3-dimensional computed tomography method. Hypothesis Navigated limb alignment demonstrates good reliability and accuracy in all 3 planes. Study Design Descriptive laboratory study. Methods Thirteen cadaver legs were used to examine the intra- and interobserver registration reliability of 3 observers. Initial coronal, sagittal, and axial alignment was measured on 6 legs, 3 times each, at intervals >36 hours. Navigated HTOs were then performed on all 13 legs, pre- and postoperative alignment was recorded, and data were compared with equivalent measures obtained by 3-dimensional computed tomography. Reliability and accuracy data were both analyzed using intraclass correlation coefficients with the following established thresholds: good, >0.75; fair, 0.4 to 0.75; and poor, <0.4. Results Intraclass correlation coefficients for intraobserver reliability were categorized as follows: varus-valgus, good; flexion-extension fair; and femoral-tibial rotation, poor. For interobserver reliability, results were varus-valgus, fair; flexion-extension, fair; and femoral-tibial rotation, poor. Intraclass correlation coefficients for navigation accuracy were varus-valgus, good; tibial slope, good; and tibial torsion, poor. Maximum differences in navigation-computed tomography measurements were Δ varus-valgus angle, 4.5°; Δ tibial slope, 8.8°; and Δ tibial torsion, 16.5°. Conclusion and Clinical Relevance Navigation may be reliable and clinically useful for dynamic monitoring of coronal leg alignment but has limits in determination of sagittal and axial plane alignment.
X-ray and neutron diffraction study of benzoylacetone in the temperature range 8-300 K: comparison with other cis-enol molecules.

The crystal structure of benzoylacetone (1-phenyl-1,3-butanedione, C(10)H(10)O(2); P2(1)/c, Z = 4) has been determined at 300, 160 (both Mo Kalpha X-ray diffraction, XRD), 20 (lambda = 1.012 Å neutron diffraction, ND) and 8 K (Ag Kalpha XRD), to which should be added earlier structure determinations at 300 (Mo Kalpha XRD and ND, lambda = 0.983 Å) and 143 K (Mo Kalpha XRD). Cell dimensions have been measured over the temperature range 8-300 K; a first- or second-order phase change does not occur within this range. The atomic displacement parameters have been analyzed using the thermal motion analysis program THMA11. The most marked change in the molecular structure is in the disposition of the methyl group, which has a librational amplitude of approximately 20 degrees at 20 K and is rotationally disordered at 300 K. The lengths of the two C-O bonds in the cis-enol ring do not differ significantly, nor do those of the two C-C bonds, nor do these lengths change between 8 and 300 K. An ND difference synthesis (20 K) shows a single enol hydrogen trough (rather than two half H atoms), approximately centered between the O atoms; analogous results were obtained by XRD (8 K). It is inferred that the enol hydrogen is in a broad, flat-bottomed single-minimum potential well between the O atoms, with a libration amplitude of approximately 0.30 Å at 8 K. These results suggest that at 8 K the cis-enol ring in benzoylacetone has quasi-aromatic character, in agreement with the results of high-level ab initio calculations made for benzoylacetone [Schiøtt et al. (1998). J. Am. Chem. Soc. 120, 12117-12124]. Application [in a related paper by Madsen et al. (1998). J. Am. Chem. Soc. 120, 10040-10045] of multipolar analysis and topological methods to the charge density obtained from the combined lowest temperature X-ray and neutron data provides evidence for an intramolecular hydrogen bond with partly electrostatic and partly covalent character, and large p-delocalization in the cis-enol ring. This is in good agreement with what is expected from the observed bond lengths. Analysis of the total available (through the Cambridge Structural Database, CSD) population of cis-enol ring geometries confirms earlier reports of correlation between the degree of bond localization in the pairs of C-C and C-O bonds, but does not show the dependence of bond localization on d(O.O) that was reported earlier for a more restricted sample. It is suggested that the only reliable method of determining whether the enol hydrogen is found in a single or double potential well is by low-temperature X-ray or (preferably) neutron diffraction.