Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effect of anti-thyroid antibodies on endometrial volume, embryo grade and IVF outcome

Thyroid auto-immunity (TAI) has been implicated as the most common cause of hypothyroidism in general population, especially in women. Many studies revealed that increased infertility incidences with TAI. The aim of the present article was to evaluate the effect of thyroid auto-antibody (TAA) positivity on embryological parameters, IVF-outcome and endometrial volume (EnV) in infertile patients who were applied for routine artificial reproductive technologies (ART) programme. This study included prospective, sequential, cross-sectional analyses of parameters obtained from 69 patients with unexplained infertility. It was the first ART application of patients. Patients were homogenous for age, body mass index, basal hormone measurements and underwent same ovulation induction protocol. They were evaluated for thyroid hormone profile and TAAs and divided into three groups; TAA negative group (n = 31), TAA positive group (n = 23) and TAA positive and euthyroid with medication group (n = 15). There were no differences among groups for the number of Grade-1 and Grade-2 embryos, distribution of embryo-grades, number of oocytes retrieved and fertilised, biochemical pregnancy ratios (PR), EnV and miscarriage ratio. However, the clinical PR was significantly lower in the TAA positive group (p = 0.024). In conclusion, the embryo grades and EnV did not differ among groups. But the clinical PR differs and the anti-thyroid peroxides positivity, above the cut-off point, affects the clinical PR.
The thickness of human scalp: normal and bald.

The authors studied the thickness of the layers in both normal and bald scalps to determine the effect of aging on baldness. In non-bald subjects, 1) each scalp layer changes with aging; 2) the most noticeable changes are in the layers that contain hair; 3) the condition of the galea is influenced by aging. In bald subjects, 1) in early male pattern alopecia no changes occur in scalp thickness; 2) in advanced baldness, all skin layers except the galea exhibit definite thinning.
Direct Electrophysiological Measurement of Attentional Templates in Visual Working Memory

When we look for our children on the playground, internal representations of these important targets must guide our search through the cluttered and chaotic scene. Several theories of attention propose that we hold target representations (i.e., attentional templates) in visual working memory (VWM) to control perceptual attention (Bundesen, Habekost, & Kyllingsbaek, 2005; Desimone & Duncan, 1995). Although this is a foundational theoretical assumption, there is no direct electrophysiological evidence from humans supporting this proposal and recordings from monkeys have yielded mixed results (Chelazzi, Miller, Duncan, & Desimone, 1993, 2001; Kusunoki, Sigala, Gaffan, & Duncan, 2009). This makes it difficult to rule out the classic hypothesis that visual search may operate like a prepared reflex, unguided by VWM representations (Logan, 1978). In the present study, we tested the attentional-template hypothesis by recording event-related potentials (ERPs) from subjects while they searched for targets in complex scenes. On each trial, subjects saw a target-cue array followed by a complex search array (see Figure 1A). We focused our analyses on the ERPs following the cue to determine whether the contralateral-delay activity (CDA) was present. The CDA indexes the maintenance of representations in VWM (e.g., Vogel & Machizawa, 2004), thus providing an ideal tool for testing the hypothesis that we maintain attentional templates in VWM during search. That is, unlike imaging studies demonstrating how brain areas modulate under different task demands (e.g., Soto, Humphreys, & Rotshtein, 2007), we can use the CDA component to definitely show that the same VWM mechanisms relied upon in explicit-memory tasks are engaged in maintaining attentional templates. If templates are maintained in VWM, then we should observe a cue-elicited CDA that continues until search is performed. Furthermore, if the cue-elicited CDA directly measures the attentional template, then CDA amplitude measured prior to the search task should predict subsequent performance. Figure 1 The stimuli, ERP findings, and relationship between the ERPs and behavior. A) Example of the stimulus sequence and the grand-average waveforms from electrodes T5/6, where the effect was maximal, contralateral (red) and ipsilateral (black) to the location .
Expression and regulation of glycoprotein C gene of herpes simplex virus 1 resident in a clonal L-cell line

Ltk- cells were transfected with a plasmid containing the entire domain of glycoprotein C (gC), a true gamma or gamma 2 gene of herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) and the methotrexate-resistant mouse dihydrofolate reductase mutant gene. The resulting methotrexate-resistant cell line was cloned; of the 39 clonal lines tested only 1, L3153(28), expressed gC after infection with HSV-1(MP), a gC- mutant, and none expressed gC constitutively. The induction of gC was optimal at multiplicities ranging between 0.5 and 2 PFU per cell, and the quantities produced were equivalent to or higher than those made by methotrexate-resistant gC- L cells infected with wild-type (gC+) virus. The gC gene resident in the L3153(28) cells was regulated as a beta gene inasmuch as the amounts of gC made in infected L3153(28) cells exposed to concentrations of phosphonoacetate that inhibited viral DNA synthesis were higher than those made in the absence of the drug, gC was induced at both permissive and nonpermissive temperatures by the DNA- mutant tsHA1 carrying a lesion in the gene specifying the major DNA-binding protein and which does not express gamma 2 genes at the nonpermissive temperature, and gC was induced only at the permissive temperature in cells infected with ts502 containing a mutation in the alpha 4 gene. The gC induced in L3153(28) cells was made earlier and processed faster to the mature form than that induced in a gC- clone of methotrexate-resistant cells infected with wild-type virus. Unlike virus stocks made in gC- cells, HSV-1(MP) made in L3153(28) cells was susceptible to neutralization by anti-gC monoclonal antibody.
Vowel duration in American English.

This is a summary report of the vowel duration data that have been accumulated over the past several years. The data corpus analyzed to derive temporal controls of vowels consists mainly of three different readings by three different speakers, each about 10 to 20 min in duration. The rules cover the temporal behavior of vowels under many phonological conditions. The conditions include stressed and unstressed positions, prepausal and nonprepausal positions, word‐final and non‐word‐final conditions, and monosyllabic and polysyllabic words. The influence of following consonants is discussed as well. Included also are conditions other than phonological ones, such as the effect of the prominence of words on their vowels, and the speed of reading. The duration rules derived from the data are intended for use in our speech synthesis‐by‐rule system from printed text.Subject Classification: 70.20, 70.70.
40-64 in Shahroud , Iran

to cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancers and chronic respiratory diseases (WHO, 2011). Smoking is known as one of the main risk factors of cardiovascular diseases (Ezzati et al., 2005; Norum, 2005; WHO, 2011; Eriksen et al., 2012). World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that about 6 million people die annually from smoking. If current mortality trends continue, it will rise to more than 8 million deaths per year by 2030 (WHO, 2011b). Such deaths are more prevalence in male (15%) than
Effect of Etomidate Versus Thiopental on Major Depressive Disorder in Electroconvulsive Therapy, a Randomized Double-Blind Controlled Clinical Trial

Background Although the therapeutic effect of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) on major depressive disorder is widely investigated, there is a gap in literature regarding the possible effects of the medications used for induction of anesthesia in ECT. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first randomized double-blind clinical trial comparing the effect of etomidate and sodium thiopental on the depression symptoms in patients who have received ECT. Methods The participants of this study are 60 adult patients with major depressive disorder who were referred for ECT. They were randomly allocated into 1 of the 2 groups. One group received etomidate, and the other group received sodium thiopental, as medication for induction of anesthesia. All the patients received bilateral ECT. The outcomes measures included the Beck Depression Inventory score, seizure duration, and recovery duration after induction of anesthesia. Results The sex ratio and mean age were not different between the 2 groups. Linear regression analysis showed that etomidate decreased the depression score more than did sodium thiopental. Seizure duration in all of the sessions in the etomidate group was significantly higher than that of sodium thiopental group. Conclusions In conclusion, etomidate may improve major depressive disorder more than sodium thiopental in patients who are receiving ECT.
Otoacoustic emissions in normal and hearing‐impaired children and normal adults

Although distortion‐product otoacoustic emissions (DPOEs) have been studied in adults recently, there is little information regarding them in young children. DPOEs and click‐evoked otoacoustic emissions (CEOEs) were measured from a same group of normal and hearing‐impaired children (age 4 through 10 years) and normal adults (age 22 through 29 years). Measurements of DPOEs in 13 children's ears with normal hearing showed higher levels of emissions in the 700‐ to 1400‐Hz and 5.7‐kHz regions relative to the data obtained in 10 normal adult ears. The 22 ears of children with sensorineural hearing loss demonstrated agreement between pure‐tone audiograms and “DPOE audiograms. ” Measurements of CEOEs revealed that the average level of emission in 15 normal‐hearing children's ears was slightly lower than that previously obtained in newborns, but slightly higher than that of adults. In children, the CEOE spectral components in the 4‐ to 6‐kHz region were lower than in newborns, but higher than in adults. These results support the view that the DPOEs and CEOEs comprise a valuable tool in assessment of cochlear function in subjects of all ages.
Effect of enzyme induction with phenobarbital on the in vivo and in vitro defluorination of isoflurane and methoxyflurane.

Treatment of Fischer 344 rats with phenobarbital increased hepatic microsomal methoxyflurane defluorinase activity from 1.02 ± 0.56 to 4.56 ± 0.87 nmol of F - per 30 min per mg of protein and isoflurane defluorinase activity from 0.42 ± 0.04 to 1.41 ± 0.08 nmol of F - per 30 min per mg of protein. In vivo, the defluonination of methoxyflurane, but not isoflurane, appeared to be induced by phenobarbital treatment. Inorganic fluoride excretion of phenobarbital-methoxyflurane-treated rats was 95.4 ± 4.5 µmol/48 hr compared to 62.9 ± 9.5 µmol/48 hr for rats treated with methoxyflurane alone. By contrast, inorganic fluoride excretion of rats treated with isoflurane was 26.6 ± 5.3 µmol/48 hr compared to 22.1 ± 3.9 µmol/48 hr for rats treated with phenobarbital-isoflurane.
Key Enzymes and Proteins in Amyloid-Beta Production and Clearance

Last century, in 1907, Alois Alzheimer first described the disease that now bears his name, relating a 54-year-old female case with presenile dementia. Alzheimer’s disease (AD), an irreversible progressive neurodegenerative disorder, is actually the most common form of dementia. AD affects more than 24 million people all over the world, and is predicted to double every 20 years, becoming one of the medical burdens of our days. More than 90% of AD cases are sporadic late-onset, and have a complex idiopathic aetiology. The small number of early onset AD cases, is related to hereditary monogenic defects, and has provided important clues for understanding the AD pathology (Bertram, et al. 2007). Although the available drugs are able to delay the symptoms and progression of the disease and to positively influence the quality of life of the patients, at present there is still no cure for AD. AD is characterized clinically by progressive decline in cognitive function and neuropatologically by the presence of neuropil threads and neuron loss, in addition to the molecular hallmarks of neurofibrillar tangles and neuritic (or senile) plaques in the brain. Neuritic plaques are extracellular amyloid deposits found abundantly in the hippocampus, in the neocortex and in the amygdala of AD brains. These pathological brain changes may occur 20 to 30 years prior to the onset of the clinical symptoms and the symptomatic phase of AD can last from 5 to 12 years (DeKosky and Marek 2003). The extracellular neuritic plaque deposits of amyloid were first investigated by (Glenner and Wong 1984), when they purified microvascular amyloid deposits from AD brains, and provided a partial sequence of a 4kDa subunit protein, that they named amyloid-beta (A┚) peptide. Around the same time, the hyperphosphorylated tau (p-tau), a microtubule assembly protein, was identified as the main constituent of the neurofibrillar tangles (NFTs) that accumulate inside many neurons in AD brains (Grundke-Iqbal, et al. 1986). Amyloid deposition and neurofibrillar tangles, occur with some frequency in brains of young adults with Down's syndrome (Schochet, et al. 1973). The discovery that amyloid deposits in the brain from Down syndrome were composed of A┚ peptide (Glenner and Wong 1984), as well as the cloning of the beta amyloid precursor protein (APP), with its localization to the chromosome 21
Electroencephalographic Characterization of an Adult Rat Model of Radiation‐Induced Cortical Dysplasia

Summary: Purpose: Cortical dysplasia (CD) is a frequent cause of medically intractable focal epilepsy. The mechanisms of CD‐induced epileptogenicity remain unknown. The difficulty in obtaining and testing human tissue warrants the identification and characterization of animal model(s) of CD that share most of the clinical, electroencephalographic (EEG), and histopathologic characteristics of human CD. In this study, we report on the in vivo EEG characterization of the radiation‐induced model of CD.
The Neuropharmacology of Cluster Headache and other Trigeminal Autonomic Cephalalgias

Trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias (TACs) are a group of primary headaches including cluster headache (CH), paroxysmal hemicrania (PH) and short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache with conjunctival injection and tearing (SUNCT). Another form, hemicrania continua (HC), is also included this group due to its clinical and pathophysiological similarities. CH is the most common of these syndromes, the others being infrequent in the general population. The pathophysiology of the TACs has been partly elucidated by a number of recent neuroimaging studies, which implicate brain regions associated with nociception (pain matrix). In addition, the hypothalamic activation observed in the course of TAC attacks and the observed efficacy of hypothalamic neurostimulation in CH patients suggest that the hypothalamus is another key structure. Hypothalamic activation may indeed be involved in attack initiation, but it may also lead to a condition of central facilitation underlying the recurrence of pain episodes. The TACs share many pathophysiological features, but are characterised by differences in attack duration and frequency, and to some extent treatment response. Although alternative strategies for the TACs, especially CH, are now emerging (such as neurostimulation techniques), this review focuses on the available pharmacological treatments complying with the most recent guidelines. We discuss the clinical efficacy and tolerability of the currently used drugs. Due to the low frequency of most TACs, few randomised controlled trials have been conducted. The therapies of choice in CH continue to be the triptans and oxygen for acute treatment, and verapamil and lithium for prevention, but promising results have recently been obtained with novel modes of administration of the triptans and other agents, and several other treatments are currently under study. Indomethacin is extremely effective in PH and HC, while antiepileptic drugs (especially lamotrigine) appear to be increasingly useful in SUNCT. We highlight the need for appropriate studies investigating treatments for these rare, but lifelong and disabling conditions.
Class I heme peroxidases: characterization of soybean ascorbate peroxidase.

An efficient expression system [D. A. Dalton et al. Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 328, 1-8, 1996) for soybean nodule ascorbate peroxidase (APX) has, for the first time, been used to generate enzyme in large enough quantities for detailed biophysical analysis. The recombinant APX has been characterized by electronic absorption, EPR, NMR and circular dichroism spectroscopies, and by electrochemistry. Electronic, EPR, and NMR spectra are consistent with a high-spin ferric resting state for the enzyme at 298 K. Low-temperature EPR (7 K) and electronic absorption (77 K) experiments indicate formation of a low-spin heme derivative at these temperatures. The midpoint reduction potential for the Fe(III)/Fe(II) redox couple, determined by spectroelectrochemistry, is -159 +/- 2 mV vs SHE (pH 7.0, 25.0 degrees C, mu = 0.10 M). Circular dichroism spectra of pea and soybean APXs are very similar, indicating common structural features for the two enzymes. The melting temperature of soybean APX, as monitored by circular dichroism spectroscopy, is 49 degrees C. These results represent the first detailed spectroscopic and electrochemical analysis of soybean ascorbate peroxidase and are discussed in the broader context of other class I peroxidases.
Intracellular Complexes of Viral Spike and Cellular Receptor Accumulate during Cytopathic Murine Coronavirus Infections

ABSTRACT Murine hepatitis virus (MHV) infections exhibit remarkable variability in cytopathology, ranging from acutely cytolytic to essentially asymptomatic levels. In this report, we assess the role of the MHV receptor (MHVR) in controlling this variable virus-induced cytopathology. We developed human (HeLa) cell lines in which the MHVR was produced in a regulated fashion by placing MHVR cDNA under the control of an inducible promoter. Depending on the extent of induction, MHVR levels ranged from less than ∼1,500 molecules per cell (designated Rlo) to ∼300,000 molecules per cell (designated Rhi). Throughout this range, the otherwise MHV-resistant HeLa cells were rendered susceptible to infection. However, infection in the Rlo cells occurred without any overt evidence of cytopathology, while the corresponding Rhi cells died within 14 h after infection. When the HeLa-MHVR cells were infected with vaccinia virus recombinants encoding MHV spike (S) proteins, the Rhi cells succumbed within 12 h postinfection; Rlo cells infected in parallel were intact, as judged by trypan blue exclusion. This acute cytopathology was not due solely to syncytium formation between the cells producing S and MHVR, because fusion-blocking antiviral antibodies did not prevent it. These findings raised the possibility of an intracellular interaction between S and MHVR in the acute cell death. Indeed, we identified intracellular complexes of S and MHVR via coimmunoprecipitation of endoglycosidase H-sensitive forms of the two proteins. We suggest that MHV infections can become acutely cytopathic once these intracellular complexes rise above a critical threshold level.
Nursing practice environment and registered nurses' job satisfaction in nursing homes.

PURPOSE Recruiting and retaining registered nurses (RNs) in nursing homes is problematic, and little research is available to guide efforts to make nursing homes a more attractive practice environment for RNs. The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between aspects of the nursing practice environment and job satisfaction among RNs in nursing homes. DESIGN AND METHODS The sample included 863 RNs working as staff RNs in 282 skilled nursing facilities in New Jersey. Two-level hierarchical linear modeling was used to account for the RNs nested by nursing homes. RESULTS Controlling for individual and nursing home characteristics, staff RNs' participation in facility affairs, supportive manager, and resource adequacy were positively associated with RNs' job satisfaction. Ownership status was significantly related to job satisfaction; RNs working in for-profit nursing homes were less satisfied. IMPLICATIONS A supportive practice environment is significantly associated with higher job satisfaction among RNs working in nursing homes. Unlike other nursing home characteristics, specific dimensions of the nursing practice environment can be modified through administrative actions to enhance RN job satisfaction.
Household net worth, racial disparities, and hormonal therapy adherence among women with early-stage breast cancer.

PURPOSE Nonadherence to adjuvant hormonal therapy is common and is associated with increased prescription copayment amount and black race. Studies suggest that household wealth may partly explain racial disparities. We investigated the impact of net worth on disparities in adherence and discontinuation. PATIENTS AND METHODS We used the OptumInsight insurance claims database to identify women older than age 50 years diagnosed with early breast cancer, from January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2011, who were using hormonal therapy. Nonadherence was defined as a medication possession ratio of ≤ 80% of eligible days over a 2-year period. We evaluated the association of demographic and clinical characteristics, annual household income, household net worth (< $250,000, $250,000 to $750,000, or > $750,000), insurance type, and copayments (< $10, $10 to $20, or > $20) with adherence to hormonal therapy. Logistic regression analyses were conducted by sequentially adding sociodemographic and financial variables to race. RESULTS We identified 10,302 patients; 2,473 (24%) were nonadherent. In the unadjusted analyses, adherence was negatively associated with black race (odds ratio [OR], 0.76; P < .001), advanced age, comorbidity, and Medicare insurance. Adherence was positively associated with medium (OR, 1.33; P < .001) and high (OR, 1.66; P < .001) compared with low net worth. The negative association of black race with adherence (OR, 0.76) was reduced by adding net worth to the model (OR, 0.84; P < .05). Correcting for other variables had a minimal impact on the association between race and adherence (OR, 0.87; P = .08). The interaction between net worth and race was significant (P < .01). CONCLUSION We found that net worth partially explains racial disparities in hormonal therapy adherence. These results suggest that economic factors may contribute to disparities in the quality of care.