Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Transcriptome alterations due to physiological normoxic (2% O2) culture of human embryonic stem cells.

UNLABELLED Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) hold great promise therapeutically. In order to deliver on this promise the correct defined conditions for long-term propagation must first be established. Researchers have now provided reports describing the benefits of culturing hESCs in physiologically approximate levels of oxygen. These physiological values fall in the range of 2 to 5% O2. Benefits include reduced spontaneous differentiation, enhanced chromosomal stability and increased clonality. AIMS The aim of our study was to examine the transcriptional consequences of culturing hESCs in physiological normoxia (2% O2) using microarray technology. METHODS Three karyoptically normal hESC lines (H1, H9 and RH1) were examined. At the initiation of this experiment, established hESC lines were redesignated as passage (p) 0 in 21% O2, then bifurcated into 21% O2 and 2% O2, and maintained for a further ten passages at which time samples were again collected. RNA was extracted from all sample points and subjected to microarray analysis using the Affymetrix U133 Plus 2.0 platform. Bioinformatic analysis was performed using dChip and GoStat. RESULTS We performed grouped analyses of gene expression of early (p0) versus late (p10) air-cultured cells. This revealed relative stability with six (air p0 baseline vs p10 experimental) and one (air p10 baseline vs p0 experimental) gene(s) displaying both greater than twofold and statistically significant upregulation. Conversely, we identified 302 gene upregulations and 56 downregulations when comparing 21% O(2) (p0p10) with 2% O2 (p10). These significantly upregulated changes clustered into 82 over-represented and 9 under-represented ontology terms. These terms were indicative of signaling pathways, developmental potential and metabolism. Hierarchical clustering indicated a trend for 2% O2 cultured cells to cluster collectively with reduced heterogeneity when compared with 21% O2 cultured cells. CONCLUSIONS The gene changes associated with 2% O2 culture may be predictive of novel cellular requirements for stable self-renewal, maintenance of pluripotency, and a reduction of hESC-line heterogeneity.
Anatomical variations and clinical relevance of dorsal sacral foramina in North Indians

Lateral side of each intermediate crest has four dorsal sacral foramina for the passage of posterior division of the sacral nerves. Not only they serve as an important landmark in placement of spinal instrumentation but are also of great importance in transsacral block of sacral nerves for producing analgesia and anesthesia in pelvic surgeries. Therefore a study on the variation in number of dorsal sacral foramina was conducted in 60 adult dry North Indian sacra. Three dorsal sacral foramina were seen on the lateral side of each intermediate crest in four sacra (6.6%) and five in 6 sacra (10%) amongst all the sacra examined. Either a single pair, double pair or totally absent foramina were not observed in any of the sacra seen. This study revealed that there is variation in the number of dorsal sacral foramina. Anaesthetists should be aware of this disparity to be able to perform trans-sacral nerve block successfully. Radiologists must also know about this variation to interpret the radiographs of lumbosacral region. Neurologist and orthopedist should also be cognizant of this fact to diagnose patients presenting with bizarre clinical findings.
Cell therapy for spinal cord injury, studies of motor and sensory systems

iv List of Papers . v
Trends in a Cohort of HIV-infected pregnant women in Rio de Janeiro, 1996-2004

OBJECTIVE: To describe trends in sociodemographic, immunological and virological profiles and interventions to decrease the risk of mother-to-child HIV transmission. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study conducted at a tertiary institution in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from January 1996 to December 2004. Analysis was performed by stratification in three time periods: 1996-1998 (P1), 1999-2001 (P2) and 2002-2004 (P3). RESULTS: In 9 years, 622 pregnancies occurred. Complications included: maternal mortality 0.3%, stillbirths 2.5%, miscarriages 0.6%, neonatal mortality 1.1%, prematurity 9.9%, low birth weight (LBW) 16.5%, congenital malformations 2.2%. The number of HIV-infected pregnant patients grew threefold over time reflecting increased prevalence of disease and patient identification. HIV diagnosis before pregnancy increased from 30% in P1 to 45% in P3. The proportion of pregnant women receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy increased from none (P1) to 88% (P3) with a significant trend towards women delivering at undetectable viral loads in later years despite a higher frequency of advanced disease. Scheduled cesarean deliveries increased from 35% in P1 to 48% in P3. Perinatal transmission rates were 2.4% with a decline from 3.5% in P1 to 1.6% in P3. Neonatal outcomes tended to remain constant or improve with time. A slight rise in LBW and congenital malformations were observed. CONCLUSIONS: During the observational period, HIV+ pregnant women presented with more advanced disease and lower socio-economic status. However, improved management of HIV-infected patients (associated with increased identification and increased availability of treatment) resulted into very low transmission rates similar to those of developed countries with overall improvement of patient outcomes.
Innovative approach to interpret the variability of biomarkers after ultra-endurance exercise: the multifactorial analysis.

AIMS We assessed the inter-relationship that exists between variations of different biochemical and hematological parameters following strenuous endurance exercise in Ironmen by using multiple factor analysis (MFA). MFA was used to estimate the associations among groups of parameters in order to identify concurrent changes in many different biochemical variables. MATERIALS & METHODS In total, 14 Ironman athletes were followed before and early after a race. MFA was applied to the parameters that showed a significant variation after the race, as we previously described in detail. Specifically, MFA standardizes data in each group and calculates the global axes (GAs), which are the linear combination of original parameters that maximize the global data variance. RESULTS MFA identified three global axes (GAs) as significant, explaining approximately 62% of the global data variance. The first GA contained NT-proBNP, IL-1ra, IL-6, IL-8 and the oxidative index. The second and third GAs included calcium, creatinine, potassium, uric acid, hemoglobin, hematocrit and glucose. Analysis of the first two GAs showed that changes in the oxidative index were associated with variations in IL-8 and NT-proBNP. CONCLUSION Among all the variables considered, MFA evidenced a close relationship between variations in oxidative stress, IL-8 and NT-proBNP, which may have a meaning in the mechanisms related to the physiological response after strenuous acute exercise.
Three essays on racial disparities in infant health and air pollution exposure

THREE ESSAYS ON RACIAL DISPARITIES IN INFANT HEALTH AND AIR POLLUTION EXPOSURE SEPTEMBER 2011 HELEN SCHARBER B.A., KNOX COLLEGE M.A., KEELE UNIVERSITY Ph.D., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST Directed by: Professor Michael Ash This three-essay dissertation examines racial disparities in infant health outcomes and exposure to air pollution in Texas. It also asks whether the EPA’s Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators Geographic Microdata (RSEI-GM) might be used to assess the effects of little-studied toxic air pollutants on infant health outcomes. Chapter 1 contributes to the “weathering” literature, which has shown that disparities in infant health outcomes between non-Hispanic black and non-Hispanic white women tend to widen with age. In this study, we ask whether the same patterns are observed in Texas and among Hispanic women, since other studies have focused on black and white women from other regions. We find that black and Hispanic women in Texas do “weather” earlier than white mothers with respect to rates of low birthweight and preterm birth. This differential weathering appears to be mediated by racial disparities in the distribution and response to socioeconomic risk factors, though a large v gap between black and white mothers across all ages remains unexplained. Chapter 2 extends the statistical environmental justice literature by examining the distribution of toxic air pollution across infants in Texas. We find that, within Texas cities, being black or Hispanic is a significant predictor of how much pollution one is exposed to at birth. We further find that, among mothers who move between births, white mothers tend to move to significantly cleaner areas than black or Hispanic mothers. In Chapter 3, we use geocoded birth records matched to square-kilometer pollution concentration estimates from the RSEI-GM to ask whether the pollution-outcome relationships that emerge through regression analysis are similar to the effects found in previous research. If so, the RSEI-GM might be used to study the health effects of nearly 600 chemicals tracked in that dataset. We conclude, based on instability of results across various specifications and lack of correspondence to previous results, that this data is not appropriate for statistical epidemiology research and better exposure data for toxic air pollutants are needed. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . iv ABSTRACT . v LIST OF TABLES . ix LIST OF FIGURES . xii CHAPTER INTRODUCTION . 1 1. ACCELERATED WEATHERING AMONG MINORITY MOTHERS IN TEXAS: EXPLORING THE EVIDENCE . 8 1.
Age of closure of the foramen of Huschke: an osteological study

The foramen of Huschke is a dehiscence in the antero-inferior surface of the tympanic plate, which forms during the normal post-natal development of the temporal bone. Closure of the foramen is generally reported to take place by 5 years of age, although a persistent foramen has been observed in 0–67% of adult crania depending on the population. A persistent foramen of Huschke in adult life may be involved in abnormalities of the external auditory canal and related structures, which can lead to otological complications. This paper examines age-related changes in the development of the tympanic plate from the perinatal to the adult condition using two osteological samples from Britain, and is the first systematic evaluation beyond the age of six years. The results suggest that the widely cited chronology for the closure of the foramen of Huschke is erroneous. Earlier stages of formation may be used for narrowing age estimation in fragmentary remains of juveniles in a skeletal collection of unknown age or in a forensic or clinical context. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Valuing Teaching in University Academic Promotions

Studies on academic promotions point to a consensus among academics that excellence in teaching quality should be rewarded and recognised though challenges remain about how exactly this can be done. This article presents a quantitative analysis of all applications for academic promotion and their outcomes over a three-year period (2009-2011) at a South African university; where promotions to all ranks (lecturer to professor) are made on the basis of teaching and/or research. It statistically examines the extent to which academic promotions may be attributed to research and/or teaching with particular reference to gender and rank. The results demonstrate that teaching is valued and brings into sharp relief the gendering of academic promotions. Significant findings show that while more men applied for promotion to the ranks of the professoriate; a greater proportion of women were successful in being promoted at these levels. Moreover, the success rate of females is 20% lower than the success rate of males if research is the only criterion for promotion; and the success rate of females, when using both research and teaching criteria, is 22% higher than it is for males. The research reported suggests that the implication of excluding teaching as a criterion for academic promotions disadvantages the career progression of women academics and is a barrier to increasing the number of women in the professoriate.
A Comparison of Cetirizine and Montelukast for Treating Childhood Perennial Allergic Rhinitis

The purpose of the present study was to compare the efficacy and safety of cetirizine and montelukast use for the treatment of pediatric perennial allergic rhinitis. To this end, 60 perennial allergic rhinitis patients suffering a mite allergy, and aged from 6 to 12 years old, were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups for a period of 12 weeks; 20 were assigned to the cetirizine group (10 mg daily), 20 to the montelukast group (5 mg daily), and 20 to the placebo group. The effects of the three agents were compared with the Pediatric Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire and participants' nasal symptom score by daily diary card. Nasal peak expiratory flow rate and laboratory examinations were evaluated for members of the three groups. The results revealed that cetirizine and montelukast were efficacious for the total symptom score for weeks 4, 8, and 12 (p < 0.01). Cetirizine was more effective than montelukast for rhinorrhea, nasal congestion, sneezing, and red eyes. The Pediatric.
Glucose Measurement: Confounding Issues in Setting Targets for Inpatient Management

We thank Mahoney and Ellison (1) for their interest in the study of glucose measurement in the hospital (2). We agree that not all devices using the same enzyme display the same degree of interference (3). Furthermore, the introduction of a third electrode does not always compensate for the interference (3). It …
Pirogoff’s Amputation after Shotgun Injury of the Foot: A case report

Case report: We present a case of a 73-year-old male with extended soft-tissue injury of the left foot and multiple pellets in the surrounding tissues after shotgun injury. Aside from arterial hypertension and noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, the patient suffered from obesity and peripheral peroneal paresis after thromboembolectomy in 1997. Systemic and local examination showed no neurological or vascular compromise to the foot. Radiographs revealed comminuted fractures of the talus, navicular and medial cuneiform. A Priogoff amputation was chosen as the amputation of choice.
Subungual Osteogenic Malignant Melanoma

Osteogenic melanoma may mimic many other tumors, especially osteogenic sarcoma; only 12 cases have been reported so far. To characterize this unusual neoplasm further, we present the clinicopathologic findings of a new case. A 67-year-old woman was treated unsuccessfully for “fungal granuloma” of her great toe. After nail ablation and incisional biopsy, the toe was exarticulated. Histologically, we found a high-grade, spindle, focally epithelioid, amelanotic malignant tumor with a distinct osteoid and chondroid matrix. Spindle, epithelioid, osteoblastic, and chondroblastic tumor cells were immunoreactive for vimentin, S-100 protein, and NKI/C3. Ultrastructurally, diagnostic premelanosomes were not identified. Features that support a diagnosis of osteogenic melanoma are superficial subungual location, absence of bone involvement, and immunoreactivity for vimentin, S-100 protein, and NKI/C3. The unusual features of current tumor are absence of radial growth phase, negative reaction to HMB-45, and ultrastructural absence of melanosomes.
Mexico City Earthquake: Medical Response

The earthquake that shook Mexico City could not have chosen a more vulnerable target. The capital city is located in the center of the world's most populated area. Some 18 million people, one fourth of the nation's inhabitants, are jammed into a mere 890 square miles, roughly 1% of the predominantly rural area. It is estimated that nearly one third of all families in Mexico City live huddled together in a single room and the average family has five members. Besides being a densely populated area, Mexico City was founded on a shaky geological base that makes it specially susceptible to tremors. The first human settlements were made on the soft, humid clay of an old lake bed. The city has been constantly sinking through the years and some buildings are even tilted sideways, therefore having a greater risk in case of earth movements.
The international development of the ‘Social Norms’ approach to drug education and prevention

The social norms approach to health promotion has become remarkably popular in the last 20 years, particularly in the American college system. It is an alternative to traditional fear-based approaches of health education, which a growing body of research demonstrates is often ineffective in reducing alcohol and drug misuse. The social norms approach differs by recognizing that individuals, particularly young adults, tend to overestimate how heavily and frequently their peers consume alcohol, and that these perceptions lead them to drink more heavily themselves than they would otherwise do. Similar misperceptions have been found in a range of other health and non-health behaviours. The social norms approach aims to reduce these misperceptions, and thus personal consumption, through the use of media campaigns and personal feedback. Although the numbers of completed social norms projects outside the USA is small, the evidence from them is that the approach can be equally effective in both European and Australian contexts. It is also acknowledged that as an emergent field, there are limitations to the current social norms literature. There is a lack of randomized control trial studies, a lack of clarity of the role of referent groups and a need to better understand the processes through which misperceptions are transmitted. However, despite these issues, the social norms approach represents a new avenue for reducing alcohol and drug-related harm and is an area which merits further research.
Should criteria for inclusion in cancer clinical trials be expanded?

Imagine the following: A 58-year-old surgeon recently diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer comes to see you for clinical trial options. He is otherwise in excellent health, and he takes no medications. He is highly motivated to receive cutting-edge treatments, has a thorough understanding of the nature of the disease and potential therapies, and states he will be strictly adherent to any recommended treatment regimen. However, he is not eligible for any clinical trial available at your institution due to a history of localized prostate cancer treated surgically three years previously.
Impact of paliperidone palmitate versus oral atypical antipsychotics on healthcare outcomes in schizophrenia patients.

AIM To assess impact of initial treatment and time-dependent treatment with paliperidone palmitate (PP) versus oral atypical antipsychotics (OAAs) on healthcare resource utilization and costs. PATIENTS & METHODS A retrospective longitudinal study was conducted among Medicaid beneficiaries with schizophrenia. Inverse probability treatment weighting method and marginal structural models were used to estimate the impact of treatment on healthcare resource utilization and costs, respectively. RESULTS Compared to OAAs, PP was associated with lower medical costs (mean monthly cost difference [MMCD] = -US$256; p = 0.008), which offset the higher pharmacy expense (MMCD = US$122; p < 0.001) resulting in nonsignificant cost savings associated with PP (MMCD = -US$91; p = 0.689). CONCLUSION PP was associated with comparable overall costs to OAAs, but with significantly lower medical costs, particularly attributable to reduced inpatient visits and long-term care admissions.
Levels of mortality of the South African aged p opulation using the method of extinct generations 1

This paper investigates the reasons for the levelling off of the mortality estimates at the oldest age groups and the possibility of estimating the level of the mortality rates at these ages.The research applies the method of extinct generations to estimate indirectly the population numbers at the oldest-old age groups (75 to 100+) using data on reported deaths alone, and hence, the mortality rates. After observing that the estimated mortality rates are levelling off with age at the advanced ages (age 90 to 100+) due to age exaggeration in both the deaths and the population, the Gompertz curve was fitted to the estimated mortality rates at age groups 75, 80 and 85. Our estimates are generally lower but close to the estimates derived by Dorrington et al., (2004) and the estimates from the United Nations Population Division (UNPD) and the US Census Bureau (USCB) population projections.
Coexistence of Gravesâ Disease (Basedowâs Disease) and Ulcerative Colitis

The coexistence of Graves’ disease (GD), also known as Basedow’s disease, and ulcerative colitis (UC) is uncommon although both conditions involve the autoimmune process. This report reviews the English- and Japanese-language literature on coexisting hyperthyroidism and UC, and discusses cases of concomitant GD and UC reported since 1980. Of the 16 cases of concomitant GD and UC that were identified, 10 were female (62.5%). In one case (6.3%), GD and UC were simultaneously diagnosed. In nine cases (56.3%) GD developed before UC and in six cases (37.5%) UC developed before GD. The time interval between the development of the primary and the concomitant disease was 0–20 years. Most cases of concomitant GD and UC were treated with pharmacotherapy and there were no deaths reported.
Branching Pattern of Coronary Arteries in Prenatal Heart of Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis)

The present investigation revealed that the left and right coronary arteries of buffalo foetii arose from the left caudal and right caudal aortic sinuses, respectively. After coursing a short distance under left auricle, the left coronary artery was divided into paraconal inter-ventricular artery and circumflex branch. Paraconal inter-ventricular branch ran in the left longitudinal groove and before reaching the apex it curved upward and anastomosed with the continuation of circumflex branch in the right longitudinal groove. The circumflex branch ran in the coronary groove caudally and gave intermediate branch on posterior border and later continued in right longitudinal groove to anastomose with the continuation of paraconal inter-ventricular branch. Right coronary artery passed under the right auricle and divided into 2 main branches. One branch anastomosed with the circumflex branch of the left coronary artery in the coronary groove and the second one was septal artery and supplied the inter-ventricular septum.