Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The AEC / NRC 30 mCi Rule : Regulatory Origins and Clinical Consequences for 131 I Remnant Ablative Doses

Background: Clinical and historical uncertainty exists surrounding the regulations of the Atomic Energy Commission/Nuclear Regulatory Commission (AEC/NRC) requiring patient hospitalization when I activities exceed 30 mCi. This review investigates the sometimes disturbing regulatory and clinical origins and consequences of the use of this low, 30 mCi dose as a prescription for thyroid remnant ablation. Summary: As early as in the 1940s, activities of I between 30 and 200 mCi, often fractionated, were employed. The AEC deliberated from 1947 to the early 1960s before imposing as a license condition the requirement of hospitalizing patients until they contained < 30 mCi of any byproduct material. The written AEC record throughout these years contains no supportive data to suggest safety issues requiring hospitalization at this activity level of I. Yet the techniques for making the necessary calculations for determining radiation safety were available at this time. Declarations on the subject by nongovernmental bodies were misinterpreted as confirming such hospitalization as a legal requirement. The 30 mCi license condition was codified into NRC regulations in 1987 and was subsequently removed in 1997. Without any data, these U.S. regulatory agencies caused significant expense, inconvenience, and fear, affecting thyroid cancer patients and their families. This 30 mCi regulatory activity limit morphed, by a fortunate coincidence, into an acceptable ablative activity before there were solid confirmatory data. Studies on this 30 mCi ablative dose indicate that this activity was never associated with radiation health and safety issues, and was never more effective than higher ablative doses but led slightly more often to the need for a second I dose. Nevertheless, the available data generally support the American Thyroid Association and Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Guidelines, which indicate, without a treatment activity preference, that 30–100 mCi of I provide adequate ablation. Follow-up data on the rates of recurrences, deaths, and second primary malignancies within this range of doses are unavailable. Conclusions: This history of unjustified governmental action and blind acceptance must remind the medical/ radiation safety community to require solid data before ever again adopting baseless requirements. The 30 mCi dose should have never been employed as a requirement for hospitalization.
Contrasting population genetic structures using allozymes and the inversion polymorphism in Drosophila buzzatii

Second chromosome inversion and genotypic frequencies at seven allozyme loci, differentially associated with inversions, were determined in seven natural populations of Drosophila buzzatii. The patterns of variation of allozymes and the inversion polymorphisms were significantly different, indicating the role of adaptive differentiation for the latter. Moreover, the patterns of population structure varied among allozyme loci, suggesting the operation of diversifying selection for certain loci. Differentiation was negligible for Leucyl‐amino peptidase (Lap) and Peptidase‐2 (Pep‐2), low to moderate for Aldehyde oxidase (Aldox), Peptidase‐1 (Pep‐1) and Esterase‐1 (Est‐1) and high for Esterase‐2 (Est‐2) and Xanthine dehydrogenase (Xdh). Significant linkage disequilibria were detected between inversions and Aldox, Est‐1, Est‐2 and Xdh. Multiple regression analyses of inversion and allele frequencies on environmental variables revealed the existence of clines for inversions, Est‐1, Est‐2, Xdh and Aldox along altitudinal, latitudinal and/or climatic gradients. Tests using conditional allele frequencies showed that Est‐1 and Aldox clines could be accounted for by hitchhiking with inversions, whereas natural selection should be invoked to explain the clines observed for Est‐2 and Xdh.
The thermodynamic stability of insulin disulfides is not affected by the C-domain of insulin-like growth factor 1

Both Insulin and insulin-like growth factor 1 are members of insulin superfamily. They share homologous primary and tertiary structure as well as weakly overlapping biological activity. However, their folding behavior is different: insulin and its recombinant precursor (PIP) fold into one unique tertiary structure, while IGF-1 folds into two disulfides isomers with similar thermodynamic stability. To elucidate the molecular mechanism of their different folding behavior, we prepared a singlechain hybrid of insulin and IGF-1, [B10Glu]Ins/IGF-1(C), and studied its folding behavior compared with that of PIP and IGF-1. We also separated a major non-native disulfides isomer of the hybrid and studied its refolding. The data showed that the C-domain of IGF-1 did not affect the folding thermodynamics of insulin, that is, the primary structure of the hybrid encoded only one thermodynamically stable disulfides linkage. However, the folding kinetics of insulin was affected by the C-domain of IGF-1.
DV-Loc: a scalable localization protocol using Voronoi diagrams for wireless sensor networks

Localization systems have been identified as a key issue in the development and operation of wireless sensor networks. DV-Hop, a well-known localization algorithm, has recently been proposed for WSNs. Its basic idea relies on transforming the distance to all beacon nodes from hops to meters by using the computed average size of a hop. Despite its advantages, the DV-Hop algorithm has some limitations, mainly due to its high communication cost and energy consumption, which unfortunately limit its applicability to small or medium-sized sensor networks. The scalability issue of DV-Hop is a challenging problem that needs to be addressed. In this article we propose a novel localization-based protocol and show how Voronoi diagrams can be used efficiently to scale a DV-Hop algorithm while maintaining and/or reducing further DV-Hop's localization error. In our localization scheme, nodes can also be localized by their Voronoi cells. In order to evaluate the performance of our scheme, we present an extensive set of simulation experiments using ns-2. Our results clearly indicate that our proposed algorithm performs and scales better than DV-Hop.
ICT-Based Communication Events as Triggers of Stress: A Mixed Methods Study

ICT-based communication brings more flexibility to our lives but likewise can be a source of stress. In this paper, we argue that stress due to ICT-based communication is triggered not only by stable material properties of ICTs but also by characteristics of the usage situation itself. To explore the stress-inducing characteristics of ICT-based communication events, we opt for a developmental mixed methods approach. A qualitative study with 59 participants is used to identify ICT-based communication event stressors. Based on the transactional theory of stress and coping and the qualitative data, we develop hypotheses on how these stressors affect momentary stress levels and cumulate over the course of a day to affect end-of-day stress levels. An ongoing quantitative experience sampling study will be used to test the proposed hypotheses. By adopting an event-based perspective, this paper could help to understand variations of stress due to ICT-based communication across different events.
Stereoscopic Threshold in Children and Adults

ABSTRACT The threshold of stereoacuity is reported as measured on 369 normal children aged 3 to 7 years, and on 51 normal adults. Four standard clinical stereotests were used and two different testing procedures adopted. The results show that both threshold and variability decrease with age, and performance becomes adult‐like at different ages for different tests. Intertest correlations are poor, and in cases where the correlation is significant, no identifiable pattern emerges between testing procedures, age, and stereotests. The procedures themselves gave no significant difference in stereoacuity values between all four tests.
Stakeholder salience and social responsibility: Study of small businesses in Malaysia

This study empirically examined the role of stakeholders’ influence on social responsibility practices of small businesses in Malaysia, and analysed the importance and current attention of small firms to these stakeholder groups using the Importance-Performance Matrix Analysis (IPMA). Findings of this study revealed that community’s influence and customers’ influence had significant positive impact on the social responsibility practices of small firms. Moreover, the results of IPMA for the social responsibility construct indicated that community’s influence had the highest importance for small businesses and was given the highest level of attention by the firms. In contrast, customer’s influence was given lower attention by small firms despite its high level of importance for social responsibility practices of the firm.
The use of an online pictorial Epworth Sleepiness Scale in the assessment of age and gender specific differences in excessive daytime sleepiness.

BACKGROUND Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is a non-specific but highly prevalent cardinal symptom of sleep disorders. We hypothesized that with modern media and an online pictorial Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) age and gender specific differences of EDS could be identified on a large scale. This could be helpful in the screening of patients with sleep disorders. PATIENTS AND METHODS In 8,098 subjects, age and gender were recorded in addition to an online pictorial ESS (range 0-24 points). The cut-off for EDS (ESS >10 points) was chosen in line with the traditional ESS. RESULTS The prevalence of EDS was slightly higher in male subjects (45% vs. 43%, P=0.033). When age was considered, female subjects tended to be sleepier in their 3(rd) and 4(th) lifetime decade (P=0.01 and P=0.003, respectively), whilst male subjects scored significantly higher in their 7(th) decade (P<0.0001); there was a trend to more daytime symptoms with higher age (P for trend <0.001). CONCLUSIONS The online pictorial ESS identifies gender differences in EDS and reveals increased levels of sleepiness associated with higher age. The use of modern media facilitates reaching out to the general population to raise awareness of conditions associated with EDS such as sleep apnoea.
Effect of hematocrit on cerebral blood flow.

Cerebral blood flow (CBF) falls as hematocrit (Hct) rises. Investigators have differed on the relative importance of the increases in arterial O2 content (CaO2) and red blood cell concentration in mediating the fall. Our experimental protocol attempted to determine the independent effects of these two variables. In 13 unanesthetized lambs (less than 7 days old) we measured arterial and sagittal sinus blood gases, and O2 contents, and CBF (microsphere technique) at oxyhemoglobin Hcts of approximately 20 and 40% and after an isovolemic exchange transfusion with a mixture of normal and pure methemoglobin (MHb) containing red cells. Following MHb exchange, Hct rose (19.7 +/- 0.3 vs. 38.2 +/- 0.4%, mean +/- SEM) with little change in CaO2 (9.3 +/- 0.2 vs. 10.0 +/- 0.3 vol%). Arterial PCO2, pH, mean arterial blood pressure, and cerebral O2 consumption (CMRO2) did not change. However, CBF fell (153 +/- 11 vs. 110 +/- 7 ml . 100 g-1 . min-1). CBF declined further when CaO2 rose (17.3 +/- 0.5 vol%) at the higher oxyhemoglobin Hct (36.9 +/- 0.8%). We calculated that the increase in red cell concentration accounted for 56% of the decrease in CBF that ordinarily occurs as Hct rises from 20 to 40%. The effect of red cell concentration on CBF varied among individual animals. It correlated closely (r = -0.77) with the initial cerebral fractional O2 extraction [E = CMRO2/(CBF X CaO2)]. Animals with the most luxuriant O2 supply (CBF X CaO2) relative to demand (CMRO2) had the greatest decrements in CBF as red blood cell concentration rose.
Polymerase chain reaction assay for avian polyomavirus

A polymerase chain reaction assay was developed for detection of budgerigar fledgling disease virus (BFDV). The assay used a single set of primers complementary to sequences located in the putative coding region for the BFDV VP1 gene. The observed amplification product had the expected size of 550 bp and was confirmed to derive from BFDV DNA by its restriction digestion pattern. This assay was specific for BFDV and highly sensitive, being able to detect as few as 20 copies of the virus. By using the polymerase chain reaction, BFDV was detected in adult, nestling, and embryo budgerigar (Melopsitticus undulatus) tissue DNAs and in sera from adult and nestling budgerigars. These results suggest the possibility of persistent infections in adult birds and lend further support to previously described evidence of possible in ovo transmission. BFDV was also detected in chicken embryo fibroblast cell cultures and chicken eggs inoculated with the virus. A 550-bp product with identical restriction enzyme sites was amplified from a suspected polyomavirus isolated from a peach-faced lovebird (Agapornis pesonata) and from tissue DNA from a Hahn's macaw (Ara nobilis) and a sun conure (Aratinga solstitialis) with histological lesions suggestive of polyomavirus infection. These fragments also hybridized with a BFDV-derived probe, proving that they were derived from a polyomavirus very similar, if not identical, to BFDV.
Budesonide/formoterol maintenance and reliever therapy in primary care asthma management: effects on bronchial hyperresponsiveness and asthma control.

BACKGROUND The management of asthma has changed since the introduction of budesonide/formoterol (Symbicort®) as both maintenance and reliever therapy (SMART). SMART and its effects on bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) have not been studied in primary care. AIMS To compare the effects of SMART and guideline-driven usual care (UC) on BHR and clinical asthma severity in primary care practice. METHODS Patients with mild-to-moderate stable asthma were randomised to receive SMART treatment (n=54) (budesonide/formoterol 80/4.5 μg Turbuhaler®, two puffs once daily and extra inhalations as needed) or UC treatment (n=48) for 12 months. Diary data, Asthma Control Questionnaire scores, forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), and peak expiratory flow (PEF) measurements were collected during run-in and after 1, 3, 6, and 12 months of treatment. BHR, measured as the dose of histamine provoking a fall in FEV1 of 20% (PD20-histamine), was determined at randomisation and after 12 months. RESULTS One hundred and two patients with asthma participated in the study. The change in PD20-histamine during the study was not significantly different between the SMART and UC groups (p=0.26). The mean inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) dose was 326 μg beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) equivalents/day (95% CI 254 to 399) with SMART, which was significantly lower (p<0.0001) than the mean ICS dose with UC treatment (798 μg BDP equivalents/day (95% CI 721 to 875). Morning and evening PEF values increased significantly with SMART treatment compared with UC; FEV1, symptoms and asthma control did not differ. CONCLUSIONS Despite a 59% lower dose of ICS, BHR and other clinical outcomes remained stable during SMART treatment while PEF values improved.
Clinical and analytical relevance of the combination of prothrombin 20210A/A and factor V Leiden: results from a large family

We analysed the clinical and analytical features of 18 subjects from a Spanish family who bear several combinations of two prothrombotic mutations, factor V Leiden (FVL) and prothrombin 20210A. We identified three subjects homozygous for the 20210A prothrombin mutation which additionally were heterozygous for FVL. The combination of both mutations increases the risk of developing venous thrombotic episodes at the earlier age. However, even in association with FVL, the homozygous condition of the prothrombin 20210A mutation requires additional risk factors to induce a thrombotic event. Finally, the plasma level of factor II showed a significant relationship with the prothrombin genotype.
The Relationship of Genetics and Nutrition and Their Influence on Animal Performance

The beef cattle industry relies heavily on both genetics and nutrition to achieve its production goals and to contend with other industries. However, it is important to understand how these two aspects correspond with one another and the effect they have on each other. Nutrition can be considered not only the most expensive input of animal rearing, but also the most critical. If animals do not receive proper levels of nutrition, no matter how genetically superior they are, they will not perform to their optimum level. To truly understand the impact genetics and nutrition have on one another it is important to look at how they both play roles in body condition score and body weight; energy requirements; maintenance energy requirements; feed efficiency, feed conversion and feed intake; residual feed intake; and the development of EPDs.
Short-Term Effect of Coarse Particles on Daily Mortality Rate in A Tropical City, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Many studies examined the short-term effects of air pollution on frequency of daily mortality over the past two decades. However, information on the relationship between exposure to levels of coarse particles (PM2.5-10) and daily mortality rate is relatively sparse due to limited availability of monitoring data and findings are inconsistent. This study was undertaken to determine whether an association exists between PM2.5-10 levels and rate of daily mortality in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, a large industrial city with a tropical climate. Daily mortality rate, air pollution parameters, and weather data for Kaohsiung were obtained for the period 2006–2008. The relative risk (RR) of daily mortality occurrence was estimated using a time-stratified case-crossover approach, controlling for (1) weather variables, (2) day of the week, (3) seasonality, and (4) long-term time trends. For the single-pollutant model without adjustment for other pollutants, PM2.5-10 exposure levels showed significant correlation with total mortality rate both on warm and cool days, with an interquartile range increase associated with a 14% (95% CI = 5–23%) and 12% (95% CI = 5–20%) rise in number of total deaths, respectively. In two-pollutant models, PM2.5-10 exerted significant influence on total mortality frequency after inclusion of sulfur dioxide (SO2) on warm days. On cool days, PM2.5-10 induced significant elevation in total mortality rate when SO2 or ozone (O3) was added in the regression model. There was no apparent indication of an association between PM2.5-10 exposure and deaths attributed to respiratory and circulatory diseases. This study provided evidence of correlation between short-term exposure to PM2.5-10 and increased risk of death for all causes.
Critical Review: The Effects of Education Regarding Stuttering on the Attitudes of Individuals Towards People Who Stutter

This critical review examines the existing evidence to determine whether exposure to education about stuttering and the effects of stuttering will yield a measurable change in the attitudes of individuals towards people who stutter. The research includes 3 single group studies and a randomized controlled trial. Overall, the examined research provides no evidence that providing education about stuttering alters individuals’ perceptions of people who stutter in a positive direction. The limited scope of this research and weaknesses in design severely limit the clinical application and generalizability of the results.
Cognitive behavioral guided self-help for the treatment of recurrent binge eating.

OBJECTIVE Despite proven efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for treating eating disorders with binge eating as the core symptom, few patients receive CBT in clinical practice. Our blended efficacy-effectiveness study sought to evaluate whether a manual-based guided self-help form of CBT (CBT-GSH), delivered in 8 sessions in a health maintenance organization setting over a 12-week period by master's-level interventionists, is more effective than treatment as usual (TAU). METHOD In all, 123 individuals (mean age = 37.2; 91.9% female, 96.7% non-Hispanic White) were randomized, including 10.6% with bulimia nervosa (BN), 48% with binge eating disorder (BED), and 41.4% with recurrent binge eating in the absence of BN or BED. Baseline, posttreatment, and 6- and 12-month follow-up data were used in intent-to-treat analyses. RESULTS At 12-month follow-up, CBT-GSH resulted in greater abstinence from binge eating (64.2%) than TAU (44.6%; number needed to treat = 5), as measured by the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE). Secondary outcomes reflected greater improvements in the CBT-GSH group in dietary restraint (d = 0.30); eating, shape, and weight concern (ds = 0.54, 1.01, 0.49, respectively; measured by the EDE Questionnaire); depression (d = 0.56; Beck Depression Inventory); and social adjustment (d = 0.58; Work and Social Adjustment Scale), but not weight change. CONCLUSIONS CBT-GSH is a viable first-line treatment option for the majority of patients with recurrent binge eating who do not meet diagnostic criteria for BN or anorexia nervosa.
Effect of dimethyl sulfoxide on inhibition of post-ovariectomy osteopenia in rats

Abstract There is increasing evidence that oxidative stress, due to estrogen deficiency, leads to osteopenia. In this study, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), an antioxidant solvent, was used against post-ovariectomy osteopenia (PO) in rats. Forty female rats were divided into 5 groups randomly as follows: Sham, control group; OVX, ovariectomized group; DMSO1, ovariectomized injected DMSO (0.5 ml/kg/d ip); DMSO2, ovariectomized injected DMSO (1 ml/kg/day ip) and DMSO3, ovariectomized injected DMSO (2 ml/kg/d ip). DMSO therapy started 1 week after ovariectomy and continued for 13 weeks. After 13th weeks, sera were prepared, and then L4 vertebrae and right tibial bones rinsed in fixative. Serum bone alkaline phosphatase (BALP), osteocalcin, pyridinoline, malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) were measured. Trabecular volume density, trabecular and cortex thickness were estimated. Osteoclast and osteoblast numbers were counted morphometrically. The data were analyzed by ANOVA and then post hoc Tukey test at p < 0.05. The increase of pyridinoline and decrease of BALP in DMSO injected groups were inhibited compared with OVX group (p < 0.05). In DMSO injected groups, decrease of bone density, trabecular volume density, thickness of trabecular and tibial cortex were inhibited compared with OVX group (p < 0.05). MDA decreased significantly in DMSO injected groups compared with OVX group. Osteoclast number decreased in DMSO injected groups compared with OVX group (p < 0.05). Osteoblast number did not show significant change in DMSO groups compared with OVX group. In conclusion, DMSO ameliorates PO through decrease of osteoclast number, osteoclast inhibition and osteoblast activation. These effects may probably be mediated via antioxidant property of DMSO.
Simplified method for determining the radiochemical purity of 99mTc-MAG3.

UNLABELLED 99mTc-Mercaptoacetyltriglycine is used for dynamic renal imaging, and the summary of product characteristics (SPC) for the European formulation specifies a shelf life of 1 or 4 h, depending on the reconstitution volume of the kit. To minimize the time required to test the radiochemical purity, a simplified quality control method was developed. METHODS To satisfy the recommendations of the International Commission on Harmonisation, results obtained with the methods described in the European and American SPCs were compared with those obtained with the simplified method. Further validation of the new method was performed by comparison with the standard 2-strip thin-layer chromatographic method as well as tests for linearity and limits of detection and quantification. RESULTS The simplified method provided results comparable to those provided by the registered SPC methods but was more rapid to perform and used smaller volumes of solvents. CONCLUSION The simplified method is a reasonable alternative to the registered SPC methods.