Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Energetic Efficiency, Menstrual Irregularity, and Bone Mineral Density in Elite Professional Female Ballet Dancers

Sports that emphasize low body weight for optimal performance, such as ballet, are associated with an increased prevalence of the female athlete triad (FT). Previous research in this area that involves dancers has been limited; the majority of studies have been performed on adolescents training in classical ballet, and not professional adult dancers. The purpose of this study is to compare the physical and behavioral characteristics of female elite ballet dancers to sedentary, recreation-ally active non-dancing controls, with regard to characteristics of the FT and energetic efficiency. Women aged 18 to 35 years were recruited as participants. The dancers (N =15) and non-dancing controls (N =15) were pair-matched via age (dancers: 24.3 ±1.3 years; controls: 23.7 ± 0.9 years), body mass index (dancers: 18.9 ± 0.2; controls: 19.4 ± 0.2 kg/m2), and fat-free mass (dancers: 44.3 ± 0.8; controls: 44.1 ± 0.9 kg). Assessments included habitual dietary intake using 4-day food records, self-reported physical activity, psychometric measures of eating behaviors, health and menstrual history, body composition and bone density (dual energy x-ray absorptiometry), and resting metabolic rate (RMR) assessed by indirect calorimetry. Characteristics of the FT, specifically menstrual irregularities (6 of 15 dancers reported irregular or no menses; 1 of 15 controls reported irregular menses) and low energy availability, were more prevalent in dancers than in pair-matched controls. Despite having a similar fat-free mass (FFM), dancers had a significantly lower absolute RMR (dancers: 1367 ± 27; controls: 1454 ± 34 kcal/d; p ≤ 0.05) and significantly lower RMR relative to FFM (dancers: 30.9 ± 0.6; controls: 33.1 ± 0.8 kcal/kg fat-free mass/d; p ≤ 0.05). Energy intake between dancers (1577 ± 89 kcal/d) and pair-matched controls (2075 ± 163 kcal/d) also differed significantly (p ≤ 0.01). Six of the 15 dancers met the criteria for the FT (including low bone mineral density, menstrual irregularities, and eating pathology accompanied by low energy availability) and, therefore, represent a population of individuals afflicted with this disorder. These findings provide insight as to the metabolic impact of chronic energy restriction, and suggest that alterations in RMR (i.e., energetic efficiency) may be an indicator of low energy availability. Future larger-scale studies are warranted to address this possibility. Interventions aimed at increasing energy availability in elite female ballet dancers may be needed to promote optimal health status.
Does Tinnitus Lead to Depression?

PURPOSE The aim of the study was to investigate the correlation between THI (Tinnitus Handicap Inventory) and BDS (Beck Depression Scale). MATERIALS AND METHODS High frequency thresholds and PTA (Pure Tone Audiometer) thresholds for the patients were measured in 44 patients with tinnitus (bilateral=13; unilateral=31). Tinnitus frequency and intensity were measured using one-pair method with high frequency audiometer Interacoustic AC40. Applied BDS and THI scores are evaluated for all patients. Our findings are analysed statistically with SPSS v.21 and BDS and THI correlation with tinnitus intensity and frequency was executed. RESULTS The mean value of tinnitus frequency was 10 kHz (min 0.25 kHz, max16 kHz and SD 4.26), mean tinnitus intensity was 50.6 dB (min 15 dB, max 110 dB and SD 26.9 dB) mean THI score was 38.04 (min 10, max 86 and SD 20.03) and mean BDS score was 9.45 (min 0, max 28 and SD 6.49). There was no statistical correlation between THI score and tinnitus frequency (r=0.055, p=0.787). Moderate correlation is obtained between tinnitus frequency and depression (r=0.6, p=0.001). There were weak correlations between tinnitus intensity and THI score and (r=0.3, p=0.09) and between tinnitus intensity and BDS score (r=0.28, p=0.13). Although a statistically significant difference was observed between THI scores of patients with bilateral and unilateral tinnitus (p0.05). High frequency thresholds and UCL scores of ears with tinnitus were not statistically different from ears with no tinnitus (p>0.05). CONCLUSION No correlation was seen between THI and tinnitus frequency, but a moderate correlation was seem between BDS score and tinnitus frequency. There were also weak correlations between tinnitus intensity and THI and BDS scores.
Exceptional early blood pressure control rates: The ACCOMPLISH trial

Background. ACCOMPLISH is a “new‐generation” hypertension trial assessing single‐tablet combination therapy for initial treatment of high‐risk hypertension. At baseline, 97% of subjects were treated with anti‐hypertensive medication at entry, but only 37% of participants had blood pressure (BP) control (<140/90 mmHg). Single‐tablet combination therapy may improve control rates. Methods. The mean BP change from baseline at the end of 6 months (the time point when subjects should have had all of the drug titrations to achieve BP control) was examined for 10,704 randomized patients. Within‐group changes were examined using t‐tests. Comparisons between subgroups were made using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and covariance (ANCOVA). Results. Mean (±SD) BP fell from 145±18/80±11 mmHg at randomization to 132±16/74±10 mmHg. The 6‐month BP control rate was 73% in the overall trial (78% in the US), 43% in diabetics and 40% in patients with renal disease. Of the patients uncontrolled, 61% were not on maximal medications, suggesting potential increases in control rates. Serious hypotensive events occurred in 1.8% of participants. Conclusion. ACCOMPLISH BP control rates are the highest of any multi‐national trial to date. Whereas current guidelines recommend combination therapy only for stage 2 hypertension, in this trial it is expedient and safe for both stage 1 and 2 hypertension.
Can Social Contact Reduce Prejudice and Discrimination? Evidence from a Field Experiment in Nigeria

Can positive social contact between members of antagonistic groups reduce prejudice and discrimination? Despite extensive research on social contact, observational studies are difficult to interpret because prejudiced people may select out of contact with out-group members. We overcome this problem by conducting an education-based, randomized field experiment—the Urban Youth Vocational Training program (UYVT)—with 849 randomly sampled Christian and Muslim young men in riot-prone Kaduna, Nigeria. After sixteen weeks of positive intergroup social contact, we find no changes in prejudice, but heterogeneous-class subjects discriminate significantly less against out-group members than subjects in homogeneous classes. We trace this finding to increased discrimination by homogeneous-class subjects compared to non-UYVT study participants, and we highlight potentially negative consequences of in-group social contact. By focusing on skill-building instead of peace messaging, our intervention minimizes reporting bias and offers strong experimental evidence that intergroup social contact can alter behavior in constructive ways, even amid violent conflict.
Effect of low dissolved oxygen on survival, emergence, and drift of tropical stream macroinvertebrates

Abstract The effect of different dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations on the macroinvertebrate assemblages from 2 Australian tropical streams (1 upland, 1 lowland) was measured using artificial stream mesocosms. Responses to 5-d exposures were tested. Both the upland and lowland assemblages showed a similar response. Most taxa tolerated all but very low DO levels (<10% saturation), although a reduction in emergence of insect taxa at intermediate levels (25–35% and 10–20% saturation) was observed. Mayflies showed the highest sensitivity to low oxygen conditions, and lethal effects were observed at DO levels <20% saturation for several upland and lowland species. For other taxa, including several Chironomidae, mortality was observed when oxygen concentrations were below 8% saturation. A drift response was observed only when oxygen concentrations reached near lethal levels (≤10% saturation). The lack of a drift response at DO concentrations of 25 to 35% and 10 to 20% saturation indicates that, in moderately poor oxygen conditions, macroinvertebrates will remain at a location and, hence, experience sublethal effects such as suppressed emergence. It is clear that these animals can persist in hypoxic conditions in the short term. However, because of sublethal effects, understanding how low DO concentrations affect natural assemblages of aquatic macroinvertebrates may require studies of populations over several generations.
Overview of Current Commercial PaaS Platforms

The development of Cloud Computing has paid attention mainly to the virtualization of hardware components, under a scheme of Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS). Most of Cloud vendors offer solutions based in IaaS to offer virtual services and applications, instead of developing a proper Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) solution. This paper analyzes some existing commercial PaaS clouds, identifying in what degree they meet some essential requirements. These requirements are also argued, and guidelines for addressing them using an academic approach in a PaaS solution are provided.
Congestive heart failure: extent of cardiac functional changes caused by aging and organ dysfunction

The mechanical function of the heart is known to deteriorate with increasing age and disease. After rigorous screening of necropsied hearts to exclude cardiovascular disease, Olivetti et al 1 in New York showed that about one third of the cardiomyocytes are lost from the human male heart between the ages of 17–90 years. This natural attrition contrasts with the loss incurred through myocardial infarction and cardiomyopathy, the most common causes of heart failure (HF) in western societies. We sought to identify whether the functional impacts of cardiac impairment through aging and HF are similar or different by conducting symptom limited cardiopulmonary exercise testing in conjunction with haemodynamic evaluations. Thirty seven male subjects were recruited and assigned to the following groups. The first group (20y-Sed) consisted of sedentary untrained healthy men aged 21 (1.6) years (mean (SD), n = 12). The second group (60y-Sed) were 60 (2.9) years old (n = 14). They were screened by a medical history-lifestyle questionnaire and a treadmill ECG exercise stress test and considered to be free of overt cardiovascular disease. Subjects with any history of hypertension, diabetes, neuromuscular impairment, or cardiac or other medical conditions, or who were taking prescribed medications known to affect cardiovascular or respiratory function were excluded. The third group (60y-HF) consisted of 58.3 (3.2) year old patients with HF (n = 11). These patients were in New York Heart Association class III with impaired left ventricular systolic function and consisted of men with congestive HF secondary to idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy and ischaemic heart disease, who were undergoing clinically indicated cardiopulmonary exercise testing with a view to estimating prognosis and …
Implementation and Process Evaluation of a School-Based Drug Abuse Prevention Program: Project towards No Drug Abuse

The present study provides an implementation, process, and immediate outcomes evaluation of the classroom component of Project Towards No Drug Abuse (TND). This project involves development and evaluation of a school-based drug abuse prevention curriculum for continuation high school youth, who are at relatively high risk for drug abuse. Three randomized conditions were evaluated: a standard care, classroom only, and classroom plus school-as-community. The latter condition was an enhanced school-based condition which involved outside-of-classroom meetings and activities. Implementation was high in both program conditions even though this was a higher risk context. Process evaluation data were favorable and did not vary between the two program conditions. Immediate outcomes data (knowledge) was higher in the two program conditions than in the standard care condition. Regarding the classroom program, addition of extra-classroom activities does not appear to alter the quality of delivery of the program.
Ultrasound: A Powerful Tool in the Diagnosis of Ulnar Collateral Ligament Injuries of the Thumb

Proper treatment for injuries to the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) of the metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb relies on an accurate diagnosis of the pathology of the ligament. The current study evaluates the accuracy of ultrasonography to diagnose the specific pathology related to UCL injuries. The charts of 16 patients who underwent 21 studies of the UCL were reviewed. Ten patients had studies that indicated a complete tear, and eight of those patients underwent surgical exploration. Intraoperatively, 7 of the 8 patients were found to have ruptured ligaments. Six patients had studies that indicated intact ligaments. Four patients were treated with immobilization and a fifth patient underwent surgical treatment for a separate pathology. All patients regained stability of the ligament. The final patient had a repeat examination that indicated a rupture and the patient was found to have a markedly attenuated ligament on exploration. In conclusion, ultrasound is a useful modality for making a correct diagnosis of UCL pathology.
Fine needle aspiration of medullary carcinoma of the thyroid. Cytomorphology, immunocytochemistry and electron microscopy.

OBJECTIVE To analyze of medullary carcinoma of the thyroid (MCT) diagnosed by fine needle aspiration (FNA) utilizing cytomorphologic features and ancillary studies. STUDY DESIGN Nine cases of MCT were collected, and the cytomorphologic findings were reviewed. Additionally, immunocytochemistry, immunoelectron microscopy and ultrastructural examination results were reviewed for selected cases. RESULTS In five cases, loose groups predominated over single cells, whereas single cells predominated in three cases. One case showed only highly cohesive groups of cells. Most cells were round to oval, and every case had some degree of plasmacytoid morphology. Spindle-shaped cells were predominant in one case and were occasionally noted as a subpopulation in the other cases. Binucleation was noted in seven cases, and scattered, abnormally large nuclei were identified in five cases. The cytoplasm was moderate to abundant and delicate in all cases. Routine immunocytochemical staining for calcitonin and chromogranin was positive in three of four cases, and staining positive for the markers was detected by immunoelectron microscopy in two cases. In four cases, electron microscopy revealed neurosecretory granules. CONCLUSION The cytomorphologic appearance of medullary thyroid carcinoma is highly distinctive, and the diagnosis can be corroborated by appropriate ancillary studies.
Cytotoxic activity against tumour cells mediated by intermediate TCR cells in the liver and spleen

Morphological and phenotypic characterization in previous studies has indicated that intermediate (int) T‐cell receptor (TCR) cells or T natural killer (TNK) cells may stand at an intermediate position between NK cells and high TCR cells of thymic origin in phylogenetic development. In this study, a functional study on cytotoxic activity against various tumour targets was performed in each purified subset. When a negative selection method entailing in vivo injection of anti‐asialo GM1 antibody or anti‐interleukin (IL)‐2Rβ monoclonal antibody (mAb) was applied, IL‐2Rβ+ CD3− NK cells were found to have the highest NK activity while IL‐2Rβ+ int CD3 (or TCR) cells had a lower level of the NK activity. High CD3 cells (freshly isolated) did not have any such activity. Sorting experiments further revealed that the NK function mediated by int CD3 cells was augmented when they were exposed to anti‐CD3 mAb, anti‐TCRαβ, or anti‐TCRγδ mAb. This phenomenon was not observed in NK cells and high CD3 cells. More importantly, when anti‐CD3 mAb (or anti‐TCR mAb) was added to the assay culture, int CD3 cells became cytotoxic against even NK‐resistant tumour (FcγR−, Fas+) targets. Liver mononuclear cells or int CD3 cells exposed to anti‐CD3 mAb for 6 hr showed an elevated level of perforin in their cytoplasms. The present results suggest that int CD3 cells are usually non‐cytotoxic against various tumours but become functional after being stimulated via the TCR–CD3 complex.
Inconsistent Consonantal Effects on F- in Cantonese and Mandarin

Previous research shows that aspiration and sonorancy can have inconsistent consonantal effects on vowel F0 across languages, and even within the same language in different studies: they are reported to either lower F0, raise F0, or have neutral effects. This paper is interested in such inconsistent consonantal effects on vowel F0 in Cantonese and Mandarin. The results of a series of production experiments show that: (1) consonantal effects on vowel F0 are language-specific; (2) the consonantal effects can be conditioned by lexical tones. The findings also provide insights for puzzles in historical tone change.
Evaluation and New Classification of Alveolar Bone Dehiscences Using Cone-beam Computed Tomography in vivo

Las dehiscencias oseas alveolares, con forma de "V" en el margen del hueso alveolar, son hallazgos comunes en diferentes poblaciones y provocan una disminucion del soporte oseo de los dientes. La dehiscencia fue dificil de identificar durante la exploracion clinica directa. Todos los estudios anteriores sobre la prevalencia de dehiscencia se basaron en craneos humanos secos. En el presente articulo, se evaluo la prevalencia de dehiscencia natural ocurrido en una subpoblacion de China. Realizamos una clasificacion de las dehiscencias mediante tomografia computarizada cone-beam (TCCB). La alta prevalencia de dehiscencias y las diferentes caracteristicas de cada categoria sugieren que esta clasificacion seria de gran ayuda para los medicos que realizan cirugia periodontal, endodontica, cirugia de implantes o tratamiento de ortodoncia, permitiendo informar sobre que dientes estan mas frecuentemente asociados con tales defectos oseos, y poder considerar los efectos severos de las dehiscencias severas en el diagnostico y el plan de tratamiento.
Validation of a High-Throughput, Automated Electrophysiology Platform for the Screening of Nicotinic Agonists and Antagonists

High-throughput compound screening using electrophysiology-based assays represents an important tool for biomedical research and drug discovery programs. The recent development and availability of devices capable of performing high-throughput electrophysiology-based screening have brought the need to validate these tools by producing data that are consistent with results obtained with conventional electrophysiological methods. In this study, we compared the response properties of hα3β4 and hα4β2 nicotinic receptors to their endogenous ligand acetylcholine (ACh) using three separate electrophysiology platforms: Dynaflow (low-throughput, manual system), PatchXpress 7000A (medium-throughput automated platform), and IonWorks Barracuda (high-throughput automated platform). We found that despite the differences in methodological approaches between these technologies, the EC50 values from the ACh dose-response curves were consistent between all three platforms. In addition, we have validated the IonWorks Barracuda for both competitive and uncompetitive inhibition assays by using the competitive nicotinic antagonist dihydro-beta-erythroidin (DHβE) and uncompetitive nicotinic antagonist mecamylamine. Furthermore, we have demonstrated the utility of a custom-written algorithm for generating dose-response curves from multiple extrapolated current metrics that allows for discriminating between competitive and uncompetitive inhibition while maintaining high-throughput capacity. This study provides validation of the consistency of results using low-, medium-, and high-throughput electrophysiology platforms and supports their use for screening nicotinic compounds.
Three-Day Treatment With Butoconazole Nitrate for Vulvovaginal Candidiasis

A multicenter clinical trial of 274 patients compared the efficacy and safety of a new vaginal antifungal compound, butoconazole nitrate cream 2% (butoconazole), to clotrimazole vaginal tablets 200 mg/day (clotrimazole). Both drugs were administered for three days. The patients were randomly assigned to one or the other treatment regimen. Eight days after treatment completion, Candida albicans was absent in vaginal cultures of 95% of patients receiving butoconazole and of 91% of patients receiving clotrimazole; 30 days after treatment completion, 80% of patients receiving butoconazole were free of the fungal infection; the corresponding number for clotrimazole was 74%. Complete absence of the entrance signs and symptoms of vulvovaginal candidiasis was noted in 82% of patients receiving butoconazole and 72% of patients receiving clotrimazole. The phamacokinetic parameters were studied in three women volunteers who received one dose of radiolabeled butoconazole nitrate vaginal cream 2%. Measurable levels of radioactivity were not detected until two to eight hours after vaginal administration of the compound. Maximum plasma levels of radioactivity were achieved 24 hours after dosing and ranged from 19 to 44 ng/mL and fell to background levels after 96 to 120 hours. Total radioactivity was excreted to an equal extent in urine (2.7%) and in feces (2.8%).
Determinants of success or failure in the elimination of major mastitis pathogens in selective dry cow therapy.

Discriminant factors for the elimination of major pathogens (mainly Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus dysgalactiae) were identified from a randomized, double-blind, field study on dry cow therapy. From an original study of 686 cows, 269 fulfilled the criteria for this analysis: 93 from the control group, 83 from group C (treated with Benestermycin vet. "LEO") and 93 from group D (treated with Leocillin with Dihydrostreptomycin vet. "LEO"). A "success" cow was defined as a cow that had all quarters healthy in two tests after dry period. Isolation of a major pathogen (mainly Staph. aureus or Strep. dysgalactiae) in any quarter in both samples after the dry period was defined as "failure. " Better elimination was associated with short-acting preparations (therapy D) rather than with long-acting therapy C (odds ratio = 0.32), as was a smaller mean value of the last three composite milk somatic cell counts (CMSCC) before dry cow therapy. Cows with a major pathogen in the right hind quarter at drying off or at least one case of acute clinical mastitis during the previous lactation were more likely to have a major pathogen in the next lactation (odds ratio = 4.1 and 3.6, respectively). Young cows without major pathogens at drying off should not be recommended for dry cow therapy, and cows with high CMSCC should be considered for culling if their profiles also show previous acute clinical mastitis in combination with generally high CMSCC and low cure rates in the herd.
Structure of the Draco Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy

This article studies the structure of the Draco dwarf spheroidal galaxy, with an emphasis on the question of whether the spatial distribution of its stars has been affected by the tidal interaction with the Milky Way, using R- and V-band CCD photometry for 11 fields. The article reports coordinates for the center, a position angle of the major axis, and the ellipticity. It also reports the results of searches for asymmetries in the structure of Draco. These results and searches for a "break" in the radial profile and for the presence of principal sequences of Draco in a color-magnitude diagram for regions more than 50′ from the center yield no evidence that tidal forces from the Milky Way have affected the structure of Draco.