Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Systematic Review of Interethnic Variability in Facial Dimensions

Background: The earliest recorded facial proportional analysis is in the Greek neoclassical canons (c. 450 b.c.). In contemporary times, there has not yet been a study that describes the relative differences in facial proportions among the world's different ethnic groups. The specific aim of this project was to perform a systematic review of data from the existing literature to evaluate the degree of variability in the facial dimensions among various ethnic groups. Methods: A PubMed database review identified primary articles containing measurements of facial proportions from various ethnic groups. These facial measurements included the heights and widths of the upper, middle, and lower face, which are the features originally described by the neoclassical canons. Coefficients of variation were calculated to derive a unit-free comparison of the degree of variability among different ethnic groups in each of the neoclassically measured facial dimensions. Results: The authors' literature search identified 239 potential articles. After screening for the inclusion and exclusion criteria, seven relevant articles were selected. These articles contained data on 11 linear facial measurements from 2359 male and female individuals from 27 different ethnic groups; features that demonstrated the largest differences among the different ethnic populations were forehead height, interocular distance, and nasal width. Conclusions: The greatest interethnic variability in facial proportions exists in the height of the forehead. More pronounced differences among the ethnic groups are also present in the measurements of the eyes, nose, and mouth. There is no significant difference between sexes in the neoclassical facial proportions.
Discontinuity of output convergence within the U.S.: Why has the course changed?

Has the progress of output convergence changed within the U.S.? This paper examines the output convergence among U.S. states for the last five decades by making several improvements over the extant literature. By applying a battery of convergence tests designed to capture nonlinear transitional dynamics to real output per worker data (i.e., nominal values deflated by state-level price), we find that output convergence has not been a feature of the continental U.S. since the 1970s. Instead, output convergence has proceeded among four subgroups within which constituent states have certain characteristics in common. Our regression analysis suggests that state-level characteristics related to technology and human capital play a crucial role in accounting for the formation and composition of convergence clubs, in agreement with the recent theoretical models of growth and development (e.g., Aghion et al. 2009, Gennaioli et al. 2013b). The level of technology, proxied by patents, turns out to be a consistently significant determinant even after controlling for endogeneity, suggesting that frictions in the diffusion of technology and human capital may have led to clustering of states with different levels of productivity. Our results therefore cast doubt on the common view that diffusion of knowledge and technology across state borders is frictionless.
Staphylococcal adherence to polyvinyl chloride and heparin-bonded polyurethane catheters is species dependent and enhanced by fibronectin

Intravenous hyperalimentation has improved the survival of premature infants. However, long-term placement of intravenous catheters may result in the development of catheter-related sepsis. Fibronectin in plasma contains binding sites for staphylococcal species as well as marked affinity for inert plastics and therefore may provide a substrate for bacterial adherence to indwelling catheters. We determined the adherence of labeled [( 3H]leucine) coagulase-positive (CPS) and coagulase-negative (CNS) staphylococci to untreated and fibronectin-coated polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and heparin-bonded polyurethane (HBP) catheter segments and quantitated the binding of 14C-labeled, purified fibronectin to these catheters. PVC catheter segments bound significantly more CNS than CPS (P less than 0.05), while HBP catheters bound more CPS than CNS (P less than 0.05). Fibronectin significantly increased the adherence of CPS to PVC catheters (P less than 0.05) and CNS to HBP catheters (P less than 0.05). PVC catheters bound more fibronectin (P less than 0.0001) than did HBP catheters. Catheter composition may influence the spectrum of nosocomial pathogens to which infants are susceptible through different bacterial adherences and interactions with adhesive proteins.
REFRACTIVE ERRORS AND OTHER OCULAR FINDINGS IN SCHOOL CHILDREN

A series consisting of 411 non‐selected school children, 7 to 15 years of age, was examined. Decreased visual acuity (less than 0.8 in one or both eyes without correction) was found in 55 children (13.4%), the frequency increasing from 3.7% to 29.1% with age. The frequency of hyperopic eyes (+2.0 D. or more) decreased from 19.1% to 3.6% and the frequency of myopic eyes (‐0.5 D. or more) increased from 1.9% to 21.8% with age. Altogether, myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism (1 D. or more) in one or both eyes was found in 93 children (22.6%).
Morphological and biological study of Rhabdias spp. (Nematoda) from African chameleons with description of a new species.

Lung-dwelling females of Rhabdias (Rhabdiasidae), and possible migrating ceolomic young females were searched for in 46 chameleons, belonging to seven species. Rhabdias chamaeleonis, the single species identified to date in Africa, was found in Chamaeleo (Trioceros) johnstoni and C. (T.) hoehnelii, and redescribed; the sizes of the buccal capsule and oesophagus were stable compared to the length of the female parasiles, which varied from 6 mm to 22 mm in length. A second species, R. jarki n. sp. , was identified from one C. (T.) johnstoni; it differed from R. chamaeleonis in the shape of anterior region, the longer and slender oesophagus (ratio bulb diameter-body diameter at that level about 1/5 instead of 1/2), the arrangement of the head papillae, the shape of the buccal capsule, and the anatomy of the genital apparatus: one of the ovaries (the anterior or posterior one according to the specimen) had a band of small cells, among larger ovocytes of the synapsis zone, which were likely to generate the spermatozoa present in the oviducts, whereas these two elements were absent from R. chamaeleonis. The parasitic females of R. jarki thus appeared to be hermaphroditic, whereas those of R. chamaeleonis appeared to be parthenogenetic. The free living phase of these Rhabdias species was heterogonic. The infective larva of R. chamaeleonis was 360-590 microns long, unmolile and at third stage inside the maternal cuticle. The free-living male of R. jarki was described. The numerous infective larvae recovered from cultures of unidentified Rhabdias were all in maternal cuticle (one larva/female instead of two as in R. gemellipara from Calumma parsonii, from Madagascar) and two kinds of larvae were identified, R. chamaeleonis and larvae 700-900 microns long provisionally identified to R. jarki. The behaviour of infective larvae and a few successful infections of insects suggest that, in the field, insect transport hosts are involved in transmission and in preventing infective larvae from drying out.
T cell responses to a Parietaria judaica pollen extract: comparison between Parietaria‐sensitive patients, other atopics and healthy controls

We investigated the in vitro proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from Parietaria‐allergic subjects, atopic patients with other sensitizations and healthy controls to Parietaria judaica pollen extracts. PBMC from almost all 44 subjects, divided into five groups (Parietaria‐, grass‐, Parietaria and grass‐, Dermatophagoides‐sensitive patients and normal individuals) were able to proliferate in response to the extract without statistically significant differences between groups. Mean values of the stimulation indexes for the five groups were respectively: 10.73, 3.18, 5.50, 10,56, 9.28. The results of separation experiments showed that the responding cells were T lymphocytes. Mitogenic effect of the Parietaria pollen extract was excluded by the absence of proliferative PBMC response from cord blood of seven newborns. These results indicate that Parietaria‐sensitive, other atopics and normal individuals have Parietaria‐specific T cells able to proliferate in vitro to Parietaria allergens.
Three-dimensional ultrasound experience in obstetrics

Purpose of review Three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound is a natural development of the imaging technology. Fast computers are essential to enable 3D and four-dimensional (4D) ultrasound pictures. A short review of the technical points and clinical aspects is presented. Our purpose is to acquaint the reader with the possibilities of this new technology and to increase awareness of its present clinical usefulness. A short review of technical information is provided. Recent findings The advantages of 3D and 4D ultrasound in certain areas are unequivocal. Its use in the workup of fetal anomalies involving the face, limbs, thorax, spine and the central nervous system are already applied by most centers. The use of this technology in applying color Doppler, in guiding needles for different puncture procedures as well in evaluating the fetal heart are under close research scrutiny. The bonding effect between the parents and their future offspring is becoming evident as 3D ultrasound is used. Consulting specialists understand fetal pathology better and can better plan postnatal interventions. 4D or real time 3D ultrasound was developed and is expected to achieve new meaning with the planned introduction of electronic transducer multilinear arrays. Summary 3D ultrasound is an extremely promising imaging tool to image the fetus. In spite of the scant outcome studies the potential of 3D ultrasound is understood by a large number of obstetricians, maternal fetal specialists and imaging specialists.
Demographic Characteristics of 161-km Ultramarathon Runners

Despite considerable recent growth in ultramarathon running, little is known about the characteristics of the participants. This work documents demographic characteristics of 161-km ultramarathoners. Surveys were completed by 489 of 674 runners entered in two of the largest 161-km ultramarathons in North America in 2009. Respondents had a mean (± SD) age of 44.5 ± 9.8 years (range 20–72 years) and were generally men (80.2%), married (70.1%), had bachelor's (43.6%) or graduate (37.2%) degrees, and used vitamins and/or supplements (75.3%). They reported 2.8 ± 20.2 days of work or school loss in the previous year from injury or illness. Body mass index (23.4 ± 2.2 and 20.8 ± 1.8 kg/m2 for men and women, respectively) was not associated with age. The findings indicate that 161-km ultramarathon participants are largely well-educated, middle-aged, married men who rarely miss work due to illness or injury, generally use vitamins and/or supplements, and maintain appropriate body mass with aging.
The effect of cryptorchidism on inhibin B in a subfertile population

objective Prepubertal cryptorchidism may cause fertility problems in adulthood, due to impaired spermatogenesis. Serum inhibin B has emerged as an accurate marker of spermatogenesis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a history of cryptorchidism on serum inhibin B levels and other markers of spermatogenesis in subfertile men.
Effects of an orally administered mixture of chondroitin sulfate, glucosamine hydrochloride and manganese ascorbate on synovial fluid chondroitin sulfate 3B3 and 7D4 epitope in a canine cruciate ligament transection model of osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate effects of an orally administered mixture of chondroitin sulfate, glucosamine hydrochloride and manganese ascorbate (CS-G-M) on articular cartilage metabolism in dogs with cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) deficient and reconstructed knees, as reflected by concentrations of synovial fluid 3B3, 7D4 and total sulfated glycosaminoglycan (GAG). METHODS Sixteen adult dogs that underwent unilateral CCL transection were randomized into four groups. Thereafter, group I (N=3) had a sham CCL reconstruction, group II (N=3) had CS-G-M and sham CCL reconstruction, group III (N=5) had CCL reconstruction, and group IV (N=5) had CS-G-M and CCL reconstruction. Synovial fluid collected at 0, 1, 3 and 5 months was examined by ELISA for 3B3 and 7D4 epitope, and by DMMB assay for total GAG. RESULTS Synovial fluid from CCL transected knees of CS-G-M treated dogs contained significantly elevated concentrations of 3B3 (P=0.029), 7D4 (P=0.036) and 7D4/GAG (P=0.007) in comparison to controls, in a cross-sectional analysis at 3 months. Furthermore, 7D4 and 7D4/GAG concentrations remained significantly elevated (P=0.012) in CCL transected knees of CS-G-M treated dogs over the 5 month period. However, when epitope concentrations were expressed as a ratio of CCL-transected to contralateral non-operated knee, treatment effect of CS-G-M was no longer significant. Reconstruction of the CCL had no significant effect on synovial fluid epitope. CONCLUSIONS Administration of CS-G-M was associated with altered concentrations of 3B3 and 7D4 epitope in synovial fluid, suggesting that these compounds may act to modulate articular cartilage matrix metabolism in vivo.
Overview, hurdles, and future work in adaptive designs: perspectives from a National Institutes of Health-funded workshop

Background The clinical trials community has a never-ending search for dependable and reliable ways to improve clinical research. This exploration has led to considerable interest in adaptive clinical trial designs, which provide the flexibility to adjust trial characteristics on the basis of data reviewed at interim stages. Statisticians and clinical investigators have proposed or implemented a wide variety of adaptations in clinical trials, but specific approaches have met with differing levels of support. Within industry, investigators are actively exploring the benefits and pitfalls associated with adaptive designs (ADs). For example, a Drug Information Association (DIA) working group on ADs has engaged regulatory agencies in discussions. Many researchers working on publicly funded clinical trials, however, are not yet fully engaged in this discussion. We organized the Scientific Advances in Adaptive Clinical Trial Designs Workshop to begin a conversation about using ADs in publicly funded research. Held in November of 2009, the 1½-day workshop brought together representatives from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the pharmaceutical industry, nonprofit foundations, the patient advocacy community, and academia. The workshop offered a forum for participants to address issues of ADs that arise at the planning, designing, and execution stages of clinical trials, and to hear the perspectives of influential members of the clinical trials community. The participants also set forth recommendations for guiding action to promote the appropriate use of ADs. These recommendations have since been presented, discussed, and vetted in a number of venues including the University of Pennsylvania Conference on Statistical Issues in Clinical Trials and the Society for Clinical Trials annual meeting. Purpose To provide a brief overview of ADs, describe the rationale behind conducting the workshop, and summarize the main recommendations that were produced as a result of this workshop. Conclusions There is a growing interest in the use of adaptive clinical trial designs. However, a number of logistical barriers need to be addressed in order to obtain the potential advantages of an AD. Currently, the pharmaceutical industry is well ahead of academic trialists with respect to addressing these barriers. Academic trialists will need to address important issues such as education, infrastructure, modifications to existing funding models, and the impact on Data and Safety Monitoring Boards (DSMB) in order to achieve the possible benefits of adaptive clinical trial designs.
Time course and biologic correlates of treatment response in first-episode schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE To examine the course and potential predictors of treatment response in the early phase of schizophrenia. DESIGN Prospective study of an inception cohort. SETTING Psychiatric division of an academic medical center with a suburban metropolitan catchment area. PATIENTS AND INTERVENTION Seventy first-episode patients who had undergone four biologic assessment procedures (brain magnetic resonance imaging, behavioral response to methylphenidate hydrochloride, growth hormone levels, eye tracking) were treated with a standardized antipsychotic drug protocol until recovery. Response was measured in terms of psychopathology and degree of remission. RESULTS Using survival analysis, the proportion of patients remitting by 1 year was estimated at 83%. Mean and median times to remission were 35.7 weeks and 11 weeks, respectively. No baseline demographic or psychopathologic measure significantly predicted time to or level of remission. However, males tended to be nonresponders to treatment and have diagnoses of schizophrenia rather than schizoaffective disorder. Brain pathomorphology and abnormal basal growth hormone significantly predicted time to remission. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that the antipsychotic treatment response of first-episode schizophrenics is better than chronic multiepisode patients and suggest that specific pathobiologic markers reflect pathophysiologic processes that mediate antipsychotic treatment response.
Initial evolution of warning coloration: comments on the novel world method

Figure 1. Proportion of attacks on aposematic prey during the first 10 attacks in the experiment by Alatalo & Mappes (1996), when only the unpalatable items are considered. Following Tullberg et al. (2000), the proportion was computed from all attacks up to and including the given attack number. C: 14 birds presented with solitary prey; x: 14 birds with aggregated prey. Our previous study (Alatalo & Mappes 1996) has motivated the recent paper by Tullberg et al. (2000), which includes a critique of our results and two new experiments. The goal of our work was to study the prevailing selection pressures that would have affected the initial evolution of aposematic signals. We compared an initial situation where predators had limited knowledge of the conspicuous warning signals with the more common secondary situation where some other prey species had already acquired similar types of signals. While these experiments can never tell us what really happened in the past, they give an indication of the selection pressures acting along the possible routes of initial evolution. Two major results emerged from our study. (1) In the initial stage, when predators faced the signalling unpalatable prey for the first time, the prey would have survived much better if they were aggregated. Thus, in aggregations the prey with warning signals would not have suffered as high costs as solitary prey, when facing evolutionarily naïve predators. (2) In the secondary stage, when predators had already learnt to avoid the signal in the ‘initial stage’ experiment, they avoided the mimicking prey in first encounters irrespective of prey distribution. Thus, the benefit of aggregation disappeared when the predators generalized their learned avoidance to another prey that looked different but had the same signal. Thus, it seemed that much of the previous controversy about the role of aggregations in facilitating aposematism might be due to differences in the conditions, in terms of initial versus secondary situations, in each experimental or comparative study. To us this was the main result of our study. Tullberg et al. (2000) ‘reanalysed’ our initial stage experiment by excluding all the palatable items. However, if cryptic palatable items are excluded, trials I, II and III in the solitary situation cannot be compared directly with the respective trials in the aggregated situation, since in the solitary presentation unpalatable items were used much more in each trial than in aggregated presentations. During all three trials with aggregated prey, only 11 unpalatable items were used, while among solitary prey the same number of unpalatable items were used in two trials. Therefore, to compare unpalatable items with respect to the signal, it is necessary to have the total number of unpalatable items used as the appropriate reference line. We analysed this (Fig. 1), and there is no difference in the relative mortalities of aposematic unpalatable items in aggregations and in the solitary setup within the first two unpalatable items used.
The combined effects of all-trans-retinoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid on the induction of apoptosis in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells.

INTRODUCTION Breast cancer is one of the most women's cancers in the worldwide. In vivo and in vitro studies showed that all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) can modulate differentiation and apoptosis in both cancer and immune cells. Nuclear retinoic acid receptors (RARs) and retinoid X receptors (RXRs) activation in the presence of their ligands, plays a critical role in the proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis of normal cells. AIM OF STUDY We hypothesized that ATRA and DHA, as ligands of RARs and RXRs respectively, may have synergistic effects on the induction of apoptosis in MCF-7 human mammary carcinoma cell lines. MATERIALS AND METHODS MCF-7 cells were seeded in a 24-well plate at 3 × 105 cells per well. The cells were treated with 5 µM ATRA, 30 DHA, and various combinations of them over a 3-day trial. Apoptosis was measured by Annexin V-FITC kit and flow cytometery. RESULTS Our results showed that the combination treatment of ATRA and DHA (5 µM and 30 µM and half dose at 2.5 µM and 15 µM, respectively) in a dose-dependent manner induced apoptosis rate in MCF-7 cells significantly more than single treatment of ATRA or DHA, as compared to control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION We conclude that the combination of ATRA and DHA at the well-balanced proportion may be effective in cancer cell apoptosis. Further studies provide details about the potential synergistically effects of combination treatment of ATRA and DHA in growth inhibition and differentiation of human mammary cancer cells.
Dependence of Neurones on Astrocytes in a Coculture System Renders Neurones Sensitive to Transforming Growth Factor \gb\1‐Induced Glutamate Toxicity

Abstract : Transforming growth factor β1 (TGF‐β1) has been implicated in formation of astrocyte scars, which prevents axonal regeneration. A coculture system of astrocytes and cerebellar cells was used to investigate possible neurotoxic effects of TGF‐β1. Although not directly neurotoxic, TGF‐β1 was toxic to cerebellar cells in the presence of astrocytes. This toxicity is based on an effect of the cytokine on astrocytes, as conditioned medium from astrocyte cultures treated with TGF‐β1 was more toxic by a similar mechanism. This neurotoxicity was mediated by glutamate present in the culture medium as demonstrated by inhibition by MK‐801. Astrocytic ability to metabolise glutamate was compromised by TGF‐β1, as this cytokine increased glutamate concentration. The astrocytes in the coculture system responded to the presence of neurones by secreting neuroprotective interleukin‐6, which was partly protective against the TGF‐β1‐induced toxicity. In the coculture system, neurones responded to the presence of astrocytes by a reduction in resistance to glutamate toxicity. On addition of TGF‐β1, which compromised astrocytic clearance of glutamate, this reduction in resistance to glutamate toxicity led to a reduction in neuronal survival. These results suggest that when neurones are cocultured with astrocytes they become dependent on astrocytes for survival. This dependence makes neurones susceptible to damage when astrocytes are activated by substances such as TGF‐β1.