Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Local versus WHO/International Council for Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders-recommended thyroid volume reference in the assessment of iodine deficiency disorders.

OBJECTIVE Iodine deficiency endemia is defined by the goitre prevalence and the median urinary iodine concentration in a population. Lack of local thyroid volume reference data may bring many health workers to use the European-based WHO/International Council for Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (ICCIDD)-recommended reference for the assessment of goitre prevalence in children in different developing countries. The present study was conducted in non-iodine-deficient areas in Malaysia to obtain local children's normative thyroid volume reference data, and to compare their usefulness with those of the WHO/ICCIDD-recommended reference for the assessment of iodine-deficiency disorders (IDD) in Malaysia. DESIGN AND METHODS Cross-sectional thyroid ultrasonographic data of 7410 school children (4004 boys, 3406 girls), aged 7-10 years, from non-iodine-deficient areas (urban and rural) in Peninsular Malaysia were collected. Age/sex- and body surface area/sex-specific upper limits (97th percentile) of normal thyroid volume were derived. Thyroid ultrasonographic data of similar-age children from schools located in a mildly iodine-deficient area, a severely iodine-deficient area, and a non-iodine-deficient area were also collected; spot urines were obtained from these children for iodine determination. RESULTS The goitre prevalences obtained using the local reference were consistent with the median urinary iodine concentrations in indicating the severity of IDD in the areas studied. In contrast, the results obtained using the WHO/ICCIDD-recommended reference showed lack of congruency with the median urinary iodine concentrations, and grossly underestimated the problem. The local sex-specific reference values at different ages and body surface areas are not a constant proportion of the WHO/ICCIDD-recommended reference. A further limitation of the WHO/ICCIDD-recommended reference is the lack of normative values for children with small body surface areas (<0.8m2) commonly found in the developing countries. CONCLUSION The observations favour the use of a local reference in the screening of children for thyroid enlargement.
Evaluation of respiratory parameters at presentation as clinical indicators of the respiratory localization in dogs and cats with respiratory distress.

OBJECTIVE To describe clinical respiratory parameters in cats and dogs with respiratory distress and identify associations between respiratory signs at presentation and localization of the disease with particular evaluation between the synchrony of abdominal and chest wall movements as a clinical indicators for pleural space disease. Design - Prospective observational clinical study. SETTING Emergency service in a university veterinary teaching hospital. ANIMALS Cats and dogs with respiratory distress presented to the emergency service between April 2008 and July 2009. INTERVENTIONS None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS The following parameters were systematically determined at time of admission: respiratory rate, heart rate, temperature, type of breathing, movement of the thoracic and abdominal wall during inspiration, presence of stridor, presence and type of dyspnea, and results of thoracic auscultation. Abdominal and chest wall movement was categorized as synchronous, asynchronous, or inverse. Diagnostic test results, diagnosis, and outcome were subsequently recorded. Based on the final diagnoses, animals were assigned to 1 or more of the following groups regarding the anatomical localization of the respiratory distress: upper airways, lower airways, lung parenchyma, pleural space, thoracic wall, nonrespiratory causes, and normal animals. One hundred and seventy-six animals (103 cats and 73 dogs) were evaluated. Inspiratory dyspnea was associated with upper airway disease in dogs and expiratory dyspnea with lower airway disease in cats. Respiratory noises were significantly associated and highly sensitive and specific for upper airway disease. An asynchronous or inverse breathing pattern and decreased lung auscultation results were significantly associated with pleural space disease in both dogs and cats (P<0.001). The combination is highly sensitive (99%) but not very specific (45%). Fast and shallow breathing was not associated with pleural space disease. Increased or moist pulmonary auscultation findings were associated with parenchymal lung disease. CONCLUSIONS Cats and dogs with pleural space disease can be identified by an asynchronous or inverse breathing pattern in combination with decreased lung sounds on auscultation.
Maya miscitata

Rudyard Kipling’s 1896 poem In the Neolithic Age ends with the lines ‘There are nine and sixty ways of constructing tribal lays/ and – every – single – one – of – them – is – right’. More or less the same might be said of the variety of ways in which Maya archaeologists currently seek to share their work in publication: the four books considered here are all of different genres, but it would be difficult to say that any one was more useful than any other in putting the subject across. One is a professional monograph, the permanent record of data from a research project at an important Maya site as well as a consideration of what they mean; one is a popular book, clarifying
Dopaminergic Pathway Gene Polymorphisms and Genetic Susceptibility to Schizophrenia among North Indians

Objective: Understanding the etiology and pathogenesis of schizophrenia has been difficult due to the complex inheritance patterns, genetic heterogeneity and varied multiple nonlinear interactions between genes. Several lines of evidence indicate the involvement of neurotransmitter dopamine in the pathophysiology of this disorder. To analyze such a possible role of dopaminergic pathway gene polymorphisms, we used a case-control approach. Method: We genotyped a total of 31 potential single nucleotide polymorphism/variable number of tandem repeat markers from 9 candidate genes including the dopamine receptors and metabolizing enzymes (synthesis and degradation) in 215 schizophrenia cases and 215 healthy controls from North India. Results: A nominally significant allelic association was observed in case of the catechol-O-methyltransferase rs362204 –/G (p = 0.028) marker whereas nominally significant genotypic associations were seen for tyrosine hydroxylase rs6356 A/G (p = 0.04) and dopamine β-hydroxylase rs1108580 A/G (p = 0.025) following the case-control approach. Several significant haplotypic associations were observed from dopamine β-hydroxylase, catechol-O-methyltransferase, and dopamine receptor D2 genes. A significant interaction of tyrosine hydroxylase rs6356 A/G and catechol-O-methyltransferase rs362204 –/G markers was also observed following binary logistic regression analysis (p = 0.009). Conclusions: A contribution of dopaminergic pathway gene polymorphisms to schizophrenia seems possible in our sample set. However, considering the marginal levels of associations, interpopulation comparisons and replicate studies are warranted.
Inhibition of angiotensin‐converting enzyme stimulates fracture healing and periosteal callus formation – role of a local renin‐angiotensin system

Background and purpose: The renin‐angiotensin system (RAS) regulates blood pressure and electrolyte homeostasis. In addition, ‘local’ tissue‐specific RAS have been identified, regulating regeneration, cell growth, apoptosis, inflammation and angiogenesis. Although components of the RAS are expressed in osteoblasts and osteoclasts, a local RAS in bone has not yet been described and there is no information on whether the RAS is involved in fracture healing. Therefore, we studied the expression and function of the key RAS component, angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE), during fracture healing.
GROUND-SOURCE HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS THE EUROPEAN EXPERIENCE

Ground-source heat pumps play a key role in geothermal development in Central and Northern Europe. With borehole heat exchangers as heat source, they offer de-central geothermal heating at virtually any location, with great flexibility to meet given demands. In the vast majority of systems, no space cooling is included, leaving ground-source heat pumps with some economic constraints. Nevertheless, a promising market development first occurred in Switzerland and Sweden, and now also is obvious in Austria and Germany. Approximately 20 years of R&D focusing on borehole heat exchangers resulted in a well-established concept of sustainabilit y for this technology, as well as in sound design and installation criteria. The market success brought Switzerland to the third rank worldwide in geothermal direct use. The future prospects are good, with an increasing range of applications including large systems with thermal energy storage for heating and cooling, ground-source heat pumps in densely populated development areas, borehole heat exchangers for cooling of telecommunication equipment, etc.
The Effects of Tissue Heterogeneitieson Dose Distribution of Iridium-192 Source in Brachytherapy Treatments

The present study examines the effects of dose variation on brachytherapy treatment with Ir-192 source in the presence and absence of tissue heterogeneities.The effect of source location and distance between the heterogeneity and the source on dose distribution were evaluated using Monte Carlo simulation (MCNP4C code). Soft tissue heterogeneity showed no significant effect on dose distribution. Increasing the distance between the source and the phantom center, decreases dose delivery because of reduced scattering. Despite the surrounding heterogeneities, Ir-192 source can alter dose distribution in comparison with the homogeneous water phantom.
Association of CTLA-4 Polymorphisms with Type 1 Diabetes in the Egyptian Population

Background: Polymorphisms in the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) are associated with the risk of type 1 diabetes (T1D). Here, we investigated the most associated variants CT60 and +49 A/G and five other putative promoter SNPs for their association with T1D in the Egyptian population, a multi-ethnic group. The comparison of disease association between populations can provide further evidence for putative disease variants. Methods: Association of seven SNPs (-1722,-1661,-651,-319, +49, -819 and +6230G>A) in the CTLA-4 gene with T1D was investigated in 396 patient and 396 control subjects of Egyptian origin. The diagnosis of T1D was made based on ketoacidosis or ketosis with acute onset and severe symptoms of diabetes mellitus at presentation and continuous dependence on insulin. Controls were negative for anti-GAD antibodies and were older than 24 years of age. Genotyping was performed using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Results: Five of the seven CTLA-4 gene SNPs were associated with T1D with the highest association for +49 A/G in exon 1 (P=0.0002; odds ratio: 1.6, 95% CI 1.3-1.9). Association conditional on SNP +49 A/G was further tested, revealing some independent association for SNPs -1661 and -318. Haplotype analysis of these SNPs demonstrated that no single haplotype was indicative of T1D risk. Conclusion: The results further support the association of T1D with+49 A/G SNP in the CTLA-4 gene in the Egyptian population. The pattern of association specifically differed from that observed in European and other North African populations, providing further opportunity for fine mapping of genetic disease variants of type-I diabetes.
Emotionality of Words as Related to Vividness of Imagery and Concreteness

We investigated the association of the imagery and concreteness of words on their emotionality. Emotionality was evaluated on the basis of skin conductance. A total of 61 subjects (all university students) rated the vividness of imagery and concreteness of the words in a list of 25 word pairs. Each pair was comprised of one abstract word and one concrete word with a related meaning, e.g., “friendship” and “friend,” thereby controlling meaning. The skin-conductance response of each word was measured subsequently from these same subjects. Our results show that both imagery and concreteness were significantly related to emotionality.
[Association of HLA DRB1 polymorphism with susceptibility to myelodysplastic syndrome and aplastic anemia in Chinese Han population].

OBJECTIVE To investigate the association of the HLA-DRB1 polymorphism with susceptibility to myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and aplastic anemia (AA) in Chinese Han population. METHODS The polymorphism of HLA-DRB1 alleles in 242 patients with MDS, 115 patients with AA and 2264 umbilical cord blood control samples were tested by polymerase chain reaction-sequence specific primer (PCR-SSP). RESULTS Compared with normal controls, the frequency of HLA-DRB1*15 was significantly increased in the MDS group and AA group (22.93% vs. 17.25%, Chi-square = 9.662, OR= 1.428, P= 0.003; 26.52% vs. 17.25%, Chi-square = 12.924, OR= 1.732, P= 0.001). And this is mainly due to the increase in the male patients in both patient groups: in the MDS males, 24.68% vs. 17.25%, Chi-square= 11.194, OR= 1.572, P= 0.001, and in the AA males, 29.29% vs. 17.25%, Chi-square= 13.563, OR= 1.987, P= 0.001. No significant difference between the controls and the female patients in both groups was observed. CONCLUSION The HLA-DRB1*15 could be a susceptibility allele for MDS and AA male patients.
Female Infidelity and Paternal Uncertainty: Mate retention, semen displacement, and sperm competition in humans

Competition between males to fertilize a female’s eggs can occur before, during, and after copulation (Parker, 1970; and see Birkhead & Møller, 1998). When the sperm of two or more males simultaneously occupies the reproductive tract of a female and competes to fertilize her eggs, sperm competition occurs (Parker, 1970). Sperm competition has been documented or inferred to exist in many species, ranging from molluscs (Baur, 1998) and insects (Simmons, 2001) to birds (Birkhead & Møller, 1992) and humans (Baker & Bellis, 1993a, 1993b; Gallup et al., 2003; Shackelford, 2003; Shackelford et al., 2002, 2004; Smith, 1984; Wyckoff, Wang, & Wu, 2000). For species that practice social monogamy, the mating system in which males and females form long-term pair bonds but also pursue extra-pair copulations (e.g. most birds and humans), female sexual infidelity creates the primary context for sperm competition (Birkhead & Møller, 1992; Smith, 1984). Males of such species may have adaptations that decrease the likelihood that a rival male’s sperm will fertilize his partner’s eggs – adaptations that decrease the likelihood of being cuckolded, unwittingly investing resources in genetically unrelated offspring. Male sexual jealousy, for example, is one of the most widely researched human anti-cuckoldry adaptations. Male sexual jealousy is hypothesized to motivate men to deter a mate from a sexual infidelity or a permanent defection from the mateship, and to deter rivals from mate poaching (e.g. Buss et al., 1992; Daly, Wilson, & Weghorst, 1982; Harris, 2003; Symons, 1979; White & Mullen, 1989). Others have described more specific adaptations that may combat sperm competition. Baker and Bellis (1993a), for example, demonstrated that men may have physiological adaptations that function to increase
Incidence of ovarian cancer in women with prior hysterectomy in Japan.

OBJECTIVE Our aim was to estimate the number of women in Japan in whom ovarian cancer could be prevented by performing prophylactic oophorectomy. METHODS Of 1289 women who were diagnosed clinically and histologically as having primary cancers of the ovary between 1986 and 1995, 53 (4.1%) had undergone hysterectomy with conservation of one or both ovaries. Clinical data and representative microscopic slides for these 53 cases were evaluated. RESULTS Hysterectomy had been performed at the age 45 or above in 28 of the 53 patients (53%). We estimated that performance of prophylactic oophorectomy in women who underwent a hysterectomy at age 45 or older would prevent 2.2% (4.1% x 0.53) of the cases of ovarian cancer in Japan, which is below the 3.3% estimated for women in other countries. The interval between the hysterectomy and the diagnosis of ovarian cancer ranged from 1 to 29 years (mean 9.9 years). Fourteen patients (26%) developed ovarian cancer within 5 years of the hysterectomy. The overall 3-year survival rate of these 53 patients was 65%, not significantly different from that for patients with ovarian cancer in the national study in Japan. CONCLUSIONS Prophylactic oophorectomy for the prevention of ovarian cancer in Japanese women would appear to have a lesser impact than reported in other industrialized nations. The short interval between hysterectomy and the diagnosis of ovarian cancer observed in 26% of the patients suggested that ovarian cancer can develop within a few years of the visualization of apparently normal ovaries.
Comparison of the impacts of consumers, ambient UV, and future UVB irradiance on mid‐latitudinal macroepibenthic assemblages

Future levels in ultraviolet‐B (UVB) radiation are expected to increase directly due to stratospheric ozone depletion and under water indirectly by, for example, global warming effects on DOC concentrations, altered trophic interactions in the plankton, or reduced eutrophication. While detrimental UV effects have been reported at the cellular level, little to nothing is known about community‐wide effects of ambient and future UVB radiation. In a 4‐month field experiment, the ambient UV regime was (i) reduced by cut‐off filters which removed either UVB or total UV from the solar spectrum or (ii) increased to predicted future levels by UVB lamps. To allow relating the effects of present and future UV regimes to another important ecological control of community structure and diversity in subtidal marine habitats, consumer effects were quantified by an exclusion treatment under ambient light regimes. Ambient UV regimes did not affect community structure, biomass accrual, and diversity. In contrast, under enhanced UVB levels, the dominance of the competitively superior blue mussels increased and species richness and biomass accrual decreased. Species composition of the assemblages differed between the two UV regimes. Effects of enhanced UVB radiation and of consumption on biomass accrual, diversity, and structure of the community were comparable in magnitude and timing, but of opposite direction. In contrast, the effects of enhanced UVB radiation on growth and abundance of mussels were in the same direction, but shorter and weaker than consumer effects. Most UV effects were transitory and vanished within the first 2 months of succession. Our results indicate that present and future UVB levels may be of limited importance and not stronger in effect size than other ecological controls in structuring the shallow‐water low‐diversity macrobenthic communities in temperate regions.
Les hommes cadres vivent toujours 6 ans de plus que les hommes ouvriers

Depuis la fin des annees 1970, les hommes de 35 ans ont gagne 7 annees d’esperance de vie et les femmes 5,5 annees. Toutes les categories sociales ont profite de ce progres et les ecarts entre les cadres et les ouvriers se sont maintenus. Les hommes cadres vivent en moyenne 6 ans de plus que les ouvriers dans les conditions de mortalite de 2009-2013. Chez les femmes, les inegalites sociales sont moins marquees, seuls 3 ans separent l’esperance de vie des cadres et des ouvrieres.
The rat brachial plexus and its terminal branches: An experimental model for the study of peripheral nerve regeneration

Despite the introduction of microsurgical techniques into clinical practice, the results of surgical procedures involving the brachial plexus and peripheral nerves are still far from spectacular. We therefore studied the rat brachial plexus and its terminal branches in 203 rats. Detailed anatomic and morphologic analyses of the biceps brachii and musculocutaneous nerve, finger flexors, flexor carpi radialis, and the median nerve were performed. Various sources of conventional and vascularized nerve grafts were explored. After musculocutaneous nerve section or median nerve section, there were no articular contractures or automutilations, which constitutes an advantage for these experimental models over the sciatic nerve model. The brachial plexus and its terminal branches provide a good experimental model which can be used to assess the development and normal control of muscle function, examine the mechanisms underlying functional recovery, and test the effects of treatments to enhance recovery. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Chick Dach1 interacts with the Smad complex and Sin3a to control AER formation and limb development along the proximodistal axis

Based on recent data, a new view is emerging that vertebrate Dachshund (Dach) proteins are components of Six1/6 transcription factor-dependent signaling cascades. Although Drosophila data strongly suggest a tight link between Dpp signaling and the Dachshund gene, a functional relationship between vertebrate Dach and BMP signaling remains undemonstrated. We report that chick Dach1 interacts with the Smad complex and the corepressor mouse Sin3a, thereby acting as a repressor of BMP-mediated transcriptional control. In the limb, this antagonistic action regulates the formation of the apical ectodermal ridge (AER) in both the mesenchyme and the AER itself, and also controls pattern formation along the proximodistal axis of the limb. Our data introduce a new paradigm of BMP antagonism during limb development mediated by Dach1, which is now proven to function in different signaling cascades with distinct interacting partners.
Inflammation in response to glucose ingestion is independent of excess abdominal adiposity in normal-weight women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

CONTEXT Inflammation and excess abdominal adiposity (AA) are often present in normal-weight women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). OBJECTIVE We determined the effects of hyperglycemia on nuclear factor-κB (NFκB) activation in mononuclear cells (MNC) of normal-weight women with PCOS with and without excess AA. DESIGN This was a prospective controlled study. SETTING The study was conducted at an academic medical center. PATIENTS Fifteen normal-weight, reproductive-age women with PCOS (seven normal AA, eight excess AA) and 16 body composition-matched controls (eight normal AA, eight excess AA) participated in the study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Body composition was measured by dual-energy absorptiometry. Insulin sensitivity was derived from an oral glucose tolerance test (IS(OGTT)). Activated NFκB and the protein content of p65 and inhibitory-κB were quantified from MNC, and TNFα and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured in plasma obtained from blood drawn while fasting and 2 h after glucose ingestion. RESULTS Compared with controls, both PCOS groups exhibited lower IS(OGTT), increases in activated NFκB and p65 protein, and decreases in inhibitory-κB protein. Compared with women with PCOS with excess AA, those with normal AA exhibited higher testosterone levels and lower TNFα and CRP levels. For the combined groups, the percent change in NFκB activation was negatively correlated with IS(OGTT) and positively correlated with androgens. TNFα and CRP were positively correlated with abdominal fat. CONCLUSION In normal-weight women with PCOS, the inflammatory response to glucose ingestion is independent of excess AA. Circulating MNC and excess AA are separate and unique sources of inflammation in this population.