Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Parathyroid hormone in renal transplanted recipients; a single center study

This investigation, aimed to study of intact parathormone (iPTH) and calcium (Ca) in a group of kidney transplanted patients and also we aimed to test the relationship of iPTH with various demographic data of kidney transplanted recipients. We studied 72 kidney transplanted persons with mean ages of 44±12 years. In this study, mean iPTH was 18.4±8.2 Pg/mL (median=16.5). A negative correlation of iPTH with creatinine clearance (r=-0.44, p<0.001) was seen. There was no any association between the time of kidney transplantation and serum iPTH (p>0.05). In contrast to previous findings, in our patients, there was not secondary hyperparathyroidism. The results revealed suppressed PTH secretion. The reason may be due to excessive intake of calcium and Vitamin D analogues, which may suppress parathyroid hormone secretion.
Extinct Technetium in Silicon Carbide Stardust Grains: Implications for Stellar Nucleosynthesis

The isotopic composition of ruthenium (Ru) in individual presolar silicon carbide (SiC) stardust grains bears the signature of s-process nucleosynthesis in asymptotic giant branch stars, plus an anomaly in 99Ru that is explained by the in situ decay of technetium isotope 99Tc in the grains. This finding, coupled with the observation of Tc spectral lines in certain stars, shows that the majority of presolar SiC grains come from low-mass asymptotic giant branch stars, and that the amount of 99Tc produced in such stars is insufficient to have left a detectable 99Ru anomaly in early solar system materials.
Comparative studies on the in vitro properties of phytases from various microbial origins

The physical and chemical properties of six crude phytase preparations were compared. Four of these enzymes (Aspergillus A, Aspergillus R, Peniophora and Aspergillus T) were produced at commercial scale for the use as feed additives while the other two (E. coli and Bacillus) were produced at laboratory scale. The encoding genes of the enzymes were from different microbial origins (4 of fungal origin and 2 of bacterial origin, i.e., E. coli and Bacillus phytases). One of the fungal phytases (Aspergillus R) was expressed in transgenic rape. The enzymes were studied for their pH behaviour, temperature optimum and stability and resistance to protease inactivation. The phytases were found to exhibit different properties depending on source of the phytase gene and the production organism. The pH profiles of the enzymes showed that the fungal phytases had their pH optima ranging from 4.5 to 5.5. The bacterial E. coli phytase had also its pH optimum in the acidic range at pH 4.5 while the pH optimum for the Bacillus enzyme was identified at pH 7.0. Temperature optima were at 50 and 60°C for the fungal and bacterial phytases, respectively. The Bacillus phytase was more thermostable in aqueous solutions than all other enzymes. In pelleting experiments performed at 60, 70 and 80°C in the conditioner, Aspergillus A, Peniophora (measurement at pH 5.5) and E. coli phytases were more heat stable compared to other enzymes (Bacillus enzyme was not included). At a temperature of 70°C in the conditioner, these enzymes maintained a residual activity of approximately 70% after pelleting compared to approximately 30% determined for the other enzymes. Incubation of enzyme preparations with porcine proteases revealed that only E. coli phytase was insensitive against pepsin and pancreatin. Incubation of the enzymes in digesta supernatants from various segments of the digestive tract of hens revealed that digesta from stomach inactivated the enzymes most efficiently except E. coli phytase which had a residual activity of 93% after 60 min incubation at 40°C. It can be concluded that phytases of various microbial origins behave differently with respect to their in vitro properties which could be of importance for future developments of phytase preparations. Especially bacterial phytases contain properties like high temperature stability (Bacillus phytase) and high proteolytic stability (E. coli phytase) which make them favourable for future applications as feed additives.
Dynamic MRI of the pelvic floor muscles in an upright sitting position

Since the pelvic floor muscles are situated inside the pelvis, the actual function is difficult to observe. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a new method that may prove to give additional information about pelvic floor muscle function during contraction. The purpose of the present study was to assess pelvic floor muscle function during contraction and straining in an upright sitting position by use of MRI. Sixteen women, nine continent and seven with urodynamically and clinically proven genuine stress incontinence participated in the study. MRI was performed in an open‐configured GE Signa SP, 0.5 T Tesla magnet. With the participants sitting in an upright position on a pelvic RF‐coil, sagittal, coronal and axial T1 weighted spin echo images of the pelvic floor were obtained. During contraction and straining a scan time of 2 seconds per image for 150–250 images, was performed in a mid‐sagittal plane. The results showed that the mean inward lift during contraction was 10.8 mm (SD 6.0) for all women. During straining the mean downward movement was 19.1 mm (SD 7.4). The coccyx moved in a ventral, cranial direction during contraction and was pressed in a caudal, dorsal direction during straining. It is concluded that contraction of the pelvic floor muscles is concentric, moving the coccyx in a ventral, cranial direction. The movement measured by MRI in upright sitting position is less than that concluded after clinical observation in supine position. The coccyx is pressed dorsally during straining. Neurourol. Urodynam. 20:167–174, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Risk Factors Affecting Fatal versus Non-Fatal Road Traffic Accidents: The Case of Kars Province, Turkey

The aim of this paper is to determine risk factors affecting the fatal versus non-fatal accidents in a rural region of Turkey, during 2008-2012, considering variables associated with the individual, the environment, and the motor vehicle. A retrospective study was conducted by obtaining the data from the traffic police road accident reports between 2008 and 2012. A stepwise logistic regression analysis was performed to analyze the data and critical factors that contributed significantly to fatal versus non-fatal traffic accidents. The results revealed that the driver’s age (OR = 1.09; 90% CI = 1.05 – 1.14), clear weather (OR = 0.11; 90% CI = 0.02 – 0.65), winter season (OR = 0.16; 90% CI = 0.03 – 0.75), straight (OR = 0.22; 90% CI = 0.05 – 0.91) or slight road curve/bend (OR = 0.17; 90% CI = 0.04 – 0.83), the driver’s education (OR = 0.18; 90% CI = 0.04 – 0.85) and the purpose of the vehicle (OR = 0.20; 90% CI = 0.04 – 0.94) were the significant factors affecting road traffic accidents over the sample period.
Gingival Ulceration in Beagles Induced by Ra-226, Ra-228, or Th-228

Case histories dealing with radium toxicity in the dial painters described oral lesions in a significant number of instances. These included conditions such as ulcerative stomatitis, Vincent's angina, necrosis of the jaw, and an abnormally high loss of teeth. ' 5 Many of these cases were unique in their poor response to the usual forms of treatment. Initially the oral syndrome was thought to be secondary to topical irradiation emanating from radioactive particles that adhered to the gums and teeth following "tipping" of the camel-hair brushes. It was further speculated that the radionuclide mixture lowered the resistance of the gums, thus facilitating subsequent invasion by bacterial pathogens, which, in turn, caused osteoradionecrosis in some cases' or so-called radium jaw.6 Later, it was concluded that radiation osteitis was the primary lesion and that the intractable necrosis of the mandible or maxilla was the result of superadded bacterial infection in an already diseased bone.2 It is the purpose of this paper to describe the radiation-induced gingival lesions that have been observed in dogs following treatment with the above radionuclides.
SOMATOTYPE AND PHYSICAL FITNESS PROFILES OF 6-12 YEAR-OLD GIRLS

The purpose of this study was determining the relationship between somatotype and selected physical fitness variables in 6-11 years-old girls. The subjects of this study consisted of 282 healthy girls with mean age of 08.44±01.40 years old, height of 129.88±10.48 cm and weight of 30.43±07.93 kg. Standard anthropometric methods were used to determine body mass, body height and all of skinfold and circumference measurements. All of the anthropometric measures were based on Anthropometric Standardization Reference Manual procedures. The following tests for physical performances were used; handgrip strength test, audio-visual reaction time test, vertical jump test, 20m. sprint test, sit and reach test. All statistical analyses were performed by using the Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS). Mean and standard deviation were calculated. Correlation coefficient was also computed to find out the relationship between somatotype and physical fitness variables. The BMI increases regularly from 6-11 years in ages groups from 17.09-19.10 kg/m 2 . In this study somatotype values were changed by age groups. According to the calculations, somatotypes were found as follows: 6-7 years-old group; endomorphicmesomorph, 7-8 years-old group; endomorphic-mesomorph, 8-9 years-old group; mesomorphic-endomorph, 9-10 years-old group; mesomorphic-endomorph, 10-11 years-old group; mesomorphic-endomorph. In performance tests according to age groups, flexibility abilities decreased with age while 20m sprint, vertical jump, handgrip strength, visual and auditory reaction abilities increased. In all age groups, there was a significant low negative correlation between endomorphy, mesomorphy, ectomorphy components and physical fitness tests.
Evaluation of aedes albopictus tissue culture for use in association with arbovirus isolation

The susceptibility and sensitivity of Aedes albopictus cell cultures to five different primary and four different low‐passage arboviruses were tested. Yellow fever, West Nile, Ilesha, eastern equine encephalitis, and Flanders viruses replicated in A albopictus tissue cultures. Replication was determined by the ability of selected tissue culture fluids to infect suckling mice, and by recovery from tissue culture fluid of progressively increasing amounts of complementfixing (CF) antigen with time. Virus persistence was demonstrated with Nodamura, western equine encephalitis, and Mayaro viruses, but multiplication was not proven; neither persistence nor multiplication was demonstrated with a Kemerovo group virus. When yellow fever and Ilesha viruses were simultaneously inoculated into A albopictus culture, CF antigen for each was consistently detected. In a more detailed comparative study of field specimens, 12 unpassaged strains of yellow fever virus were tested for infectivity in A albopictus tissue culture, Vero cells, and baby mice. Higher titers of virus were detected (0.8–2.3 log ID50 per ml) in Vero cell culture than in A albopictus tissue culture or baby mouse systems. These results suggest the feasibility of using A albopictus cells in association with the primary isolation of arboviruses.
Vertical Alignment Between Hospitals and Physicians as a Bargaining Response to Commercial Insurance Markets

Abstract The relationship between physicians and hospitals has dramatically changed over the last decade, with the employer–employee model supplanting the traditional model of private physicians with hospital admitting privileges. We examine the motivation for this form of vertical integration by considering physician–hospital alignment as a tool to increase bargaining power with private insurers. We find a positive and significant relationship between private insurance concentration on physician–hospital alignment, which is driven predominantly by for-profit hospitals.
Association between atypical antipsychotic agents and type 2 diabetes: Review of prospective clinical data

Background Most evidence suggesting an association between schizophrenia, antipsychotic medications and diabetes has been based on retrospective studies not controlled for important confounders. Aims To compare diabetogenic risk between antipsychotic medications; and to describe the limitations of current prospective data-sets. Method Systematic review of prospective clinical data. Results No difference in the incidence of glycaemic abnormalities between placebo cohorts and antipsychotic medication cohorts was identified. No significant difference between any of the antipsychotic medications studied in terms of their association with glycaemic abnormalities was identified. Treatment-related weight gain did not appear to increase the risk of developing diabetes. Conclusions Diabetogenic potential ascribed to atypical antipsychotic drugs, resulting from retrospective studies, may be incorrect. Cohort sizes and incomplete sampling must preclude any definitive conclusions. Long-term, large, comparative prospective trials are needed, along with agreement upon glucose measurement of choice.
SINE insertions: powerful tools for molecular systematics.

Short interspersed repetitive elements, or SINEs, are tRNA-derived retroposons that are dispersed throughout eukaryotic genomes and can be present in well over 10(4) total copies. The enormous volume of SINE amplifications per organism makes them important evolutionary agents for shaping the diversity of genomes, and the irreversible, independent nature of their insertion allows them to be used for diagnosing common ancestry among host taxa with extreme confidence. As such, they represent a powerful new tool for systematic biology that can be strategically integrated with other conventional phylogenetic characters, most notably morphology and DNA sequences. This review covers the basic aspects of SINE evolution that are especially relevant to their use as systematic characters and describes the practical methods of characterizing SINEs for cladogram construction. It also discusses the limits of their systematic utility, clarifies some recently published misunderstandings, and illustrates the effective application of SINEs for vertebrate phylogenetics with results from selected case studies. BioEssays 22:148-160, 2000.
Signaling Pathways Regulating TC21-induced Tumorigenesis*

TC21(R-Ras2), a Ras-related GTPase with transforming potential similar to H-, K- and N-Ras, is implicated in the pathogenesis of human cancers. Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β), a cytokine that plays a significant role in modulating tumorigenesis, normally prevents uncontrolled cell proliferation but paradoxically induces proliferation in H-Ras-transformed cancer cells. Although TC21 activates some pathways that mediate cellular transformation by the classical Ras proteins, the mechanisms through which TC21 induces tumor formation and how TGF-β regulates TC21 transformed cells is not known. To better understand the role of TC21 in cancer progression, we overexpressed an activated G23V mutant of TC21 in a nontumorigenic murine mammary epithelial (EpH4) cell line. Mutant TC21-expressing cells were significantly more oncogenic than cells expressing activated G12V H-Ras both in vivo and in vitro. TC21-induced transformation and proliferation required activation of p38 MAPK, mTOR (the mammalian target of rapamycin), and phosphoinositide 3-kinase but not Akt/PKB. Transformation by TC21 rendered EpH4 cells insensitive to the growth inhibitory effects of TGF-β, and the soft agar growth of these cells was increased upon TGF-β stimulation. Despite losing responsiveness to TGF-β-mediated growth inhibition, both Smad-dependent and independent pathways remained intact in TC21-transformed cells. Thus, overexpression of active TC21 in EpH4 cells induces tumorigenicity through the phosphoinositide 3-kinase, p38 MAPK, and mTOR pathways, and these cells lose their sensitivity to the normal growth inhibitory role of TGF-β.
Transparency & Disclosure in the Istanbul Stock Exchange: Did IFRS Adoption and Corporate Governance Principles Make a Difference?

The purpose of this study is to investigate if the transparency and disclosure level of a sample of Istanbul Stock Exchange firms is enhanced by the promulgation of a set of local Corporate Governance (CG) Principles and by the voluntary adoption of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), an international best-practice. The Capital Market Board's CG principles are promulgated on a "comply or explain" basis and have been effective since the fiscal year 2004. First, the year 2003 Transparency & Disclosure (TD) index previously created in collaboration with Standard and Poor's is replicated for the fiscal year 2004. Using this short panel data of transparency and disclosure scores for our sample of 52 large and liquid Istanbul Stock Exchange firms, the improvement in the scores over the two years is measured. Second, with appropriate control variables in the model, we analyze the determinants of the significant improvement. We use the voluntary adoption of IFRS as an indicator of and commitment to TD, and find that the scores and their relationship with performance are higher in early adaptors. We then create a parsimonious 3-attribute Commitment-to-Better-Disclosure Index and observe a high correlation between the two indices. Finally, using a matched pairs design and controlling for IFRS adoption, we are able to attribute the improvement in the TD scores to the CG principles. The study should be of interest to researchers, managers, analysts, boards, policy makers and regulators at a time when debate on convergence to IFRS and the impact of local CG guidelines has become intense.
The Impact of Rewards on Employee’s Job Performance and Job Satisfaction

Now a day’s all firms or business entities are facing so many issues related to employee’s job performance and employee’s job satisfaction. Rewards have much impact on employees, which increase the level of job performance and job satisfaction. Many studies are conducted in the past to check the impact of rewards. This study will examine the impact of rewards on employee’s job performance and job satisfaction in telecommunication sector of Okara city, Pakistan. Questionnaire is used as instrument and 100 questionnaires were used to check the respondent’s opinion. The frequency test, descriptive analysis, correlation and multiple regression tests were applied for data analysis. This study concludes that there is positive relationship between rewards (extrinsic and intrinsic) and employee’s job performance and job satisfaction. Most of the organizations implement rewards system to increase the job performance and job satisfaction.
Marijuana Exposure During Lactation: Is It Safe?

The aim of this paper is to provide a systematic review of the evidence regarding the safety of cannabis exposure during lactation and recommendations for clinical practice. PubMed and OVID Medline search was performed using pregnancy, breastfeeding, cannabis, and marijuana. Articles were limited to human studies and English language. Animal studies, case reports, reviews and letters were excluded. Four studies were included in this review. Based on current evidence, there is one study reporting a potential effect of marijuana on motor development at one year of age. However, this finding was not repeated in other studies. Most evidence of harm is associated with prenatal exposure. Women need to be advised that the risk of exposure to marijuana during lactation remains uncertain; therefore, risks and benefits of marijuana use need to be considered before deciding to breastfeed.
Genetically modified crops and country image of food exporting countries

Purpose – Many countries have held back from planting genetically modified (GM) food crops due to perceived negative reaction in export and domestic markets. Three lines of research have tested the reality of this fear.Design/methodology/approach – In‐depth interviews were conducted in European countries with key companies and organisations in the European food sector. Supermarket intercepts were used to ascertain purchasing intent for products from countries that do or do not produce GM crops. A purchasing experiment was conducted, where cherries labelled as GM, organic or conventional were on sale in a roadside stall.Findings – Food distribution channel members expressed concern about possibility of contamination or mix‐up between GM and non‐GM food. However, presence of GM crops in a country does not cause negative perception of food in general from that country. Approximately 30 per cent of consumers in the purchasing experiment proved willing to purchase GM cherries when there was a defined consumer .
Incidence of congenital defects in South Wales, 1964-6.

Since Hale's observation in 1933 that sows on a diet deficient in vitamin A produce piglets without eyeballs, very many physical and chemical agents have been shown to be teratogenic in the animal laboratory (excess of various vitamins as well as vitamin deficiencies, hypoxia, hypothermia, ionizing radiations, and a wide range of chemicals, including some that are commonly prescribed in medical practice, e.g., insulin, cortisone, the hypoglycaemic sulphonamides, etc.). The search by epidemiological methods for environmental components in the aetiology of human malformations has been less rewarding. There is good evidence that environmental influences are involved, for the incidence of various defects shows geographical, secular, and seasonal fluctuations and social class, maternal age, and parity differences. So far, however, very few specific agents have been firmly incriminated (syphilis, rubella, toxoplasmosis, ionizing radiations, aminopterin, thalidomide) and it now seems likely that, although environmental influences are undoubtedly important, they will prove to be much more subtle and much less accessible to control than was at one time hoped. Nevertheless, there is still a place for large-scale surveys of all the malformations arising in defined populations. By uncovering differences in the incidence of specific defects in relation to social, geographical, temporal, and biological variables, they may provide aetiological clues, and by establishing registers of affected infants they can be used as the starting point for cohort studies of the diagnostic, therapeutic, social, educational, and, eventually, employment needs of survivors. In England two such studies have been in progress for some time, one in Birmingham since 1950 (Leck, Record, McKeown, and Edwards, 1968), the other in Liverpool since 1960 (Smithells, 1962). Both of these surveys are concerned with highly industrialized and geographically compact communities. In the belief that there was a need for a comprehensive survey of the incidence of malformations in a larger area with a more varied
Cellular aggregation enhances MyoD-directed skeletal myogenesis in embryonal carcinoma cells

When introduced into P19 embryonal carcinoma cells, recombinant genes encoding MyoD converted only a small percentage (< 3%) of the transfected cells into skeletal muscle. We isolated stably transfected cells that expressed the MyoD transcript. These P19[MyoD] cells continued to express markers characteristic of undifferentiated stem cells but also expressed myf-5 and the myotonic dystrophy kinase, transcripts normally present in myoblasts but absent from P19 cells. Aggregation of P19[MyoD] cells induced the expression of myogenin, desmin, and the retinoblastoma protein and resulted in the rapid and abundant development of skeletal muscle. Both the embryonic and the slow isoforms of myosin heavy chain were present in this muscle, indicating that it resembled skeletal muscle formed from primary myoblasts. Since aggregation of P19 cells normally results in inefficient differentiation and the development of only low levels of cardiac muscle but no skeletal muscle, we conclude that MyoD imposes the skeletal muscle program on P19 cells and that the differentiation of these cells requires inductive events provided by cell aggregation.