Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fat mass and apolipoprotein E genotype influence serum lipoprotein levels in early adulthood, whereas birth size does not.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES An association between an unfavorable lipid profile and low birth weight has been reported, although this association remains controversial. We hypothesized that birth size does not have any influence on serum lipid levels but fat accumulation during childhood has. METHODS In the PROgramming factors for GRowth And Metabolism study, a cohort of 297 young adults, aged 18-24 yr, the influence of clinical parameters on total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, lipoprotein a, and apolipoprotein (apo) A-1 and apoB was analyzed with multiple regression modeling. In addition, differences in these lipid levels and ApoE genotype prevalence were analyzed in four subgroups: young adults either born small for gestational age with short stature or with catch-up growth, or born appropriate for gestational age with idiopathic short stature or with normal stature (controls). RESULTS Birth length sd score (SDS) and birth weight SDS were no significant determinants of the serum lipid levels, whereas gender, ApoE genotype, adult height SDS, adult weight SDS, and fat mass were. Comparison of the subgroups showed that small for gestational age with short stature subjects had a significantly higher apoB than controls. There were no other significant differences in lipid levels or ApoE genotype prevalence among the four subgroups. CONCLUSIONS ApoE genotype is an important genetic determinant of lipid levels in young adulthood. Furthermore, fat accumulation during childhood significantly determines serum lipid levels, whereas birth size has no significant contribution. For public health practice, this means that parents and their children need to be informed about the risks of fat accumulation during childhood.
Wnt/beta-catenin and 3',5'-cyclic adenosine 5'-monophosphate/protein kinase A signaling pathways alterations and somatic beta-catenin gene mutations in the progression of adrenocortical tumors.

BACKGROUND The Wnt/beta-catenin and cAMP signaling pathways play an important role in adrenal cortex tumorigenesis. Somatic activating mutations of the beta-catenin gene (CTNNB1) are the most frequent genetic defects identified both in adrenocortical adenomas (ACAs) and adrenocortical cancers (ACCs). PRKAR1A mutations leading to cAMP pathway dysregulation are observed in primary pigmented nodular adrenocortical diseases (PPNADs) and some sporadic ACAs. OBJECTIVE The objective of the investigation was to study Wnt/beta-catenin dysregulation in adrenocortical tumors (ACTs) with cAMP pathway genetic alteration and search for secondary CTNNB1 somatic mutations in heterogeneous tumors. PATIENTS AND METHODS Nine PPNADs, including five with macronodules, three ACAs with PRKAR1A somatic mutations, and one heterogeneous tumor with ACC developed within an ACA, were studied by immunohistochemistry and DNA sequencing. RESULTS beta-Catenin accumulation was observed in all PPNADs, ACAs with PRKAR1A mutations, and the ACC component of the heterogeneous tumor. CTNNB1 somatic activating mutations were found in the macronodule of two of the five macronodular PPNADs, in one ACA with a PRKAR1A somatic mutation, and in the malignant part of the heterogeneous ACT. CONCLUSIONS The Wnt/beta-catenin pathway is activated in PPNADs and ACAs with PRKAR1A mutations, suggesting a cross talk between the cAMP and Wnt/beta-catenin pathways in ACT development. In addition, the occurrence as an additional hit of a CTNNB1 somatic mutation is associated with larger or more aggressive ACTs. This underlines the importance of the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway in adrenal cortex tumorigenesis and the importance of genetic accumulation in the progression of ACTs.
A bone structural basis for fracture risk in diabetes.

CONTEXT Elevated areal bone mineral density (aBMD) in type 2 diabetes mellitus is inconsistent with increased fracture risk at some skeletal sites. OBJECTIVES Because aBMD is an imperfect surrogate for bone strength, we assessed bone structure and strength more directly using quantitative computed tomography. DESIGN Diabetic and nondiabetic subjects were evaluated in a cross-sectional study. SETTING Subjects were recruited from a random sample of the Rochester, MN, population. PARTICIPANTS Forty-nine subjects (28 women and 21 men) with type 2 diabetes were compared with age- and sex-matched nondiabetic controls. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS We measured bone geometry, strength, and volumetric BMD (vBMD) at the hip, spine, and wrist, along with hip aBMD, using central and peripheral quantitative computed tomography and estimated bone load to bone strength ratios at each site. RESULTS Adjusted for differences in body mass index between cases and controls (29.8 vs. 27.6), hip aBMD was greater in diabetic subjects, but this was accounted for by greater trabecular vBMD. Cortical vBMD was similar in the two groups, as was bone cross-sectional area and cortical thickness. Bone strength measures were generally better in diabetic subjects, but bone loads were higher from their greater weight. Consequently, load to strength ratios (i.e. factor-of-risk) were similar. CONCLUSIONS Patients with type 2 diabetes enjoy little benefit from elevated aBMD in terms of improved bone load to strength ratios. With no deficit in bone density, the rationale for antiresorptive therapy in diabetic patients is uncertain, but potential adverse effects of diabetes on bone quality need more study.
The practice of mercury hygiene among Nigerian dentists in three southwestern states

Background: Dental amalgam has been in use for a very long time in the field of restorative dentistry as an intracoronal restorative material. Despite its long usage, there have been reports about adverse health effects arising from the exposure to minute mercury released from amalgam to the dentists if not properly handled. Aim: The aim was to find out the compliance of Nigerian dentists with recommendations on mercury hygiene practices. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study using self-administered questionnaire consisting of three parts was conducted among registered dentists. The first part of the questionnaire sought demographic characteristics of respondents while second part assessed measures taken by the caregiver himself while working with amalgam and the last part assessed measures taken to control and prevent mercury contamination within the clinical setup. Result: There was total compliance with the use of gloves when working with amalgam among the participants. However, the house officers had the highest tendency of always wearing face mask and protective clothing followed by specialist in training. There was a statistically significant difference in the tendency to always wear face mask (χ2 = 21.37, P = 0.00) and protective clothing (χ2 = 24.77, P = 0.00) as against occasional and never wearing them, among the different categories of dentists. Compliance with the use of rubber dam and alternative source of air was found to be generally poor among the professionals studied. More than two-third of all dentists studied never used the two preventive measures. About 78% never used rubber dam when working with amalgam. The method of handling excess mercury was found to be more appropriate among the respondents in the teaching hospitals and poorest among those in private set-up. Furthermore, a great majority (87.5%) of those working in private clinics had never heard of mercury vapor monitoring. Conclusion: It was noted that some of the standard mercury hygiene practices such as the use of rubber dam, high volume suction, and water cooling when removing or polishing amalgam restorations were not followed properly.
Orthogonal Hessenberg Reduction and Orthogonal Krylov Subspace Bases

We study necessary and sufficient conditions that a nonsingular matrix A can be B-orthogonally reduced to upper Hessenberg form with small bandwidth. By this we mean the existence of a decomposition AV=VH, where H is upper Hessenberg with few nonzero bands, and the columns of V are orthogonal in an inner product generated by a hermitian positive definite matrix B. The classical example for such a decomposition is the matrix tridiagonalization performed by the hermitian Lanczos algorithm, also called the orthogonal reduction to tridiagonal form. Does there exist such a decomposition when A is nonhermitian? In this paper we completely answer this question. The related (but not equivalent) question of necessary and sufficient conditions on A for the existence of short-term recurrences for computing B-orthogonal Krylov subspace bases was completely answered by the fundamental theorem of Faber and Manteuffel [SIAM J. Numer. Anal. }, 21 (1984), pp. 352--362]. We give a detailed analysis of B-normality, the central condition in both the Faber--Manteuffel theorem and our main theorem, and show how the two theorems are related. Our approach uses only elementary linear algebra tools. We thereby provide new insights into the principles behind Krylov subspace methods, that are not provided when more sophisticated tools are employed.
Inexact Semimonotonic Augmented Lagrangians with Optimal Feasibility Convergence for Convex Bound and Equality Constrained Quadratic Programming

A variant of the augmented Lagrangian-type algorithm for strictly convex quadratic programming problems with bounds and equality constraints is considered. The algorithm exploits the adaptive precision control in the solution of auxiliary bound constraint problems in the inner loop while the Lagrange multipliers for the equality constraints are updated in the outer loop. The update rule for the penalty parameter is introduced that depends on the increase of the augmented Lagrangian. Global convergence is proved and an explicit bound on the penalty parameter is given. A qualitatively new feature of our algorithm is a bound on the feasibility error that is independent of conditioning of the constraints. When applied to the class of problems with the spectrum of the Hessian matrix in a given interval, the algorithm returns the solution in O(1) matrix-vector multiplications. The results are valid even for linearly dependent constraints. Theoretical results are illustrated by numerical experiments including the solution of an elliptic variational inequality.
Rate of beta-cell destruction in type 1 diabetes influences the development of diabetic retinopathy: protective effect of residual beta-cell function for more than 10 years.

CONTEXT Although residual beta-cell function delays the onset and progression of diabetic retinopathy in patients with type 1 diabetes, the rate of beta-cell destruction is variable. OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to clarify the influence of the rate of beta-cell destruction on the development and progression of diabetic retinopathy in type 1 diabetes. DESIGN We performed a historical cohort study regarding residual beta-cell function and retinopathy. SETTING The study was conducted in the outpatient clinic of a general hospital. PATIENTS A total of 254 patients with type 1 diabetes participated. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Serum C-peptide and fundus findings were evaluated longitudinally. RESULTS The cumulative incidence of mild nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy was higher in the patients without detectable beta-cell function than in those with residual beta-cell function at 20, 15, and 10 yr after the onset of diabetes (P = 0.013, P = 0.006, and P = 0.048, respectively), but not at 5 yr after the onset (P = 0.84). There were higher mean glycosylated hemoglobin values during the entire follow-up period in the patients without detectable beta-cell function at 20 and 15 yr after the onset of diabetes (P = 0.030 and P = 0.042, respectively). Positivity for HLA-A24 and -DQA1 03, as well as the acute onset of diabetes, was associated with early beta-cell loss and also with early development of diabetic retinopathy. Cox proportional hazards analysis showed that undetectable beta-cell function at 20, 15, or 10 yr after the onset of diabetes was an independent risk factor for the development of diabetic retinopathy. CONCLUSIONS Undetectable beta-cell function within 10 yr of the onset of type 1 diabetes is associated with the earlier occurrence of diabetic retinopathy.
Influence of growth hormone receptor d3 and full-length isoforms on biochemical treatment outcomes in acromegaly.

CONTEXT In acromegaly, a discrepancy between what are defined as "normal" levels of GH and IGF-I for every given patient is observed in up to 35% of subjects at diagnosis and during the follow-up. OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of GH receptor (GHR) polymorphism on the biochemical assessment of the treatment of acromegaly and on prevalence of discordant levels of GH and IGF-I. SETTING The study was performed in an institutional referral center at a tertiary care hospital. DESIGN, PATIENTS, AND METHODS We studied prospectively and retrospectively 84 consecutive acromegalic patients with active disease after neurosurgery and treated them with somatostatin analogs. The GHR genotype (flfl, fld3, or d3d3) was determined from peripheral blood. RESULTS Lack of exon 3 of GH receptor (d3-GHR) was found in 40 of 84 patients (47.6%). After neurosurgery, 67 subjects (79.8%) of the study population, concordant active acromegalic patients, had high IGF-I and mean GH levels above 2 ng/ml, whereas the remaining 17 patients (20.2%, discordant active acromegalic patients) showed discordance between these two parameters (high IGF-I and GH levels < or = 2 ng/ml). Overall, 70.6% of discordant patients were carriers of the d3-GHR. After somatostatin analogs, discordant active acromegalic patients increased to 30.9%, 69.2% of whom were carriers of the d3-GHR. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that d3-GHR carriers maintained the significant correlation with discordant GH and IGF-I values either after neurosurgery or after somatostatin analog treatment, independently of the effects of age, sex, duration of acromegaly, serum GH, and IGF- I values either at diagnosis of acromegaly or after neurosurgery. CONCLUSION The GHR polymorphism seems to have a relevant impact on the posttreatment biochemical assessment of acromegaly. Moreover, the d3-GHR isoform could be an independent predictor of GH and IGF-I discrepancy during the follow-up in acromegaly.
Stabilized hp-Finite Element Methods for First-Order Hyperbolic Problems

We analyze the hp-version of the streamline-diffusion finite element method (SDFEM) and of the discontinuous Galerkin finite element method (DGFEM) for first-order linear hyperbolic problems. For both methods, we derive new error estimates on general finite element meshes which are sharp in the mesh-width h and in the spectral order p of the method, assuming that the stabilization parameter is O(h/p). For piecewise analytic solutions, exponential convergence is established on quadrilateral meshes. For the DGFEM we admit very general irregular meshes and for the SDFEM we allow meshes which contain hanging nodes. Numerical experiments confirm the theoretical results.
The Fast Multipole Method I: Error Analysis and Asymptotic Complexity

This paper is concerned with the application of the fast multipole method (FMM) to the Maxwell equations. This application differs in many aspects from other applications such as the N-body problem, Laplace equation, and quantum chemistry, etc. The FMM leads to a significant speed-up in CPU time with a major reduction in the amount of computer memory needed when performing matrix-vector products. This leads to faster resolution of scattering of harmonic plane waves from perfectly conducting obstacles. Emphasis here is on a rigorous mathematical approach to the problem. We focus on the estimation of the error introduced by the FMM and a rigorous analysis of the complexity (O(n log n)) of the algorithm. We show that error estimates reported previously are not entirely satisfactory and provide sharper and more precise estimates.
Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-1: serum levels, promoter polymorphism, and associations with components of the metabolic syndrome in short subjects born small for gestational age.

CONTEXT IGF binding protein (IGFBP)-1 is the only acute regulator of IGF-I bioavailability. Its production is suppressed by insulin, and low levels are associated with hyperinsulinemia and cardiovascular disease risk in adults. Data on IGFBP-1 levels in short, small for gestational age (SGA) subjects are scarce, and associations with IGFBP1 promoter single nucleotide polymorphisms have not been established. OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to determine IGFBP-1 levels in short SGA subjects compared with those in controls, to assess genotype frequency of the -575 G/A single nucleotide polymorphism, and to determine its impact on IGFBP-1 levels. SUBJECTS A total of 272 short subjects born SGA and 330 subjects with normal stature (245 children, 85 young adults) participated in the study. OUTCOME MEASURES We measured fasting levels of IGFBP-1, IGF-I, insulin and lipid parameters, and body composition. RESULTS IGFBP-1 sd score (SDS) was comparable to controls in lean, short, SGA children but significantly lower in short SGA adults with normal fat mass (P < 0.001). IGFBP-1 SDS correlated significantly with insulin levels, systolic blood pressure SDS, and various lipid parameters. Baseline IGFBP-1 SDS was lowest in SGA children with -575 GG genotype and significantly higher in SGA children with one or two copies of the A allele. In response to a given insulin level, children with the AA genotype had a significantly higher IGFBP-1 SDS compared to children with the GG genotype. CONCLUSION Normal IGFBP-1 levels in lean, short, SGA children may reflect a normal metabolic state, despite reported hyperinsulinemia. IGFBP-1 is modulated by polymorphic variability and seems to be an additional player in the complex interaction between the IGF-IGFBP axis, glucose homeostasis, and lipid metabolism.
The HIF‐2&agr;/VEGF pathway activation in cutaneous capillary haemangiomas

Aim: To investigate the pathogenesis of capillary haemangiomas, a common form of vascular malformation. Methods: Twenty‐five cutaneous capillary haemangiomas, excised from patients under 14 years of age, were studied immunohistochemically for endothelial cells, the angiogenic factors thymidine phosphorylase (TP) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), the proliferation index Ki‐67, and the hypoxia inducible factors‐1&agr; (HIF‐1&agr;) and ‐2&agr; (HIF‐2&agr;). Results: Endothelial‐lined channels reacted strongly with CD31 in all cases, clearly definining capillary spaces. Between 5 and 20% of the endothelial cells were Ki‐67 positive, indicating an intense proliferative activity; more importantly, they consistently expressed VEGF and HIF‐2&agr;, and in many cases TP, but failed to react with HIF‐1&agr;. Conclusion: It is suggested that the activation of the HIF‐2&agr; pathway and the consequent overexpression of VEGF by the endothelial cells are involved in the pathogenesis of cutaneous capillary haemangiomas.
An Analysis of Some High Accuracy Finite Element Methods for Hyperbolic Problems

Some high accuracy finite element methods for hyperbolic problems are studied in this paper. It is proven that over a finite element mesh, the convergence order of linear finite element solutions for both linear and nonlinear equations can be higher than one even if the exact solutions are discontinuous. The theoretical tools for the convergence analysis are some superclose error estimates that are also developed in this paper for nonsmooth solutions.
High frequency of and factors associated with thyroid hormone over-replacement and under-replacement in men and women aged 65 and over.

CONTEXT Thyroid hormone use is common in older populations, but the frequency of over- or under-replacement is debated. OBJECTIVE We sought to describe the frequency of and factors associated with thyroid hormone over- or under-replacement in a population of older men and women. DESIGN Participants were 3678 U.S. community dwelling individuals aged 65 yr or older enrolled in the Cardiovascular Health Study who had thyroid function tests in 1989-1990. Thyroid hormone users (n = 339) were identified and classified into low TSH (<0.45 mU/liter), euthyroid (0.45-4.5 mU/liter), and high TSH (>4.5 mU/liter). RESULTS Of the 339 thyroid hormone users, 41% had a low TSH, 16% had a high TSH, and 43% were in the euthyroid range. In multivariable analyses, lower weight (P < 0.001) was independently associated with low TSH status. For every 10 kg lower weight, the likelihood of having low TSH increased by 65% [odd ratio (OR) 1.65; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.31-2.07]. Those with renal insufficiency were less likely to have low TSH levels (P = 0.02). The presence of diabetes was independently associated with having low (OR 3.35; 95% CI 1.46-7.65) and high TSH levels (OR 2.66; 95% CI 1.14-6.21). CONCLUSIONS There is a very high prevalence of thyroid function testing abnormalities in older people taking thyroid hormone preparations, particularly in those of low weight or with diabetes. Because of potential adverse cardiovascular and skeletal effects from over-replacement, older people represent a key population for increased TSH monitoring on therapy.
Improved approximation algorithms for the vertex cover problem in graphs and hypergraphs

We obtain improved algorithms for finding small vertex covers in bounded degree graphs and hypergraphs. We use semidefinite programming to relax the problems and introduce new} rounding techniques for these relaxations. On graphs with maximum degree at most $\Delta$, the algorithm achieves a performance ratio of $2-(1-o(1))\frac{2 \ln \ln \Delta}{\ln \Delta}$ for large $\Delta$, which improves the previously known ratio of $2-\frac{\log \Delta + O(1)}{\Delta}$ obtained by Halld{orsson and Radhakrishnan. Using similar techniques, we also present improved approximations for the vertex cover problem in hypergraphs. For k-uniform hypergraphs with n vertices, we achieve a ratio of $k-(1-o(1))\frac{k\ln \ln n}{\ln n}$ for large n, and for k-uniform hypergraphs with maximum degree at most $\Delta$ the algorithm achieves a ratio of $k-(1-o(1))\frac{k(k-1)\ln \ln \Delta}{\ln \Delta}$ for large $\Delta$. These results considerably improve the previous best ratio of $k(1-c/\Delta^\frac{1}{k-1})$ for bounded degree k-uniform hypergraphs, and $k(1-c/n^\frac{k-1}{k})$ for general k-uniform hypergraphs, both obtained by Krivelevich. Using similar techniques, we also obtain an approximation algorithm for the weighted independent set problem, matching a recent result of Halldorsson.