Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Metabolic Syndrome in Teaching hospital Western Province of Saudi Arabia

In Saudi Arabia, one of the most emerging pandemic diseases is Metabolic Syndrome (MS), associated with obesity, cardiovascular Disease (CVD) and diabetes. A large proportion of the general population represents theworking environment, which serve as an important place for prevention, control and management of chronic diseases. The objective of the present study is to examine the incidence of MS and its components among patients working in the university of King Abdulaziz, In the hospital which is a Teaching Hospital of Western Province in Saudi Arabia, and the patients attending the hospital from the community and to evaluate the incidence on the basis of age and gender. Present study is based on the cross-sectional study of 117 patients attending a teaching hospital of Western Province of Saudi Arabia.MS was explained and diagnosed as reported by National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment panel III modified criteriawhich includes BMI, waist, Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG), HDL, and blood pressure. The prevalence of MS was 24.2% in the present study, while the components with more than three were found to be higher in male (29%) than female (21.9%). However, thereafter prevalence was more in female than male and increased with age.The most widespread MS components in all patients were increasedtriglycerides (2.1mmol/L±1.3); BMI (32.3kg/m 2 ±9.3), Systolic BP (141.4mm/Hg±19.7); HDL (1.2mmol/L±0.3);Fasting blood sugar(10.8mmol/L±8.9);Diastolic BP (75.5mm/Hg±11.3); and T. Cholesterol (4.8mmol/L±1.0). Male (Odds ratio 0.217, P=0.008) with any age (Odds ratio=0.916,P=0.002), a Saudi national (Odds ratio=0.278, P=0.029) with normal (Odds ratio=0.087, P=0.001) are associated significantly with metabolic syndrome.Consequently there is significant difference in metabolic syndrome between age,sex, nationality, and Obesity.In the age group of 4049 and 60-69,prevalence of waist circumference is higher and in the age group of < 40 and 60-69, triglycerides are higher. The prevalence of MS was higher in male than female ( ≥3 components) while the prevalence increased with age. On the basis of age and gender, current report helpsto estimate the prevalenceof MS and its components among employees working in Teaching Hospital of Western Province and the community.Therefore, there is anecessity to create an awareness programsto prevent CVDs and diabetes in workplace and the community.
Relationship between Measures of Fatness, Lipids and Ethnicity in a Cohort of Adolescent Boys

Background/Aim: The investigators were invited into a boys’ high school to assess the lipid risk profile of a single year cohort and advise on how the findings could be incorporated into a healthy lifestyle program. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between measures of fatness, ethnicity and cardiac risk factors in a cohort of adolescent boys. Methods: Anthropometric measurements of weight, height, waist and hips were used to calculate body mass index (BMI) and waist to hip ratio (WHR); percent total body fat (%TBF) was estimated by bioelectric impedance analysis. Demographic and behavioral variables were assessed by questionnaire. Total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), triglyceride (TG), apolipoprotein A1 (apoA1), apoliproprotein B (apoB) and insulin were measured in 137 subjects; low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) was calculated. Results: The study sample was comprised of 139 boys aged 15.7 ± 0.04 years; 46% were Caucasians, 41% were East Asians and 13% were from the Indian subcontinent (South Asian). The crude mean BMI, %TBF and waist measurements were not significantly different between the ethnic groups. South Asians had a higher mean WHR than East Asians (p < 0.004; ANOVA), and also had higher mean %TBF than Caucasians when BMI was adjusted for, and lower BMI than either of the other groups when adjusted for waist (ANCOVA). There was no difference between groups in lipid profiles except for a higher apoB in East Asians compared with Caucasians (p < 0.04). Twenty-two percent of the subjects had TC higher than the desirable level for children (4.5 mmol/l), 7.3% had low HDL-C (<0.9 mmol/l) and 4.3% had high LDL-C (>3.5 mmol/l). Overweight and hypercholesterolemia had individual prevalences of around 20%, while hyperinsulinemia was 48%. Conclusion: The present study confirms that the relationship between BMI and %TBF is dependent on ethnicity, even in adolescent subjects of similar age and gender. The assessment of cardiovascular risk on a school year and age basis would suggest that there are enough affected individuals to support at least a nontargeted intervention which focuses on healthy eating and physical activity.
New insights on therapy with vitamin D analogs targeting the intracellular pathways that control repigmentation in human vitiligo

Vitiligo is a progressive depigmenting disorder affecting 0.5–2% of the population worldwide in which destruction of functional melanocytes from epidermis is a composite of multiple processes influencing melanocyte function and survival. A number of studies have recently reported that the treatment with vitamin D compounds or their combination with ultraviolet light or corticosteroids enhances repigmentation in vitiligo; however, the causal relationship at the cellular and molecular levels has not so far been investigated. This review details the main intracellular pathways through which vitamin D ligands alone or in different combinations may contribute to pigment restoration in vitiligo, outlines the most recent achievements in vitiligo treatment using vitamin D analogs, and compares their efficacy with other treatment regimens in vitiligo. Based on the reviewed literature and data, we foresee the need for designing new vitamin D compounds to achieve maximal therapeutic efficacy. Such compounds should have high selectivity for melanocytes, stimulatory effects on melanogenesis, and minimal suppressive effects on melanocyte growth. An approach combining clinical investigations and focused research on the cellular and molecular mechanisms of vitiligo repigmentation will lead to finding better treatments for this disease. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Med Res Rev, 29, No. 3, 514‐546, 2009
Assessment of synovitis with contrast-enhanced MRI using a whole-joint semiquantitative scoring system in people with, or at high risk of, knee osteoarthritis: the MOST study

Objectives To introduce a comprehensive and reliable scoring system for the assessment of whole-knee joint synovitis based on contrast-enhanced (CE) MRI. Methods Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study (MOST) is a cohort study of people with, or at high risk of, knee osteoarthritis (OA). Subjects are an unselected subset of MOST who volunteered for CE-MRI. Synovitis was assessed at 11 sites of the joint. Synovial thickness was scored semiquantitatively: grade 0 (<2 mm), grade 1 (2–4 mm) and grade 2 (>4 mm) at each site. Two musculoskeletal radiologists performed the readings and inter- and intrareader reliability was evaluated. Whole-knee synovitis was assessed by summing the scores from all sites. The association of Western Ontario and McMaster Osteoarthritis Index pain score with this summed score and with the maximum synovitis grade for each site was assessed. Results 400 subjects were included (mean age 58.8±7.0 years, body mass index 29.5±4.9 kg/m2, 46% women). For individual sites, intrareader reliability (weighted κ) was 0.67–1.00 for reader 1 and 0.60–1.00 for reader 2. Inter-reader agreement (κ) was 0.67–0.92. For the summed synovitis scores, intrareader reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient ( ICC)) was 0.98 and 0.96 for each reader and inter-reader agreement (ICC) was 0.94. Moderate to severe synovitis in the parapatellar subregion was associated with the higher maximum pain score (adjusted OR (95% CI), 2.8 (1.4 to 5.4) and 3.1 (1.2 to 7.9), respectively). Conclusions A comprehensive semiquantitative scoring system for the assessment of whole-knee synovitis is proposed. It is reliable and identifies knees with pain, and thus is a potentially powerful tool for synovitis assessment in epidemiological OA studies.
Hybrid Dysfunction Expressed as Elevated Metabolic Rate in Male Ficedula Flycatchers

Studies of ecological speciation are often biased towards extrinsic sources of selection against hybrids, resulting from intermediate hybrid morphology, but the knowledge of how genetic incompatibilities accumulate over time under natural conditions is limited. Here we focus on a physiological trait, metabolic rate, which is central to life history strategies and thermoregulation but is also likely to be sensitive to mismatched mitonuclear interactions. We measured the resting metabolic rate of male collared, and pied flycatchers as well as of naturally occurring F1 hybrid males, in a recent hybrid zone. We found that hybrid males had a higher rather than intermediate metabolic rate, which is indicative of hybrid physiological dysfunction. Fitness costs associated with elevated metabolic rate are typically environmentally dependent and exaggerated under harsh conditions. By focusing on male hybrid dysfunction in an eco-physiological trait, our results contribute to the general understanding of how combined extrinsic and intrinsic sources of hybrid dysfunction build up under natural conditions.
Intrathecal Therapy: What Has Changed With the Introduction of Ziconotide

Administering drugs into the intrathecal space is becoming more popular in the treatment of patients with intractable pain or intolerable side effects of systemic analgesic treatments. Although morphine and ziconotide are the only intrathecal analgesics currently approved by regulatory authorities in the U.S. (Food and Drug Administration) and Europe (national‐level approval by individual countries for morphine and European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products approval for ziconotide), a wide variety of opioid and non‐opioid drugs are being used in this way. There is no official guidance concerning the selection of these drugs or their use in combinations and a paucity of efficacy and safety data from randomized controlled trials. The polyanalgesic initiative aims to summarize the current knowledge and to facilitate rational choices of intrathecal drug and drug combinations for the management of chronic pain. The most recent polyanalgesic consensus recommendations were published in 2007. In this review, we shall examine these recommendations, which are tailored toward those practicing intrathecal analgesia in the U.S., and discuss how they should be implemented in Europe, where the healthcare systems and regulations of the medical authorities are different.
Production , transformation and essential oils composition of leaves and stems of lemon verbena [ Aloysia triphylla ( L ’ Herit . ) Britton ] grown in Portugal

Production, transformation and essential oils composition of leaves and stems of lemon verbena [Aloysia triphylla (L’Herit.) Britton] grown in Portugal. More than seventy compounds, including 13 n-alkanes, were identified by GC and GC-MS in essential oils from leaves of lemon verbena [Aloysia triphylla (L’Herit.) Britton] plants harvested and analysed with intervals of around two months during a year. In essential oils from stems of corresponding samples, a lower number of compounds were detected, ranging from 46 to 52 depending of the sample. In both cases, geranial, neral and limonene were the main compounds accounting together for 69-72% and 53-69% of the essential oils from leaves and stems respectively. The variation of the essential oil composition in stems was broader than in leaves. In stems, the levels of geranial decreased from around 40% in Sep. to 27% in Nov., increasing thereafter, in inverse correlation with the levels of caryophyllene oxide and ARcurcumene. In stems, the level of α-terpineol increased from 1.3% in July to 3.4% in April of the following year while that of methyl citronelate increased from 0.5% in July to 2.9% in Nov. In leaves, the levels of α-terpineol and methyl citronelate kept without apparent variation. In stems, either the variation of the monoterpene hydrocarbons or the variation of the sesquiterpene hydrocarbons was inversed relatively to respective variations in leaves. Limonene and E-ß-ocimene were the compounds that mostly contributed for variation of monoterpene hydrocarbons while E-caryophyllene, germacrene D, α-zingiberene and AR-curcumene were those that mostly contributed for variation of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons.
Effects of bryostatin 1 and rGM‐CSF on the metabolism of 1‐β‐d‐arabinofuranosylcytosine in human leukaemic myeloblasts

Summary. The effects of the protein kinase C activator bryostatin 1, either with or without recombinant granulocyte‐macrophage colony stimulating factor (rGM‐CSF) were examined with respect to the in vitro metabolism of ara‐C in leukaemic myeloblasts obtained from 10 patients with acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML). Coincubation of cells with 12·5 × 10−9m bryostatin 1 and 10−5m ara‐C for 4 h resulted in a significant increase in ara‐CTP formation (compared to controls) in 6/10 specimens (mean increase 106%: range 38–255%), and no change in the remainder. In contrast, coincubation of cells with 1·25 ng/ml rGM‐CSF resulted in a significant increase in only one specimen, and decreases in two. Bryostatin 1 also significantly increased ara‐C DNA incorporation in 6/9 evaluable samples, including two which did not display an increase in ara‐CTP formation. Coincubation of cells with both bryostatin 1 and rGM‐CSF did not lead to a further increase in ara‐CTP formation or ara‐C DNA incorporation compared to values obtained with either agent alone. Finally, exposure of blasts to bryostatin 1 for 24 h before ara‐C led to an increase in ara‐CTP formation in 3/8 additional specimens, and a decrease in one sample displaying evidence of bryostatin 1 ‐induced macrophage differentiation. Incubation of cells with both rGM‐CSF and bryostatin 1 for this period resulted in ara‐CTP levels equivalent to those obtained with bryostatin 1 alone. These studies indicate that while bryostatin 1 exerts a heterogeneous effect on ara‐C metabolism in leukaemic myeloblasts, it is capable of potentiating ara‐C phosphorylation in a subset of patient samples, including some that do not exhibit an increase in response to rGM‐CSF. They also raise the possibility that bryostatin 1‐induced potentiation of ara‐C metabolism in some leukaemic cells may contribute, at least in part, to the antileukaemic efficacy of this drug combination.
Comparative absorption parameters of Pu and Am from PuO2 and mixed oxide aerosols measured after in vitro dissolution test and inhalation in rats

Purpose: To compare specific absorption parameter values obtained from in vitro dissolution studies (this paper) and in vivo experiments (data published by Ramounet et al, 2000) and to determine their influence on Dose Per Unit Intake (DPUI) calculations. Materials and methods: Experiments were performed on plutonium oxide (PuO2) and two Mixed Oxide (MOx) preparations containing 5% Pu (w/w) made according to the industrial process in vitro using a static test and in vivo after rat inhalation. Results: Behaviour of Pu and Am shows, in vitro, at shorter times, a greater rapid dissolution fraction fr for Pu (factor 10) and Am (factor 2) with MOx powders compared with PuO2, whereas in vivo results show a greater fraction fr for Pu (factor 5) and Am (factor 15) with PuO2 compared with MOx powders. This phenomenon has not been observed for slow dissolution absorption parameter ss. The in vivo parameters for Pu and Am in these materials were very close to the default values recommended by International Commission for Radiological Protection for default Type S. Conclusions: Results obtained have shown that solubility of Pu from the mixed oxide was higher than that of Pu from PuO2. Nevertheless, no significant difference was observed between the three compounds in the corresponding dose coefficients in vivo or in vitro. Therefore, for these particular compounds, variation in the chemical composition of the aerosols had no significant influence on DPUI. Consequently, in vitro, the dissolution test can provide a good estimate of the in vivo behaviour. Studies of variation of % Pu (w/w) from MOx are in progress in our laboratory to confirm these conclusions.
A field study of sleep disturbance: effects of aircraft noise and other factors on 5,742 nights of actimetrically monitored sleep in a large subject sample.

This field study assessed the effects of nighttime aircraft noise on actimetrically measured sleep in 400 people (211 women and 189 men; 20-70 years of age; one per household) habitually living at eight sites adjacent to four U.K. airports, with different levels of night flying. Subjects wore wrist-actimeters for 15 nights and completed morning sleep logs. A sample of 178 nights of sleep electroencephalograms (EEGs) were recorded synchronously with actigrams. The EEG was used to develop filters for the raw actigrams, in order to: (1) estimate sleep onset and (2) compare actigrams with aircraft noise events (ANEs). Actigrams, filtered to detect the onset of discrete movements, were able to detect 88% of all EEG-determined periods of interim wakefulness of > 15 seconds and periods of movement time of > 10 seconds. The main findings were: (1) actimetry and self-reports showed that only a minority of ANEs affected sleep, and, for most of our subjects, that domestic and idiosyncratic factors had much greater effects; (2) despite large between-site variations in ANEs, the difference between sites in overall sleep disturbance was not significant; (3) there was a diminished actimetric response to ANEs in the first hour of sleep and, apparently, also in the last hour of sleep; and (4) men had significantly more discrete movements than women and were more likely to respond to ANEs.
Investigation of Suspended Sediment Properties based on Scholte wave

The propagation of the Scholte wave at liquid/solid interface is studied to measure the suspended sediment properties. Based on ultrasonic suspension models, i.e. Utrick, Utrick-Ament, HT and Mcclements, the Scholte wave propagation characteristics are analyzed at the interface between Sediment concentration two-phase fluid and porous medium solid. The relationship between Scholte velocity and two-phase fluid’s properties, e.g., dispersion, volume content, particle size are discussed,. The Scholte wave propagation and signal are obtained by simulation, and the obtained Scholte wave velocity are in accord with Utrick-Ament and HT mode. The proposed work is practically feasible and of great scientific and technological importance in sediment research. Introduction The characteristic of ultrasound propagation in the two-phase has always been the focus of research scholars. Some scholars have proposed a series of classic ultrasonic propagation models, i.e. Utrick, Utrick-Ament, HT, ECAH, Mcclements. The propagation and attenuation characteristics can be used for analyzing the volume content, compressibility or density of either the dispersed or continuous phase, which provide a non-invasive and non-destructive measurement be widely used in detection. The Scholte wave has large amplitude, long propagation distance, and low attenuation loss. When propagating along the interfaces, these waves carry information of the medium on both sides, which can be applied for inversion analysis of the medium properties. The dependence of the fluid/solid interface wave on the sediment property is a subject of profound theoretical and practical significance. In this paper, the time-domain waveform of interface wave between sediment containing two phase fluid and porous solid is simulated, whilst the -solid interface wave and two-phase fluid ultrasonic propagation model are combined. By analyzing the dispersion effect and influence of volume fraction, particle size of sediment impact on the Scholte wave, we provide some theoretical guidance for the detection of sediment character of two-phase. 1. Establishment of characteristic equation A fluid/solid interface is depicted in Fig. 1, where y=0 represents the interface and x indicates the propagation direction of the interface waves. y< 0 represents the semi-infinite space, y >0 denotes the semi-infinite porous solid space. More info about this article: http://ndt.net/? id=19727
Toward a Comprehensive Theory for Alzheimer's Disease. Hypothesis: Alzheimer's Disease Is Caused by the Cerebral Accumulation and Cytotoxicity of Amyloid β‐Protein

Abstract: A central challenge of research on Alzheimer's disease (AD) is to assemble the enormous body of scientific observations about the disorder, some of them seemingly in conflict with others, into a coherent and credible mechanism of pathogenesis. In this article, I attempt to synthesize the disparate findings on AD into a unified sequence that essentially begins with alterations in the production or clearance of the amyloid β‐protein (Aβ). Mounting evidence from many laboratories supports an Aβ accumulation in limbic and association cortices as the fundamental initiator of the disease, with attendant therapeutic implications.
Biological parameters of interbreeding subspecies of Meccus phyllosomus (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae) in western Mexico

Abstract Understanding the biological parameters of some triatomine subspecies of Meccus phyllosomus (Burmeister) is a crucial first step in estimating the epidemiological importance of this group. Biological parameters related to egg eclosion, egg-to-adult development time, number of blood meals to moult, percentage of females at the end of the cycle, number of laid eggs, and the accumulative mortality for each instar of three M. phyllosomus subspecies [Meccus phyllosomus pallidipennis (Stål), Meccus phyllosomus longipennis (Usinger), and Meccus phyllosomus picturatus (Usinger)] as well as their laboratory hybrids were evaluated and compared. No significant differences (P > 0.05) were recorded among the experimental hybrids (M. p. longipennis × M. p. pallidipennis, M. p. longipennis × M. p. picturatus, M. p. pallidipennis × M. p. picturatus) and reciprocal cohorts. In five of the six studied parameters (egg eclosion, egg-to-adult development time, number of blood meals to moult, number of laid eggs and accumulative mortality), with the exception of the non-significant percentage of females obtained among all the studied cohorts, at least one of the parental cohorts in each set of crosses exhibited better fitness results than by those of their hybrid descendants. The lack of hybrid fitness in our study indicates the maintenance of reproductive isolation of parental genotypes. Moreover, the results lead us to propose that an incipient speciation process by distance is currently developing among the three studied subspecies, increasing the differences between them that modify the transmission efficiency of Trypanosoma cruzi to human beings in Mexico.
Potential Role of Branched-Chain Amino Acid Catabolism in Regulating Fat Oxidation

Insulin-resistant or obese individuals have increased serum branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) levels. Recent findings relate increased BCAA catabolism to increased fatty acid oxidation and better metabolic health in physically active individuals. We hypothesize that, via glyceroneogenesis, BCAA catabolism mediates increased constitutive use of fatty acids for &bgr;-oxidation in subjects with increased inherent or acquired aerobic capacity both during exercise and at rest.