Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of vitamin D inadequacy in European postmenopausal women

ABSTRACT Objective: Inadequate vitamin D level is associated with secondary hyperparathyroidism and increased bone turnover and bone loss, which in turn increases fracture risk. The objective of this study is to assess the prevalence of inadequate serum vitamin D levels in postmenopausal European women. There are no clear international agreements on what constitutes a level of vitamin D inadequacy, but recent publications suggest that the circulating level of vitamin D should be over 80 nmol/L or at least between 50 and 80 nmol/L. Material and methods: Assessment of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] was performed in 8532 European postmenopausal women with osteoporosis or osteopenia. European countries included France, Belgium, Denmark, Italy, Poland, Hungary, United Kingdom, Spain and Germany. Two cut-offs of 25(OH)D inadequacy were fixed : < 80 nmol/L and < 50 nmol/L. Results: Mean (SD) age of the patients was 74.2 (7.1) years, body mass index was 25.7 (4.1) kg/m². Level of 25(OH)D was 61.0 (27.2) nmol/L. There was a highly significant difference of 25(OH)D level across European countries ( p < 0.0001). The lowest level of 25(OH)D was found in France [51.5 (26.1) nmol/L] and the highest in Spain [85.2 (33.3) nmol/L]. In the whole study population, the prevalence of 25(OH)D inadequacy was 79.6% and 32.1% when considering cut-offs of 80 and 50 nmol/L, respectively and when considering patients aged less than 65 years, the prevalence reached 86% (cut-off of 80 nmol/L) and 45% (cut-off of 50 nmol/L). Conclusion: This study indicates a high prevalence of vitamin D [25(OH)D] inadequacy in European postmenopausal women. The prevalence could be even higher in some particular countries. A greater awareness of the importance of vitamin D inadequacy is needed to address this public health problem.
Human feeding biomechanics: performance, variation, and functional constraints

The evolution of the modern human (Homo sapiens) cranium is characterized by a reduction in the size of the feeding system, including reductions in the size of the facial skeleton, postcanine teeth, and the muscles involved in biting and chewing. The conventional view hypothesizes that gracilization of the human feeding system is related to a shift toward eating foods that were less mechanically challenging to consume and/or foods that were processed using tools before being ingested. This hypothesis predicts that human feeding systems should not be well-configured to produce forceful bites and that the cranium should be structurally weak. An alternate hypothesis, based on the observation that humans have mechanically efficient jaw adductors, states that the modern human face is adapted to generate and withstand high biting forces. We used finite element analysis (FEA) to test two opposing mechanical hypotheses: that compared to our closest living relative, chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), the modern human craniofacial skeleton is (1) less well configured, or (2) better configured to generate and withstand high magnitude bite forces. We considered intraspecific variation in our examination of human feeding biomechanics by examining a sample of geographically diverse crania that differed notably in shape. We found that our biomechanical models of human crania had broadly similar mechanical behavior despite their shape variation and were, on average, less structurally stiff than the crania of chimpanzees during unilateral biting when loaded with physiologically-scaled muscle loads. Our results also show that modern humans are efficient producers of bite force, consistent with previous analyses. However, highly tensile reaction forces were generated at the working (biting) side jaw joint during unilateral molar bites in which the chewing muscles were recruited with bilateral symmetry. In life, such a configuration would have increased the risk of joint dislocation and constrained the maximum recruitment levels of the masticatory muscles on the balancing (non-biting) side of the head. Our results do not necessarily conflict with the hypothesis that anterior tooth (incisors, canines, premolars) biting could have been selectively important in humans, although the reduced size of the premolars in humans has been shown to increase the risk of tooth crown fracture. We interpret our results to suggest that human craniofacial evolution was probably not driven by selection for high magnitude unilateral biting, and that increased masticatory muscle efficiency in humans is likely to be a secondary byproduct of selection for some function unrelated to forceful biting behaviors. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that a shift to softer foods and/or the innovation of pre-oral food processing techniques relaxed selective pressures maintaining craniofacial features that favor forceful biting and chewing behaviors, leading to the characteristically small and gracile faces of modern humans.
Comparisons of Five Health Status Instruments for Orthopedic Evaluation

This study represents a long-term effort to find optimal techniques for evaluating outcome in patients who have undergone total joint arthroplasty. Sensitivity of five health status questionnaires was studied in a longitudinal evaluation of orthopedic surgery. The questionnaires (Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales [AIMS], Functional Status Index [FSI], Health Assessment Questionnaire [HAQ], Index of Well Being [IWB], and Sickness Impact Profile [SIP]) were administered to 38 patients with end-stage arthritis at three points in time: two weeks before hip or knee arthroplasty, and at three-month and 12- to 15-month follow-up. Response values (i.e., changes within patients) were calculated on four scales: global health, pain, mobility, and social function. By the three-month follow-up, most instruments detected large mean responses in global health, pain scores, and mobility. Smaller changes on these scales were found between three and 12 to 15 months. Social function showed small to modest gains at successive follow-ups. Standardized response means were calculated to assess sensitivity to detect change. Confidence intervals for these indices were constructed using a jackknife procedure, and significance tests were performed by pairing selected indices. Finally, the study projected sample sizes required to assess a new therapy, using each response. These statistical tools facilitated comparisons among instruments and may prove useful in other settings.
Factors Predicting Recurrence After Resection of Pancreatic Ductal Carcinoma

Objective: Pancreatic ductal carcinoma frequently recurs postoperatively, and we analyzed clinicopathological features of patients treated by surgical resection to find predictors of postoperative recurrence. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed that included 69 patients between 1985 and 2003. Clinicopathologic factors were evaluated for tumor recurrences by univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: Mean survival time and actuarial 5-year disease-specific survival were significantly lower in cases of hepatic metastasis (13 months, 0%) and in cases of peritoneal carcinomatosis (15 months, 6.8%) than in cases of local retroperitoneal recurrence (30 months, 21%). Univariate and logistic regression analyses showed undifferentiated adenocarcinoma to be independently associated with hepatic metastasis (odds ratio, 7.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.5-37.0) and invasion of the portal vein to be independently associated with peritoneal carcinomatosis (odds ratio, 4.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-12.8). Multivariate analysis showed undifferentiated adenocarcinoma, invasion of the anterior capsule, and invasion of the portal vein to be independent prognostic factors. Conclusion: Undifferentiated adenocarcinoma and invasion of the portal vein are predictors of poor outcome and are related to hepatic metastasis and peritoneal carcinomatosis, respectively. Postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy, including intra-arterial chemotherapy, should be selected according to prediction of the patterns of recurrence.
Spatial Neighborhood Effects in Agricultural Technology Adoption: Evidence from Nigeria

This paper uses plot level data to analyze network effects on the adoption of a targeted fertilizer application technique amongst rice producers in Niger State, Nigeria. A Spatial Durbin Model (SDM) of farmers’ probability of using the Urea Deep Placement (UDP) technology is estimated using a Spatial Instrumental Variable Probit estimation approach. The results reveal the existence of significant and positive spatial correlation in rice farmers’ adoption of UDP in the study area. These results have important implications for the design of appropriate and cost effective extension programs, in order to facilitate the diffusion of agricultural technologies in developing countries.
Prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2) rs20417 polymorphism and prostate cancer risk: a meta analysis.

BACKGROUND Genetic variation of SNPs in the PTGS2 gene is reported to be capable of creating tissue milieu favoring tumorigenesis. Some studies have implicated the common SNP rs20417 has association with PCa risk, while others showed reverse results. The study was performed with an aim to reconcile the existing controversy by performing a meta-analysis. METHODS We searched databases of Embase and PubMed and identified 8 publications fulfilling the specified inclusion criteria. X(2)-based Q-test and I(2) statistic were quantified to measure the heterogeneity across studies. The pooled ORs and 95% CIs were calculated to estimate the association between SNP rs20417 and PCa risk. RESULTS Based on an enlarged sample size by combining the data from published meta-analyses and those missed in them, the results of the present meta-analysis revealed the association of SNP rs20417 and overall PCa risk was not significant. Subgroup analyses according to ethnicity and source of controls did not show any significant results, either. CONCLUSIONS The meta-analysis suggests that the presence of SNP rs20417 is unlikely to be associated with PCa risk. Our understanding of the genetic risk for PCa should be further expanded and refined through future research in a much larger number of participants.
Interpreting the NHS cost indices for acute Trusts

The 1997 White Paper, The New NHS, announced that Trusts would be required to publish and benchmark the costs of the treatments they provide on a similar basis. Between November 1998 and March 1999 five different indices were produced purporting to measure the unit costs of service provision in English acute Trusts. The publication of multiple indices has meant that Trusts appearing ‘inefficient’ on one index can emerge as relatively ‘efficient’ on another. This has the potential to create confusion. Of the five indices, the reference cost index (RCI) is the least satisfactory. This index fails to fully capture the range of service provision or to account for factors known to influence hospital costs, some of which are beyond immediate managerial control. Hence, interpretation of the RCI as evidence of poor performance cannot be justified. By explicitly taking such factors into account, the casemix cost indices (CCIs) are a considerable improvement in the RCI. However, the efficiency scores generated by the CCIs are point estimates that are not accompanied by any range of uncertainty. By replicating the econometric models to produce the CCIs it is possible to calculate confidence intervals around the efficiency scores. Comparison of the confidence intervals suggests that differences in Trust unit costs (and, by implication, efficiency) are not statistically significant. As such, differential performance targets based on unit cost data would be unfair. This paper discusses possible reasons why the econometric analysis fails to identify variations in unit costs. It is suggested that there may be more fruitful means to encourage performance improvements among NHS acute Trusts than general target setting based in unit cost data.
Pulmonary Hypertension in Dialysis Patients

Pulmonary hypertension in end-stage renal disease patients is associated with significantly increased morbidity and mortality. The prevalence of pulmonary hypertension in dialysis patients is relatively high and varies in different studies from 17% to 49.53% depending on the mode of dialysis and other selection factors, such as the presence of other cardiovascular comorbidities. The etiopathogenic mechanisms that have been studied in relatively small studies mainly include arteriovenous fistula-induced increased cardiac output, which cannot be accomodated by, the spacious under normal conditions pulmonary circulation. Additionally, pulmonary vessels show signs of endothelial dysfunction, dysregulation of vascular tone due to an imbalance in vasoactive substances, and local as well as systemic inflammation. It is also believed that microbubbles escaping from the dialysis circuit can trigger vasoconstriction and vascular sclerosis. The non-specific therapeutic options that proved to be beneficial in pulmonary artery pressure reduction are endothelin inhibitors, phosphodiesterase inhibitor sildenafil, and vasodilatory prostaglandins in various forms. The specific modes of treatment are renal transplantation, size reduction or closure of high-flow arteriovenous fistulas, and transfer from hemodialysis to peritoneal dialysis—a modality that is associated with a lesser prevalence of pulmonary hypertension.
Does natural selection favour taller stature among the tallest people on earth?

The Dutch are the tallest people on earth. Over the last 200 years, they have grown 20 cm in height: a rapid rate of increase that points to environmental causes. This secular trend in height is echoed across all Western populations, but came to an end, or at least levelled off, much earlier than in The Netherlands. One possibility, then, is that natural selection acted congruently with these environmentally induced changes to further promote tall stature among the people of the lowlands. Using data from the LifeLines study, which follows a large sample of the population of the north of The Netherlands (n = 94 516), we examined how height was related to measures of reproductive success (as a proxy for fitness). Across three decades (1935–1967), height was consistently related to reproductive output (number of children born and number of surviving children), favouring taller men and average height women. This was despite a later age at first birth for taller individuals. Furthermore, even in this low-mortality population, taller women experienced higher child survival, which contributed positively to their increased reproductive success. Thus, natural selection in addition to good environmental conditions may help explain why the Dutch are so tall.
Pategrás cheese as a suitable carrier for six probiotic cultures

The viability of five single-strain and one three-strain probiotic cultures was assessed during Pategrás cheese ripening. Probiotics were inoculated into cheese-milk after a pre-incubation step – intended to improve their survival – or directly as a lyophilised culture; control cheeses without probiotics were also obtained. pH of probiotic and control cheeses was similar, except in probiotic cheeses containing the strain Lb. acidophilus B or the mixed culture. In these cases, the probiotic cheeses were more acid than their respective control cheeses. All the probiotics tested maintained counts above 107 cfu/g during the shelf-life settled for the product. Strains of the Lb. casei group: Lb. paracasei, Lb. casei and Lb. rhamnosus reached and kept the highest cell concentration during cheese ripening, followed by Lb. acidophilus and bifidobacteria. The direct addition of the probiotic cultures was more efficient than their inoculation after a pre-incubation step, for all the probiotics assayed. We have provided evidence that support the use of Pategrás cheese as a performing food-based vehicle for probiotic bacteria.
Production and activity of matrix metalloproteinase-9 on the ocular surface increase in dysfunctional tear syndrome.

PURPOSE To evaluate production and activity of metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 on the ocular surface of patients with dysfunctional tear syndrome (DTS) and determine any correlation between MMP-9 activity and clinical parameters. METHODS Forty-six patients with newly diagnosed DTS and 18 control subjects were recruited. Complete ocular surface examinations were performed. Tear MMP-9 activity was assessed with an MMP-9 activity assay in 1 microL of unstimulated tear fluid. Using conjunctival epithelial cells from 19 patients with DTS and 16 controls, levels of MMP-9 and its regulating cytokine mRNA transcripts were evaluated by semiquantitative real-time PCR. RESULTS Each of four DTS severity-based groups had significantly higher mean MMP-9 activities than did the control group, which was 8.39 +/- 4.70 ng/mL. The DTS4 group had the highest MMP-9 activity (381.24 +/- 142.83 ng/mL), for which the mean was significantly higher than that of other DTS groups. In addition, patients with DTS had significantly higher levels of IL-1beta, IL-6, TNF-alpha, and TGF-beta1 mRNA transcripts in their conjunctival epithelia than did the control subjects. Tear MMP-9 activities showed significant correlation with symptom severity scores, decreased low-contrast visual acuity, fluorescein tear break-up time, corneal and conjunctival fluorescein staining, topographic surface regularity index (SRI), and percentage area of abnormal superficial corneal epithelia by confocal microscopy. CONCLUSIONS Tear MMP-9 activity was significantly higher in patients with DTS. This activity was associated with increased mRNA expression of MMP-9 and its regulating genes and correlated strongly with clinical parameters. MMP-9 appears to be a potentially useful biomarker for diagnosing, classifying, and monitoring DTS.
Clostridium septicum post-endovascular aneurysm repair stent-graft infection

Endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) is establishing its role as a valid alternative for the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm. Post-EVAR graft infection is a rare and devastating complication. The incidence of post-EVAR graft infection is yet to be defined, and available data at this stage consist of case reports and small series. Possible etiologies for aortic stent-graft infection include perioperative contamination and hematogenous seeding. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of post-EVAR stent graft infection with Clostridium septicum. The possible mechanisms of this unusual hematogenous seeding have been discussed.
True Hermaphroditism in a St. Lawrence Beluga Whale (Delphinapterus leucas)

A hermaphrodite beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) was found in the St. Lawrence Estuary, Quebec, Canada. This animal had two testicles, two separate ovaries, and the complete ducts of each sex; cervix, vagina and vulva were absent. Mature spermatozoa were found in the lumen of seminiferous tubules in the testicles, and numerous involuted corpora lutea were recognized in the ovaries. This represents the first case of true hermaphroditism in a cetacean, and is the fourth hermaphrodite mammal with two testicles and two separate ovaries.
Incidence of Subsequent Injury to Either Knee within 5 Years after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction with Patellar Tendon Autograft

Background The risk of subsequent anterior cruciate ligament injury to either knee after surgery based on sex, age, and activity has not been extensively studied. Hypotheses Women have a higher incidence of anterior cruciate ligament injury to the contralateral knee after surgery than men but do not have a difference in injuries to the reconstructed knee. Young, competitive athletes have a higher incidence of injury than older patients. The time to return to full activities does not affect injury rate. Study Design Cohort study (prognosis); Level of evidence, 2. Methods The authors prospectively followed 1820 patients after primary anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction to determine if patients suffered an injury to either knee within 5 years after surgery. Subsequent injury was evaluated based on sex, age, and activity level. Results Minimum 5-year follow-up was obtained on 1415 patients (78%). Seventy-five patients (5.3%) had an injury to the contralateral knee, and 61 patients (4.3%) suffered an injury to the reconstructed knee (P =. 2185). Women suffered more injuries (7.8%) to the contralateral normal knee than men (3.7%; P <. 001) but not more injuries to the reconstructed knee (4.3% vs 4.1%; P =. 5543). The risk of subsequent injury to either knee was 17% for patients <18 years old, 7% for patients aged 18 to 25 years, and 4% for patients older than 25 years. There was no difference in injury rate between patients who returned before and after 6 months postoperatively. Conclusion Women have a higher incidence of anterior cruciate ligament injury to the contralateral knee than men after reconstruction. The incidence of injury to either knee after reconstruction is associated with younger age and higher activity level, but returning to full activities before 6 months postoperatively does not increase the risk of subsequent injury.
CEO COMPENSATION, INCENTIVES, AND GOVERNANCE IN NEW ENTERPRISE FIRMS

This study investigates executive compensation, corporate governance and the determination of CEO equity incentives in US entrepreneurial high technology firms. We find the following. First, CEO equity incentives in these new enterprise firms are twenty times larger than that which previous large firm studies have found. Second, both economic factors (firm size, growth opportunities, and risk) and governance factors (founder, venture capitalist presence, board structure, and ownership distribution) determine CEO incentives in these firms. We document instances where direct monitoring arrangements (e.g. venture capitalist monitoring) act as substitutes for explicit incentives in aligning shareholder and CEO interests.
Assessment of neurofeedback training by means of motor imagery based-BCI for cognitive rehabilitation

The age-related impairment is an increasing problem due to the aging suffered by the population, especially in developed countries. It is usual to use electroencephalogram (EEG)-based Brain Computer Interface (BCI) systems by means of the signal in order to assist and to improve the quality of life of people with disabilities. However, a parallel research line addresses the problem by the use of BCI systems as a way to train cognitive areas to achieve a deceleration of cognitive impairment or even an improvement. In this regard, a neurofeedback training (NFT) tool using motor imagery-based BCI, was developed. Training consists on imagery motor exercises combined with memory and logical relation tasks. In order to assess the effectiveness of the application 40 subjects, older than 59 years old, took part in this study. Our NFT application was tested by 20 subjects and their scores of a neuropsychological test were compared with the remaining 20 subjects who did not perform the NFT. Results show a significant improvement of three cognitive features after performing the NFT: visual perception, expressive speech, and immediate memory. Therefore, evidences show that the performance of a NFT tool based on motor imagery tasks could be a positive activity for slow down the aging effects.