Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Association of obesity and insulin resistance with dyslipidemia in Indian women with polycystic ovarian syndrome.

BACKGROUND Dyslipidemia, diabetes and obesity are all potent cardiovascular risk factors that tend to cluster in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Metabolic disorders in patients with PCOS cannot be explained solely by the presence of obesity. OBJECTIVE To study the correlation between insulin resistance and serum lipid profile in Indian women with PCOS. SETTING Gynecology clinic of a tertiary care hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this prospective study done from April 2004 to December 2004, 65 women with PCOS had their body mass index (BMI) and waist hip ratio calculated. Fasting glucose, insulin and lipid profiles were also estimated in each case. Insulin resistance was defined by fasting glucose-to-insulin ratio <or=4.5. The association of obesity markers and insulin resistance with lipid parameters was then studied. Statistical analysis using student 't' and Mann Whitney U tests was done as indicated. RESULTS Insulin resistance was seen in 50 of the 65 PCOS women. There was no correlation seen between markers of obesity such as BMI and waist/hip ratio with various lipid parameters. But in PCOS women with insulin resistance, the lipid profile was significantly different [high triglycerides, total cholesterol and lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL)] compared to insulin-sensitive women. The difference between the two groups for total cholesterol (P = 0.002), triglycerides (P =or<0.001) and HDL (P <or=0.001) was statistically significant but that for low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (P <or=0.07) was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION Insulin resistance is associated with dyslipidemia in women with PCOS, independent of obesity.
Re-spatialization of time series plots

Visualizing time series is a ubiquitous aspect of many applications from science to business. The conventional designs of line graphs and temporal parallel coordinates plots focus on the depiction of the temporal context, but typically fail to convey the spatial information associated with data values at each time step. In this paper, we present a study of the design space for reintroducing spatial context to time series plots. We consider a range of options, from color encoding to glyph encoding, from abstract illustration to realistic representation, and from interactive brushing to animated three-dimensional viewing. We evaluate these design options in conjunction with two case studies: (i) observing events in temporal sensory data of seafloor hydrothermal plumes and (ii) observing phonemic dynamics in poems. We report domain experts’ comparative assessment, which provides an insight into the effectiveness of different re-spatialization methods.
Reproductive outcome among female hairdressers

Background: Working as a hairdresser involves exposure to a variety of chemical agents. Aims: To estimate the risk of such exposure in relation to reproductive outcome. Methods: A cohort of hairdressers, certified in Sweden from 1970 onwards, and a referent cohort of women from the general population were established and linked to the Swedish Medical Birth Register for the period 1973 to 1994. In the cohort of hairdressers 3706 women gave birth to 6960 infants. The corresponding numbers among the referents were 3462 and 6629. Questionnaires were sent to all hairdressers to obtain individual exposure data. The response rate was 65%. Results: Compared with the referents, the hairdressers more often gave birth to infants that were small for gestational age (SGA). In addition, a higher fraction of the infants born to a hairdresser had a major malformation (2.8% v 2.1%). Frequent permanent waving and spraying tended to be associated with increased risk of having an SGA infant, whereas no clear association could be seen between the individual exposure assessments and malformation risk. Conclusions: Results indicated that hairdressers have a slight increased risk of having intrauterine growth retarded infants and infants with major malformation compared with women from the general population. However, no clear associations were seen between individual exposure assessments and these outcomes.
Prevalence of Protease and Reverse Transcriptase Drug Resistance Mutations over Time in Drug-Naïve Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1-Positive Individuals in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

ABSTRACT The prevalence of mutations that confer resistance to protease inhibitors and to nucleoside and nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors in 49 blood samples from drug-naïve human immunodeficiency virus type 1-infected blood donors living in Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, in 1998 was evaluated genotypically and phenotypically.
Follicular development, ovulation, fertilization and fetal development in tenrecs (Tenrec ecaudatus).

Reproduction in female tenrecs was studied on Praslin Island (4 degrees 20'S, 55 degrees 45'E) in the Seychelles from November 1977 to September 1980. Dissection and histological examination of reproductive tracts revealed that each ovary is encapsulated in a bursa. Polyovular follicles were abundant and contained up to 5 oocytes. The occurrence of more implanted fetuses than corpora lutea (CL) indicated successful polyovuly in 25% of pregnancies. No antrum was observed during follicular growth at oestrus, and follicles were relatively small at maturation, reaching a maximum diameter of 570 microns. Ovulation involves a gentle extrusion of the granulosa and ovum into the periovarian space. Spermatozoa were abundant in the female reproductive tract including the periovarian space at oestrus. Spermatozoa penetrated the loosely-packed theca of mature follicles and were present in CL, indicating that intrafollicular fertilization may occur. The relatively small CL formed by eversion, reaching a maximum size after implantation. Fusion of up to four CL occurred in the ovaries of 41% of pregnant females. Polyovulation in the tenrec was confirmed by the occurrence of 10.4 +/- 0.5 (mean +/- s.e.m.) CL and 9.7 +/- 0.5 (mean +/- s.e.m.) implantations. Resorption occurred in 74% of 19 dissectable pregnancies, occurring in both uterine horns in 26% of pregnancies. Coefficients of variation in weights of fetuses in each litter were 10.0-26.8%, with the largest value corresponding to 273% variation in fetus weights. Litter size in the Seychelles tenrecs was smaller than in the same species in Madagascar (17.1 +/- 1.9 implantations) where the tenrec is native.
Azathioprine-induced warfarin resistance.

OBJECTIVE To describe a case of azathioprine-induced warfarin resistance, present a literature review on warfarin-azathioprine interactions, and provide recommendations on appropriate management of this clinically significant interaction. CASE SUMMARY A 29-year-old female with Cogan's syndrome experienced thrombosis of the left internal carotid artery. She was treated with an average weekly warfarin dose of 39 mg (5.5 mg daily) prior to beginning azathioprine therapy. Three weeks following initiation of azathioprine 150 mg daily, the international normalized ratio (INR) decreased from 1.9 (prior to the medication change) to 1.0 without any change in the warfarin dose or other relevant factors. Over several weeks, the patient's warfarin dose was titrated up to 112 mg weekly (16 mg daily) to achieve an INR of 2.5 (a 188%, or 2.9-fold dose increase). Because of elevated liver enzyme levels, the azathioprine dosage was decreased to 100 mg daily. Within 2 weeks following that decrease, warfarin requirements decreased to 105 mg weekly (15 mg daily). DISCUSSION Azathioprine was the probable causative agent of warfarin resistance according to the Naranjo probability scale, and a possible causative agent according to the Drug Interaction Probability Scale. A literature search (PubMed, 1966-December 2007) revealed 8 case reports of this drug interaction and 2 cases involving a similar effect with 6-mercaptopurine, the active metabolite of azathioprine. The exact mechanism of the interaction remains unknown. Previously published case reports point to a rapid onset and offset of the warfarin-azathioprine interaction and a dose-dependent increase of at least 2.5-fold in warfarin dose requirement with the initiation of azathioprine 75-200 mg daily. CONCLUSIONS This case report and several others point toward azathioprine as a clinically significant inducer of warfarin resistance. Providers should anticipate the need for higher warfarin doses, warfarin dose adjustment, and close INR monitoring in patients receiving azathioprine or its active metabolite, 6-mercaptopurine.
Loss of Fgfr3 leads to excess hair cell development in the mouse organ of Corti

Previous studies have demonstrated the importance of FGF signaling at several stages in the development of the cochlea. At early stages of embryogenesis, Fgfr1, Fgfr2, and several FGFs are critical for both the induction of the otic vesicle and the initial development of the sensory epithelium. At late stages of cochlear development, Fgfr3 is necessary for the development of the tunnel of Corti. To determine the stage of development when Fgfr3 is required, we examined the expression of Fgfr3 and Fgf8 at various developmental stages. We also re‐examined the Fgfr3 −/− mouse with additional markers for developing supporting cells. We confirmed the previous analysis of the Fgfr3 −/− mice, indicating that there are deficiencies in support cell differentiation. Specifically, we find that the inner pillar cell never develops, while the outer pillar cell is stalled in its differentiation. In addition, we found an extra row of outer hair cells, and accompanying Deiters' cells, in the apical two thirds of the organ of Corti in the Fgfr3 mutant. Thus, in addition to controlling the fate decision between pillar cells and Deiters' cells, we find that Fgfr3 also regulates the width of the sensory epithelium. Developmental Dynamics 236:525–533, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Community-based participatory research principles for the African American community.

BACKGROUND Numerous sets of principles have been developed to guide the conduct of community-based participatory research (CBPR). However, they tend to be written in language that is most appropriate for academics and other research professionals; they may not help lay people from the community understand CBPR. METHODS Many community members of the National Black Leadership Initiative on Cancer assisting with the Educational Program to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening (EPICS) had little understanding of CBPR. We engaged community members in developing culturally-specific principles for conducting academic-community collaborative research. RESULTS We developed a set of CBPR principles intended to resonate with African-American community members. CONCLUSIONS Applying NBLIC-developed CBPR principles contributed to developing and implementing an intervention to increase colorectal cancer screening among African Americans.
Fairneß, Randomisierung und Konspiration in verteilten Algorithmen

Fairness, Randomization, and Conspiracy in Distributed Algorithms Concepts such as fairness (i.e., fair con ict resolution), randomization (i.e., coin ips), and partial synchrony are frequently used to solve fundamental synchronizationand coordination-problems in distributed systems such as the mutual exclusion problem (mutex problem for short) and the consensus problem. For some problems it is proven that, without such concepts, no solution to the particular problem exists. Impossibilty results of that kind improve our understanding of the way distributed algorithms work. They also improve our understanding of the trade-o between a tractable model and a powerful model of distributed computation. In this thesis, we prove two new impossibility results and we investigate their reasons. We are in particular concerned with models for randomized distributed algorithms since little is yet known about the limitations of randomization with respect to the solvability of problems in distributed systems. By a solution through randomization we mean that the problem under consideration is solved with probability 1. In the rst part of the thesis, we investigate the relationship between fairness and randomization. On the one hand, it is known that to some problems (e.g. to the consensus problem), randomization admits a solution where fairness does not admit a solution. On the other hand, we show that there are problems (viz. the mutex problem) to which randomization does not admit a solution where fairness does admit a solution. These results imply that fairness cannot be implemented by coin ips. In the second part of the thesis, we consider a model which combines fairness and randomization. Such a model is quite powerful, allowing solutions to the mutex problem, the consensus problem, and a solution to the generalized mutex problem. In the generalized mutex problem (a.k.a. the dining philosophers problem), a neighborhood relation is given and mutual exclusion must be achieved for each pair of neighbors. We nally consider the crash-tolerant generalized mutex problem where every hungry agent eventually becomes critical provided that neither itself nor one of its neighbors crashes. We prove that even the combination of fairness and randomization does not admit a solution to the crash-tolerant generalized mutex problem.
Endmember-specified virtual dimensionality in hyperspectral imagery

One key issue encountered in endmember extraction is to determine the number of endmembers, p, required to be extracted. Virtual dimensionality (VD) has been widely used for this purpose. However, VD was originally developed and defined as the number of spectrally distinct signatures which are not necessarily pure signatures. So, on some occasions the VD estimated value for p may not be accurate to be used for the number of endmembers. This paper develops an endmember-specified VD (ES-VD) which makes use of data sample vectors generated by a specific endemember finding algorithm (EFA) as target signal sources and then determine if these signal sources are indeed true endmember by a binary composite hypothesis testing to determine endmembers. As a result, ES-VD varies with different target signal sources produced by EFAs. Most importantly, ES-VD not only determines the value of VD and in the mean time it also finds desired endmembers.
Estrogen receptor beta gene +1730 G/A polymorphism in women with endometriosis.

OBJECTIVE To investigate whether the +1730 G/A polymorphism of the estrogen receptor beta (ER-beta) gene is associated with the risk of endometriosis in a Korean population. DESIGN Case-control study. SETTING University Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. PATIENT(S) Women with (n = 239) or without (n = 287) endometriosis. INTERVENTION(S) The +1730 G/A polymorphism of 3'-UTR of exon 8 in the ER-beta gene was assessed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment-length polymorphism analysis utilizing digestion with AluI restriction enzyme. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Genotype distribution and allele frequency of the +1730 G/A polymorphism in the ER-beta gene. RESULTS The genotype distribution of the +1730 G/A polymorphism in the ER-beta gene was not different between the endometriosis patients and the controls (G/G of 74.9% vs. 72.5%, G/A of 25.1% vs. 26.1%, and A/A of 0.0% vs. 1.4%, respectively). There was also no difference in the G and A allele frequencies between the two groups (87.4% vs. 85.5%, and 12.6% vs. 14.5%, respectively). Even when the endometriosis cases were subdivided into American Society for Reproductive Medicine stage I-II, III, IV, and III-IV, no differences were found at all in the genotype distribution or allele frequencies between the two groups. CONCLUSION(S) Our results suggest that the +1730 G/A polymorphism of the ER-beta gene may not be associated with the risk of endometriosis in the Korean population, which was not the case in the Japanese population.
An Online Game for Teaching Business Management Concepts

In this paper, we describe the result of a multi-disciplinary approach to designing a particular class of educational games: business management games. The approach was based on intensive collaboration and codesign meetings with business management researchers. The result was a Web-based game called “SimCompany”, aimed at teaching children about business management concepts, thus promoting an entrepreneurship culture in classroom settings and beyond. “SimCompany” proved effective as a teaching tool about business management concepts, and initial evaluation showed a positive increase in students’ rate of learning, compared to traditional teaching methods.
The physician and the hypochondriacal patient.

THE hypochondriacal patient is one who insistently complains about physical symptoms for which there are no demonstrable organic findings, or who has symptoms that are notably out of proportion to the (usually minor) physical signs. For such patients, the relationship with the physician is especially important; concerns about physical symptoms become a major way of interacting, often making it difficult for the physician to help the patient. The patient's behavior is frequently insistent and demanding, with overt or barely submerged anger. Current or past physicians may be devalued and blamed for inadequacies in diagnosis and care. The feelings and responses .
Registration of 3D Point Clouds- Acronym

A goal of this work was to choose and implement an algorithm for registration of 3D point clouds using the Point Cloud Library (PCL). The selected cross-correlation algorithm was described in detail, including a theory behind it. In addition, three modifications of the algorithm for improving its performance were suggested. The algorithm was implemented along with additional supplementary applications for preprocessing or generating input data. A performance of the algorithm was examined by experiments on robotic dataset [1]. According to these experiments, the algorithm was able to register consecutive scans in approximately three seconds with translational error in order of centimeters for selected dataset.
Power profile based runtime anomaly detection

Existing intrusion detection techniques that could once detect malicious applications effectively, now fail, since they are unable to keep up with the rapidly evolving zero-day attacks. Currently, anomaly detection is a widely used technique to detect zero-day attacks. However, anomaly detection based on system calls, control flow, network traffic, etc. are typically not suitable for closed platforms, such as PLC, that do not support any means of processor-based anomaly detection. Hence, in this paper, we propose a novel approach of real-time anomaly detection using the power profile of an application that can also be employed for closed platforms. Experimental results show that the proposed approach is sensitive enough to differentiate not only two different applications but also two functionally equivalent applications with different implementation. Additionally, while existing energy consumption based anomaly detection methods can detect anomalies only after an application finishes its execution, the proposed technique detects anomalies during execution, thereby enabling anomaly detection at an early stage.
Impact of zanamivir on antibiotic use for respiratory events following acute influenza in adolescents and adults.

BACKGROUND Influenza infections commonly lead to respiratory tract complications that result in antibiotic treatment. OBJECTIVES To determine frequency of respiratory events leading to antibiotic use following influenza illness in adolescents and adults, and to assess whether treatment with topical zanamivir prevents these complications. METHODS Meta-analysis of 7 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials; 3815 mainly healthy adolescents and adults (mean age, 34 years) with an influenzalike illness of less than 2 days' duration were randomly assigned to receive combined inhaled and intranasal zanamivir, inhaled zanamivir, or corresponding placebos. Twelve percent of enrolled subjects were high-risk patients. The main outcome was the incidence of respiratory events leading to antibiotic prescriptions in patients with proven influenza. RESULTS Influenza infections were laboratory confirmed in 2499 (66%) of 3815 patients (influenza A in 88% and B in 12%). Placebo recipients developed a respiratory event leading to antibiotic use in 17% of cases, mainly for acute bronchitis or acute sinusitis. Among zanamivir-treated patients (n = 1494) the incidence of respiratory events leading to the use of antimicrobials was 11% (relative risk [RR] compared with placebo, 0.69; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.57-0.84). Intranasal and inhaled zanamivir seemed to reduce the number of upper (RR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.36-0.97) and lower respiratory tract events (RR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.38-1.08). Inhaled zanamivir reduced the number of lower respiratory tract events (RR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.42-0.85), but the reduction in the number of upper respiratory tract events was not statistically significant (RR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.63-1.27). CONCLUSIONS Respiratory complications or worsening of symptoms leading to antibiotic use occurred in about 17% of adolescents or adults with influenza infection. Early treatment of influenza illness with zanamivir reduced the number of these antibiotic prescriptions. Arch Intern Med. 2000;160:3234-3240.
Rhodotorula glutinis-Related Meningitis

Rhodotorulae are members of the family Cryptococcaceae, subfamily Rhodotorulodeae; although several species have been described, Rhodotorula glutinis and Rhodotorula rubra are the most common. Rhodotorula spp. are common saprophytes, widespread in nature. They have accidentally been isolated in human biological materials without pathological significance: they have been found in sputum and urine, especially in patients with severe debilitating diseases, in blood from patients with permanent intravenous devices, and in saliva obtained from denture wearers.
Myo‐Inositol: a marker of reactive astrogliosis in glial tumors?

In a prospective study, two‐dimensional 1H‐MRS with TE of 30 ms was performed before surgery in 56 patients with glial brain tumors. Concentrations of myo‐inositol (MI), trimethylamine (TMA) and creatine/phosphocreatine (tCr) were evaluated for the whole tumor and scaled to the normal‐appearing contralateral brain tissue. To assign changes in MI to specific tissue pathology, the normalized peak and mean concentrations of MI were correlated with TMA and tCr concentrations. TMA is accepted as a marker of proliferating tumor tissue, and tCr might be a marker of reactive astrogliosis. The mean and peak concentrations of MI and tCr correlated positively (r = 0.7), but not the concentrations of MI and TMA. The absolute concentration of MI was significantly increased in all tumor tissues (5.55 ± 2.92 mM; mean ± SD) compared with the normal‐appearing white matter (4.33 ± 1.22 mM, p = 0.005), with the highest concentrations for gliomatoses (n = 10) and grade II oligoastrocytomas (n = 3). Significant differences (P = 0.004) between low‐ and high‐grade astrocytomas were found for TMA (1.67 ± 0.32 mM and 2.65 ± 0.86 mM, respectively), but not for MI (5.92 ± 1.98 mM and 5.49 ± 3.27 mM, respectively). As increased MI and tCr concentrations were found in gliomatosis and other cerebral diseases associated with marked astrogliosis, this process may also be responsible for the observed changes in MI in other glial tumors. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.