Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Different Occupations Associated with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Is Diesel Exhaust the Link?

The cause of sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (SALS) remains unknown. We attempted to find out if occupational exposure to toxicants plays a part in the pathogenesis of this disease. In an Australia-wide case-control study we compared the lifetime occupations of 611 SALS and 775 control individuals. Occupations were coded using country-specific as well as international classifications. The risk of SALS for each occupation was calculated with odds ratios using logistic regression. In addition, the literature was searched for possible toxicant links between our findings and previously-reported occupational associations with SALS. Male occupations in our study that required lower skills and tasks tended to have increased risks of SALS, and conversely, those occupations that required higher skills and tasks had decreased risks of SALS. Of all the occupations, only truck drivers, where exposure to diesel exhaust is common, maintained an increased risk of SALS throughout all occupational groups. Another large case-control study has also found truck drivers to be at risk of SALS, and almost two-thirds of occupations, as well as military duties, that have previously been associated with SALS have potential exposure to diesel exhaust. In conclusion, two of the largest case-control studies of SALS have now found that truck drivers have an increased risk of SALS. Since exposure to diesel exhaust is common in truck drivers, as well as in other occupations that have been linked to SALS, exposure to this toxicant may underlie some of the occupations that are associated with SALS.
A Graves' Disease of Identical Twins with Mental Disorder

Abstract: We present here the clinical cases of identical twins with Graves' disease associated with various mental disorders. They showed restlessness, hyperexcitability, emotional instability, anxiety, depressive state, obsessive‐compulsive manifestations, delusions of persecution reference. In the case of twin A, the psychiatric symptoms Graves' disease were in parallel with their clinical course, his psychiatric symp toms disappeared after a subtotal thyroidectomy.
A Distribution of Absolute Pitch Ability as Revealed by Computerized Testing

BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT OF ABSOLUTE PITCH (AP) ability over the better part of the last century has strongly suggested that a variety of proficiency levels exists and can only be more comprehensively described with the use of rigorous testing providing precise and unbiased reaction times for all responses. This study describes the design, implementation and validation of a computerized test of absolute pitch and resulting data for 51 musicians, 27 of whom self-reported as AP possessors. The test was sensitive to previously reported differences in accuracy and timing for C major diatonic versus non-diatonic notes and showed a range of performance, from perfect to random, including a substantial number of intermediate levels of proficiency. We discuss the implications of detecting such a distribution of behavior as well as the effect of test design and scoring strategies on that distribution.
Basic Life Support and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Training for Pharmacy Students and the Community by a Pharmacy Student Committee

Objective. To create a self-sufficient, innovative method for providing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) education within a college of pharmacy using a student-driven committee, and disseminating CPR education into the community through a service learning experience. Design. A CPR committee comprised of doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students at the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy provided CPR certification to all pharmacy students. The committee developed a service learning project by providing CPR training courses in the community. Participants in the course were required to complete an evaluation form at the conclusion of each training course. Assessment. The CPR committee successfully certified more than 1,950 PharmD students and 240 community members from 1996 to 2009. Evaluations completed by participants were favorable, with 99% of all respondents (n = 351) rating the training course as either “excellent” or “good” in each of the categories evaluated. Conclusion. A PharmD student-directed committee successfully provided CPR training to other students and community members as a service learning experience.
Molecular identification of a rat novel organic anion transporter moat1, which transports prostaglandin D(2), leukotriene C(4), and taurocholate.

We have isolated a rat novel multispecific organic anion transporter, moat1. The isolated clones were originated by alternative splicing of the moat1 mRNA. The nucleotide sequences predict a protein of 682 amino acids with moderate sequence similarity to LST-1, the oatp family, and the prostaglandin transporter. Northern blot analysis of rat moat1 identified a predominant transcript of 4.4 kilonucleotides in all tissues. Northern blot and in situ hybridization analyses of rat brain further indicated that moat1 mRNA is widely distributed in neuronal cells of the central nervous system, especially in the hippocampus and cerebellum. moat1 transports prostaglandin D(2) (K(m); 35.5 nM), leukotriene C(4) (K(m); 3.2 microM) and taurocholate (K(m); 17.6 microM) in a sodium-independent manner. moat1 also transports prostaglandin E(1), E(2), thromboxane B(2), and iloprost but not dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and digoxin, of which the substrate specificity is similar, but definitively different from those of any other organic anion transporters.
Development of an optimized protocol for studying the interaction of filamentous bacteriophage with mammalian cells by fluorescence microscopy

Filamentous bacteriophage has been proposed as a vehicle that can carry and deliver therapeutics into mammalian cells for disease treatment, thus a protocol for imaging phage‐cell interaction is essential. Because high signal intensity is necessary to study the mechanism of interaction between filamentous bacteriophage and mammalian cells, it is important to optimize the procedure for fluorescence labeling of phage in order to understand such interaction. Here, we describe a procedure that gives intense fluorescence labeling and can show interactions between fd‐tet bacteriophage selected from phage libraries and mammalian cells (SKBR‐3 and MCF‐10A). The indirect labeling of phage with dye‐conjugated antibody and cytoskeleton associated proteins was significantly enhanced in the presence of a cross‐linking reagent called dithiobissuccinimidylpropionate (DSP) as shown by qualitative and quantitative fluorescence microscopy. The use of DSP resulted in high signal intensity in fluorescence imaging of phage‐cell complex. The DSP cross‐linker is believed to preserve soluble unbound proteins for fluorescence imaging. The interaction between the phage and mammalian cells was further confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Role of trabectedin (T) in the management of advanced uterine leiomyosarcoma (U-LM).

10530 Background: To explore the clinical impact of T in U-LM. T has been approved in Europe for second line treatment of advanced soft tissue sarcomas (STS). Efficacy is well established in liposarcoma and leiomyosarcoma. U-LMs display peculiar clinical and genetic features compared to other STS. These differences may be responsible for the sensitivity of this subtype to therapy, thus justifying an evaluation of the activity of T in a relatively homogeneous series of U-LM patients. METHODS From April 2000, 56 patients (pts) with advanced disease, previously exposed to a median of 3 chemotherapy lines (range 1-5), received T within an expanded access programme at two European referral institutions for sarcoma. The clinical records were reviewed focusing on response and treatment outcome. Two pts were excluded from the analysis having received only 1 course of T. Median age was 56 yrs (range 29-73), median number of metastatic sites was 2 (range 1-4), the most frequent metastatic site was lung (88%), 24 patients had a local relapse. RESULTS A total of 252 courses were delivered (median 3, IQR2-6) and 36% of patients received more than 5 courses of T. Fifty-two patients were evaluable for response. A partial response was observed in 11 patients and stable disease in 15, for a PR rate of 21% and a tumor control rate of 50%. The median progression-free survival was 3.6 months (CI95% 2.6-6.7), with 41% of patients free from progression at 6 months. CONCLUSIONS These results compare favourably with other systemic treatments in advanced U-LMS and support their sensitivity to T. This should prompt further studies to prospectively evaluate the efficacy of T in U-LMS and elucidate possible biological predictive factors (e.g. DNA repair protein expression). [Table: see text].
The effect of chairside chronic disease screenings by oral health professionals on health care costs.

OBJECTIVES We estimated short-term health care cost savings that would result from oral health professionals performing chronic disease screenings. METHODS We used population data, estimates of chronic disease prevalence, and rates of medication adherence from the literature to estimate cost savings that would result from screening individuals aged 40 years and older who have seen a dentist but not a physician in the last 12 months. We estimated 1-year savings if patients identified during screening in a dental setting were referred to a physician, completed their referral, and started pharmacological treatment. RESULTS We estimated that medical screenings for diabetes, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia in dental offices could save the health care system from $42.4 million ($13.51 per person screened) to $102.6 million ($32.72 per person screened) over 1 year, dependent on the rate of referral completion from the dental clinic to the physician's office. CONCLUSIONS Oral health professionals can potentially play a bigger role in detecting chronic disease in the US population. Additional prevention and monitoring activities over the long term could achieve even greater savings and health benefits.
Práticas de letramentos em jogo de construção colaborativa : MUD Valinor

A dissertacao examina praticas de letramento no jogo de construcao colaborativa MUD Valinor, um projeto de fas da obra de J. R. R. Tolkien. O presente trabalho aplica a metodologia do estudo de caso e utiliza como fonte de dados um corpus coletado no servidor do jogo, alem de textos e depoimentos acumulados na comunidade. O objetivo foi desmembrado em tres perguntas de pesquisa que se completam: (1) Como funciona a dinâmica social no espaco de afinidade que se apoia no MUD Valinor? (2) Quais as principais caracteristicas de letramentos de fas em tal espaco? E (3) Quais sao os generos discursivos mais centrais para a pratica desses letramentos e quais suas caracteristicas especificas? Na primeira questao, verifica-se que o percurso dos sujeitos para integrar a comunidade passa por dois planos articulados, evoluir na narrativa e como jogador, e depois em paralelo como produsuario. O sujeito transita socialmente e entre funcoes conforme transita entre letramentos, portanto, ha ocorrencia de papeis fluidos em decorrencia do dominio de letramento. Na segunda questao, estudam-se os letramentos de fas; temos a perspectiva de letramentos como maneiras socialmente reconhecidas de gerar, comunicar e negociar conteudo significativo por meio de textos codificados em contextos de participacao no discurso; e que os objetos (como o MUD) sao parte constitutiva dos letramentos, assim como os sujeitos, estrategias e praticas envolvidas. A partir desse aporte teorico, foram estabelecidas categorias descritivas para as atividades tipicas de usuarios; nota-se que letramentos de fas e jogo agregam letramentos externos a pratica do produsuario mudiano. Na terceira questao de pesquisa, identificam-se quais os generos discursivos / textuais centrais as praticas ja mencionadas. A partir da teoria bakhtiniana, sao estabelecidos generos de MUD, e avaliado como esses generos se constituem e processam suas funcoes vinculadas as praticas do jogo. Utiliza-se a teoria para examinar a situacao de producao dos enunciados, e compreender como este fator e intrinseco ao seu conteudo, construcao composicional e estilo. Busca-se analise dos generos textuais centrais a pratica dos letramentos de MUD, examinando-os para, ao final refletir, acerca das subversoes e renovacoes que acontecem quando os sujeitos (jogadores) tem liberdade para se apropriar deles. Por fim, a presente dissertacao gostaria de propor uma discussao sobre as implicacoes dessas praticas letradas para o estudo de novos letramentos, alem de possiveis implicacoes e aplicabilidade de sistemas colaborativos com fins educacionais. Abstract
Multisystem component phenotypes of bipolar disorder for genetic investigations of extended pedigrees.

IMPORTANCE Genetic factors contribute to risk for bipolar disorder (BP), but its pathogenesis remains poorly understood. A focus on measuring multisystem quantitative traits that may be components of BP psychopathology may enable genetic dissection of this complex disorder, and investigation of extended pedigrees from genetically isolated populations may facilitate the detection of specific genetic variants that affect BP as well as its component phenotypes. OBJECTIVE To identify quantitative neurocognitive, temperament-related, and neuroanatomical phenotypes that appear heritable and associated with severe BP (bipolar I disorder [BP-I]) and therefore suitable for genetic linkage and association studies aimed at identifying variants contributing to BP-I risk. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Multigenerational pedigree study in 2 closely related, genetically isolated populations: the Central Valley of Costa Rica and Antioquia, Colombia. A total of 738 individuals, all from Central Valley of Costa Rica and Antioquia pedigrees, participated; among them, 181 have BP-I. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Familial aggregation (heritability) and association with BP-I of 169 quantitative neurocognitive, temperament, magnetic resonance imaging, and diffusion tensor imaging phenotypes. RESULTS Of 169 phenotypes investigated, 126 (75%) were significantly heritable and 53 (31%) were associated with BP-I. About one-quarter of the phenotypes, including measures from each phenotype domain, were both heritable and associated with BP-I. Neuroimaging phenotypes, particularly cortical thickness in prefrontal and temporal regions as well as volume and microstructural integrity of the corpus callosum, represented the most promising candidate traits for genetic mapping related to BP based on strong heritability and association with disease. Analyses of phenotypic and genetic covariation identified substantial correlations among the traits, at least some of which share a common underlying genetic architecture. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE To our knowledge, this is the most extensive investigation of BP-relevant component phenotypes to date. Our results identify brain and behavioral quantitative traits that appear to be genetically influenced and show a pattern of BP-I association within families that is consistent with expectations from case-control studies. Together, these phenotypes provide a basis for identifying loci contributing to BP-I risk and for genetic dissection of the disorder.
THE MECHANISMS OF PERIODONTAL PATHOLOGY IN YOUNG ADULTS

The clinical, radiological and morphological methods of research (n = 39) applied evidenced that the main manifestations of the pathology of alveolar bone depend on the imbalance between the intensity of resorption and the new formation processes, which usually are of prevalence. Also, they depend on the reduction of osteoplastic processes. A significant reduction of alveolar bone mineralization for mild and generalized periodontitis in young ages appears when reducing energy supply. Also evidenced was an expediency of using antioxidants and antihypoxants together with osteotropic therapy, which will help to improve the re-ossification process of a poor in minerals alveolar bone.
Is Serum Cholesterol A Risk Factor For Ischemic Heart Disease In Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ?

Background: Frequent coexistence of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) is often speculated to be related to lipid abnormalities. However studies reveal contradicting results, thus raising serious doubts about higher prevalence of dyslipidemia as reason for this coexistence. The objectives of this study were to examine the characteristics of lipid metabolism in COPD and to evaluate causal association between dyslipidemia and IHD among COPD subjects. Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of data from 98 COPD subjects randomly selected from the hospital medical records database. All eligible subjects were males with current or past history of smoking, with no evidence of active infections, chronic inflammatory disease or malignancy. None had history of statin intake prior to index measurement of lipid profile. Data extracted were analyzed using SPSS 19 version. A recently published data from reference population were used for comparison. Results: Most prevalent comorbidities were systemic hypertension (SHT), IHD and diabetes mellitus (DM). Prevalence of IHD was significantly higher than the reference population. Prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia was significantly lower in COPD subjects who also had low mean total cholesterol level than the reference population. On logistic regression analysis, elderly age and low HDL cholesterol predicted coexistence of IHD among COPD subjects independent of DM, SHT and duration of COPD. Other lipid parameters were not associated with increased prevalence of IHD among the study subjects. Conclusion: This study has highlighted that atherogenic pattern of lipid profile among COPD subjects was comparable with that of reference population. Increased risk of IHD among COPD patients appears to be related to factors other than quantitative aspects of lipid metabolism (dyslipidemia) which warrants investigations.
CLINICAL OBSERVATIONS, INTERVENTIONS, AND THERAPEUTIC TRIALS HFE Mutations Analysis in 711 Hemochromatosis Probands: Evidence for S65C Implication in Mild Form of Hemochromatosis

Hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) is a common autosomal recessive genetic disorder of iron metabolism. The HFE candidate gene encoding an HLA class I-like protein involved in HH was identified in 1996. Two missense mutations have been described: C282Y, accounting for 80% to 90% of HH chromosomes, and H63D, which is associated with a milder form of the disease representing 40% to 70% of non-C282Y HH chromosomes. We report here on the analysis of C282Y, H63D, and the 193A=T substitution leading to the S65C missense substitution in a large series of probands and controls. The results confirm that the C282Y substitution was the main mutation involved in hemochromatosis, accounting for 85% of carrier chromosomes, whereas the H63D substitution represented 39% of the HH chromosomes that did not carry the C282Y mutation. In addition, our screening showed that the S65C substitution was significantly enriched in probands with at least one chromosome without an assigned mutation. This substitution accounted for 7.8% of HH chromosomes that were neither C282Y nor H63D. This enrichment of S65C among HH chromosomes suggests that the S65C substitution is associated with the mild form of hemochromatosis. r 1999 by The American Society of Hematology.
The Modified Atkins Diet

In 2003, a case series was published describing the benefits of a less restrictive ketogenic diet (KD) started as an outpatient without a fast and without any restrictions on calories, fluids, or protein. This “Modified Atkins Diet” (MAD) restricts carbohydrates to 10 g/day (15 g/day in adults) while encouraging high fat foods. Now 5 years later, there have been eight prospective and retrospective studies published on this alternative dietary therapy, both in children as well as adults. In these reports, 45 (45%) have had 50–90% seizure reduction, and 28 (28%) >90% seizure reduction, which is remarkably similar to the traditional KD. This review will discuss basics and tips to best provide the MAD, evidence for its efficacy, suggestions about the role of ketosis in dietary treatment efficacy, and its side effect profile. Lastly, the possible future benefits of this treatment for new‐onset seizures, adults, neurologic conditions other than epilepsy, and developing countries of the world will be discussed.
Mixed anova model analysis of microarray experiments with locally polled error

The determination of a list of di®erentially expressed genes is a basic objective in many cDNA microarray experiments. Combining information across genes in the statistical analysis of microarray data is desirable because of relatively small number of data points obtained for each individual gene. Our LPE approach ¯nds a middle ground between global F test and gene-speci¯c F test by pooling the information across a group of genes that have similar variance estimates and shrinks the within- gene variance estimate towards an estimate including more genes. This method provides a powerful and robust approach to test di®erential expression of genes but does not su®er from biases of the global F test and low power of gene-speci¯c F test. In our approach the two-stage Mixed ANOVA model provides a conceptually and computationally e±cient means to analyze the microarray data.
John William Colenso: Pioneer in the Quest for an Authentic African Christianity

There are, for purposes of this paper, two remarkable facts about Christianity on the African Continent. The first is its antiquity. There seems to be every likelihood that it was as early as its very inception that Christianity, as part of its rapid sweep across the first century Graeco-Roman world, reached Africa as well. The New Testament contains a number of hints that suggest that places such as Ethiopia, Egypt (particularly Alexandria) and Cyrene could vie with each other for first position. In any case, by the second and third centuries, the African Church could boast of such great leaders and thinkers as Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Tertullian and Cyprian; and a century later of the highly influential Augustine of Hippo. The significance and influence of these men extended well beyond Africa. After that, with the exception of Egypt and Ethiopia, there is a lacuna in our knowledge of Christianity in Africa. The next significant centuries are the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries in respect of North, West and Central Africa, and the nineteenth century in respect of virtually the entire Continent. In short, Christianity is not a newcomer to the African Continent. Ups and downs of various kinds it has experienced here as it has done elsewhere; so also, in respect of a number of areas, major gaps affecting its continuous and unbroken existence down the centuries. Nevertheless, a newcomer to the Continent it is not.