The high ratio of thyroiditis as a main cause of thyrotoxicosis in patients referred to the nuclear medicine department of Babol Shahid Beheshti Hospital

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Thyrotoxicosis is a disease that results in excessive thyroid hormone activity in the blood. Common causes include Graves's disease, toxic nodular goiter (single or multiple) and thyroiditis. However, the cause of thyrotoxicosis may be different due to geographical areas, so in this study, the prevalence of thyrotoxicosis in the Babol County was investigated. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 30 thyrotoxic patients who were referred for thyroid scan were evaluated. The thyroid scan was performed with radiopharmaceutical of technetium pertechnetate and based on the results of the scan; the patients were divided into two general groups. The first group increased the absorption of radiopharmaceutical or hyperthyroidism, which included graves and, toxic nodular goitre (single or multiple). The second group reduced the absorption of radiopharmaceutical, which included thyroiditis (subacute and painless). FINDINGS: Of the 300 patients with thyrotoxicosis, 209 patients were women (69.7%) and 91 patients were men (30.3%). In thyroid scan, 135 cases of thyroiditis (45%), which 95 cases were women (70.4%) and 40 cases were men (29.6%), 96 patients of Graves (32%), 57 cases were women (4 (59%) and 39 cases were men (40.6%) and 69 cases of adenoma (23%), 57 cases were women (82.6%) and 12 cases were men (17.4%). CONCLUSION: Thyroiditis in our region may be more frequent than Graves' disease and can be the most common cause of thyrotoxicosis, which can be important in medical decision-making

Study of some biological characteristics (Tiger tooth croacher, Silver pomfert, Yellow fin seabream, Hilsa shad, Indo-pacific king mackerel, Narrow-bared Spanish mackerel) in the coastal waters of the Persian Gulf

The present study was carried out in the fishing landing center in khozestan using the commercial catch data. The data of total cutch of fishes and effort were prepared from the deputy of statistic office. Based on the pre data, the effort of gill-net fishery was being decreased from 1996 to 2000 and then had a trend to increase from 2001. The maximum and minimum of trap fishery of dhows ware observed 2005 and 1996 respectively. The maximum and minimum of total catch were observed in 2005 in Hilsha shad and Spanish mackerel with 4174.95 tones and 73.33 tons respectively. In this year the total catch of silvery pomfret and tiger tooth croaher species were recorded 323.6 tones and 1700.44 tons respectively. The growth parameters of Hilsha shad were estimated from 10071 specimens in Abadan and 4032 specimens of length frequencies from Hendijan, statistic program of t-test was used for the mean total length and the results showed the significantly different (p < 0.05) in the two areas during 12 months. The Von Bertalanffy growth parameters were estimated from the FISAT II and ELEFAN.The asymptotic length (L) was estimated using the Powell – Vetheral method in Abadan and Hendijan, 42.74 cm and 37.02 cm respectively. Growth coefficient or K for both areas were 0.77 and 0.71 per year respectively. The instantaneous rotes of total mortalities (Z) were estimated from length-converted catch curves and the values were at 2.55 year^-1 for Abadan and 2.81 year^-1 for Hendijan. The instantaneous rate of natural mortalities (M) and fishing mortalities (F) for both areas, Abadan and Hendijan were 0.75 year^-1, 0.732 year^-1 and 1.8 year^-1, 2.078 year^-1 respectively. The exploitation rates (E) for both populations were 0.7 year^-1 in Abadan and 0.73 year^-1 in Hendijan. However the optimum level of E should be 0.5 and the estimated valves of E is more than 0.5 and shows the pressure of fishing effort and overexploited on the population of this stock. The instantaneous rate of total mortalities of Tiger tooth croacker was 1.95 year^-1 the instantaneous rate of natural mortality using Pauly empirical formula was estimated 0.7 year^-1 and fishing mortality were 1.52 year^-1. The exploitation rate for this species was calculated 0.62 year^-1. The values of M and F for silvery pumfret were obtained 0.91 year^-1 and 1.47 year^-1 respectively. The exploitation rate was estimated 0.61 year^-1

Dietary intakes of adolescent girls in relation to weight status

Background: To examine macronutrient and micronutrient intake of adolescent girls of Tehran, capital of Iran to discover any malnutrition in relation to weight status and dieting. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. Four hundred 11- to 17-year-old students were selected by multistage cluster sampling from secondary and high schools of Tehran. The information about dietary intakes was taken by food frequency questionnaire and 24-hour recall form. The students' body mass indices (BMIs) were measured and were classified according to National Center for Health Statistics/Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2000) growth charts. Participants were also questioned about body image and dieting. Results: 6.7 of adolescent girls were classified as being obese, 14.6 overweight, 75.4 normal and 3.2 underweight. Students 11-13 year old, had mean intakes lower than estimated average requirement (EAR) for folic acid, vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and sodium, and 14-18 year old students had mean intakes lower than EAR for niacin, pyridoxine, folic acid, pantothenic acid, vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc. Obese and overweight adolescents had less carbohydrate, thiamin, niacin, iron and selenium intake. The participants, who were dieting, used significantly less amounts of proteins, carbohydrates, thiamin, niacin, iron, selenium, sodium and zinc. Conclusion: Knowing the harmful consequences of nutrient deficiency especially in adolescents, nutrition education must be emphasized in schools to promote nutritional literacy

†Kenyaichthyidae fam. nov and †Kenyaichthys gen. nov - First Record of a Fossil Aplocheiloid Killifish (Teleostei, Cyprinodontiformes)

The extant Cyprinodontiformes (killifishes) with their two suborders Cyprinodontoidei and Aplocheiloidei represent a diverse and well-studied group of fishes. However, their fossil record is comparatively sparse and has so far yielded members of the Cyprinodontoidei only. Here we report on cyprinodontiform fossils from the upper Miocene Lukeino Formation in the Tugen Hills of the Central Rift Valley of Kenya, which represent the first fossil record of an aplocheiloid killifish. A total of 169 specimens - mostly extraordinarily well preserved and a sample of ten extant cyprinodontiform species were studied on the basis of morphometrics, meristics and osteology. A phylogenetic analysis using PAUP was also conducted for the fossils. Both the osteological data and the phylogenetic analysis provide strong evidence for the assignment of the fossils to the Aplocheiloidei, and justify the definition of the new family dagger Kenyaichthyidae, the new genus dagger Kenyaichthys and the new species dagger K. kipkechi sp. nov. The phylogenetic analysis unexpectedly places dagger Kenyaichthys gen. nov. in a sister relationship to the Rivulidae (a purely Neotropical group),a probable explanation might be lack of available synapomorphies for the Rivulidae, Nothobranchiidae and Aplocheilidae. The specimens of dagger K. kipkechi sp. nov. show several polymorphic characters and large overlap in meristic traits, which justifies their interpretation as a species flock in statu nascendi. Patterns of variation in neural and haemal spine dimensions in the caudal vertebrae of dagger Kenyaichthys gen. nov. and the extant species studied indicate that some previously suggested synapomorphies of the Cyprinodontoidei and Aplocheiloidei need to be revised

The Pixel Luminosity Telescope: a detector for luminosity measurement at CMS using silicon pixel sensors

The Pixel Luminosity Telescope is a silicon pixel detector dedicated to luminosity measurement at the CMS experiment at the LHC. It is located approximately 1.75 m from the interaction point and arranged into 16 “telescopes”, with eight telescopes installed around the beam pipe at either end of the detector and each telescope composed of three individual silicon sensor planes. The per-bunch instantaneous luminosity is measured by counting events where all three planes in the telescope register a hit, using a special readout at the full LHC bunch-crossing rate of 40 MHz. The full pixel information is read out at a lower rate and can be used to determine calibrations, corrections, and systematic uncertainties for the online and offline measurements. This paper details the commissioning, operational history, and performance of the detector during Run 2 (2015–18) of the LHC, as well as preparations for Run 3, which will begin in 2022

Increasing vegetable intakes: rationale and systematic review of published interventions

Purpose While the health benefits of a high fruit and vegetable consumption are well known and considerable work has attempted to improve intakes, increasing evidence also recognises a distinction between fruit and vegetables, both in their impacts on health and in consumption patterns. Increasing work suggests health benefits from a high consumption specifically of vegetables, yet intakes remain low, and barriers to increasing intakes are prevalent making intervention difficult. A systematic review was undertaken to identify from the published literature all studies reporting an intervention to increase intakes of vegetables as a distinct food group. Methods Databases—PubMed, PsychInfo and Medline—were searched over all years of records until April 2015 using pre-specified terms. Results Our searches identified 77 studies, detailing 140 interventions, of which 133 (81 %) interventions were conducted in children. Interventions aimed to use or change hedonic factors, such as taste, liking and familiarity (n = 72), use or change environmental factors (n = 39), use or change cognitive factors (n = 19), or a combination of strategies (n = 10). Increased vegetable acceptance, selection and/or consumption were reported to some degree in 116 (83 %) interventions, but the majority of effects seem small and inconsistent. Conclusions Greater percent success is currently found from environmental, educational and multi-component interventions, but publication bias is likely, and long-term effects and cost-effectiveness are rarely considered. A focus on long-term benefits and sustained behaviour change is required. Certain population groups are also noticeably absent from the current list of tried interventions

Genome-wide characterization of genetic variants and putative regions under selection in meat and egg-type chicken lines

Abstract\ud \ud Background\ud Meat and egg-type chickens have been selected for several generations for different traits. Artificial and natural selection for different phenotypes can change frequency of genetic variants, leaving particular genomic footprints throghtout the genome. Thus, the aims of this study were to sequence 28 chickens from two Brazilian lines (meat and white egg-type) and use this information to characterize genome-wide genetic variations, identify putative regions under selection using Fst method, and find putative pathways under selection.\ud \ud \ud Results\ud A total of 13.93 million SNPs and 1.36 million INDELs were identified, with more variants detected from the broiler (meat-type) line. Although most were located in non-coding regions, we identified 7255 intolerant non-synonymous SNPs, 512 stopgain/loss SNPs, 1381 frameshift and 1094 non-frameshift INDELs that may alter protein functions. Genes harboring intolerant non-synonymous SNPs affected metabolic pathways related mainly to reproduction and endocrine systems in the white-egg layer line, and lipid metabolism and metabolic diseases in the broiler line. Fst analysis in sliding windows, using SNPs and INDELs separately, identified over 300 putative regions of selection overlapping with more than 250 genes. For the first time in chicken, INDEL variants were considered for selection signature analysis, showing high level of correlation in results between SNP and INDEL data. The putative regions of selection signatures revealed interesting candidate genes and pathways related to important phenotypic traits in chicken, such as lipid metabolism, growth, reproduction, and cardiac development.\ud \ud \ud Conclusions\ud In this study, Fst method was applied to identify high confidence putative regions under selection, providing novel insights into selection footprints that can help elucidate the functional mechanisms underlying different phenotypic traits relevant to meat and egg-type chicken lines. In addition, we generated a large catalog of line-specific and common genetic variants from a Brazilian broiler and a white egg layer line that can be used for genomic studies involving association analysis with phenotypes of economic interest to the poultry industry.CB received a fellowship from the program Science Without Borders - National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq, grant 370620/2013–5). GCMM and TFG received fellowships from São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP, grants 14/21380–9 and 15/00616–7). LLC is recipient of productivity fellowship from CNPq. This project was funded by São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) - thematic project (2014/08704–0)

Search for heavy resonances decaying to a pair of Lorentz-boosted Higgs bosons in final states with leptons and a bottom quark pair at s \sqrt{s} = 13 TeV

A search for new heavy resonances decaying to a pair of Higgs bosons (HH) in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV is presented. Data were collected with the CMS detector at the LHC in 2016–2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb−1. Resonances with a mass between 0.8 and 4.5 TeV are considered using events in which one Higgs boson decays into a bottom quark pair and the other into final states with either one or two charged leptons. Specifically, the single-lepton decay channel HH→bb¯¯¯WW∗→bb¯¯¯ℓvqq¯¯¯′ and the dilepton decay channels HH→bb¯¯¯WW∗→bb¯¯¯ℓvℓv and HH→bb¯¯¯ττ→bb¯¯¯ℓvvℓvv are examined, where ℓ in the final state corresponds to an electron or muon. The signal is extracted using a two-dimensional maximum likelihood fit of the H→bb¯¯¯ jet mass and HH invariant mass distributions. No significant excess above the standard model expectation is observed in data. Model-independent exclusion limits are placed on the product of the cross section and branching fraction for narrow spin-0 and spin-2 massive bosons decaying to HH. The results are also interpreted in the context of radion and bulk graviton production in models with a warped extra spatial dimension. The results provide the most stringent limits to date for X → HH signatures with final-state leptons and at some masses provide the most sensitive limits of all X → HH searches

Measurement of the inclusive and differential tt‾ \overline{t} γ cross sections in the dilepton channel and effective field theory interpretation in proton-proton collisions at s \sqrt{s} = 13 TeV

The production cross section of a top quark pair in association with a photon is measured in proton-proton collisions in the decay channel with two oppositely charged leptons (e±μ∓, e+e−, or μ+μ−). The measurement is performed using 138 fb−1 of proton-proton collision data recorded by the CMS experiment at s√ = 13 TeV during the 2016–2018 data-taking period of the CERN LHC. A fiducial phase space is defined such that photons radiated by initial-state particles, top quarks, or any of their decay products are included. An inclusive cross section of 175.2 ± 2.5(stat) ± 6.3(syst) fb is measured in a signal region with at least one jet coming from the hadronization of a bottom quark and exactly one photon with transverse momentum above 20 GeV. Differential cross sections are measured as functions of several kinematic observables of the photon, leptons, and jets, and compared to standard model predictions. The measurements are also interpreted in the standard model effective field theory framework, and limits are found on the relevant Wilson coefficients from these results alone and in combination with a previous CMS measurement of the tt¯γ production process using the lepton+jets final state