Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
DENTAL ARCH DIMENSIONS IN SURGICALLY REPAIRED UNILATERAL CLEFT LIP AND PALATE OF EGYPTIAN CHILDREN BY OSLO PROTOCOL

INTRODUCTION: Non-syndromic cleft lip and palate is a complex trait caused by the interaction of genetic and environmental factors resulting in various forms of malocclusion mostly affecting maxillary dental arch. AIM OF THE STUDY: The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the dental arch dimensions in surgically repaired unilateral cleft lip and palate children according to Oslo protocol with those of healthy matching non-cleft children in Egypt. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Comparative cross-sectional study design was used. Thirty-one non-syndromic children with repaired unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP), aging 4-9 years, and fulfilling the selection criteria together with thirty-one healthy, matched, non-cleft children (control group) were recruited from Faculty of dentistry, Alexandria University. Both groups were divided into three age groups; 4-5 years, 6-7 years and 8-9 years. For each subject, dental arch dimensions were measured from the dental study casts. RESULTS: Mean maxillary arch depth and inter-canine arch width were significantly smaller in UCLP children than in non-cleft children in the age groups 6-7 and 8-9 years. Mean inter-molar arch width was not significantly narrower in UCLP children from that in non-cleft children. Mean mandibular arch dimensions of UCLP children did not differ significantly from those of non-cleft children. CONCLUSIONS: Children with UCLP, aging 6-9 years old, revealed significant reduction in mean maxillary arch dimensions when compared to healthy matching non-cleft children except for inter-molar arch width which showed no significant reduction. KEYWORDS: Unilateral cleft lip and palate/ Maxillary arch dimensions/ Mandibular arch dimensions/ Dental arch depth/ Dental arch width/ Oslo protocol.
Effect of Melatonin on Cardiac Injury after Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Several studies have reported that the antioxidant properties of melatonin can provide cardiac protection through scavenging of free radicals. This study sought to investigate the efficacy of melatonin on cardiac biomarkers, myocardial-specific protein high sensitive troponin-T (hs-TnT) and creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI). In this randomized clinical trial, a total of 40 patients with STEMI planned to undergo pPCI were randomly assigned to two groups of receiving melatonin plus standard treatment [n=20] and control group, receiving only standard therapy [n=20]. The following parameters including hsTnT and CK-MB were assessed preoperatively (baseline) and at 6 hours after procedure. Melatonin could significantly reduce the level of CK-MB (118.2 ± 21.09 IU/L in the treated group versus 198.24 ± 20.94 IU/L in the control group; p-value = 0.01). However, there was no difference in the mean hs-TnT level between two groups (2491 ± 664 μg/L vs. 2801 ± 620 μg/L; p value = 0.73). Our results revealed that melatonin can be considered as a safe adjunctive medication to the standard regimen after pPCI for the aim of decreasing cardiovascular events. Meanwhile, this was a pilot study with a small number of patients and further studies are needed to confirm the beneficial effect of melatonin in patients with STEMI.
Frequency-specific corticofugal modulation of the dorsal cochlear nucleus in mice

The primary auditory cortex (AI) modulates the sound information processing in the lemniscal subcortical nuclei, including the anteroventral cochlear nucleus (AVCN), in a frequency-specific manner. The dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) is a non-lemniscal subcortical nucleus but it is tonotopically organized like the AVCN. However, it remains unclear how the AI modulates the sound information processing in the DCN. This study examined the impact of focal electrical stimulation of AI on the auditory responses of the DCN neurons in mice. We found that the electrical stimulation induced significant changes in the best frequency (BF) of DCN neurons. The changes in the BFs were highly specific to the BF differences between the stimulated AI neurons and the recorded DCN neurons. The DCN BFs shifted higher when the AI BFs were higher than the DCN BFs and the DCN BFs shifted lower when the AI BFs were lower than the DCN BFs. The DCN BFs showed no change when the AI and DCN BFs were similar. Moreover, the BF shifts were linearly correlated to the BF differences. Thus, our data suggest that corticofugal modulation of the DCN is also highly specific to frequency information, similar to the corticofugal modulation of the AVCN. The frequency-specificity of corticofugal modulation does not appear limited to the lemniscal ascending pathway.
Vitamin A regulates proliferation and differentiation of human prostatic epithelial cells

The response of cultured human prostatic epithelial cells to vitamin A was measured by clonal growth assay in serum‐free medium. Retinoic acid at 3 nM or higher inhibited the proliferation of cell strains derived from normal, benign hyperplastic and malignant tissues, while lower levels (0.03 nM) were stimulatory. Reduced proliferation induced by retinoic acid was accompanied by a marked change in morphology, as intercellular adhesion decreased. In conjunction, the expression of keratins 8 and 18, associated with the differentiated luminal phenotype of prostatic epithelia, was increased. In post‐confluent cultures, retinoic acid prevented the appearance of keratin 1, which accompanied the development of a squamous phenotype by cells maintained under these conditions. The findings of this study indicate a role for vitamin A as a modulator of the growth and differentiation of prostatic epithelial cells. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL STUDIES OF S‐100 PROTEIN DURING POSTNATAL ONTOGENESIS OF THE BRAIN OF TWO STRAINS OF RATS

Abstract— We have studied the dynamics of the appearance of cells reacting positively with anti‐S‐100 protein antiserum, during postnatal neurocytogenesis in the brain of rats of two strains differing in their susceptibility to sound stimuli. The postnatal time of appearance of cells reacting positively with anti‐S‐100 protein antiserum was somewhat later in rats susceptible to sound‐induced seizures than in sound‐resistant rats. These differences concerned mainly the cerebral cortex of 12‐day‐old rats. By day 21 of postnatal life these differences had disappeared. In subcortical structures of the brain, S‐100 protein was first found on the 4th to the 5th day of life and the rate of appearance of cells containing this protein was similar in the two strains.
Randomized k-Coverage Algorithms For Dense Sensor Networks

We propose new algorithms to achieve k-coverage in dense sensor networks. In such networks, covering sensor locations approximates covering the whole area. However, it has been shown before that selecting the minimum set of sensors to activate from an already deployed set of sensors is NP-hard. We propose an efficient approximation algorithm which achieves a solution of size within a logarithmic factor of the optimal. We prove that our algorithm is correct and analyze its complexity. We implement our algorithm and compare it against two others in the literature. Our results show that the logarithmic factor is only a worst-case upper bound and the solution size is close to the optimal in most cases. A key feature of our algorithm is that it can be implemented in a distributed manner with local information and low message complexity. We design and implement a fully distributed version of our algorithm. Our distributed algorithm does not require that sensors know their locations. Comparison with two other distributed algorithms in the literature indicates that our algorithm: (i) converges much faster than the others, (ii) activates near-optimal number of sensors, and (iii) significantly prolongs (almost doubles) the network lifetime because it consumes much less energy than the other algorithms.
An Electronic Alert for HIV Screening in the Emergency Department Increases Screening but not the Diagnosis of HIV

Summary Objective: Based on US. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations, New York State enacted legislation in 2010 requiring healthcare providers to offer non-targeted human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing to all patients aged 13–64. Three New York City adult emergency departments implemented an electronic alert that required clinicians to document whether an HIV test was offered before discharging a patient. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of the electronic alert on HIV testing rates and diagnosis of HIV positive individuals. Methods: During the pre-intervention period (2.5–4 months), an electronic “HIV Testing” order set was available for clinicians to order a test or document a reason for not offering the test (e.g., patient is not conscious). An electronic alert was then added to enforce completion of the order set, effectively preventing ED discharge until an HIV test was offered to the patient. We analyzed data from 79,786 visits, measuring HIV testing and detection rates during the pre-intervention period and during the six months following the implementation of the alert. Results: The percentage of visits where an HIV test was performed increased from 5.4% in the pre-intervention period to 8.7% (p<0.001) after the electronic alert. After the implementation of the electronic alert, there was a 61% increase in HIV tests performed per visit. However, the percentage of patients testing positive per total patients-tested was slightly lower in the post-intervention group than the pre-intervention group (0.48% vs. 0.55%), but this was not significant. The number of patients-testing positive per total-patient visit was higher in the post-intervention group (0.04% vs. 0.03%). Conclusions: An electronic alert which enforced non-targeted screening was effective at increasing HIV testing rates but did not significantly increase the detection of persons living with HIV. The impact of this electronic alert on healthcare costs and quality of care merits further examination. Citation: Schnall R, Liu N, Sperling J, Green R, Clark S, Vawdrey D. An electronic alert for HIV screening in the emergency department increases screening but not the diagnosis of HIV. Appl Clin Inf 2014; 5: 299–312 http://dx.doi. org/10.4338/ACI-2013-09-RA-0075
Visualization of Fibrous Cap Thickness and Rupture in Human Atherosclerotic Carotid Plaque In Vivo With High-Resolution Magnetic Resonance Imaging

BackgroundThe results of studies of advanced lesions of atherosclerosis suggest that the thickness of the fibrous cap that overlies the necrotic core distinguishes the stable lesion from one that is at high risk for rupture and thromboembolic events. We have developed a high-resolution MRI technique that can identify the fine structure of the lesion, including the fibrous cap, in vivo. The aim of the present study was to determine the agreement between in vivo MRI and lesion architecture as seen on histology and gross tissue examination to identify fibrous cap thickness and rupture. Methods and ResultsTwenty-two subjects who were scheduled for carotid endarterectomy underwent MRI with a 3-dimensional multiple overlapping thin slab angiography protocol. The appearance of the fibrous cap was categorized as (1) an intact, thick, (2) an intact, thin, or (3) a ruptured fibrous cap on MRI, gross, and histological sections. Thirty-six sites were available for comparison between MRI and histology. There was a high level of agreement between MRI and histological findings: 89% agreement, &kgr; (95% CI)=0.83 (0.67 to 1.0), weighted &kgr;=0.87. Spearman’s correlation coefficient was 0.88 (significant to the 0.01 level). ConclusionsThese findings indicate that high-resolution MRI with a 3-dimensional multiple overlapping thin slab angiography protocol is capable of distinguishing intact, thick fibrous caps from intact thin and disrupted caps in atherosclerotic human carotid arteries in vivo. This noninvasive technique has the potential to permit studies that examine the relationship between fibrous cap changes and clinical outcome and to permit trials that evaluate therapy intended to “stabilize” the fibrous cap.
Generation Algorithm of a Concept Lattice with Limited Object Access

Classical algorithms for generating the concept lattice (C, ) of a binary table (O,I,R) have a complexity in O(|C| | I| 2 | O|). Although the number of concepts is exponential in the size of the table in the worst case, the generation of a concept is output polynomial. In practice, the number of concepts is often polynomial in the size of the table. However, the cost of generating a concept remains high when the table is composed of a large number of objects. We propose in this paper an algorithm for generating the lattice with limited object access, which can improve the computation time. Experi- ments were conducted with Joomla! , a content management system based on relational algebra, and located on a MySQL database.
A game-theoretic approach to joint rate and power control for uplink CDMA communications

Next generation wireless systems will be required to support heterogeneous services with different transmission rates that include real time multimedia transmissions, as well as non-real time data transmissions. In order to provide such flexible transmission rates, efficient use of system resources in next generation systems will require control of both data transmission rate and power for mobile terminals. In this paper we formulate the problem of joint transmission rate and power control for the uplink of a single cell CDMA system as a non-cooperative game. We assume that the utility function depends on both transmission rates and powers and show the existence of Nash equilibrium in the non-cooperative joint transmission rate and power control game (NRPG). We include numerical results obtained from simulations that compare the proposed algorithm with a similar one which is also based on game theory and it also updates the transmission rates and powers simultaneously in a single step.
Coprimeness in the ring of psedorational transfer functions

The class of pseudorational transfer functions, roughly speaking, consists of the ratio of entire functions of exponential type that are Laplace transforms of distributions with compact support. This class is known to include all delay-differential systems, and other interesting distributed parameter systems. Characterizing a pair that satisfies the Bezout identity in this ring is an important question in various aspects: finding minimal realizations, direct sum decompositions for behaviors, stabilizing compensator parametrization, etc. Existence of a Bezout condition in this ring is deeply connected with charactering the maximal ideal space of this ring. It is also closely related to the Gelfand representation theorem for a Banach algebra. We give a characterization of the maximal ideal space of this ring (at least for a generic case of simple zeros only), and also prove that a pair (p, q) satisfies a Bezout condition if the corresponding Laplace transforms have no (finite) common zeros and also possess no "cancellation at infinity".
Transvaginal Natural Orifice Translumenal Endoscopic Surgery Cholecystectomy: Early Evolution of the Technique

Introduction:Initial excitement for Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery (NOTES) has been partly tempered by the reality that a NOTES procedure without laparoscopic or needleoscopic-assistance has not been performed by most groups. After safely performing laparoscopically-assisted transvaginal cholecystectomy in an IACUC-approved porcine model, we embarked on an IRB-approved protocol to ultimately perform a pure NOTES cholecystectomy. Materials and Methods:We describe our experience with performing a true NOTES tansvaginal cholecystectomy after safely accomplishing 3 laparoscopically-assisted hybrid NOTES procedures in humans. To overcome the retracting limitations of currently available endoscopes, we used a 5-mm curved or articulating retractor that was placed into the abdomen via a separate colpotomy in the second and third patient. In a fourth patient, pneumoperitoneum to 15 torr was obtained via a transvaginal trocar placed through a colpotomy made under direct vision and endoscopically placed clips were used for both the cystic duct and artery, thus, obviating the need for any transabdominally placed instruments or needles. Results:This patient was the first patient to undergo a completely NOTES cholecystectomy at our institution and to our knowledge in the United States. She was discharged on the day of surgery and has not suffered any complication after 1 month of follow-up. Conclusion:Pure NOTES transvaginal cholecystectomy without aid of laparoscopic or needleoscopic instruments is feasible and safe in humans. Additional experience with this technique will be required before comparative studies to standard laparoscopy and hybrid techniques are appropriate.
Dimer-Tetramer Transition between Solution and Crystalline States of Streptavidin and Avidin Mutants

ABSTRACT The biotin-binding tetrameric proteins, streptavidin from Streptomyces avidinii and chicken egg white avidin, are excellent models for the study of subunit-subunit interactions of a multimeric protein. Efforts are thus being made to prepare mutated forms of streptavidin and avidin, which would form monomers or dimers, in order to examine their effect on quaternary structure and assembly. In the present communication, we compared the crystal structures of binding site W→K mutations in streptavidin and avidin. In solution, both mutant proteins are known to form dimers, but upon crystallization, both formed tetramers with the same parameters as the native proteins. All of the intersubunit bonds were conserved, except for the hydrophobic interaction between biotin and the tryptophan that was replaced by lysine. In the crystal structure, the binding site of the mutated apo-avidin contains 3 molecules of structured water instead of the 5 contained in the native protein. The lysine side chain extends in a direction opposite that of the native tryptophan, the void being partially filled by an adjacent lysine residue. Nevertheless, the binding-site conformation observed for the mutant tetramer is an artificial consequence of crystal packing that would not be maintained in the solution-phase dimer. It appears that the dimer-tetramer transition may be concentration dependent, and the interaction among subunits obeys the law of mass action.
Decentralization and district health services in Nepal: understanding the views of service users and service providers.

BACKGROUND Within the decentralization framework of Government, the Ministry of Health (MoH) Nepal initiated the decentralization of primary care services closer to citizens. This paper aims to examine and understand the effect of decentralization at the district health service from the perspectives of service users and providers. METHODS Using non-probability purposive sampling, we conducted a series of in-depth interviews and focus group discussions in four primary health care institutions with service users, providers and other stakeholders. QSRNVivo7 software was used to analyse and categorize the data under emerging themes. RESULTS Decentralization was positively associated with increased service access and utilization and improved service delivery. The study also revealed areas of concern and possible improvement and identified the barriers to implementing these improvements. Problems described included three main areas: functions, functionaries and funding. CONCLUSION Both service users and providers convey a generally positive message about the health sector decentralization. The active involvement of service users, providers, policy-makers in the process of decentralization and clear national and local policy agendas may bring positive changes in district health services.
Quality of publicly-funded outpatient specialty mental health care for common childhood psychiatric disorders in California.

OBJECTIVE To describe the documented adherence to quality indicators for the outpatient care of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorder, and major depression for children in public mental health clinics and to explore how adherence varies by child and clinic characteristics. METHOD A statewide, longitudinal cohort study of 813 children ages 6.0-16.9 years with at least 3 months of outpatient care, drawn from 4,958 patients in 62 mental health clinics in California from August 1, 1998, through May 31, 1999. The main outcome was documented adherence to quality indicators based on scientific evidence and clinical judgment, assessed by explicit medical record review. RESULTS Relatively high adherence was recorded for clinical assessment (78%-95%), but documented adherence to quality indicators related to service linkage, parental involvement, use of evidence-based psychosocial treatment, and patient protection were moderate to poor (74.1%-8.0%). For children prescribed psychotropic medication, 28.3% of the records documented monitoring of at least one clinically indicated vital sign or laboratory study. Documented adherence to quality indicators varied little by child demographics or clinic factors. CONCLUSION Efforts to improve care should be directed broadly across clinics, with documentation of safe practices, particularly for children prescribed psychotropic medication, being of highest priority.
Nerve grafting.

For a long period, nerve grafting was used as a last resort when other means to manage a nerve defect failed. All attempts to apply allografts were disappointing. With the development of a new technique based on microsurgery, free nerve grafting has become a reliable method. The results are close to the results achieved by neurorrhaphy under favorable conditions and better than the results achieved by neurorrhaphy under tension. Today, this fact is recognized by nearly all surgeons. Discussion is limited only to the length of defect that still permits application of neurorrhaphy or represents an indication for nerve grafting. It is logical that different surgeons have different results, according to their training, their background, and the cases they have to treat. If the material contains more fresh cases, neurorrhaphy will be favored; if it contains more late secondary cases, nerve grafts will be applied in a higher frequency. The vascularized nerve graft is a new technique that certainly will have its indication in selected cases. If the immunologic problems connected with nerve grafting will be solved in one or the other way, a new era of nerve grafting will commence.