Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Surface Conditioning and Bonding Protocol for Polymer-infiltrated Ceramic: How and Why?

Question: What is the best surface conditioning and bonding protocol for indirect restorations manufactured from polymer-infiltrated ceramic-based CAD/CAM blocks? Answer: Polymer-infiltrated ceramic network (PICN) material has been introduced for use in conjunction with CAD/ CAM technologies in dentistry. The PICN structures are claimed to present flexural strength, elasticity modulus, and hardness values similar to those of the natural tooth.1,4,13 In addition, they are less brittle than ceramic materials, allowing excellent machinability and edge stability during milling.12 Due to their favorable mechanical strength, such materials could be indicated from minimal2 to moderate-size restorations.4 PICN blocks consist of interpenetrating networks of ceramic and polymer, with an aluminum oxide-enriched, fine-structured feldspar matrix (86 wt%) into which 14 wt% urethane dimethacrylate and triethylene glycol dimethacrylate polymer material is injected.3 For the adhesive cementation of restorations made of these materials, limited published material is available apart from the manufacturer’s instructions. Thus, the following surface conditioning and bonding protocol could be recommended based on the available scientific reports:
The science of giving : experimental approaches to the study of charity

D.M. Oppenheimer, C.Y. Olivola, Introduction. Part 1. The Value of Giving. L. Anik, L.B. Aknin, M.I. Norton, E.W. Dunn, Feeling Good about Giving: The Benefits (and Costs) of Self-Interested Charitable Behavior. M.A. Strahilevitz, A Model of the Value of Giving to Others Compared to the Value of Having More for Oneself: Implications for Fundraisers Seeking to Maximize Donor Satisfaction. T. Meyvis, A. Bennett, D.M. Oppenheimer, Pre-Commitment to Charity. C.Y. Olivola, When Noble Means Hinder Noble Ends: The Benefits and Costs of a Preference for Martyrdom in Altruism. Part 2. The Impact of Social Factors. R. Croson, J. Shang, Social Influences in Giving: Field Experiments in Public Radio. R. Martin, J. Randal, How Social Norms, Price, and Scrutiny Influence Donation Behavior: Evidence from Four Natural Field Experiments. R.K. Ratner, M. Zhao, J.A. Clarke, The Norm of Self-Interest: Implications for Charitable Giving. T. Kogut, I. Ritov, The Identifiable Victim Effect: Causes and Boundary Conditions. Part 3. The Role of Emotions. D.A. Small, Sympathy Biases and Sympathy Appeals: Reducing Social Distance to Boost Charitable Contribution. S. Dickert, N. Sagara, P. Slovic, Affective Motivations to Help Others: A Two-Stage Model of Donation Decisions. M. Huber, L. Van Boven, A.P. McGraw, Donate Different: External and Internal Influences on Emotion-Based Donation Decisions. Part 4. Other Important Influences on Charitable Giving. W. Liu, The Benefits of Asking for Time. J. Baron, E. Szymanska, Heuristics and Biases in Charity. C. Cryder, G. Loewenstein, The Critical Link Between Tangibility and Generosity.
Effects of Online Review Valence on Consumer Attitudes and Behavioral Intentions

This experiment was performed to specifically assess the effects of online review valence on consumer attitudes, beliefs and behavioral intentions. A split-plot analysis of variance (ANOVA) design was employed to detect possible interaction effects between product quality and review valence. The study was performed with the participation of 117 business school students from two universities in Metro Manila. Participants were randomly assigned to either a control group or one of two experimental groups testing the effects of both favorable and unfavorable movie reviews. The participants watched two films and reported their beliefs, attitudes, and behavioral intentions towards recommending or acquiring electronic copies of the films. Results of the experiment yielded main effects for movie quality and review valence; no interaction effects were observed. These findings suggest that review valence has significant effects on consumer evaluations, attitudes, and behavioral intentions to recommend and acquire the product and that the effects do not vary according to product quality. Correlational analysis and post-hoc tests revealed that review valence had a stronger influence on consumer attitudes and quality perceptions but considerably weaker effects on intentions to recommend and purchase.
Band Edge Recombination in CdSe, CdS and CdSxSe1−x Alloy Nanocrystals Observed by Ultrafast Fluorescence Upconversion: The Effect of Surface Trap States

The effect of surface trap states on band edge recombination in CdSe, CdS and CdSxSe1−x alloy nanocrystals has been determined using fluorescence upconversion spectroscopy. These measurements reveal that there is both a size and composition dependence on the short-lived (τ1) and long-lived (τ2) components of fluorescence lifetime at the band edge. An increase in nanocrystal diameter, ranging from 23 to 60 A, is accompanied by an increase in τ1. This behavior is explained by the decrease in accessible trap sites through a reduction in surface-to-volume ratio. Similarly, τ2 is found to increase with increasing nanocrystal size. However, with increasing sulfur concentration in the alloy nanocrystals, both a reduction in the magnitude of τ1 and a reversal in the trend for τ2 are observed. These changes in lifetimes associated with the addition of sulfur are explained by increased trapping on the nanocrystal surface. These results indicate that carrier dynamics may be controlled not only through size, but also.
Couching in Nigeria: Prevalence, Risk Factors and Visual Acuity Outcomes

Purpose: Couching is an ancient treatment for cataract which is still practiced in some of the poorer developing countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. The purpose of this study is to describe risk factors for couching and visual acuity outcomes in a nationally representative sample of adults aged 40 years and above in Nigeria. Methods: Probability in proportion size methods were used to identify a representative sample. Of the 15,375 adults enumerated, 13,582 were interviewed and examined. Examination included logMar acuities, slit lamp examination and dilated fundoscopy with digital fundus imaging. Results: Almost half of the 583 eyes undergoing a procedure for cataract had been couched (249 eyes, 42.7%). Individuals living in rural areas (P = 0.033) and in the two underserved northern administrative zones (P = 0.33; P = 0.002) were more likely to have been couched. Visual outcomes were poor according to World Health Organization categories, with 55.8% of people and 73.1% of eyes having a presenting visual acuity of less than 3/60 and only 9.7% and 2.4% of people and eyes respectively having a good outcome (6/18 or better). None were wearing an aphakic correction, and with correction acuities improved but 42.6% of eyes were still blind (< 3/60). Conclusions: Couching is still widely practiced in Nigeria and visual outcomes are very poor. The population needs to be made aware of the risks associated with the procedure, and services for high quality, affordable cataract surgery need to be expanded, particularly in rural areas and in the north of the country.
Polypharmacy in schizophrenia

In contrast to research studies that limit the use of concomitant psychotropic medications in the treatment of schizophrenia, polypharmacy is common in real-world, clinical practice. The use of psychotropic medications as an adjunct to antipsychotic agents is often necessitated by the poor response to monotherapy with one antipsychotic agent. This paper discusses the prevalence of polypharmacy in clinical settings, reviews the evidence for the adjunctive use of antipsychotics, anticonvulsants, lithium, antidepressants, benzodiazepines and other psychotropics in the treatment of schizophrenia, and offers suggestions toward use of polypharmacy in difficult and practical clinical settings.
Chemopreventive Efficacy of Atorvastatin against Nitrosamine-Induced Rat Bladder Cancer: Antioxidant, Anti-Proliferative and Anti-Inflammatory Properties

To investigate the anti-carcinogenic effects of Atorvastatin (Atorva) on a rat bladder carcinogenesis model with N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxibutil)nitrosamine (BBN), four male Wistar rat groups were studied: (1) Control: vehicle; (2) Atorva: 3 mg/kg bw/day; (3) Carcinogen: BBN (0.05%); (4) Preventive Atorva: 3 mg/kg bw/day Atorva + BBN. A two phase protocol was used, in which the drug and the carcinogen were given between week 1 and 8 and tumor development or chemoprevention were expressed between week 9 and 20, when the bladders were collected for macroscopic, histological and immunohistochemical (p53, ki67, CD31) evaluation. Serum was assessed for markers of inflammation, proliferation and redox status. The incidence of bladder carcinoma was: control 0/8 (0%); Atorva 0/8 (0%); BBN 13/20 (65%) and Atorva + BBN 1/8 (12.5%). The number and volume of tumors were significantly lower in the Atorva + BBN group, with a marked reduction in hyperplasia, dysplasia and carcinoma in situ lesions. An anti-proliferative, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant profile was also observed in the preventive Atorva group. p53 and ki67 immunostaining were significantly increased in the BBN-treated rats, which was prevented in the Atorva + BBN group. No differences were found for CD31 expression. In conclusion, Atorvastatin had a clear inhibitory effect on bladder cancer development, probably due to its antioxidant, anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory properties.
Histopathological alterations in Aflatoxicity and its amelioration with herbomineral toxin binder in broilers

An experiement was conducted to study the protective role of herbo-mineral toxin binder product in induced aflatoxicosis in broilers on the basis of histopathological studies. Total sixty day old broiler chicks of either sex were randomly divided into three groups, each comprising of twenty birds and two replicates. Healthy birds of group I were supplemented with standard basal ration as per NRC (1994), group II birds were fed with standard feed mixed with aflatoxin B1@1ppm, group III birds were fed with mycotoxicated feed of 1 ppm aflatoxin B1 and medicated with Toxiroak (M/s Ayurvet Ltd, Baddi, India) @ 0.125%. Fourty percent of birds were sacrificed at sixth week for necropsy examination. Microscopically, congestion of liver parenchyma, cytoplasmic vacoulation/fatty change of hepatocytes and renal tubules, necrosis, mononuclear cell infiltration was observed in aflatoxicated group II. Milder form of pathological lesions in treatment groups birds reveal pallor discoloration of liver and hepatomegaly, splenomegaly and mild lesion in kidneys. Present study revealed that supplementation of herbomineral toxin binder product could ameliorate aflatoxicity in broilers.
Urinary excretion of 17-ketosteroids following rectal infusion of cortisol.

ABSTRACT Urinary 17-ketosteroid excretion patterns were compared, following rectal and oral administration of cortisol to a man with quiescent ulcerative colitis. Steroid conjugates extracted from the urine were hydrolyzed to yield glucuronide and sulphate fractions, and the free steroids separated on alumina. Individual compounds were identified by paper chromatography and by infrared spectroscopy. Rectal infusions of cortisol produced a 100-fold increase in urinary 11β-hydroxyetiocholanolone excretion (from 92μg. to 10,350 μg. daily), and a 25-fold increase in 11β-hydroxyandrosterone excretion (from 98 μg. to 2465 μg. daily). Other 17-ketosteroids were hardly changed. Oral cortisol had little effect on urinary 17-ketosteroid excretion. The increased excretion of 11β-hydroxyetiocholanolone and 11β-hydroxyandrosterone after rectal infusion of cortisol did not occur when the bacterial activity of the gut was reduced by giving neomycin orally.
Early graft function.

1. Most of the first rejections occurred between the first and third weeks after transplantation, with the peak at 7 days. 2. Average serum creatinine values of 2 mg/dl were achieved in 2 days for living-related donor transplants. Cadaver donor grafts reached an average of 4 mg/dl by the tenth day, but in patients without rejection serum creatinine values of almost 2 mg/dl were achieved. 3. Cadaver donor grafts with cold ischemia times less than 12 hours led to the best early serum creatinine values. Cold ischemia times up to 48 hours and possibly beyond led to slightly higher creatinine levels but did not produce damage in proportion to the cold ischemia time. 4. Patients who were sensitized to more than 50% of the panel showed evidence of sensitization by having higher serum creatinine levels from one week to 3 weeks. 5. Even in the first few days after transplantation with a cadaver donor, black recipients had a higher serum creatinine than white recipients. The donor's race did not have a marked effect. 6. CsA doses given to cadaver donor recipients were about 2-4 mg/kg higher than living-related donor transplants. Patients experiencing a rejection episode were found to have been treated with about 1 mg/kg more than those without rejections. The corresponding blood levels of CsA were higher in the cadaver donor grafts and those with rejections. 7. Early serum creatinine levels were very strongly correlated with the one-year graft survival rate. Even one day after transplantation, the difference between patients with the best and worst one-day serum creatinine levels was as much as 30% in the one-year graft survival rate. At 2 weeks, the group with the best serum creatinine had a one-year survival rate that was 50 percentage points higher than the worst creatinine group. At one month, the best serum creatinine group had a one-year survival rate that was about 80 percentage points higher than the worst serum creatinine group. 8. Patients with high CsA levels of over 400 ng/ml in the early one-month posttransplant period, had poorer one-year graft survival than those with lower levels. The optimum level appeared to be less than 100 ng/ml by the tenth day and about 100-200 ng/ml to the third week posttransplant. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Neuronal generation, migration, and differentiation in the mouse hippocampal primoridium as revealed by enhanced green fluorescent protein gene transfer by means of in utero electroporation

Neuronal migration defects in the hippocampus during development are thought to be involved in various mental disorders. Studies of neural cell migration in the developing cerebrum have focused mainly on the neocortex, but those that have been performed on the developing hippocampal formation have not been adequately carried out. In the present study, the morphological differentiation of immature neurons that form the laminar structure of the hippocampus was investigated by labeling ventricular surface cells with the expression vector of the enhanced‐green‐fluorescent‐protein (EGFP) gene. Vector DNA was transfected into spatially and temporally restricted neuroepithelium of the hippocampal primordium by in utero electroporation, and the morphology of EGFP‐labeled migratory neurons and their interrelationships with the radial glial arrangement were observed. Pyramidal cells of Ammon's horn began to migrate radially along glial processes from a broad area of neuroepithelium on embryonic day (E)14. Large numbers of multipolar cells were found in the intermediate zone in the initial stage and stratified pyramidal cells appeared later. Dentate granule cells were labeled later than (E)16 and originated from a restricted area of neuroepithelium adjacent to the fimbria. Their initial migration was rapid and independent of radial glial fibers. Subsequent tangential migration in the subpial space and their ultimate settling into the forming dentate gyrus were closely associated with the radial glia. These findings indicate that distinct cellular mechanisms are involved in the development of the cortical layer of Ammon's horn and dentate gyrus. J. Comp. Neurol. 483:329–340, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Incidence of Various Antiphospholipid Antibodies, Measured by Commercial-Based Laboratory, with Recurrent Spontenous Abortion and the Impact of Their Profiles on Reproductive Outcome with Active Anticoagulant Therapy

Objective. To investigate the incidence of various antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs), measured by commercial-based laboratory, with recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) patients and the impact of the species, isotype, titer, and number of positive aPLs on reproductive outcome in Japanese. Method. In this retrospective cohort study, 263 patients with RSA without possible causes were investigated. Of 131 patients with one or more positive aPL, 82 pregnant women under anticoagulant therapy were evaluated. Results. The incidence of various aPLs was almost consistent with previous report. Overall, successful pregnancy rate with anticoagulant therapy was 91.4% regardless of aPL profiles. There was no significant difference in the pregnancy maintenance rate between IgG and IgM groups or single positive and multiple positive groups, but there was a tendency for the rate with aspirin to be lower than with aspirin plus heparin in IgG group. Conclusion. aPL profile did not affect the pregnancy maintenance rate when anticoagulant therapy was actively introduced, however in IgG group, we recommend combination therapy with aspirin and heparin.
Genetic Diversity of Brucella Reference and Non-reference Phages and Its Impact on Brucella-Typing

Virulent phages have been used for many years to type Brucella isolates, but until recently knowledge about the genetic makeup of these phages remains limited. In this work the host specificity and genomic sequences of the original set (deposited in 1960) of VLA Brucella reference phages Tb, Fi, Wb, Bk2, R/C, and Iz were analyzed and compared with hitherto described brucellaphages. VLA phages turned out to be different from homonymous phages in other laboratories. The host range of the phages was defined by performing plaque assays with a wide selection of Brucella strains. Propagation of the phages on different strains did not alter host specificity. Sequencing of the phages TbV, FiV, WbV, and R/CV revealed nucleotide variations when compared to same-named phages previously described by other laboratories. The phages Bk2V and IzV were sequenced for the first time. While Bk2V exhibited the same deletions as WbV, IzV possesses the largest genome of all Brucella reference phages. The duplication of a 301 bp sequence in this phage and the large deletion in Bk2V, WbV, and R/CV may be a result of recombination caused by repetitive sequences located in this DNA region. To identify new phages as potential candidates for lysotyping, the host range and Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) of 22 non-reference Brucella phages were determined. The phages showed lysis patterns different from those of the reference phages and thus represent novel valuable candidates in the typing set.
Growth Inhibition of Toxoplasma gondii and Plasmodium falciparum by Nanomolar Concentrations of 1-Hydroxy-2-Dodecyl-4(1H)Quinolone, a High-Affinity Inhibitor of Alternative (Type II) NADH Dehydrogenases

ABSTRACT Both apicomplexan parasites Toxoplasma gondii and Plasmodium falciparum lack type I NADH dehydrogenases (complex I) but instead carry alternative (type II) NADH dehydrogenases, which are absent in mammalian cells and are thus considered promising antimicrobial drug targets. The quinolone-like compound 1-hydroxy-2-dodecyl-4(1H)quinolone (HDQ) was recently described as a high-affinity inhibitor of fungal alternative NADH dehydrogenases in enzymatic assays, probably by interfering with the ubiquinol binding site of the enzyme. We describe here that HDQ effectively inhibits the replication rates of P. falciparum and T. gondii in tissue culture. The 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of HDQ for T. gondii was determined to be 2.4 ± 0.3 nM with a growth assay based on vacuole sizes and 3.7 ± 1.4 nM with a growth assay based on beta-galactosidase activity. Quantification of the P. falciparum replication rate using a fluorometric assay revealed an IC50 of 14.0 ± 1.9 nM. An important feature of the HDQ structure is the length of the alkyl side chain at position 2. Derivatives with alkyl side chains of C6, C8, C12 (HDQ), and C14 all displayed excellent anti-T. gondii activity, while a C5 derivative completely failed to inhibit parasite replication. A combined treatment of T. gondii-infected cells with HDQ and the antimalarial agent atovaquone, which blocks the ubiquinol oxidation site of cytochrome b in complex III, resulted in synergism, with a calculated fractional inhibitory concentration of 0.16 nM. Interference of the mitochondrial ubiquinone/ubiquinol cycle at two different locations thus appears to be a highly effective strategy for inhibiting parasite replication. HDQ and its derivatives, particularly in combination with atovaquone, represent promising compounds with a high potential for antimalarial and antitoxoplasmal therapy.
Emergence of Sex Differences in Prevalence of High Systolic Blood Pressure: Analysis of a Longitudinal Adolescent Cohort

Background— High systolic blood pressure (SBP) occurs more frequently both among men and boys than among women and girls. No longitudinal study has investigated whether the impact of SBP determinants differ according to sex in youth. Methods and Results— Between 1999 and 2005, an adolescent cohort (n=1267) completed a questionnaire survey and underwent biannual blood pressure and anthropometric assessment (grades 7, 9, and 11). Boys accounted for ≈50% of those with high SBP at grade 7 and 9 assessments but 67% of those with high SBP at the grade 11 assessment. As computed through a generalized estimating equations logistic regression model (sex, age, sex and age interaction term, overweight, physical activity, sedentary behavior, heart rate, household income, tobacco use, and 4 language categories), the likelihood of high SBP values among boys compared with girls was 1.29 (95% CI, 0.77 to 2.16) in grade 7, 1.98 (95% CI, 1.35 to 2.93) in grade 9, and 2.74 (95% CI, 1.52 to 4.94) in grade 11. Although there was a significant interaction between sex and age, interaction terms of sex with overweight, sedentary behavior, and physical activity were not statistically significant. Overweight (odds ratio [OR], 2.63; 95% CI, 1.76 to 3.92) and sedentary behavior (OR, 1.17 for increment of 5 hours weekly; 95% CI 1.04 to 1.33) demonstrated positive associations with high SBP values. Physical activity was inversely associated with the presence of high SBP (OR, 0.92 for increment of 5 activities in 7 days; 95% CI, 0.84 to 1.00). Conclusions— Boys are more likely than girls to develop high SBP as they approach adulthood. Even among overweight adolescents, reducing sedentary behavior and increasing physical activity may lower the risk of high SBP.
EEG correlates of active visual search during simulated driving: An exploratory study

Brain responses to visual stimuli can provide information about visual recognition processes. Several studies have shown stimulus-dependent modulation of the evoked neural responses after gaze shifts (i.e. eye fixation related potentials, EFRP) depending on the relevance of the fixated object. However these studies are typically performed on still images under constrained conditions. Here we extend this approach to study overt visual attention during a simulated driving task. Simultaneous analysis of eye-tracking and electroencephalography data revealed similar patterns than those previously reported. However, natural visual exploration yielded shorter fixations, which imposes constraints in the analysis of the elicited brain responses. Nevertheless, we found significant differences between EFRPs corresponding to target objects or non-object stimuli. These results suggest the possibility of decoding such information during driving, allowing better understanding of how drivers process the environmental information.