Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of Dental Anomalies in Patients with Nonsyndromic Cleft Lip and/or Palate in a Brazilian Population

Objective Many studies have demonstrated a high frequency of dental anomalies in patients with cleft lip and/or palate. Because dental anomalies may complicate dental treatment, we investigated the prevalence of dental anomalies in a group of Brazilian patients with nonsyndromic cleft lip and/or palate. Design, Participants, Setting Retrospective analysis was performed using clinical records of 296 patients aged between 12 and 30 years with repaired nonsyndromic cleft lip and/or palate without history of tooth extraction and orthodontic treatment. Associations between oral clefts and presence of dental anomalies outside the cleft area were investigated. Results Dental anomalies were identified in 39.9% of the nonsyndromic cleft lip and/or palate patients, and tooth agenesis (47.5%), impacted tooth (13.1%), and microdontia (12.7%) were the most common anomalies. Cleft lip patients were less affected by dental anomalies compared with cleft palate or cleft lip and palate patients (p = .057). Specifically, patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate were significantly more affected by dental anomalies than those with bilateral cleft lip and palate (p = .00002), and individuals with unilateral complete cleft lip and palate (p = .002) and complete cleft palate (p = .01) were significantly more affected by tooth agenesis than other cleft types. Agenesis of the premolars (p = .043) and maxillary lateral incisors (p = .03) were significantly more frequent in patients with unilateral complete cleft lip and palate. Conclusions The present study revealed a high frequency of dental anomalies in nonsyndromic cleft lip and/or palate patients and further demonstrated that patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate were frequently more affected by dental anomalies than those with bilateral cleft lip and palate. Moreover, our results demonstrate that dental anomalies should be considered during dental treatment planning for individuals affected by nonsyndromic cleft lip and/or palate.
Measurement, Analysis, and Display of Haptic Signals During Surgical Cutting

The forces experienced while surgically cutting anatomical tissues from a sheep and two rats were investigated for three scissor types. Data were collected in situ using instrumented Mayo, Metzenbaum, and Iris scissors immediately after death to minimize postmortem effects. The force-position relationship, the frequency components present in the signal, the significance of the cutting rate, and other invariant properties were investigated after segmentation of the data into distinct task phases. Measurements were found to be independent of the cutting speed for Mayo and Metzenbaum scissors, but the results for Iris scissors were inconclusive. Sensitivity to cutting tissues longitudinally or transversely depended on both the tissue and on the scissor type. Data from cutting three tissues (rat skin, liver, and tendon) with Metzenbaum scissors as well as blank runs were processed and displayed as haptic recordings through a custom-designed haptic interface. Experiments demonstrated that human subjects could identify tissues with similar accuracy when performing a real or simulated cutting task. The use of haptic recordings to generate the simulations was simple and efficient, but it lacked flexibility because only the information obtained during data acquisition could be displayed. Future experiments should account for the user grip, tissue thickness, tissue moisture content, hand orientation, and innate scissor dynamics. A database of the collected signals has been created on the Internet for public use at www.cim. mcgill.ca/haptic/tissue/data.html.
Kinetics of Hydrogen Consumption by Rumen Fluid, Anaerobic Digestor Sludge, and Sediment

Michaelis-Menten kinetic parameters for H2 consumption by three methanogenic habitats were determined from progress curve and initial velocity experiments. The influences of mass transfer resistance, endogenous H2 production, and growth on apparent parameter estimates were also investigated. Kinetic parameters could not be determined for undiluted rumen fluid and some digestor sludge from gas-phase measurements of H2, since mass transfer of H2 across the gas-liquid interface was rate limiting. However, accurate values were obtained once the samples were diluted. H2 consumption by digestor sludge with a long retention time and by hypereutrophic lake sediment was not phase transfer limited. The Km values for H2 uptake by these habitats were similar, with means of 5.8, 6.0, and 7.1 μM for rumen fluid, digestor sludge, and sediment, respectively. Vmax estimates suggested a ratio of activity of approximately 100 (rumen fluid):10 (sludge):1 (sediment); their ranges were as follows: rumen fluid, 14 to 28 mM h−1; Holt sludge, 0.7 to 4.3 mM h−1; and Wintergreen sediment, 0.13 to 0.49 mM h−1. The principles of phase transfer limitation, studied here for H2, are the same for all gaseous substrates and products. The limitations and errors associated with gas phase determination of kinetic parameters were evaluated with a mathematical model that combined mass transport and Michaelis-Menten kinetics. Three criteria are described which can be used to evaluate the possibility that a phase transfer limitation exists. If it does not exist, (i) substrate consumption curves are Michaelis-Menten and not first order, (ii) the Km is independent of initial substrate concentration, and (iii) the Km is independent of biomass (Vmax) and remains constant with dilution of sample. Errors in the Michaelis-Menten kinetic parameters are caused by endogenously produced H2, but they were <15% for rumen fluid and 10% for lake sediment and digestor sludge. Increases in Vmax during the course of progress curve experiments were not great enough to produce systematic deviations from Michaelis-Menten kinetics.
Time-Varying Networks of Inter-Ictal Discharging Reveal Epileptogenic Zone

The neuronal synchronous discharging may cause an epileptic seizure. Currently, most of the studies conducted to investigate the mechanism of epilepsy are based on EEGs or functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) recorded during the ictal discharging or the resting-state, and few studies have probed into the dynamic patterns during the inter-ictal discharging that are much easier to record in clinical applications. Here, we propose a time-varying network analysis based on adaptive directed transfer function to uncover the dynamic brain network patterns during the inter-ictal discharging. In addition, an algorithm based on the time-varying outflow of information derived from the network analysis is developed to detect the epileptogenic zone. The analysis performed revealed the time-varying network patterns during different stages of inter-ictal discharging; the epileptogenic zone was activated prior to the discharge onset then worked as the source to propagate the activity to other brain regions. Consistence between the epileptogenic zones detected by our proposed approach and the actual epileptogenic zones proved that time-varying network analysis could not only reveal the underlying neural mechanism of epilepsy, but also function as a useful tool in detecting the epileptogenic zone based on the EEGs in the inter-ictal discharging.
The interleukin‐7 receptor alpha chain transmits distinct signals for proliferation and differentiation during B lymphopoiesis.

The interleukin 7 receptor (IL7R), which contains a unique alpha chain and a gamma chain shared by other cytokine receptors, is indispensable for normal lymphocyte development. The basis for this role is poorly understood. Here we show that the IL7R alpha chain not only causes progenitors to proliferate, but also has a distinct activity in inducing differentiation. First, we identify a single cytoplasmic tyrosine residue in the IL7R alpha chain that is essential for cell cycle entry and proliferation dependent on phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase. We use a mutant alpha chain in which this residue has been altered to reconstitute B lymphopoiesis by retrovirus‐mediated gene transfer in cultures of bone marrow from mice deficient in IL7R alpha chain. The mutation abrogates the proliferation of B‐lymphocyte progenitors, but reveals a novel function of the alpha chain in promoting immunoglobulin heavy chain gene rearrangement leading to B‐cell differentiation. This function is lost (but proliferation sustained) when the cytoplasmic domain of IL7R alpha is replaced by corresponding sequences from the IL2R, despite the similarity on their signalling mechanisms. Thus, the signals which mediate a differentiative function of the IL7R in B lymphopoiesis are specific and distinct from those causing proliferation.
Diagnostic value of hepatic artery perfusion fraction combined with TGF-β in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Diagnostic value of hepatic artery perfusion fraction (HAF) combined with transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) in the diagnosis of primary liver carcinoma (PLC) was evaluated. The clinical data of 128 PLC patients undergoing radical hepatectomy in Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University were regarded as the study group. Seventy-four healthy volunteers examined in Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University were collected as the control group. Double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the expression level of serum TGF-β. The upper abdomen of the subjects was scanned by a 64-slice spiral CT, and the perfusion parameters were analyzed and calculated. According to the HAF and the expression level of TGF-β in the two groups, single and combined detection of TGF-β and HAF parameters were detected, respectively, by ROC curve. The expression of TGF-β in serum of the study group was higher than that of the control group (P<0.05). The expression level of serum TGF-β was closely related to total bilirubin, ascites, TNM stage, prothrombin time and tumor diameter. Blood flow (BF), blood volume (BV), permeability surface (PS), HAF and other perfusion parameters in the study group were higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). The specificity and sensitivity of TGF-β expression level in diagnosing PLC were 73 and 93%, respectively; the specificity and sensitivity of HAF parameter in diagnosing PLC were 73 and 100%, respectively; the specificity and sensitivity of HAF parameter combined with TGF-β expression level were 84 and 100%, respectively. TGF-β is highly expressed in serum of PLC patients; HAF parameter combined with TGF-β expression level can improve the specificity and has an important value in the diagnosis of PLC, which is worthy of clinical promotion.
Integrative Toxicopathological Evaluation of Aflatoxin B1 Exposure in F344 Rats

In this study, male F344 rats were orally exposed to a single dose of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) at 0, 50, 250, or 1,000 µg/kg body weight (BW) or repeated dose of 0, 5, 10, 25, or 75 µg/kg BW for up to 5 weeks. Biochemical and histological changes were assessed together with the formation of AFB1-lysine adduct (AFB-Lys) and liver foci positive for placental form glutathione S transferase (GST-P+). In single-dose protocol, serum aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) showed dose-related elevation, with maximal changes observed (>100-fold) at day 3 after treatment. Animals that received 250 µg/kg AFB1 showed concurrent bile duct proliferation, necrosis, and GST-P+ hepatocytes at 3 day, followed by liver GST-P+ foci appearance at 1 week. In repeated-dose protocol, bile duct proliferation and liver GST-P+ foci co-occurred after 3-week exposure to 75 µg/kg AFB1, followed by proliferation foci formation after 4 week and dramatic ALT, AST, and CK elevations after 5 weeks. Liver GST-P+ foci were induced temporally and in a dose-related manner. Serum AFB-Lys increased temporally at low doses (5–25 µg/kg), and reached the maximum after 2-week exposure at 75 µg/kg. This integrative study demonstrated that liver GST-P+ cells and foci are sensitive biomarkers for AFB1 toxic effect and correlated with bile duct proliferation and biochemical alterations in F344 rats.
EFFECTIVENESS OF THE FERMENTATIVE EXTRACT OF Lactobacillus acidophilus AS ANTIMICROBIALS AGAINST Aeromonas hydrophila

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo antimicrobial activity of the commercial Lactobacillus acidophilus (L. acidophilus) cells and cell free extract against Aeromonas hydrophila (A. hydrophila). The in vitro method was carried out using well diffusion method. For in vivo evaluation, the effect of L. acidophilus on the survival rate of Pangasianodon hypophthalmus (P. hypophthalmus) infected with A. hydrophila was evaluated. The well diffusion method showed a significant inhibition ability of L. acidophilus cells against A. hydrophila compared to the cell free extract. The inhibition diameters obtained with cells and cell free extract were 17.23 mm and 15.17 mm, respectively. P. hypophthalmus injected with L. acidophilus cells and cell free extract following challenged with A. hydrophila cells showed survival rate of 70% and 60% respectively, at 2-week post challenged. The gas chromatography-mass spectrophotometry (GC-MS) result revealed that a diverse of compounds was detected in both the L. acidophilus cells and cell free extract, among them the most abundant component was pyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrazine-1,4-dione, hexahydro-3-(2-methylpropyl), which showed a promising anticancerous activity and might be played a significant role in the recovery of the infectious P. hypophthalmus. The current study revealed that both cells and cell free extract of L. acidophilus have antimicrobial activity against A. hydrophila.
Melatonin in Plants – Diversity of Levels and Multiplicity of Functions

Melatonin has been detected in numerous plant species. A particularly surprising finding concerns the highly divergent levels of melatonin that vary between species, organs and environmental conditions, from a few pg/g to over 20 μg/g, reportedly up to 200 μg/g. Highest values have been determined in oily seeds and in plant organs exposed to high UV radiation. The divergency of melatonin concentrations is discussed under various functional aspects and focused on several open questions. This comprises differences in precursor availability, catabolism, the relative contribution of isoenzymes of the melatonin biosynthetic pathway, and differences in rate limitation by either serotonin N-acetyltransferase or N-acetylserotonin O-methyltransferase. Other differences are related to the remarkable pleiotropy of melatonin, which exhibits properties as a growth regulator and morphogenetic factor, actually debated in terms of auxin-like effects, and as a signaling molecule that modulates pathways of ethylene, abscisic, jasmonic and salicylic acids and is involved in stress tolerance, pathogen defense and delay of senescence. In the context of high light/UV intensities, elevated melatonin levels exceed those required for signaling via stress-related phytohormones and may comprise direct antioxidant and photoprotectant properties, perhaps with a contribution of its oxidatively formed metabolites, such as N1-acetyl-N2-formyl-5-methoxykynuramine and its secondary products. High melatonin levels in seeds may also serve antioxidative protection and have been shown to promote seed viability and germination capacity.
Testing for beneficial reversal of dominance during salinity shifts in the invasive copepod Eurytemora affinis, and implications for the maintenance of genetic variation

Maintenance of genetic variation at loci under selection has profound implications for adaptation under environmental change. In temporally and spatially varying habitats, non‐neutral polymorphism could be maintained by heterozygote advantage across environments (marginal overdominance), which could be greatly increased by beneficial reversal of dominance across conditions. We tested for reversal of dominance and marginal overdominance in salinity tolerance in the saltwater‐to‐freshwater invading copepod Eurytemora affinis. We compared survival of F1 offspring generated by crossing saline and freshwater inbred lines (between‐salinity F1 crosses) relative to within‐salinity F1 crosses, across three salinities. We found evidence for both beneficial reversal of dominance and marginal overdominance in salinity tolerance. In support of reversal of dominance, survival of between‐salinity F1 crosses was not different from that of freshwater F1 crosses under freshwater conditions and saltwater F1 crosses under saltwater conditions. In support of marginal overdominance, between‐salinity F1 crosses exhibited significantly higher survival across salinities relative to both freshwater and saltwater F1 crosses. Our study provides a rare empirical example of complete beneficial reversal of dominance associated with environmental change. This mechanism might be crucial for maintaining genetic variation in salinity tolerance in E. affinis populations, allowing rapid adaptation to salinity changes during habitat invasions.
Modulation of Remote Ischemic Preconditioning by Proinflammatory Cytokines in Renal Transplant Recipients

ABSTRACT Aim: Remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) has been used as a strategy to reduce acute renal injury and ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) in renal transplantation (RT) with controversial results. Objective: To determine if RIPC modifies IRI in cadaveric RT recipients through inflammatory mediators and graft function. Methods: Twenty-nine RT recipients were studied, 12 in the control group (CG) and 17 in the RIPC group. RIPC which was performed on donors using a pneumatic tourniquet placed on both thighs for 10 min followed by the determination of IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α, VEGF, and ICAM-1, and hematological and biochemical parameters in different phases of RT. Results: Serum creatinine levels were significantly lower in the RIPC group versus the CG at 15 and 30 days; however, the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) showed no significant difference in any phase between either group, only TNF-α showed significantly higher values in the RIPC group versus the CG in almost all phases of the study, meanwhile IL6 was increased at 72 hours (hr) and 30 days, IL1 at 72 hr and 15 days and ICAM-1 post reperfusion, contrary to this VEGF showed a decrease at 7 and 15 days. Conclusion: RIPC did not improve eGFR or serum creatinine; however, it modifies the inflammatory response in RT recipients.
Water, solute transport, and interfacial electric phenomena in soils

ABSTRACT Electric charges of soil particles affect soil structure, permeability, soil erosion, nutrient, and contaminant transport. Those related studies have been reviewed here. An ion transport delays with the increase of adsorption caused by electrostatic attraction. When the electric charge is pH dependent, the ion transport is also affected by pH. A saturated hydraulic conductivity decreases when the soil structure changes by swelling and dispersion. The dispersed soil particles clog the necks of macropores and the swelling decreases macropores. They cause the decrease of saturated hydraulic conductivity. Such structure changes are also related to the electric charge. The development of electrical diffuse double layer and their overlap between the charged soil particles cause swelling and dispersion. The dispersion and the decrease of hydraulic conductivity are strongly affected by the state of ion adsofrption. When the ion adsorbs in the electrical diffuse double layer and the electrical repulsive force between neighbor soil particles becomes larger, the soil disperses and the hydraulic conductivity decreases. On the other hand, when the ion adsorbs strongly just on the soil surface, such as the case of a sulfate on an allophanic andosol, the electrical diffuse double layer does not develop and the soil flocculates and the hydraulic conductivity does not decrease, rather increases. The screening effect by high electrolyte concentration that damps an electric field near the charged soil surface is observed in an anionic surfactant adsorption on the negatively charged soil. When the electrolyte concentration is higher, the anionic surfactant adsorption increases due to the decrease of electric field. The surfactant adsorbs by hydrophobic interaction and the electrostatic force is repulsive in this case. A clay membrane clearly shows salt sieving because ions cannot enter into the membrane where the electrical diffuse double layers near the clay surfaces overlap. Graphical Abstract
A macroscopic and microscopic study of the development of the rat palate including the soft palate.

The development o f the hard and soft palates in rat foetuses was studied macroscopically and micro­ scopically. The development o f the hard palate followed generally accepted lines and the development o f the rat soft palate was described for the first time. This re­ sembled that o f the hard palate except that there was no rotation o f the posterior part o f the palatal shelf. Closure o f the soft palate was very rapid occurring be­ tween 16,16 and 17,16 days p.i. Keratinization o f palatal epithelium was present from the 18th day p.i. as were taste buds and developing mucous glands in the soft palate. The adult configuration o f the soft palate oral epithelium had not been attained by day 21 p.i. suggesting that a further postnatal period o f develop­ ment or adaptation occurs. OPSOMMING
Sewer infiltration/exfiltration and interactions with sewer flows and groundwater quality

Inflow/infiltration (I/I) and infiltration/exfiltration (I/E) are interactive processes which dynamically affect sewer and groundwater performance. The incidence and condition of "critical" sewers in the UK are identified together with methods of quantifying I/I and I/E as well as their impact on wet weather sewer performance and on urban groundwater pollution. Whilst the impacts of sewer trench I/I upon peak sewer flow conditions can be severe, the impacts of I/E appear to be of less concern although some caution is advocated in respect of long term sewer sustainability.
Pneumonia in allogeneic stem cell transplantation recipients: a multicenter prospective study

Aguilar‐Guisado M, Jiménez‐Jambrina M, Espigado I, Rovira M, Martino R, Oriol A, Borrell N, Ruiz I, Martín‐Dávila P, de la Cámara R, Salavert M, de la Torre J, Cisneros JM, on behalf of Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases. Pneumonia in allogeneic stem cell transplantation recipients: a multicenter prospective study. Clin Transplant 2011: 25: E629–E638. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.
What controls the timing of puberty? An update on progress from genetic investigation

Purpose of reviewPuberty is an important developmental stage during which reproductive capacity is attained. Genetic and environmental factors both influence the timing of puberty, which varies greatly among individuals. However, although genetic variation is known to influence the normal spectrum of pubertal timing, the specific genes involved remain unknown. Recent findingsRecent genetic analyses have identified a number of genes responsible for rare disorders of pubertal timing such as hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and Kallmann syndrome. However, although the genetic basis of population variation in the timing of puberty is an active area of investigation, no genetic loci have been reproducibly associated with pubertal timing thus far. SummaryThis review provides an update of the genes implicated in disorders of puberty, discusses genes and pathways that may be involved in the timing of normal puberty, and suggests additional avenues of investigation to identify genetic regulators of puberty in the general population.