Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Periodontal health, perceived oral health, and dental care utilization of breast cancer survivors.

OBJECTIVES This population-based analysis examined the prevalence of periodontal diseases along with the self-perceived oral health and patterns of dental care utilization of breast cancer survivors in the United States. METHODS Data from the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Surveys were utilized, examining information from 3,354 women between 50 and 85 years of age. Primary outcomes were gingivitis and periodontitis, self-perceived oral health, and dental care utilization. Logistic regression analyses were used to estimate relationships of breast cancer diagnosis and primary outcomes while controlling for confounding factors. RESULTS Breast cancer survivors were more likely to be older than 55 years, white, nonsmokers, have higher levels of education and income, and a higher prevalence of osteoporosis. Breast cancer survivors were significantly less likely to have dental insurance (P = 0.04). Utilization of dental services and reason for last dental visit did not significantly differ between groups. A history of a breast cancer diagnosis did not increase the odds of gingivitis [odds ratio (OR): 1.32; 95 percent confidence interval (CI): 0.53-3.63], periodontitis (OR: 1.82; 95 percent CI: 0.89-4.01), or poor self-perceived oral health (OR: 0.89; 95 percent CI: 0.61-1.33) after adjusting for age, race, education, dental care utilization, and smoking status. CONCLUSIONS In this sample, a history of breast cancer does not significantly impact periodontal health, self-perceived oral health, and dental care utilization. However, efforts should be made to assure that breast cancer survivors have dental insurance.
Assessment of Endothelial Dysfunction in Childhood Obesity and Clinical Use

The association of obesity with noncommunicable diseases, such as cardiovascular complications and diabetes, is considered a major threat to the management of health care worldwide. Epidemiological findings show that childhood obesity is rapidly rising in Western society, as well as in developing countries. This pandemic is not without consequences and can affect the risk of future cardiovascular disease in these children. Childhood obesity is associated with endothelial dysfunction, the first yet still reversible step towards atherosclerosis. Advanced research techniques have added further insight on how childhood obesity and associated comorbidities lead to endothelial dysfunction. Techniques used to measure endothelial function were further brought to perfection, and novel biomarkers, including endothelial progenitor cells, were discovered. The aim of this paper is to provide a critical overview on both in vivo as well as in vitro markers for endothelial integrity. Additionally, an in-depth description of the mechanisms that disrupt the delicate balance between endothelial damage and repair will be given. Finally, the effects of lifestyle interventions and pharmacotherapy on endothelial dysfunction will be reviewed.
The stability of covariance inflation methods for SLAM

This paper analyses the consequences of using Covariance Inflation Methods for Simultaneous Localisation and Map Building (SLAM). Covariance Inflation refers to the process of adding a positive semidefinite matrix to the system covariance matrix to improve the properties of a SLAM algorithm. Because this approach can be used to decorrelate the state estimates in the covariance matrix, it has the potential to greatly reduce both computational and storage costs. However, it also raises the risk that the covariance can increase without bound. This paper analyses the properties of covariance inflation algorithms to assess their impact on performance. We prove that, to prevent the steady-state covariance from being increased, the computational and storage costs must be linear in the number of beacons. Furthermore, if the steady-state covariance is to remain finite, the inflation method cannot impose structures on the filter which are continually broken down. These results are illustrated in a simple linear example.
A comparison of human papillomavirus testing of clinician‐collected and self‐collected samples during follow‐up after screen‐and‐treat

Screen‐and‐treat cervical cancer prevention programs based on high‐risk human papillomavirus (HPV) testing and cryotherapy have been shown to be effective in resource‐limited settings. However, because cryotherapy is not 100% effective, follow‐up is needed after treatment to detect post‐treatment failures. We compared the test performances of high‐risk HPV testing (Hybrid Capture 2) using self‐collected and clinician‐collected samples as well as cervical cytology for identifying cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grades 2 or 3 or invasive cervical cancer (CIN2+) among women who did (n = 812) and did not (n = 1858) undergo cryotherapy in a South African screen‐and‐treat trial. At 6 months after enrolment (and after cryotherapy, if performed), women were tested using all three screening methods and then underwent colposcopy/biopsy. A predefined subset of women (n = 1,455) had extended follow‐up with colposcopy/biopsy at 12 months. A total of 33 and 91 cases of CIN2+ were detected among treated and untreated women, respectively. The sensitivity of HPV testing using clinician‐collected samples and cervical cytology did not differ by treatment status. HPV testing of clinician‐collected samples detected the most cases of CIN2+ among both treated (85%) and untreated (91%) women (p = 0.31). Cytology (at a cutoff of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance or greater) detected 76% of cases among both treated and untreated women. However, the sensitivity of HPV testing using self‐collected samples was significantly lower among treated versus untreated women (55% vs. 78%, p = 0.01). HPV testing using self‐collected vaginal specimens may be useful in primary screening but performs poorly for detecting post‐treatment failures.
Time Integration of Diapycnal Diffusion and Richardson Number–Dependent Mixing in Isopycnal Coordinate Ocean Models

Abstract In isopycnal coordinate ocean models, diapycnal diffusion must be expressed as a nonlinear difference equation. This nonlinear equation is not amenable to traditional implicit methods of solution, but explicit methods typically have a time step limit of order Δt ⩽ h2/κ (where Δt is the time step, h is the isopycnal layer thickness, and κ is the diapycnal diffusivity), which cannot generally be satisfied since the layers could be arbitrarily thin. It is especially important that the diffusion time integration scheme have no such limit if the diapycnal diffusivity is determined by the local Richardson number. An iterative, implicit time integration scheme of diapycnal diffusion in isopycnal layers is suggested. This scheme is demonstrated to have qualitatively correct behavior in the limit of arbitrarily thin initial layer thickness, is highly accurate in the limit of well-resolved layers, and is not significantly more expensive than existing schemes. This approach is also shown to be compatible wi.
The Effects of Wood Storage on the Chemical Composition and Indigenous Microflora of Eucalyptus species Used in the Pulping Industry

Lipophilic extractives naturally occurring in wood tend to coalesce during pulping to form pitch deposits, which have particularly undesirable effects on the pulping process and quality of pulp produced. A chemical characterization of different eucalypt species [Eucalyptus nitens, E. grandis, and E. dunnii (of different site qualities)] wood and generated pulp was performed. This study aimed at determining the effects of wood storage at -20 °C (for 6 months), by examining their chemical composition and indigenous microflora. Fatty acids were the main lipophilic compounds among E. dunnii (SQ3 and SQ4) and E. grandis wood extractives. The wood of E. nitens posed the least risk for pitch deposit formation, making it the most suitable Eucalyptus species for pulping. Storage of wood chips at -20 °C had a similar effect as the traditional method of seasoning (storage of wood outdoors prior to pulping) used for the reduction of lipophilic extractives. A 25 to 44% reduction of total extractives was observed in the raw material after storage. Variations in bacterial and fungal communities were observed after storage, and should be taken into consideration when conducting lab scale trials. If storage of wood chips is necessary for lab testing, it should be retained for a maximum of 3 months at -20 °C.
Outcome of Ewing sarcoma in a multidisciplinary setting in Lebanon

Treatment of Ewing sarcoma (ES) necessitates coordinated multi‐disciplinary care. We analyzed outcome for 39 patients treated at a single institution in Lebanon, a developing country with available multidisciplinary treatment modalities, where financial barriers to care are overcome by a fundraising system. Median follow‐up was 58 months. Five‐year overall and event‐free survival were 76% and 58%, respectively, for localized disease, and 40% and 38%, respectively, for metastatic disease. We conclude that, in a country with emerging economy, by following international protocols and ensuring availability of needed resources, outcome of patients with ES is similar to that in developed countries. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2014; 61:1472–1475. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Development of a Mouse-Adapted Live Attenuated Influenza Virus That Permits In Vivo Analysis of Enhancements to the Safety of Live Attenuated Influenza Virus Vaccine

ABSTRACT The live attenuated influenza virus vaccine (LAIV) is preferentially recommended for use in persons 2 through 49 years of age but has not been approved for children under 2 or asthmatics due to safety concerns. Therefore, increasing safety is desirable. Here we describe a murine LAIV with reduced pathogenicity that retains lethality at high doses and further demonstrate that we can enhance safety in vivo through mutations within NS1. This model may permit preliminary safety analysis of improved LAIVs.
On the Sample Complexity of Learning Bayesian Networks

In recent years there has been an increasing interest in learning Bayesian networks from data. One of the most effective methods for learning such networks is based on the minimum description length (MDL) principle. Previous work has shown that this learning procedure is asymptotically successful: with probability one, it will converge to the target distribution, given a sufficient number of samples. However, the rate of this convergence has been hitherto unknown. In this work we examine the sample complexity of MDL based learning procedures for Bayesian networks. We show that the number of samples needed to learn an e-close approximation (in terms of entropy distance) with confidence δ is O ((1/e)4/3 log 1/e log 1/δ log log 1/δ). This means that the sample complexity is a low-order polynomial in the error threshold and sub-linear in the confidence bound. We also discuss how the constants in this term depend on the complexity of the target distribution. Finally, we address questions of asymptotic minimality and propose a method for using the sample complexity results to speed up the learning process.
Hybrid Organic-Inorganic Bridged Silsesquioxane Nanoparticles for Cancer Nanomedicine

Hybrid Organic-Inorganic Bridged Silsesquioxane Nanoparticles for Cancer Nanomedicine Yevhen Fatieiev It is well established that cancer is one of the leading causes of death globally. Its complete eradication requires early detection and intensive drug treatment. In many cases it might also require surgery. Unfortunately, current medicine is still more focused on cancer treatment rather than elimination of its reason. The mechanism of tumor emergence and development is quite complicated, although, we are constantly advancing in this field. Nanomedicine is envisioned as the silver bullet against cancer. Thus, nanoscale systems with therapeutic and diagnostic modalities can simultaneously perform several functions: accurate detection of tumor site, precise targeting, and controlled drug release inside abnormal cells and tissues while being nontoxic to healthy ones. Moreover, surface modification of such nanoparticles allows them to be invisible to the immune system and have longer blood circulating time. The performed research in this dissertation is completely based on hybrid organicinorganic bridged silsesquioxane (also known as organosilica) nanomaterials, therefore comprising soft orga i / ioorga i part hi h can imitate certain biorelevant structures and facilitates successful escape from the immune system for more efficient accumulation i a er ells, hile hard inorganic part serves as a rigid and stable basis for the creation of cargo nanocarriers and imaging agents. This dissertation discusses the
Strong Alpine glacier melt in the 1940s due to enhanced solar radiation

A 94‐year time series of annual glacier melt at four high elevation sites in the European Alps is used to investigate the effect of global dimming and brightening of solar radiation on glacier mass balance. Snow and ice melt was stronger in the 1940s than in recent years, in spite of significantly higher air temperatures in the present decade. An inner Alpine radiation record shows that in the 1940s global shortwave radiation over the summer months was 8% above the long‐term average and significantly higher than today, favoring rapid glacier mass loss. Dimming of solar radiation from the 1950s until the 1980s is in line with reduced melt rates and advancing glaciers.
Characterization of Acute and Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Genotypes in Canada

Objective The prevalence and distribution of hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes in Canada is not known. Genotypic analysis may contribute to a better understanding of HBV strain distribution and transmission risk. Methods HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) positive samples of acute (n = 152) and chronic (n = 1533) HBV submitted for strain analysis or reference genotype testing between 2006 and 2012 were analyzed. The HBsAg coding region was amplified to determine the HBV genotype by INNO-LiPA assay or sequence analysis. Single and multivariate analyses were used to describe genotypes’ associations with known demographic and behavioral risk factors for 126 linked cases of acute HBV. Results Nine genotypes were detected (A to I), including mixed infections. Genotype C (HBV/C) dominated within chronic infections while HBV/D and A prevailed among acute HBV cases. History of incarceration and residing with a chronic HBV carrier or injection drug user were the most frequently reported risks for acute HBV infection. Over time, HBV/A increased among both acute and chronic infections, and HBV/C and HBV/D decreased among chronic infections. Conclusion Chronic and acute HBV genotypes in Canada differ in the relative distribution and their associations with known risk factors, suggesting different routes of transmission and clinical progression of infection.
Anticoagulants Influence the In Vitro Activity and Composition of Shock Lymph But Not Its In Vivo Activity

Many models of trauma-hemorrhagic shock (T/HS) involve the reinfusion of anticoagulated shed blood. Our recent observation that the anticoagulant heparin induces increased mesenteric lymph lipase activity and consequent in vitro endothelial cell cytotoxicity prompted us to investigate the effect of heparin-induced lipase activity on organ injury in vivo as well as the effects of other anticoagulants on mesenteric lymph bioactivity in vitro and in vivo. To investigate this issue, rats subjected to trauma-hemorrhage had their shed blood anticoagulated with heparin, the synthetic anticoagulant arixtra (fondaparinux sodium), or citrate. Arixtra, in contrast to heparin, did not increase lymph lipase activity or result in high levels of endothelial cytotoxicity. Yet, the arixtra-treated rats subjected to T/HS still manifested lung injury, neutrophil priming, and red blood cell dysfunction, which was totally abrogated by lymph duct ligation. Furthermore, the injection of T/HS mesenteric lymph, but not sham-shock lymph, collected from the arixtra rats into control mice recreated the pattern of lung injury, polymorphonucleocyte (PMN) priming, and red blood cell dysfunction observed after actual shock. Consistent with these observations, citrate-anticoagulated rats subjected to T/HS developed lung injury, and the injection of mesenteric lymph from the citrate-anticoagulated T/HS rats into control mice also resulted in lung injury. Based on these results, several conclusions can be drawn. First, heparin-induced increased mesenteric lymph lipase activity is not responsible for the in vivo effects of T/HS mesenteric lymph. Second, heparin should be avoided as an anticoagulant when studying the biology or composition of mesenteric lymph because of its ability to cause increases in lymph lipase activity that increase the in vitro cytotoxicity of these lymph samples.
Solution structure of DNA containing α-OH-PdG: the mutagenic adduct produced by acrolein

Acrolein is a cell metabolic product and a main component of cigarette smoke. Its reaction with DNA produces two guanine lesions γ-OH-PdG, a major adduct that is nonmutagenic in mammalian cells, and the positional isomer α-OH-PdG. We describe here the solution structure of a short DNA duplex containing a single α-OH-PdG lesion, as determined by solution NMR spectroscopy and restrained molecular dynamics simulations. The spectroscopic data show a mostly regular right-handed helix, locally perturbed at its center by the presence of the lesion. All undamaged residues of the duplex are in anti orientation, forming standard Watson–Crick base-pair alignments. Duplication of proton signals near the damaged site differentiates two enantiomeric duplexes, thus establishing the exocyclic nature of the lesion. At the lesion site, α-OH-PdG rotates to a syn conformation, pairing to its counter cytosine residue that is protonated at pH 5.9. Three-dimensional models produced by restrained molecular dynamics simulations show different hydrogen-bonding patterns between the lesion and its cytosine partner and identify further stabilization of α-OH-PdG in a syn conformation by intra-residue hydrogen bonds. We compare the α-OH-PdG•dC duplex structure with that of duplexes containing the analogous lesion propano-dG and discuss the implications of our findings for the mutagenic bypass of acrolein lesions.
What Makes Patients with Fibromyalgia Feel Better? Correlations Between Patient Global Impression of Improvement and Changes in Clinical Symptoms and Function: A Pooled Analysis of 4 Randomized Placebo-controlled Trials of Duloxetine

Objective. To investigate the relationship between changes in clinical rating scale items and endpoint Patient Global Impression of Improvement (PGI-I). Methods. Data were pooled from 4 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies of duloxetine in patients with fibromyalgia (FM). Variables included in the analyses were those that assessed symptoms in FM domains of pain, fatigue, sleep, cognitive difficulties, emotional well-being, physical function, and impact on daily living. The association of endpoint PGI-I with changes from baseline in individual variables was assessed using Pearson product-moment correlations (r). Stepwise linear regression was used to identify those variables for which changes from baseline were statistically significant independent predictors of the endpoint PGI-I ratings. Results. Changes in pain variables and interference of symptoms with the ability to work were highly correlated (r ≥ 0.5 or r ≤ −0.5) with endpoint PGI-I. Moderate correlation with endpoint PGI-I (0.30 ≤ r < 0.5 or −0.5 < r ≤ −0.30) included changes in variables that assessed physical functioning, depression, anxiety, fatigue, and several variables related to impact on daily living. Independent predictor variables of endpoint PGI-I identified by stepwise linear regression included assessments for pain, physical function, vitality, anxiety, social function, and tender point thresholds. Conclusion. In addition to pain reduction, what makes patients with FM feel better may include improvement in fatigue, physical functioning, mood, and impact on daily living. An assessment of these domains may be important in clinical trials of FM and in the management of patients with FM.
Crystal structure of chemically synthesized vMIP‐II

Based on the positions of the first two conservative cys-teine residues, chemokines are classified into four sub-families: CXC, CC, CX3C, and C. As a viral chemokine,vMIP-II shows a broad spectrum of binding to CXC, CC,and CX3C chemokine receptors. In particular, vMIP-IIbinds to both CXCR4 and CCR5, which are the only twomajor coreceptors of human immunodeficiency virusType 1 (HIV-1). Although most mammalian chemokinesare agonists to their corresponding receptors, vMIP-II isin most cases an antagonist to its receptors includingCXCR4 and CCR5.
Nursing Activity Score for estimating nursing care need in intensive care units: findings from a face and content validity study.

AIM To re-evaluate the face and content validity of the Nursing Activity Score currently adopted in evaluating activities that best describe workloads in intensive care units and their weight in describing average nursing time consumption. BACKGROUND The Nursing Activity Score calculates the amount of nursing time that each patient will require over the next 24 hours. It has been widely used around the world since its first validation in 2003. However, no re-evaluation of its validity with regard to the advancements achieved in intensive care units nursing care has been documented to date. METHOD A research project was undertaken from 2012 to 2015, aimed at critically evaluating and validating this tool in the current context of Italian intensive care units nursing care. The 23 items were translated forward and backward into the Italian language, then a panel of 10 experts in critical care evaluated the face validity. Content validity was evaluated through focus groups involving seven critical care expert registered nurses. FINDINGS The Nursing Activity Score instrument has been considered as not fully adequate to measure current intensive care units nursing activities and their weightings have been considered not fully adequate to score average nursing time consumption. From the content validity process, lack of adequacy has emerged with respect to the concept of nursing care underpinning the tool, the interventions included, its capability to predict the nursing resources needed, advancements achieved in intensive care units nurses' roles and competences, and the contextual factors that may influence consumption of nursing time. CONCLUSIONS Development of the Nursing Activity Score tool both conceptually and in its structure, in view of the innovations that have occurred in the context of intensive care units, is necessary to continue to have a common tool to help clinicians and managers to capture accurately and compare nursing care required by patients in critical care settings. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT There is a need to revise the Nursing Activity Score tool, enabling its use in estimating nursing workloads in current Italian intensive care units practice. A taskforce of clinical nurses and nursing managers, capable of protecting the valuable original Nursing Activity Score project and to advance its further development is recommended.