Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of pre-surgical nasoalveolar moulding on maxillary arch and nasal form in unilateral cleft lip and palate before lip surgery.

OBJECTIVES To investigate the effects of pre-surgical nasoalveolar moulding (PNAM) on the maxillary arch and nasal form in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP). SETTING AND SAMPLE POPULATION This is a retrospective case series study. The subjects were infants with complete UCLP who were treated with PNAM (n = 18) at Kagoshima University Medical and Dental Hospital (Japan) between 2006 and 2013. MATERIAL AND METHODS Maxillary dental casts and facial photographs were taken at the time of the first visit and immediately prior to lip surgery to evaluate the maxillary arch and nasal form changes. The dental casts were scanned with a laser scanner, and changes in the 3-Dimensional coordinates of anatomical landmarks and alveolar cleft width were analysed. Moreover, we investigated the correlation between the changes in the maxillary alveolar arch and nasal form. RESULTS Regarding the maxillary alveolar arch form, the anterior points of the major segment had moved significantly to the cleft side just prior to the time of lip repair, and the alveolar cleft width was significantly decreased. For nasal form, the inclination and displacement of the columella were significantly improved. The improvement of columella inclination was moderately correlated with the posterior movement of the anterior points of the major segment. CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate that PNAM for infants with UCLP enhanced symmetry in the maxillary alveolar arch and nasolabial form. In addition, the posterior movement of the anterior points of the maxillary alveolar arch was correlated with the improvement of columella deformation.
A molecular diagnostic approach able to detect the recurrent genetic prognostic factors typical of presenting myeloma

Risk stratification in myeloma requires an accurate assessment of the presence of a range of molecular abnormalities including the differing IGH translocations and the recurrent copy number abnormalities that can impact clinical behavior. Currently, interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization is used to detect these abnormalities. High failure rates, slow turnaround, cost, and labor intensiveness make it difficult and expensive to use in routine clinical practice. Multiplex ligation‐dependent probe amplification (MLPA), a molecular approach based on a multiplex polymerase chain reaction method, offers an alternative for the assessment of copy number changes present in the myeloma genome. Here, we provide evidence showing that MLPA is a powerful tool for the efficient detection of copy number abnormalities and when combined with expression assays, MLPA can detect all of the prognostically relevant molecular events which characterize presenting myeloma. This approach opens the way for a molecular diagnostic strategy that is efficient, high throughput, and cost effective. © 2014 The Authors. Genes, Chromosomes & Cancer Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
U–Pb geochronology and palynology from Lopingian (upper Permian) coal measure strata of the Galilee Basin, Queensland, Australia

ABSTRACT This study presents the first chemical abrasion-isotope dilution thermal ionisation mass spectrometry (CA-IDTIMS) U–Pb zircon ages from tuffs in Lopingian (upper Permian) strata of the Galilee Basin, Queensland and reassigns the B coal-seam to the ‘Burngrove Formation equivalent. ’ Five Lopingian tuffs were dated: four from the CRD Montani-1 drill hole including three from the ‘Fair Hill Formation equivalent’ (255.13 ± 0.09, 254.41 ± 0.07 and 254.32 ± 0.10 Ma) and one from the ‘Burngrove Formation equivalent’ (252.81 ± 0.07 Ma, approximately the age of the Yarrabee Tuff in the adjacent Bowen Basin); and a single tuff from the Black Alley Shale in the GSQ Tambo-1-1A drill hole (254.09 ± 0.06 Ma). In the Galilee Basin, all three units are constituents of the Betts Creek Group, here formally elevated in nomenclatural status from the Betts Creek beds. On the western margin of the basin, the group thins, and the ‘J and K’ seams (formerly known as the Crossmore and Glenaras sequences, respectively) in the GSQ Muttaburra-1 drill hole have been interpreted through palynology as Cisuralian–early Guadalupian (spore-pollen assemblage APP3.2). This corroborates the exclusion of the ‘J and K’ seams from the overlying Lopingian Betts Creek Group (spore-pollen assemblage APP5), and the underlying lower to mid-Cisuralian Aramac Coal Measures (spore-pollen assemblage APP2.2), which represent the uppermost unit of the Joe Joe Group. It is proposed that the ‘J and K’ seams are restricted to a depocentre in the Hulton–Rand structure. The recognition of these strata containing APP3.2 spore-pollen assemblages suggests that the mid-Permian hiatus is locally reduced to 12–13 My from 30 Ma (where the ‘J and K’ seams are absent). The results of the radiometric dating and palynological analysis in the Galilee Basin support the proposed, albeit informal stratigraphy, that is given in terms of equivalents of formational units in the Bowen Basin and on the intervening Springsure Shelf.
Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction High Prevalence of Cardiac Parvovirus B 19 Infection in Patients With Isolated Left

C. Tschöpe, C. -T. Bock, M. Kasner, M. Noutsias, D. Westermann, P.-L. Schwimmbeck, M. Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction High Prevalence of Cardiac Parvovirus B19 Infection in Patients With Isolated Left Print ISSN: 0009-7322. Online ISSN: 1524-4539 Copyright © 2005 American Heart Association, Inc. All rights reserved. is published by the American Heart Association, 7272 Greenville Avenue, Dallas, TX 75231 Circulation doi: 10.1161/01.CIR. 0000155615.68924. B3 2005;111:879-886; originally published online February 14, 2005; Circulation. http://circ.ahajournals. org/content/111/7/879 World Wide Web at: The online version of this article, along with updated information and services, is located on the
EFFECT OF FEED RESTRICTION ON PRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE , CARCASS YIELD , BLOOD PICTURES AND RELATIVE ORGAN WEIGHTS OF GROWING RABBITS

Eighty weaning V-line rabbit’s males aged 33days were used to study the effect of feeding restriction on productive performance of fattening rabbits. Rabbits were individually housed in galvanized wire cages and randomly allotted to four experimental groups (20 males per each), with initial average weight 635±12.25g. First rabbits group fed ad libitum commercial diet and served as control (C), second group (R1)fed restricted diet from the fifth to the sixth weeks of age (50 g /d /rabbit), third group (R2) fed restricted diet from eighth to ninth week of age (90 g/d/ rabbit) and the fourth group (R3) fed restricted diets from fifth to the sixth weeks of age (50 g /d/ rabbit) and from eighth to ninth weeks of age (90 g/d /rabbit) . Rabbits fed ad libitum at all other times of experiment. At the end of the experiment (84 days of age), five rabbits from each group were slaughtered to study carcass quality and some biochemical blood parameters. Results indicated that body weight gain (BWG) for experimental restricted groups R1 and R2 (fed restricted diet for one week, short period) were statistically equal and insignificantly (P ≤ 0.05) different compared with rabbit fed ad libitum (the control group, C). However, restricted group R3 (fed restricted diet during the fifth to the sixth / eighth to ninth weeks (long period) recorded the lowest significant BWG compared with the other experimental groups. Feed intake and daily feed intake for R3 group recorded the lowest significantly amount of feed intake by 16.9 % compared with the control group. Moreover, feed conversion (FCR) and mortality rates were significantly improved for rabbit groups exposed to feed restriction. Carcass and dressing percentages were significantly lowers (P≤0.05) for long period restriction (R3) compared with those for control (C) and for short periods restriction (R1 and R2).
Chlorophytum borivilianum Root Extract Maintains near Normal Blood Glucose, Insulin and Lipid Profile Levels and Prevents Oxidative Stress in the Pancreas of Streptozotocin-Induced Adult Male Diabetic Rats

The effect of C. borivilianum root on blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin (HbAIc), insulin and lipid profile levels in diabetes mellitus are not fully understood. This study therefore investigated the effect of C. borivilianum root on the above parameters and oxidative stress of the pancreas in diabetes. Methods: C. borivilianum root aqueous extract (250 and 500 mg/kg/day) was administered to streptozotocin (STZ)-induced male diabetic rats for 28 days. Body weight, blood glucose, HbA1c, insulin, lipid profile levels and glucose homeostasis indices were determined. Histopathological changes and oxidative stress parameters i.e. lipid peroxidation (LPO) and antioxidant enzymes activity levels of the pancreas were investigated. Results: C. borivilianum root extract treatment to diabetic rats maintained near normal body weight, blood glucose, HbA1c, lipid profile and insulin levels with higher HOMA-β cell functioning index, number of Islets/pancreas, number of β-cells/Islets however with lower HOMA-insulin resistance (IR) index as compared to non-treated diabetic rats. Negative correlations between serum insulin and blood glucose, HbA1c, triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) levels were observed. C. borivilianum root extract administration prevented the increase in lipid peroxidation and the decrease in activity levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) with mild histopathological changes in the pancreas of diabetic rats. Conclusions: C. borivilianum root maintains near normal levels of these metabolites and prevented oxidative stress-induced damage to the pancreas in diabetes.
Epipelic diatom communities in the Šerićka Bara marsh (northeast Bosnia and Herzegovina)

1University of Tuzla, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Univerzitetska 4, BiH-75 000 Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina (e-mail: jasmina.kamberovic@untz.ba) 2Warrington, United Kingdom (e-mail: kora.kralj@gmail.com) 3University Clinical Center Tuzla, Trnovac bb, BiH-75 000 Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina (e-mail: aldijanamedic@windowslive.com) 4University of Sarajevo, Faculty of Science, Ulica Zmaja od Bosne, BiH-71 000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (e-mail: sebarudanovic@gmail.com)
A COMPARISON OF ANIMAL HEMOGLOBINS BY TRYPTIC PEPTIDE PATTERN ANALYSIS.

The complete amino acid sequences (primary structure) of hemoglobins can, in principle, be determined by methods currently available. Although detailed studies of the primary structure of human and horse hemoglobins are in progress in several laboratories,(1) the methods are so laborious that complete sequences have not yet been established. Important questions in the realm of genetics and evolution require the immediate examination of the structure, primary and other, of many different hemoglobins. The application of methods that are quicker, though less informative and reliable, than the techniques required for complete sequence determination is therefore in order as a provisional means of securing useful information. Such a method is the analysis of peptide patterns obtained by combined paper electrophoresis and chromatography of tryptic hydrolysates of denatured hemoglobin. (2) Of particular interest are comparisons between hemoglobin components present in (a) organisms of one animal species at a given time in development, (b) organisms of one species at different stages of development, and (c) organisms of different species. The present paper is concerned exclusively with the last type of comparison. In order to scan the range of variation of hemoglobin structure throughout evolution, hemoglobins from a number of animals both closely and distantly related to man have been selected and compared as to tryptic peptide patterns with human hemoglobin A. Whole hemoglobin preparations from adult animals have been studied throughout. The problem of individual heterogeneity will be treated elsewhere.
Quantification of Immune Dysregulation by Next-generation Polymerase Chain Reaction to Improve Sepsis Diagnosis in Surgical Patients

Objectives: To quantify immunological dysfunction in surgical patients with presence/absence of sepsis using a droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) transcriptomic analysis. The study also aims to evaluate this approach for improving identification of sepsis in these patients. Background: Immune dysregulation is a central event in sepsis. Quantification of the expression of immunological genes participating in the pathogenesis of sepsis could represent a new avenue to improve its diagnosis. Methods: Expression of 6 neutrophil protease genes (MMP8, OLFM4, LCN2/NGAL, LTF, PRTN3, MPO) and also of 5 genes involved in the immunological synapse (HLA-DRA, CD40LG, CD3E, CD28, ICOS) was quantified in blood from 101 surgical patients with sepsis, 53 uninfected surgical patients, and 16 blood donors by using ddPCR. Areas under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROC) and multivariate regression analysis were employed to test individual genes and gene ratios to identify sepsis, in comparison with procalcitonin. Results: Sepsis-induced overexpression of neutrophil protease genes and depressed expression of immunological synapse genes. MMP8/HLA-DRA, LCN2/HLA-DRA outperformed procalcitonin in differentiating between patients with sepsis and surgical controls in the AUROC analysis: LCN2/HLA-DRA: 0.90 (0.85–0.96), MMP8/HLA-DRA: 0.89 (0.84–0.95), procalcitonin: 0.80 (0.73–0.88) (AUROC, confidence interval 95%), and also in the multivariate analysis: LCN2/HLA-DRA: 8.57 (2.25–32.62); MMP8/HLA-DRA: 8.03 (2.10–30.76), procalcitonin: 4.20 (1.15–15.43) [odds ratio (confidence interval 95%)]. Gene expression levels of HLA-DRA were an independent marker of hospital mortality. Conclusions: Quantifying the transcriptomic ratios MMP8/HLA-DRA, LCN2/HLA-DRA by ddPCR is a promising approach to improve sepsis diagnosis in surgical patients.
Shed syndecan-2 inhibits angiogenesis

ABSTRACT Angiogenesis is essential for the development of a normal vasculature, tissue repair and reproduction, and also has roles in the progression of diseases such as cancer and rheumatoid arthritis. The heparan sulphate proteoglycan syndecan-2 is expressed on mesenchymal cells in the vasculature and, like the other members of its family, can be shed from the cell surface resulting in the release of its extracellular core protein. The purpose of this study was to establish whether shed syndecan-2 affects angiogenesis. We demonstrate that shed syndecan-2 regulates angiogenesis by inhibiting endothelial cell migration in human and rodent models and, as a result, reduces tumour growth. Furthermore, our findings show that these effects are mediated by the protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor CD148 (also known as PTPRJ) and this interaction corresponds with a decrease in active &bgr;1 integrin. Collectively, these data demonstrate an unexplored pathway for the regulation of new blood vessel formation and identify syndecan-2 as a therapeutic target in pathologies characterised by angiogenesis.
Matrix-valued Quantum Lattice Boltzmann Method

We devise a lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) for a matrix-valued quantum Boltzmann equation, with the classical Maxwell distribution replaced by Fermi-Dirac functions. To accommodate the spin density matrix, the distribution functions become 2 x 2 matrix-valued. From an analytic perspective, the efficient, commonly used BGK approximation of the collision operator is valid in the present setting. The numerical scheme could leverage the principles of LBM for simulating complex spin systems, with applications to spintronics.
Coding With Scrambling, Concatenation, and HARQ for the AWGN Wire-Tap Channel: A Security Gap Analysis

This paper examines the use of nonsystematic channel codes to obtain secure transmissions over the additive white Gaussian noise wire-tap channel. Unlike the previous approaches, we propose to implement nonsystematic coded transmission by scrambling the information bits, and characterize the bit error rate of scrambled transmissions through theoretical arguments and numerical simulations. We have focused on some examples of Bose-Chaudhuri-Hocquenghem and low-density parity-check codes to estimate the security gap, which we have used as a measure of physical layer security, in addition to the bit error rate. Based on a number of numerical examples, we found that such a transmission technique can outperform alternative solutions. In fact, when an eavesdropper (Eve) has a worse channel than the authorized user (Bob), the security gap required to reach a given level of security is very small. The amount of degradation of Eve's channel with respect to Bob's that is needed to achieve sufficient security can be further reduced by implementing scrambling and descrambling operations on blocks of frames, rather than on single frames. While Eve's channel has a quality equal to or better than that of Bob's channel, we have shown that the use of a hybrid automatic repeat-request protocol with authentication still allows achieving a sufficient level of security. Finally, the secrecy performance of some practical schemes has also been measured in terms of the equivocation rate about the message at the eavesdropper and compared with that of ideal codes.
Resolution of Discrepant Results for Candida Species Identification by Using DNA Probes

ABSTRACT Candida species bloodstream isolates were collected from institutions participating in an active, population-based surveillance for candidemia. Species identifications were performed locally and then confirmed at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by phenotype-based methods. Discrepancies in species identification between the referring institution and the CDC were noted for 43 of 935 isolates (4.6%). A DNA probe-based species identification system (PCR-enzyme immunoassay [EIA]) was then used to resolve these discrepancies. The PCR-EIA result was identical to the CDC phenotypic identification method for 98% of the isolates tested. The most frequently misidentified species was Candida glabrata (37% of all discrepant identifications). Such misidentifications could lead to the administration of inappropriate therapy given the propensity of C. glabrata to develop resistance to azole antifungal drugs.
Three-Dimensional Nonlinear Invisible Boundary Detection

The human vision system can discriminate regions which differ up to the second-order statistics only. We present an algorithm designed to reveal "hidden" boundaries in gray level images, by computing gradients in higher order statistics of the data. We demonstrate it by applying it to the identification of possible "hidden" boundaries of glioblastomas as manifest themselves in three-dimensional (3-D) MRI scans, using a model driven approach. We also demonstrate the method using a nonmodel driven approach where we have no prior information about the location of possible boundaries. In this case, we use 3-D MRI data concerning schizophrenic patients and normal controls
Mechanisms for Frequency Control in Neuronal Competition Models

We investigate analytically a firing rate model for a two-population network based on mutual inhibition and slow negative feedback in the form of spike frequency adaptation. Both neuronal populations receive external constant input whose strength determines the system's dynamical state-a steady state of identical activity levels or periodic oscillations or a winner-take-all state of bistability. We prove that oscillations appear in the system through supercritical Hopf bifurcations and that they are antiphase. The period of oscillations depends on the input strength in a nonmonotonic fashion, and we show that the increasing branch of the period versus input curve corresponds to a release mechanism and the decreasing branch to an escape mechanism. In the limiting case of infinitely slow feedback we characterize the conditions for release, escape, and occurrence of the winner-take-all behavior. Some extensions of the model are also discussed.
Urinary Incontinence: Its Assessment and Relationship to Depression among Community-Dwelling Multiethnic Older Women

Urinary Incontinence (UI) affects many older adults. Some of its deleterious consequences include stress, major depression, diminished quality of life, sexual dysfunction, and familial discord. Of the various mental health problems identified in the literature as being comorbid with UI, the most notable one continues to be depression. Despite a wealth of research contributions on this topic, the available literature is underrepresentative of ethnic minority older women. Culture has been shown to have a significant impact on a woman's perception of her own UI symptoms; this demonstrates the necessity for the recruitment of ethnically and culturally diverse samples when studying UI. In the present study, we determined the prevalence of UI among 140 community-dwelling, ethnically diverse older women (28.2%), discovered that our new UI screener is reliable, and did not find the UI-depression link to be significant. The clinical and research implications of our findings are discussed.
Effect of Nondestructive Evaluation of Veneers on the Properties of Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) from a Tropical Species

This study aimed at evaluating the potential of Schizolobium parahyba to produce laminated veneer lumber (LVL) and the feasibility of a nondestructive method for grading the veneers. Initially, 64 S. parahyba veneers were nondestructively tested using the stress wave method, and stress wave velocity (wv) and veneer dynamic modulus of elasticity (EdV) were determined. Afterwards, the veneers were graded according to EdV descending values and used to manufacture 8-ply LVL boards. After the manufacturing, the boards were also nondestructively tested, and the board dynamic modulus of elasticity (EdB) was determined. Simple linear regression analysis was run to evaluate the relationship between the nondestructive and mechanical properties of veneers/boards. A positive effect of veneer stress wave properties on the LVL properties was found. Therefore, the higher the EdV values, the higher the LVL properties. The relationships between EdV and EdB properties were highly significant with all mechanical properties. It was clearly observed that when this grading procedure was used, the veneers were indirectly graded by their density. Finally, it could be concluded that S. parahyba showed good potential to produce LVL.
Geometrically Optimized PTZ Camera Calibration From Two Images

We make three main contributions to autocalibration under pure rotation and zooming, with particular focus on PTZ cameras. First, for the general camera rotation, we provide a novel solution that yields five intrinsic parameters from only two images, by directly decomposing the infinite homography using a series of Givens rotations. Second, we present thorough analysis of degenerate cases of pure pan and pure tilt that occur very frequently in practical applications of PTZ cameras, and hence reveal the limits and the stability of auto-calibration under these degenerate rotations. Third, we derive a new optimal geometric error function for pure rotation, which plays a similar role as the epipolar constraint in a freely moving camera, in terms of characterizing the reprojection error of point correspondences. Our solutions and analyses are thoroughly validated and tested on both synthetic and real data, whereby the new geometric error function is shown to outperform existing methods in terms of accuracy and noise resilience.