Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Immediate adhesive properties to dentin and enamel of a universal adhesive associated with a hydrophobic resin coat.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effect of acid etching and application of a hydrophobic resin coat on the enamel/dentin bond strengths and degree of conversion (DC) within the hybrid layer of a universal adhesive system (G-Bond Plus [GB]). METHODS A total of 60 extracted third molars were divided into four groups for bond-strength testing, according to the adhesive strategy: GB applied as a one-step self-etch adhesive (1-stepSE); GB applied as in 1-stepSE followed by one coat of the hydrophobic resin Heliobond (2-stepSE); GB applied as a two-step etch-and-rinse adhesive (2-stepER); GB applied as in 2-stepER followed by one coat of the hydrophobic resin Heliobond (3-stepER). There were 40 teeth used for enamel microshear bond strength (μSBS) and DC; and 20 teeth used for dentin microtensile bond strength (μTBS) and DC. After restorations were constructed, specimens were stored in water (37°C/24 h) and then tested at 0.5 mm/min (μTBS) or 1.0 mm/min (μSBS). Enamel-resin and dentin-resin interfaces from each group were evaluated for DC using micro-Raman spectroscopy. Data were analyzed with two-way analysis of variance for each substrate and the Tukey test (α=0.05). RESULTS For enamel, the use of a hydrophobic resin coat resulted in statistically significant higher mean enamel μSBS only for the ER strategy (3-stepER vs 2-stepER, p<0.0002). DC was significantly improved for the SE strategy (p<0.00002). For dentin, the use of a hydrophobic resin coat resulted in significantly higher dentin mean μTBS only for the SE strategy (2-stepSE vs 1-stepSE, p<0.0007). DC was significantly improved in groups 2-stepSE and 3-stepER when compared with 1-stepSE and 2-stepER, respectively (p<0.0009). CONCLUSIONS The use of a hydrophobic resin coat may be beneficial for the selective enamel etching technique, because it improves bond strengths to enamel when applied with the ER strategy and to dentin when used with the SE adhesion strategy. The application of a hydrophobic resin coat may improve DC in resin-dentin interfaces formed with either the SE or the ER strategy. On enamel, DC may benefit from the application of a hydrophobic resin coat over 1-stepSE adhesives.
Evaluation of ischemia-modified albumin, oxidative stress, and antioxidant status in acute ischemic stroke patients

Background: Oxidative stress is characterized by increased production of reactive oxygen species resulting in the generation of lipid peroxides such as malondialdehyde (MDA). The studies have shown that ischemia-modified albumin (IMA), which has widely been studied as a marker of ischemia, also increases as result of oxidative stress. Hence, the current study was done to evaluate the serum MDA, IMA along with serum uric acid, and albumin, which are important metabolic antioxidants. Materials and Methods: Fifty patients with acute ischemic stroke were taken as cases and compared with 50 age- and sex-matched controls. Serum MDA, IMA, uric acid, and albumin were estimated both in cases and controls. Serum MDA was estimated by the method of Satoh and IMA by Bar-Or et al. The results were analyzed statistically. Results: Serum MDA and IMA values were significantly increased in cases (P < 0.0001), whereas serum uric acid and albumin values were significantly decreased (P < 0.05) in comparison to controls. There was also highly significant positive correlation between serum IMA and MDA (r = 0.843,P < 0.0001), whereas there were significant negative correlations between serum IMA and uric acid (r = −0.237,P < 0.05), and albumin (r = −0.326,P < 0.05). Conclusion: Hence, we conclude the oxidative stress plays a major role in the etiopathogenesis of acute ischemic stroke, and the deranged oxidant-antioxidant balance further contributes to its severity.
High Density Polyethylene/Libyan Kaolin Clay Nanocomposites: Effect of Clay Particle Size on Rheological, Surface and Mechanical Properties

Sciences and Technology (CEST-2018), September 25-27, 2018, vol. 2. This is an open access article under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits any non-commercial use, distribution, adaptation, and reproduction in any medium, as long as the original work is properly cited. ISBN: 978-81-936820-6-7 High Density Polyethylene/Libyan Kaolin Clay Nanocomposites: Effect of Clay Particle Size on Rheological, Surface and Mechanical Properties Anour Shebani, Wael Elhrari, Abdalah Klash, Abdelkader Aswei, Khalid Omran, Abdalbary Rhab 1,2,3,6 Polymer Research Center, Tripoli, Libya 4, 5 Higher Institute for Comprehensive professions Al garaboulli, Libya
Tricyclic antidepressant use and risk of fractures: A meta‐analysis of cohort and case‐control studies

Because studies of the association between tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) treatment and risk of fracture have shown inconsistent findings, we sought to assess whether people who take TCAs are at increased risk of fracture. Relevant studies published by June 2012 were identified through database searches of Scopus, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, ISI Web of Science, and WorldCat Dissertations and Theses from their inception, and manual searching of reference lists. Only original studies that examined the association between TCA treatment and risk of fracture were included. Two investigators independently conducted literature searches, study selection, study appraisal, and data abstraction using a standardized protocol. Disagreements were resolved by consensus. Twelve studies met inclusion criteria. Because of the heterogeneity of these studies, random‐effects models were used to pool estimates of effect. Overall, TCA use was associated with significantly increased fracture risk (relative risk [RR], 1.45; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.31–1.60; p < 0.001). Increased fracture risk associated with TCA use was also observed in studies that adjusted for bone mineral density (RR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.24–1.90; p < 0.001) or depression (RR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.28–1.67; p < 0.001). Strength of association with TCA exposure duration ≥6 weeks (RR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.00–1.28) was substantially weaker than association with TCA exposure duration <6 weeks (RR, 2.40; 95% CI, 1.41–4.08). Prior TCA exposure had no significant effect on fracture risk (RR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.86–1.26; p = 0.70). After accounting for publication bias, we found the overall association between TCA use and fracture risk to be slightly weaker (RR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.24–1.50) but still significant (p < 0.001). Findings of this meta‐analysis indicate that treatment with TCAs may convey an increased risk of fracture, independent of depression and bone mineral density. © 2013 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Ethylene rather than dissolved organic carbon controls methane uptake in upland soils

Sullivan et al. (2013) reported that there was a significantly positive relationship (P < 0.01, r2 = 0.58) between dissolved organic carbon (DOC) using salt extraction methods and potential methane oxidation rates in an arid region across a substrate age gradient. The authors observed that during the wet season rates of methane oxidation were higher, in opposition to trends in other ecosystems where increased soil moisture limits methane oxidation. Furthermore, DOC was more closely correlated with potential methane oxidation rates than other relevant parameters such as soil moisture content, pore space and texture. After considering alternative options, the authors indicated that DOC may be an important regulator of methane oxidation rates in these arid soils. The authors indicated that this conclusion was supported by observations that incubation with 13C-glucose enriched the methaneoxidizing bacteria (MOB) biomarker 18:1x7c, suggesting that DOC was a facultative substrate for MOB, and also explaining the observed correlation.
HIGH-ENERGY EMISSION COMPONENTS IN THE SHORT GRB 090510

We investigate the origin of the prompt and delayed emission observed in the short GRB 090510. We use the broadband data to test whether the most popular theoretical models for gamma-ray burst emission can accommodate the observations for this burst. We first attempt to explain the soft-to-hard spectral evolution associated with the delayed onset of a GeV tail with the hypothesis that the prompt burst and the high-energy tail both originate from a single process, namely, synchrotron emission from internal shocks (IS). Considerations on the compactness of the source imply that the high-energy tail should be produced in a late-emitted shell, characterized by a Lorentz factor greater than the one generating the prompt burst. However, in this hypothesis, the predicted evolution of the synchrotron peak frequency does not agree with the observed soft-to-hard evolution. Given the difficulties of a single-mechanism hypothesis, we test two alternative double-component scenarios. In the first, the prompt burst is explained as synchrotron radiation from IS and the high-energy emission (up to about 1 s following the trigger) as IS synchrotron-self-Compton. In the second scenario, in view of its long duration (∼100 s), the high-energy tail is decoupled from the prompt burst and has an external shock origin. In this case, we show that a reasonable choice of parameters does indeed exist to accommodate the optical-to-GeV data, provided the Lorentz factor of the shocked shell is sufficiently high. Finally, we attempt to explain the chromatic break observed around ∼103 s with a structured jet model. We find that this might be a viable explanation and that it lowers the high value of the burst energy derived by assuming isotropy, ∼1053 erg, below ∼1049 erg, which is more compatible with the energetics from a binary merger progenitor.
Synovial inflammation in patients undergoing arthroscopic meniscectomy: molecular characterization and relationship to symptoms.

OBJECTIVE Traumatic and degenerative meniscal tears have different anatomic features and different proposed etiologies, yet both are associated with the development or progression of osteoarthritis (OA). In established OA, synovitis is associated with pain and progression, but a relationship between synovitis and symptoms in isolated meniscal disease has not been reported. Accordingly, we sought to characterize synovial pathology in patients with traumatic meniscal injuries and determine the relationships between inflammation, meniscal and cartilage pathology, and symptoms. METHODS Thirty-three patients without evidence of OA who were undergoing arthroscopic meniscectomy for meniscal injuries were recruited. Pain and function were assessed preoperatively; meniscal and cartilage abnormalities were documented at the time of surgery. Inflammation in synovial biopsy specimens was scored, and associations between inflammation and clinical outcomes were determined. Microarray analysis of synovial tissue was performed, and gene expression patterns in patients with and those without inflammation were compared. RESULTS Synovial inflammation was present in 43% of the patients and was associated with worse preoperative pain and function scores, independent of age, sex, or cartilage pathology. Microarray analysis and real-time polymerase chain reaction revealed a chemokine signature in synovial biopsy specimens with increased inflammation scores. CONCLUSION Our findings indicate that in patients with traumatic meniscal injury undergoing arthroscopic meniscectomy without radiographic evidence of OA, synovial inflammation occurs frequently and is associated with increased pain and dysfunction. Synovia with increased inflammation scores exhibit a unique chemokine signature. Chemokines may contribute to the development of synovial inflammation in patients with meniscal pathology; they also represent potential therapeutic targets for reducing inflammatory symptoms.
Hidradenitis Suppurativa in Children Treated with Finasteride—A Case Series

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is rare in childhood, with only 2% of cases in patients younger than 11 years. It is a chronic, recurrent, debilitating condition for which no universally effective treatment has been developed. We present five cases of children with HS diagnosed between the ages of 6 and 11 years.
Formulation and Evaluation of Rizatriptan Benzoate Mouth Disintegrating Tablets

The present investigation deals with development of mouth disintegrating tablets of rizatriptan benzoate to produce the intended benefits. Mouth disintegrating tablets of rizatriptan benzoate were prepared using superdisintegrants crospovidone, carboxymethylcellulose calcium, Indion 414 and Indion 234 using the direct compression method. The tablets prepared were evaluated for thickness, uniformity of weight, content uniformity, hardness, friability, wetting time, in vitro and in vivo disintegration time, mouth feel, in vitro drug release and assay by high performance liquid chromatography. The tablets disintegrated in vitro and in vivo within 4 to 7 s and 6 to 19 s, respectively. Almost 90% of drug was released from all formulations within 20 min. The drug release from the formulations followed first order kinetics. Stability studies of the tablets at 40±2°/75%±5% RH for 1 mo showed non significant drug loss. The formulation containing combination of crospovidone and Indion 234 was found to give the best results. Apart from fulfilling all official and other specifications, the tablets exhibited higher rate of release.
Macrophages and c-Myc cross paths

ABSTRACT The c-Myc transcription factor has recently been proposed as a bona fide M2 macrophage marker. Although this finding represents a major step forward in the identification of different macrophage subsets, it also opens up the potential for speculation concerning the possible functions of c-Myc in macrophages and the implications for health and disease.
Quality-of-Life Measures in Fecal Incontinence: Is Validation Valid?

BACKGROUND: Multiple health measurement scales have been used to study patients with fecal incontinence, but none have met the needs for clinical use and research perfectly. These include severity scales and generic and condition-specific quality-of-life scales. Several different approaches have been used to develop and evaluate the internal and external validity of these scales. OBJECTIVE: As a step toward an improved quality-of-life instrument for fecal incontinence, the present study aimed to provide a critical review of the psychometric methodology of existing generic and condition-specific quality-of-life scales by using a standard measurement model. DESIGN: This study is a retrospective review. SETTINGS: Two investigators experienced in psychometric methodology reviewed source articles from frequently used fecal incontinence quality-of-life scales. PATIENTS: Patients with fecal incontinence were identified. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome measured was the demonstration of at least 1 reliability criterion, content validity, construct validity, and either criterion validity or discriminative validity. RESULTS: A total of 12 scales were identified. The reported methodology varied considerably. Most scales demonstrated convergent validity and test-retest reliability, whereas very few scales demonstrated internal consistency or predictive validity. Generic scales were found to be reliable and valid, but not responsive to condition severity. There was a wide range of methodology used in scale development and a wide diversity in the psychometric rigor. LIMITATIONS: Variations in scale construction, data reporting, and validity testing made the evaluation of fecal incontinence quality-of -life scales by using a standardized measurement model difficult. CONCLUSIONS: Identifying deficiencies in validity testing and reporting of existing scales is vital for future creation of a useful validated instrument to measure quality of life in patients with fecal incontinence.
Hearts Not Dead after Circulatory Death

In recent weeks, two pioneering cardiac surgery teams, Dhital and colleagues in Australia (1) and Large and colleagues in the UK (2), reported on what could rapidly become the best and sole affordable solution to the relentlessly growing number of patients awaiting heart transplantation, i.e., transplantation of grafts obtained from donors after death following circulatory arrest, previously termed “non-heart beating donors. ” Both groups presented their slightly differing approaches to organ procurement and evaluation at the 2015 Annual Meeting of The International Society for Heart & Lung Transplantation, confirming several successful short-term outcomes for adult, orthotopic heart transplantation with donation after circulatory death (DCD).
The Use of Technology for Estimating Body Composition: Strengths and Weaknesses of Common Modalities in a Clinical Setting

Assessment of body composition, both at single time points and longitudinally, is particularly important in clinical nutrition practice. It provides a means for the clinician to characterize nutrition status at a single time point, aiding in the identification and diagnosis of malnutrition, and to monitor changes over time by providing real-time information on the adequacy of nutrition interventions. Objective body composition measurement tools are available clinically but are often underused in nutrition care, particularly in the United States. This is, in part, due to a number of factors concerning their use in a clinical context: cost and accessibility of equipment, as well as interpretability of the results. This article focuses on the factors influencing interpretation of results in a clinical setting. Body composition assessment, regardless of the method, is inherently limited by its indirect nature. Therefore, an understanding of the strengths and limitations of any method is essential for meaningful interpretation of its results. This review provides an overview of body composition technologies available clinically (computed tomography, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, bioimpedance, ultrasound) and discusses the strengths and limitations of each device.
Recent developments in openSMILE, the munich open-source multimedia feature extractor

We present recent developments in the openSMILE feature extraction toolkit. Version 2.0 now unites feature extraction paradigms from speech, music, and general sound events with basic video features for multi-modal processing. Descriptors from audio and video can be processed jointly in a single framework allowing for time synchronization of parameters, on-line incremental processing as well as off-line and batch processing, and the extraction of statistical functionals (feature summaries), such as moments, peaks, regression parameters, etc. Postprocessing of the features includes statistical classifiers such as support vector machine models or file export for popular toolkits such as Weka or HTK. Available low-level descriptors include popular speech, music and video features including Mel-frequency and similar cepstral and spectral coefficients, Chroma, CENS, auditory model based loudness, voice quality, local binary pattern, color, and optical flow histograms. Besides, voice activity detection, pitch tracking and face detection are supported. openSMILE is implemented in C++, using standard open source libraries for on-line audio and video input. It is fast, runs on Unix and Windows platforms, and has a modular, component based architecture which makes extensions via plug-ins easy. openSMILE 2.0 is distributed under a research license and can be downloaded from http://opensmile.sourceforge. net/.
The transition of dynamic rupture styles in elastic media under velocity-weakening friction

Although kinematic earthquake source inversions show dominantly pulse-like subshear rupture behavior, seismological observations, laboratory experiments and theoretical models indicate that earthquakes can operate with different rupture styles: either as pulses or cracks, that propagate at subshear or supershear speeds. The determination of rupture style and speed has important implications for ground motions and may inform about the state of stress and strength of active fault zones. We conduct 2D in-plane dynamic rupture simulations with a spectral element method to investigate the diversity of rupture styles on faults governed by velocity-and-state-dependent friction with dramatic velocity-weakening at high slip rate. Our rupture models are governed by uniform initial stresses, and are artificially initiated. We identify the conditions that lead to different rupture styles by investigating the transitions between decaying, steady state and growing pulses, cracks, sub-shear and super-shear ruptures as a function of background stress, nucleation size and characteristic velocity at the onset of severe weakening. Our models show that small changes of background stress or nucleation size may lead to dramatic changes of rupture style. We characterize the asymptotic properties of steady state and self-similar pulses as a function of background stress. We show that an earthquake may not be restricted to a single rupture style, but that complex rupture patterns may emerge that consist of multiple rupture fronts, possibly involving different styles and back-propagating fronts. We also demonstrate the possibility of a super-shear transition for pulse-like ruptures. Finally, we draw connections between our findings and recent seismological observations.
Bilateral upper limb trainer with virtual reality for post-stroke rehabilitation: case series report

Purpose. Stroke is a leading cause of disability with many survivors having upper limb (UL) hemiparesis. UL rehabilitation using bilateral exercise enhances outcomes and the Bilateral Upper Limb Trainer (BUiLT) was developed to provide symmetrical, bilateral arm exercise in a ‘forced’ and self-assistive manner, incorporating virtual reality (VR) to provide direction and task specificity to users as well as action observation–execution and greater motivation to exercise. Methods. The BUiLT + VR system was trialled on five post-stroke participants with UL hemiparesis: one sub-acute and four chronic. The intervention was supplied for 45 min, 4 days/week for 6 weeks. The Fugl-Meyer Upper Extremity score (FMA-UE) was used as the primary outcome measure. Secondary outcome measures used were UL isometric strength and the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) questionnaire. Results. The BUiLT + VR therapy increased FMA-UE scores from 1 to 5 and overall strength in the shoulder and elbow. Motivation at the end of intervention was positive. Conclusions. Therapy using the BUiLT + VR system is reliable, can be administered safely and has a positive trend of benefit as measured by the FMA-UE, isometric strength testing and IMI questionnaire.
The roles of dermal white adipose tissue loss in scleroderma skin fibrosis

Purpose of review Dermal white adipose tissue (DWAT) is distinct from subcutaneous white adipose tissue and is lost in scleroderma skin fibrosis. The roles of DWAT loss in scleroderma skin fibrosis have not been well understood, and here we discuss recent findings that begin to provide insight into the multiple mechanisms involved. Recent findings The DWAT loss in part reflects the direct contribution of DWAT cells to the fibrotic tissue, with the reprogramming of adipocytes to myofibroblasts. The DWAT contains reparative adipose-derived stromal cells and expresses antifibrotic cytokines such as adiponectin, and the loss of these skin-protective mechanisms with DWAT loss further contributes to skin fibrosis and injury. Summary Potentially, halting or reversing the transdifferentiation of adipocytes to myofibroblasts along with improving survival of reparative adipose-derived stromal cells (ADSCs) and expression of antifibrotic cytokines may be effective therapeutic avenues.