Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nerve injuries of the upper extremity and hand

A nerve injury has a profound impact on the patient’s daily life due to the impaired sensory and motor function, impaired dexterity, sensitivity to cold as well as eventual pain problems. To perform an appropriate treatment of nerve injuries, a correct diagnosis must be made, where the injury is properly classified, leading to an optimal surgical approach and technique, where timing of surgery is also important for the outcome. Knowledge about the nerve regeneration process, where delicate processes occur in neurons, non-neuronal cells (i.e. Schwann cells) and other cells in the peripheral as well as the central nervous systems, is crucial for the treating surgeon. The surgical decision to perform nerve repair and/or reconstruction depends on the type of injury, the condition of the wound as well as the vascularity of the wound. To reconnect injured nerve ends, various techniques can be used, which include both epineurial and fascicular nerve repair, and if a nerve defect is caused by the injury, a nerve reconstruction procedure has to be performed, including bridging the defect using nerve-grafts or nerve transfer techniques. The patients must be evaluated properly and regularly after the surgical procedure and appropriate rehabilitation programmes are useful to improve the final outcome. Cite this article: EFORT Open Rev 2017;2. DOI: 10.1302/2058-5241.2. 160071. Originally published online at www.efortopenreviews. org
How Economic Growth Begins: A Theory of Social Change*

Traditional agricultural societies have begun to rapidly progress technologically, which in turn impacts both economic growth and social change. In order for countries, including those with low incomes, to experience economic growth, two factors must exist: (1) extensive levels of creativity, including the identification of and implementation of problem-solving skills, and (2) viewpoints which promote creative approaches towards production technology. The characteristics of a traditional agricultural society are discussed, including the typical hierarchical, authoritarian social structure and the impact of family status upon an individual's perceived social status. Additionally, an individual's personality may also impact their role and status within a society, as well as their impact upon a society's economic growth. Utilizing a Freudian, psychoanalytic approach, personality development of the individual is analyzed at length by studying the function of parental influence, as well as environmental factors, upon child personality development. Several examples of social change among historically authoritarian societies are presented. As an explanation for social change within these traditional societies, the study theorizes that alienated, creative individuals often seek to break away from traditional social patterns after being marginalized by society for being different. As a result, they pursue projects which will utilize their creative talents, while also allotting them the power and retribution they seek against their elitist society. (AKP)
Preservation of visual function in papilloedema observed for 3 to 6 years in cases of benign intracranial hypertension.

PAPILLOEDEMA associated with a space-occupying lesion and raised intracranial pressure to to the development of optic atrophy within a few unless the intracranial pressure is with the minimum of The atrophic are accompanied by marked impairment of function as evinced by visual acuity by defects of visual field. both The visual fields only enlarged blind spots. Two separate lumbar punctures at an interval of a fortnight gave readings of 300 and 100 H20. Electro-encephalographic and neuroradiological examinations gave negative results. noted. The visual fields were normal, apart from enlargement of the blind spots, and the visual acuity was 6/6 in both eyes. A single lumbar puncture showed a pressure of 170 mm. H20 with normal cerebrospinal fluid. Cerebral angiography revealed a severe constriction affecting the rightjugular vein. Air studies were normal, Progress. -The patient was followed at 3-monthly intervals for 3 years. In 1964 he developed a severe defect of the left inferior nasal field, and the following year a similar defect on the right side. The papilloedema has gradually diminished, being now about 2 dioptres. Although moderate pallor of the optic discs has developed in recent months, there is no vascular constriction, the visual acuity remains unimpaired, and at the last follow-up the visual field defects were seen to have improved.
Whose Culture? Globalism, Localism, and the Expansion of Tradition: The Case of the Hñähñu of Hidalgo, Mexico and Clearwater, Florida

The impact on the global movement of people by time and space compressions, the product of current technological advances, has been well studied. The impact of this technological and social change, however, is less understood at the cultural level. The fluid transversality of movement of people and their cultures, despite geopolitical limitations, requires going beyond dichotomous models that limit the analysis of cultural reproduction/reinvention in newly created transnational social spaces. These dichotomous models are based on an either/or system that prevents actors from belonging to, and impacting on, more than one cultural system at the same time. These categories of classification assume and impose a zero-sum analysis in which migrants are expected to ‘shed’ their traditional cultures and become modern and/or cosmopolitan to the detriment of their cultures of origin. Focusing on the Hñähñu of Hidalgo, Mexico and Clearwater, Florida, this article focuses on the recreation and promotion of traditional practices in the new cultural spaces—transnational in nature—created by the migrants' presence and exchanges in Florida and Hidalgo and that transcend geopolitical obstacles. Ethnic and cultural fragmentation and modernist homogenization are not two arguments, two opposing views of what is happening in the world today, but two constitutive trends of global reality … the contrast in strategies of identity…is not simply a question of cultural difference, but of global position [and the] particular local/global articulations within which they emerge. (Friedman, 1990 pp. 312, 324)
An Ensemble-Based Protocol for the Computational Prediction of Helix–Helix Interactions in G Protein-Coupled Receptors using Coarse-Grained Molecular Dynamics

The accurate identification of the specific points of interaction between G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) oligomers is essential for the design of receptor ligands targeting oligomeric receptor targets. A coarse-grained molecular dynamics computer simulation approach would provide a compelling means of identifying these specific protein–protein interactions and could be applied both for known oligomers of interest and as a high-throughput screen to identify novel oligomeric targets. However, to be effective, this in silico modeling must provide accurate, precise, and reproducible information. This has been achieved recently in numerous biological systems using an ensemble-based all-atom molecular dynamics approach. In this study, we describe an equivalent methodology for ensemble-based coarse-grained simulations. We report the performance of this method when applied to four different GPCRs known to oligomerize using error analysis to determine the ensemble size and individual replica simulation time required. Our measurements of distance between residues shown to be involved in oligomerization of the fifth transmembrane domain from the adenosine A2A receptor are in very good agreement with the existing biophysical data and provide information about the nature of the contact interface that cannot be determined experimentally. Calculations of distance between rhodopsin, CXCR4, and β1AR transmembrane domains reported to form contact points in homodimers correlate well with the corresponding measurements obtained from experimental structural data, providing an ability to predict contact interfaces computationally. Interestingly, error analysis enables identification of noninteracting regions. Our results confirm that GPCR interactions can be reliably predicted using this novel methodology.
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of Chinese herbal medicine granules for the treatment of menopausal symptoms by stages

Objective:The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Chinese herbal medicine granules Danzhi Qing’e formula (DZQE), Erzhi formula (EZ), and their combination (Combined formula) in the treatment of menopausal symptoms at different stages of menopause. Methods:Women between the ages of 40 to 60 years, who met menopausal symptoms diagnostic criteria and experienced hot flushes at least 14 times/week in the last 4 weeks, were recruited to participate in a stratified randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial (n = 389). They received a treatment period of 8 weeks and were followed up for 4 weeks. Participants were categorized into two subgroups: 197 in the perimenopausal subgroup (menstrual disorder to 1 y after amenorrhea) and 192 in the early postmenopausal subgroup (1-5 y after amenorrhea). Participants were randomly assigned to placebo or one of the three herbal formula treatments. The primary outcome instrument was the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life (MENQOL) questionnaire. Results:When analyzing the two subgroups together, DZQE markedly decreased the MENQOL total score at the end of 12th week with statistical significance (P = 0.02) and improved vasomotor symptoms after 8 weeks treatment and 4 weeks follow-up (P < 0.05). What is more, the combined formula also greatly improved the participants’ vasomotor symptoms compared with placebo after the 4 weeks follow-up. No statistically meaningful difference was observed in any other outcomes among the groups. The results of subgroup analysis showed that DZQE and Combined formula were more effective than placebo in improving MENQOL total score for perimenopausal women at the end of week 12. For typical menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats, DZQE displayed more favorable effects on early postmenopausal participants. Compared to placebo, the DZQE both showed statistically significant differences after 8 weeks treatment and 4 weeks follow-up. Although at the end of 12th week, DZQE also had better effects than placebo in the perimenopausal subgroup on vasomotor symptoms. Participants in the EZ group did not show a significant difference of any domains in MENQOL compared with participants in the placebo group. Conclusions:The DZQE formula improves the quality of life for menopausal women, especially for those with vasomotor symptoms during the whole menopausal period. The DZQE and EZ combination formula is effective only on perimenopausal symptoms.
Implication of nano-antioxidant therapy for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma using PLGA nanoparticles of rutin.

AIM The present work describes the development of poly(lactic co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) of rutin (RT) for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma in rats. MATERIALS & METHODS RT-loaded PLGA NPs (RT-PLGA-NPs) were prepared by double emulsion evaporation method. Further these are optimized by Box-Behnken design. PLGA NPs were evaluated for size, polydispersity index, drug-loading capacity, entrapment, gastric stability, in vitro drug release, in vivo preclinical studies and biochemical studies. RESULTS Preclinical evaluation of RT-PLGA-NPs for anticancer activity through oral route exhibited significant improvement in hepatic, hematologic and renal biochemical parameters. Highly superior activity was observed in regulating oxidative stress and inflammatory markers, antioxidant enzymes, cytokines and inflammatory mediators and their role on plasma membrane ATPases responsible for destruction in liver tissues. CONCLUSION Histopathological evaluation indicated reduced incidence of hepatic nodules, necrosis formation, infiltration of inflammatory cells, blood vessel inflammation and cell swelling with RT-PLGA-NP treatment along with considerable downregulation in the levels of proinflammatory cytokines.
Menstrual cycle variation in women's preferences for the scent of symmetrical men

Evidence suggests that female sexual preferences change across the menstrual cycle. Women's extra–pair copulations tend to occur in their most fertile period, whereas their intra–pair copulations tend to be more evenly spread out across the cycle. This pattern is consistent with women preferentially seeking men who evidence phenotypic markers of genetic benefits just before and during ovulation. This study examined whether women's olfactory preferences for men's scent would tend to favour the scent of more symmetrical men, most notably during the women's fertile period. College women sniffed and rated the attractiveness of the scent of 41 T–shirts worn over a period of two nights by different men. Results indicated that normally cycling (non–pill using) women near the peak fertility of their cycle tended to prefer the scent of shirts worn by symmetrical men. Normally ovulating women at low fertility within their cycle, and women using a contraceptive pill, showed no significant preference for either symmetrical or asymmetrical men's scent. A separate analysis revealed that, within the set of normally cycling women, individual women's preference for symmetry correlated with their probability of conception, given the actuarial value associated with the day of the cycle they reported at the time they smelled the shirts. Potential sexual selection processes and proximate mechanisms accounting for these findings are discussed.
Incidence of Prematurity and Low Birth‐weight in an Immigrant Chinese Population

Summary: This paper analyses the incidences of prematurity (gestation < 37 weeks) and low birth‐weight (birth‐weight between 500 and 2,500g) in liveborn singleton infants born in Australia to mothers of the Chinese race. The incidence of prematurity was lower in infants born to mothers from Hong Kong (4.6%), to those from an almost exclusive Chinese population (5.5%) and to those that comprised a predominantly Chinese population (6.1 %) when compared to that in a mainly non‐Chinese population (7.7%). The incidence of low birth‐weight was lower in infants born to mothers from Hong Kong (3.5%) and to those born to an almost exclusive Chinese population (4.1%) but not to those born to a predominantly Chinese population (5.9%) when compared to that in those born to a mainly non‐Chinese population (5.9%). The incidence of major fetal malformations was similar in these Chinese and non‐Chinese populations. This study confirms that Chinese have a significantly low incidence of prematurity and that this finding remains true when they live in Australia. Detailed prospective studies are required in immigrant Chinese to determine why they have such a low incidence of prematurity and to determine the incidence of fetal malformations which is said to be different than in Caucasian populations.
Community Structure and In Situ Activity of Nitrifying Bacteria in Phragmites Root-Associated Biofilms

The amount of oxygen released by Phragmites roots and the community structure and in situ activity of nitrifying bacteria in the root biofilms were analyzed by the combined use of 16S rRNA gene-cloning analysis, quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay and microelectrodes. Axial and radial O₂ microprofiles were obtained for individual roots of Phragmites in a horizontal flow reactor fed with artificial medium continuously. Axial O₂ profiles revealed that O₂ was released at a rate of 0.21 μmol O₂ cm⁻² (root surface area) h⁻¹ only in the apical region (up to ca. 40 mm from the root apex), where there was a high abundance (10⁷ to 10⁸ copies g⁻¹ biomass) of Nitrosomonas-like AOB and Nitrospira-like NOB. This abundance, however, sharply declined to the detection limit at positions more basal than 80 mm. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene identified strains related to Nitrosomonas oligotropha and Nitrosomonas cryotolerans as the predominant AOB and strains related to Nitrospira marina and Nitrospira moscoviensis as the predominant NOB in the root biofilms. Based on radial O₂ microprofiles, the oxic region only extended about 0.5 mm into the surrounding sediment due to a high rate of O₂ consumption in the rhizosphere. The net NH₄⁺ and O₂ consumption rates in the apical region were higher than those determined at the oxic sediment surface in which the abundance of AOB and NOB was one order of magnitude lower than in the rhizosphere. These results clearly indicated that Phragmites root biofilms played an important role in nitrification in the waterlogged anoxic sediment.
On Inscriptions and Ex-Inscriptions: The Production of Immediacy in a Home Telecare Service

In this paper we explore from a topological perspective how immediate care is enacted in a home telecare service and critically discuss how immediacy is defined. One approach is to conceive immediate care delivering as dependant on how disciplined the home telecare service inscriptions are and therefore on how uneventful and smooth the assistance is. However, this paper aims to put forward a more complex explanation by pointing out that immediate care delivering is produced not only by expelling indeterminacy but also by taking advantage of it. In order to do this we will use Bachelard's concept of ex-inscription to shed light on the practices and techniques that transform events into opportunities (rather than obstacles) for delivering immediate care to home telecare service users.
Ethical and Professional Considerations in Divorce and Child Custody Cases

The provision of psychological (e.g., psychotherapy, coparenting, mediation, collaborative divorce, child custody evaluation) services for families of divorce are growing specialties for many clinical and forensic psychologists. However, practice in domestic relations psychology, such as divorce and custody assessment and testimony, is a high-risk venture for incurring ethics complaints and law suits. The lead article and the three commentaries that follow enumerate the various roles practitioners might play, clarify how each role requires specific skill sets that may be outside one’s particular competence and necessitate additional training, describe how countertransferential issues arise, urge meticulous record keeping, discuss some of the subtleties of confidentiality and the releasing of information, describe how transparency in clarifying expectations leads to a lowering of contentiousness, and provide tips for divorce and forensic practice. The special challenges associated with psychologists being tempted to move beyond
Independent roles of Fgfr 2 and Frs 2 a in ureteric epithelium

INTRODUCTION Metanephric kidney development occurs via interactions of the ureteric bud (UB) and metanephric mesenchyme (MM) (Costantini and Kopan, 2010). The UB grows out from the Wolffian duct, receiving signals from the adjacent MM. The UB then elongates, contacts the MM and then branches within the MM over several generations. Terminal UB tips induce surrounding MM-derived nephron progenitors to condense and then differentiate into epithelial nephrons. Cortical stromal mesenchyme also forms and ultimately differentiates into interstitial cells. Fibroblast growth factor receptor (Fgfr) signaling is crucial for kidney development. Fgfrs are receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) with four signaling family members and 22 known mammalian ligands (Powers et al., 2000). Many investigators have shown that Fgf ligands and receptors have crucial roles in renal mesenchymal and ureteric lineages, often with conditional knockout approaches We demonstrated that conditional deletion of Fgfr2 using a Hoxb7cre line (targeting the UB) results in aberrant ureteric and cortical stromal patterning (Zhao et al., 2004).
Memorializing Crisis: The Oklahoma City National Memorial as Renewal Discourse

Memorials are erected to signify important people, places, and events in history. Often times, the landmarks pay homage to lives lost and locations where devastation occurred. This study analyzes the Oklahoma City National Memorial as an exemplar for how memorials, through the shared experience of grief, communicate renewal. A discussion of memorials as rhetorical artifacts is provided, the evolving literature on renewal is presented, and the mission statement and seven themes embodied in the features of the Oklahoma City National Memorial are analyzed. Ultimately, this analysis establishes that a prospective vision is essential in the memorializing process. Emphasizing shared values, finding optimism, and providing opportunities for learning are identified as practical steps toward achieving a prospective outlook.
New Immigrants, New Challenges: High School Social Studies Teachers and English Language Learner Instruction

The authors report the findings of a survey study in which they investigated high school social studies teachers' current practices, challenges, and needs in relation to instruction of English language learners (ELLs). Thirty-three high school social studies teachers in six English as a second language (ESL)-centered schools in central Virginia participated in the study. Drawing on the findings, three themes demand particular attention: the challenges that social studies teachers face teaching ELLs; the accommodations teachers currently make for ELLs; and the types of support teachers need to teach ELLs social studies more effectively. The authors include findings from the field of second-language education to raise social studies teachers' consciousness about their ELLs' needs and conclude with a number of practical suggestions related to instruction and differentiation that are crucial for social studies teachers to help ELLs learn effectively. Further dialogues are needed, particularly regarding ESL inclusion and teachers' critical awareness of serving this particular group of students.
Impact of IL28B gene polymorphisms rs8099917 and rs12980275 on response to pegylated interferon-α/ribavirin therapy in chronic hepatitis C genotype 4 patients

Abstract Host genetic factors may predict the outcome and treatment response in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. One of these factors is the single nucleotide polymorphisms of the interleukin 28B (IL28B) gene. We sought to evaluate the outcome of pegylated interferon and ribavirin therapy in association with IL-28B rs8099917 and rs12980275 in patients infected with HCV genotype 4. A total of 180 patients with chronic hepatitis C were selected from Egyptians who have received combined therapy with pegylated interferon and ribavirin for 6 months and their response was evaluated after follow-up at 0, 6, 12, 24 and 48 weeks from the beginning of the therapy. Blood samples were collected from responders and non-responders. Genomic DNA was extracted from whole blood and genotyping was carried out by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Our results showed that TT genotype of rs8099917 was associated with higher sustained viral response (SVR) rates and G allele represented a risk factor for failure of response (OR = 3.7, CI = 1.8:7.64) while rs12980275 was not significantly associated with SVR in genotype 4 Egyptian patients. The determination of IL-28B SNPs may be useful in enhancing correct prediction of SVR achievement in treating this group of genotype 4 patients.