Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Changes in Soft Tissue Measurements After Mandibular Distraction Osteogenesis

Background:Mandibular distraction osteogenesis is the process of generating new bone in a gap between 2 bone segments in response to the application of graduated tensile stress across the bone gap. These distraction forces applied to bone also create tension in the surrounding soft tissues resulting in simultaneous expansion of the functional soft tissue matrix. Aim:To investigate and evaluate the changes in facial soft tissue following mandibular distraction osteogenesis and their relationship with the changes in bone movements. Materials and Methods:Mandibular elongation of 13 patients was done by the use of bilateral distraction osteogenesis in 10 patients and unilateral distraction osteogenesis in 3 patients, soft tissue evaluation was done by measuring 4 facial lines (tragus-commissure of mouth, lateral canthus-commissure of mouth, medial canthus-commissure of mouth, and lower lip length). The measurements were done by the use of measurement tape preoperatively and after the consolidation period. Results:Soft tissue changes were observed in all patients. There was highly significant increase in tragus-commissure line in all patients, significant increase in lateral canthus-commissure line in 10 patients, and significant increase in medial canthus-commissure line and lower lip length in 9 patients. The lines’ relation with the overjet was highly significant in right side of tragus-commissure line, lateral canthus-commissure line, medial canthus-commissure line, and lower lip length, and significant in left side of tragus-commissure line, lateral canthus-commissure line, and medial canthus-commissure line Conclusion:Distraction osteogenesis has recognizable effect on facial soft tissue profile in addition to its effect on skeletal structure.
Quality standards and incentives in managed care organizations' specialty contracts for behavioral health.

BACKGROUND In the US, most privately insured individuals are enrolled with managed care organizations (MCOs), and a majority of these organizations have subcontracted responsibility for behavioral health care to specialized vendors. Based on economic theory, we anticipate that MCOs should be more likely to require quality standards in contracts that transfer all financial risk to the vendor. AIMS OF THE STUDY To test whether use of quality standards in behavioral health subcontracts differs between MCOs that transfer full financial risk and other MCOs. Similarly, to test for differences between for-profit and nonprofit MCOs. METHODS Bivariate tests and logistic regression analysis of the use of five quality-related standards, and the use of any standard, in a nationally representative sample of commercial MCO products in 60 US market areas. Statistical controls include MCO size, chain affiliation, region and market size. RESULTS All five standards we examined were widely used in behavioral health subcontracts (varying from 47% to 70% of products). However, contrary to our hypothesis, the standards are not more commonly used by MCO products with unlimited capitated contracts for behavioral health. In most cases the opposite is true. In addition, for-profit plans were more rather than less likely to use several of the standards. DISCUSSION MCOs that transfer full risk may be using mechanisms other than quality standards (e.g. periodic rebidding) to prevent skimping; may be less concerned about quality anyway; or may be more skeptical about the value of existing standards. The fact that for-profit plans are equally or more likely to use these standards may reveal that their objectives are not different from those of nonprofits, or that competition is constraining them to adopt standards anyway. Limitations of this study include the lack of more detailed data on the nature of financial risk-sharing, and on the types of financial penalties associated with each standard. IMPLICATIONS FOR HEALTH POLICY Pressure for accreditation appears to be an effective vehicle for encouraging the spread of standards. It would be useful to know how far use of these quality standards in contracts is linked to better quality of care. IMPLICATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH Further studies should examine the relationship between quality standards and quality of care
Cell-Free Fetal DNA in Maternal Plasma during Physiological Single Male Pregnancies: Methodology Issues and Kinetics

Objective: To analyze methodological influences and characterize the concentrations of cell-free fetal DNA (cffDNA) circulating in maternal plasma at different gestational ages in physiological pregnancies. Methods: We investigated 238 independent samples from single male-bearing pregnancies of different gestation age. In the other 50 pregnancies, the samples were collected three times during pregnancy (at all trimesters) to evaluate the kinetics of cffDNA. The manual and automated DNA extraction methods (Roche) were compared. cffDNA was amplified using real-time PCR method and Y-specific sequences SRY and DYS14. Total cell-free DNA circulating in maternal plasma was determined by the use of the GADPH sequence. Results: The elevation in the concentration of cffDNA during pregnancy with the highest value in the third trimester was observed independently on the DNA extraction method and on the Y-specific amplified sequence. The same is documented for the percentage of fetal DNA in total cell-free DNA in maternal plasma. It increases also in successive trimesters (8.3, 10.7 and 23.2%). Conclusions: We discuss methodological problems and describe statistical parameters of cffDNA concentrations in maternal plasma during pregnancy as the basic information for comparison with pregnancies having a pathological outcome.
Maize streak virus genes essential for systemic spread and symptom development

The entire genome of single component geminiviruses such as maize streak virus (MSV) consists of a single‐stranded circular DNA of ~2.7 kb. Although this size is sufficient to encode only three average sized proteins, the virus is capable of causing severe disease of many monocots with symptoms of chlorosis and stunting. We have identified viral gene functions essential for systemic spread and symptom development during MSV infection. Deletions and gene replacement mutants were created by site‐directed mutagenesis and insertion between flanking MSV or reporter gene sequences contained in Agrobacterium T‐DNA derived vectors. Following Agrobacterium‐mediated inoculation of maize seedlings, the mutated MSV DNAs were excised from these binary vectors by homologous recombination within the flanking sequences. Our analyses show that the capsid gene of MSV, while not required for replication, is essential for systemic spread and subsequent disease development. The ‘+’ strand open reading frame (ORF) located immediately upstream from the capsid ORF and predicted to encode a 10.9 kd protein was also found to be dispensable for replication but essential for systemic spread. By this analysis, MSV sequences that support autonomous replication were localized to a 1.7 kb segment containing the two viral intergenic regions and two overlapping complementary ‘‐’ strand ORFs. Despite the inability of the gene replacement mutants to spread systemically, both inoculated and newly developed leaves displayed chlorotic patterns similar to the phenotype observed in certain developmental mutants of maize. The similarity of the MSV mutant phenotype to these developmental mutants is discussed.
Did they learn to tax? Taxation trends outside the OECD

ABSTRACT We map trends of tax policy change in developing countries and transition economies since the 1980s, compare them to tax trends in the advanced Western democracies and review some of the explanations offered by the contributions to this volume. We find that non-Western countries follow the lead of Western countries in some important respects but not in others. While non-Western countries brought their general revenues closer to Western levels and copied important features of Western consumption taxation including higher value added tax revenues and lower revenues from trade taxation, they failed to emulate the hallmark of 20th-century Western taxation: a strong and progressive personal income tax. The taxation trends are closely associated with socio-economic changes (as summarized by GDP per capita) and structural factors (as summarized by country size). Yet the impact of political institutions on taxation is non-linear and complex.
Experiment design for formal verification via stochastic optimal control

A measurement-based statistical verification approach is developed for systems with partly unknown dynamics. Grey-box systems, which are specified as a model class, are subject to identification experiments that enable accepting or rejecting system properties expressed as formulae in a linear-time logic with a given confidence. We employ a Bayesian framework for the computation of the confidence level and for the design of experiments to increase the confidence. The experiment design is formulated as a stochastic optimal control problem, which solvable via dynamic programming. Applied to linear control systems, this work enables efficient data-driven verification of partly-known dynamics with controllable non-determinism (inputs) and noisy output observations. A numerical case study concerning the safety of a dynamical system is used to elucidate this approach.
Surface Roughness Reduction in $L 1_{0}$ Ordered FePd Alloy Thin Films Formed on MgO Single-Crystal Substrates with Different Orientations

<i>L</i>1<sub>0</sub> ordered FePd alloy epitaxial thin films are prepared on MgO substrates of (001), (110), and (111) orientations by two different methods; by direct deposition at high temperature of 600°C and by preparation of film at a low temperature of 200°C followed by high temperature annealing at 600°C. The influence of preparation method on film structure, order degree, surface roughness, and magnetic property are investigated. Films with <i>L</i>1<sub>0</sub> ordered structure grow epitaxially on MgO substrates when deposited at 600°C. Epitaxial films with disordered <i>A</i>1 structure prepared at 200°C transform into <i>L</i>1<sub>0</sub> ordered structure by annealing at 600 °C. Although <i>L</i>1<sub>0</sub> order degree is similar between two kinds of FePd film prepared by different methods, the surface roughness and coercivity are different. The films prepared by annealing have very flat continuous surfaces as well as lower coercivities which results from easy movement of domain walls. The two step process employing low temperature film deposition followed by high temperature annealing is very effective in the preparation of <i>L</i>1<sub>0</sub> ordered alloy films with very flat surfaces, which are important for practical device applications.
Altered Expression of Tyrosine Hydroxylase in the Locus Coeruleus Noradrenergic System in Citalopram Neonatally Exposed Rats and Monoamine Oxidase A Knock Out Mice

In rodents, noradrenergic (NE) locus coeruleus (LC) neurons are well known to express tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunoreactivity. However, due to its very low enzyme activity, NE cortical fibers do not typically express TH immunoreactivity, thus dopamine‐β‐hydroxylase (DBH) immunoreactivity is commonly utilized as a marker for NE cortical fibers. In this study, we performed double and/or triple immunofluorescent staining using antibodies against TH, DBH, and/or norepinephrine transporter (NET) to investigate the altered NE TH expression of cortical fibers in citalopram (CTM)‐exposed rats and monoamine oxidase (MAO) A knock out (KO) mice. We have noted the following novel findings: (1) neonatal exposure to the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) CTM enhanced NE TH immunoreactive fibers throughout the entire neocortex, and a few of them appeared to be hypertrophic; (2) slightly enhanced NE cortical TH immunoreactive fibers were also noted in MAO A KO mice, and many of them revealed varicosities compared with the rather smooth NE cortical TH immunoreactive fibers in wild‐type (WT) mice; (3) LC dendrites of MAO A KO mice exhibited beaded morphology compared with the smooth LC dendrites in WT mice. Our findings suggest that both genetic and environmental factors during early development may play a critical role in the regulation and proper function of NE TH expression in the neocortex. Anat Rec, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Energy consumption, CO2 emissions, economic growth, and foreign trade relationship in Cyprus and Malta

ABSTRACT This paper examines the long-run and causal relationship issues between economic growth, carbon emissions, energy consumption, foreign trade ratio, and employment ratio in Cyprus and Malta by using autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds testing approach of cointegration and error-correction-based Granger causality models. Empirical results over the period 1980–2006 suggest an evidence of a long-run relationship between the variables at 5% significance level only in Malta. Thus, Granger causality models are estimated only for Malta. Results for the existence and direction of Granger causality show that the causality runs from carbon emissions, energy consumption, foreign trade ratio, and employment ratio to economic growth but not vice versa in Malta. The overall results indicate that energy conservation policies, such as rationing energy consumption and controlling carbon dioxide emissions, are likely to have no adverse effect on the real output growth of Malta.
Biphasic effect of 1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D3 on primary mouse epidermal keratinocyte proliferation

1,25‐Dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3] has been proposed as a physiologic regulator of keratinocyte growth and differentiation. Utilizing a proliferative serum‐free culture system, we have found that at physiologic (picomolar) concentrations this hormone stimulated proliferation of primary mouse epidermal keratinocytes; at higher (nanomolar to micromolar) doses, growth was inhibited by 1,25(OH)2D3. We investigated the nature of the signal transduction mechanism underlying the response to 1,25(OH)2D3 and observed little or no effect of either low or high concentrations of the hormone on cytosolic calcium levels or Fos expression. Furthermore, the protein kinase C inhibitor, Ro 31‐7549, had very little effect on the growth inhibition induced by a high dose (1 μM) of 1,25(OH)2D3. This lack of rapid signal transduction events was consistent with the inability of a short (4‐hour) exposure to 1,25(OH)2D3 to initiate a complete growth‐inhibitory response as measured using [3H]thymidine incorporation. Our results indicate that physiologic concentrations of 1,25(OH)2D3 are required for optimal keratinocyte growth. Furthermore, we found no evidence of rapid effects of 1,25(OH)2D3 and suggest that in mouse epidermal keratinocytes, the response to this hormone is mediated by a slow transduction pathway, such as that activated by the intracellular 1,25(OH)2D3 receptor (VDR). © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Psychosocial Problems Among Truant Youths: A Multi-Group, Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling Analysis

Truant youths represent a critical group needing problem-oriented research and involvement in effective services. The limited number of studies on the psychosocial functioning of truant youths have focused on one or a few problem areas, rather than examining comorbid problem behaviors. The present study addresses the need to examine the interrelationships of multiple domains of psychosocial functioning, including substance involvement, mental health, and delinquency, among truant youths. Exploratory structural equation modeling on baseline data collected on 219 truant youths identified two major factors reflecting psychosocial functioning and found that the factor structure was similar across major sociodemographic subgroups. Further analyses supported the validity of the factor structure. The research and service delivery implications of the findings are discussed.
Improving l‐dopa therapy: The development of enzyme inhibitors

The introduction of levodopa produced a monumental change in the treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD). Limitations in its bioavailability and tolerability led to the search for drugs that could improve its pharmacokinetics and safety profile. Dopa‐decarboxylase inhibitors were the first such drugs that were developed, and their use in combination with l‐dopa has become standard practice. Increasing knowledge on the metabolism of l‐dopa allowed the identification of additional targets for intervention in an attempt to improve the symptomatic efficacy of l‐dopa. Monoamineoxidase inhibitors, enhancing the central bioavailability of dopamine by blocking its metabolism, were the next step, and despite controversies regarding their efficacy, they have remained as valuable adjuncts to l‐dopa in the treatment of PD. More recently, the introduction of potent, selective catechol‐O‐methyl transferase inhibitors have found their place in the therapeutic armamentarium of PD and are prescribed in combination with l‐dopa to prolong the duration of its action. © 2014 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Transfer of Social and Environmental Accounting and Reporting Knowledge: Subsidiary Absorptive Capacity and Organisational Mechanisms

Abstract This chapter investigates the antecedents to the development of the three components of subsidiaries’ absorptive capacity (ACAP): recognition, assimilation and application of transferred knowledge in the context of the vertical flow of social and environmental accounting and reporting (SEAR) knowledge from the HQ to acquired subsidiaries. Our analysis is based on an embedded multiple case study of a UK-based MNC, informed by 44 semi-structured interviews and capitalising on agency theory and socialisation theory. Prior knowledge is not a sufficient explanation to the development of ACAP but it is also dependent on organisational mechanisms that will trigger the learning processes. Depending on the nature and degree of the social, control and integration mechanisms, the effects of prior stocks of knowledge on ACAP may vary. Our propositions only hold for one direction of knowledge transfer. The study is based on an embedded multiple case study in one sector which restricts its generalisation. It excludes the specific relationships between the three ACAP learning processes and the existence of feedback loops. Our findings suggest that the HQ’s mix of social, control and integration mechanisms should account for initial stocks of SEAR knowledge. The contribution lies in uncovering the interaction between heterogeneous levels of prior knowledge and organisational mechanisms deployed by the HQ fostering ACAP. We address emerging issues regarding the reification of the ACAP concept and highlight the potential of agency theory for informing studies on HQ-subsidiary relations.
High-Risk Drug–Drug Interactions Between Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Chronic Conditions

Clinicians and clinical decision-support systems often follow pharmacotherapy recommendations for patients based on clinical practice guidelines (CPGs). In multimorbid patients, these recommendations can potentially have clinically significant drug–drug interactions (DDIs). In this study, we describe and validate a method for programmatically detecting DDIs among CPG recommendations. The system extracts pharmacotherapy intervention recommendations from narrative CPGs, normalizes the terms, creates a mapping of drugs and drug classes, and then identifies occurrences of DDIs between CPG pairs. We used this system to analyze 75 CPGs written by authoring entities in the United States that discuss outpatient management of common chronic diseases. Using a reference list of high-risk DDIs, we identified 2198 of these DDIs in 638 CPG pairs (46 unique CPGs). Only 9 high-risk DDIs were discussed by both CPGs in a pairing. In 69 of the pairings, neither CPG had a pharmacologic reference or a warning of the possibility of a DDI.
Tumour vascularity and proliferation: clear evidence of a close relationship

Evaluation of various prognostic factors often reveals that some are closely related. In this issue of the Journal of Pathology, evidence is presented linking intratumoural microvessel density with tumour cell proliferation. This is expected, because an adequate blood vascular system is necessary for effective tumour cell proliferation. The blood vascular supply of a tumour is critical not only in providing tumour cells with nutrients, oxygen, and waste elimination, but also because activated endothelial cells release important paracrine growth factors for tumour cells and secrete collagenases, urokinases, and plasminogen activator. The latter allow capillary ingrowth and the spread of tumour cells into and through the adjacent fibrin–gel matrix, connective tissue stroma, and into the lymphatic and/or vascular spaces. Finally, an adequate vascular supply helps to ‘switch off’ apoptosis and prevent other forms of tumour necrosis, thus contributing to overall tumour growth and spread. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Matrix metalloproteinases induction by pseudomonal virulence factors and inflammatory cytokines in vitro.

The pathogenesis of pseudomonal keratitis was investigated by focusing on induction and activation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) by pseudomonal virulence factors and proinflammatory cytokines. Corneal lesions and MMP induction in vivo were evaluated in rabbit corneas infected with a clinical isolate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Effects of pseudomonal virulence factors [elastase, alkaline protease, exotoxin A and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)], tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and interleukin (IL)-1beta on MMP induction and activation were further examined in vitro in rabbit corneal fibroblasts (RCF) and human fibrosarcoma (HT1080) cells using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), zymography and immunoblotting. Corneal ulcers with typical ring abscesses were observed 12-24 h after infection, and MMPs, particularly MMP-9, were upregulated in infected corneas. Pseudomonal elastase caused the most extensive damage to both cell types. RCF treated with pseudomonal exoproteases or LPS expressed and secreted MMP-9. Exotoxin A had no effect on MMP expression. Both IL-1beta and TNF-alpha augmented MMP-9 expression in HT1080 cells. Pseudomonal elastase proteolytically activated MMP-2 and MMP-9 released from the cells. In conclusion, corneal destruction seen with P. aeruginosa infections may result from enhanced expression of MMPs by corneal stromal cells stimulated with pseudomonal exoproteases and proinflammatory cytokines and the proteolytic activation of MMPs by pseudomonal elastase.
A polynomial multigrid smoother for the iterative solution of the heterogeneous Helmholtz problem

In this paper we develop a robust multigrid preconditioned Krylov subspace method for the solution of heterogeneous indefinite Helmholtz problems. The preconditioning operator is constructed by discretizing the original Helmholtz equation on a complex stretched grid. As this preconditioning operator has the same wavenumber as the original problem, and the only difference stems from the complex stretching of the discretization grid, its spectrum closely approximates the spectrum of the original Helmholtz operator, resulting in a fast converging Krylov subspace method. We have analyzed a multigrid cycle based on polynomial smoothers and have found a condition on the parameters used in the complex stretching of the discretization grid such that the existence of a stable third order polynomial smoother is guaranteed. In practice we use three iterations of GMRES as a smoother, and have found this to be a viable smoother for the multigrid preconditioning process. We apply the method to various test problems and report on the observed convergence rate.