Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of the Antibacterial Efficacy of Commiphora molmol and Sodium Hypochlorite as Root Canal Irrigants against Enterococcus faecalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum

Objective The investigation aims to compare antimicrobial efficacy of the extract of Commiphora molmol, against Enterococcus faecalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum, with sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl). Design T he dehydrated oleo-gum resin of Commiphora molmol was extracted by using 70% ethanol and was suspended in 99.8% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as a dissolving agent in a 1:2 volume to produce an aqueous solution at room temperature. Agar-well diffusion and broth microdilution methods assay were utilized to determine both the antimicrobial activity and minimum inhibitory concentration, of alcoholic extract of Commiphora molmol against E. faecalis and F. nucleatum. The values of the inhibition zones were determined based on the concentration of the investigated material. One hundred and forty extracted human premolar teeth were instrumented and immersed in bacterial suspension of E. faecalis or F. nucleatum (70 teeth in each species suspension). Prepared teeth were then immersed in the myrrh extract solution, 2.5% NaOCl, DMSO, or Cefotaxime and incubated for 30 and 60 minutes. Results The largest inhibition zone diameter for both bacterial species was obtained by the 100mg/100μL concentration. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was 0.03mg/300μL for both E. faecalis and F. nucleatum. The minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) results showed that 0.03mg/μL myrrh extract and 2.5% sodium hypochlorite significantly reduced bacterial growth at both 30 and 60 minutes of different treatments of root canals, compared to DMSO group (negative control) and the antibiotic group (positive group). Conclusion Myrrh extract was proven to have considerable antibacterial activity against both F. nucleatum and E. faecalis.
Palatability of Beef Strip Loin Steaks Representing Various Marbling and Maturity Levels from Grain-Fed Beef

This study compared palatability traits of beef strip loin steaks with varying marbling scores from young and mature grain-fed beef. Strip loins (n = 150) were selected from grain fed cattle representing ten treatments with the following USDA marbling scores: Slightly Abundant or greater (SLAB+), Moderate or Modest (MD/MT), Small (SM), Slight (SL), and Traces or Practically Devoid (TR/PD) from young “A” maturity carcasses (Y) and mature “C” or greater maturity carcasses (M). Subprimals were fabricated into 2.5-cm steaks at 21 d postmortem and stored frozen until further analysis. Consumer (n = 120) sensory panelists evaluated cooked steaks for tenderness, juiciness, flavor liking, and overall liking. Trained panelists (n = 15 sessions) evaluated each sample for initial and sustained juiciness, initial and sustained tenderness, flavor intensity, and off-flavor intensity. For all traits, consumer and trained panelists’ scores generally decreased with decreasing marbling score, regardless of maturity. According to consumers, maturity had no effect on juiciness or flavor liking within each marbling score, except flavor liking of SLAB+ was greater (P < 0.05) for young than mature carcasses. Conversely, young carcasses had greater tenderness scores than mature within all marbling categories except SM, which translated to greater overall liking of MD/MT, SL, and TR/PD of young compared to their mature counterparts (P < 0.05). Trained panelists detected very few differences between young and mature samples within their respective marbling score; however, M-MD/MT had lower initial and sustained tenderness coupled with greater off-flavor intensity than Y-MD/MT (P < 0.05). Mature samples with SLAB+ and MD/MT marbling were rated greater than or equal to Y-SM for all traits, indicating the presence of marbling from feeding a grain diet prior to harvest may elicit a similar eating experience to young beef by offsetting negative palatability traits often associated with mature beef.
Métodos de inoculação de Azospirillum brasilense e sua influência na promoção de crescimento do milho

O uso de bacterias promotoras de crescimento vegetal em milho destaca-se como alternativa para aumento de produtividade, reducao de uso de quimicos e preservacao ambiental. Contudo, se busca-se metodos mais eficientes para uso do inoculante, em especial na etapa de manejo por parte do produtor, visando preservar a viabilidade do microrganismo. O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar a influencia de metodos de inoculacao com Azospirillum brasilense no metabolismo e promocao de crescimento vegetal em milho hibrido Formula VT®. Em casa de vegetacao, utilizando como unidade experimental vasos de polietileno com capacidade para 25 L, preenchidos com LATOSSOLO VERMELHO Eutroferrico, foram cultivadas plantas de milho em funcao de diferentes metodos de inoculacao com as estirpes Abv5 e Abv6 da bacteria promotora de crescimento vegetal A. brasilense. Os metodos de inoculacao consistiram em ausencia de inoculacao (controle), inoculacao via semente (no momento da semeadura), inoculacao via foliar (no estadio fenologico V4) e inoculacao via semente associada a foliar (no momento da semeadura e no estadio fenologico V4, respectivamente). Quinzenalmente as plantas foram avaliadas quando ao teor relativo de clorofila. Nos estadios fenologicos V8, VT e R6 foram realizadas as leituras de taxa de assimilacao liquida de CO2 em funcao de diferentes densidades de fluxo de fotons fotossinteticamente ativos. Destes dados determinou-se o ponto de compensacao de CO2, a eficiencia quântica e a taxa de assimilacao liquida de CO2 maxima. Ainda, nos estadios fenologicos V8, VT e R6, foram mensurados numero de folhas, altura de parte aerea, diâmetro basal de colmo, volume de raiz, massa seca de folha, colmo+bainha, raiz e total, area foliar e teores foliares de nitrogenio, fosforo e potassio. Por fim, no estadio fenologico R6 avaliou-se diâmetro de espiga, comprimento de espiga, numero de fileiras, numero de graos por fileira, massa seca de estrutura reprodutiva, massa de 100 graos, massa total de graos e teor de nitrogenio, fosforo e potassio dos graos. Plantas inoculadas via semente e via semente associado a foliar destacaram-se quanto a diâmetro basal de colmo, massa seca foliar, volume de raiz, e aos teores de nitrogenio, fosforo e potassio. Ainda, plantas inoculadas apresentaram capacidade diferenciada de transporte de eletrons e eficiencia de assimilacao liquida de CO2, em relacao ao controle, em todos os estadios analisados. O metodo de inoculacao via foliar influenciou na demanda adaptativa das plantas, reduzindo a velocidade de desenvolvimento no estadio inicial. Os metodos de inoculacao influenciaram em parâmetros fisiologicos, morfometricos e nutricionais do desenvolvimento do milho, contudo, nao influenciaram na produtividade final. O desenvolvimento vegetal relacionado a promocao de crescimento foi influenciado positivamente pela inoculacao, variando de acordo com o metodo utilizado.
Comparative study on antidiabetic, cytotoxicity, antioxidant and antibacterial properties of biosynthesized silver nanoparticles using outer peels of two varieties of Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam

Background Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam. (Ib) has high content of various beneficial nutrients which helps in improving and maintaining human health. It is well known as a functional food and also a valuable source of unique natural products. It contains various phenolic and flavonoid bioactive compounds. Methods In this study, using the outer peel of two varieties of Ib : Korean red skin sweet potato and Korean pumpkin sweet potato, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized (termed Ib1-AgNps and Ib2-AgNps), respectively. Characterization of Ib1-AgNPs and Ib2-AgNPs was carried out through scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, X-ray powder diffraction and UV-Vis spectroscopy. Further, the bio-potential of the synthesized AgNPs was investigated by antidiabetic (α-glucosidase assay), antioxidant (free radical scavenging assays), antibacterial (disc diffusion method) and cytotoxicity assays (cell viability against HepG2 cells). Results FT-IR spectroscopy revealed the contribution of bioactive compounds existing in Ib1 and Ib2 extracts, in the biosynthesis and equilibrium of the AgNPs. Although the Ib2-AgNPs had a higher atomic percentage of Ag in comparison with Ib1-AgNPs, in the antidiabetic assay, the inhibition percentage of α-glucosidase was higher for AgNPs of Ib1 than Ib2, at all three concentrations examined. From the cytotoxicity results, HepG2 cancer cells were more sensitive to the Ib1-AgNPs in comparison to the Ib2-AgNPs-treated HepG2 cells. The antioxidant prospective was higher in Ib2-AgNPs than Ib1-AgNPs. Moreover, the Ib2-AgNPs showed inhibitory action against all five tested pathogenic bacteria, producing an inhibition zone of 8.74–11.52 mm while Ib1-AgNPs had an inhibitory effect on four of them, with an 8.67–11.23 (mm) inhibition zone. Conclusions Overall, the results concluded that the Ib2-AgNPs exhibited relatively higher functional activity than Ib1-AgNPs, which might be credited to the greater abundance of bioactive compounds existing in Ib2 extract that acted as reducing as well as capping agents in the synthesis of Ib2-AgNPs. Overall, the current study highlights a novel cost-effective and eco-friendly AgNPs synthesis using food waste peels with biocompatibility and could be potentially utilized in biomedical and pharmaceutical industries.
Correlation of Lymph Node Density and Recurrence in Carcinoma Penis: A Perspective on Optimal Management and Unmet Needs from a Tertiary Care Centre

Introduction: Penile carcinoma is a devastating urological neoplasm in which the most assertive prognostic variable is the presence of lymph node involvement. Multiple studies in the current literature have shown that the number of positive lymph nodes predict recurrence free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). The objective of this present retrospective analysis is to authenticate the use of LND as a predictor of RFS and OS after ILND. Methods: Our institutional penile cancer database was analyzed for patients who underwent ILND from January 2000 to May 2008. Survival analysis was performed using the KaplanMeier method to determine RFS and OS. Two-sided p values <0.05 were considered significant.
Compensatory growth in threespine sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) inhibited by experimental Schistocephalus infections

Compensatory growth responses are made by individual fish to restore their original growth trajectory following a period of growth depression. Little is known about whether diseases impact a fish's capacity for growth compensation. In this study we investigate the effect of Schistocephalus solidus, a common cestode parasite of threespine sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus), on the ability of host fish to undertake growth compensation following short-term food deprivation. Placebo-infected controls completely compensated for a 2-week deprivation period after 3 weeks postdeprivation feeding, but experimentally infected sticklebacks showed only partial compensation and after 6 weeks of refeeding had attained only 80% of the weight of continually fed infected fish. A major factor limiting the compensatory growth response of infected fish was their reduced hyperphagic response during the period of refeeding. Feed deprivation had no effect on ultimate parasite size of infected fish. We discuss the possible me.
Longitudinal Study on Causes of Mortality in Danish Broiler Breeders

SUMMARY. Broiler production is highly dependent on good health in the parent flocks. The so-called normal mortality in these flocks remains to be addressed to further reduce mortality of the breeders and to improve the quality of broilers. The aim of the present study, therefore, was to investigate the etiology of this breeder mortality to map out possible critical periods during production in relation to possible risks of importance to the offspring. Dead birds from four flocks were subjected to postmortem and bacteriologic examination from onset of lay until slaughter (20–60 weeks). Causes of mortality were divided into noninfectious and infectious etiology. The infectious group could be subdivided into suppurative salpingitis/peritonitis caused by Escherichia coli and other infections (e.g., sepsis, endocarditis, and arthritis) mainly caused by Gram-positive cocci. Data analysis showed that 41% of the birds died from noninfectious causes, while 55% died from infectious causes, and 4% had no known cause of death. The prevalence of noninfectious mortality was highest in the youngest birds and lowest in the oldest birds. In contrast, the infectious mortality was lowest in the young birds and highest at the end of production. Within each age group, the prevalence of salpingitis/ peritonitis was 26% in young birds (20–29 weeks) and progressed throughout production to 41% in the oldest birds (≥50 weeks of age). Mortality due to other infections was low at onset of production (12%), peaking at 40–49 weeks of age (25%). Consequently, 40–49 weeks of age is identified as a critical period with regard to causes of mortality, possible vertical transmission of E. coli to the offspring, and increased risk of Gram-positive coccal infections.
Colocalization of integrin receptors and reelin in dendritic spine postsynaptic densities of adult nonhuman primate cortex

The expression of telencephalic reelin (Reln) and glutamic acid decarboxylase mRNAs and their respective cognate proteins is down-regulated in postmortem brains of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder patients. To interpret the pathophysiological significance of this finding, immunoelectron microscopic experiments are required, but these cannot be carried out in postmortem human brains. As an alternative, we carried out such experiments in the cortex of rats and nonhuman primates. We found that Reln is expressed predominantly in layer I of both cortices and is localized to bitufted (double-bouquet), horizontal, and multipolar γ-aminobutyric acid-ergic interneurons, which secrete Reln into extracellular matrix. Reln secretion is mediated by a constitutive mechanism that depends on the expression of a specific signal peptide present in the Reln carboxy-terminal domain. Extracellular matrix Reln is found to aggregate in proximity of postsynaptic densities expressed in apical dendrite spines, which include also the α3 subunit of integrin receptors. Most pyramidal neurons of various cortical layers express the mouse-disabled 1 (Dab1) protein, which, after phosphorylation by a soluble tyrosine kinase, functions as an adapter protein, probably mediating a modulation of cytoskeleton protein expression. We hypothesize that the decrease of neuropil and dendritic spine density reported to exist in the neocortex of psychiatric patients may be related to a down-regulation of Reln–integrin interactions and the consequent decrease of cytoskeleton protein turnover.
Assessment of the knowledge of the modes of transmission and prevention of malaria among pregnant women attending antenatal clinic at the Nkwen Health Center Bamenda, Cameroon

Introduction Malaria is a life threatening disease caused by the Plasmodium parasite, transmitted through the bites of infected female anopheles' mosquitoes. According to the latest WHO data published in 2017, malaria deaths in Cameroon reached 9.161 deaths accounting for 4.14% of total deaths. The age adjusted death rate is 29.11 per 100,000 and Cameroon is ranked the 30th in the world with a high prevalence of malaria. The aim of this study was therefore, to access the knowledge of the modes of transmission and prevention of malaria among pregnant women attending Antenatal Clinic (ANC) at the Nkwen Health Center, Bamenda. Methods This was a cross-sectional hospital based survey study. The researchers recruited 51 eligible women in the Nkwen Health Centre and used a validated and pre-tested questionnaires to collect data. Collected data were entered into Excel and analysed using descriptive statistics and the results presented in tables and figures. Results Sixty four percent of the women have basic knowledge about the mode of malaria transmission. Thirty six percent of the women had little knowledge about malaria transmission modes and the possible dangers of the disease. Conclusion Slightly above 50% of pregnant women have basic knowledge on the modes of malaria transmission. Lack of knowledge regarding the modes of malaria transmission can be one of the reasons why there is still quite a high level of malaria prevalence among pregnant women attending ANC at the Nkwen Health Center, Bamenda. There is therefore, a need to educate women on malaria transmission modes.
EMERGENCE OF DISABILITY IN LATE LIFE

In 2050, the life expectancy is anticipated to be 82 years in the United States. This increased in life expectancy has raised questions as to whether a longer period of old age guarantees a longer period of good health. As of now, the potential for a healthy late life is tempered by disability – the loss of independence with activities of daily living (ADL). Disability looms as a personal, family, and public health crisis. Older adults with disability have low autonomy, require assistance from loved ones, and often require costly health care services. Effective interventions to prevent disability are critical to support wellness in late life. We identified gaps in existing non-pharmacological interventions for the prevention of disability, suggesting that 1) these interventions are associated with modest to moderate effect sizes and 2) the most robust interventions are complex and include multiple “active ingredients. ” However, the best combination of “active ingredients” remains unclear, and the combinations may vary based on clinical indicators. To better understand these variations, we examined selected indicators of change in brain health (depressive symptoms, cognitive complaints) and their associations with patterns of everyday activities in at-risk older adults (i.e., with a recent diagnosis of a chronic condition). We learned that changes in these indicators of brain health accelerated disablement in older adults with a newly-diagnosed Diabetes Mellitus. We also learned that indicators of brain health influenced patterns of everyday activities in older adults at-risk for disability (i.e., self-reported changes in daily routines); depressive symptoms were associated with engagement in fewer instrumental ADL, and cognitive complaints were associated with engagement in fewer leisure activities. This information gives insight to the risk architecture contributing to the onset of disability, as well as potential clinical indicators that could be explored in future clinical trials. Age-related disability is “a situation without precedent. ” The information gleaned from this dissertation may inform 1) studies to examine the health consequences of everyday activities patterns; 2) the identification of factors that may elucidate the complex disablement; and 3) the structure, timing, and dosage of future interventions that aim to prevent disability in late life.
Individualized therapy for Cystic Fibrosis using artificial intelligence

YIYUN TANG: Individualized Therapy for Cystic Fibrosis Using Artificial Intelligence (Under the direction of Dr. Michael R. Kosorok) Optimal clinical management of inherited chronic diseases, such as Cystic Fibrosis (CF), requires a dynamic approach which updates treatments to cope with the evolving course of illness and to tailor medicines and dosages for individual patients. The chronic progressive nature of CF and heterogeneity across patients lead to challenges of developing optimal regimens. An adaptive individualized therapy provides a solution and a means toward these goals. In this dissertation, we examine the problem of computing optimal adaptive individualized therapy for CF patients. A temporal difference reinforcement learning method called fitted Q-iteration is utilized to discover the optimal treatment regimen directly from clinical data. We propose multi-state discrete-time Markov process to model the disease dynamic for cystic fibrosis patients with Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection with the model parameters tuned and estimated from the published data in Wisconsin CF neonatal screening project. Our study results indicate that reinforcement learning and the clinical reinforcement trial framework can be an effective tool in discovering and developing personalized therapy which optimises the benefit-risk trade off in multi-stage decision making and improves long term outcomes in chronic diseases.
Sesamoids and Accessory Bones of the Forefoot in Normal Korean Adults

Purpose: To determine the locations and incidences of sesamoids and accessory bones of the forefoot in normal Korean adults. Materials and Methods: The plain radiographs of the forefoot of 400 volunteers, 200 males and 200 females, were taken. The three orthopedic surgeons participated in the radiographic evaluation independently. Persons who had history of foot problem or injury were excluded. Results: Sesamoids of first metatarsophalangeal joint were nearly always present; medial 99% and lateral 100%. The bipartite sesamoid was more common in medial (9.8%) and in female (17.0%) than in lateral (0.3%) and in male (2.5%). Sesamoids of the interphalangeal joint of the first toe were seen in 35.8%. Sesamoids of metatarsophalangeal joints in other four toes were rarely observed. Their incidences were 5% in second toe, 0.8% in third, 0% in fourth, and 2.8% (lateral) and 7.5% (medial) in fifth. Sesamoids of interphalangeal joint in four lesser toes were not observed except two cases (0.5%) in the fifth toe. Accessory bone was very rarely observed. Os vesalianum was observed in five feet (1.3%), Os intermetatarseum in 14 feet (3.5%), and Os cuneo-metatarsal I tibiale in none. Conclusion: We determined the location and incidences of sesamoids and accessory bones of the forefoot, and we expected this to help to diagnose the forefoot problem.
Hyperhomocysteinemia and Lupus Nephritis

Background In SLE, both disease-specific and traditional risk factors are important. Increased serum homocysteine levels are seen in approximately 15% of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and are associated with an increased risk of atherothrombotic events in this population. The serum level of homocysteine in patients with lupus nephritis has not been well described. Methods We performed a retrospective review of patients who had both biopsy-proven lupus nephritis (class II-VI) and measured homocysteine levels during routine evaluation. Clinical and laboratory data were obtained from reviews of medical records. Results Of the 15 patients with lupus nephritis, 10 had elevated homocysteine levels. The ages ranged from 21-68 years and were predominately African-American females. There were three patients with class III, one with class III-V, two with class IV, and two with class V lupus nephritis. Two patients had more than one biopsy each, one with class III, IV-V, and one with III and IV. At the time, when the serum homocysteine level was measured, of the 10 patients with elevated homocysteine levels, five patients had positive anti-dsDNA, and four had hypocomplementemia predominately low C3 (three patients). All patients were on hydroxychloroquine. Conclusions This study demonstrates that patients with lupus nephritis are at a higher risk (66.6%) for developing elevated homocysteine levels.