Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quality, Readability, and Trends for Websites on Ankyloglossia

Objective: This study evaluates the quality and readability of websites on ankyloglossia, tongue tie, and frenulectomy. Methods: Google was queried with six search terms: tongue tie, tongue tie and breastfeeding, tongue tie and frenulectomy, ankyloglossia, ankyloglossia and breastfeeding, and ankyloglossia and frenulectomy. Website quality was assessed using the DISCERN instrument. Readability was evaluated using the Flesch-Kincaid Reading Grade Level, Flesch Reading Ease Score, and Fry readability formula. Correlations were calculated. Search terms were analyzed for frequency using Google Trends and the NCBI database. Results: Of the maximum of 80, average DISCERN score for the websites was 65.7 (SD = 9.1, median = 65). Mean score for the Flesch-Kincaid Reading Grade Level was 11.6 (SD = 3.0, median = 10.7). Two websites (10%) were in the optimal range of 6 to 8. Google Trends shows tongue tie searches increasing in frequency, although the NCBI database showed a decreased in tongue tie articles. Conclusions: Most of the websites on ankyloglossia were of good quality; however, a majority were above the recommended reading level for public health information. Parents increasingly seek information on ankyloglossia online, while fewer investigators are publishing articles on this topic.
Results ( a ) Point contact adhesion dynamics in the growth cone can exhibit bistability

For the brain to function properly, its neurons must make the right connections during neural development. A key aspect of this process is the tight regulation of axon growth as axons navigate towards their targets. Neuronal growth cones at the tips of developing axons switch between growth and paused states during axonal pathfinding, and this switching behaviour determines the heterogeneous axon growth rates observed during brain development. The mechanisms controlling this switching behaviour, however, remain largely unknown. Here, using mathematical modelling, we predict that the molecular interaction network involved in axon growth can exhibit bistability, with one state representing a fast-growing growth cone state and the other a paused growth cone state. Owing to stochastic effects, even in an unchanging environment, model growth cones reversibly switch between growth and paused states. Our model further predicts that environmental signals could regulate axon growth rate by controlling the rates of switching between the two states. Our study presents a new conceptual understanding of growth cone switching behaviour, and suggests that axon guidance may be controlled by both cell-extrinsic factors and cell-intrinsic growth regulatory mechanisms.
Anti-infective surgical therapy of peri-implantitis. A 12-month prospective clinical study.

AIM The aim of this prospective cohort study was to evaluate an anti-infective surgical protocol for the treatment of peri-implantitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty-six implants in 24 partially dentate patients with moderate to advanced peri-implantitis were treated using an anti-infective surgical protocol incorporating open flap debridement and implant surface decontamination, with adjunctive systemic amoxicillin and metronidazole. Treatment outcomes were assessed at 3, 6 and 12 months. Patient-based statistical analyses using multiple regression analyses were performed. RESULTS There was 100% survival of treated implants at 12 months. At 3 months, there were statistically significant (P < 0.01) reductions in mean probing depths (PD), Bleeding on Probing (BoP) and suppuration. The greater the mean PD at baseline, the greater the PD reduction at 3 months. At 3 months, there was also a significant mean facial mucosal recession of 1 mm (P < 0.001). All these changes were maintained at 6 and 12 months. At 12 months, all treated implants had a mean PD < 5 mm, while 47% of the implants had complete resolution of inflammation (BoP negative). At 12 months, 92% of implants had stable crestal bone levels or bone gain. There were no significant effects of smoking on any of the treatment outcomes. CONCLUSIONS For the treatment of peri-implantitis, an anti-infective protocol incorporating surgical access, implant surface decontamination and systemic antimicrobials followed by a strict postoperative protocol was effective at 3 months with the results maintained for up to 12 months after treatment.
Protection of cultured brain endothelial cells from cytokine-induced damage by α-melanocyte stimulating hormone

The blood–brain barrier (BBB), an interface between the systemic circulation and the nervous system, can be a target of cytokines in inflammatory conditions. Pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) induce damage in brain endothelial cells and BBB dysfunction which contribute to neuronal injury. The neuroprotective effects of α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH) were investigated in experimental models, but there are no data related to the BBB. Based on our recent study, in which α-MSH reduced barrier dysfunction in human intestinal epithelial cells induced by TNF-α and IL-1β, we hypothesized a protective effect of α-MSH on brain endothelial cells. We examined the effect of these two pro-inflammatory cytokines, and the neuropeptide α-MSH on a culture model of the BBB, primary rat brain endothelial cells co-cultured with rat brain pericytes and glial cells. We demonstrated the expression of melanocortin-1 receptor in isolated rat brain microvessels and cultured brain endothelial cells by RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. TNF-α and IL-1β induced cell damage, measured by impedance and MTT assay, which was attenuated by α-MSH (1 and 10 pM). The peptide inhibited the cytokine-induced increase in brain endothelial permeability, and restored the morphological changes in cellular junctions visualized by immunostaining for claudin-5 and β-catenin. Elevated production of reactive oxygen species and the nuclear translocation of NF-κB were also reduced by α-MSH in brain endothelial cells stimulated by cytokines. We demonstrated for the first time the direct beneficial effect of α-MSH on cultured brain endothelial cells, indicating that this neurohormone may be protective at the BBB.
Photocatalytic disinfection of surfaces with copper doped Ti02 nanotube coatings illuminated by ceiling mounted fluorescent light

High economic burden is associated with foodborne illnesses. Different disinfection methods are therefore employed in food processing industry; such as use of ultraviolet light or usage of surfaces with copper-containing alloys. However, all the disinfection methods currently in use have some shortcomings. In this work we show that copper doped TiO2 nanotubes deposited on existing surfaces and illuminated with ceiling mounted fluorescent lights can retard the growth of Listeria Innocua by 80% in seven hours of exposure to the fluorescent lights at different places in a food processing plant or in the laboratory conditions with daily reinocuation and washing. The disinfection properties of the surfaces seem to depend mainly on the temperature difference of the surface and the dew point, where for the maximum effectiveness the difference should be about 3 degrees celsius. The TiO2 nanotubes have a potential to be employed for an economical and continuous disinfection of surfaces.
The Effect of Negative Pressure Wound Therapy with and without Instillation on Mature Biofilms In Vitro

Background: To investigate the effect of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) with and without instillation (NPWTi) on in vitro mature biofilm. Methods: Mature biofilms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus were grown under shear (130 rpm) on polycarbonate coupons in a CDC biofilm reactor for 3 days. Coupons containing biofilms were placed in a sterile petri dish and sealed using NPWT or NPWTi. Coupons were exposed to treatment for 24 h with NPWT alone or with instillation of: Povidone iodine solution (PVP-I) (10% w/v equivalent to 1% w/v available iodine, BETADINE®, Mundipharma, Singapore), surfactant based antimicrobial solution with polyhexamethylene biguanide (SBPHMB) (Prontosan®, B Braun Medical, Melsungen, Germany), Gentamicin 1 µg/mL (GM) (G1264 Sigma-Aldrich Pty Ltd., Castle Hill, Australia) Rifampicin 24 µg/mL (RF) (R3501 Sigma-Aldrich Pty Ltd., Castle Hill, Australia) and NaCl 0.9% (Baxter, Deerfield, IL, USA). Bacterial cell viability and biofilm architecture pre-and post-treatment were assessed using colony forming units (cfu), Live/Dead viability staining, confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results: Significant reductions were obtained in S. aureus biofilm thickness (65%) and mass (47%) when treated with NPWTi as compared to NPWT only. NPWTi with instillation of SBPHMB, PVP-I and RF achieved between 2 and 8 log10 reductions against S. aureus biofilm (p < 0.05–0.001). Conversely, PVP-I and SBMO achieved a 3.5 log10 reduction against P. aeruginosa (p < 0.05). Conclusions: NPWT alters biofilm architecture by reducing biofilm thickness and mass, but this does not affect bacterial cell viability. NPWT with instillation of certain antimicrobials solutions may provide a further synergistic effect in reducing the number of viable biofilm microorganisms. Our in vitro model may be used for screening the effectiveness of antimicrobials used under instillation prior to animal or human studies.
Levels of Nature and Stress Response

A growing number of studies have shown that visiting green spaces and being exposed to natural environments can reduce psychological stress. A number of questions concerning the effects of natural environments on levels of stress remain including, “Are activities engaged in natural environments more or less beneficial at reducing stress when compared to those done in more urban settings? ” This study examined this question from the perspective of “levels of nature”. That is, data on levels of stress were collected from three sites, one site having wilderness-like characteristics, a second site representing a municipal-type park, and a third site representing a built environment (indoor exercise facility) within a city. Data were generated using biophysical markers (cortisol and amylase) and a psychological measure within a pre- and post-visit format. Findings suggest that visiting natural environments can be beneficial in reducing both physical and psychological stress levels, with visitors to a natural environment reporting significantly lower levels of stress than their counterparts visiting a more urbanized outdoor setting or indoor exercise facility.
PhotoshopQuiA: A Corpus of Non-Factoid Questions and Answers for Why-Question Answering

Recent years have witnessed a high interest in non-factoid question answering using Community Question Answering (CQA) web sites. Despite ongoing research using state-of-the-art methods, there is a scarcity of available datasets for this task. Why-questions, which play an important role in open-domain and domain-speciﬁc applications, are difﬁcult to answer automatically since the answers need to be constructed based on different information extracted from multiple knowledge sources. We introduce the PhotoshopQuiA dataset, a new publicly available set of 2,854 why-question and answer(s) (WhyQ, A) pairs related to Adobe Photoshop usage collected from ﬁve CQA web sites. We chose Adobe Photoshop because it is a popular and well-known product, with a lively, knowledgeable and sizable community. To the best of our knowledge, this is the ﬁrst English dataset for Why-QA that focuses on a product, as opposed to previous open-domain datasets. The corpus is stored in JSON format and contains detailed data about questions and questioners as well as answers and answerers. The dataset can be used to build Why-QA systems, to evaluate current approaches for answering why-questions, and to develop new models for future QA systems research.
Pulmonary Infections with Nontuberculous Mycobacteria, Catalonia, Spain, 1994–2014

In Spain, systematic reporting of pulmonary infections with nontuberculous mycobacteria is not mandatory. Therefore, to determine trends, we retrospectively identified cases for January 1994–December 2014 in Catalonia. Over the 21 years, prevalence increased and was associated with being male. Mycobacterium avium complex and M. abscessus prevalence increased; M. kansasii prevalence decreased.
Detection of rabies virus antibodies in vaccinated and unvaccinated stray dogs in Mumbai city.

A total of 50 blood sera samples, including 25 samples each of unvaccinated stray dogs and dogs which received pre-exposure prophylaxis 2-6 month before sampling, were collected from animal welfare centers situated in Mumbai city. The sera samples were subjected to counter immuno electrophoresis (CIEP) test. CIEP titers ranged from 1:4 to 1:64 in 24/25 vaccinated dogs. However, 10/25 unvaccinated dogs, showed rabies antibodies titers, of which 5 had higher (1:8) antibodies titers, indicating the prevalence of rabies in the stray dogs.
Beyond the Brain

Objective: Given the emerging data suggesting the key role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the immune system, we assessed longitudinally whether BDNF depletions induced by hazardous alcohol use (HAU) would impact a response to antiretroviral therapy (ART). Methods: In a prospective single-site cohort, virological and immunological responses to ART in 200 hazardous and 200 nonhazardous users were obtained, along with plasma BDNF levels. Results: Hazardous drinkers were more likely to have BDNF levels <4000 pg/mL (odds ratio [OR] = 1.6, P = .01). Participants with BDNF <4000 pg/mL were less likely to have CD4 counts of more than 500 cells/mm3 (P = .02) and to achieve viral suppression over the follow-up period (OR = 1.5, P = .03). Multivariate analysis confirmed the significant role of HAU and low BDNF in predicting viroimmune responses. Conclusion: Hazardous alcohol use was associated with BDNF alterations, which in turn were linked to a limited response to ART in terms of viral suppression and CD4 count improvements.
The nature and role of trust in temporary virtual problem-solving teams

Author: Katri Kemppinen Title: The nature and role of trust in temporary virtual problem-solving teams Faculty: LUT School of Business and Management Major: Knowledge Management Year: 2015 Master’s thesis: 94 pages, 3 figures, 2 tables, 2 appendices Examiners: Professor Kirsimarja Blomqvist, Associate Professor Kaisa Henttonen
Interference channel with delay: Noisy interference

We consider the interference channel with two transmit-receive pairs when there is a delay in receiving the desired message compared to interference. We study this channel in the weak interference regime (noisy interference), and show that delay does not affect the capacity of the interference channel in this region. This also holds for an interference channel with a more general delay, where receiving the desired message is delayed compared to the interference, or vice versa. This result is then applied to a previous results on the interference MIMO relay channel where a scheme is used to transform it to an interference channel with delay. We show that using a relay can be helpful when interference is treated as noise in the interference relay channel.
Using volumetric density estimation in computer aided mass detection in mammography

With the introduction of Full Field Digital Mammography (FFDM) accurate automatic volumetric breast density (VBD) estimation has become possible. As VBD enables the design of features that incorporate 3D properties, these methods offer opportunities for computer aided detection schemes. In this study we use VBD to develop features that represent how well a segmented region resembles the projection of a spherical object. The idea behind this is that due to compression of the breast, glandular tissue is likely to be compressed to a disc like shape, whereas cancerous tissue, being more difficult to compress, will retain its uncompressed shape. For each pixel in a segmented region we calculate the predicted dense tissue thickness assuming that the lesion has a spherical shape. The predicted thickness is then compared to the observed thickness by calculating the slope of a linear function relating the two. In addition we calculate the variance of the error of the fit. To evaluate the contribution of the developed VBD features to our CAD system we use an FFDM dataset consisting of 266 cases, of which 103 were biopsy proven malignant masses and 163 normals. It was found that compared to the false positives, a large fraction of the true positives has a slope close to 1.0 indicating that the true positives fit the modeled spheres best. When the VBD based features were added to our CAD system, aimed at the detection and classification of malignant masses, a small but significant increase in performance was achieved.
S 100 A 14 Promotes the Growth and Metastasis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the one of the most common and aggressive cancers worldwide (Pu et al., 2013). The primary etiology of HCC is cirrhosis resulting from chronic infection by hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus as well as alcoholic or non-alcoholic liver injury (Gao et al., 2012). More than 80% of HCC cases are from the Asian and African continents, and more than 50% of cases are from mainland China with a vast majority of viral hepatitis patients (McClune et al., 2010). And, of note, its incidence in the Western world is showing an alarming rise (Nordenstedt et al., 2010). The social and economic burdens of HCC are an escalating public health problem (El-Serag et al., 2012). Although recent advances in understanding of HCC, the molecular pathogenesis of HCC remains rather elusive. Indeed, the clinical heterogeneity of HCC and lack of good treatment strategies have rendered this disease a great challenge (Yang et al., 2007). Long-term survival after hepatic resection remains very poor for the majority of HCC patients who develop recurrence or metastasis (Zhou et al., 2006). Therefore, targeting invasion and metastasis is an attractive strategy for HCC therapy. However, recurrence and metastasis of HCC is a multistep process and the molecular mechanisms that contribute to the metastasis of HCC are poorly understood. Accumulating evidence has shown that S100 proteins
Comparing the Pattern of Menopausal Symptoms, Concern and Attitudes in Urban and Rural Postmenopausal Iranian Women

Objectives Although hormonal changes during menopause are inevitable in this period, the severity of the menopausal symptoms can be controlled. Accepting menopause and having a positive attitude toward it can also help. Given the results of previous studies, and since environmental factors affect the pattern of menopausal symptoms the present study was conducted to compare the pattern of menopausal symptoms, concern and attitudes in urban and rural postmenopausal women. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted on urban and rural postmenopausal women residing in and around Tabriz, Iran. Cluster sampling was used to select the subjects. The data collection tools used included a demographic questionnaire to assess women's experiences during menopause. Results This study examined 544 urban and rural postmenopausal women between March and September 2015. The women had a mean age of 51.8 ± 3.1. After adjusting the basic variables, the mean scores of menopausal symptoms and their subscales showed significantly higher scores in the physical and psychological subscales in the urban women, while the rural women had significantly higher scores in the concern subscale. Conclusions Rural women were significantly different from urban women in terms of menopausal symptoms, concern and attitudes. Hot flushes, a common menopausal symptom, and decreased sexual desire were more common in the urban women; in contrast, the rural women experienced more concern about menopause and its consequences.
Caveolae-mediated mesenchymal stem cell labelling by PSS-coated PLGA PFOB nano-contrast agent for MRI

Rationale: Non-invasive tracking of transplanted cells is critical in evaluating delivery, migration and prognosis of cell therapies. Methods: We formulated a nano-contrast agent consisting of a perfluorooctylbromide (PFOB) core within a shell of poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) followed by a coat of polystyrene sulfonate (PSS) for 19F MRI. The nano-contrast agent (PSS-NP) was characterised by DLS and the uptake efficiency of the nano-contrast agent (PSS-NP) was tested using flow cytometry, in vitro MRI and confocal microscopy. In vitro and in vivo assays of labelled cells were tested for their ability to provide an MRI signal while retaining their osteoblastic differentiation capabilities. Results: PSS-NPs were internalised via caveolae-mediated endocytosis in mesenchymal stromal/stem cells without affecting cell proliferation and differentiation in osteoblasts, both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, labelled cells were monitored by 19F MRI for up to 2 months after transplantation in mice. In particular, PSS-NP-labelled cells can be used to monitor the enhanced immune rejection of grafted human cells in normal BALB/c mice compared to immune-compromised NOD/SCID mice. One week after transplantation, 40% of the 19F MRI signal was lost in normal mice, whereas only 10% was lost in immune-compromised mice. Conclusion: Overall, these results show that PSS-NPs can label MSCs effectively, and be employed in vivo as a novel nano-contrast agent for non-invasive cell tracking using clinically relevant 19F MRI techniques.
Transfer Information Energy: A Quantitative Indicator of Information Transfer between Time Series

We introduce an information-theoretical approach for analyzing information transfer between time series. Rather than using the Transfer Entropy (TE), we define and apply the Transfer Information Energy (TIE), which is based on Onicescu’s Information Energy. Whereas the TE can be used as a measure of the reduction in uncertainty about one time series given another, the TIE may be viewed as a measure of the increase in certainty about one time series given another. We compare the TIE and the TE in two known time series prediction applications. First, we analyze stock market indexes from the Americas, Asia/Pacific and Europe, with the goal to infer the information transfer between them (i.e., how they influence each other). In the second application, we take a bivariate time series of the breath rate and instantaneous heart rate of a sleeping human suffering from sleep apnea, with the goal to determine the information transfer heart → breath vs. breath → heart. In both applications, the computed TE and TIE values are strongly correlated, meaning that the TIE can substitute the TE for such applications, even if they measure symmetric phenomena. The advantage of using the TIE is computational: we can obtain similar results, but faster.
Question 1 : What Are the Effects of Giving Time and Money on Givers ’ Psychological Wellbeing ?

This chapter reviews research on the relationship between giving money (i.e., philanthropy) and time (i.e., volunteering) and givers’ psychological wellbeing. It summarize a wide body of research literature suggesting correlational, longitudinal, and experimental links between giving time and money to others and psychological wellbeing. The chapter examines the extent to which these effects generalize across cultures, circumstances, types of givers, and types of recipients. Because most of the literature also does not offer explanations as to why giving should improve psychological wellbeing, it also outlines a potential neurobiological model that may help to explain such an effect. This theoretical model of caregiving motivation can help to specify under which situations, and why, giving should lead to better living. The chapter ends with a discussion of practical implications of this review for both givers and nonprofit organizations.