Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Malocclusion and Temporomandibular Disorders: Verification of the Controversy.

AIMS To investigate the dental and skeletal aspects of malocclusion in the anteroposterior and vertical dimensions in a sample of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) patients and to correlate these aspects with the signs and symptoms of TMD. METHODS A total of 150 TMD patients were divided into five groups according to the Diagnostic Criteria for TMD: Group 1 = myalgia (M); Group 2 = disc displacement with reduction (DDWR); Group 3 = disc displacement without reduction (DDWOR); Group 4 = degenerative disorders (D); and Group 5 = subluxation (S). Molar and canine relations, overjet, overbite, occlusal guidance, occlusal interferences, and centric slides were recorded for each patient, and the skeletal craniofacial patterns were analyzed for each patient using cone beam computed tomography. One-way analysis of variance was used to compare the variable means of the different groups. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to assess the correlations of quantitative continuous variables. Significance level was considered at P < . 05. RESULTS No significant difference was found among the groups regarding any aspects of dental occlusion except for mediotrusive interferences, which were significantly higher in Group 3 (DDWOR) (P = .02). Regarding skeletal craniofacial pattern, Group 4 (D) had significantly smaller mean ± standard deviation sella-nasion-B (SNB) point angle (74.31 ± 3.04 degrees) than Group 3 (DDWOR) (78.04 ± 4.88 degrees), and Group 1 (M) showed the greatest SNB angle (79.87 ± 3.73 degrees) (P = .03). Group 3 (DDWOR) showed significantly greater mean mandibular plane/SN angle (39.56 ± 6.19 degrees) than Group 1 (M) (34.73 ± 5.65 degrees) (P = .04). Relations between occlusal variables and TMD parameters were nonsignificant. CONCLUSION This study provides robust evidence to diminish the TMD-malocclusion association, especially in myogenic types of TMD.
Hsa-miR-34a-5p and hsa-miR-375 as Biomarkers for Monitoring the Effects of Drug Treatment for Migraine Pain in Children and Adolescents: A Pilot Study

MicroRNAs (miRs) have emerged as biomarkers of migraine disease in both adults and children. In this study we evaluated the expression of hsa-miR-34a-5p and hsa-miR-375 in serum and saliva of young subjects (age 11 ± 3.467 years) with migraine without aura (MWA), while some underwent pharmacological treatment, and healthy young subjects were used as controls. miRs were determined using the qRT-PCR method, and gene targets of hsa-miR-34a-5p and hsa-miR-375 linked to pain-migraine were found by in silico analysis. qRT-PCR revealed comparable levels of hsa-miRs in both blood and saliva. Higher expression of hsa-miR-34a-5p and hsa-miR-375 was detected in saliva of untreated MWAs compared to healthy subjects (hsa-miR-34a-5p: p < 0.05; hsa-miR-375 p < 0.01). Furthermore, in MWA treated subjects, a significant decrease of hsa-miR-34a-5p and of hsa-miR-375 was documented in saliva and blood compared to MWA untreated ones. Altogether, these findings suggested thathsa-miR-34a-5p and hsa-miR-375 are expressed equally in blood and saliva and that they could be a useful biomarker of disease and of drug efficacy in patients with MWA.
Ankle foot orthoses for young children with cerebral palsy: a scoping review

Abstract Aim To describe research on outcomes associated with early Ankle Foot Orthosis (AFO) use, AFO use patterns, and parent and clinician perspectives on AFO use among young children with cerebral palsy. Method Arksey and O’Malley’s five-stage method was used to conduct a scoping review. MEDLINE (Ovid), PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, EMBASE, PEDro, Web of Science and Scopus were searched for studies evaluating AFO use with children under the age of six years. Descriptive information was extracted and outcomes categorized according to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). Quality assessments were conducted to evaluate methodological rigor. Results Nineteen articles were included in the review; 14 focused on body functions and structures, seven on activity level outcomes and no studies addressed participation outcomes. Evaluations of the effects of AFOs on gross motor skills other than gait were limited. Overall, the body of evidence is comprised of methodologically weak studies with common threats to validity including inadequate descriptions of study protocols, AFO construction, and comparison interventions. Conclusion Research evaluating the effects of AFOs on age-appropriate, functional outcomes including transitional movements, floor mobility and participation in early childhood settings is needed to inform practice regarding early orthotic prescription. Implications for rehabilitation Lack of rigorous evidence about the effects of AFOs in young children limits the ability of research to guide practice in pediatric rehabilitation. More rigorous research that evaluates a broader range of age-appropriate outcomes, including those focused on participation in meaningful activities, could further inform clinical practice. While clinicians often discuss expectations and goals with individual families, qualitative research that provides more insight into the experiences of families could guide AFO prescription and monitoring practices.
A Wireless Handheld Pressure Measurement System for In Vivo Monitoring of Intraocular Pressure in Rabbits

Intraocular pressure (IOP) is the leading modifiable risk factor for preventing vision loss in glaucoma patients. Direct and frequent IOP measurements are highly desirable to assess adequacy of treatment and prevent further vision loss. In this study, we report on successful in vivo measurements of intraocular pressure in rabbits using an optical IOP measurement system. The sensor was implanted during cataract surgery in two New Zealand white (NZW) rabbits and tested in vivo for ten weeks. Prior to implantation, the sensors were characterized in vitro in the physiologically relevant pressure range of 0–60 mmHg. A portable wireless handheld reader consisting of an internal beam splitter, a monochromatic light source, and a digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera was also designed and implemented to capture interference patterns from the sensor. The sensitivity and accuracy of the sensor was 30 nm/mmHg and ±0.2 mmHg, respectively. Ten weeks post-implantation, the two NZW rabbits continued to respond well to the implant with no observable inflammation, signs of infection, or biofouling. All IOP measurements were obtained using the portable DSLR handheld reader. Successful in vivo studies demonstrate biocompatibility of the IOP sensor and prove feasibility of the IOP measurement system. The system has the potential to be used in both clinical and patient point-of-care (home) settings to frequently and accurately measure pressure.
Recapitulating bone development events in a customised bioreactor through interplay of oxygen tension, medium pH, and systematic differentiation approaches

Bone development and homeostasis are intricate processes that require co‐existence and dynamic interactions among multiple cell types. However, controlled dynamic niches that derive and support stable propagation of these cells from single stem cell source is not sustainable in conventional culturing vessels. In bioreactor cultures that support dynamic niches, the limited source and stability of growth factors are often a major limiting factor for long‐term in vitro cultures. Hence, alternative growth factor‐free differentiation approaches are designed and their efficacy to achieve different osteochondral cell types is investigated. Briefly, a dynamic niche is achieved by varying medium pH, oxygen tension (pO2) distribution in bioreactor, initiating chondrogenic differentiation with chondroitin sulphate A (CSA), and implementing systematic differentiation regimes. In this study, we demonstrated that CSA is a potent chondrogenic inducer, specifically in combination with acidic medium and low pO2. Further, endochondral ossification is recapitulated through a systematic chondrogenic–osteogenic (ch‐os) differentiation regime, and multiple osteochondral cell types are derived. Chondrogenic hypertrophy was also enhanced specifically in high pO2 regions. Consequently, mineralised constructs with higher structural integrity, volume, and tailored dimensions are achieved. In contrast, a continuous osteogenic differentiation regime (os‐os) has derived compact and dense constructs, whereas a continuous chondrogenic differentiation regime (ch‐ch) has attenuated construct mineralisation and impaired development. In conclusion, a growth factor‐free differentiation approach is achieved through interplay of pO2, medium pH, and systematic differentiation regimes. The controlled dynamic niches have recapitulated endochondral ossification and can potentially be exploited to derive larger bone constructs with near physiological properties.
Quartz Crystal Microbalance Detection of Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase-1 Based on GNRs Signal Amplification.

Recent findings have thrust poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) into the limelight as potential biomarker and chemotherapeutic target for cancer. Thus, a sensitive method for detection of PARP-1 is necessary for early diagnosis of cancer and drug development. However, the poor electrochemical and optical activity of PARP-1 and its product PAR limited researchers to develop more methods. Here, we developed an efficient method for the determination of PARP-1 by using quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) since it is mass-sensitive. Once activated by the specific DNA, PARP-1 cleaves nicotinamideadenine dinucleotide (NAD+) into nicotinamide and ADP-ribose to synthesize a hyper-branched poly (ADP-ribose) polymer (PAR). Although QCM is mass-sensitive, it is not sensitive enough to discern PAR effectively. So, positively charged CTAB-coated GNRs were introduced to increase the frequency change significantly because of the strong electrostatic interaction between them with negatively charged PAR. PARP-1 ranging from 0.06 nM to 3 nM can be facilely detected with a low detection limit of 0.04 nM. The strategy has been used to evaluate PARP-1 inhibitors and to detect PARP-1 activity in real cancer cells lysate with satisfactory results, indicating that it was a promising candidate for clinical diagnosis and drug screening in the future.
On the method of revealing enamel structure by acid etching. Aspects of optimization and interpretation

The study aimed at finding an optimal combination of acid concentration and etching time when nitric acid is used as etchant for the study of the finer details of human dental enamel structure. Four hundred 2–3‐mm‐thick segments of facio‐lingually sectioned human third molar crowns were assigned to 20 groups with 20 specimens in each group, each group differing with respect to acid concentration (0.1, 1, 2.5, and 5%) and etching time (15, 30, 45, 90, and 180 s). After etching and preparation, specimens were observed in the scanning electron microscope (SEM). Surface roughness/topography increased with increasing acid concentration and increasing etching time, but not in a linear fashion; generally, prisms tended to go from flat‐surfaced to cone‐shaped and prism sheaths from fissure‐like to wedge‐shaped. Intragroup variations and intergroup similarities were considerable. The two major enamel factors determining the etch effect are crystal orientation and prism sheath properties. Other factors, such as distribution of porosities and crystal quality, also contribute probably. Slight to moderate topography is best for observing the finer enamel structure, for example, etching with concentrations in the range 0.1–1% and with etching times in the range 15–90 s, the stronger the acid, the shorter the time. The depth effect of nitric acid is judged to be relatively small. Considerable variations in expression of prism cross‐striations were observed. SEM observations of acid‐etched enamel in carefully selected planes are a powerful method for the study of enamel structure, bearing in mind the artifactual aspects of the observed surface.
Cigarette prices in a complex cigarette tax system: empirical evidence from Indonesia

Background The complex cigarette tax system in Indonesia has created the opportunity for cigarette producers to avoid tax, which results in affordable cigarette prices. In addition to increasing cigarette tax every year, the government has adopted several policies to increase cigarette prices, such as reducing the number of tiers and applying cigarette tax based on the combined production of affiliated companies (ie, firms with a minimum 10% ownership of another cigarette company, sharing the same boards of commissioners or using input from other tobacco companies, in which a firm has at least 10% ownership). Objective To investigate the effect of cigarette tax, affiliated company rules and changes in the number of tiers on cigarette prices produced in Indonesia. Method Using brand level data from 2005 to 2017, we model cigarette prices as a function of cigarette tax, affiliated company rules, number of tiers, cigarette types and cigarette tax system using random effect and fixed effect estimations. Finding We find that a percentage increase in cigarette tax increases cigarette prices by less than 1% for all cigarette types. The implementation of affiliated company rules is effective in increasing cigarette prices for both affiliated and non-affiliated firms. We also find that a fewer number of tiers are associated with a higher cigarette price. Our results suggest that a reduction in the number of tiers will increase the effectiveness of a specific tax system in making cigarettes less affordable.
Intermittent hypoxia: friend or foe?

Laı́sa de Arruda Silva, Priscila Raulickis de Melo and Ana Luiza Carrari Sayegh Pulmonary Function and Clinical Exercise Physiology Unit, Department of Medicine, Federal University of Sao Paulo – UNIFESP, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil Physical Therapy Department, Dante Pazzanese Cardiology Institute, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil Physical Therapy Department, United Metropolitan Faculty University Center (UniFMU), Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
Drug-resistant bacteria on hands of healthcare workers and in the patient area: an environmental survey in Southern Italy’s hospital

ABSTRACT Background The WHO recognized antimicrobial resistance as a growing global health threat with a wide variability across Europe: in Italy these rates are higher than in other countries. The aim of our study was to detect antimicrobial resistance on the hands of healthcare workers and on surfaces around the patient, to assess the variability between levels of bacterial contamination on these surfaces and to compare the results with those achieved six years ago. Material and methods The study was conducted from June 2017 to May 2018 using contact slides for surfaces and active sampling for air. We used automated biochemical methods to identify microorganisms; antibiograms were performed in compliance with the EUCAST expert rules. Results We analyzed 3,760 samples, 16.17% were found positive and 34 % of these were antimicrobial-resistant. On analyzing the isolated Staphylococci, 39% were multidrugresistant and 5% extensively drug-resistant. A 30% of the Enterococcus faecalis isolates were resistant to gentamycin and vancomycin. We found Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates resistant to ceftriaxone, cefoxitin, mecillinam and imipenem. A 7% and 8% of the Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates, respectively, were resistant to gentamicin, imipenem, and ceftazidime Conclusions These findings are in line with the international literature, confirming that antimicrobial resistance is also steadily growing in Italy with rates varied for the different pathogens.
Cucumber Mildew Resistance Locus O Interacts with Calmodulin and Regulates Plant Cell Death Associated with Plant Immunity

Pathogen-induced cell death is closely related to plant disease susceptibility and resistance. The cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) mildew resistance locus O (CsMLO1) and calmodulin (CsCaM3) genes, as molecular components, are linked to nonhost resistance and hypersensitive cell death. In this study, we demonstrate that CsMLO1 interacts with CsCaM3 via yeast two-hybrid, firefly luciferase (LUC) complementation and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) experiments. A subcellular localization analysis of green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion reveals that CsCaM3 is transferred from the cytoplasm to the plasma membrane in Nicotiana benthamiana, and CsCaM3 green fluorescence is significantly attenuated via the coexpression of CsMLO1 and CsCaM3. CsMLO1 negatively regulates CsCaM3 expression in transiently transformed cucumbers, and hypersensitive cell death is disrupted by CsCaM3 and/or CsMLO1 expression under Corynespora cassiicola infection. Additionally, CsMLO1 silencing significantly enhances the expression of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-related genes (CsPO1, CsRbohD, and CsRbohF), defense marker genes (CsPR1 and CsPR3) and callose deposition-related gene (CsGSL) in infected cucumbers. These results suggest that the interaction of CsMLO1 with CsCaM3 may act as a cell death regulator associated with plant immunity and disease.
Synthesis of Intelligent pH Indicative Films from Chitosan/Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Anthocyanin Extracted from Red Cabbage

In this study, pH indicative films were successfully synthesized from hydrogels made by blending 1% poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and 1% chitosan (CS) with anthocyanin (ATH) and sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP). Particularly, ATH extracted from red cabbage was used as the pH indicator, while STPP was utilized as the cross-linking agent to provide better mechanical properties of the cast films. FT-IR spectra confirmed the existence of the ATH in the cast films. Moreover, the tensile strength, the elongation-at-break, and the swelling indices of the cast films were measured. In general, these properties of pH indicative films were profoundly influenced by the compositions of PVA/CS and the STPP dosage applied in the hydrogels. For example, the tensile strength could change from 43.27 MPa on a film cast from pure PVA hydrogel to 29.89 MPa, if 35% of the PVA hydrogel was substituted with CS. The cast films were applied as a food wrap that could be used to monitor visually the quality of the enwrapped food via the color change of the film upon the variation in pH values of the enwrapped food. In practice, a sequential change in color was successfully observed on the pH indicative films partially enwrapping the pork belly, indicating the spoilage of the meat.
Systematic Literature Review of the Take-Home Route of Pesticide Exposure via Biomonitoring and Environmental Monitoring

Background: Exposure to pesticides via take-home can be an important pathway for farmworkers’ families. Objective: The aim of this review was to summarize and analyze the literature published during the last decade of exposure to pesticides via take-home pathway in farmworkers’ families. Methods: We conducted a systematic review to identify peer-reviewed articles of interest; only articles related to take-home pathway that included some sort of pesticide monitoring were considered for inclusion. Systematic reviews, literature reviews, and meta-analyses were excluded, resulting in a total of 39 articles elected for analysis. The articles were summarized based on the location of the study, population (sample size), pesticide analyzed, and type of sample. Results: The majority of the reviewed studies were conducted in the U.S., but there seems to be an increase in literature on pesticide take-home pathway in developing countries. Most of the articles provided evidence that farmworkers’ families are exposed to pesticides at higher levels than non-farmworkers’ families. The levels may depend on several factors such as seasonality, parental occupation, cohabitation with a farmworker, behavior at work/home, age, and gender. Community-based interventions disrupting the take-home pathway seem to be effective at reducing pesticide exposure. Discussion/Conclusion: The take-home pathway is an important contributor to overall residential exposures, but other pathways such as pesticide drift, indoor-residential applications, and dietary intake need to be considered. A more comprehensive exposure assessment approach is necessary to better understand exposures to pesticides.
Comparative genomics reveals unique wood-decay strategies and fruiting body development in the Schizophyllaceae.

Agaricomycetes are fruiting body forming fungi that produce some of the most efficient enzyme systems to degrade wood. Despite decades-long interest in their biology, the evolution and functional diversity of both wood-decay and fruiting body formation are incompletely known. We performed comparative genomic and transcriptomic analyses of wood-decay and fruiting body development in Auriculariopsis ampla and Schizophyllum commune (Schizophyllaceae), species with secondarily simplified morphologies, an enigmatic wood-decay strategy and weak pathogenicity to woody plants. The plant cell wall degrading enzyme repertoires of Schizophyllaceae are transitional between those of white rot species and less efficient wood-degraders such as brown rot or mycorrhizal fungi. Rich repertoires of suberinase and tannase genes were found in both species, with tannases restricted to Agaricomycetes that preferentially colonize bark-covered wood, suggesting potential complementation of their weaker wood-decaying abilities and adaptations to wood colonization through the bark. Fruiting body transcriptomes revealed a high rate of divergence in developmental gene expression, but also several genes with conserved expression patterns, including novel transcription factors and small-secreted proteins, some of the latter might represent fruiting body effectors. Taken together, our analyses highlighted novel aspects of wood-decay and fruiting body development in an important family of mushroom-forming fungi. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Highly Propylene-Selective Mixed-Matrix Membranes by In-situ MOF Formation Using a Polymer-Modification Strategy.

Despite the potentials of C3H6/C3H8 separation, there have been no industrial applications of ZIF-8 mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs) due to the moderate separation performances and several challenging processing issues. Herein, we present a new paradigm of MMM fabrication, named polymer-modification-enabled in-situ metal-organic framework formation (PMMOF), enabling in-situ formation of ZIF-8 nanocrystals inside 6FDA-DAM polymer. PMMOF consists of four steps including hydrolysis of polymer, ion-exchange, ligand treatment, and imidization. Each step was thoroughly analyzed and important processing parameters were identified, enabling the structural control of MMMs by PMMOF. The binary C3H6/C3H8 separation performance of the MMMs showed much higher separation factors than conventionally-prepared MMMs at similar filler loadings, satisfying the commercial C3H6/C3H8 separation performance criteria. PMMOF was successfully applied for other MOFs, demonstrating the process could be general. Finally, as a proof-of-concept, asymmetric mixed-matrix hollow fiber membranes with ultrathin selective skin layers were prepared by PMMOF, showing promising C3H6/C3H8 separation performances.