Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A survey of Scottish primary care dental practitioners' oral cancer-related practices and training requirements.

OBJECTIVE The study sought to investigate current examination habits and preventive practices of Scottish dental primary care professionals, with respect to oral cancer, and to determine any training needs of these practitioners in relation to the disease. BASIC RESEARCH DESIGN A questionnaire was sent to a random sample of 331 general dental practitioners and community dental officers throughout Scotland, achieving an overall response rate of 68%. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The study investigated examination and health promotion practices in relation to oral cancer. Confidence in, and barriers to, participating in these activities were studied, and information sought both on past training and future education needs regarding oral cancer. RESULTS Although 58% of respondents reported examining regularly for signs of oral cancer in those aged >16 years, 63% indicated they felt less than confident in detecting oral cancer, with only 43% expressing confidence about discussing suspicious findings with patients. Practitioners were well aware of the importance of smoking and alcohol as risk factors, but had mixed views on the health-promoting role of the dentist regarding these issues. Furthermore, while only 3% reported training on these topics, over half expressed a desire to develop appropriate counselling skills. Overall, 87% and 79% of respondents wanted further training in oral cancer detection and prevention, respectively. CONCLUSION The study indicated a need for continuing education programmes for dental primary care practitioners in oral cancer-related activities. Postgraduate education, utilising a variety of media formats, should aim to improve diagnostic skills and seek to increase practitioners' participation in both smoking and alcohol counselling.
Evaluation of Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1α and Glucose Transporter-1 Expression in Non Melanoma Skin Cancer: An Immunohistochemical Study.

INTRODUCTION Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1 (HIF-1) is a mediator enabling cell adaptation to hypoxia. It plays its role mainly through transcription of many target genes including Glucose Transporter-1 (GLUT-1) gene. AIM The present work aimed at evaluating the pattern and distribution of HIF-1α and GLUT-1 in each case and control. MATERIALS AND METHODS A case-control and retrospective study was conducted on archival blocks diagnosed from pathology department as, Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC, 20 cases), cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC, 20 cases) and 20 normal site-matched skin biopsies from age and gender-matched healthy subjects as a control. Evaluation of both HIF-1α and GLUT1 expression using standard immunohistochemical techniques was performed on cut sections from selected paraffin embedded blocks. RESULTS HIF-1α was expressed in 90%, 35% and 100% of normal skin, BCC and SCC tumour islands respectively. It was up regulated in both BCC and SCC compared with normal skin (p= 0.001, p<0.001 respectively). GLUT-1 was expressed in 100%, 70% and 100% of normal skin, BCC and SCC tumour islands respectively. It was down regulated in Non Melanoma Skin Cancer (NMSC) cases compared with normal skin (p=0.004). HIF-1α and GLUT-1 localization in tumour nests was central, peripheral or central and peripheral. Both HIF-1α and GLUT-1 showed variable expression in stroma, adnexa and inflammatory cells. No significant correlation was found between Histo (H) score or expression percentage values of HIF-1α and those of GLUT-1 in tumour islands or in overlying epidermis either in BCC or SCC. CONCLUSION HIF-1α may have a role in NMSC pathogenesis through adaptation to hypoxia which results from excessive proliferation. GLUT-1 down regulation in NMSC may be explained by its consumption by proliferating tumour cells. The expression of HIF-1α and GLUT-1 in normal epidermis, stromal and adnexal structures needs further research.
Global stabilization of cascade systems by C0 partial-state feedback

This paper shows how the nonsmooth but continuous feedback design approach developed recently for global stabilization of nonlinear systems with uncontrollable unstable linearization, and the notion and properties of the input-to-state stability Lyapunov function can be effectively coupled, resulting in globally stabilizing C/sup 0/ partial-state feedback controllers for a class of cascade systems which may not be smoothly stabilizable, even locally.
[A study on the membrane Na+ efflux of pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH)].

In order to elucidate the mechanism of pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) from the point of view of vascular resistance, we measured the intracellular Na+ concentrations and the membrane Na+ effluxes using red blood cells from normal pregnant females and patients with PIH. We also discussed the influences of hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHAS), hydrocortisol, human placental lactogen (hPL), human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), and prolactin and parathyroid hormone (PTH) on the membrane Na+ effluxes. The intracellular Na+ concentrations were lower and the Na+-K+-ATPase activities were slightly higher both in the luteal phase and in the first trimester of normal pregnancy than those in the follicular phase, after which the former gradually increased and the latter gradually decreased until term to the mean values of those in the whole menstrual period. In mild PIH, the intracellular Na+ concentrations were not significantly increased, and the Na+-K+-ATPase activities were significantly increased compared to those in the third trimester of normal pregnancy, which suggests the compensatory increase of the Na+-K+-ATPase activities as opposed to the increase of the intracellular Na+ concentrations. In severe PIH, the intracellular Na+ concentrations were significantly increased compared with those in the third trimester of normal pregnancy and slightly increased compared with those in mild PIH, whereas the Na+-K+-ATPase activities were slightly decreased compared with those in mild PIH, which indicates a breakdown of the compensatory increase of the Na+-K+-ATPase activities. The intracellular Na+ concentrations in PIH are significantly correlated to diastolic pressure, systolic pressure and mean blood pressure. When the male red blood cells were incubated with the hormone, dose-dependently the Na+-K+-ATPase activities were significantly elevated by hydrocortisol and slightly elevated by progesterone and hPL, and they were significantly depressed by estrogen and prolactin and slightly depressed by PTH. These results suggest that the peripheral vascular resistance might be increased in the third trimester of normal pregnancy compared with that in the first trimester because the intracellular Na+ concentrations were elevated, and the Na+-K+-ATPase activities in the cell membrane were decreased along the course of pregnancy as a result of the effects of various hormones in the maternal blood. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Genetic Variants of the Bile Salt Export Pump: Inducers and Modifiers of Liver Diseases

The bile salt export pump (BSEP, ABCB11) is the major transporter protein for the excretion of bile salts into bile. Here we describe a spectrum of BSEP-dependent effects on the course of liver diseases, and present two mutations that differentially affect total bile acid output and the biliary bile acid profile. According to the clinical course of affected children, low bile acid output but a normal profile was less harmful than higher output in combination with changes in the ratio of chenodeoxycholic acid to cholic acid. On the other hand, the common BSEP polymorphism V444A (c.1331T>C; allele frequency 65%) emerged as an independent predictor of the success rate in patients with chronic hepatitis C treated with pegylated interferon/ribavirin. This association between bile acid transport and hepatitis C may be due to interference of bile acids with viral replication, interferon signaling or antiviral proteins.
Quantitative Analysis of Lysobacter Predation

ABSTRACT Bacteria of the genus Lysobacter are considered to be facultative predators that use a feeding strategy similar to that of myxobacteria. Experimental data supporting this assumption, however, are scarce. Therefore, the predatory activities of three Lysobacter species were tested in the prey spot plate assay and in the lawn predation assay, which are commonly used to analyze myxobacterial predation. Surprisingly, only one of the tested Lysobacter species showed predatory behavior in the two assays. This result suggested that not all Lysobacter strains are predatory or, alternatively, that the assays were not appropriate for determining the predatory potential of this bacterial group. To differentiate between the two scenarios, predation was tested in a CFU-based bioassay. For this purpose, defined numbers of Lysobacter cells were mixed together with potential prey bacteria featuring phenotypic markers, such as distinctive pigmentation or antibiotic resistance. After 24 h, cocultivated cells were streaked out on agar plates and sizes of bacterial populations were individually determined by counting the respective colonies. Using the CFU-based predation assay, we observed that Lysobacter spp. strongly antagonized other bacteria under nutrient-deficient conditions. Simultaneously, the Lysobacter population was increasing, which together with the killing of the cocultured bacteria indicated predation. Variation of the predator/prey ratio revealed that all three Lysobacter species tested needed to outnumber their prey for efficient predation, suggesting that they exclusively practiced group predation. In summary, the CFU-based predation assay not only enabled the quantification of prey killing and consumption by Lysobacter spp. but also provided insights into their mode of predation.
Instrumental ideation in delay of gratification.

MIsCHEL, WALTER, and UNDERWOOD, BxLL. Instrumental Ideation in Delay of Gratification. CmLD DEVELOPMENT, 1974, 45, 1083-1088. While waiting in a delay-of-gratification paradigm, preschool children were shown objects that were either the rewards in the delay-of-reward situation or irrelevant to the delay contingency. All children were encouraged to ideate about the objects while waiting. They either were led to believe that ideating about the objects would help terminate the delay period (instrumental ideation) or were not led to think that their ideation would affect the delay time (noninstrumental ideation). As expected, children were able to wait longer in the instrumental ideation condition than in the noninstrumental ideation condition. Most important, this increased waiting occurred only when the reward objects in the delay contingency were the focus of ideation and not when the ideated objects were irrelevant to the delay contingency. Finally, a significant effect was found for sex (girls waited longer) but not for age. The findings were discussed in light of prior experimental and theoretical work on the specific relationship between cognitive activity and delay of gratification.
Meropenem: clinical response in relation to in vitro susceptibility.

OBJECTIVE To collate the clinical response and pathogen eradication rates for meropenem monotherapy with in vitro susceptibility of the causative pathogens. METHODS Data were compiled from 17 randomized clinical studies that compared meropenem monotherapy with standard treatment options, often combinations. A total of 4906 pathogens from lower respiratory tract, intra-abdominal, obstetric/gynecological, skin/soft tissue, meningitis, or pediatric infections were assessed. Of these, 3713 pathogens (1963 meropenem, 1750 comparators) were evaluable. RESULTS The overall rates of satisfactory clinical response (cure or improvement) and pathogen eradication (eradication or presumed eradication) at the end of therapy were similar with meropenem (93% for both responses) and the comparators (92%), as were the rates in each infection type. For each pathogen, the clinical response and eradication rates with meropenem were similar across the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) range of < or = 0.25 to 4 mg/L. Overall, a satisfactory clinical response occurred in 93% (1580 of 1708) of infections caused by nonfastidious pathogens with MICs < or = 4 mg/L and in 84% (16 of 19) of those with an MIC of 8 mg/L. Pathogen eradication rates were similar (93 and 79%, respectively). A similar profile was observed for fastidious pathogens. The high rates of satisfactory clinical response and pathogen eradication produced by meropenem in each type of infection were generally independent of the causative pathogen, whether Gram-positive or -negative aerobe or anaerobe or when occurring as mono- or polymicrobial infections. CONCLUSIONS The attractive in vitro profile of meropenem translates into good clinical efficacy. The National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards has now defined meropenem MIC breakpoints for nonfastidious aerobes or anaerobes as < or = 4 (susceptible), 8 (intermediate) and > or = 16 mg/L (resistant), respectively. The susceptibility breakpoint for Streptococcus spp. (excluding Streptococcus pneumoniae) is < or = 0.5 mg/L and, since meropenem is indicated for the treatment of meningitis, the susceptibility breakpoint for S. pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae is < or = 0.25 and < or = 0.5 mg/L, respectively. Meropenem monotherapy is therefore a valid option for the initial empirical treatment of a range of serious infections caused by single or multiple bacterial pathogens.
BİYOLOJİ ÖĞRETMENİ ADAYLARININ ÇEVRE OKURYAZARLIKLARININ FARKLI DEĞİŞKENLER AÇISINDAN İNCELENMESİ

Yapilan bu calismada universiteye yeni baslayan biyoloji ogretmeni adaylarinin cevre okuryazarliklarinin cinsiyet, yas, aylik gelir, anne ve babanin egitim durumu, yasanilan yerlesim birimi ve cevreyle ilgili bilgileri edinmek icin kullandiklari bilgi kaynaklari acisindan degerlendirilmesi amaclanmistir. Calisma Ataturk Universitesi Kazim Karabekir Egitim Fakultesi Biyoloji Ogretmenligi Anabilim Dali'na yeni baslayan birinci sinif ogrencileri ile yurutulmustur. Calismanin orneklemini 60 biyoloji ogretmeni adayi olusturmaktadir. Calismada betimsel arastirma yontemi kullanilmistir. Calismanin verileri cevresel bilgi, cevreye yonelik tutum, cevresel davranis ve cevresel algi alt boyutlarindan olusan Cevre Okuryazarligi Olcegi kullanilarak toplanmistir. Calisma sonunda biyoloji ogretmenligi anabilim dali'na yeni baslayan ogretmen adaylarinin cevre okuryazarliklarinin orta duzeyde oldugu tespit edilmistir. Ogretmen adaylarinin cevre okuryazarliginin cevresel bilgi alt boyutunda adaylarin yaslarina gore anlamli bir farklilik oldugu belirlenmistir (p 0.05). Anahtar kelimeler: Cevre okuryazarligi, biyoloji ogretmeni adayi, Turkiye
Influência do tipo de membrana de hemodiálise e da sua reutilização nos marcadores de estresse oxidativo

Neste trabalho, foram investigados os efeitos do tipo de membrana de hemodialise (HD) e da sua reutilizacao, bem como os efeitos da sessao de HD nos marcadores de estresse oxidativo. Pacientes com insuficiencia renal cronica que realizavam HD tres vezes por semana foram divididos em dois grupos, de acordo com o tipo de membrana usada (membrana de acetato de celulose (AC) X membrana de polisulfona (PS)). Todos os pacientes participaram dos dois grupos e usaram os dois tipos de membrana. Para analise dos parâmetros, amostras de sangue foram coletadas antes e apos a sessao de HD, no 1o uso, 6o e 12o reuso das membranas. Os parâmetros indicadores de estresse oxidativo analisados foram: especies reativas ao acido tiobarbiturico (TBARS), especies reativas a diclorofluoresceina (DRS), carbonilacao de proteinas, antioxidantes enzimaticos (catalase, superoxido dismutase e glutationa peroxidase (GSH-Px)) e antioxidantes nao-enzimaticos (grupos tiois proteicos (PSH), grupos tiois nao-proteicos (NPSH) e vitamina C). Os resultados demonstraram que nao houve diferenca significativa nos marcadores do estresse oxidativo entre as duas membranas usadas. Entretanto, houve um aumento dos niveis de TBARS apos a sessao de HD (no 1o uso e no 6o reuso), de DRS (6o e 12o reuso), de PSH (em todos os usos), de NPSH (1o uso e 6o reuso), da atividade da GSH-Px (no 12o reuso) e uma diminuicao dos niveis de vitamina C apos a sessao de HD (em todos os usos). A reutilizacao das membranas contribuiu para o aumento dos niveis de PSH, para a diminuicao dos niveis de NPSH e diminuiu os efeitos da sessao de HD sobre os niveis de TBARS. Portanto, os resultados obtidos neste estudo sugerem que HD com membrana de AC ou de PS nao interfere de forma diferente nos marcadores de estresse oxidativo. Entretanto, a sessao de HD pode contribuir para o aumento da geracao de estresse oxidativo e a reutilizacao dos dialisadores parece ser eficiente como forma de reducao da peroxidacao lipidica nos pacientes em HD
“DAMAGED GOODS”

And how this book will influence you to do better future? It will relate to how the readers will get the lessons that are coming. As known, commonly many people will believe that reading can be an entrance to enter the new perception. The perception will influence how you step you life. Even that is difficult enough; people with high sprit may not feel bored or give up realizing that concept. It's what damaged goods will give the thoughts for you.
Autoeficacia académica: un factor determinante para el ajuste académico en la vida universitaria

The transition from high school to college studies can cause a series of emotional and behavioral changes in young people in the search of an adaptation to the new conditions and demands that the dynamics of life in the university imply. In this sense, academic adjustment, has become a variable of special interest in various studies. This research analyzes the relationship between the perception of academic self-efficacy and the level of academic adjustment, under the premise that self-efficacy will identify the ideas that students may have of their own abilities to function effectively and efficiently in academic activities. This study was carried out with a quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional approach and its scope is correlational. The questionnaire used (University Life Questionnaire adapted from Perez and Diaz, 2017) was applied to a sample of 1192 students of first and second semester of the Universidad Tecnica del Norte, located in Ibarra, Ecuador. By using the SPSS.22 statistical software, results are obtained which point out that there is a positive (r =, 408 **) and statistically significant (p <0.001) correlation between academic self-efficacy and academic adjustment. It can be concluded that academic self-efficacy is a perceptive skill - which when it is well developed and assimilated - can generate an adequate psychological basis in students enabling them to have a good academic adjustment in the university life. The factors that allow this development are: on the one hand, external-type ones (family, society), and, on the other hand, internal-type factors such as strengthening- and sustaining-arguments (self-esteem, self-concept)
Systematic environmental influences and variances due to direct and maternal effects and trends for yearling weight in cattle

Pedigree yearling records from 1021 local Tuli calves born at Matopos Research Station were analyzed for non genetic factors, genetic parameers and trends on the yearling weight. It was found that sre year of brth, sex of calf age of dam had sgnfcant effect (p Keywords: Non genetic, Direct, Maternal trends, Yearling weight, Growth traits, Tuli cattle
Circulating Monocytes Are Reduced by Sphingosine-1-Phosphate Receptor Modulators Independently of S1P3

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptors are critical for lymphocyte egress from secondary lymphoid organs, and S1P receptor modulators suppress lymphocyte circulation. However, the role of S1P receptors on monocytes is less clear. To elucidate this, we systematically evaluated monocytes in rats and mice, both in naive and inflammatory conditions, with S1P receptor modulators FTY720 and BAF312. We demonstrate that S1P receptor modulators reduce circulating monocytes in a similar time course as lymphocytes. Furthermore, total monocyte numbers were increased in the spleen and bone marrow, suggesting that S1P receptor modulation restricts egress from hematopoietic organs. Monocytes treated ex vivo with FTY720 had reduced CD40 expression and TNF-α production, suggesting a direct effect on monocyte activation. Similar reductions in protein expression and cytokine production were also found in vivo. Suppression of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in mice and rats by FTY720 correlated with reduced numbers of lymphocytes and monocytes. These effects on monocytes were independent of S1P3, as treatment with BAF312, a S1P1,4,5 modulator, led to similar results. These data reveal a novel role for S1P receptors on monocytes and offer additional insights on the mechanism of action of S1P receptor modulators in disease.
Enhancement of anaerobic digestion of grass by pretreatment with imidazolium-based ionic liquids

ABSTRACT In this work, the toxicity of imidazolium-based ionic liquids (ILs) and the enhancement of high-solid anaerobic digestion by pretreatment were studied. Compared with [Bmim]Cl, [Bmim]OAc and [Bmim]BF4, [Bmim]PF6 had the highest toxicity. When the mass ratio of [Bmim]PF6 to grass was higher than 1:10, biogas was not produced within 30 days. The ability to remove lignin and hemicellulose followed the sequence of [Bmim]OAc, [Bmim]Cl, [Bmim]BF4 and [Bmim]PF6. The crystallinity index of grass pretreated with [Bmim]OAc, [Bmim]Cl, [Bmim]BF4 and [Bmim]PF6 reduced by 73.83%, 54.44%, 17.52% and 7.47%, respectively. The pretreatment with ILs enhanced the methane yield of grass by reducing crystallinity and particle size. The grass pretreated with [Bmim]OAc had the highest methane yield, about 221 mL/g volatile solids, due to its good lignin removal ability and relative low toxicity. After 10 times recycling, the cumulative methane yield of grass pretreated by recycled [Bmim]OAc decreased by 11.95%.
Mesenchymal stem cell modification of endothelial matrix regulates their vascular differentiation

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) respond to a variety of differentiation signal provided by their local environments. A large portion of these signals originate from the extracellular matrix (ECM). At the same time, MSCs secrete various matrix‐altering agents, including proteases, that alter ECM‐encoded differentiation signals. Here we investigated the interactions between MSC and ECM produced by endothelial cells (EC‐matrix), focusing not only on the differentiation signals provided by EC‐matrix, but also on MSC‐alteration of these signals and the resultant affects on MSC differentiation. MSCs were cultured on EC‐matrix modified in one of three distinct ways. First, MSCs cultured on native EC‐matrix underwent endothelial cell (EC) differentiation early during the culture period and smooth muscle cell (SMC) differentiation at later time points. Second, MSCs cultured on crosslinked EC‐matrix, which is resistant to MSC modification, differentiated towards an EC lineage only. Third, MSCs cultured on EC‐matrix pre‐modified by MSCs underwent SMC‐differentiation only. These MSC‐induced matrix alterations were found to deplete the factors responsible for EC‐differentiation, yet activate the SMC‐differentiation factors. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that the EC‐matrix contains factors that support MSC differentiation into both ECs and SMCs, and that these factors are modified by MSC‐secreted agents. By analyzing the framework by which EC‐matrix regulates differentiation in MSCs, we have uncovered evidence of a feedback system in which MSCs are able to alter the very matrix signals acting upon them. J. Cell. Biochem. 107: 706–713, 2009. Published 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.