Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bilateral and multicystic major salivary gland disease: a rare presentation of primary Sjögren's syndrome

Abstract We present a case of a 15-year-old girl with bilateral parotid and sub-mandibular salivary gland enlargement as the sole presentation of primary Sjögren's syndrome. The clinical, radiological, immunological and pathological features have been discussed. The relevant literature has been reviewed. To our knowledge this is the only reported case of Sjögren's syndrome presenting as multicystic disease with bilateral major salivary gland involvement.
The Influence of Screw Geometry on Hamstring Tendon Interference Fit Fixation

We used a standardized model of calf tibial bone to investigate the influence of screw diameter and length on interference fit fixation of a three-stranded semitendinosus tendon graft for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Biodegradable poly-(L-lactide) interference screws with a diameter of 7, 8, and 9 mm and a length of 23 and 28 mm were used. We examined results in three groups of 10 specimens each: group 1, screw diameter equaled graft diameter and screw length was 23 mm; group 2, screw diameter equaled graft diameter plus 1 mm and screw length was 23 mm; group 3, screw diameter equaled graft diameter and screw length was 28 mm. The mean pull-out forces in groups 1, 2, and 3 were 367.2 78 N, 479.1 111.1 N, and 537.4 139.1 N, respectively. The force data from groups 2 and 3 were significantly higher than those from group 1. These results indicate that screw geometry has a significant influence on hamstring tendon interference fit fixation. Increasing screw length improves fixation strength more than oversizing the screw diameter. This is important, especially for increasing tibial fixation strength because the tibial graft fixation site has been considered to be the weak link of such a reconstruction.
"Euch, those are for your husband!" examination of cultural values and assumptions associated with breast-feeding.

Examination of the assumptions underlying research and educational resources on breast-feeding reveals bias and a lack of data to substantiate perceived facts. In this paper four methods of examining research to assist in identifying assumptions and bias in breast-feeding research are presented. Four methods are (a) examining past research, (b) examining cross-cultural research, (c) asking anthropological questions, and (d) using inductive research techniques to reexamine the problem. Such techniques reveal new insights and permit the identification of new directions for breast-feeding research.
Serum miR-200 c expression level as a prognostic biomarker for gastric cancer

The aim of the present study was to analyze the serum expression level of microRNA-200c (miR-200c) in gastric cancer (GC) patients and to determine the relationship between this expression and clinicopathological features and survival. Serum samples were obtained from 98 patients with GC between February 2008 and January 2013. Quantitative RT-PCR was used to assess miR-200c expression levels in serum samples. Survival curves were plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method, and differences between survival curves were compared by the log rank test. The Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to analyze the risk factors for GC. Relative serum miR-200c level was found to be significantly higher in patients with GC than healthy controls. Mean serum miR-200c level was 97.43 ± 26.16 in the GC group and 20.79 ± 14.61 in the control group (P < 0.0001). Serum miR-200c level was also significantly associated with tumor grade (P = 0.01) and TNM stage (P = 0.009). Kaplan-Meier survival curves demonstrated that the overall survival rate was significantly lower in the patients with high serum miR-200c level than in those with low levels (27.9 vs 55.9%, P = 0.007). In addition, 15914 H. -P. Zhang et al. ©FUNPEC-RP www.funpecrp. com.br Genetics and Molecular Research 14 (4): 15913-15920 (2015) multivariate analysis confirmed that the hazard risk (HR) of death was significantly higher in patients with high serum miR-200c expression levels compared with low expression levels (HR = 4.01, 95%CI = 2.67-10.02, P = 0.006). The relative expression of serum miR-200c in GC patients was significantly higher compared to healthy controls, and it may prove to be useful in assessing the prognosis of GC.
Serum leptin levels in acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND Several studies have shown an association of serum leptin levels with cardiovascular diseases. The present study was undertaken to assess levels of serum leptin in patients presenting with acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction. METHODS AND RESULTS Ninety-four consecutive patients presenting with acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction were studied and 46 controls were taken from patients who presented with chest pain but had no history of myocardial infarction in the past. There were 59 patients with anterior wall infarction and 31 had inferior wall infarction and in 4 it was a combination of anterior and inferior wall infarction. The serum leptin levels in patients with myocardial infarction was 6.51 +/- 6.76 ng/ml versus 2.86 +/- 2.22 ng/ml in controls. In the multivariate analysis the odds ratio for serum leptin with myocardial infarction was 1.45 with a 95% confidence interval of 1.2 to 1.8. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that serum leptin level is elevated in patients with acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction.
SOLID PEROXIDE STIMULATED PHENANTHRENE REMOVAL FROM CONTAMINATED RIVER SEDIMENT

By Katherine Stuart Schaffnit, M.S. Washington State University December 2009 Chair: Jeremy A. Rentz While extensive data are available regarding polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination in soils, far fewer studies have been dedicated to PAH contaminated sediments. Because current treatment options for PAH contaminated sediments are expensive and invasive, bioremediation provides a more cost effective treatment strategy. A variety of naturally occurring soil bacteria are capable of degrading PAHs either through metabolism or cometabolism (Ri-He, Ai-Sheng et al. 2008), but their activities are largely limited by electron acceptor availability. Current research has indicated that both oxygen and nitrate addition are capable of enhancing in situ bioremediation, and the objective of this laboratory experiment was to stimulate aerobic PAH degradation in contaminated sediment through the addition of either solid oxygen release compounds (ORC®) or potassium nitrate crystals. Phenanthrene biodegradation in laboratory-contaminated sediment by aerobic microbes was significantly enhanced through solid magnesium peroxide cube (ORC ®) addition to both low organic content (LOC) and high organic content (HOC) sediments, eventually reaching 70% removal in LOC sediments and 51% in HOC sediments. Waters overlying LOC sediments were supersaturated
Unidirectional Sodium Flux in Small Intestine in Experimental Canine Cholera

The acute effects of cholera exotoxin on selected absorptive and secretory functions of the small intestine of the dog were studied before and during fluid production induced by cholera exotoxin. To minimize systemic fluid and electrolyte depletions and to permit serial observations, short Thirty-Vella loops of either jejunum or ileum were employed. The unidirectional sodium flux from lumen to blood was unchanged during exotoxin-induced fluid production. Sodium flux from blood to lumen, however, was markedly increased. Glucose absorption was unaltered. These observations in the dog indicate a preservation of the lumen to plasma flux of sodium and the absorption of glucose with an increased plasma to lumen flux of sodium associated with secretion of water and other electrolytes during cholera exotoxin fluid production. It is suggested that one of the principal actions of cholera exotoxin is to stimulate the movement of fluid and electrolytes into the intestinal lumen.
Delphinidin prevents disuse muscle atrophy and reduces stress-related gene expression

Delphinidin is a member of the anthocyanidin class of plant pigments. We examined the effects of delphinidin on muscle atrophy. Oral administration of delphinidin suppressed the muscle weight loss induced by mechanical unloading. Microarray analysis showed that delphinidin suppresses the upregulation of oxidative stress-related gene expression, including the expression of Cbl-b. Thus, delphinidin may prevent unloading-mediated muscle atrophy.
ROCK pathway participates in the processes that 15‐hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (15‐HETE) mediated the pulmonary vascular remodeling induced by hypoxia in rat

15‐Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (15‐HETE), a product of arachidonic acid (AA) catalyzed by 15‐lipoxygenase (15‐LO), plays an essential role in hypoxic pulmonary arterial hypertension. We have previously shown that 15‐HETE inhibits apoptosis in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs). To test the hypothesis that such an effect is attributable to the hypoxia‐induced pulmonary vascular remodeling (PVR), we performed these studies. We found subtle thickening of proximal media/adventitia of the pulmonary arteries (PA) in rats that had been exposed to hypoxia. This was associated with an up‐regulation of the anti‐apoptotic Bcl‐2 expression and down‐regulation of pro‐apoptotic caspase‐3 and Bax expression in PA homogenates. Nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA), which inhibits the generation of endogenous 15‐HETE, reversed all the alterations following hypoxia. In situ hybridization histochemistry and immunocytochemistry showed that the 15‐LO‐1 mRNA and protein were localized in pulmonary artery endothelial cells (PAECs), while the 15‐LO‐2 mRNA and protein were localized in both PAECs and PASMCs. Furthermore, the Rho‐kinase (ROCK) pathway was activated by both endogenous and exogenous 15‐HETE, alleviating the serum deprivation (SD)‐induced PASMC apoptosis. Thus, these findings indicate that 15‐HETE protects PASMC from apoptosis, contributing to pulmonary vascular medial thickening, and the effect is, at least in part, mediated via the ROCK pathway. J. Cell. Physiol. 222:82–94, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The MAP-SPACE denoising algorithm for noise robust speech recognition

We present a new and simple algorithm (MAP-SPACE) for robust speech recognition which can be seen as an hybrid approach between a denoising and an adaptation technique. This algorithm first models clean and noisy training speech using GMMs and then build a denoiser which depends only on the GMMs parameters. Given observations in a new environment, the noisy speech GMM is adapted and the parameters of the adapted GMM are then used in the denoiser to compute clean feature estimates. The MAP-SPACE algorithm requires in principle relatively few adaptation data, does not require transcription and does not make any assumption on the corrupting noise. We report preliminary experiments on the Aurora2 database. The results show that MAP-SPACE achieves very good performances, sometimes approaching those of the matched models, in both SNR and noise type mismatch conditions
Recent evidence on the effectiveness of prenatal care.

OBJECTIVE To assess the evidence of effectiveness of prenatal care. DESIGN A 2-day conference with commissioned papers with summary at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. OUTCOME MEASURES Effectiveness of prenatal care in preventing prematurity, intrauterine growth restriction, and birth defects and in improving women's health. CONCLUSIONS Current technology provides limited ability to prevent adverse fetal outcomes but may do much to ameliorate morbidity. However, the latter is not well assessed in data systems. In contrast, the opportunity to improve women's health appears much greater, but doing so is hampered by a number of structural and attitudinal barriers.
Myocardial Strain Characterization in Different Left Ventricular Adaptative Responses to High Blood Pressure: A Study Based on 3D‐Wall Motion Tracking Analysis

Background: High blood pressure increases left ventricular (LV) after‐load. Furthermore, LV response to that high blood pressure varies among different subjects. Nevertheless, myocardial deformation behavior in these different adaptative responses has not been analyzed until now. Methods: Prospective study in which 66 consecutive hypertensive patients were enrolled in between May and August 2009. Every patient underwent a standard echocardiographic study and a three‐dimensional‐wall motion tracking (3D‐WMT) study. The patients were classified according to parameters derived from echocardiography in four different groups: normal geometry, concentric remodelling, concentric hypertrophy, and eccentric hypertrophy. Results: Mean age was 68 years (57–74.25; 51.5% male). Comparing the four groups, significant differences were found for the five 3D‐WMT‐derived parameters. When patients were compared with hypertensive patients with normal geometry, our finding show that: (a) LV average torsion is the only impaired parameter that is found in the LV concentric remodelling group (P < 0.05 vs. group 1); (b) there is a trend for an increase (P = 0.055) in LV average radial strain in the group with concentric hypertrophy and this increase is accompanied by a significant decrease in the remaining studied parameters (P < 0.05); and (c) in the LV eccentric hypertrophy group, there is a significant impairment in all the studied parameters (P < 0.05). Conclusions: LV adaptative response to hypertension is accompanied by a modification or even impairment, in LV myocardial deformation evaluated by 3D‐WMT. This assessment might be useful to detect early and subtle deformation impairments in hypertensive patients and it could help optimize their clinical management. (Echocardiography 2010;27:1238‐1246)
Strategies for PCR based detection of Burkholderia pseudomallei DNA in paraffin wax embedded tissues

Recently, several cases of melioidosis imported to Europe have been reported. The diagnosis of the acute or chronic infection remains challenging. This report describes an optimised protocol for fast and reliable DNA preparation for use in two different polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays, namely: (1) a seminested PCR assay targeting a genus specific sequence of the ribosomal protein subunit 21 (rpsU) gene and (2) a nested PCR assay targeting the gene encoding the filament forming flagellin (fliC). Various strains of Burkholderia spp, strains of closely related genera, and spleen tissue samples of experimentally infected mice were investigated. The combination of PCR and sequencing of the amplicons resulted in high sensitivity and specificity. These procedures may allow rapid, sensitive, and reliable detection of B pseudomallei DNA in routinely formalin fixed and paraffin wax embedded samples, thus providing a safe diagnostic tool and avoiding the cultivation of a risk group 3 agent. In addition, this method could be useful for retrospective histopathological investigations.
Portuguese adults' physical activity during different periods of the year

Abstract This study aims to describe the daily physical activity (PA) of a sample of adults over the course of 1 year and to examine if there are any changes in achieving PA recommendations when assessed at different periods of the year. Participants, 257 women (age: 58.99±18.93 years, BMI: 26.75±4.57 kg m−2) and 178 men (age: 49.22±20.39 years, BMI: 26.81±3.51 kg m−2), wore an accelerometer 4–7 days. Periods of data collection were defined as T1 (September to December), T2 (January to April) and T3 (May to July). From T1 and T2, men from 20 to 39 years significantly increased values of daily average ct.min−1 (U=506, p=0.012), due to an increase in moderate-to-vigorous PA by 15.96 min (U=455, p=0.003). Achievement of the two PA recommendations varied throughout the year and among the gender/age groups. Results from this study showed that women generally maintain their level of PA throughout the year, whereas men show some variation, and that there are periods of the year when individuals are more likely to be involved in PA, or perform lower-intensity activities, especially older age groups. Also, recommendations of minimum PA are not accomplished in a constant way throughout the year. PA interventions should be conducted while being mindful of the time of year in which they will take place in order to help maintain a consistent PA level throughout the year to ensure health benefits from PA.
Increased follistatin levels after oral contraceptive treatment in obese and non-obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

BACKGROUND Follistatin levels have recently been considered as a marker for inflammation. Our objective was to evaluate the level of circulating follistatin and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) after oral contraceptive (OC) treatment. METHODS A total of 56 Taiwanese women with PCOS were enrolled in this prospective observational study in which they were treated for 3 months with OCs (ethinyl estradiol-cyproterone acetate). Blood samples were taken at baseline after treatment during the withdrawal bleed. Body mass index (BMI), lipid profiles, plasma follistatin, hsCRP, fasting glucose, insulin for the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and hormone profiles were measured and analyzed. RESULTS Total testosterone, free androgen index (FAI), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and estradiol levels were significantly lower, but total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides, circulating follistatin and hsCRP were significantly higher than baseline in women with PCOS after treatment with OCs. An elevation of fasting insulin, HOMA-IR and hsCRP after OC treatment was more evident in non-obese than obese women, whereas the elevation of follistatin was significant in both obese and non-obese women. Follistatin and hsCRP levels all showed significant correlations with each other at baseline and after treatment. The differences in follistatin and hsCRP levels from baseline to after OC treatment were significantly associated with the difference in triglyceride levels. CONCLUSIONS Both hsCRP and follistatin levels increase after OC treatment in women with PCOS. Follistatin seems more sensitive than hsCRP alone to represent the aggravated low-grade inflammatory status after OC treatment in obese and non-obese women with PCOS.
Angioid streaks are part of a familial syndrome of dyserythropoietic anaemia (CDA III)

Congenital dyserythropoietic anaemia type III (CDA III) is a rare disease inherited in an autosomal dominant way and characterized by mild to moderate haemolytic anaemia. Most patients are adapted to their disease and have no or few complaints. Bone marrow examination shows a characteristic picture with erythroid hyperplasia and multinucleate erythroblasts. 20% of patients in a Swedish family affected with the CDA III condition have monoclonal gammopathy or multiple myeloma. By linkage and recombination analysis in the same family, the gene linked to the CDA III condition (CDAN3) has been located to chromosome 15q22.
Research, part of a Special Feature on Resilience Through Multi-scalar Collaboration From Resilience to Transformation: the Adaptive Cycle in Two Mexican Urban Centers

Climate change is but one expression of the internal contradictions of capitalism that include also economic inequality and political alienation. Seen in this way analysis of human responses to climate change must engage with social relations of power. We explore the potential for resilience theory to meet this challenge by applying a framework that integrates the adaptive cycle heuristic and structuration theory to place power at the heart of the analysis and question the transformational qualities of social systems facing climate change. This theoretical frame is applied to Mahahual and Playa del Carmen, two rapidly expanding towns on Mexico's Caribbean coast. The resilience lens is successful in highlighting internal contradictions that maintain social relations of rigidity above flexibility in the existing governance regimes and development pathway. This generates a set of reinforcing institutions and actions that support the status quo while simultaneously undermining long-term flexibility, equitable and sustainable development. One outcome is the placing of limits on scope for adaptation and mitigation to climate change which are externalized from everyday life and development planning alike.
PILOT-SCALE NOx AND SOx REMOVAL FROM BOILER EMISSION USING RADICAL INJECTION AND CHEMICAL HYBRID PROCESS

The pilot-scale NOx and SOx simultaneous removal from boiler emission was performed using radical injection and chemical hybrid process. The radical injection is often called as indirect plasma (or remote plasma) and air radicals are produced at room temperature with less than 1/10 of the flue gas flow rate. The flue gas from the boiler was in the range of 450~1,470 Nm 3 /hr, the gas temperature of 280 o C, and NOx concentration of 30 ppm for city gas, and 70 ppm of NOx and 35 ppm of SOx for heavy oil, respectively. The radical injection was demonstrated to be extremely effective for NO oxidation especially when the flue gas temperature is in the range of 300 o C wh ere NOx is rather generated at this temperature range. The produced NO2 was further reduced to N 2, and nontoxic and water soluble Na2SO4 by Na2SO3 solution in the chemical scrubber. For the case of oil firing boiler SO2 was simultaneously adsorbed by NaOH solution. The NOx removal efficiency for gas firing exceeds 90% but NOx removal efficiency for oil firing was in the range of 60% due to the lack of radicals and ozone concentration with the pulse power supply used. The removal efficiency of SO2 was in the range of 85~90%. The NOx removal efficiency was evaluated by the ratio of the radical flow rate by the indirect plasma to the primary flue gas flow rate, specific energy density, and Na 2SO3 concentration and chemical flow rate. Scrubbing solution was chemically analyzed and it is confirmed that the waste solution can be disposed outside of the plant.
Acute renal failure and mechanical ventilation: reality or myth?

cute renal failure (ARF) is a common complication in critically ill patients. In a 5-year analysis of incidence and mortality published in 2002, Pruchnicki and Dasta estimated that it occurs in up to 25% of all patients admitted to the hospital with a critical illness. In a more recent multicenter, multinational analysis of almost 30000 intensive care unit (ICU) admissions in 54 study centers in 23 countries, ARF developed during the hospital stay in 5.7% of all the patients. Of those patients, approximately 60% died, with a higher prevalence among patients receiving renal replacement therapy. Acute Renal Failure and Mechanical Ventilation: Reality or Myth?
Egg colour reflects the amount of yolk maternal antibodies and fledging success in a songbird

Blue–green colours in avian eggs have been proposed as post-mating signals of female phenotypic quality to their mates. Egg colour may not only indicate female value, but also the quality of the eggs themselves and of resulting offspring. To date, there has been no demonstration of an association between egg colour and egg or offspring immune quality. We here show that the intensity of blue–green colour of pied flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca eggs reflects the amount of maternal antibodies in the yolk, a form of passive immunity crucial for offspring performance. Moreover, egg colour predicts fledging success. Also, incubating females in better condition lay more colourful eggs. The immunoglobulin level in incubating females is positively associated with that in the eggs. These results support the signalling hypothesis of eggshell coloration, underlining its role as an indicator of trans-generational transmission of immune defences in birds.