Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Incidence of Coagulase-positive Staphylococci in the Upper Respiratory Tract of Dental Students and a Study of Their Transmission during a Routine Dental Prophylaxis

Transmission of microorganisms especially Staphylococcus, can be studied very effectively in the field of dentistry. Since the dentist is in such close proximity to his patient, he must be keenly aware of the possibility of indirect or direct transfer of pathogenic organisms either from himself to the patient or from the patient to himself. Few reports have appeared studying this problem in relation to the oral cavity.1' 2 Many reports, however, have been published interrelating the surgeon and medical personnel to the transfer of the etiologic agent of postoperative infection to the patient.3 4 Since phage-typing of the staphylococcal organisms has now become relatively simple and accurate, it can be used as natural "tags" on organisms under study. The advantages of such a method are now well established by previous research. Weed5 has reported phage-typing as being the only reliable means of identification in epidemiologic work. With the aid of bacteriophages, postoperative infections have effectively been traced to their source.6-8 The incidence and spread of staphylococcal infections have also been studied successfully utilizing bacteriophages. As far as can be determined by the authors, dentists have never been used in transference experiments. The basic methods of study reported here are not new. All the procedures have previously been used in connection with other types of research. In some investigations reference has been made to the use of the unnatural and fragile organism, Serratia marcescens.9 Unsuccessful attempts were made to plant the organism in a dental operator's nares and then re-isolate the same organism from the patient after a suitable working period. DuBuy, Arnold, and Osen' have recognized the advantages of using an organism already present in the oral cavity of the subject. In their experiments, Lactobacillus acidophilus was used as the test organism. Their results have indicated that lactobacilli from the upper respiratory tract do not become directly suspended in any measurable quantity in air surrounding an individual while he is speaking, coughing, or sneezing. Reports have appeared in medical journals demonstrating the use of phage-typable Staphylococcus in transfer experiments. Duguid and Wallace'0 have found that air was infected more regularly and to a greater degree by liberation of dust from clothing than by sneezing. Hutchison, Green, and Grimson"
Growth stimulation of colorectal carcinoma cells via the c‐kit receptor is inhibited by TGF‐β1

Activation of the receptor tyrosine kinase c‐kit by the kit‐ligand, also known as stem cell factor (SCF), is essential to melanocyte and germ cell development and during the early stages of hematopoiesis. Deregulated expression of c‐kit has been reported in malignancies affecting these lineages, i.e., myeloid leukemias, melanomas, and germ cell tumors. In addition, c‐kit and SCF are coexpressed in some breast and colorectal cancer (CRC) cells, raising the question of whether c‐kit serves an autocrine role in normal or malignant epithelial tissues. In this study, we demonstrate that human colorectal carcinomas, but not normal colorectal mucosa cells, coexpress SCF and c‐kit in situ. Expression of c‐kit was also observed in mucosa adjacent to colorectal tumor tissue. Consistent with a growth‐regulatory role of SCF in CRC cells, exogenous SCF stimulated anchorage‐dependent and anchorage‐independent growth in four out of five CRC cell lines. Exogenous transforming growth factor (TGF)‐β1 added at nanomolar concentrations to HT‐29 CRC cells, which express the type I, II, and III TGF‐β receptors, downregulated c‐kit expression to background levels and inhibited c‐kit–dependent proliferation. Similarly, TGF‐β1 inhibited SCF‐dependent proliferation of three first‐passage CRC cell lines. In summary, expression of the potential autocrine SCF/c‐kit axis is a tumor‐associated phenomenon in colorectal cancer that can be suppressed by TGF‐β1 in TGF‐β–responsive CRC cells. J. Cell. Physiol. 172:1–11, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Photosensitized Oxidation and Inactivation of Pyocyanin, a Virulence Factor of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Abstract Pyocyanin (PyO−) (1-hydroxy-5-methylphenazine) is a cytotoxic compound secreted by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an omnipresent bacterium and a human pathogen. We report that visible light illumination in the presence of rose bengal, or riboflavin, in aerated solutions (pH 7.0–7.2) induces irreversible loss of the pigment's characteristic absorption band at 690 nm, indicating its oxidation. This photobleaching was paralleled by generation of a multiline Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectrum attributed to a PyO−-derived radical. The reaction was dependent on the presence of air, sensitizers and light, was inhibited by sodium azide and was unaffected by ethanol. This suggests that PyO− was oxidized largely via singlet oxygen and that hydroxyl radicals were not involved. The photochemically modified pigment was less efficient in oxidizing NAD(P)H and generated less superoxide (by ∼50%) than the intact PyO−, indicating its partial inactivation. 1-Methoxy-5-methylphenazine, a PyO− analog in which the –O− moiety was replaced by the methoxy group (–OMe), was resistant to oxidation, suggesting that oxidation of PyO− involves its phenolate moiety. These results also suggest that photosensitization could be a potentially useful method for inactivation of PyO− and, possibly, detoxification of superficial wounds (skin, eye) infected with P. aeruginosa.
Preference Uncertainty in Non‐Market Valuation: A Fuzzy Approach

In this article, we consider uncertain preferences for non-market goods, but we move away from a probabilistic representation of uncertainty and propose the use of fuzzy contingent valuation. We assume that a decision maker never fully knows her own utility function and we treat utility as a fuzzy number. The methodology is illustrated using data on forest valuation in Sweden. Fuzzy contingent valuation provides estimates of resource value in the form of a fuzzy number and includes estimates obtained using a standard probabilistic approach. Copyright 2001, Oxford University Press.
Identification de stratégies métacognitives de compréhension orale par deux élèves au profil atypique de la 6e année du primaire québécois

Considerant la preponderance de la comprehension orale a celle de la production orale au quotidien et en salle de classe, ce texte presente les resultats d’une etude de cas multiples visant a decrire les strategies metacognitives de comprehension orale (SMCO) verbalisees par des eleves-cas, en contexte de francais langue d’enseignement, au troisieme cycle du primaire (10-12 ans). En fonction de leurs caracteristiques personnelles et scolaires, deux eleves-cas au profil atypique ont surtout verbalise quatre SMCO issues des prescriptions ministerielles quebecoises lors de tâches de verbalisations a haute voix qui ont suivi la realisation de trois projets d’ecoute. Les resultats de cette etude nous indiquent que l’enseignement et la mobilisation de SMCO lors de situations d’oral reflexif favoriseraient la reussite scolaire des eleves de meme que leur transition vers le secondaire, ce qui contribuerait au developpement de leur litteratie orale.
Measuring the quality of life of residents in SADC communities affected by HIV

Abstract About a third of all people living with HIV are found in Southern Africa. Local and regional organisations work in and with communities subjected to high HIV prevalence rates. It is necessary to measure the Quality of Life (QoL) of community members affected by HIV to improve monitoring and evaluation of project impact. This study aimed to measure the QoL and to investigate the QoL scale as a rapid cross-cultural assessment tool. QoL surveys were conducted in 14 community sites in seven countries, including: Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. These communities are amongst the most severely affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the region. Face-to-face interviews, using a structured questionnaire, were conducted by teams of trained fieldworkers. The studies included 2176 participants, including 37% males. Results indicated evidence of the heavy burden of the disease. More than 30% of the households had a member who was ill for more than three months and more than 10% of the households lost a member after an illness of three months in the past 12 months. More than 35% of the households housed an orphan. Unemployment rates in the communities were very high. QoL was measured using four domains: General Health, Psychological Wellbeing, Social Relationships and Environmental factors. General Health and Environmental quality consistently rated lower than Psychological Wellbeing and Social Relationships. The QoL questionnaire seems to be appropriate in measuring QoL of community members cross-culturally. Results will enable programmes and organisations to tailor and develop projects. It will assist organisations to continuously monitor activities and its impact.
Promoter-Based Integration in Plant Defense Regulation1[W][OPEN]

An extensive transcriptional regulatory network modulates plant defense chemistry. A key unanswered question in plant biology is how a plant regulates metabolism to maximize performance across an array of biotic and abiotic environmental stresses. In this study, we addressed the potential breadth of transcriptional regulation that can alter accumulation of the defensive glucosinolate metabolites in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). A systematic yeast one-hybrid study was used to identify hundreds of unique potential regulatory interactions with a nearly complete complement of 21 promoters for the aliphatic glucosinolate pathway. Conducting high-throughput phenotypic validation, we showed that >75% of tested transcription factor (TF) mutants significantly altered the accumulation of the defensive glucosinolates. These glucosinolate phenotypes were conditional upon the environment and tissue type, suggesting that these TFs may allow the plant to tune its defenses to the local environment. Furthermore, the pattern of TF/promoter interactions could partially explain mutant phenotypes. This work shows that defense chemistry within Arabidopsis has a highly intricate transcriptional regulatory system that may allow for the optimization of defense metabolite accumulation across a broad array of environments.
Assessing the effect of high school students’ training program on peers performance suffering from asthma

BACKGROUND: Asthma is the most common disease in childhood which is considered as the forerunner of the acute diseases and simply can cause disability among the children. Since childhood and adolescence are the most important periods of growth and perfection and incidence of asthma can bring about distortion in this process, the present study done aimed to assess the effect of conducting high school training program on peers’ performance with asthma. METHODS: This was a quasi-experimental study in which the performance rate of the students at the time of artificial attack of asthma was directly observed, assessed and compared through demographic data questionnaire and performance assessment check list. Eighty individuals from the second grade of high school students in 2010 in Isfahan City were randomly selected to participate in the present study, among which, 40 individuals were entered in the test group and 40 of them also were placed in the control group. After conducting the training program for the test group, which had been designed both by direct method (in person and face to face by asking and answering and group discussion) and by indirect method (using pamphlet and other educational materials), the level of the training effectiveness was assessed on the students’ performance. RESULTS: The findings of the present study indicated that the performance of students at the test group increased from 2.2 (0.6) to 91.8 (1.3) which emphasized that the training program for the young adolescent peers had a positive effect on promoting their health. CONCLUSIONS: Considering the results of the present study and regarding to the importance and role of students as the future makers of the country, and also the cost-effectiveness of the training programs and the positive effect of peers on increasing the level of health among the students with asthma and consequently decreasing the school absence, it obviously seems necessary to generalize and expand these training programs.
Intima Media Thickness of Common Carotid Arteries is Associated with Traditional Risk Factors and Presence of Ischemic Heart Disease in Hemodialysis Patients

Patients with chronic renal failure are prone to cardiovascular complications. The mechanisms and the assessment of the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in this population are of interest. The purpose of this study was to investigate the traditional and potential risk factors for the development of CVD and their contribution to ischemic heart disease (IHD) and variation in carotid intima media thickness (IMT) in hemodialyzed patients (HD). Twenty-one chronically HD patients and nineteen healthy volunteers were recruited. Studied parameters were intima-media thickness, body mass index (BMI), mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), hemoglobin, fibrinogen (Fbg), serum lipids, lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)], total homocysteine (tHcy). Mean carotid IMT, tHcy, Fbg and Lp(a) were higher in HD patients compared to the control group. There were no differences in cholesterol (tCh) and triglycerides between these groups. Patients with ischemic heart disease were older and they had higher values of carotid IMT, tCh, triglycerides, Fbg and Lp(a). There were no differences in MAP, time on dialysis and tHcy between the two subgroups (with vs without IHD). Carotid IMT correlated positively with age (r=0.68, p=0.001), BMI (r=0.50, p=0.02), tCh (r=0.58, p<0.01), LDLcholesterol (r=0.55, p=0.01) and Fbg (r=0.57, p<0.01) but not with tHcy or Lp(a) in the patients group. Carotid intima media thickness thus reflects the risk for ischemic heart disease in hemodialyzed patients. Elevated fibrinogen concentration and dyslipidemia influence arterial remodelling.
Goal‐directed resuscitation in the prehospital setting: A propensity‐adjusted analysis

BACKGROUND: The scope of prehospital (PH) interventions has expanded recently—not always with clear benefit. PH crystalloid resuscitation has been challenged, particularly in penetrating trauma. Optimal PH crystalloid resuscitation strategies remain unclear in blunt trauma as does the influence of PH hypotension. The objective was to characterize outcomes for PH crystalloid volume in patients with and without PH hypotension. METHODS: Data were obtained from a multicenter prospective study of blunt injured adults transported from the scene with ISS > 15. Subjects were divided into HIGH (>500 mL) and LOW (<=500 mL) PH crystalloid groups. Propensity‐adjusted regression determined the association of PH crystalloid group with mortality and acute coagulopathy (admission International Normalized Ratio, >1.5) in subjects with and without PH hypotension (systolic blood pressure [SBP], <90 mm Hg) after controlling for confounders. RESULTS: Of 1,216 subjects, 822 (68%) received HIGH PH crystalloid and 616 (51%) had PH hypotension. Initial base deficit and ISS were similar between HIGH and LOW crystalloid groups in subjects with and without PH hypotension. In subjects without PH hypotension, HIGH crystalloid was associated with an increase in the risk of mortality (hazard ratio, 2.5; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.3–4.9; p < 0.01) and acute coagulopathy (odds ratio [OR], 2.2; 95% CI, 1.01–4.9; p = 0.04) but not in subjects with PH hypotension. HIGH crystalloid was associated with correction of PH hypotension on emergency department (ED) arrival (OR, 2.02; 95% CI, 1.06–3.88; p = 0.03). The mean corrected SBP in the ED was 104 mm Hg. Each 1 mm Hg increase in ED SBP was associated with a 2% increase in survival in subjects with PH hypotension (OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 1.01–1.03; p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: In severely injured blunt trauma patients, PH crystalloid more than 500 mL was associated with worse outcome in patients without PH hypotension but not with PH hypotension. HIGH crystalloid was associated with corrected PH hypotension. This suggests that PH resuscitation should be goal directed based on the presence or absence of PH hypotension. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic study, level III.
Miniature- and Multiple-Eyespot Loci in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Define New Modulators of Eyespot Photoreception and Assembly

The photosensory eyespot of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is a model system for the study of organelle biogenesis and placement. Eyespot assembly and positioning are governed by several genetic loci that have been identified in forward genetic screens for phototaxis-defective mutants. These include the previously described miniature-eyespot mutant min1, the multiple-eyespot mutant mlt1, the eyeless mutants eye2 and eye3, and two previously uncharacterized eyespot mutants, min2 and mlt2. In this study, effects of miniature- and multiple-eyespot mutations and their combinations on the localization and expression levels of the rhodopsin photoreceptor channelrhodopsin-1 (ChR1) and the localization of the eyespot-assembly proteins EYE2 and EYE3 were examined. min2 mutants assemble a properly organized, albeit nonfunctional, eyespot that is slightly smaller than wild-type; however, combination of the min2 and mlt1 mutations resulted in drastic reduction of photoreceptor levels. Both stationary-phase mlt1 and mlt2 cells have supernumerary, mislocalized eyespots that exhibit partial or total dissociation of the eyespot layers. In these mutant strains, photoreceptor patches in the plasma membrane were never associated with pigment granule arrays in the chloroplast stroma unless EYE2 was present in the intervening envelope. The data suggest that MIN2 is required for the photoreceptive ability of the eyespot and that MLT2 plays a major role in regulating eyespot number, placement, and integrity.
Glucocorticoids antagonize tumor necrosis factorstimulated factorstimulated factorstimulated stimulated stimulated lipolysis and resistance to the antilipolytic effect of insulin in human adipocytes

Lee MJ, Fried SK. Glucocorticoids antagonize tumor necrosis factor-stimulated lipolysis and resistance to the antilipolytic effect of insulin in human adipocytes. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 303: E1126 –E1133, 2012. First published September 4, 2012; doi:10.1152/ajpendo.00228. 2012. —High concentrations of TNF within obese adipose tissue increase basal lipolysis and antagonize insulin signaling. Adipocytes of the obese are also exposed to elevated levels of glucocorticoids (GCs), which antagonize TNF actions in many cell types. We tested the hypothesis that TNF decreases sensitivity to the antilipolytic effect of insulin and that GCs antagonize this effect in differentiated human adipocytes. Lipolysis and expression levels of lipolytic proteins were measured after treating adipocytes with TNF, dexamethasone (DEX), or DEX TNF for up to 48 h. TNF not only increased basal lipolysis, it caused resistance to the antilipolytic effects of insulin in human adipocytes. DEX alone did not significantly affect lipolysis. Cotreatment with DEX blocked TNF induction of basal lipolysis and insulin resistance by antagonizing TNF stimulation of PKA-mediated phosphorylation of hormonesensitive lipase (HSL) at Ser and Ser and perilipin. TNF did not affect perilipin, HSL, or phosphodiesterase-3B mass but paradoxically suppressed adipose tissue triglyceride lipase expression, and this effect was blocked by DEX. The extent to which GCs can restrain the lipolytic actions of TNF may both diminish the potentially deleterious effects of excess lipolysis and contribute to fat accumulation in obesity.
Study of effectiveness integrated spiritual-cognitive-behavioral group therapy with Islamic Mysticism approach of anxiety and self esteem

Anxiety disorders are the most common psychiatric disorders in the general population recent decade, the integrated spiritualcognitive – behavioral treatment approach was used. In order to, treat anxiety base on this case, The Islamic approach in spiritualcognitive – behavioral framework for treatment for mental disorders, particularly anxiety, has considerable importance. In this study, experimental research design with pretest, posttest and control group used. 84 female residents of Shiraz Sahl Abad were selected by the accessible sampling and participated in ten sessions of two hours of treatment. The participants in this study, responded to Beck Anxiety Scale (1990), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (1989) before and after treatment, and ultimately, data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and analysis of covariance. The data results showed that integrated spiritual-cognitivebehavioral therapy with Islamic Mysticism approach to decrease anxiety and increase self-esteem compared to the control group was significantly more effective (p< 0.001). The result was shown in this study, integrated spiritual-cognitive-behavioral therapy base on Islamic Mysticism has been able to substantially reduce anxiety and increased self-esteem to be effective
Diagnostic performance of combined noninvasive anatomic and functional assessment with dual-source CT and adenosine-induced stress dual-energy CT for detection of significant coronary stenosis.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of our study was to prospectively evaluate the incremental diagnostic value of combined dual-source coronary CT angiography (CTA) and CT myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) for the detection of significant coronary stenoses. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Forty-five patients with known coronary artery disease detected by dual-source coronary CTA were investigated by adenosine-induced stress dual-source CTA and conventional coronary angiography. Analysis was performed in three steps: classification of coronary stenosis severity using dual-source coronary CTA, identification of myocardial perfusion defects using rest and stress CT MPI, and reclassification of coronary stenosis severity according to combined dual-source coronary CTA and CT MPI. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of dual-source coronary CTA before and after CT MPI were calculated on a per-vessel basis compared with conventional coronary angiography as the standard of reference. RESULTS Dual-source coronary CTA revealed 87 significantly stenotic vessels in 45 patients. Conventional coronary angiography revealed significant stenoses in 73 vessels in 42 patients. CT MPI showed myocardial perfusion defects in 81 vessel territories in 43 patients. After the CT MPI analysis, dual-source coronary CTA identified significant stenoses in 77 coronary vessels in 42 patients. Sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of the dual-source coronary CTA on a per-vessel basis before CT MPI were 91.8%, 67.7%, 73.6%, and 87.5%, respectively, and after CT MPI were 93.2%, 85.5%, 88.3%, and 91.4%, respectively. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve increased significantly from 0.798 to 0.893 (p = 0.004). CONCLUSION Combined dual-source coronary CTA and CT MPI provides incremental diagnostic value compared with dual-source coronary CTA alone for the detection of significant coronary stenoses.