Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ethnic Disparities in Dental Caries among Six-Year-Old Children in the Netherlands

The aim of this study was to investigate potential differences in caries prevalence of children from ethnic minority groups compared to native Dutch children and the influence of socio-economic status (SES) and parent-reported oral health behaviour on this association. The study had a cross-sectional design, embedded in a population-based prospective multi-ethnic cohort study. 4,306 children with information on caries experience, belonging to 7 different ethnic groups, participated in this study. The decayed, missing, and filled teeth (dmft) index was assessed at the age of 6 and categorized in two ways for analysis: children without caries (dmft = 0) versus any caries experience (dmft >0) and children without caries (dmft = 0) versus children with mild caries (dmft = 1-3) or severe caries (dmft >3). Compared to native Dutch children, children with a Surinamese-Hindustani, Surinamese-Creole, Turkish, Moroccan, and Cape Verdean background had significantly higher odds for dental caries. Especially the Surinamese-Hindustani, Turkish, and Moroccan group had significantly higher odds for severe dental caries. Household income and educational level of the mother explained up to 43% of the association between ethnicity and dental caries, whereas parent-reported oral health behaviour did not mediate the association. Alarming disparities in caries prevalence between different ethnic (minority) groups exist, which cannot be fully explained by social inequalities. Public health strategies can apply this new knowledge and specifically focus on the reduction of ethnic disparities in oral health. More research is needed to explain the high caries prevalence among different ethnic minority groups.
Advanced biliary tract cancer: clinical outcomes with ABC-02 regimen and analysis of prognostic factors in a tertiary care center in the United States.

BACKGROUND Gemcitabine plus cisplatin (GC) is currently the standard regimen for advanced biliary tract cancers (BTC) based on the outcomes in ABC-02 trial. Multiple factors can affect outcomes in these patients. This retrospective review evaluates the University of Cincinnati experience with GC in advanced intrahepatic (IHC)/extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (EHC) and gall bladder carcinoma (GBC). METHODS In this study approved by University of Cincinnati IRB, retrospective analysis of advanced BTC patients seen between 01/2008 and 01/2015 was done. Kaplan Meyer method was used to calculate progression free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). Cox model was used to test the association between baseline variables and OS/PFS, adjusting for gender and age at diagnosis. Patients were identified using ICD code for BT tumors, 26 patients met inclusion criteria: histologically proven advanced BTC that received GC as their initial chemotherapy. GC was given as per ABC-02 protocol with appropriate modifications until disease progression or unacceptable toxicities. RESULTS Median age at diagnosis was 62 years (range, 31-81 years). Eighteen (69%) were IHC, 5 EHC, 3 GBC, 61% male, 73% whites. Performance status (PS): 0-1: 69%, PS 2: 31%. Baseline CA19-9 data was available for 21 patients, (range 1 to 69,543), and abnormal CA19-9 was seen in 14 patients (54%). PFS was 4.5 months (95% CI: 3.1-8.9 months) and OS was 10.5 months (95% CI: 7.9-18.8 months). OS at 6 and 12 months was 69% (18/26) and 42% (11/26). Thirty-eight percent (10/26) received 2nd line chemotherapy, of these 9/10 received 5FU based chemotherapy. Eleven percent (3/26) received 3rd line chemotherapy. Increase in baseline carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and total bilirubin was associated with increased risk of death while increase in baseline CEA and ALP was associated with increased risk of progression (P valve <0.05). In the group of patients who had all three major risk factors (PS ≥2, CEA >3, and stage IVb), the median survival was 2.9 months (95% CI: 2.6-9.3 months), which was significantly worse compared to rest of the population [median 18 months (95% CI: 5.4-19.5 months), P<0.01]. CONCLUSIONS Our data supports the use of GC as a first line regimen for advance BTC in a non-clinical trial setting. Results are comparable to those reported in ABC-02 trial, despite inclusion of PS 2 patients whom constituted 31% of our population. In the patient population studied, baseline CEA and liver function test appeared able to predict response to GC in advanced BTC. Patients with all three high risk factors (PS ≥2, CEA >3, and stage IVb) did poorly and may need careful selection prior to initiating chemotherapy.
Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone-Agonist Triggering and a Freeze-All Approach: The Final Step in Eliminating Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome?

Importance In vitro fertilization (IVF) has evolved dramatically in recent decades; however, clinical practices have been slow to adopt these advancements, particularly regarding final oocyte maturation and the timing of embryo transfer. Concerns still exist over the ability of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists and elective embryo cryopreservation to reduce the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) without compromising pregnancy outcomes. Objective This review investigates IVF outcomes associated with GnRH-agonist triggering and elective embryo cryopreservation. The safety and efficacy of GnRH-agonist triggering are compared with conventional human chorionic gonadotropin triggering, and frozen embryo transfers are weighed against fresh transfers. Evidence Acquisition A literature search was conducted using OVID (MEDLINE) and PubMed databases. The search strategy included keywords such as "ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome or OHSS," "GnRH-agonist triggering," "cryopreservation or freeze-all," and "IVF outcomes. " A total of 214 articles were considered for review. Results Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist triggering reduces OHSS incidence without compromising oocyte retrieval and fertilization rates in donor and autologous cycles. However, GnRH-agonist triggering causes a luteal phase deficiency in autologous cycles, deleteriously compromising pregnancy rates. Elective embryo cryopreservation overcomes this deficiency, reducing the risk of OHSS and may improve neonatal and obstetric outcomes. Conclusions Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist triggering should be considered in all donor cycles. It should also be selectively considered in autologous cycles in combination with elective cryopreservation of all viable embryos.
Sex differences in ethanol-induced hypothermia in ethanol-naïve and ethanol-dependent/withdrawn rats.

BACKGROUND Human and animal findings indicate that males and females display major differences in risk for and consequences of alcohol abuse and alcoholism. These differences are in large part mediated by sex-specific hormonal environments. Gonadal and adrenal secretory products are known to modulate the neurobehavioral responses of ethanol (EtOH) dependence and withdrawal. However, the effects of these steroids on physiological adaptations, such as thermoregulation, are less well established. To study the role of sex-related hormones in mediating sex differences in the hypothermic response to acute challenge with EtOH, we compared the EtOH-induced hypothermic responses of EtOH-naïve male and female rats and EtOH-dependent (on the third day of withdrawal) male and female rats before (intact) and after depletion of all gonadal and adrenal steroids by gonadectomy (GDX) with or without adrenalectomy (ADX). METHODS Intact and GDX male and female rats, with or without ADX, were fed an EtOH-containing liquid diet for 15 days while control (EtOH-naïve) rats were pairfed the isocaloric liquid diet without EtOH or fed normal rat chow and water. On the third day of withdrawal from the EtOH diet we tested the hypothermic response to EtOH challenge (1.5 g/kg BWt, ip). Blood alcohol content (BAC) and corticosterone (CORT) content were analyzed in a separate series of intact and GDX males and females with and without ADX in response to the EtOH challenge. RESULTS Ethanol-induced hypothermia was significantly greater and its duration significantly longer in intact males than females when subjects were EtOH-naïve. EtOH-induced hypothermia was significantly greater in intact females than males by the third day of withdrawal from EtOH dependence. GDX in males significantly shortened the duration of the hypothermic response and tended to blunt EtOH-induced hypothermia while response duration was significantly extended by GDX in females that tended to enhance EtOH-hypothermia. EtOH-induced hypothermia was significantly enhanced and its duration significantly lengthened by combined GDX and ADX in EtOH-naïve and -withdrawn males and by combined GDX and ADX in EtOH-naïve but not EtOH-withdrawn females. These differential EtOH-induced hypothermic responses did not appear to be caused by differences in EtOH handling among the groups. The absence of adrenal activation by EtOH in the GDX-ADX males and females contributes to their enhanced EtOH-induced hypothermic responses. CONCLUSIONS These results implicate the direct and indirect effects of removal of gonadal and adrenal secretory products as mediators of the thermoregulatory actions of EtOH.
Repeated contact with subtoxic soman leads to synaptic vulnerability in hippocampus

Soman, an anticholinesterase and dangerous nerve agent, produces convulsions, memory impairment, and cell loss in the brain, especially in the hippocampus. Soman‐induced accumulation of acetylcholine initiates mechanisms responsible for the development of incapacitating seizures. The prolonged epileptiform nature of these seizures causes the release of another excitatory neurotransmitter, glutamate, which has been linked to the toxic action of the nerve agent. Here, we tested whether subtoxic soman exposures influence the brain's sensitivity to glutamate‐based excitotoxicity. Over a 1‐week period, hippocampal slice cultures were exposed daily to a transient level of soman that produced no evidence of synaptic deterioration. After the subtoxic soman treatments, however, the tissue became vulnerable to a brief episode of glutamate receptor overstimulation that normally resulted in little or no excitotoxic damage. In those slice cultures treated with subtoxic soman, a decline in synaptic markers as well as an increase in spectrin breakdown occurred 24 hr after the mild excitotoxic event. Exposure to high soman concentrations alone produced similar synaptic degeneration, but without evident cell death, suggesting that synaptic decline is an early neurotoxicological response to the nerve agent. Interestingly, enhanced excitotoxic sensitivity caused the brain tissue to become susceptible to disparate insults initiated before or after the soman contact. These findings indicate that seemingly innocuous soman exposures leave the hippocampus sensitive to the types of insults implicated in traumatic brain injury and stroke. They also warn that asymptomatic contact with soman may lead to progressive synaptopathogenesis and that early indicators of soman exposure are critical to prevent potential brain injury. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
EVIDENCE BASED PUBLIC HEALTH POLICY AND PRACTICE Actual and preferred place of death of cancer patients. Results from the Italian survey of the dying of cancer (ISDOC)

Objective: To describe actual and preferred place of death of Italian cancer patients and to analyse the preferences met regarding the place of death. Design: Mortality follow back survey of 2000 cancer deaths, identified with a two stage probability sample representative of the whole country. Information on patients’ experience was gathered from the nonprofessional caregiver with an interview. A section of the interview covered information on the actual and preferred place of death of the patients. Setting: 30 Italian local health districts randomly selected after stratification in four geographical areas. Participants: 1900 of 2000 (95.0%) caregivers of cancer deaths identified. Main outcome measures: Prevalence of actual and preferred places of death. Results: Valid interviews were obtained for 66.9% (n = 1271) of the caregivers. Place of death was home for 57.9% of Italian cancer patients, hospital for 34.6%, hospice for 0.7%, nursing home for 6.5%, and ambulance for 0.4%. Wide and significant differences within Italy were seen (home deaths ranged between 94.0% in the south and 28.2% in the north east). Home was the preferred place of death for 93.5% of patients that expressed a preference, with minimal differences within the country (between 89.5% and 99.0%). Overall 67.1% of the sample died in the place where they preferred to die. Conclusions: Policymakers should encourage health services to focus on ways of meeting individual preferences on place of death. As home was the preferred place of death for most cancer patients, effective programmes to enable the patients to remain at home should be implemented.
Effects of Current and Discontinued Estrogen Replacement Therapy on Hip Structural Geometry: The Study of Osteoporotic Fractures *

It is assumed that estrogen influences bone strength and risk of fractures by affecting bone mineral density (BMD). However, estrogen may influence the mechanical strength of bones by altering the structural geometry in ways that may not be apparent in the density. Repeated dual energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) hip scan data were analyzed for bone density and structural geometry in elderly women participating in the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures (SOF). Scans were studied with a hip structural analysis program for the effects of estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) on BMD and structural geometry. Of the 3964 women with ERT‐use data, 588 used ERT at both the start and end of the ∼3.5‐year study, 1203 had past use which was discontinued by clinic visit 4, and 2163 women had never used ERT. All groups lost BMD at the femoral neck, but the reduced BMD among users of ERT was entirely due to subperiosteal expansion and not bone loss, whereas both bone loss and expansion occurred in past or nonusers. BMD increased 0.8%/year at the femoral shaft among ERT users but decreased 0.8%/year among nonusers. Section moduli increased at both the neck and shaft among ERT users but remained unchanged in past and nonusers. Current, but not past, use of estrogen therapy in elderly women seems to increase mechanical strength of the proximal femur by improving its geometric properties. These effects are not evident from changes in femoral neck BMD.
Lack of activation of renal functional reserve predicts the risk of significant renal involvement in systemic sclerosis

Objective To evaluate if defective activation of renal functional reserve (RFR) in systemic sclerosis (SSc) without clinical signs of renal involvement predicts the risk of developing clinically relevant renal damage. Methods Twenty-eight normotensive SSc patients with normal renal function and no urinary abnormalities were submitted to an intravenous amino acid load to activate RFR. Nineteen patients (six with diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc)) had an RFR activation defect, while nine (two with dcSSc) showed normal RFR. All patients were followed up for 5 years, with periodic evaluation of renal function, urinary protein excretion and systemic blood pressure (BP). Results At admission, patients with normal RFR had lower BP than those with abnormal RFR; no age, disease duration or creatinine clearance (CCr) differences were found. Five years later, patients with abnormal RFR showed, with respect to basal values, a significantly higher CCr reduction than patients with normal RFR (mean percent decrease 15.4±9.5 vs 2.6±3.8, p<0.001). Among patients with abnormal RFR, 13 (68.4%) showed a CCr reduction of ≥2 ml/min/year, with a final CCr of ≤70 ml/min in eight cases; two patients developed microalbuminuria and 10 grade 1 or 2 systemic hypertension. Significant CCr reduction rates were found in eight patients with high BP and in five patients who remained normotensive. No patient with normal RFR had proteinuria or high BP during follow-up. Conclusions Lack of RFR activation is an early sign of renal involvement in SSc, and is a harbinger of an increased risk of developing renal insufficiency and systemic hypertension.
Tracking time-varying waveform distortion in power systems using filter banks

This paper presents a method for tracking time-varying waveform distortion in low voltage supply systems using wavelet filter banks. The method proposed decomposes and reconstructs the input signal in selected frequency bands using a multi-stage wavelet filter bank, to provide a clear visualization of the time-varying nature of waveform distortion for its analysis. The results obtained, both in simulation and using real power signals, show a good performance of the method developed to extract each harmonic component of a signal in the time domain.
The Use of Birth Defect Registries for Etiological Research: A Review

Background: Birth defect registries are often used for etiological research. Either as hypotheses-generating studies, or studies directed at one specific association between a risk factor and a birth defect in order to confirm or refute possible associations. Methods: A literature search in Medline was performed looking for studies using birth defect registries for studying different risk factors. Results: A brief summary of study design for etiological research with registration data is given. Subsequently, the different studies performed are discussed according to the risk factors investigated. Different aspects of the studies are listed and discussed. For each of the risk factors, the usefulness of birth defect registries to study the specific risk factor is discussed. Registries are dependent on the factors that are included in the registry or recorded in different databases. Most studies have looked at risk factors with readily available data, such as maternal age, illnesses and drugs. There is also wide use of other registers with exposure data on, for example, the environment. Conclusions: Birth defect registries have been used in the evaluation of many possible risk factors for birth defects. They have also been used in rebutting alarms in the media on possible clusters and risk factors.
Siblings, Not Triplets: Social Preferences for Risk, Inequality and Time in Discounting Climate Change

Abstract Arguments about the appropriate discount rate often start by assuming a Utilitarian social welfare function with isoelastic utility, in which the consumption discount rate is a function of the (constant) elasticity of marginal utility along with the (much discussed) utility discount rate. In this model, the elasticity of marginal utility simultaneously reflects preferences for intertemporal substitution, aversion to risk, and aversion to (spatial) inequality. While these three concepts are necessarily identical in the standard model, this need not be so: well-known models already enable risk to be separated from intertemporal substitution. Separating the three concepts might have important implications for the appropriate discount rate, and hence also for long-term policy. This paper investigates these issues in the context of climate-change economics, by surveying the attitudes of over 3000 people to risk, income inequality over space and income inequality over time. The results suggest that individuals do not see the three concepts as identical, and indeed that preferences over risk, inequality and time are only weakly correlated. As such, relying on empirical evidence of risk or inequality preferences may not necessarily be an appropriate guide to specifying the elasticity of intertemporal substitution.
Nutritional Knowledge and Desire to Change of Food Preferences among Saudi Women in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Effective nutritional education programs are based on a proper understanding of many factors, including a population's nutritional knowledge, behavior, food preferences, and a desire to change these preferences. Our study examined these variables through a convenience sample (N = 151) of adult Saudi women living in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Results indicated a gap between perceived and actual knowledge (p < .05) and the desire to increase intake of fruits, vegetables, and dairy products and reduce fat consumption. Taste was the main barrier for not to change. Future nutritional education programs should target women with low-education background, and the best time may be in primary school curricula.
Translocation t(11; 14)(q 13;q32) in chronic lymphoid disorders

The translocation t( 11; I4)(q 13;q32) has been described in a spectrum of B‐lymphoproliferative diseases and involves a putative oncogene, BCLI, which maps to chromosome band 11q13. Recent evidence indicates that this abnormality may delineate particular subtypes of lymphoma, such as intermediate lymphocytic and centrocytic lymphomas. Thus the possible significance of the t(111;14) within B‐cell disorders should be reexamined in the light of a more objective approach to classifying these diseases by morphology, histology, and immunophenotype. We describe 16 patients with t(11;14)(q13;q32) from a series of 90 patients with chronic lymphoid disorders in whom clonal chromosome abnormalities were detected. All the cases were leukemic: prolymphocytic (B‐PLL; 4/15 cases), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) with increase in prolymphocytes (2/9 cases), or non‐Hodgkin lymphoma in leukemic phase, intermediate (3/4 cases), lymphoplasmacytic (2/2 cases), splenic lymphoma with villous lymphocytes (4/18 cases), and follicular (I case). None of the CLL (25) or hairy cell leukemia cases (15) had t(11;14). Our findings showed that t(11;14) occurred in leukemias of mature B cells with lymphoplasmacytic features as judged by morphology and immunophenotype.
Linearly and curvilinearly tapered cylindrical- dielectric-rod antennas

The body-of-revolution finite-difference time-domain (BOR-FDTD) method is applied to the analysis of a tapered cylindrical-dielectric-rod fed by a metallic waveguide with a launching horn. Before evaluating the wave propagating along the tapered rod, we design the launching horn to efficiently excite the fundamental guided-mode of a uniform rod. After confirming the effectiveness of the launching horn, guided-mode conversion properties are evaluated in linearly and curvilinearly tapered rods. As a result, the guided mode excited at the feed end is smoothly converted into that at the free end in a curvilinearly tapered rod. It is numerically revealed that the smooth guided-mode conversion leads to the expansion of the equiphase field region in a terminal aperture with a subsequent increase in the gain. The calculated radiation patterns are in good agreement with experimental data.
Electrical AC Tests on CICC Coil for Series-Connected Hybrid Magnet

Two identical coils will be wound at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory for different series-connected hybrid projects. A model coil with half the length of the production superconducting coil has been fabricated to qualify all fabrication steps. After winding each layer, the impedance spectrum test has been employed to detect short circuits. After impregnation the model coil will undergo a high-voltage surge test which will explore the margin of the layer insulation. Results of impedance testing are reported here.