Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Radiologic and histomorphometric evaluation of maxillary sinus grafting with alloplastic graft materials.

BACKGROUND Sinus lifting procedures are widely used to obtain adequate bony support for implant placement at the atrophic maxillae. The aim of this study was to compare various sinus lifting and grafting techniques and materials. METHODS Nine maxillae were treated with delayed and 46 maxillae with immediate implant placement techniques. A total of 104 implants were inserted. Panoramic radiographs were obtained prior to, after, and 6 to 8 months after surgery. Computed tomographies were also taken before and after surgery. The height of new bone was compared. Biopsy specimens were obtained during delayed implant placement and analyzed histomorphologically. RESULTS There were no statistically significant differences between the panoramic radiographs for delayed and immediately placed implants, or between the graft materials. We observed correlations between the panoramic radiographs and computerized tomographies. CONCLUSION Both delayed and immediate placement of implants can be used safely for sinus lifting. There were no statistically significant differences between the various graft materials.
Toward Flexible Polymer and Paper‐Based Energy Storage Devices

All‐polymer and paper‐based energy storage devices have significant inherent advantages in comparison with many currently employed batteries and supercapacitors regarding environmental friendliness, flexibility, cost and versatility. The research within this field is currently undergoing an exciting development as new polymers, composites and paper‐based devices are being developed. In this report, we review recent progress concerning the development of flexible energy storage devices based on electronically conducting polymers and cellulose containing composites with particular emphasis on paper‐based batteries and supercapacitors. We discuss recent progress in the development of the most commonly used electronically conducting polymers used in flexible device prototypes, the advantages and disadvantages of this type of energy storage devices, as well as the two main approaches used in the manufacturing of paper‐based charge storage devices.
Recombinant Multiepitope Protein for Early Detection of Dengue Infections

ABSTRACT Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne viral disease prevalent mainly in tropical countries. As the clinical manifestations of dengue are not very unique, laboratory diagnosis is crucial in identifying cases of dengue infection. Detection of dengue infection based on the identification of antidengue antibodies has emerged as a practical and reliable means of diagnosing dengue fever. We recently developed a customized recombinant dengue multiepitope protein (r-DME-G) that can specifically detect the immunoglobulin G (IgG) class of antidengue antibodies in patient sera. Using this strategy, we have now created another dengue multiepitope protein, r-DME-M, with specificity for the IgM class of antidengue antibodies. A synthetic gene encoding the r-DME-M protein was expressed as a maltose-binding protein fusion in Escherichia coli. The recombinant protein was purified in a single affinity chromatographic step to obtain yields of ∼15 mg purified protein/liter of culture. The purified protein was used to develop an in-house IgM enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and tested using a panel of 172 patient sera characterized using the commercially available Dengue Duo rapid strip test from PanBio, Australia. The IgM ELISA results showed that the r-DME-M protein not only recognized all IgM+ samples identified by the PanBio test but also identified samples missed by the latter test. We also successfully adapted the r-DME-M protein to a rapid strip test format. This approach of creating customized antigens coupled to overexpression in E. coli and simple purification offers a promising alternative option to dengue diagnosis with the potential to circumvent the drawbacks of the whole virus antigen-based commercial kits.
An in‐house HIV genotyping assay for the detection of drug resistance mutations in Southeast Asian patients infected with HIV‐1

Genotyping for HIV drug resistance is costly and beyond the means for many Southeast Asian patients, who are self‐funded. This prompted the development of a more cost‐effective, in‐house assay for an ethnically diverse, Southeast Asian population at the National University Hospital in Singapore, using Sanger‐based sequencing. Plasma samples from 20 treatment‐failure patients with a broad spectrum of HIV drug resistance mutations were used to validate this assay clinically. Blinded testing gave concordant results for 7/7 (100%) protease drug resistance‐related mutations, including one major and six minor mutations, and 111/116 (95.7%) reverse‐transcriptase (RT) drug resistance‐related mutations, including 65 nucleoside RT inhibitors (NRTI) and 46 non‐nucleoside RT inhibitors (NNRTI) mutations. There were five discordant results, involving three NRTI‐ and two NNRTI‐resistance‐associated mutations. Highly conserved primers designed to have a wide coverage of the HIV pol gene (covering the entire protease and 395 codons of the RT region) enabled efficient multi‐ethnic population‐based genotyping. Reagents for this in‐house test cost around 60% less than those for commercially available assays (SGD150 vs. SGD350 per sample). In addition, this assay also identified mutations located within the C‐terminal domain (codons 312–560) of RT that are beyond the reach of most published and commercial GRTs. Currently, most research on C‐terminal drug‐resistance‐related mutations has been conducted on HIV subtype B infections. Therefore this assay enables further study of these C‐terminal mutations in Southeast Asian populations, where there is a high prevalence of CRF01_AE and other non‐subtype B HIV infections. J. Med. Virol. 84:394–401, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Liver Function Profile Anomalies in HIV Seropositive Tuberculosis.

BACKGROUND The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and the Tuberculosis (TB) co infection are contributory to each other in causing a progressive decline in the cell mediated immunity and a damage to the hepatobiliary system. The aim of our study was to estimate the extent of liver damage which was caused by these infections before the start of the therapy with hepatotoxic drugs like Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) and Antitubercular Drugs (ATD). METHODS One hundred and ninty three confirmed HIV positive cases were enrolled in this study. The cases were divided into 2 groups; Group 1-100 subjects with TB and Group 2-93 subjects without TB.80 age and sex matched controls were also included (Group 0). Some parameters of the serum Liver Function Test (LFT) were estimated biochemically by using an auto analyzer (ERBA XL600,Transasia). RESULTS The serum total bilirubin, Alanine Transaminase (ALT), Aspartate Transaminase (AST) and the Alkaline Phosphatase (ALK-P) levels were significantly higher in the cases as compared to those in the controls, more so in the cases with the associated TB co infection, except the AST levels. The Group 1subjects had lower serum total protein and albumin levels and altered albumin/globulin ratios as compared to the controls. A statistically significant difference was absent in the serum total protein levels between the Group 2 cases and the Group 0 controls. No significant differences were observed when the values for serum total protein, albumin and globulin and the albumin: globulin ratios among the two case groups (1 and 2) were compared. CONCLUSION The results have shown the importance of estimating some LFT parameters, prior to the start of ATD and ART in these cases. Hence, a mandatory performance of LFT is recommended, as it is simple and cost effective.
Influence of Food Waste Compost on the Yield and Mineral Content of Ganoderma lucidum, Lentinula edodes, and Pholiota adipose Fruiting Bodies

Abstract The objectives of this study were to evaluate applicability of food waste compost (FWC) as a substrate for cultivation of Ganoderma lucidum, Lentinula edodes, and Pholiota adipose, and to determine contents of Ca, Mg, Na, and K in fruiting bodies (FB). FB yield per substrate in FWC-free controls was 53 ± 4 g/kg for G. lucidum, 270 ± 90 g/kg for L. edodes, and 1,430 ± 355 g/kg for P. adipose. Substrates supplemented with FWC showed the highest FB production at FWC content of 10% for G. lucidum (64 ± 6 g/kg), and 13% for L. edodes (665 ± 110 g/kg) and P. adipose (2,345 ± 395 g/kg), which were 1.2~2.5 times higher than the values for the controls. P. adipose contained higher amounts of mineral elements than the other species. Ca, Mg, Na, and K content in FB did not show a significant relation to FWC content.
Sonic hedgehog signaling plays an essential role during embryonic salivary gland epithelial branching morphogenesis

Gene targeting studies indicate that sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling plays an essential role during craniofacial development. Because numerous mandibular derivatives (e.g., teeth, tongue, Meckel's cartilage) are absent in Shh null mice and the embryonic submandibular salivary gland (SMG) develops from the mandibular arch, we postulated that Shh signaling is important for embryonic SMG development. To address this question, we first determined the spatiotemporal distribution of Shh; two transmembrane proteins, patched 1 (Ptc) and Smoothened (Smo), which act as a negative or a positive regulator of the Shh signal, respectively; and the Gli 3 transcription factor, which is downstream of the Shh signal. The epithelial localization of Shh, Ptc, Smo, and Gli 3 suggests that Shh signaling may act within the epithelium in a juxtacrine manner. The SMG phenotype in our embryonic day (E) 18.5 Shh null mice can be characterized as “paedomorphic,” that is, it fails to progress to ontogenic stages beyond the Early Pseudoglandular (∼E14). In a complementary set of experiments, we used organ culture to evaluate the effect of enhanced or abrogated Shh signaling on embryonic SMG development in vitro. Paired E13 (Late Initial Bud stage) or E14 (Pseudoglandular stage) SMGs were cultured in the presence or absence of exogenous Shh peptide supplementation; Shh‐supplemented explants exhibit a significant stage‐dependent increase in branching morphogenesis compared with control explants. Furthermore, by using cyclopamine, a steroidal alkaloid that specifically disrupts the Shh pathway, to abrogate endogenous Shh signaling in vitro, we found a significant decrease in branching in cyclopamine‐treated explants compared with controls, as well as a significant decrease in epithelial cell proliferation. Our results indicate that Shh signaling plays an essential role during embryonic SMG branching morphogenesis. Exogenous FGF8 peptide supplementation in vitro rescues the abnormal SMG phenotype seen in cyclopamine‐treated explants, demonstrating that overexpression of a parallel, but related, downstream signaling pathway can compensate for diminished Shh signaling and restore embryonic SMG branching morphogenesis. Developmental Dynamics 229:722–732, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Nucleotide substitutions in vanC-2 gene of Enterococcus casseliflavus isolates obtained from chickens

DNA sequencing of the vanC-2 gene was partially carried out on 10 isolates of Enterococcus casseliflavus obtained from 8 samples of imported chickens in Japan between July 1999 and June 2001 to evaluate the variation in the gene. Forty nucleotide substitutions in 36 codons were identified within 345 base pairs when compared with the vanC-2 sequence of the reference strain E. casseliflavus ATCC25788. Identical nucleotide substitutions were commonly found in the isolates recovered from chickens imported from both Brazil and China. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns of NotI-digested chromosomal DNA of these strains were distinguished by two, or more than six, band differences. These observations suggest that sequencing of the vanC-2 gene may be helpful for epidemiological investigation in combination with the PFGE analyses of the isolates, although particular genotypes are unlikely to be restricted to each of the countries that exported chickens.
Embryo-specific expression of a visual reporter gene as a selection system for citrus transformation

The embryo-specific Dc3 gene promoter driving the VvMybA1 anthocyanin regulatory gene was used to develop a visual selection system for the genetic transformation of citrus. Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of cell suspension cultures resulted in the production of purple transgenic somatic embryos that could be easily separated from the green non-transgenic embryos. The somatic embryos produced phenotypically normal plants devoid of any visual purple coloration. These results were also confirmed using protoplast transformation. There was minimal gene expression in unstressed one-year-old transgenic lines. Cold and drought stress did not have any effect on gene expression, while exogenous ABA and NaCl application resulted in a minor change in gene expression in several transgenic lines. When gas exchange was measured in intact leaves, the transgenic lines were similar to controls under the same environment. Our results provide conclusive evidence for the utilization of a plant-derived, embryo-specific visual reporter system for the genetic transformation of citrus. Such a system could aid in the development of an all-plant, consumer-friendly GM citrus tree.
The Vesiculo–Vacuolar Organelle (VVO): A New Endothelial Cell Permeability Organelle

A newly defined endothelial cell permeability structure, termed the Vesiculo–Vacuolar organelle (VVO), has been identified in the microvasculature that accompanies tumors, in venules associated with allergic inflammation, and in the endothelia of normal venules. This organelle provides the major route of extravasation of macromolecules at sites of increased vascular permeability induced by vascular permeability factor/vascular endothelial growth factor (VPF/VEGF), serotonin, and histamine in animal models. Continuity of these large sessile structures between the vascular lumen and the extracellular space has been demonstrated in kinetic studies with ultrastructural electron-dense tracers, by direct observation of tilted electron micrographs, and by ultrathin serial sections with three-dimensional computer reconstructions. Ultrastructural enzyme-affinity cytochemical and immunocytochemical studies have identified histamine and VPF/VEGF bound to VVOs in vivo in animal models in which these mediators of permeability are released from mast cells and tumor cells, respectively. The high-affinity receptor for VPF/VEGF, VEGFR-2, was localized to VVOs and their substructural components by pre-embedding ultrastructural immunonanogold and immunoperoxidase techniques. Similar methods were used to localize caveolin and vesicle-associated membrane protein (VAMP) to VVOs and caveolae, indicating a possible commonality of formation and function of VVOs to caveolae.
The optimal intensity of oral anticoagulant therapy.

IN THE United States, approximately 500 000 patients per year receive oral anticoagulant therapy (R. Hart, MD, quoting J. Wallner, Product Manager, Dupont Pharmaceuticals, Wilmington, Del, oral communication, April 1986). Since Quick et al 1 introduced their test in 1935, it has been traditional to use the one-stage prothrombin time (PT) to monitor warfarin therapy. This test, which is sensitive to three of the four vitamin K-dependent clotting factors, is performed by adding a phospholipid extract of mammalian tissue (known as thromboplastin) to citrated plasma and clotting the mixture by adding calcium. Many clinicians who prescribe oral anticoagulants might be surprised to learn that the dose of warfarin that we currently use to prolong the PT to a ratio of 2 to 2.5 times the control value is larger than the dose that was used to produce an identical prolongation of the PT in the 1940s, 1950s, and the 1960s.
Evidence for the formation of functionally distinct alphabetagammaepsilon GABA(A) receptors.

1. We transiently introduced the human GABA(A) receptor epsilon subunit cDNA into a human embryonic kidney (HEK) cell line stably expressing alpha1beta3gamma2 receptors (WSS-1 cells) to establish whether the subunit competes with the gamma2 subunit for assembly into receptors. GABA-evoked currents were recorded using the patch-clamp technique from cells transfected with cDNA encoding green fluorescent protein (GFP) alone or in combination with the epsilon subunit cDNA. 2. The epsilon subunit did not change the potency of GABA: the GABA EC(50) was 34 +/- 6 microM in control WSS-1 cells and 37 +/- 6 microM in cells expressing the epsilon subunit. The introduction of the epsilon subunit reduced the peak current amplitude activated by GABA (1 mM) from 1.8 +/- 0.2 nA in control cells to 0.9 +/- 0.2 nA in cells expressing the epsilon subunit (P < 0.05). 3. The epsilon subunit caused the appearance of leak currents recorded in the absence of GABA. Outside-out patches excised from epsilon subunit-containing WSS-1 cells exhibited spontaneously opening GABA(A) channels not seen in patches excised from control GFP-expressing WSS-1 cells. Introduction of the epsilon subunit did not alter the GABA-evoked single-channel cord conductance. 4. The anaesthetic 2,6-diisopropylphenol (propofol, 3 microM) and the benzodiazepine flunitrazepam (1 microM) potentiated GABA-evoked currents recorded from control cells labelled with GFP. The epsilon subunit reduced potentiation by both agents 48-96 h after transfection. 5. The introduction of the epsilon subunit had no effect on the ability of propofol (3-30 microM) relative to GABA (1 mM) to activate GABA(A) receptors in WSS-1 cells. High concentrations of propofol (> or = 100 microM) produced a more marked desensitization of GABA(A) receptor activity in WSS-1 cells transfected with cDNA for the epsilon subunit than in control cells. 6. There was no difference in the potency of Zn(2+) as an inhibitor of currents recorded from control cells (IC(50) = 165 +/- 34 microM) or cells expressing the epsilon subunit (IC(50) = 179 +/- 11 microM). 7. GABA-activated currents recorded both from control cells and cells expressing the epsilon subunit reversed in sign at the Cl- equilibrium potential and exhibited outward rectification. 8. The introduction of the epsilon subunit changes the functional properties of GABA(A) receptors in WSS-1 cells. The resulting receptors have a unique combination of properties indicative of the co-assembly of alpha, beta, gamma and epsilon subunits.
Formulating goals in occupational therapy: State of the art in Switzerland

Abstract Background: The contemporary occupational therapy literature suggests that different quality criteria exist for setting goals in occupational therapy: a focus on occupation; a link to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF); and adherence to the SMART recommendations, which advises goals to be specific, measurable, agreed, realistic, and timed. Aim: To identify the extent to which Swiss occupational therapists (OTs) adhere to the criteria cited above. Material: A total of 1 129 goals formulated with the Goal Attainment Scale (GAS) collected in 2008. Results: In slightly more than half the investigated cases at least one goal addressed an aspect of occupation. Nearly two-thirds of the goals related to the ICF component “activity and participation”. Nearly 90% of the goals were specific, measurable, and/or realistic. Conclusions: Goals mirror, to some extent, what is done in everyday practice. Several influences on goal formulations of OTs were identified, including the practice models traditionally used in different specialist fields; the cultural contexts in which OTs were trained; and the legal framework that obliges OTs to formulate their goals in a certain way in order to obtain funding for their services. Significance: Based on these results evidence-based products have been developed (a further education course; written recommendations for practice).
Transmission of SEN virus from mothers to their babies

Sera from 30 women at high risk for infection, one half of which were SEN virus positive (SENV+), were collected at delivery to study SENV mother‐to child transmission. Thirteen of their babies were positive for at least one SENV strain: one baby was SENV+ at birth, eight became positive within 6 months from delivery, and four became positive in the following months. Our data indicate that vertical transmission of SENV does occur, presumably, at delivery, but it may not induce persistent viremia. This is supported by the fact that, generally, SENV is not detected at birth, by the high SENV homology in the sequences found in the mothers and in their children, by a lack of other risk factors for infection of the babies, and by the irregular detection of SENV in the follow‐up. No clinical events surely linked to SENV infection were found, but transient elevations of alanine aminotransferase were observed in babies followed for a long period of time. J. Med. Virol. 66:421‐427, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
ROI or Voxel DCE Analysis in Clinical Applications

I. Overview Dynamic Contrast Enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) is a rapidly evolving imaging technique, and it is widely applicable in management of various cancers. It is the current standard for breast MR imaging; also many research studies have been conducted to evaluate its application for other cancers. This tutorial is focused on the analysis of DCE-MRI data, and how the analyzed parameters are used in clinical diagnosis and therapy monitoring. Since DCE-MRI is the most established for breast imaging, I will use breast cancer as examples. The ROI-based and pixel-by-pixel based analyses are the two main methods. For diagnosis, the hot spot ROI approach to characterize tissues with the most aggressive pathology is commonly used; but for therapy response monitoring, the whole tumor should be analyzed. The commercial software that is available for quantitative analysis of DCE-MRI will be described.
Spectrally selective 3D TSE imaging of phosphocreatine in the human calf muscle at 3 T

Quantitative information about concentrations of several metabolites in human skeletal muscle can be obtained through localized 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy methods. However, these methods have shortcomings: long acquisition times, limited volume coverage, and coarse resolution. Significantly higher spatial and temporal resolution of imaging of single metabolites can be achieved through spectrally selective three‐dimensional imaging methods. This study reports the implementation of a three‐dimensional spectrally selective turbo spin‐echo sequence, on a 3T clinical system, to map the concentration of phosphocreatine in the human calf muscle with significantly increased spatial resolution and in a clinically feasible scan time. Absolute phosphocreatine quantification was performed with the use of external phantoms after relaxation and flip angle correction of the turbo spin‐echo voxel signal. The mean ± standard deviation of the phosphocreatine concentration measured in five healthy volunteers was 29.4 ± 2.5 mM with signal‐to‐noise ratio of 14:1 and voxel size of 0.52 mL. Magn Reson Med, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.