Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Lead-Exposed Increase in Movement Behavior and Brain Lipid Peroxidation in Fish

Abstract Lipid peroxides formation and motor activity were studied in fish under lead exposure for a period of 30 days. The in vitro studies of lead exposure were also performed in fish brain homogenates. Spontaneous motor activity of fish was affected by lead exposure (50 µg/L). The behaviors were increased in fish during the first three days with jerky movements and then as spontaneous movements between 16 and 30 days of lead exposure. Lipid peroxidation, which is measured as thiobarbituric acid reactive species, was increased by 52% on 15 days and 156% on 30 days of lead exposure (50 µg/L). The effects of lead exposure (50 µg) were also observed in in vitro fish brain homogenates (1 mL, 5% w/v) alone, in presence of pro-oxidant system (as iron 100 µg) or anti-oxidant system (as α-tocopherol, 100 µg). Steady state increments of lipid peroxidation were apparent up to the concentration of 40 µg of lead treatment in brain homogenates, which subsequently attained a plateau up to the treatment of 100 µg lead. Lead at the concentration of 50 µg promoted lipid peroxidation by 225%. Iron-induced lipid peroxidation was 135% as compared to control. Lead neurotoxicity was further aggravated by iron by 33%, while the combined impact was 476% higher when compared with the control (i.e., untreated brain homogenates). Alpha-tocopherol reduced the levels of lipid peroxidation by 31%. Moreover, treatment of α-tocopherol also suppressed the lead neurotoxicity by 53%. These findings suggest that lead intoxication increases spontaneous motor activity and lipid peroxides in brain of fish in chronic exposure. I, therefore, speculate that presence of iron may accentuate lead neurotoxicity, while on the other hand, treatment with biological anti-oxidant α-tocopherol may provide relief from lead neurotoxicity. #The paper was presented in parts at the Measuring Behavior 2002, 4th International Conference on Methods and Techniques in Behavioral Research, August 27–30, 2002, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and International Conference on Role of Free Radicals and Antioxidants in Health and Disease and 2nd Annual Conference of Society of Free Radical Research-India, February 10–12, 2003, Lucknow, India
Radiographic Evaluation of Narrow Diameter Implants after 5 years of clinical function: a Retrospective Study.

Abstract The use of regular sized dental implants is generally recommended to ensure adequate bone to implant contact. However when the width of the edentulous crest is insufficient for the placement of a regular sized implant, the use of a narrow diameter implant (NDI) should be considered to prevent the use of invasive reconstruction techniques such as grafting procedures. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the survival and marginal bone levels of NDIs five years after prosthetic loading. One hundred and fifty-nine NDIs belonging to four brands (Straumann, Astra Tech, Biolok, Xive) in 71 patients were evaluated. Clinical and radiographic evaluations using digital panoramic radiography were carried out. Two implants failed and no progressive bone loss or periapical lesions were detected in the remaining 157 implants which brings an overall success rate of 98.74%. The mean marginal bone loss (MBL) was found as 1 mm on mesial and 0.98 mm on distal side of the implants. No statistically significant relationship was detected between patient age, gender, implant location, implant length, type of the prosthesis and MBL (P > 0.05). Among the 4 brands used, the MBL around Biolok implants were detected as the highest; but significantly higher than the MBL around only the Astra Tech implants (P < 0.05). The results of the present study indicated that NDIs can be a good solution for specific clinical situations where regular sized implants are not suitable.
Analysis of the gate voltage fluctuations in ultra-thin gate oxides after soft breakdown

The time-dependence of the gate voltage [V/sub G/(t)] during constant current stress of MOS capacitors with a 2.4 nm gate oxide layer after the occurrence of soft breakdown is analysed. It is shown that the fluctuations observed in VG(t) are nonGaussian and can be fitted by Levy distributions. The long-range correlations in VG(t) are investigated by using the Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (DFA). From this analysis, it is found that long-range antipersistent correlations exist in the gate voltage signal. These can be qualitatively explained by a dynamic percolation model, taking into account the trapping-detrapping of electrons within the percolation cluster formed after the occurrence of soft breakdown.
Human CD4+ T lymphocytes recognize a highly conserved epitope of human T lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV‐1) env gp21 restricted by HLA DRB1*0101

HTLV‐1 causes two distinct human diseases, HTLV‐1‐associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) and adult T cell leukaemia/lymphoma (ATL). Persistently infected individuals carry a risk of < 1% of developing either disease. These basic epidemiological data imply that virus–host interactions, especially immunogenetic factors, influence the outcome of infection. Several studies showed that the HLA class II DR1 DQ5 haplotype is over‐represented in HAM/TSP, but rare in ATL. Therefore, we selected four patients with HAM/TSP and one seronegative control who all carried the HLA DR1 DQ5 haplotype. We analysed the CD4+ T lymphocyte response against eight synthetic peptides of HTLV‐1 envelope (env) glycoprotein gp21, a crucial target antigen in HAM/TSP. The first of two immunodominant epitopes corresponded to a domain of the HTLV‐1 envelope protein which had previously been shown to be essential for HTLV‐1 envelope function. The second immunodominant epitope overlapped a highly conserved sequence of the retroviral transmembrane envelope protein. DR1 (DRB1*0101)‐restricted T lymphocytes were activated by the conserved peptide sequence in nanomolar concentrations. In contrast, this conserved sequence can also induce non‐specific, cAMP‐mediated immunosuppressive effects on T cells when added in micromolar concentrations to culture media, as shown by Haraguchi S, Good RA, James‐Yarish M, Cianciolo GJ, Day NK, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1995; 92:5568–71. Hence, HTLV‐1 env gp21 might exert either stimulating immunological or immunosuppressive effects in HTLV‐1‐infected individuals, depending on the level of its expression and the presence of HLA DRB1*0101.
The Neuropsychological Function of Older First-Time Child Exploitation Material Offenders: A Pilot Study

Despite the growing incidence of child exploitation offences, there is little knowledge of the neuropsychological function of older child exploitation material offenders (CEMOs). Given that studies have reported that sex offenders demonstrate deficits attributed to frontal and temporal lobe function, the aim of this pilot study was to investigate the frontotemporal function of older first-time child exploitation material offenders (FTCEMOs). The neuropsychological performance of 11 older FTCEMOs was compared with 34 older historical sex offenders (HSOs) and 32 older nonsex offender (NSO) controls. Forty-five percent of FTCEMOs admitted to a pedophilic interest, which was significantly lower than those reported by HSOs. FTCEMOs provided significantly higher intellectual function scores than HSOs. Results revealed no evidence of mild or major neurocognitive disorder in FTCEMOs. Although the groups were not significantly different, compared with normative data, FTCEMOs reported a high incidence of impairment on a measure of decision making and on a measure of facial emotional recognition.
Clinical phenotype and mutations in connexin 26 (DFNB1/GJB2), the most common cause of childhood hearing loss.

Mutations in the gene for connexin 26, GJB2, are the most common cause of hearing loss in American and European populations, with a carrier rate of about 3%-a rate similar to that for cystic fibrosis. A single mutation, 35delG, is responsible for most of this autosomal recessive hearing loss, DFNB1. A broad spectrum of mutations in GJB2 has been found to be associated with hearing loss, including another deletion mutation, 167delT, which has a carrier rate of about 4% in the Ashkenazi Jewish population. Mutations in GJB2 have also been found to be associated with dominant nonsyndromic hearing loss, DFNA3. Clinical studies have shown that the recessive hearing loss can vary from mild to profound, even within the same sibship. This type of hearing loss is nonsyndromic and is accompanied by normal vision, vestibular responses, and no malformations of the inner ear detectable by computed tomography scanning. Progressive and asymmetrical hearing loss has been noted in some cases, but it accounts for fewer than one-third of the cases of this type of hearing loss. The discovery of mutations in GJB2 that cause hearing loss has profound implications in the early diagnosis of hearing loss in general. The relative ease of diagnosis by genetic testing of Cx26 permits early identification of children with GJB2/DFNB1 hearing loss. This testing, coupled with hearing loss diagnosed by infant auditory brainstem response audiometry, will ensure that hearing-impaired children and their parents receive proper medical, audiologic, genetic, and educational counseling. Am. J. Med. Genet. (Semin. Med. Genet.) 89:130-136, 1999.
Subdural Electrodes in Focal Epilepsy Surgery at a Typical Academic Epilepsy Center

Purpose: To assess the use of subdural intracranial EEG (iEEG) on postoperative outcomes at an epilepsy center. Methods: Ninety-one epilepsy patients underwent iEEG. Array design was compared with noninvasive EEG with over 1 year of outcome. Patient demographics, implanted brain sites, electrodes, contacts/site, and surgical location were correlated with outcome. Fisher exact test and logistics regression were used to evaluate significance (P ⩽ 0.05). Results: Of ninety-one women, 55 (mean age, 32.3 years; range, 11–60) underwent tailored iEEG. Seventy of ninety-one (76.9%) resections (70% temporal) yielded 24/91 (26.4%) seizure free (SF). Strips (57.1%), grids (5.5%), or both (37.4%) for iEEG use was commonly bilateral (58.2%; 65.3% bitemporal) but did not predict outcome (P = NS). A lesion (28/91) did predict a SF outcome (42.9%). The iEEG localized 45.7% of seizures beyond scalp EEG and changed the localization or lateralization in 75.7% of resected patients. Electrode design, localization, lateralization, and site of resection did not correlate with outcome (P = NS). Overall, iEEG use portended a non-SF outcome (P ⩽ 0.0001). Conclusions: The use of iEEG selected 46% additional patients for surgery, yet only 26% became SF. A magnetic resonance imaging lesion predicted a SF or seizure-improved outcome. Although iEEG changed the localization and lateralization of scalp ictal EEG in three quarters of patients, its use was a negative predictor for a favorable outcome. Preoperative counseling should emphasize expectations for seizure reduction in patients requiring iEEG.
Risk factors of obstructive sleep apnea among nigerian outpatients

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a medical condition with adverse consequences. OSA is credited to be a sleep disorder that disproportionately affects blacks. The Berlin Questionnaire (BQ) is a screening questionnaire for OSA. Objective To describe the risk factors associated with OSA among adults attending an out-patient specialist clinic. Study design: Prospective, clinical study including adult outpatients attending a specialist clinic. Method Data was collected using a questionnaire incorporating the BQ and patients were divided into low and high risks of OSA. The risk factors associated with OSA in the univariate analyses were subjected to a multivariate binary logistic regression model. Adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated for these independent variables. Results One hundred and ninety five patients participated in the study (Males 56.4%; Age 43.5 ± 15.6 years; Non-habitual snorers 81.5%; High risk OSA 17.4%; BMI 24.1 ± 4.6 kg/m2; Obese 12.9%). Six factors including marital status and blood pressure were significantly associated with OSA using bivariate analysis nevertheless age, hours at work, smoking status and BMI remained predictive of OSA on logistic regression analysis. Conclusions OSA is common among Nigerian outpatients, may be under-recognized and is associated with risk factors that are amenable to preventive strategies.
Therapeutic Angiogenesis in the Management of Critical Limb Ischemia: Current Concepts and Review

Critical limb ischemia (CLI) represents the most severe form of peripheral arterial disease. Manifestations of CLI include rest pain, ischemic ulcers, and/or gangrene. The presence of CLI frequently leads to amputation, and furthermore, patients with CLI are at an increased risk of cardiovascular events including death. Treatment options for CLI when revascularization is not possible are extremely limited. Therapeutic angiogenesis is a promising new tool in the management of CLI. There is a growing body of evidence demonstrating the safety and efficacy of therapeutic angiogenesis with gene and cell therapy. Many factors must be considered in formulating clinically efficacious gene and/or cell therapies. The dosing regimen, route of delivery, and choice of growth factor or cell population must be decided. Although the optimal regimen of therapeutic angiogenesis has yet to be identified, building on the knowledge gained from the early pioneering studies may help to identify the best combination.
Is hip strength a risk factor for patellofemoral pain? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective To evaluate and synthesise the literature on hip strength among patients with patellofemoral pain (PFP) to address the following: (1) differentiate between hip strength as a risk factor and associated deficit in PFP; (2) describe hip strength in men and women with PFP across different age ranges; (3) investigate the effects of hip strengthening on biomechanical knee variables associated with PFP development. Methods MEDLINE, CINAHL, Web of Science, SportDiscus and Google Scholar were searched in November 2013 for studies investigating hip strength among patients with PFP. Two reviewers independently assessed papers for inclusion and quality. Means and SDs were extracted from each included study to allow effect size calculations and comparisons of results. Results Moderate-to-strong evidence from prospective studies indicates no association between isometric hip strength and risk of developing PFP. Moderate evidence from cross-sectional studies indicates that men and women with PFP have lower isometric hip musculature strength compared to pain-free individuals. Limited evidence indicates that adolescents with PFP do not have the same strength deficits as adults with PFP. Conclusions This review highlights a possible discrepancy between prospective and cross-sectional research. Cross-sectional studies indicate that adult men and women with PFP appear to have lower hip strength compared to pain-free individuals. Contrary to this, a limited number of prospective studies indicate that there may be no association between isometric hip strength and risk of developing PFP. Therefore, reduced hip strength may be a result of PFP rather than the cause.
Leakage Current and Flashover Performance of Iced Insulators

White arc and flashover of long rod and porcelain insulators under glaze and rime icing are studied. During icing periods ice is accumulated on the insulator under H. V. applied at a constant temperature until a flashover occurs or a thickness of ice measured on a monitoring conductor reaches 7 cm. During deicing periods, the ambient temperature is allowed to increase at different rates over the freezing range. Results show that, for each kind of insulator, there is a flashover threshold current, which is 120 mA for the long rod insulator tested, and 180 mA for the porcelain insulator. Thickness of ice accretion at which flashover occurs (flashover threshold thickness) is smaller, during icing period than during deicing periods. Hard rime, of 0.87 in density is the most dangerous kind of ice: white arc and flashover occurs at very low thickness of this ice. Flashover threshold thickness of ice depends on the rate of increase of the temperature during deicing periods. The effect of the wind direction on insulators flashover performance is also investigated.
Mortality of Patients With Respiratory Insufficiency and Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome After Surgery

Introduction: Obesity has long been considered a risk factor for the development of various pathologies, yet evidence supporting increased risk of perioperative mortality in obese individuals developing postoperative complications is limited. Therefore, we sought to characterize the demographics of obese and nonobese individuals developing postoperative respiratory insufficiency (RI)/adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and to quantify the impact of obesity on in-hospital mortality among this patient population utilizing data collected for the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS). Methods: Nationwide Inpatient Sample data for each year between 1998 and 2007 were accessed. Entries were included if they underwent a surgical procedure and had a diagnosis of RI/ARDS following surgery. Patients fulfilling entry criteria were divided into those with and without obesity. In-hospital mortality was the primary outcome. A logistic regression model was fitted to elucidate if obesity was associated with increased odds for the outcome while controlling for age, gender, admission and procedure type, and comorbidity burden. Results: We identified 9 149 030 admissions that underwent the included surgical procedures between 1998 and 2007. Of those, 5.48% had a diagnosis of obesity. The incidence of RI/ARDS was 1.82% among obese and 2.01% among nonobese patients. Obese patients whose postoperative course was complicated by RI/ARDS had a significantly lower incidence of the need for mechanical ventilation (50% vs 55%). In-hospital mortality was significantly lower compared to nonobese patients (5.45% vs 18.72%). For those patients with RI/ARDS requiring intubation, the in-hospital mortality rate was 11% for obese and 25% for nonobese patients. In the multivariate regression analysis, obesity was associated with a 69% reduction in the odds of in-hospital mortality in postoperative patients with RI/ARDS. Conclusion: In our analysis, obesity was associated with a decreased incidence and adjusted odds for in-hospital mortality after surgery. Our results support the emerging concept of the “obesity paradox. ”
Resolution of Sister Telomere Association Is Required for Progression Through Mitosis

Cohesins keep sister chromatids associated from the time of their replication in S phase until the onset of anaphase. In vertebrate cells, two distinct pathways dissociate cohesins, one acts on chromosome arms and the other on centromeres. Here, we describe a third pathway that acts on telomeres. Knockdown of tankyrase 1, a telomeric poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase caused mitotic arrest. Chromosomes aligned normally on the metaphase plate but were unable to segregate. Sister chromatids separated at centromeres and arms but remained associated at telomeres, apparently through proteinaceous bridges. Thus, telomeres may require a unique tankyrase 1–dependent mechanism for sister chromatid resolution before anaphase.
Attenuation of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) transaminase activity contributes to GABA increase in the cerebral cortex of mice exposed to β-cypermethrin

The current study investigated the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels and GABA metabolic enzymes (GABA transaminase (GABAT) and glutamate decarboxylase (GAD)) activities at 2 and 4 h after treatment, using a high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detectors and colorimetric assay, in the cerebral cortex of mice treated with 20, 40 or 80 mg/kg β-cypermethrin by a single oral gavage, with corn oil as vehicle control. In addition, GABA protein (4 h after treatment), GABAT protein (2 h after treatment) and GABA receptors messenger RNA (mRNA) expression were detected by immunohistochemistry, Western blot and real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, respectively. β-Cypermethrin (80 mg/kg) significantly increased GABA levels in the cerebral cortex of mice, at both 2 and 4 h after treatment, compared with the control. Also, GABA immunohistochemistry results suggested that the number of positive granules was increased in the cerebral cortex of mice 4 h after exposure to 80 mg/kg β-cypermethrin when compared with the control. Furthermore, the results also showed that GABAT activity detected was significantly decreased in the cerebral cortex of mice 2 h after β-cypermethrin administration (40 or 80 mg/kg). No significant changes were found in GAD activity, or the expression of GABAT protein and GABAB receptors mRNA, in the cerebral cortex of mice, except that 80 mg/kg β-cypermethrin caused a significant decrease, compared with the vehicle control, in GABAA receptors mRNA expression 4 h after administration. These results suggested that attenuated GABAT activity induced by β-cypermethrin contributed to increased GABA levels in the mouse brain. The downregulated GABAA receptors mRNA expression is most likely a downstream event.
Effects of Pressure Gradient on Higher Order Statistics in Turbulent Boundary Layers

This paper investigates the effect and influence of pressure gradient on the skewness and flatness in turbulent boundary layers, which are subjected to adverse, zero and favourable pressure gradients. The large scale features are found to increase the skewness in the near wall-region for adverse pressure gradients in a manner similar to the effect of changing Reynolds number as documented by Metzger & Klewicki [1] for zero pressure gradient flows. The skewness is expanded by decomposing the fluctuating velocities into small and large-scale components, u = u+L + u + S , and the individual terms are compared. The large-scale term, u L /(u ) 3/2 , and the cross product term, 3u+Lu +2 S /(u ) 3/2 , are found to be the major contributors for the skewness factors and change drastically with pressure gradient. Further, it is found that the cross product term could replace the amplitude modulation method proposed by Mathis et al (2009) [2] in turbulence boundary layer flows with pressure gradient.