Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Use of Free-Periosteum for Secondary Bone Grafting to the Maxillary Alveolar Clefts

Some modification on the surgical technique for bone grafting to the alveolar clefts has been required. Secondary bone grafting was performed with and without free-periosteum on 34 (mean age, 9.8 ± 1.1 years) and 44 (mean age, 10.7 ± 1.2 years) alveolar clefts, respectively. Vertical bone formation which scored 3 or 4 was obtained in 97.1% of free-periosteum grafted clefts, while it was obtained in 79.5% of the control group. The rate of postoperative wound dehiscence in free-periosteum grafted clefts (20.6%) was not significantly different from the control group (11.4%). In the wound dehiscence cases, however, the grafted periosteum covered the grafted bone and prevented bone exposure. The score of bone formation in the free-periosteum grafted clefts (3.57 ± 0.79) was significantly higher than that of the control group (2.60 ± 1.34). Thus, free-periosteum grafting in secondary bone grafting is useful for bone formation in alveolar clefts.
Medical procedures and outcomes of Japanese patients with trisomy 18 or trisomy 13: Analysis of a nationwide administrative database of hospitalized patients

The choices of aggressive treatment for trisomy 18 (T18) and trisomy 13 (T13) remain controversial. Here, we describe the current medical procedures and outcomes of patients with T18 and T13 from a nationwide administrative database of hospitalized patients in Japan. We used the database to identify eligible patients with T18 (n = 438) and T13 (n = 133) who were first admitted to one of 200 hospitals between July 2010 and March 2013. Patients were divided into admission at day <7 (early neonatal) and admission at day ≥7 (late neonatal and post neonatal) groups, and we described the medical intervention and status at discharge for each group. In the day <7 groups, surgical interventions were performed for 56 (19.9%) T18 patients and 22 (34.4%) T13 patients, including pulmonary artery banding, and procedures for esophageal atresia and omphalocele. None received intracardiac surgery. The rate of patients discharged to home was higher in the day ≥7 groups than the day <7 groups (T18: 72.6 vs. 38.8%; T13: 73.9 vs. 21.9%, respectively). Our data show that a substantial number of patients with trisomy received surgery and were then discharged home, but, of these, a considerable number required home medical care. This included home oxygen therapy, home mechanical ventilation, and tube feeding. These findings will be useful to clinicians or families who care for patients with T18 and T13. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Prognosis of Small Cell Lung Cancer with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: Assessment according to GAP Stage

Introduction Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an independent risk factor for lung cancer development, and small cell lung cancer (SCLC) comprises 15-20% of lung cancers with IPF. The objective of this study was to investigate survival outcomes and treatment-related complications according to GAP (gender, age, and physiology) stage in patients having SCLC with IPF (SCLC-IPF). Materials and Methods Retrospectively collected data of SCLC-IPF patients from two tertiary care university hospitals in South Korea were reviewed. A total of 59 SCLC-IPF patients were identified and categorized according to GAP stage, which was proposed by Ley et al. in 2012 to predict the prognosis of IPF. Survival outcomes and treatment-related complications were compared between the two groups. Results In a total of 59 patients, the median age was 71 years and 58 (98.3%) were male. In a comparison of the median overall survival (OS) according to GAP stage, median OS of the advanced GAP stage group was significantly shorter than median OS of GAP stage I group (7.1 months vs. 16.1 months; p = 0.002). Treatment-related complications occurred more frequently in the advanced GAP stage group; advanced GAP stage was the only predictor that exhibited a significant association with the incidence of acute exacerbation of IPF. Conclusions Inferior survival outcome and higher incidence of treatment-related pulmonary toxicities were noted in the advanced GAP stage group. Furthermore, advanced GAP stage was the only predictor of treatment-related acute exacerbation of IPF. Physicians should thus consider GAP stage, which reflects the severity of IPF, during treatment of SCLC-IPF.
Decreased MiR-200a/141 Suppress Cell Migration and Proliferation by Targeting PTEN in Hirschsprung's Disease

Background/Aims: Hirschsprung's disease (HSCR) is a genetic disorder of neural crest development. In this study, we investigated whether and how miR-200a and miR-141, belonging to miR-200 family, were involved in the pathogenesis of HSCR. Methods: Quantitative real time PCR and Western blot were used to detect the levels of miRNA, mRNAs, and proteins in colon tissues from 88 HSCR patients and 75 controls. The direct regulation of specific mRNA by miRNAs was validated by dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA interference in cell lines. Transwell assays, CCK8 assay, and flow cytometry were inplemented to measure viability and activities of human 293T and SH-SY5Y cells, respectively. Results: Aberrant suppression of miR-200a was observed in colon tissues of HSCR patients. A decreased level of miR-200a and miR-141 correlated with increased levels of PTEN mRNA and protein. The Dual-Luciferase reporter gene assay demonstrated that miR-200a and miR-141 binded directly to 3'UTR of PTEN and resulting in the inhibition of PTEN. The reductions in miR-200a and miR-141 inhibited migration and proliferation of 293T and SH-SY5Y cells through up-regulating the expression of PTEN. Moreover, knocking-down of PTEN rescued the extent of suppressed cell migration and proliferation induced by miR-200a and miR-141. Conclusions: The miR-200 family may play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of HSCR by co-regulating PTEN.
The Impact of Women's Employment Status on Household Food Security at Different Income Levels in Ghana

No clear pattern has as yet emerged in nutrition and development literature as to the magnitude and direction of the net effects of working women on the food security of the household and how this depends on household income level [1, 2]. These net effects involve a complex series of trade-offs involving reallocations of income, time, and decision-making power within the household. It is important to understand the nature of these tradeoffs, as the success of the economic adjustment reforms undertaken by many developing countries will depend on the increased participation of women in the workforce [3, 4]. The central point of this research methodology note is to demonstrate that the trade-offs between household food security and female working status may depend, to an important extent, on the household’s income (or total expenditure) level. The presence of working women may well increase the food consumption of poorer households, even if the women have to travel away from the home to earn money [5]. This is true for a variety of reasons, such as the improved capacity of the wife to exert her preferences within the household (which may reflect society’s genderdefined roles rather than some innate preference to buy food) and improved ability to buy food items that require cash in small but reliable flows. For richer households, the net effect on calorie intake and calorie cost may well be zero or even negative as food (and especially calories, as opposed to micronutrients) becomes a less important component of the budget. This hypothesis of different net effects at either end of the income distribution was tested with household-level data from Ghana. We found that, at the mean of the Ghanaian data, household food security is negatively affected when women work outside the home. These results are similar to Canadian data indicating that the independent effect of the wife’s employment outside the home was almost always negative and significant for the household’s apparent nutrient intake [6]. The net effect (i.e. accounting for the extra income) of the wife working full time was -4.4 calories per capita per day at the mean of the data. However, the crucial interaction effects of the wife’s employment status and household total expenditure level on apparent nutrient intake are important because they could lead to very different policy recommendations at either end of the income distribution. The small net effect at the mean of the data set may mask very different net effects at either end of the income distribution.
The use of goal attainment scaling in neuropsychological rehabilitation in multiple sclerosis

Abstract Purpose: The overall objective was to apply the goal attainment scaling (GAS) in neuropsychological rehabilitation in multiple sclerosis (MS). The specific aims were to evaluate whether (1) GAS-rated goals are attained; (2) attaining goals is related to standardized rehabilitation outcome measures; and (3) GAS-rated goals can be mapped to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF). Method: 56 relapsing-remitting MS patients received neuropsychological rehabilitation conducted once a week for 13 consecutive weeks. The attainment of GAS-rated personal goals and the association between achievement of goals and standardized rehabilitation outcome were evaluated. Moreover, GAS-rated goals were mapped to the ICF. Results: Median (interquartile range) GAS attainment T-score was 56.0 (50.0–62.0); 88.8% of personal goals set were fully achieved. The attainment of goals was not significantly associated with the outcome in majority of the standardized measures. Of the 182 meaningful concepts identified in the goals, 181 could be mapped to the ICF. Conclusions: GAS seems to be an appropriate outcome measure in neuropsychological rehabilitation in MS. GAS-rated personal goals were well achieved, and GAS was found to tap changes not covered with standardized outcome measures. Implications for Rehabilitation GAS seems to be an appropriate outcome measure in neuropsychological rehabilitation in MS. GAS-rated personal goals were well achieved, and GAS was found to tap changes in the areas not covered with standardized outcome measures. GAS seems to offer a possibility to take into account the specific needs of each individual patient. The ICF can be used to classify goals in neuropsychological rehabilitation in MS.
Finasteride-induced prostatic involution by apoptosis in dogs with benign prostatic hypertrophy.

OBJECTIVE To determine the effect of finasteride on programmed cell death (apoptosis) of prostatic cells during prostatic involution in dogs with benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). ANIMALS 9 dogs with BPH. PROCEDURE Dogs were randomly assigned to treatment or control groups. Treatment dogs (n = 5) were administered finasteride (0.1 to 0.5 mg/kg, PO, q 24 h) for 16 weeks, whereas the 4 control dogs were administered an inert compound. Prostatic cells from the prostatic fluid portion of the ejaculate of treatment and control dogs were obtained before and 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, and 16 weeks after initiation of treatment. Cells were concentrated by use of centrifugation. Prostatic cells were examined for indications of apoptosis by use of a terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuracil triphosphate nick-end labeling technique. After receiving the inert compound for 16 weeks, the 4 control dogs were administered finasteride for 16 weeks, and evaluations were repeated. RESULTS Percentage of apoptotic prostatic cells in ejaculated prostatic fluid of treatment dogs increased significantly (from 9% before treatment to 33, 31, 26, and 27% after 1, 2, 3, and 8 weeks of treatment, respectively). There was no significant change in percentage of apoptotic prostatic cells in the ejaculated prostatic fluid of control dogs. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Finasteride-induced prostatic involution appears to be via apoptosis in dogs with BPH. Finasteride treatment of dogs with BPH causes prostatic involution by apoptosis rather than necrosis.
Development and validation of the geriatric depression inventory in Chinese culture

ABSTRACT Background: Depression among older adults is under-recognized either in the community or in general hospitals in Chinese culture. This study aimed to develop a culturally appropriate screening instrument for late-life depression in the non-psychiatric settings and to test its reliability and validity for a diagnosis of depression. Methods: Using a Delphi method, we developed a geriatric depression inventory (GDI), consisting of 12 core symptoms of depressive disorder in old age. We investigated its reliability and validity on 89 patients with late-life depression and 249 non-depression controls. Both self-report (GDI-SR) and physician-interview (GDI-RI) versions were assessed. Results: Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.843 for GDI-SR and 0.880 for GDI-RI. Both GDI-SR and GDI-RI showed good concurrent validity with the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) (GDI-SR: r = 0.750, p < 0.001; GDI-RI: r = 0.733, p < 0.001). The area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) was 0.938 for GDI-SR and 0.961 for GDI-RI, suggesting good to excellent discrimination of depression versus non-depression. Using a cut-off of three items endorsed, sensitivity and specificity were 92.1% and 81.9% for GDI-SR, and 93.3% and 87.1% for GDI-RI. Conclusions: The GDI, either based on self-report or rater interview, is a reliable and valid instrument for the detection of depression among older adults in non-psychiatric medical settings in Chinese culture.
Foreign Direct Investment South Africa

This paper examines how Foreign direct investment is affected by its determinants in both the short and long run. This study augments the Vector Autoregression (VAR) analysis with cointegration and error correction models to provide evidence for the short and long run behavior of the determinants of Foreign Direct Investment. The study employs yearly South African data covering the period 1980 to 2005. For that purpose, the VAR model contains variables real interest rates, technological change, inflation and GDP. The findings of this study suggest the importance of all the variables in explaining Foreign Direct investment in both the short and long run.
Pollutant Emissions from Improved Cookstoves of the Type Used in Sub-Saharan Africa

ABSTRACT Emissions from traditional cookstoves are a major health concern in developing world households. Improved cookstoves can reduce fuel use and pollutant emissions and here we compare three types of improved cookstoves widely used in Sub-Saharan Africa. These are a raised-bed charcoal stove, a rocket-type stove using wood and straw, and a gasifier stove. Laboratory measurements were made of the main gaseous pollutants, particle size distribution and composition. The genotoxicity of the particles was assessed using a comet assay. The rocket-type stove using dry wood had the highest emission factors for particulate matter and NOX. Emissions of CO and CH4 were a factor of 6–7 higher from the charcoal stove compared with the other stoves tested in this work, and also higher for burning high moisture wood. Fuel properties were critical for emitted particle size, and for the emissions of NOX, black carbon and organic matter.
ATP-gated P2X3 receptors constitute a positive autocrine signal for insulin release in the human pancreatic β cell

Extracellular ATP has been proposed as a paracrine signal in rodent islets, but it is unclear what role ATP plays in human islets. We now show the presence of an ATP signaling pathway that enhances the human β cell's sensitivity and responsiveness to glucose fluctuations. By using in situ hybridization, RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry, and Western blotting as well as recordings of cytoplasmic-free Ca2+ concentration, [Ca2+]i, and hormone release in vitro, we show that human β cells express ionotropic ATP receptors of the P2X3 type and that activation of these receptors by ATP coreleased with insulin amplifies glucose-induced insulin secretion. Released ATP activates P2X3 receptors in the β-cell plasma membrane, resulting in increased [Ca2+]i and enhanced insulin secretion. Therefore, in human islets, released ATP forms a positive autocrine feedback loop that sensitizes the β cell's secretory machinery. This may explain how the human pancreatic β cell can respond so effectively to relatively modest changes in glucose concentration under physiological conditions in vivo.
Protracted febrile myalgia syndrome in familial Mediterranean fever

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an autosomal, recessively inherited multisystem disease that affects various groups of people originating from the Mediterranean Sea region, most specifically those of Jewish, Turkish, Armenian, and Arabic ethnicity. Recurrent attacks of fever and sterile polyserositis of the peritoneum, synovial membranes, and pleura are the main clinical features, although the clinical features of FMF have been expanded in recent years to also include severe myalgia, scrotal swelling, cardiac involvement, and protracted febrile myalgia syndrome (PFMS). PFMS is seen in only a small percentage of FMF patients and is characterized by severe debilitating myalgia of the upper and lower extremities and high fever, occasionally accompanied by abdominal pain, diarrhea, arthritis/arthralgia, and transient vasculitic purpura mimicking Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP). Here, we report on a patient with FMF who also presents with PFMS, which is an uncommon and severe manifestation of the disease.
Race and Productivity Outcome After Traumatic Brain Injury: Influence of Confounding Factors

Objective:Investigate the impact of race on productivity outcome after traumatic brain injury (TBI) and evaluate the influence of confounding factors on this relationship. Design:Inception cohort of 1083 adults with TBI for whom 1-year productivity follow-up data were available. Results:Univariable logistic regression indicated that race was a significant predictor of productivity outcome after TBI. African Americans were 2.76 times more likely to be nonproductive than whites and other racial minorities were 1.92 times more likely to be nonproductive than whites. Multivariable logistic regression analyses revealed that the effect of race on employability was influenced by confounds with preinjury productivity, education level, and cause of injury. After adjustment for other predictors, African Americans were 2.00 times more likely to be nonproductive than whites and other racial minorities were 2.08 times more likely to be nonproductive than whites. The multivariable logistic regression model with all predictors except race accounted for 39% of the variability in productivity outcome (R2-Nagelkerke = 0.39), whereas the full logistic regression model including race accounted for 41% of the variability in productivity outcome (R2-Nagelkerke = 0.41); a difference of only 2%. Conclusion:Any effect of race on productivity is significantly influenced by confounding with preinjury productivity, education level, and cause of injury.
Manipulation of Host Quality and Defense by a Plant Virus Improves Performance of Whitefly Vectors

ABSTRACT Pathogen-mediated interactions between insect vectors and their host plants can affect herbivore fitness and the epidemiology of plant diseases. While the role of plant quality and defense in mediating these tripartite interactions has been recognized, there are many ecologically and economically important cases where the nature of the interaction has yet to be characterized. The Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) cryptic species Mediterranean (MED) is an important vector of tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV), and performs better on virus-infected tomato than on uninfected controls. We assessed the impact of TYLCV infection on plant quality and defense, and the direct impact of TYLCV infection on MED feeding. We found that although TYLCV infection has a minimal direct impact on MED, the virus alters the nutritional content of leaf tissue and phloem sap in a manner beneficial to MED. TYLCV infection also suppresses herbivore-induced production of plant defensive enzymes and callose deposition. The strongly positive net effect on TYLCV on MED is consistent with previously reported patterns of whitefly behavior and performance, and provides a foundation for further exploration of the molecular mechanisms responsible for these effects and the evolutionary processes that shape them.
Prevalence of recurrent physical symptoms in U.S. adolescents.

PURPOSE To estimate the prevalence of 10 recurrent physical symptoms and to examine how prevalence differs by gender and age in healthy American adolescents. METHOD Cross-sectional analysis used survey data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), a school-based probability sample of over 20,000 adolescents in grades 7 through 12. FINDINGS Headache was the most frequently reported symptom (29%), closely followed by musculoskeletal pain (27%), fatigue (21%), and stomachache (18%). About one third of the adolescents reported multiple symptoms. Nonlinear age trends were found for musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, and dizziness with peaks between ages 16 and 17. Prevalence was higher in girls for most symptoms except musculoskeletal pain. Multiple symptoms were also prevalent and varied according to age and gender. CONCLUSIONS The findings provide a database for studying health problems in adolescents. The high prevalence of physical symptoms underscores the importance of incorporating symptom assessment into adolescent physical check-ups at schools and communities as well as during sick office visits. This helps nurses strategize screening of adolescents.
Production of 7-O-Methyl Aromadendrin, a Medicinally Valuable Flavonoid, in Escherichia coli

ABSTRACT 7-O-Methyl aromadendrin (7-OMA) is an aglycone moiety of one of the important flavonoid-glycosides found in several plants, such as Populus alba and Eucalyptus maculata, with various medicinal applications. To produce such valuable natural flavonoids in large quantity, an Escherichia coli cell factory has been developed to employ various plant biosynthetic pathways. Here, we report the generation of 7-OMA from its precursor, p-coumaric acid, in E. coli for the first time. Primarily, naringenin (NRN) (flavanone) synthesis was achieved by feeding p-coumaric acid and reconstructing the plant biosynthetic pathway by introducing the following structural genes: 4-coumarate–coenzyme A (CoA) ligase from Petroselinum crispum, chalcone synthase from Petunia hybrida, and chalcone isomerase from Medicago sativa. In order to increase the availability of malonyl-CoA, a critical precursor of 7-OMA, genes for the acyl-CoA carboxylase α and β subunits (nfa9890 and nfa9940), biotin ligase (nfa9950), and acetyl-CoA synthetase (nfa3550) from Nocardia farcinica were also introduced. Thus, produced NRN was hydroxylated at position 3 by flavanone-3-hydroxylase from Arabidopsis thaliana, which was further methylated at position 7 to produce 7-OMA in the presence of 7-O-methyltransferase from Streptomyces avermitilis. Dihydrokaempferol (DHK) (aromadendrin) and sakuranetin (SKN) were produced as intermediate products. Overexpression of the genes for flavanone biosynthesis and modification pathways, along with malonyl-CoA overproduction in E. coli, produced 2.7 mg/liter (8.9 μM) 7-OMA upon supplementation with 500 μM p-coumaric acid in 24 h, whereas the strain expressing only the flavanone modification enzymes yielded 30 mg/liter (99.2 μM) 7-OMA from 500 μM NRN in 24 h.