Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Academic Underachievement in Children with Epilepsy

Academic achievement was studied in 78 children with epilepsy, ages 5 to 13 years, to determine how seizures, treatment of seizures, and sociocultural factors influence academic achievement. Cognitive abilities were assessed with either the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities or the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised. Achievement was measured with the Peabody Individual Achievement Tests. Achievement scores were corrected for cognitive ability (IQ), and underachievement was defined as achievement score 1/2 standard deviation or more below IQ. Information regarding seizure history (severity, duration) and treatment with anticonvulsant drugs was obtained. In addition, the family was extensively interviewed regarding the child's environment, behavior, and demographic background. The Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) scale was completed on a home visit. Underachievement was frequent, ranging from 16% (Reading Recognition) to 50% (General Knowledge), but there was no relationship between severity or duration of seizure disorder or total exposure to anticonvulsant medications and achievement. Major determinants of achievement included subscales of the HOME scale, age (older children more likely to be underachieving), and parental education. An equal proportion of newly diagnosed and/or untreated subjects were underachieving compared to those with longstanding epilepsy and anticonvulsant drug treatment. (J Child Neurol 1991;6:65-72).
Demyeliating neuropathy and monoclonal IgM antibody to myelin‐associated glycoprotein

We studied a patient with demyelinating neuropathy and monoclonal IgM kappa antibody to the major myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG). Binding of this monoclonal antibody to the myelin antigen was demonstrated by imimunoelectroblot. Binding to MAG seemed to be specific, because it was completely inhibited by MAG isolated from human myelin. Immunostaining was observed with MAG from CNS and peripheral nervous system myelin.
Evaluation of alveolar bone loss following rapid maxillary expansion using cone-beam computed tomography

Objective To evaluate the changes in cortical bone thickness, alveolar bone height, and the incidence of dehiscence and fenestration in the surrounding alveolar bone of posterior teeth after rapid maxillary expansion (RME) treatment using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Methods The CBCT records of 20 subjects (9 boys, mean age: 13.97 ± 1.17 years; 11 girls, mean age: 13.53 ± 2.12 year) that underwent RME were selected from the archives. CBCT scans had been taken before (T1) and after (T2) the RME. Moreover, 10 of the subjects had 6-month retention (T3) records. We used the CBCT data to evaluate the buccal and palatal aspects of the canines, first and second premolars, and the first molars at 3 vertical levels. The cortical bone thickness and alveolar bone height at T1 and T2 were evaluated with the paired-samples t-test or the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Repeated measure ANOVA or the Friedman test was used to evaluate the statistical significance at T1, T2, and T3. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results The buccal cortical bone thickness decreased gradually from baseline to the end of the retention period. After expansion, the buccal alveolar bone height was reduced significantly; however, this change was not statistically significant after the 6-month retention period. During the course of the treatment, the incidence of dehiscence and fenestration increased and decreased, respectively. Conclusions RME may have detrimental effects on the supporting alveolar bone, since the thickness and height of the buccal alveolar bone decreased during the retention period.
Approaches based on non-separable filter banks in 2 D Gel electrophoresis image analysis

Analysis and interpretation of 2D gel images is a very important task in proteonomics study. The nonlinearties in the gel formation and image acquisition process leads to distortions, overlapped protein spots, saturated spots, faint spots, nonlinear intensity and uneven background in the gel images. As a result, pre-processing steps are important before image-analysis. De-noising is one of the most important preprocessing steps, and the overall accuracy of protein spot detection and analysis depends crucially on how effectively the 2D gel images have been de-noised. Non-separable processing methods, due to their inherent ability to be able to better represent directional information, seem to be promising for the processing of 2D gel images. In this paper, we explore approaches based on quincunx non-separable filter-banks for image de-noising, and show the overall effect on the protein spot detection accuracy.
PstS‐1, the 38‐kDa Mycobacterium tuberculosis Glycoprotein, is an Adhesin, Which Binds the Macrophage Mannose Receptor and Promotes Phagocytosis

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the primary causative agent of tuberculosis, infects macrophages and transforms the hostile intracellular environment into a permissive niche. M. tuberculosis infects macrophages using a variety of microbial ligand/cell receptor systems. In this study, binding assays with biotin‐labelled mycobacterial cell wall proteins revealed five Concanavalin A‐reactive proteins that bind macrophages. Among these proteins, we identified PstS‐1, a 38‐kDa M. tuberculosis mannosylated glycolipoprotein, and characterized it as an adhesin. Inhibition assays with mannan and immunoprecipitation demonstrated that PstS‐1 binds the mannose receptor. We purified PstS‐1 to 95.9% purity using ion exchange chromatography. The presence of mannose in purified PstS‐1 was demonstrated by Concanavalin A interaction, which was abolished in the presence of sodium m‐periodate and α‐D‐mannosidase. Gas chromatography revealed that purified PstS‐1 contained 1% of carbohydrates by weight, which was mainly mannose. Finally, we used fluorescent microbeads coated with purified PstS‐1 in phagocytosis assays and discovered that microbead uptake was inhibited by the pre‐incubation of cells with GlcNAc, mannan and α‐methyl mannoside. The interaction of PstS‐1 coated beads with the mannose receptor was confirmed by confocal colocalization studies that showed high Pearson and Manders's colocalization coefficients. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the strategies M. tuberculosis uses to infect host cells, the critical first step in the pathogenesis of tuberculosis.
The pentafraction of hydroxyethyl starch inhibits ischemia-induced compartment syndrome.

Pentafraction (PF), a solution of biodegradable hydroxyethyl starch macromolecules with molecular weights of 10 to 100 x 10(4) daltons, has been shown to minimize tissue edema by sealing interendothelial clefts at the capillary level. The effect of PF on ischemia-reperfusion-induced compartment syndrome was studied. Ten rabbits underwent bilateral femoral artery occlusion following ligation of branches from the terminal aorta to the popliteal artery. After 7 hours of ischemia, reperfusion was established with heparinized polyethylene shunts. Experimental animals (n = 5) received PF and control animals (n = 5) received normal saline (NS) as an intravenous infusion (30 mL/kg) for 1 hour, beginning 10 minutes after shunt placement. During reperfusion, anterior compartment pressure was continuously monitored in the left lower extremity. To quantitate oxidative metabolism, triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) reduction (micrograms of TTC per milligram of protein) of tibialis anterior muscle from the right lower extremity was measured at femoral artery occlusion, 7 hours of ischemia, and 2 hours of reperfusion. In the NS group, anterior compartment pressure significantly increased from the end of the ischemic interval, 10.8 +/- 4.14 to 36.4 +/- 9.9 mmHg and 44.6 +/- 15.4 mmHg, after 1 and 2 hours of reperfusion (p < 0.007) compared with the PF group, which did not change significantly, 10.6 +/- 2.6 to 11.4 +/- 12.9 mmHg and 7.4 +/- 2.8 mmHg, after 1 and 2 hours of reperfusion (p < 0.67). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Immunologic changes during hyposensitization therapy.

Studies indicate that a triple investigational approach in which antibody production, cell reactivity, and clinical measurements are used for assessment of immunization procedures in allergic disease is valid and useful. Such an approach should lead to definitive evaluation of various types of therapy and to clarification of the mechanisms by which they modify hypersensitive reactions.
Saccharomyces boulardii stimulates sIgA production and the phagocytic system of gnotobiotic mice

The effect of Saccharomyces boulardii on the immune system was evaluated, comparing germ‐free Swiss/NIH mice monoassociated with the probiotic with germ‐free mice. Saccharomyces boulardii colonized the gut of germ‐free mice and survived the gastrointestinal conditions. An increase in sIgA production, both total and anti‐S. boulardii, was observed in the intestinal contents of monoassociated mice when compared with germ‐free controls. The number of Küpffer cells was significantly higher in monoassociated mice than in germ‐free controls. In S. boulardii‐monoassociated mice, clearance of Escherichia coli B41 was higher than in germ‐free controls. TNF‐α, IFN‐γ and IL‐12 serum levels were higher at earlier time points in monoassociated mice when compared with germ‐free mice. These results show that the yeast S. boulardii modulates the host immune responses. This effect may be of interest for improving the resistance to enteropathogenic bacterial infections.
Spatial resolution in CBCT machines for dental/maxillofacial applications-what do we know today?

Spatial resolution is one of the most important parameters objectively defining image quality, particularly in dental imaging, where fine details often have to be depicted. Here, we review the current status on assessment parameters for spatial resolution and on published data regarding spatial resolution in CBCT images. The current concepts of visual [line-pair (lp) measurements] and automated [modulation transfer function (MTF)] assessment of spatial resolution in CBCT images are summarized and reviewed. Published measurement data on spatial resolution in CBCT are evaluated and analysed. Effective (i.e. actual) spatial resolution available in CBCT images is being influenced by the two-dimensional detector, the three-dimensional reconstruction process, patient movement during the scan and various other parameters. In the literature, the values range between 0.6 and 2.8 lp mm(-1) (visual assessment; median, 1.7 lp mm(-1)) vs MTF (range, 0.5-2.3 cycles per mm; median, 2.1 lp mm(-1)). Spatial resolution of CBCT images is approximately one order of magnitude lower than that of intraoral radiographs. Considering movement, scatter effects and other influences in real-world scans of living patients, a realistic spatial resolution of just above 1 lp mm(-1) could be expected.
The GEKKO XII-HIPER ( High Intensity Plasma Experimental Research ) System Relevant to Ignition Targets

To test high gain targets surrogated in the planar geometry, we have constructed a new experimental system (HIPER) which provides the high ablation pressure with a uniform irradiance profile. These performances were achieved by bundling twelve beams of the existing GEKKO XII into a F/3 focus cone. The partially coherent light is introduced for the beam smoothing of a green foot pulse consisting of three beams, and the three-directional smoothing by spectral dispersion is utilized for residual nine beams delivering a blue main drive pulse. The detail of design concept and results of initial activation of this system are reported.
The molecular genetics of the 22 q 11-associated schizophrenia

Schizophrenia has a strong genetic component but the mode of inheritance of the disease is complex and in all likelihood involves interaction among multiple genes and also possibly environmental or stochastic factors. A number of studies have shown that the 22q11 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) is a true genetic subtype of schizophrenia and as such may play an extremely important role in deciphering the genetic basis of schizophrenia. Microdeletions of the 22q11 locus are associated with a staggering increased risk to develop schizophrenia. The same locus has also been implicated by some linkage studies. Systematic examination of individual genes from the 1.5 Mb critical region has identified so far the PRODH and ZDHHC8 as strong candidate schizophrenia susceptibility genes from this locus. Discovery of these genes implicates neuromodulatory aminoacids and protein palmitoylation as important for disease development. Other genes, including the gene encoding for COMT, have been implicated by candidate gene approaches. It therefore appears that the 22q11-associated schizophrenia may have the characteristics of a contiguous gene syndrome, where deficiency in more than one gene contributes to the strikingly increased disease risk. Mouse models for individual candidate genes will provide the investigators with the opportunity to start understanding the function of these genes and how they may impact on schizophrenia. Mouse models that carry long-range deletions will likely capture the interactions among the culprit genes and help explain the genetic contribution of this locus to the high risk for schizophrenia. In-depth human and animal model studies of 22q11DS promise to answer critical questions relating to the devastating illness of schizophrenia, whose causes remain largely unknown. D 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Theme: Disorders of the nervous system Topic: Neuropsychiatric disorders
Deliberate self-poisoning in the Oxford area.

Self-poisoning, to use the term coined by Kessel, McCulloch, and Simpson (1963), is a common reason for emergency admission to hospital. Such episodes are frequently designated as attempted suicide but, as Stengel and Cook (1958) and others have pointed out, the impulse towards self-destruc tion may be only a minor factor in the motivation. Although there have been many psychiatric and clinical studies of self-poisoning, it has received less attention as a problem for social and preventive medicine. This is a study of cases of self-poisoning admitted to hospitals in the area of the Oxford Record Linkage Study (ORLS). ORLS comprises a central file based on local sources, which collects abstracts of domiciliary midwifery records, birth and death certificates, and all types of hospital admissions relating to persons resident within a defined area. (Acheson, 1964; Acheson and Evans, 1964.) The file is linked so that data referring to the same individual but arising from different sources and at different times are brought together. It is therefore possible to reduce "events" to "persons", and to relate these to a population of known size and constitution.
Status epilepticus during old age is not associated with enhanced hippocampal neurogenesis

Increased production of new neurons in the adult dentate gyrus (DG) by neural stem/progenitor cells (NSCs) following acute seizures or status epilepticus (SE) is a well known phenomenon. However, it is unknown whether NSCs in the aged DG have similar ability to upregulate neurogenesis in response to SE. We examined DG neurogenesis after the induction of continuous stages III‐V seizures (SE) for over 4 h in both young adult (5‐months old) and aged (24‐months old) F344 rats. The seizures were induced through 2–4 graded intraperitoneal injections of the excitotoxin kainic acid (KA). Newly born cells in the DG were labeled via daily intraperitoneal injections of the 5′‐bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) for 12 days, which commenced shortly after the induction of SE in KA‐treated rats. New cells and neurons in the subgranular zone (SGZ) and the granule cell layer (GCL) were analyzed at 24 h after the last BrdU injection using BrdU and doublecortin (DCX) immunostaining, BrdU‐DCX and BrdU‐NeuN dual immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy, and stereological cell counting. Status epilepticus enhanced the numbers of newly born cells (BrdU+ cells) and neurons (DCX+ neurons) in young adult rats. In contrast, similar seizures in aged rats, though greatly increased the number of newly born cells in the SGZ/GCL, failed to increase neurogenesis due to a greatly declined neuronal fate‐choice decision of newly born cells. Only 9% of newly born cells in the SGZ/GCL differentiated into neurons in aged rats that underwent SE, in comparison to the 76% neuronal differentiation observed in age‐matched control rats. Moreover, the number of newly born cells that migrate abnormally into the dentate hilus (i.e., ectopic granule cells) after SE in the aged hippocampus is 92% less than that observed in the young adult hippocampus after similar SE. Thus, SE fails to increase the addition of new granule cells to the GCL in the aged DG, despite a considerable upregulation in the production of new cells, and SE during old age leads to much fewer ectopic granule cells. These results have clinical relevance because earlier studies have implied that both increased and abnormal neurogenesis occurring after SE in young animals contributes to chronic epilepsy development. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Flashover time delay characteristics of grooved insulators under nanosecond pulse voltage in vacuum

For dielectric-vacuum compound insulation systems, the discharges usually occur across the insulator surface with an onset voltage much lower than the breakdown voltage for vacuum gap of the same length, which is the main cause leading to insulation failure. It has always been a hot topic to improve the surface insulation strength in vacuum. In this paper, the relationship between the flashover time delay and electric field is studied under nanosecond impulse voltage. Experiment results suggest that the flashover time delay was proportional to N-th power of electric field for grooved insulators with different parameters. For grooved insulator, the flashover channel prefer to develop along the grooves rather than pass over the groove wall. The blocking effect of grooves to the electron multiplication in cathode-anode direction leads to the increased time delay. A narrow band of electric field with respect to time delay is formed over the flat samples. The breakdown electric field of a grooved insulator was increased by more than 100% than that of a flat one. The flashover electric field tends to be saturated when the groove depth is more than 2 mm for both PTFE and PMMA, which is correlated with the trajectory of electrons travelling across insulator surface. Grooves near electrode is more effective to increase surface insulation strength than grooves in middle area, which can be of great help to guide the structure optimization in engineering application.
Toxic Nephrosis in Moose in Norway

During the summers 1995/96, toxic nephrosis was diagnosed in nine free-living moose (Alces alces) from Aust-Agder County in southern Norway. Histopathological kidney lesions included tubular degeneration and necrosis, tubular regeneration, and interstitial fibrosis. The disease was probably caused by ingestion of the toxic plants, bog asphodel (Narthecium ossifragum) or oak (Quercus spp.).
Pharmacokinetics of isoniazid with or without ofloxacin

Objective of the resent study was to determine the effect of ofloxacin (OXC) on the pharmacokinetics of isoniazid (INH). Five healthy volunteers aged 18 – 39 years participated in this study after an informed consent. The study was carried out in two phases with an interval of one-week drug wash out period in between phases. In phase one (INH alone), each subject received 300mg of isoniazid (INH) with 350ml of water after an overnight fast. The subjects were made to fast 2 hours post drug. In phase two (INH + OXC), each subject was administered with 300mg of INH in combination with 200mg of OXC observing all the protocol in phase one. The concentration of INH in plasma, saliva and urine of the subjects at predetermined time intervals were measured spectrophotometrically in the two phases over a period of 0 - 48 hours. Various pharmacokinetics parameters were calculated. From the study it is evident that Ofloxacin (OXC) increased the rate and extent of absorption of isoniazid. The absorption half-life (t 1/2a ) and the maximum concentration and absorption time (C max , T max ) of isoniazid (INH) were increased in the presence of OXC. The urinary excretion of isoniazid was also increased by ofloxacin. The salivary concentration of isoniazid was less than the corresponding plasma drug concentrations, a pattern also found in similar studies. Thus it can be concluded that Ofloxacin increases absorption kinetics and urinary excretion of Isoniazid. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.3329/icpj.v1i12. 12449 International Current Pharmaceutical Journal 2012, 1(12): 403-409
Impact of smoking status and pathologic type on epidermal growth factor receptor mutations in lung cancer.

BACKGROUND Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations in lung carcinomas can make the disease more responsive to the treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of EGFR mutations in a large series of lung carcinomas. METHODS We examined 1195 consecutive lung cancer patients for EGFR mutations in exons 18, 19, and 21 using direct sequencing of polymerase chain reaction products. A detailed smoking history was obtained. Patients were categorized as never smokers (< 100 lifetime cigarettes), former smokers (quit > 1 year ago), or current smokers (quit < 1 year ago). RESULTS There were EGFR mutations in 9 (4.5%) of 201 squamous carcinomas, in 1 (2%) of 50 large cell carcinomas, and in 1 (2.3%) of 44 small cell carcinomas that were investigated. Three hundred and twenty-seven mutations were found in the series of 858 adenocarcinomas (38.1%). Among 858 lung adenocarcinomas, we detected EGFR mutations in 250 (48.6%) of 514 never smokers, 39 (33.9%) of 115 former smokers, and 38 (16.6%) of 229 current smokers. Significantly fewer EGFR mutations were found in people who smoked for more than 15 pack-years (P = 0.0002) or stopped smoking less than 15 years ago (P = 0.033) compared with individuals who never smoked. CONCLUSIONS Adenocarcinoma is the most frequent EGFR mutation pathologic type in lung cancer. The likelihood of EGFR mutations in exons 18, 19 and 21 decreases as the number of pack-years increases. Mutations were less common in people who smoked for more than 15 pack-years or who stopped smoking cigarettes less than 15 years ago. These data can assist clinicians in assessing the likelihood of exons 18, 19, or 21 EGFR mutations in Chinese patients with lung cancer when mutational analysis is not feasible.
Categorical and noncategorical modes of speech perception along the voicing continuum.

Native speakers of English identified and then discriminated between stimuli which varied in voice onset time (VOT). One group of listeners identified a randomized sequence of stimuli; another group identified an ordered sequence of stimuli, in which stimuli from the VOT continuum were presented in a consecutive order. Half of the Ss in each group then received one of two discrimination formats: the ABX discrimination test in which X was identified with A or with B, or 4IAX test of paired similarity in which two pairs of stimuli—one pair always the same and one pair always different—were presented on each trial. Noncategorical perception of the voicing distinction, reflected by an improvement in discrimination within phonetic categories, was obtained for the group of listeners who experienced both the sequential identification procedure and the 4IAX discrimination test. The results are interpreted as providing evidence for separate auditory and phonetic levels of discrimination in speech perception.