Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Increased susceptibility of RAG-2 SCID mice to dissemination of endodontic infections

Specific immunity has been implicated in the pathogenesis of periapical lesions, although the extent to which these mechanisms are actually involved in either protection or destruction of the pulp-periapex complex is yet to be established. To investigate this question we compared periapical-lesion pathogenesis in RAG-2 severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice with immunocompetent control mice following surgical pulp exposure. In order to equalize the bacterial challenge, an infection protocol using Prevotella intermedia, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Peptostreptococcus micros, and Streptococcus intermedius was devised. The results demonstrated that after infection, the proportion of the root canal flora represented by the four pathogens was almost identical in both groups (39.9 and 42.2% for RAG-2 and immunocompetent control mice, respectively). The effects of abrogation of T- and B-cell mechanisms on periapical pathogenesis were then assessed. Approximately one-third of the RAG-2 mice developed endodontic abscesses, while no immunocompetent controls had abscesses, results which indicated regional dissemination of the infection. A similar incidence of abscesses was found in two additional experiments. Abscessed RAG-2 teeth had significantly larger periapical lesions than did nonabscessed RAG-2 teeth (P < or = 0.05) and exposed immunocompetent controls (P < or = 0.01), whereas nonabscessed RAG-2 teeth were not significantly different from those of exposed immunocompetent controls in periapical-lesion size. We conclude that B- and T-cell-mediated immunity protects the host from the dissemination of endodontic infections and that RAG-2 mice are more susceptible to infection-induced pulp-periapex destruction.
Involvement of receptor-interacting protein 140 in palmitate-stimulated macrophage infiltration of pancreatic beta cells

Receptor-interacting protein 140 (RIP140) in macrophages stimulates the nuclear factor-κB subunit RelA to activate tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6 transcription. However, under lipotoxic conditions, the involvement of RIP140 in the infiltration of beta cells by macrophages remains unknown. In the present study, murine RAW264.7 macrophages were transfected with a RIP140 overexpression plasmid or siRNA prior to macrophage activation with 500 µM palmitate. Palmitate-free conditioned media was then collected and added to murine insulinoma MIN6 cells. Significant decreases were observed in cell viability (P<0.01), glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (P<0.01) and levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α (P<0.05), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and proliferating cell nuclear antigen mRNA (P<0.01) in MIN6 cells. In addition, conditioned media from palmitate-treated and RIP140-upregulated macrophages significantly increased the levels of uncoupling protein-2 (P<0.01), inducible nitric oxide synthase 1 (P<0.01) and pancreatic and duodenal homeobox 1 (P<0.05) mRNA and levels of activated Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) (P<0.01) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 (P<0.01). In turn, the conditioned media was found to be significantly enriched in TNF-α and IL-6 (both P<0.05). These results were the opposite of those obtained from MIN6 cells treated with conditioned media from palmitate-treated and RIP140-knockdown macrophages. MIN6 cells were transfected with RIP140 overexpression plasmid or siRNA prior to treatment with 500 µM palmitate and supernatant was collected for use in macrophage chemotaxis assays. In the palmitate-activated and RIP140-overexpressing MIN6 cells, TNF-α and IL-6 secretion increased significantly (both P<0.05) and macrophage chemotaxis towards MIN6 cells was enhanced. By contrast, downregulating RIP140 in MIN6 cells had the opposite effect. These data suggest that RIP140 in macrophages mediates the transcription of inflammatory cytokines when concentration of palmitate is high. Macrophage RIP140 may also impair beta cell function by activating the JNK and ERK1/2 signaling pathways and promoting specific gene transcription. Furthermore, expression of RIP140 in pancreatic beta cells may stimulate macrophage chemotaxis, thus triggering local low-grade inflammation.
Three-Dimensional FDTD Calculation of Lightning-Induced Voltages on a Multiphase Distribution Line With the Lightning Arresters and an Overhead Shielding Wire

To suppress the lightning-induced voltages on a distribution line, lightning arresters and/or overhead shielding wire can be installed, and the effectiveness of these countermeasures are usually studied by simulations. Traditionally, field-to-transmission line coupling techniques based on the distributed-parameter circuit theory are used for the calculation of the lightning-induced voltages. Recently, the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method that directly and numerically solves Maxwell's equations was applied to the calculation of the lightning-induced voltages. Compared with the conventional methods, the FDTD-based calculation is advantageous in terms of the modeling of inhomogeneous ground parameters, 3-D structures, and grounding systems. But, in the previous works, the distribution line was simulated simply by a single-phase line. Moreover, the representation of lightning arresters in the FDTD method was not yet established. This paper proposes a technique to incorporate the lightning arresters in the FDTD-based lightning overvoltage calculations. In this technique, the voltage-current relationships of the lightning arresters are represented by piecewise linear curves, which can be obtained directly from the data sheets or measured results. For validation purpose, the lightning-induced voltages on a three-phase distribution line equipped with the lightning arresters and a multipoint-grounded overhead shielding wire are calculated by the proposed method, and the results are compared with those obtained by the conventional method and a very good agreement is found.
SiSiMo: Towards Simulator Sickness Modeling for 360° Videos Viewed with an HMD

Users may experience symptoms of simulator sickness while watching $360^{\circ}/$VR videos with Head-Mounted Displays (HMDs). At present, practically no solution exists that can efficiently eradicate the symptoms of simulator sickness from virtual environments. Therefore, in the absence of a solution, it is required to at least quantify the amount of sickness. In this paper, we present initial work on our Simulator Sickness Model SiSiMo including a first component to predict simulator sickness scores over time. Using linear regression of short term scores already shows promising performance for predicting the scores collected from a number of user tests.
Enalapril prevents cardiac immune‐mediated damage and exerts anti‐Trypanosoma cruzi activity during acute phase of experimental Chagas disease

Chagas heart disease (CHD), caused by Trypanosoma cruzi infection, is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in South and Central America. Enalapril, an angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, is an important drug used to ameliorate heart functional capacity and its remodelling in individuals presenting CHD. In this study, we evaluated the effects of enalapril on systemic and cardiac immune response during experimental acute CHD. C57BL/6 mice infected with 50 trypomastigote forms of T. cruzi (Colombian strain) were treated daily with enalapril (25 mg/kg) and, after 30 days, a reduction in seric levels of IFN‐gamma, TNF‐alpha, CCL5/RANTES and nitric oxide, but not in that of IL‐10, was detected. This imbalance of cytokines reflects in a reduction of heart mononuclear infiltration and in an increasing of cardiac mast cells. Enalapril also presents a new and interesting in vitro and in vivo anti‐T. cruzi activity probably acting on parasite oxidative pathway via cytochrome‐P450. Our data show that enalapril exerts an important anti‐T. cruzi and anti‐inflammatory activity during acute CHD reducing inflammatory cells and, possibly, preventing fibrotic process in the chronic phase. Nevertheless, further studies are still necessary to clarify the mechanisms by which this drug is acting on the parasites and on the immune pathways.
Early Child Cantonese : Facts and Implications

This book is the first publication on record that systematically and comprehensively addresses the acquisition and development of Cantonese in early childhood. It draws upon evidence from up-to-date reviews of associated literature, on the outcomes of numerous research studies conducted by the authors and on the outcomes of an in-depth study of the largest corpus of early childhood Cantonese. To supplement and illuminate published trends in the literature, carefully gathered reliable and valid empirical data are critically scrutinized. The evidence is used to clarify and examine theoretical assumptions and to outline putative developmental trends in early childhood Cantonese pragmatics.
Barriers toward epilepsy surgery. A survey among practicing neurologists

Purpose: Guidelines for refractory epilepsy recommend timely referral of potential surgical candidates to an epilepsy center for evaluation. However, this approach is seldom a priority for treating neurologists, possibly because of inertia of previous practice and personal attitudes, leading to a buildup of psychosocial disabilities and increased risk of morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to assess knowledge and attitudes toward epilepsy surgery among practicing neurologists and identify the barriers that delay the treatment.
Skin conductance monitoring compared with Bispectral Index to assess emergence from total i.v. anaesthesia using propofol and remifentanil.

BACKGROUND Arousal after sevoflurane anaesthesia has been detectable by monitoring changes in skin conductance (SC) with similar accuracy as monitoring Bispectral Index (BIS). As SC monitoring detects changes in sympathetic tone, the measurements might be confounded by the sympatholytic properties of propofol, a component of total i.v. anaesthesia (TIVA). Therefore in this study, monitoring of SC during emergence from TIVA was compared with the monitoring of BIS. METHODS Twenty-five patients undergoing plastic surgery were investigated. The number of fluctuations of SC per second (NFSC), BIS and haemodynamic variables [systolic blood pressure (SBP) and heart rate (HR)] were recorded simultaneously. The performance of the monitoring devices in distinguishing between the clinical states 'steady-state anaesthesia', 'first clinical reaction' and 'extubation' were compared using the method of prediction probability (Pk) calculation. RESULTS BIS((R)) showed the best performance in distinguishing between 'steady-state anaesthesia' and 'first reaction' (Pk BIS 0.99 vs NFSC 0.80; P<0.01), and 'steady-state anaesthesia' and 'extubation' (Pk BIS) 1.00 vs NFSC 0.91; P<0.05); the time from first change of BIS or NFSC to a first clinical reaction was significantly longer for NFSC (median BIS 135 s vs NFSC 191 s; P<0.05). BIS and NFSC performed better in distinguishing between the investigated clinical states than SBP and HR. CONCLUSIONS In this study, BIS was found to predict arousal with a higher probability but slower response times than NFSC in patients waking after TIVA.
Interdigital Neuroma—A Critical Clinical Analysis

A retrospective study of 56 patients upon whom 76 inter-digital neuromas were excised was carefully evaluated. There were 53 females and 3 males, with an average age of 55 years. The main preoperative symptom was pain in the plantar aspect of the foot which was increased by walking and relieved by rest. The main preoperative physical finding was that of tenderness in the involved interspace. There were an equal number of interdigital neu-romas removed from the second and third interspace. Postoperatively 65% of patients still noted some local plantar tenderness, and 68% noted numbness in the interspace. Postoperatively 80% of the patients were subjectively improved.
Re-testing theories on the correlations of health status, life satisfaction and happiness

Background: Empirical evidences have shown that happiness, life satisfaction and health status are strongly correlated with each other. In Jamaica, we continue to collect data on health status to guide policies and intervention programs, but are these wise? Aims: The current study aims to fill the gap in the literature by examining life satisfaction, health status, and happiness in order to ascertain whether they are equivalent concepts in Jamaica as well as the coverage of the estimates. Materials and Methods: The current study used a cross-sectional survey of 2000 men 55 years and older from the parish of St. Catherine in 2007 which is it also generalizable to the island. A132-item questionnaire was used to collect the data. The instrument was sub-divided into general demographic profile of the sample; past and Current Good Health Status; health-seeking behavior; retirement status; social and functional status. Ordinal logistic regression techniques were utilized to examine determinants of happiness, life satisfaction and health status. Results: Happiness was correlated with life satisfaction - Pseudo r-squared = 0.311, -2LL = 810.36, χ2 = 161.60, P < 0.0001. Life satisfaction was determined by happiness - Pseudo r-squared = 0.321, -2LL = 1069.30, χ2 = 178.53, P < 0.0001. H ealth status was correlated with health status age, income, education and area of residence - Pseudo r-squared = 0.313, -2LL = 810.36, χ2 = 161.60, P < 0.0001. Conclusion: The current study refuted the empirical finding that self-reported happiness depends on perceived health status for older men in Jamaica.
The SWI/SNF Chromatin-Remodeling Factor Stimulates Repair by Human Excision Nuclease in the Mononucleosome Core Particle

ABSTRACT To investigate the role of chromatin remodeling in nucleotide excision repair, we prepared mononucleosomes with a 200-bp duplex containing an acetylaminofluorene-guanine (AAF-G) adduct at a single site. DNase I footprinting revealed a well-phased nucleosome structure with the AAF-G adduct near the center of twofold symmetry of the nucleosome core. This mononucleosome substrate was used to examine the effect of the SWI/SNF remodeling complex on the activity of human excision nuclease reconstituted from six purified excision repair factors. We found that the three repair factors implicated in damage recognition, RPA, XPA, and XPC, stimulate the remodeling activity of SWI/SNF, which in turn stimulates the removal of the AAF-G adduct from the nucleosome core by the excision nuclease. This is the first demonstration of the stimulation of nucleotide excision repair of a lesion in the nucleosome core by a chromatin-remodeling factor and contrasts with the ACF remodeling factor, which stimulates the removal of lesions from internucleosomal linker regions but not from the nucleosome core.
β‐adducin (Add2) KO mice show synaptic plasticity, motor coordination and behavioral deficits accompanied by changes in the expression and phosphorylation levels of the α‐ and γ‐adducin subunits

Adducins are a family of proteins found in cytoskeleton junctional complexes, which bind and regulate actin filaments and actin‐spectrin complexes. In brain, adducin is expressed at high levels and is identified as a constituent of synaptic structures, such as dendritic spines and growth cones of neurons. Adducin‐induced changes in dendritic spines are involved in activity‐dependent synaptic plasticity processes associated with learning and memory, but the mechanisms underlying these functions remain to be elucidated. Here, β‐adducin knockout (KO) mice were used to obtain a deeper insight into the role of adducin in these processes. We showed that β‐adducin KO mice showed behavioral, motor coordination and learning deficits together with an altered expression and/or phosphorylation levels of α‐adducin and γ‐adducin. We found that β‐adducin KO mice exhibited deficits in learning and motor performances associated with an impairment of long‐term potentiation (LTP) and long‐term depression (LTD) in the hippocampus. These effects were accompanied by a decrease in phosphorylation of adducin, a reduction in α‐adducin expression levels and upregulation of γ‐adducin in hippocampus, cerebellum and neocortex of mutant mice. In addition, we found that the mRNA encoding β‐adducin is also located in dendrites, where it may participate in the fine modulation of LTP and LTD. These results strongly suggest coordinated expression and phosphorylation of adducin subunits as a key mechanism underlying synaptic plasticity, motor coordination performance and learning behaviors.
A simulation study for optimizing the injected dose of clinical PET systems

The optimization of the injected dose in PET imaging systems is important for the design of clinical data acquisition protocols. Methods to reduce the total amount of radioactive dose injected into a patient are investigated. On the other hand, a lower dose may require a longer data acquisition time to obtain images of high statistical quality, thus limiting the total number of PET scans performed by a PET facility per day. Through dose optimization, a compromise between the total dose injected into a patient and the required scan time can be achieved, by ensuring maximum count rate performance for the scanner. In this study, we use the Noise Equivalent Count Rate (NECR) as a metric of the rate in which statistically important coincidence events are counted by a PET imaging system. The optimal dose is defined as the total amount of dose required to be injected into a patient so as to induce a maximum NECR for the particular scanner and patient. Ideally, it can be estimated by determining a curve of NECR versus the injected dose for each scanner-patient system. Recent studies estimate optimal dose for a particular system by expressing the NECR as a function of the singles rate instead. In this work we propose an alternative method based on a series of simulations of imaging systems and realistic anthropomorphic phantoms. We used Geant4 Application for Tomography Emission (GATE) to simulate a series of scans and study the independent effect of various parameters to the NECR of a clinical PET system. We investigated the relationship between the NECR and the parameters of patient size, relative axial position of the patient to the field of view (FOV) of the scanner, combined use of reduced dead time electronics and LSO crystals instead of slow-responding electronics and BGO and finally of the energy window of a system. We used two validated scanner models (ECAT HR+ and Biograph), three NCAT phantoms of different size, two bed positions corresponding to the axial shift of either the heart or the bladder region to the centre of FOV respectively and three energy windows with different low energy thresholds. The results show an optimal mean dose range of 55-65MBq for HR+ and 300-450MBq for Biograph, depending on the patient size, when the heart is located at the centre of axial FOV.
Client–Therapist Agreement in the Termination Process and Its Association With Therapeutic Relationship

There is no consensus among different therapeutic approaches on the process of termination when therapy does not have a prefixed duration. Moreover, both clinicians and researchers are still exploring decision making in the termination of treatment. The present study assessed former client’s perspective of therapy termination in a nonprobabilistic sample from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Seventy-three semistructured interviews, lasting ∼60 min each, were conducted with participants that had finished a therapeutic treatment or dropped out. They were asked about several aspects of therapy, including their experience of termination, specifically who decided to terminate, if there was agreement on termination or not, and their thoughts on the termination process. All interviews were transcribed and analyzed using an adaptation of Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR). Quantitative analyses were also conducted to examine associations between variables. Two main factors emerged from the analysis: client/therapist initiative on termination; and level of agreement between client and therapist regarding termination. Whereas nearly all (95%) of therapist-initiated termination cases agreed on termination, client-initiated termination cases could be sorted in agreed (49%) and disagreed (51%) terminations. Both therapist-initiated terminations and agreed upon terminations presented more categories of positive termination motives, better therapeutic bond, and higher overall satisfaction with treatment. Implications for research and clinical practice are discussed.
Stroke Education: Discrepancies among Factors Influencing Prehospital Delay and Stroke Knowledge

Background Time is essential for the treatment of acute stroke. Much time is lost outside the hospital, either due to failure in identifying stroke symptoms or due to a delay in notification or transport. We review studies reporting factors associated with better stroke knowledge and shorter time delays. We summarise the evidences for the effect of stroke knowledge and education on people's reaction in the acute situation of stroke. Methods We searched MEDLINE for studies reporting factors associated with prehospital time of stroke patients, or knowledge of stroke symptoms. Further, we searched for studies reporting educational interventions aimed at increasing stroke symptom knowledge in the population. Findings We included a total of 182 studies. Surprisingly, those factors associated with better stroke knowledge such as education and sociodemographic variables were not related to shorter time delays. Few studies report shorter time delays or better stroke knowledge in persons having suffered a previous stroke. Factors associated with shorter time delays were more severe stroke and symptoms regarded as serious, but not better knowledge about the most frequent symptoms such as hemiparesis or disorders of speech. Only 25–56% of patients recognised their own symptoms as stroke. While stroke education increases the knowledge of warning signs, a few population studies measured the impact of education on time delays; in such studies, time delays decreased after education. This may partly be mediated by better organisation of EMS and hospitals. Interpretation There is a discrepancy between theoretical stroke knowledge and the reaction in an acute situation. Help-seeking behaviour is more dependent on the perceived severity of symptoms than on symptom knowledge. Bystanders play an important role in the decision to call for help and should be included in stroke education. Education is effective and should be culturally adapted and presented in a social context. It is unclear which educational concept is best suited to enhance symptom recognition in the acute situation of stroke, especially in view of discrepancies between knowledge and action.