Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bone marrow concentrate and bovine bone mineral for sinus floor augmentation: a controlled, randomized, single-blinded clinical and histological trial--per-protocol analysis.

PURPOSE The purpose of this work was to evaluate the potential of substituting autogenous bone (AB) by bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC). Both AB and BMAC were tested in combination with a bovine bone mineral (BBM) for their ability of new bone formation (NBF) in a multicentric, randomized, controlled, clinical and histological noninferiority trial. MATERIALS AND METHODS Forty-five severely atrophied maxillary sinus from 26 patients were evaluated in a partial cross-over design. As test arm, 34 sinus of 25 patients were augmented with BBM and BMAC containing mesenchymal stem cells. Eleven control sinus from 11 patients were augmented with a mixture of 70% BBM and 30% AB. Biopsies were obtained after a 3-4-month healing period at time of implant placement and histomorphometrically analyzed for NBF. RESULTS NBF was 14.3%±1.8% for the control and nonsignificantly lower (12.6%±1.7%) for the test (90% confidence interval: -4.6 to 1.2). Values for BBM (31.3%±2.7%) were significantly higher for the test compared with control (19.3%±2.5%) (p<0.0001). Nonmineralized tissue was lower by 3.3% in the test compared with control (57.6%; p=0.137). CONCLUSIONS NBF after 3-4 months is equivalent in sinus, augmented with BMAC and BBM or a mixture of AB and BBM. This technique could be an alternative for using autografts to stimulate bone formation.
Nitric oxide‐dependent damage to neuronal mitochondria involves the NMDA receptor

Cytokine‐stimulated astrocytes produce nitric oxide, which can inhibit components of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. We have previously demonstrated that prolonged exposure (48 h) to rat astrocytic nitric oxide damages complexes II–III and IV of neighbouring rat neurons in coculture, resulting in neuronal death. Expanding on these observations, we have now shown that the NMDA receptor antagonist, MK‐801, prevents this damage, suggesting involvement of glutamate. We postulate that astrocyte‐derived nitric oxide stimulates release of neuronal glutamate. Indeed we demonstrate that neurons incubated with nitric oxide‐generating astrocytes display enhanced glutamate release. Furthermore, direct exposure to the nitric oxide donor, DETA‐NONOate resulted in a loss of activity of all the neuronal mitochondrial complexes, which was again prevented by MK‐801. Thus, nitric oxide, generated by both cytokine‐stimulated astrocytes and by a nitric oxide donor, causes activation of the NMDA receptor leading to damage to the neuronal mitochondrial respiratory chain. Glutamate exposure is known to damage the neuronal mitochondrial respiratory chain via neuronal nitric oxide synthase. Therefore, we propose that astrocyte‐derived nitric oxide is capable of eliciting neuronal glutamate release, which in turn activates the neuronal NMDA receptor and stimulates further formation of reactive nitrogen species via neuronal nitric oxide synthases, leading to mitochondrial damage and neuronal death. Our findings support the hypothesis that glutamate, reactive nitrogen species and mitochondrial dysfunction may have a role in the neurodegenerative process.
Role of the NO‐cGMP pathway in the muscarinic regulation of the L‐type Ca2+ current in human atrial myocytes

1 The whole‐cell patch‐clamp technique was used to examine the participation of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and soluble guanylyl cyclase in the muscarinic regulation of the L‐type Ca2+ current (ICa) in freshly isolated human atrial myocytes. 2 Acetylcholine (ACh, 1 μM) decreased basal ICa by 39.1 ± 5.5 % (n= 8) under control conditions, and by 38.0 ± 6.1 % (n= 6) in the presence of 1H‐[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3‐a]quinoxaline‐1‐one (ODQ, 10 μM), a potent guanylyl cyclase inhibitor, and NG‐monomethyl‐L‐arginine (L‐NMMA, 1 mM), a competitive NOS inhibitor. L‐NMMA alone had no effect on ICa, whilst ODQ increased ICa in 50 % of the cells. 3 The accentuated antagonism of ACh on ICa, i.e. its ability to antagonize the stimulatory effect of β‐adrenergic agonists and, by extension, of other cAMP‐elevating agents, was examined after the current was stimulated by either the β‐adrenergic agonist isoprenaline (Iso) or serotonin (5‐HT). ACh (100 nM or 1 μM) completely blocked the stimulatory effects of 10 nM Iso or 10 nM 5‐HT on ICa. 4 Extracellular application of Methylene Blue (MBlue, 10 μM), a guanylyl cyclase inhibitor, antagonized the inhibitory effect of 1 μM ACh on Iso‐ or 5‐HT‐stimulated ICa. However, this effect was overcome by a 100‐fold higher ACh concentration and was not mimicked by an intracellular application of MBlue. 5 Inhibition of NOS and soluble guanylyl cyclase activities by addition of ODQ (10 μM) and L‐NMMA (1 mM) to both extracellular and intracellular solutions, or by a 2 h pre‐incubation of the cells with these inhibitors, modified neither the Iso (10 nM) response nor the inhibitory effect of ACh (100 nM or 1 μM) on Iso‐stimulated ICa. 6 Extracellular application of the NO donor SNAP (S‐nitroso‐N‐acetyl‐D,L‐penicillamine) at 100 nM produced a stimulatory effect on ICa in control conditions. This stimulatory effect was abolished by intracellular MBlue (20 μM) or by intracellular and extracellular application of ODQ (10 μM) in combination with L‐NMMA (1 mM). 7 We conclude that the NO‐cGMP pathway does not contribute significantly to the muscarinic regulation of ICa in human atrial myocytes.
Stress during pregnancy is associated with developmental outcome in infancy.

BACKGROUND Animal studies show that prenatal maternal stress may be related to cognitive impairments in offspring. Therefore, we examined whether psychological and endocrinologic measures of stress during human pregnancy predicted developmental outcome of the infant at 3 and 8 months. METHOD Self-report data about daily hassles and pregnancy-specific anxiety and salivary cortisol levels were collected in 170 nulliparous women in early, mid- and late pregnancy in a prospective design, in which healthy infants born at term were followed up after birth. RESULTS High levels of pregnancy-specific anxiety in mid-pregnancy predicted lower mental and motor developmental scores at 8 months (p < .05). High amounts of daily hassles in early pregnancy were associated with lower mental developmental scores at 8 months (p < .05). Early morning values of cortisol in late pregnancy were negatively related to both mental and motor development at 3 months (p < .05 and p < .005, respectively) and motor development at 8 months (p < .01). On average a decline of 8 points on the mental and motor development scale was found. All results were adjusted for a large number of covariates. CONCLUSION Stress during pregnancy appears to be one of the determinants of delay in motor and mental development in infants of 8 months of age and may be a risk factor for later developmental problems. Further systematic follow-up of the present sample is needed to determine whether these delays are transient, persistent or even progressive.
Gastrointestinal involvement in chronic graft-versus-host disease: a clinicopathologic study.

The original histopathologic description of chronic graft-versus-host disease (CGVHD) of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract was from autopsy series. There is little information on the evaluation of living patients with CGVHD and GI symptoms. We reviewed data on 40 consecutive patients with CGVHD and persistent GI symptoms who underwent endoscopic examinations. The diagnosis of CGVHD in these 40 patients was made on the basis of clinical criteria and confirmed by histology of other involved organs in 70%. Patients had progressive (in 19 patients, or 48%), quiescent (in 11, or 27%) or de novo-type (in 10, or 25%) onset of their CGVHD. Four groups were defined based on the following histologic criteria: (1) consistent with acute GI GVHD if there was marked apoptosis with or without cryptitis, (2) suggestive of acute GI GVHD if there was scattered apoptosis with or without cryptitis, (3) suggestive of chronic GI GVHD if there were at least 2 histologic indicators of chronicity such as fibrosis and significant crypt distortion, and (4) no histologic evidence of GVHD. Results of microbiologic, radiologic, and malabsorption studies, if performed, were also retrieved. Median time from diagnosis of CGVHD to GI endoscopy was 4.5 months (0-109 months). The major GI symptoms at the time of endoscopy were diarrhea, abdominal pain/cramping, nausea/vomiting, weight loss, dysphagia, and early satiety. The endoscopic examination was nonspecific for the diagnosis of GI GVHD except for diffuse mucosal sloughing. Based on the histologic criteria in 22 patients with biopsies, 13 cases (59%) were considered to have acute GI GVHD, and 3 cases (14%) were felt to show possible chronic GI GVHD; changes of both acute and chronic GVHD were seen in 6 (27%) cases. GI dysmotility was diagnosed in 7 (18%) patients, including 2 of the patients who had histologic changes suggestive of chronic GVHD. Other causes of the GI symptoms included infection, drug side effect, and malabsorption. In conclusion, GI involvement by acute GVHD appears to be a major cause of persistent GI symptoms in patients with chronic GVHD. An isolated form of chronic GI GVHD confirmed by histology is an uncommon phenomenon in the actual clinical setting.
Concurrent validity of inclinometer measures of scapular and clavicular positions in arm elevation

ABSTRACT Objective: To assess concurrent validity, between and within-day reliability of scapular and clavicular digital inclinometer measures. Design: Test–retest and concurrent validity. Setting: Laboratory. Participants: Twenty-three participants with and without shoulder symptoms. Main Outcome Measures: Static positions of scapular upward rotation, anterior/posterior tilting and clavicular elevation were measured between days with an inclinometer and compared to a 3-dimensional electromagnetic tracking system in different positions of sagittal plane humeral elevation (neutral, 30°, 60°, 90°, 120°). The two methods were compared using a two-way Analysis of Variance. Linear regressions at each arm position were also performed to further assess concurrent validity. Results: Between-day reliability demonstrated Intraclass Correlation Coefficients ≥ 0.50 for all comparisons. There were statistically significant differences between methods or interactions of method and arm position for clavicle elevation (p = 0.004, maximum offset between methods 7.7º in the neutral position), and scapular upward rotation (p = 0.001). For scapular upward rotation, the maximum difference between methods was less than 2° across all humeral positions. Clavicle elevation (r = 0.67–0.82) and scapular upward rotation (r = 0.57–0.81) demonstrated higher correlations between measurement methods than scapular anterior/posterior tilt (r = 0.10–0.67). Conclusions: Concurrent validity in assessing scapular upward rotation and clavicle elevation with an inclinometer was shown when compared with electromagnetic tracking. However, the inclinometer method may not have adequate concurrent validity to clinically measure scapular anterior/posterior tilting.
Spiritual Well-Being, Depressive Symptoms, and Immune Status Among Women Living with HIV/AIDS

Spirituality is a resource some HIV-positive women use to cope with HIV, and it also may have positive impact on physical health. This cross-sectional study examined associations of spiritual well-being, with depressive symptoms, and CD4 cell count and percentages among a non-random sample of 129 predominantly African-American HIV-positive women. Significant inverse associations were observed between depressive symptoms and spiritual well-being (r = −.55, p = .0001), and its components, existential well-being (r = −.62, p = .0001) and religious well-being (r = −.36, p = .0001). Significant positive associations were observed between existential well-being and CD4 cell count (r = .19, p < .05) and also between spiritual well-being (r = .24, p < .05), religious well-being (r = .21, p < .05), and existential well-being (r = .22, p < .05) and CD4 cell percentages. In this sample of HIV-positive women, spiritual well-being, existential well-being, and religious well-being accounted for a significant amount of variance in depressive symptoms and CD4 cell percentages, above and beyond that explained by demographic variables, HIV medication adherence, and HIV viral load (log). Depressive symptoms were not significantly associated with CD4 cell counts or percentages. A significant relationship was observed between spiritual/religious practices (prayer/meditation and reading spiritual/religious material) and depressive symptoms. Further research is needed to examine relationships between spirituality and mental and physical health among HIV-positive women.
Covariance Adjustments for the Analysis of Randomized Field Experiments

Background: It has become common practice to analyze randomized experiments using linear regression with covariates. Improved precision of treatment effect estimates is the usual motivation. In a series of important articles, David Freedman showed that this approach can be badly flawed. Recent work by Winston Lin offers partial remedies, but important problems remain. Results: In this article, we address those problems through a reformulation of the Neyman causal model. We provide a practical estimator and valid standard errors for the average treatment effect. Proper generalizations to well-defined populations can follow. Conclusion: In most applications, the use of covariates to improve precision is not worth the trouble.
Effects of mechanical disturbance and salinity stress on bioenergetics and burrowing behavior of the soft-shell clam Mya arenaria

ABSTRACT Bioturbation of sediments by burrowing organisms plays a key role in the functioning of coastal ecosystems. Burrowing is considered an energetically expensive activity, yet the energy costs of burrowing and the potential impacts of multiple stressors (such as salinity stress and wave action) on bioenergetics and burrowing performance of marine bioturbators are not well understood. We investigated the effects of mechanical disturbance and salinity stress on the burrowing behavior, aerobic capacity and energy expense of digging in a common marine bioturbator, the soft-shell clam Mya arenaria from the Baltic Sea (control salinity 15). Mya arenaria showed large individual variability in the burrowing efficiency, with an average of ∼7% of the body energy reserves used per burial. Clams with higher mitochondrial capacity and lower energy expenditure per burial showed higher endurance. Acclimation for 3–4 weeks to low (5) or fluctuating (5–15) salinity reduced the burrowing speed and the number of times the clams can rebury but did not affect the mitochondrial capacity of the whole body or the gill. Acclimation to the fluctuating salinity shifted the predominant fuel use for burrowing from proteins to lipids. Our data indicate that the reduced burrowing performance of clams under the salinity stress is not due to the limitations of energy availability or aerobic capacity but must involve other mechanisms (such as impaired muscle performance). The reduction in the burrowing capacity of clams due to salinity stress may have important implications for survival, activity and ecological functions of the clams in shallow coastal ecosystems. Summary: Burrowing of clams is energetically expensive: clams with higher aerobic capacity and lower energy expenditure per burial show higher exercise endurance, but burrowing speed and endurance are impaired by the low or fluctuating salinity.
3D coastal bathymetry reconstruction using TOPSAR data

Coastal bathymetry is considered to provide key parameters for coastal engineering and coastal navigation. In this paper we address the question of reducing the effect of speckle on the accuracy of depth determination in coastal waters using TOPSAR multi-polarized data without needing to include any sounding data values. In doing so, two three-dimensional surface models, the Volterra model and a fuzzy B-Spline model, which construct a global topological structure between the data points, were used to support an approximation to the real surface. The statistical differences between real bathymetry map, CVV band and LHH band showed that the best reconstruction of coastal bathymetry was obtained with polarised L and C bands SAR acquired with HH and VV polarizations, respectively. With 10 m spatial resolution of TOPSAR data, bias of −0.04 and the standard error mean of 0.05 m in depth determination was obtained with LHH band.
Predictors of In-hospital Mortality of Acute Ischemic Stroke in Adult Population

ABSTRACT Introduction: Stroke is the second most common cause of mortality worldwide. Data regarding the predictors of mortality of acute ischemic stroke are widely discordant. Identifying the predictors and providing the utmost care to a high-risk patient is still an unmet need in middle- to low-income countries. We did this study to identify the predictor of in-hospital mortality of acute ischemic stroke. Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of patients with acute ischemic stroke presented to the tertiary care center in eastern Nepal from January 2012 to December 2016. We enrolled patients of age 18 years and older with acute ischemic stroke in this study. The primary outcome of the study was in-hospital mortality of enrolled patients. Predictors of mortality were analyzed by comparing the patients with acute ischemic stroke who had mortality with those who survived. Results: The mean age of enrolled patients was 66 years. Among 257, the in-hospital mortality rate was 20.5%. The patients with in-hospital mortality had lower Glasgow coma scale (GCS) score (9 vs. 12, P < 0.001) compared to those who survived. During admission, a patient with in-hospital mortality had significantly lower arterial oxygen saturation (92 vs. 95, P < 0.001), higher pulse rate (91 vs. 83, P =0.009), and higher respiratory rate (24 vs. 21, P < 0.001) than those patients with acute ischemic stroke who survived. Conclusion: Lower GCS score, baseline higher pulse rate, higher respiratory rate, and lower arterial oxygen saturation are the predictors of in-hospital mortality of adult with acute ischemic stroke.
The Half-Truth of First-Mover Advantage

Many executives take for granted that the first company in a new product category gets an unbeatable head start and reaps long-lasting benefits. But that doesn't always happen. The authors of this article discovered that much depends on the pace at which the category's technology is changing and the speed at which the market is evolving. By analyzing these two factors, companies can improve their odds of succeeding as first movers with the resources they possess. Gradual evolution in both the technology and the market provides a first mover with the best conditions for creating a dominant position that is long lasting (Hoover in the vacuum cleaner industry is a good example). In such calm waters, a company can defend its advantages even without exceptional skills or extensive financial resources. When the market is changing rapidly and the product isn't, a first entrant with extensive resources can obtain a long-lasting advantage (as Sony did with its Walkman personal stereo); a company with only limited resources probably must settle for a short-term benefit. When the market is static but the product is changing constantly, first-mover advantages of either kind--durable or short-lived--are unlikely. Only companies with very deep pockets can survive (think of Sony and the digital cameras it pioneered). Rapid churn in both the technology and the market creates the worst conditions. But if companies have an acute sense of when to exit-as Netscape demonstrated when it agreed to be acquired by AOL-a worthwhile short-term gain is possible. Before venturing into a newly forming market, you need to analyze the environment, assess your resources, then determine which type offirst-mover advantage is most achievable. Once you've gone into the water, you have no choice but to swim.
Eccentric Cycling: A Promising Modality for Patients with Chronic Heart Failure

Purpose Chronic heart failure (CHF) is characterized by dyspnea and poor exercise tolerance, which decreases aerobic capacity (V˙O2peak), a measure strongly correlated with quality of life and mortality. In healthy populations, eccentric (ECC) cycling can be performed at a lower oxygen demand for matched workload, compared with concentric (CON) cycling, but few studies have previously investigated ECC cycling in CHF. We hypothesized that, when matched for external workload (W), an ECC cycling bout would be performed at a lower cardiorespiratory load (V˙O2) than CON in patients with CHF. Methods Eleven CHF patients (10 males) with impaired left ventricular systolic function (ejection fraction 31% ± 12%) completed a CON V˙O2peak test, with the subsequent ECC and CON protocols set at 70% of individual maximal CON power (W). Oxygen consumption (V˙O2), RER, minute ventilation (V˙E), HR, and rate pressure product were compared between conditions. Results ECC was performed at a lower V˙O2 (12.3 ± 1.3 vs 14.1 ± 0.8 mL·kg−1·min−1, P = 0.01), RER (0.92 ± 0.02 vs 0.96 ± 0.01, P = 0.01), and V˙E (36.5 ± 4.4 vs 40.2 ± 2.0 L·min−1, P = 0.04) in comparison with CON, despite both conditions being performed at matched workloads. HR (101 ± 5 vs 96 ± 1 bpm, P = 0.06) and rate pressure product (13,539 ± 788 vs 11,911 ± 227 bpm·mm Hg−1, P = 0.15) were not significantly different between conditions. Conclusion When matched for external workload, ECC cycling can be performed with a lower oxygen demand than CON in patients with CHF. Eccentric cycling is a promising modality for cardiac rehabilitation in severely deconditioned patients with CHF.
Nonfinancial Benefits and Entrepreneurs ’ Choice of Manager *

Top managers are believed to be critical players in their organizations, significantly affecting organizations’ behavior and performance. Therefore, the choice of the top manager is considered to be one of the most important decisions that an organization makes and is being extensively studied by research scholars. However, the extant evidence is largely limited to mature organizations, whereas the choice of top manager in entrepreneurial ventures and family start-ups has received little attention. When starting a firm, an entrepreneur has to decide whether to manage it personally or hire a manager, yet we know very little of what motivates this choice. In particular, it is unclear if this choice is solely based on profit maximization or can be motivated by nonfinancial considerations. This paper examines the role of nonfinancial returns to management in an entrepreneur’s choice of manager. We use a setting of foreign entrepreneurs who, in order to manage their firms abroad, need to relocate to a host country and thus experience the benefits and costs of relocation associated with personally managing the firm. We show that entrepreneurs with high benefits of relocation are more likely to manage their firms abroad personally and seem to substitute relocation benefits for some firm profit. These findings are consistent with the idea that entrepreneurs anticipating nonfinancial benefits from owner-management are more likely to manage their firms themselves and are willing to substitute nonfinancial benefits for monetary earnings.