Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Enhancement of tendon-bone healing of anterior cruciate ligament grafts by blockage of matrix metalloproteinases.

BACKGROUND The use of soft-tissue grafts for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction delays the healing process. This delay may be due to biochemical and/or biomechanical insults. We hypothesized that the blocking effect of alpha2-macroglobulin on synovial matrix metalloproteinase activity may enhance the healing of tendon graft in a bone tunnel. METHODS The study was performed on twenty-eight healthy, skeletally mature New Zealand White rabbits. Each rabbit underwent bilateral anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with use of the ipsilateral semitendinosus tendon. Alpha-2-macroglobulin (alpha2-macroglobulin) was injected into the knee joint in one limb, and the contralateral limb served as a control. The rabbits were killed two weeks (fourteen rabbits) or five weeks (fourteen rabbits) after the operative procedures. The presence of matrix metalloproteinases in synovial fluid, and the blocking effect of alpha2-macroglobulin on them, were determined with enzymatic assays. Healing between the tendon and the bone tunnel was assessed morphologically by determining the presence of fibrovascular tissue and collagen fibers. Healing also was assessed quantitatively by measuring the ultimate load to failure of the reconstructed complex. RESULTS There was an increase in matrix metalloproteinases in the control group; in contrast, there was a decrease in the study group (p < 0.05). In the control specimens, the fibrovascular tissue at the bone-tendon interface had developed into dense connective tissue with poor vascularization. In the treated specimens, the bone tunnel had more areas of denser connective-tissue ingrowth. The interface tissue was more mature and contained numerous perpendicular collagen bundles (Sharpey fibers). The ultimate load to failure was significantly greater in the alpha2-macroglobulin-treated specimens than in the untreated controls at both two and five weeks. CONCLUSIONS The present study demonstrated that alpha2-macroglobulin blockade of matrix metalloproteinases can enhance bone-tendon healing. This effect of alpha2-macroglobulin could occur through its effect solely on collagenase or on a subset of matrix metalloproteinases that are present at the healing interface.
Microsatellite polymorphism in the promoter sequence of the elongation factor 3 gene of Candida albicans as the basis for a typing system

The polymorphism of a TTC/TTTC microsatellite in the promoter sequence of the elongation factor 3 gene of Candida albicans was investigated by PCR. One primer was fluorescein labeled, and PCR signals were read with an automatic sequencer. Twenty-nine reference strains and 31 independent clinical isolates were studied. Eleven different alleles were identified, giving 16 different profiles among the 60 strains tested, with a discriminatory power of 0.88. This marker is stable upon subculture, and reproducibility was achieved by automated procedures. When several microsatellite markers are available, many isolates can be rapidly and reproducibly tested for epidemiological questions, such as the prevalence of a given strain in a hospital setting and transmission between patients.
What role may symptoms play in the diagnosis of airflow limitation?

Background. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an under-diagnosed condition. General practitioners meet and examine the patients in early stages of the disease, and symptoms represent the starting point of the diagnostic process. Aim. To evaluate the diagnostic value of respiratory symptoms in the diagnosis of airflow limitation. Methods. Spirometry was performed in a cross-sectional population-based study of 3954 subjects 60 years and older (54.5% women), who also filled in a questionnaire on symptoms. Results. The prevalence of any airflow limitation was 15.5% and 20.8%, in women and men, respectively, whereas the corresponding prevalence of severe airflow limitation (FEV1<50% predicted) was 3.4% and 4.9%. The positive predictive value of chronic cough with phlegm for any airflow limitation was 37.0% in women and 40.4% in men, and 17.3% and 14.2%, respectively, for severe airflow limitation. Wheezing was a symptom which persisted despite smoking cessation, whereas coughing was considerably less common in ex-smokers than in current smokers. Wheezing, dyspnoea on unhurried walking, dyspnoea on quick walking, and coughing with phlegm were independent predictors of any airflow limitation, OR 1.5, 1.8, 1.4, and 1.6 respectively. (The ORs for severe airflow limitation were 2.4, 2.4, 2.4, and 1.6 respectively.) To be an ex-smoker (OR 2.4) or a current smoker (OR 5.8) was of greater importance. In never- and ex-smokers the chance of having airflow limitation was almost doubled when having two or more, compared with one, of the three symptoms: wheezing, dyspnoea, and coughing with phlegm. Ex-smokers reporting two symptoms had a similar risk of airflow limitation to current smokers not reporting any symptoms. Conclusion. Respiratory symptoms are valuable predictors of airflow limitation and should be emphasized when selecting patients for spirometry.
One-ended insertion of IS911

An apparently nonreplicative integration reaction mediated by the insertion sequence IS911 has been analyzed. It is shown to involve the right-end inverted repeat (IRR) of the element and sequences in the flanking vector DNA. The flanking sequences appear to behave as a surrogate IS911 end, since integration is greatly reduced when limited similarities with IRR are eliminated by site-directed mutagenesis. Data are presented which suggest that the activity of the IRR junction results from the proximity of the transposase gene and may therefore reflect preferential transposase recognition of IRR in cis.
Comparison of the Percutaneous Screw Placement Precision of Isocentric C-arm 3-dimensional Fluoroscopy-navigated Pedicle Screw Implantation and Conventional Fluoroscopy Method With Minimally Invasive Surgery

Study Design Retrospective clinical study to compare the percutaneous screw placement precision of isocentric C-arm (Iso-C) 3-dimensional fluoroscopy-navigated pedicle screw implantation and conventional fluoroscopy. Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of clinical percutaneous pedicle screw placement (PPSP) using Iso-C 3-dimensional fluoroscopy navigation. Summary of Background Data The technique of PPSP recently has been applied to internal fixation for segmental lumbar instability as a form of minimally invasive spine surgery. The percutaneous insertion technique requires surgical skill and experience. The 3-dimensional fluoroscopy-based image-guidance navigation system has been proven to be effective in guiding accurate PPSP in the lumbar area of cadavers. However, there have been few clinical reports comparing the accuracy of Iso-C 3-dimensional fluoroscopy-navigated pedicle screw implantation and the conventional fluoroscopy method. Methods Here, 300 percutaneous pedicle screws were evaluated; half of them were inserted under Iso-C 3-dimensional navigation and the others under fluoroscopy. The accuracy of pedicle screw placement was examined postoperatively using an axial 2-mm slice computed tomography. Screw malpositioning was classified either as exposed screw (<50% of the screw outside the pedicle) or perforated pedicle (>50% of the screw outside the pedicle boundaries). Results Of the 150 pedicle screws placed with Iso-C 3-dimensional fluoroscopy-based image-guide assistance, 11 (7.3%) were classified as exposed screws and 0 (0%) as perforated pedicle. Of the 150 pedicle screws inserted under fluoroscopy, 18 (12%) were classified as exposed screw and 5 (3.3%) as perforated pedicle. The difference in frequency of screw misplacement between the procedure using Iso-C 3-dimensional fluoroscopy-based image-guide assistance and that using fluoroscopy was statistically significant (P<0.05; χ2 test). Conclusions This study demonstrates the feasibility of placing percutaneous posterior lumbar pedicle screws with the assistance of Iso-C 3-dimensional navigation.
The Influence of Tax Understanding, Tax Awareness and Tax Amnesty toward Taxpayer Compliance

Taxpayer compliance is still an interesting topic to study since the government has launched tax amnesty program. This study aims at examining the influence of tax understanding, tax awareness and tax amnesty perceptions toward taxpayers’ compliance in East Semarang Pratama Tax Office, Semarang City, Central Java. The research population is taxpayers that are registered in East Semarang Pratama Tax Office. This study used convenience sampling as a sampling technique. This study used 200 (samples) units. Data collection technique used in this research is questionnaire which is developed from some previous studies. The writer then used descriptive statistical analysis and multiple linear regression analysis as the analysis method. The results of this study showed that the understanding of tax, taxpayer awareness and the perception of tax amnesty proved to have a positive and significant effect on taxpayer compliance. The taxpayer understanding and awareness become variables that have a stronger influence than a variable of tax amnesty perception. The other results indicate that gender can influence taxpayer compliance as well. Female taxpayers are more compliant than male taxpayers. It is then suggested that the tax office always enforce tax education programs to taxpayers regularly and continuously to increase the taxpayers’ understanding and awareness. JEL Classification: H23; H26 DOI: https://doi.org/10.26905/jkdp.v22i2. 1678
Protein Kinase B/akt and Rab5 Mediate Ras Activation of Endocytosis*

Transient expression of oncogenic Ha-Ras (Ras:V12) stimulates endocytosis. Using NIH3T3 cells expressing constitutively active protein kinase B/akt (PKB/akt) or kinase-dead PKB/akt, we show that PKB/akt mediates the stimulatory effect of Ras on endocytosis. Fluid phase endocytosis of horseradish peroxidase in cells expressing the constitutively active form of PKB/akt was elevated and insensitive to phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitors. However, expression of dominant negative Rab5:N34 blocked endocytosis in cells expressing the constitutively active form of PKB/akt. Transient expression of either Rab5:wt or Rab5:L79, a GTPase deficient mutant of Rab5, in cells expressing constitutively activated PKB/akt further increased endocytic rate. However, in cells expressing kinase-dead PKB/akt, endocytic rate was not affected by transient expression of Rab5:wt. Rab5:L79, on the other hand, increased endocytosis in cells expressing kinase-dead PKB/akt. Similar results were obtained using an in vitro endosome fusion reconstitution assay with cytosol prepared from cells expressing the activated PKB/akt or kinase-dead PKB/akt. Both Rab5:wt and Rab5:L79 stimulated endosome fusion when assayed in cytosol containing the activated PKB/akt, whereas only Rab5:L79 activated fusion when the assay utilized cytosol from kinase-dead expressing cells. We conclude that Ras activation of endocytosis requires both PKB/akt and Rab5 and that active kinase is required for activation Rab5.
Medidas de reflectância acústica na otosclerose: estudo de caso

O objetivo deste trabalho foi analisar as medidas de reflectância em uma paciente com otosclerose. A paciente, do genero feminino, 51 anos, apresentava queixa de hipoacusia bilateral e a hipotese diagnostica de otosclerose. Foram realizados os seguintes testes de avaliacao audiologica: imitanciometria, audiometria tonal, vocal e medidas de reflectância acustica, em ambas as orelhas. Por meio da analise dos resultados da reflectância acustica de banda larga, foi possivel observar aumento na reflectância, caracteristico de otosclerose, entre as frequencias de 500 e 1500 Hz, e diferenciar a orelha esquerda e a orelha direita. As medidas de reflectância permitiram a obtencao de resultados detalhados por frequencia que, em conjunto, possibilitaram a diferenciacao entre as duas orelhas. O uso da reflectância de banda larga e sugerido para complementar o diagnostico da otosclerose.
Trends in age at diagnosis of Turner syndrome

The age at diagnosis of 242 girls with Turner syndrome (TS) treated in Belgium with growth hormone between 1991 and 2002 was evaluated. The median (range) age at diagnosis was 6.6 (0–18.3) years. Patients with 45,X karyotype were diagnosed earlier than patients with other karyotypes. Compared to a previous survey, performed on 100 patients 12 years earlier, more patients were diagnosed during infancy and childhood, and less during adolescence. However, in 22% of the girls the diagnosis was made after the age of 12 years; these girls showed the largest height deficit. As early diagnosis has several potential advantages we recommend that a cytogenetic analysis should be considered in all girls with unexplained short stature with height below –2 SD of the mean for age or below the parent specific lower limit of height.
Oestrous synchronization and pregnancy blocking in wild house mice (Mus musculus).

Summary. In wild female house mice a skewed distribution of vaginal plugs on the days following pairing indicates an oestrous synchronization (Whitten effect) correlated with the presence of the male. Inseminated wild house mice were exposed to strange males or subjected to various types of cage changes and handling during the pre-implantation period. The strange males produced a significant reduction in pregnancy rates (Bruce effect). Changes in the physical environment produced comparable reductions in the absence of a strange male. Several socio-dependent reproductive phenomena are known to occur in some strains of laboratory mice. Two of these are the Whitten or oestrous synchroniz¬ ing effect and the Bruce or pregnancy blocking effect (Parkes & Bruce, 1961). The odour of a male is capable of stimulating the oestrous cycle, hence syn¬ chronizing the females so that a large percentage becomes inseminated on the 3rd night following pairing. Similarly the odour of a strange male will block implantation, following which the female will return to oestrus. The object of the present study was to determine the occurrence of these two phenomena in wild house mice maintained under laboratory conditions. The mice used in this study were produced in an outbred laboratory colony derived from local stock. Wild-trapped animals were periodically added. Mice were fed a standard laboratory ration and housed in large-mouthed, 1-gal glass jars placed horizontally. A 4 in. diameter opening was cut in each jar top and fitted with a $ in. screen. This closure provided ventilation and access for the water bottle drinking tube. The wild house mice seem to adjust well to this 'cage'. Mice were weaned at 21 days of age and kept three to five per cage. Eight- to 12-week-old virgin females were placed with a stud male of proven fertility and examined each morning for vaginal plugs, which were considered evidence of insemination. The number of days between pairing and insemination was recorded and analysed for evidence of oestrous synchronization. Following insemination the male was removed and the female isolated for 24 hr (Day 0). On Day 1 the females were randomly assigned to one of the eight treatments described in Table 2. Pregnancy was determined by autopsy and examination
On Small Characteristic Algebraic Tori in Pairing-Based Cryptography

The value of the Tate pairing on an elliptic curve over a finite field may be viewed as an element of an algebraic torus. Using this simple observation, we transfer techniques recently developed for torus-based cryptography to pairing-based cryptography, resulting in more efficient computations, and lower bandwidth requirements. To illustrate the efficacy of this approach, we apply the method to pairings on supersingular elliptic curves in characteristic three.
Age and education adjusted normative data and discriminative validity for Rey’s Auditory Verbal Learning Test in the elderly Greek population

ABSTRACT Rey’s Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) is a widely used neuropsychological test to assess episodic memory. In the present study we sought to establish normative and discriminative validity data for the RAVLT in the elderly population using previously adapted learning lists for the Greek adult population. We administered the test to 258 cognitively healthy elderly participants, aged 60–89 years, and two patient groups (192 with amnestic mild cognitive impairment, aMCI, and 65 with Alzheimer’s disease, AD). From the statistical analyses, we found that age and education contributed significantly to most trials of the RAVLT, whereas the influence of gender was not significant. Younger elderly participants with higher education outperformed the older elderly with lower education levels. Moreover, both clinical groups performed significantly worse on most RAVLT trials and composite measures than matched cognitively healthy controls. Furthermore, the AD group performed more poorly than the aMCI group on most RAVLT variables. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to examine the utility of the RAVLT trials to discriminate cognitively healthy controls from aMCI and AD patients. Area under the curve (AUC), an index of effect size, showed that most of the RAVLT measures (individual and composite) included in this study adequately differentiated between the performance of healthy elders and aMCI/AD patients. We also provide cutoff scores in discriminating cognitively healthy controls from aMCI and AD patients, based on the sensitivity and specificity of the prescribed scores. Moreover, we present age- and education-specific normative data for individual and composite scores for the Greek adapted RAVLT in elderly subjects aged between 60 and 89 years for use in clinical and research settings.
The Relative Frequency of Lysosomal Storage Disorders

Lysosomal storage disorders are a group of rare, genetically inherited metabolic disorders. Because the literature on epidemiologic data is scanty from India, we attempted to determine their relative frequency and regional distribution. Our retrospective study included 1558 patients with clinical suspicion of various lysosomal storage disorders referred to Sandor Lifesciences Pvt Ltd during 2007 to 2012. About 30% of the cases were tested positive, with sphingolipidoses as the most common subgroup, followed by mucopolysaccharidoses, and Gaucher disease as the most frequently occurring individual lysosomal storage disorder. Our data indicates that lysosomal storage disorders are more common in males than females and infants comprise the most common age group followed by juvenile. The burden of these disorders is predicted to be high in India because of the large population, coupled with the practice of consanguineous marriages. This study emphasizes the importance of epidemiologic studies in order to implement appropriate preventive measures.
Alternative Donor Sources for Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has become a common proce‐ dure for the therapy of hematologic malignancies, immune disorders and many other blood related disorders. Over 18,000 procedures are performed yearly in the US and Europe. The donor of choice for allogenictransplantation is a fully HLA matched sibling, which is available for only 20 to 25% of patients. Alternate donor sources have been developed and in the past few years transplant using these sources have surpassed the ones from sibling donor. These alternate sources are: adult volunteer donors which have been organized in large national registries; umbilical cord blood that is stored in blood banks worldwide; and manipulated stem cells grafts from haploidentical relatives. There is a wide variation in the transplant procedures, complications and outcomes between these sources, as well as debate over which one is the best source for each given patient, with few prospective comparative trials reported or in progress to settle this issue. We review the develop‐ ment and present status of each alternate source along with reported comparisons of properties and outcomes.
Effect of Olea Extracts on Oral Candida in Patients Wearing Dentures of Different Base Materials

Background: Through the last recent years many researches started to investigate the properties of Aloe vera. Aloe vera proved to have wide ranges of activities in different fields of medicine. Objective: The study was conducted to evaluate the antifungal activity of Aloe Vera extract in aqueous and alcoholic solvents against Candida albicans species which isolated from dentures of patients with denture stomatitis. Material Method: Twenty six patients with denture stomatitis, Candida albicans were isolated and identified by using a routine microbiology method which includes the microscopically examination, culture and biochemical test by using API test. Preparation of aloe Vera extracts (watery and alcoholic) in different concentration was done, then the antifungal activity of aloe Vera for both extracts types were tested by using candida colony count after cultivated on culture media and agar well diffusion method to estimation the diameters of inhibition zone in different concentration. Results: The results revealed that the Aloe Vera contained substantial antimicrobial efficacy. The alcoholic extracts induce significant inhibition in growth of candida albicans in comparison to aqueous one and the inhibitory effect was found to be variable with the applied concentration. The candida species that isolated from nylon dentures was more sensitive than that isolated from acrylic dentures to Olea extract of different forms. Conclusion: Olea Vera extracts in high concentration have a reliable antifungal activity, alcoholic extract of Olea was more effective than aqueous type and can be used as an alternative to traditional antiseptic solution.
Effects of performance goals and anxiety on learning a gross motor task.

Abstract The effects of performance goals on learning gross motor tasks have been investigated only sparsely. Junior high school students (N = 90) who had scored either high-anxious or low-anxious on Spielberger's Trait Anxiety Inventory were randomly divided into a Performance Goal Group, a Verbal Encouragement Group, and a Control Group. These subjects practiced a two-ball, one-hand juggling task for 5 min on 12 consecutive school days. They responded to the Spielberger State Anxiety Inventory immediately preceding the practice sessions. The average number of catches per trial was recorded for each subject, each session. All subjects were given knowledge of results. Subjects in the Verbal Encouragement Group were verbally encouraged to “do your best. ” Subjects in the Performance Goal Group were given a goal based on their previous trial. No significant differences in performance were found among the three groups. A strong relationship was found to exist between state and trait anxiety. With practice, as.