Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of dental anxiety among patients attending a dental educational institution in Chennai, India--a questionnaire based study.

OBJECTIVES Anxiety and fear towards dental treatment are common problems frequently experienced by patients worldwide, hence for better understanding, management and development of treatment strategies for dentally anxious patients, the present study was undertaken. The study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of dental anxiety and the factors influencing dental anxiety among the patients attending the outpatient department of a dental institution in India. METHOD 468 patients, 18-70 years were selected for the study. The assessment tools consisted of a consent form, history form, and a questionnaire form containing the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale which was used to assess the level of dental anxiety. RESULTS Cronbach alpha for test retest samples was 0.863. The mean total anxiety score of the 468 samples was 10.29 (SD = 3.767). 3% were dentally phobic. One way ANOVA showed a significant difference between the age groups in relation to their mean total anxiety score (p<0.05) and it decreased with increasing age. Independent t test showed a highly significant difference in the mean total score between the patients with good and bad previous dental experience (p<0.05). Postponement of dental visit showed a significant positive correlation with anxiety score (p<0.001). CONCLUSION Tooth drilling for restorative purposes and local anaesthetic injections, were the most common reasons for dental anxiety. Younger respondents, uneducated, unemployed and lower income group were more anxious. The study also showed that postponement of dental visit and past negative dental experience were associated with higher anxiety scores.
A dual role for zinc fingers in both DNA binding and zinc sensing by the Zap1 transcriptional activator

The Zap1 transcriptional activator of Saccharomyces cerevisiae controls zinc homeostasis. Zap1 induces target gene expression in zinc‐limited cells and is repressed by high zinc. One such target gene is ZAP1 itself. In this report, we examine how zinc regulates Zap1 function. First, we show that transcriptional autoregulation of Zap1 is a minor component of zinc responsiveness; most regulation of Zap1 activity occurs post‐translationally. Secondly, nuclear localization of Zap1 does not change in response to zinc, suggesting that zinc regulates DNA binding and/or activation domain function. To understand how Zap1 responds to zinc, we performed a functional dissection of the protein. Zap1 contains two activation domains. DNA‐binding activity is conferred by five C‐terminal C2H2 zinc fingers and each finger is required for high‐affinity DNA binding. The zinc‐responsive domain of Zap1 also maps to the C‐terminal zinc fingers. Furthermore, mutations that disrupt some of these fingers cause constitutive activity of a bifunctional Gal4 DNA‐binding domain–Zap1 fusion protein. These results demonstrate a novel function of Zap1 zinc fingers in zinc sensing as well as DNA binding.
Robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy: perioperative outcomes of 1500 cases.

BACKGROUND Robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP) is an evolving minimally invasive treatment of for localized prostate cancer. We present our experience of 1500 consecutive cases with an analysis of perioperative outcomes. PATIENTS AND METHODS Fifteen hundred consecutive RALPs were performed by a single surgeon (VRP). Following Institutional Review Board approval, clinical coordinators performed prospective intraoperative and postoperative data collection. Functional outcomes were assessed using validated self-administered questionnaires. RESULTS Mean OR time from skin incision to fascial closure (the time that the surgeon was present) was 105 minutes (55-300). Mean EBL was 111 cc (50-500). Ninety-seven percent of patients were discharged home on postoperative day 1. The overall complication rate was 4.3% with no mortalities. The positive margin rate (PMR) was 9.3% overall. PMR was 4% for pT2, 34% for T3 and 40% for pathologic stage T4. CONCLUSIONS Our initial series represents one of the largest published series for perioperative outcomes of robotic assisted prostatectomy. Our data demonstrates the feasibility, safety and efficacy of the procedure.
New approaches to the pharmacological management of generalized anxiety disorder

Introduction: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonine reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs) together with pregabalin are actually considered by international guidelines as the first-line choice for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) treatment. However, 50% of GAD patients have poor response to first-line treatments and different molecules, such as atypical antipsychotics and mood stabilizers, have been used for treating this condition. Purpose of the present article is to provide an overview of the most recent pharmacological approaches for the treatment of GAD and the rationale for their use. Areas covered: A research in the main database sources has been conducted to obtain an overview of the new pharmacological approaches in GAD (anticonvulsants, atypical antipsychotics, agomelatine, memantine, ondansetron and riluzole). Expert opinion: Among unlabelled molecules, quetiapine seems to have the most robust evidence of efficacy in GAD. Valproic acid and agomelatine appear to be effective in GAD patients, but the data are preliminary and need to be confirmed by future studies. Quetiapine is a promising molecule for GAD treatment but its use would be complicated by long-term metabolic side effects. Future research will have the objective to find more targeted molecules for the treatment of this disorder in light of its specific etiology.
Circulation savers: thrombolytic therapy.

When ischemia is caused by occlusion of an artery or vein due to a clot (thromboembolism), it is necessary to convert the clotting cascade mechanism as soon as possible to re-establish circulation and prevent death (necrosis) of the tissues distal to the obstructed artery or vein (Kee, Hayes, & McCuistion, 2012). The body’s natural fibrinolytic mechanisms, wherein plasminogen is converted to plasmin that actively destroys fibrins in blood clots, takes approximately 1 to 2 weeks to occur (Swedberg & Harris, 2012). Throm bolytic therapy promotes rapid disintegration of the thrombus or embolus in many conditions, such as myocardial infarction (MI) (Kunadian & Gibson, 2012), acute stroke (Feske, 2012), pulmonary embolism (Stein & Matta, 2012), deep vein thrombosis (DVT) (Dasari, Pappi, & Hennebry, 2012), venous thromboembolism (Findlay, Keogh, & Cooper, 2010), frost bite injury (Gross & Moore, 2012), and central venous catheter occlusion (Baskin et al., 2012).
Possible Role of Nitric Oxide in Radiation-Induced Salivary Gland Dysfunction

Abstract Takeda, I. , Kizu, Y. , Okamoto, Y. , Saito, I. and Yamane, G. Possible Role of Nitric Oxide in Radiation-Induced Salivary Gland Dysfunction. Radiat. Res. 159, 465–470 (2002). In this study, we developed a murine model of xerostomia to elucidate the mechanism of radiation-induced salivary gland dysfunction and determined the levels of nitric oxide (NO) in the salivary glands to assess its involvement in the salivary dysfunction induced by radiation. In addition, an inhibitor of NO synthesis was administered to the model in vivo, and its effect on saliva secretion was investigated. Salivary gland irradiation at a dose of 15 Gy caused a significant decrease in secretion compared to unirradiated salivary glands. There were no marked differences between the irradiated mice and unirradiated mice in water or food consumption or in body weight changes. The NO levels in the cultured salivary gland epithelial cells were increased by treatment with a combination of interferon γ (Ifng), interleukin β (Il1b), and tumor necrosis factor α (Tnfa). Irradiation increased the NO level in the salivary gland tissue. The presence of NG-monomethyl-l-arginine acetate (l-NMMA), an inhibitor of NO synthesis, caused a decrease in the NO level in cultured salivary gland tissues after irradiation. Administration of l-NMMA to irradiated mice improved saliva secretion. These results suggest that excessive production of NO induced by radiation is involved in the formation of radiation-induced xerostomia. The finding that administration of an inhibitor of NO synthesis ameliorated the dysfunction of irradiated salivary glands indicates that NO plays a role as a mediator of the dry mouth symptoms that occur after irradiation.
A class of ball-and-bin problems and its application to mesh networks

Non-recursive and explicit expressions for calculating the number of ways to distribute n indistinguishable balls into m distinguishable bins with different capacities have been derived. Similar expression for the special case where bins have the same capacity was previously reported in the literature. Theses expressions can be used to study network graphs with grid structures. In this line, we have derived some topological properties of meshes, furnishing some expressions to calculate the surface area and volume of radial spheres in the mesh network.
Serum HIF-1alpha and VEGF levels pre- and post-TACE in patients with primary liver cancer.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the expression levels of serum hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1alpha) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pre- and post-transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in patients with primary liver cancer (PLC), and correlations between prognosis factors and serum HIF-1alpha as well asVEGF levels. METHODS Forty consecutive patients fulfilling diagnostic criteria for PLC undergoing TACE from March 2008 to May 2009 were enrolled into the study. The serum HIF-1alpha and VEGF levels of PLC patients pre- and 1 day, 1 week, 1 month post-TACE were analyzed using ELISA, and compared with that of 20 healthy volunteers. Patients were divided into complete response (CR) and partial response (PR), stable disease (SD), progressive disease (PD) groups according to the therapeutic efficacy. Pearson correlation was used to analyze the correlation between different clinical variables and serum HIF- 1alpha and VEGF levels before TACE, and correlation between serum HIF-1alpha and VEGF levels was also evaluated. RESULTS The expression levels of serum HIF-1alpha and VEGF in PLC patients were 154.94 +/- 83.29 and 264.00 +/- 148.10 pg/mL pre-TACE, and both of them were significantly higher than those in control group (23.84 +/- 8.15 and 69.78 +/- 21.42 pg/mL, all P<0.01). One day after TACE, both serum HIF-1alpha (570.64 +/- 230.87 pg/mL) and VEGF levels (362.07 +/- 102.25 pg/mL) reached the peak values (all P<0.01). One week post-TACE, expression levels of them were decreased (198.62 +/- 92.11 and 283.52 +/- 145.46 pg/mL respectively), but still significantly higher than those before TACE (all P<0.01). The levels of both HIF-1alpha (133.96 +/- 57.02 vs. 255.74 +/- 123.44 pg/mL) and VEGF (150.96 +/- 84.89 vs. 368.95 +/- 161.90 pg/mL) in CR group 1 month post-TACE were significantly lower than those in PR+SD+PD group (all P<0.01). The level of serum HIF-1alpha was positively correlated with serum VEGF level (r=0.42, P<0.001). Both serum HIF-1alpha and VEGF levels were observed to be correlated with portal vein tumor thrombi (P<0.05) and metastasis (P<0.05). CONCLUSION The HIF- 1alpha and VEGF might play an important role in relapse of PLC. They might be considered as predictors of the efficacy ofTACE and metastasis of PLC.
Development of animal recognition: a difference between Parts and Wholes.

A series of experiments examined children's recognition of animals by their features (Parts) and by the relative scale of the parts (Wholes). They were asked to identify the correct picture of an animal they could name from the original plus two computer-generated alternatives. We examined the developmental trends associated with upright (Studies 1 and 3) and inverted presentations (Study 3). Both experiments confirmed children's superior ability in dealing with the recognition of animal Parts over animal Wholes, especially for the younger ages tested (6- and 10-year-olds). It was not until the ages of 15-16 that children demonstrated equal performance on Whole and Part items. The late acquisition of animal Whole recognition is compared to the late acquired configural skills proposed for face recognition.
S100B and brain natriuretic peptide predict functional neurological outcome after intracerebral haemorrhage

Objective: To determine the predictive value of S100b and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in order to determine accurately and quickly a discharge prognosis after primary supratentorial intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH). Methods: After IRB approval and informed consent, blood samples were obtained and analysed from 28 adult patients consecutively admitted to the neuroscience intensive care unit with computed tomography-proven supratentorial ICH from June 2003 and December 2004 within the first 24 h after symptom onset for S100b and BNP. Functional outcomes on discharge were dichotomized to favourable (mRS < 3) or unfavourable. Results: BNP (a neurohormone) and S100b (a marker of glial activation) were found to be independently highly predictive of functional neurological outcome at the time of discharge as measured by the modified Rankin Score (BNP: p < 0.01, r = 0.46; S100b: p < 0.01, r = 0.42) and the Barthel Index (BNP: p < 0.01, r = 0.54; s100b: p < 0.01, r = 0.50). Although inclusion of either biomarker produced additive value when included with traditional clinical prognostic variables, such as the ICH score (Barthel index: p < 0.01, r = 0.66; mRS: p < 0.01, r = 0.96), little predictive power is added with inclusion of both biomarkers in a regression model for neurological outcome. Conclusions: Serum S100b and BNP levels in the first 24 h after injury accurately predict neurological function at discharge after supratentorial ICH.
A transparent pricing scheme for interference mitigation in uplink OFDMA with collaborative distributed scheduling

Distributed uplink scheduling in a multicell OFDMA system is considered. A collaborative model is proposed, where base stations cooperate by exchanging interference information based on pricing, and users in each cell cooperate by exchanging channel state information. Then, each user implements independently the same scheduling algorithm. Simulations show that results close to the case of full channel knowledge can be achieved at the expense of a limited number of feedback bits per subcarrier. Furthermore, the proposed pricing scheme leads to enhanced results in the presence of interference.
Sonography of the knee: Intra‐articular pathology

MRI is the gold‐standard imaging technique for evaluation of the intra‐articular structures of the knee, and the use of sonography remains controversial. Sonography nevertheless is a useful alternative in several conditions: Inflammatory joint diseases, where it is appropriate for early diagnosis and follow‐up of joint effusion and synovitis; peri‐articular masses, where it is the best modality for guidance of needle puncture or biopsy; suspected meniscus or ligament lesion, where it may provide a positive diagnosis but is not sufficient to exclude intra‐articular lesions; and loose bodies, where it is an outstanding modality for diagnosing lesions not evident on radiographs. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 32:481–490, 2004
Depression and the risk for dementia

Purpose of review Depression is associated with increased risk of subsequent development of dementia; however, the nature of the association is still poorly understood. The purpose of the review was based on recent studies to discuss whether depression is a prodromal state of dementia or an independent risk factor for dementia, as well as to discuss how the type of depression, the type of dementia, and antidepressant treatment influence the association. Recent findings Findings from recent studies suggest that some forms of depressive illness, for example early-onset depression before age 65 years and recurrent depression, may constitute long-term risk factors for development of dementia, whereas the onset of more recent depressive symptoms may reflect a prodromal phase of dementia. It is not clear whether specific subtypes of depression correspond to specific types of dementia. Recent studies suggest that long-term treatment with antidepressants may decrease the risk of developing some types of dementia, depending on the type of depressive disorder. Summary This review has shown that the type of depression and dementia, as well as the effect of drug treatment, has to be considered to improve knowledge on the association between depression and dementia.
Attention/Information‐Processing Factors in Psychotic Disorders Replication and Extension of Recent Neuropsychological Findings

The scores of attention/information-processing measures derived from neuropsychological testing of 34 chronic psychotic, primarily schizophrenic patients were subjected to a principal components analysis. Measures were chosen a priori on the basis of a previous factor-analytic study by A.F. Mirsky (1987, Behavioral and psychophysiological markers of disordered attention, Environmental Health Perspectives 74:191–199). The factor pattern in the present study was strikingly similar to that reported by Mirsky on a largely nonpsychotic sample. In both studies, four factors emerged that may be identified as: a) perceptual motor speed; b) mental control (numerical-mnemonic); c) flexibility; and d) vigilance. This replication provides support for previously postulated types of attention and suggests that schizophrenic and other psychotic disorders are not associated with atypical organization of attention/information-1 processing dimensions. The authors discuss questions raised by Mirsky's previous results in light of the present findings. In particular, it was concluded that the flexibility factor requires further clarification. Implications of the findings for clinical evaluation and research in schizophrenia are discussed as well.
Knowledge Representation Using Fuzzy Petri Nets

A fuzzy Petri net model (FPN) is presented to represent the fuzzy production rule of a rule-based system in which a fuzzy production rule describes the fuzzy relation between two propositions. Based on the fuzzy Petri net model, an efficient algorithm is proposed to perform fuzzy reasoning automatically. It can determine whether an antecedent-consequence relationship exists from proposition d/sub s/ to proposition d/sub j/, where d/sub s/ not=d/sub j/. If the degree of truth of proposition d/sub s/ is given, then the degrees of truth of proposition d/sub j/ can be evaluated. The formal description of the model and the fuzzy reasoning algorithm are shown in detail. The upper bound of the time complexity of the fuzzy reasoning algorithm is O(nm), where n is the number of places and m is the number of transitions. Its execution time is proportional to the number of nodes in a sprouting tree generated by the algorithm only generates necessary reasoning paths from a starting place to a goal place, it can be executed very efficiently. >
Effects of nebivolol versus bisoprolol on endothelial function in hypertensive patients.

OBJECTIVE To determine the effects of two beta-blockers, nebivolol and bisoprolol, on endothelial function in newly diagnosed hypertensive patients. METHODS Twenty-five hypertensive patients with a mean (+/- SD) age of 45.3+/-11.5 years were randomly assigned to receive either nebivolol or bisoprolol for eight weeks in an open-label, crossover design. Flow-mediated endothelial-dependent vasodilation (FMD) was measured at baseline and after each eight-week treatment period. At the end of each treatment period, 24 h ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring was performed. RESULTS The effect of the two beta-blockers on BP was similar. The mean FMD before initiation of treatment was 4.14+/-3.55%. After treatment with nebivolol, FMD increased to 8.99+/-4.21%, with a statistically significant difference from baseline (P<0.001). The effect of bisoprolol treatment on FMD was not as dramatic (3.72+/-6.84%), with no statistically significant difference from baseline. Comparing FMD after each therapeutic regimen, nebivolol treatment resulted in a marked increase in the reactivity of the brachial artery (ie, improvement of endothelial function) compared with bisoprolol treatment (P<0.001). CONCLUSION Nebivolol treatment of untreated hypertensive patients led to a significant improvement in endothelial function compared with bisoprolol treatment, despite the similar effect on BP with either therapeutic agent.
Incidence of pneumonia in nursing home residents with dementia in the Netherlands: an estimation based on three differently designed studies

SUMMARY Pneumonia leads to considerable morbidity and mortality in nursing home residents with dementia. We assessed pneumonia incidence based on data from three different studies: (1) real-time national surveillance of healthcare-associated infections in nursing home residents in 2009–2015; (2) a randomized controlled trial in 2012–2015 to assess effects of a practical guideline in nursing home residents with dementia and pneumonia; and (3) a study in 2007–2010 to assess quality of dying in newly admitted nursing home residents with dementia. In national surveillance data, pneumonia incidence was calculated separately for psychogeriatric and somatic beds, as a proxy for residents with and without dementia. Weekly pneumonia incidence was significantly lower per 1000 psychogeriatric beds (3·9; 95% confidence interval (CI) 3·2–4·6) compared with 1000 somatic beds (5·7; 95% CI 5·1–6·3). Annual incidence per 1000 psychogeriatric beds was similar in national surveillance (range 78·9–117·1) and the trial (range 71·0–94·3), and significantly higher in newly admitted dementia residents (range 267·3–363·2). The incidence was highest during the first months after admission when compared with residents with longer stay. In conclusion, follow-up of pneumonia in newly admitted dementia residents may result in higher incidence, possibly due to higher risk in this population.
A Literature Review on Iris Segmentation Techniques for Iris Recognition Systems

A biometric system offers automatic identification of a human being based on the unique feature or characteristic which is being possessed by the individual. The iris segmentation has its own major applications in the field of surveillance as well as in security purposes. The performance of the iris recognition systems depends heavily on segmentation and normalization techniques. A review of various segmentation approaches used in iris recognition is done in this paper. The survey is represented in tabular form for quick reference.