Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A hard tissue cephalometric comparative study between hand tracing and computerized tracing

Aims: To analyze and compare the angular and linear hard tissue cephalometric measurements using hand-tracing and computerized tracings with Nemoceph and Dolphin software systems. Subjects and Methods: A total of 30 cephalograms were randomly chosen for study with the following criteria, cephalograms of patients with good contrast, no distortion, and minimal radiographic artifacts were considered using the digital method (Kodak 8000 C) with 12 angular and nine linear parameters selected for the study. Comparisons were determined by post-hoc test using Tukey HSD method. The N-Par tests were performed using Kruskal-Walli's method. Statistical Analysis Used: ANOVA and post-hoc. Results: The results of this study show that there is no significant difference in the angular and linear measurements recorded. The P values were significant at 0.05 levels for two parameters, Co-A and Co-Gn with the hand-tracing method. This was significant in ANOVA and post-hoc test by Tukey HSD method. Conclusions: This study of comparison provides support for transition from digital hand to computerized tracing methodology. In fact, digital computerized tracings were easier and less time consuming, with the same reliability irrespective of each method of tracing.
Anti-Candida activity of Quercus infectoria gall extracts against Candida species

Background: Galls of Quercus infectoria have been traditionally used to treat common ailments, including yeast infections caused by Candida species. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro anti-Candida activity of Q. infectoria gall extracts against selected Candida species. Materials and Methods: Methanol and aqueous extracts of Q. infectoria galls were tested for anti-Candida activity against Candida albicans, Candida krusei, Candida glabrata, Candida parapsilosis and Candida tropicalis. The minimum inhibitory concentrations were determined using the two-fold serial dilution technique of concentrations ranging from 16 mg/ml to 0.03 mg/ml. After 24 h, the minimum fungicidal concentrations were determined by subculturing the wells, which showed no turbidity on the agar plate. Potential phytochemical group in the crude extracts was screened by phytochemical qualitative tests and subsequently subjected to the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. Results: Both methanol and aqueous extracts displayed substantial anti-Candida activity and pyrogallol was the major component of both crude extracts. Conclusions: Data from current study suggested that Q. infectoria gall extracts are a potential source to be developed as anti-candidiasis.
Autoantibody-dependent and autoantibody-independent roles for B cells in systemic lupus erythematosus: Past, present, and future

It has long been known that B cells produce autoantibodies and, thereby, contribute to the pathogenesis of many autoimmune diseases. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a prototypic systemic autoimmune disorder, is characterized by high-circulating autoantibody titers and immune-complex deposition that can trigger inflammatory damage in multiple organs/organ systems. Although the interest in B cells in SLE has historically focused on their autoantibody production, we now appreciate that B cells have multiple autoantibody-independent roles in SLE as well. B cells can efficiently present antigen and activate T cells, they can augment T cell activation through co-stimulatory interactions, and they can produce numerous cytokines which affect inflammation, lymphogenesis, and immune regulation. Not surprisingly, B cells have become attractive therapeutic targets in SLE. With these points in mind, this review will focus on the autoantibody-dependent and autoantibody-independent roles for B cells in SLE and on therapeutic approaches that target B cells.
Serum uric acid in new and recent onset primary hypertension

Introduction: Hyperuricemia is common among adults with prehypertension, especially when the microalbuminuria is present. Hyperuricemia precedes the development of hypertension. Aim: (1) To find the association of hyperuricemia in new-onset hypertensive patients. (2) To find the association of hyperuricemia in hypertensive patients with regard to gender and risk factors such as smoking and central obesity. Material and Methods: A total of 50 adults aged between 20 and 50 years who had mild early hypertension were selected for the study. Fifty controls without hypertension were enrolled and investigated. Results: The association between uric acid (UA) and hypertension was analyzed using Student's t-test and statistical difference were assessed using Pearson coefficient. The study showed a significant difference in UA between the hypertensive subjects and the normotensive controls. There was not a significant difference between waist abnormality, smoking and UA in cases. Males have a higher degree of hyperuricemia than females in hypertensive patients. Conclusion: Serum UA is strongly associated with blood pressure (BP) in new and recent onset primary hypertension. The remarkable association of UA with BP in adults is consistent with recent animal model data and the hypothesis that the UA might have a pathogenic role in the development of hypertension.
The Correlation between Red‐Cell Survival and Excess of α‐Globin Synthesis in β‐Thalassaemia

In 13 subjects affected by β‐thalassaemia major, in three subjects affected by β‐thalassaemia minor and in five normal healthy persons haemoglobin synthesis and the survival of red cells transfused into normal, group compatible, healthy recipients has been studied. The existence of an excess of newly synthesized α‐chains and of a negative correlation between the excess α‐chain and the red‐cell survival has been demonstrated. The harmful role of the α‐chain excess on the erythrocyte and the implications of this finding are discussed.
Apoptosis in immune-mediated diseases

Apoptosis plays a significant role in both the physiological and pathological process. A dysfunctional apoptotic system can lead to either excessive removal or prolonged survival of cells. Therefore, dysregulation is involved in the pathogenesis of a variety of immunological diseases. The present review aims to provide an overview regarding role of apoptosis in immune-mediated disease.
In vitro characterization of an acetylcholine receptor–transferrin fusion protein for the treatment of myasthenia gravis

SHG2210, a fusion protein containing the N-terminus of human nicotinic acetylcholine receptor α (AchR-α; aa1-210) and human transferrin (TF), was characterized as a potential therapeutic for myasthenia gravis (MG) caused predominately by α subunit autoantibodies. SHG2210 was shown to be able to bind to α subunit autoantibodies and the TF receptor (TFR). SHG2210 and SHG2210–anti-AchR antibody complex are internalized through TFR-mediated endocytosis. The SHG2210 and SHG2210–anti-AchR antibody complex is present in Lamp1-positive lysosomal compartments after internalization; however, neither SHG2210 nor SHG2210–antibody complex is present in Rab11-positive recycling endosomes. SHG2210 bound to α subunit of AChR autoantibodies may be cleared by the lysosome, resulting in short cellular half-life relative to SHG2210. SHG2210 is shown to have a protective effect on antigenic modulation of the AChR induced by serum from select patients with MG, suggesting that a fusion protein approach may be an effective therapeutic for treating MG.
Management of tripod fractures (zygomaticomaxillary complex) 1 point and 2 point fixations: A 5-year review

The zygomaticomaxillary complex (ZMC) plays a key role in the structure, function, and esthetic appearance of the facial skeleton. They can account for approximately 40% of mid-face fractures. They are the second most common facial bone fracture after nasal bone injuries. The fracture complex results from a direct blow to the malar eminence and results in three distinct fracture components that disrupt the anchoring of the zygoma. In addition, the fracture components may result in impingement of the temporalis muscle, trismus (difficulty with mastication) and may compromise the infraorbital foramen/nerve resulting in hypesthesia within its sensory distribution. A 4-year retrospective review of all patients treated with ZMC fractures at oral and maxillofacial surgery department, sree balaji dental college and hospital was performed. Computed tomography scans were reviewed. Demographics, treatment protocols, outcomes, complications, reoperations, and length of follow-up were identified. A total of 245 patients was identified by the Current Procedural Terminology codes for ZMC fractures. Closed or open reduction methods were performed with the goal of treatment being preservation of normal facial structure, sensory function, globe position, and mastication functionality. Unacceptably poor surgical outcomes are uncommon. Significant facial asymmetry requiring surgical revision occurs in 3-4% of patients. Postoperative infection rates are extremely low, and these infections nearly always resolve with oral antibiotics. In general, the long-term prognosis after repair of ZMC fractures is very good.
USE OF MAIZE OIL (UNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS) IN THE TREATMENT OF ECZEMA: PRELIMINARY REPORT

About four and one-half years ago, one of us (T. C.) became interested in the calcium metabolism in eczema, which led to the use of viosterol as a therapeutic agent. We used a special material of high potency orally, intravenously and intramuscularly, and controlled the series by giving plain maize oil to another group of patients with eczema. Maize oil was used because it is the diluent for the viosterol. We found, after some time, that the results obtained from the use of the maize oil alone were as good as those obtained from the use of viosterol. In fact, because we could give larger amounts of pure maize oil alone than of maize oil in which viosterol was dissolved, the results with the maize oil alone were superior. We found that it makes little difference by which route the patient receives the oil, so long as adequate amounts are
Budesonide multi-matrix system formulation for treating ulcerative colitis

Budesonide is a corticosteroid characterized by high topical activity and low systemic effect associated with fewer glucocorticoid-related adverse events than conventional steroids. Differently from Crohn's disease, no evidence suggests that oral budesonide is effective for the induction of remission of ulcerative colitis (UC). Budesonide multi-matrix (MMX) system is a new oral preparation that, by employing a MMX, provides the release of the drug throughout the entire colon. Its efficacy in inducing UC remission, at a dose of 9 mg, is based on some recent trials. However, in two studies the absolute differences between budesonide MMX and placebo were much lower than the rate of success reported in previous trials with mesalazines. In addition, the therapeutic advantage of budesonide MMX 9 mg over 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) showed by one study, and the advantage of budesonide MMX over budesonide reported in the other study, was only 5.8 and 4.8%, respectively. The evidence supporting the use of budesonide MMX at a dose of 6 mg for maintenance is weak. Therefore, the effective dosage should be 9 mg also in maintenance, but not for > 4 – 6 months, because a prolonged treatment has showed to increase the rate of side effects.
"Hacemos lo que podemos": los prestadores de servicios frente al problema de la utilización

This study presents the second part of the general results obtained by a qualitative study conducted within the National Health Survey II. The object of this study was to identify main patterns and micro-social determinants which affect the process of selection and utilization of health services in order to propose policies aimed at more equity, quality and efficiency in health service delivery. The study was conducted in urban areas among the middle and middle-low class sectors. A total of 192 individual open-ended interviews and eight focus groups were completed among health users in four cities. Also, 61 service providers both from public and private services were interviewed. Since a previous work reported findings related to health service users, this study focuses only on the results pertaining to health service providers. The first part briefly discusses the study design which allowed to explore the meaning that actors ‐health service providers‐ attach to their job and working conditions. The second part presents the main findings. The sense of economic and material precariousness with which health providers from public institutions do their work is among the most important results. Common conflicts between health service users and providers are also mentioned, mainly those which arise from the organizational problems of the health center and from the scarcity of the basic drug stock. The third part reports the main coincidences and divergences between health service users and providers. Some of the divergences may be the reason for the under-utilization of health services. The work con
Use of mTOR inhibitors in the treatment of malignancies

Introduction: mTOR and its effectors are central regulators of cellular metabolism in malignant cells and control mRNA translation that ultimately leads to generation of mitogenic proteins. Efforts to target this pathway have been ongoing for over a decade and have had a substantial impact in the management of certain patients with solid tumors. Although activity of mTOR inhibitors has been established in several trials, inability to predict responses remains a limiting factor for the successful incorporation of these agents in the treatment of a variety of malignancies. Areas covered: Recent clinical findings are discussed and studies focused on advanced phase development of mTOR inhibitors are summarized. The emergence of precision medicine approaches and the effects that such approaches may have on prospective selection of patients for treatment with mTOR inhibitors are discussed. Also, potential approaches and future prospects to improve responses to mTOR inhibitors by modulating other parallel mitogenic pathways essential for malignant cell proliferation are discussed. Expert opinion: Selective targeting of the mTOR pathway offers significant clinical advantage in subsets of patients with diverse malignancies. Approaches to enhance responses by concomitant targeting of resistance pathways and/or predict responses via identification of molecular markers should substantially impact this area in the near and distant future.
Abused women's shelter as a clinical learning setting

Background: Family violence is one of the major public health problems in South Africa and worldwide (WHO 2002). However, it is not yet viewed as an important curricular topic in nursing education to warrant dedicated clinical teaching and learning. Where it is addressed in the curriculum, it is usually at theoretical level, with few or no opportunities for clinical learning experiences. Objectives: This descriptive qualitative case study was conducted to describe how family violence was integrated into the undergraduate nursing curriculum by using a shelter as a clinical learning setting. Methods: Participant observation, document review and interviews were used as data collection methods. The following themes were identified from data analysis: commitment to partner ships between the nursing school and the shelter, commitment to service learning, provision of a conducive climate for learning, enabling students to learn how to deal with role conflict, sharing of students’ personal experiences of intimate partner violence or family violence, learning to deal with prejudicial attitudes and refraining from blaming battered women. Results: The findings were organised into the following two major themes:
Downregulation of TGF-βRII in T effector cells leads to increased resistance to TGF-β-mediated suppression of autoimmune responses in type I diabetes

Tregs play an important role in controlling immune responses, particularly autoimmunity. In NOD mouse model, an excellent model for autoimmune diabetes, transfer of Tregs was shown to prevent diabetes, whereas depletion of Tregs in vivo enhanced disease progression, suggesting that Treg dysfunction contributes to the pathogenesis of diabetes. However, the mechanisms leading to Treg dysfunction and their role in diabetes progression has remained unclear. In this study we assessed quantitative and qualitative changes in Tregs during the development of autoimmune diabetes in NOD. We compared female NOD with males that have similar predisposition to but a lower incidence of diabetes and found that Treg numbers remained unchanged between 6 to 16 weeks of age in both groups. Although female Tregs produced lower TGF-β compared to male, regulatory function of female Tregs was only marginally inferior to male upon GAD65 autoantigen stimulation. GAD65-reactive female Teffectors were more responsive and progressively became refractory to regulation compared to male effectors, in part due to lower expression of TGF-β RII, accounting for reduced sensitivity to Tregs. Moreover, we unexpectedly found that TGF-β suppressed IFN-γ production to GAD65 antigen in male, not in female responders. These data suggest that TGF-β plays a major role in Teff resistance to regulation and Treg dysfunction, and may account for autoimmune diabetes. Our study implies that development of a successful supplemental Treg therapy for halting autoimmunity may require further understanding of Teff responses to regulation in order to generate highly effective Tregs.
Pathogenic and regulatory roles for B cells in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

A dual role of B cells in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), the animal model of the human autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis (MS), has been established. In the first role, B cells contribute to the pathogenesis of EAE through the production of anti-myelin antibodies that contribute to demyelination. On the contrary, B cells have also been shown to have protective functions in that they play an essential role in the spontaneous recovery from EAE. In this review, we summarize studies conducted in a number of species demonstrating the conditions under which B cells are pathogenic in EAE. We also discuss the phenotype and anti-inflammatory mechanisms of regulatory B cells.
Intensity of Dialysis in Established Acute Renal Failure

Dialysis was initially applied in the late 1940s and 1950s in cases of acute renal failure, where it was discovered to be life-saving in some circumstances. Relatively little attention was paid to the timing or intensity of dialysis at that time, since the procedure was cumbersome, fraught with complications, and not routinely available. As the field of dialytic nephrology progressed and the procedure became more widely available (and supported in the US by the end-stage renal disease program), most attention was directed toward patients with chronic renal failure. The National Cooperative Dialysis Study (NCDS) (1978-1980) was the first large-scale study to investigate the issue of dialysis intensity; it compared long versus short dialysis time, and high versus low time-averaged urea concentration (TAC-urea) in a 2 by 2 factorial design. The NCDS determined that individuals with low TAC-urea experienced significantly fewer hospitalizations, suggesting that more intensive dialysis was associated with reduced morbidity (1) . Subsequent studies confirmed and extended these findings, showing a relationship between dialysis intensity and mortality, even after adjusting for other important risk factors, such as age, sex, race, diabetes, and nutritional status (2, 3). Similar findings have not been observed in acute renal failure. Indeed, most of the published literature on timing and intensity of dialysis for acute renal failure dates to the 1960s and early 1970s. One could argue that the issues of timing and intensity of dialysis are especially important in acute renal failure, since the dialysis procedure itself may influence not only survival, but also the likelihood of renal recovery. Since the advent of renal replacement therapy, nephrologists have observed that urine output usually declines, sometimes precipitously, after the initiation of dialysis. This phenomenon has been attributed to 1) removal of osmotically active compounds such as urea nitrogen which sustain urine output during the predialysis phase, 2) repeated bouts of renal ischemia associated with dialysis-induced hypotension, 3) altered capacity to autoregulate renal blood flow, and 4) activation of
Efficacy of music listening with conventional physiotherapy management on sub-acute stroke patients

Objective: The use of melody and rhythm has long been recommended for music-based treatment. Current study was to determine the effect of music listening additions to the conventional protocol that aim to enhance stroke patient’s responses to depression, balance, disability and fatigue.Methods: A total 10 subacute stroke patients with mean age of 55.2±4.3 years were participated in the current study. As per inclusion criteria the patients were randomly divided into two groups, group A and B (n=05) in each group. Group-A participants were undergone music listening for 20 minutes, and group-B as a control group, both groups were undergone a standard conventional physiotherapy regime. A total interventional regime consisted of 4 sessions per week for 28 days. Study outcomes such as depression, balance, disability and fatigue were assessed at baseline, 14th, 29th and 37th day follow up was done without music listening after 28 days lasted. Results: The result of the study reported that disability, depression, fatigue and balance were improved in both groups. Although the patients in group A, who underwent music therapy showed the highly significant improvement (p<0.001) than group-B, who underwent conventional physiotherapy only.Conclusion: Study concluded that music listening along with conventional physiotherapy management is more effective than conventional physiotherapy alone in the management of stroke.
Autoimmunity to isomerized histone H2B in systemic lupus erythematosus

Histone H2B is a common target of autoantibodies in both spontaneous and drug-induced systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Recent studies demonstrate that Asp25 of histone H2B (H2B) spontaneously converts to an isoaspartic acid (isoAsp) in vivo. Our laboratory has demonstrated that the posttranslational modification of an aspartic acid to an isoaspartic acid within self-peptides renders otherwise ignored peptides immunogenic. Analysis of serum from lupus-prone mice and histone antibody positive SLE patients revealed antibodies specific to the Asp and isoAsp H2B21–35 peptide, and that the expression of these antibodies is dependent on TLR9. IsoAsp H2B21–35 is immunogenic in non-autoimmune prone mice and mice lacking the ability to repair isoAsp have significantly reduced levels of antibodies to H2B. Asp H2B21–35 incubated at physiological temperatures and pH acquires the isoAsp modification, demonstrating that H2B21–35 is prone to spontaneous isoAsp formation in vivo. Autoimmunity to isoAsp H2B suggests that this form of the autoantigen may be critical in the induction of anti-histone autoantibodies in human SLE and in murine models of disease.