Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Vertical and Sagittal Growth in Patients with Unilateral and Bilateral Cleft Lip and Palate—A Retrospective Cephalometric Evaluation

Objective: To investigate whether the craniofacial vertical and sagittal jaw relationship in patients with cleft lip and palate (CLP) differed from that of age-matched noncleft controls, before and after the pubertal growth spurt. Design: Retrospective observational study. Patients: The study group comprised 126 patients with CLP, subdivided according to gender and cleft type, and the control group comprised 53 age-matched skeletal class I patients. Methods: Angular and linear measurements were taken from prepubertal and postpubertal lateral cephalograms of all patients. Results: In patients with cleft lip and palate, the maxillary retrognathism became more remarkable with increasing age; whereas, the retrognathic position of the mandible became less pronounced as compared with controls. Reduced posterior midfacial height, a common prepubertal finding in patients with cleft lip and palate, was significant in postpubertal girls and young women with unilateral cleft lip and palate (p = .002). The total anterior facial height in male patients with bilateral cleft lip and palate was larger than in control patients (p = .002) after the pubertal growth spurt due to an increased anterior midfacial height. In male patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate, this finding was due to an increased anterior lower facial height (p < .001). Conclusions: Patients with cleft lip and palate treated according to a standardized treatment concept had adequate craniofacial jaw relationships after puberty. Despite a measured skeletal class I in both male and female patients with cleft lip and palate regardless of cleft type, there was a slight tendency toward a skeletal class III. Findings were similar for all groups of cleft lip and palate patients irrespective of the type of orthodontic treatment performed.
Seasonal abundance of Proteocephalus ambloplitis (Cestoidea: Proteocephalidea) from largemouth bass living in a heated reservoir

Proteocephalus ambloplitis was recovered from largemouth bass inhabiting different thermal regimes, ranging from normal to greater than 10 °C above normal, on the Energy Research and Development Administration's (ERDA) Savannah River Plant near Aiken, South Carolina. Possible alterations in the mechanisms initiating plerocercoid migration as proposed by Fischer & Freeman (1969) were noted. According to these authors, a rise in temperature from 4 to 7 °C and above stimulated migration of parenteric plerocercoids into the gut. The lowest water temperature recorded for the reservoir for the entire sampling period was 8·0 °C. Theoretically, this should have terminated the life-cycle of this tapeworm since migration temperature was never attained. At Savannah River, the appearance of adult tapeworms coincided with a decrease in water temperature, while the appearance of adult tapeworms in Canada was correlated with an increase in water temperature. It is postulated that the decline in water temperature in southern latitudes and the increase in water temperature in northern latitudes initiates the same response, that is, migration of plerocercoids from parenteric to enteric sites where maturation to the adult form ensues.
An ephrin-A-dependent Signaling Pathway Controls Integrin Function and Is Linked to the Tyrosine Phosphorylation of a 120-kDa Protein*

The Eph family of receptor tyrosine kinases and their ligands, the ephrins, have been implicated in the development of the retinotectal projection. Here, glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored A-ephrins are not only expressed in the tectum but also on retinal axons, raising the possibility that they function in this context as receptors. We now show that activation of ephrin-A2 or ephrin-A5 by one of their receptors, ephA3, results in a β1-integrin-dependent increased adhesion of ephrin-A-expressing cells to laminin. In the search for an ephrin-A-dependent signaling pathway controlling integrin activation, we identified a 120-kDa raft membrane protein that is tyrosine-phosphorylated specifically after ephrin-A activation. Tyrosine phosphorylation of this protein is not seen after stimulating ephrin-A2-expressing cells with basic fibroblast growth factor, epidermal growth factor, insulin growth factor, or fetal calf serum containing a large set of different growth factors. The role of p120 as a mediator of an ephrin-A-integrin coupling is supported by the finding that inhibiting tyrosine phosphorylation of p120 correlates with an abolishment of the β1-dependent cell adhesion.
Cytokine Profiles in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells and Lymph Node Cells from Piglets Infected In Utero with Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus

ABSTRACT The aim of the present study was to investigate at 2, 4, and 6 weeks after birth cytokine expression by peripheral blood mononuclear cells and bronchial lymph node cells from piglets infected in utero with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV). Technically, by flow cytometry we were able to measure gamma interferon (γ-IFN), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-4 (IL-4), and IL-8 levels. In general, we found increases in the percentages of IL-4-, γ-IFN-, and TNF-α-producing lymphocytes in the infected piglets compared to the percentages in the uninfected control animals, while there was a decrease in the percentage of IL-8-producing monocytes. We believe that these findings reflect a general lymphocyte activation stage that is created due to the infection and that occurs in combination with impairment of the monocyte function, possibly due to the ongoing viral replication in these cells. Single-cell bronchial lymph node preparations exhibited very much the same cytokine profiles as peripheral blood mononuclear cells except for a lack of IL-8 production. When the levels of the individual cytokines in the three groups of PRRSV-infected piglets were compared, the levels of cytokine expression at 4 weeks diverged from those at 2 and 6 weeks, in that there was a significant decrease in the numbers of lymphocytes producing γ-IFN and TNF-α. This tendency was also observed among blood monocytes and lymph node macrophages. Possible reasons for this temporary immunosuppression in the piglets at 4 weeks are discussed.
Nationalism and Diaspora in Cyberspace: The case of the Kurdish diaspora on social media

xi Chapter One: Introduction 1 1.1 Research Statement . 1 1.2 The research question(s): . 5 1.3 Hypothesis . 5 1.4 Personal Journey . 6 1.5 Importance of the research . 8 1.6 Structure of the thesis . 10 Chapter Two: Research Methodology and technical terminology 14 2.
How bridging organisations manage technology transfer in SMEs: an empirical investigation

ABSTRACT Scholars underline the high relevance of bridging organisations in favouring innovation. Nevertheless, they do not investigate enough how bridging organisations favour technology transfer, particularly with regard to small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). To fill this research gap, this paper reviews the studies on the technology transfer activities a bridging organisation could perform. Then, the main activities carried out by intermediators are empirically investigated to identify the main intervention processes and activities. The further analysis of these activities identifies three SMEs’ abilities an intermediator may promote (i.e. networking, integration and absorptive capacity). This paper offers practical and theoretical contributions. First, it supports the definition of the intermediators’ intervention plans with a whole description of the three potential levels of intervention. Second, it synthetises the relationship between technology management, bridging organisations and SMEs in three propositions. Finally, it highlights the need for policy makers’ intervention supporting technology transfer offices and local institutions.
Subpolar addition of new cell wall is directed by DivIVA in mycobacteria

Significance The tropomyosin-like protein, DivIVA, determines the site of growth and cell morphology in mycobacteria. Surprisingly, although DivIVA is located at the tip of the growing cell pole, cell wall addition is excluded from this site. Both late cell wall synthetic enzymes and new cell wall deposition occur at a subpolar space, distinct from the DivIVA-marked cell tip. Instead of directly recruiting terminal cell wall synthetic systems, DivIVA interacts with enzymes involved in the early steps of the cell wall precursor synthesis. These results suggest a unique organization of the polar elongasome, where cell wall precursors are concentrated at the cell tip by DivIVA and then incorporated into the nascent cell wall in an annular pattern at the subpolar zone. Mycobacteria are surrounded by a complex multilayered envelope and elongate at the poles. The principles that organize the coordinated addition of chemically diverse cell wall layers during polar extension remain unclear. We show that enzymes mediating the terminal cytosolic steps of peptidoglycan, arabinogalactan, and mycolic acid synthesis colocalize at sites of cell growth or division. The tropomyosin-like protein, DivIVA, is targeted to the negative curvature of the pole, is enriched at the growing end, and determines cell shape from this site. In contrast, cell wall synthetic complexes are concentrated at a distinct subpolar location. When viewed at subdiffraction resolution, new peptidoglycan is deposited at this subpolar site, and inert cell wall covers the DivIVA-marked tip. The differentiation between polar tip and cell wall synthetic complexes is also apparent at the biochemical level. Enzymes that generate mycolate precursors interact with DivIVA, but the final condensation of mycolic acids occurs in a distinct protein complex at the site of nascent cell wall addition. We propose an ultrastructural model of mycobacterial polar growth where new cell wall is added in an annular zone below the cell tip. This model may be broadly applicable to other bacterial and fungal organisms that grow via polar extension.
Pheochromocytoma Mimicking both Acute Coronary Syndrome and Sepsis: A Case Report

Objective: To present an atypical manifestation in a patient with pheochromocytoma. Clinical Presentation and Intervention: A 48-year-old man presented with chest pain, fever and leukocytosis. Elevated cardiac biomarkers and diffuse ST-T abnormalities on electrocardiography suggested myocardial infarction. However, coronary angiography showed normal coronary arteries. Abdominal computed tomography revealed a left adrenal tumor of 6.7 × 6.8 cm. Paroxysmal fluctuation of blood pressure raised the suspicion of pheochromocytoma, which was further supported by elevated urine catecholamine levels. He underwent left adrenalectomy and pathological findings confirmed the diagnosis. Conclusion: Pheochromocytoma should be considered as part of the differential diagnosis in a patient with symptoms suggestive of both acute coronary syndrome and sepsis.
Choosing VET: Investigating the VET Aspirations of School Students. NCVER Research Report.

This study explores the views of 6492 New South Wales (NSW) primary and secondary school students' post-school aspirations. It explores when vocational education and training (VET) begins to feature in students' thinking about their futures, the kinds of students who think about VET, and under what conditions. The study informs how teachers, schools and VET providers might enrich the information available to students and their parents/carers and address current gaps and misunderstandings in students' knowledge about VET.
Modulation of attention by noradrenergic alpha2-agents varies according to arousal level.

The noradrenergic neurotransmitter system has been implicated in the modulation of attention by electrophysiological, behavioral and functional neuroimaging studies. Pharmacological manipulations of the alpha(2)-adrenoceptor in particular are known to modulate attentional performance in both animals and humans. This effect, however, appears to depend crucially on the underlying level of arousal of the subject being tested. For example, arousing stimuli, such as white noise, can counteract beneficial or deleterious drug effects on performance. In practice, this means that effects of alpha(2)-agonists/antagonists on behavioral or physiological indices of attention are more pronounced when general arousal is relatively low. This overall pattern of effect represents an effect of the noradrenergic alpha(2) system on the interaction between arousal and attention. Functional neuroimaging results suggest the thalamus as one of the key neuroanatomical substrates for this effect.
Tax Competition - An intertemporal perspective

The paper focuses on intertemporal tax competition between jurisdictions that differ in size. Given that the existing literature is mainly based on static models, it is in- teresting to investigate which new insights tax competition in an intertemporal setting may provide. In this respect, how does the fact that agents anticipate possible future changes, once they moved capital abroad, modify their behavior and the tax policy of the competing jurisdictions? Does tax competition become more intense? Are capital outflows and tax losses incurred by high tax jurisdictions exacerbated ? To answer these questions, we assume that a small and a large country compete for internationally mobile capital within a two-period model. We demonstrate that tax competition is less fierce in an intertemporal setting relative to a static one. It also appears that the tax loss of the large country induced by tax competition is higher relative to a static model. This means that tax competition becomes more deleterious for the country that suffers from capital outflows.
Viral Suppression and Immune Restoration in the Gastrointestinal Mucosa of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1-Infected Patients Initiating Therapy during Primary or Chronic Infection

ABSTRACT Although the gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) is an important early site for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) replication and severe CD4+ T-cell depletion, our understanding is limited about the restoration of the gut mucosal immune system during highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). We evaluated the kinetics of viral suppression, CD4+ T-cell restoration, gene expression, and HIV-specific CD8+ T-cell responses in longitudinal gastrointestinal biopsy and peripheral blood samples from patients initiating HAART during primary HIV infection (PHI) or chronic HIV infection (CHI) using flow cytometry, real-time PCR, and DNA microarray analysis. Viral suppression was more effective in GALT of PHI patients than CHI patients during HAART. Mucosal CD4+ T-cell restoration was delayed compared to peripheral blood and independent of the time of HAART initiation. Immunophenotypic analysis showed that repopulating mucosal CD4+ T cells were predominantly of a memory phenotype and expressed CD11α, αEβ7, CCR5, and CXCR4. Incomplete suppression of viral replication in GALT during HAART correlated with increased HIV-specific CD8+ T-cell responses. DNA microarray analysis revealed that genes involved in inflammation and cell activation were up regulated in patients who did not replenish mucosal CD4+ T cells efficiently, while expression of genes involved in growth and repair was increased in patients with efficient mucosal CD4+ T-cell restoration. Our findings suggest that the discordance in CD4+ T-cell restoration between GALT and peripheral blood during therapy can be attributed to the incomplete viral suppression and increased immune activation and inflammation that may prevent restoration of CD4+ T cells and the gut microenvironment.
Differences in Suicide Rates: An Examination of Under-Reporting*

A search of death certificates in the Registrar of Births and Deaths in Newfoundland was conducted covering the period of 1974 to 1978. In addition to 103 cases of suicide recorded on the certificates, in 104 cases no cause of death was recorded. The latter were further investigated through records of the forensic pathologist to determine the causes of death. Out of these, 14 cases were found to be unequivocal suicides and in 58 cases, cause of death was undetermined, or not investigated. These were added to the reported suicides (103) to provide a maximum possible correction for under-reporting. The suicide rate in Newfoundland still remains less than half the national rate in spite of the correction for underreporting. Implications of these findings are discussed in the light of reported research literature in this field, and social factors in the province.
Preparation and evaluation of a controlled-release formulation of nifedipine using alginate gel beads.

Alginate gel beads containing nifedipine (NP) were prepared using a gelation of alginate with calcium cations. The dissolution and absorption of NP from alginate gel beads were evaluated as a controlled-release formulation of NP. The release of NP from alginate gel beads was affected by the composition of uronic acid in alginate, and by the NP content in alginate gel beads. NP absorption after oral administration to beagle dogs of alginate gel beads prepared by air-drying was significantly lower than that after the administration of NP powder alone, due to the limited release of NP from the alginate gel beads in the gastrointestinal tract. On the other hand, the alginate gel beads prepared by freeze-drying improved the absorption of NP because of the increasing disintegration of alginate gel beads with decreasing structural strength. However, this method had poor reproducibility, compared with air-dried alginate gel beads. The gel beads with added alginate propylene glycol ester (PGA) swelled and released calcium ions rapidly, even in water. This is because PGA gels weakly to the calcium cation. Consequently, it was observed that NP release from the PGA gel beads was highly accelerated compared to the release from alginate gel beads. The higher serum level of NP with large variance was obtained after the oral administration of the PGA gel beads. Gel beads consisting of a 1:1 ratio of PGA to alginate had intermediate characteristics between the alginate and PGA gel beads in respect to NP release and absorption. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
[The assessment of obsessive-compulsive symptoms: the reliability and validity of the Padua inventory in a Turkish population].

OBJECTIVE We examined the reliability and validity of the 60-and 41-item versions of the Padua Inventory (PI and PI-R) which were developed to assess the frequency and severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms, in a Turkish population. METHOD The sample consisted of 43 OCD patients, 30 non-OCD patients with other anxiety disorders, 30 nonobsessional depressed patients, 76 healthy adults, and 181 undergraduate students. We investigated internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and factor structure, concurrent and discriminant validity. RESULTS Psychometric analyses showed that both the original PI and PI-R had a high internal consistency and test-retest reliability. While principal factor analysis of the 41 items revealed six factors that are consistent with the PI-R, the factor structure of the original scale was not confirmed. All the subcales and total scores for both instruments were significantly correlated with the Yale-Brown scores except for the impulses subscale. There were significant differences between OCD patients and nonclinical samples in all total and subscale scores for both instruments. OCD patients scored significantly higher on the total, contamination/washing and checking subscales for both instruments than nonobsessional anxious, and depressed patients. While OCD patients scored significantly higher on the PI-R rumination scale than nonobsessional anxious patients, their PI impaired control subscale score was not different from that of the other clinical groups. CONCLUSIONS The Turkish version of the PI has appropriate reliability and validity for assessing the frequency and severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms.
Prenatal exposure to ultrasound waves: is there a risk?

In the 6th August 2006 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Ang et al., from Pasko Rakic’s well-known laboratory at Yale University, published results of their research on neuronal migration in the mouse embryo brain and the influence of prenatal exposure to ultrasound1. In this set of experiments, the authors exposed immobilized, unanesthetized, pregnant mice to ultrasound at days 16.5–19.5 of gestation, which is the time of neuronal migration from the proliferative zone towards the brain surface. Exposure time varied from 5 to a total of 420 min (in 12 episodes each of 35 min). Their conclusion, based on the analysis of over 335 animals, was that ultrasound exposures of 30 min or more caused a derangement in the migration of neurons from the deep to the more superficial layers of the brain. In the introduction to their article, by referring to several abnormalities such as low birth weight, delayed speech and behavioral disturbances, they appear to suggest that ultrasound in general and the phenomenon of disturbed neuronal migration in particular may be to blame. This immediately set in motion some elements of the media to ‘inform’ the public of the dire dangers of ultrasound. More recently, even the political apparatus intervened: as posted on 14th November 2006, Assemblyman Joe Pennacchio, R-Montville, New Jersey, introduced legislation requesting the New Jersey Department of Health to initiate action to explore the possible relationship of sonographic examinations of pregnant patients to the increased incidence of childhood autism. According to the local paper: ‘The Assemblyman cited various scientific, published studies that show a displacement of brain cells associated with autistic children and the ability of sonograms to displace those cells. ’2. It is doubtful that all of this is out of concern for the health of mouse embryos, but, naturally, because of the worry to millions of human fetuses exposed to ultrasound with or without medical indication. While the study by Ang et al.1 is important, several differences, some major, between the experimental setup and the clinical use of ultrasound in human pregnancy need to be pointed out. I present here a short discussion on whether concern is justified when performing diagnostic ultrasound.
Telerehabilitation, Virtual Therapists, and Acquired Neurologic Speech and Language Disorders

Abstract Telerehabilitation (telerehab) offers cost-effective services that potentially can improve access to care for those with acquired neurologic communication disorders. However, regulatory issues including licensure, reimbursement, and threats to privacy and confidentiality hinder the routine implementation of telerehab services into the clinical setting. Despite these barriers, rapid technological advances and a growing body of research regarding the use of telerehab applications support its use. This article reviews the evidence related to acquired neurologic speech and language disorders in adults, focusing on studies that have been published since 2000. Research studies have used telerehab systems to assess and treat disorders including dysarthria, apraxia of speech, aphasia, and mild Alzheimer disease. They show that telerehab is a valid and reliable vehicle for delivering speech and language services. The studies represent a progression of technological advances in computing, Internet, and mobile technologies. They range on a continuum from working synchronously (in real-time) with a speech-language pathologist to working asynchronously (offline) with a stand-in virtual therapist. One such system that uses a virtual therapist for the treatment of aphasia, the Web-ORLA™ (Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL) system, is described in detail. Future directions for the advancement of telerehab for clinical practice are discussed.