Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Respiratory mode , nasal patency and palatine dimensions Modo respiratório , patência nasal

Purpose: To investigate the influence of breathing mode and nasal patency in the dimensions of the hard palate by comparing mouth breathing (MB) and nasal breathing (NB) adults. Methods: Seventy-seven individuals, distributed into the MB group (n=38) and the NB group (n=39), of both genders and aged between 18 and 30 years old, took part in the study. The respiratory mode diagnosis was based on anamnesis, physical characteristics, and otorhinolaryngological examination. The volunteers were evaluated in terms of nasal patency, with a peak nasal inspiratory flow (PNIF) meter, and obstruction symptoms, by a Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) scale, and had their transversal and vertical hard palate dimensions measured with a digital caliper in plaster models. Results: Comparing both groups, the MB group presented significantly higher values in the NOSE scale, lower values in the PNIF, lower values in the transversal distance of the palate in the intercanine region, and significantly higher values in the vertical distance in the regions of the first and second premolars and molars. There was a negative correlation between PNIF and NOSE, and a positive correlation between PNIF and transversal distance of the palate in the region of the first premolars. Conclusion: MB adults presented reduced nasal patency and a higher degree of nasal obstruction symptoms. The hard palate was morphologically narrower and deeper in adults with the MB mode compared to the NB mode. Moreover, it was concluded that the smaller the nasal patency, the greater the obstruction symptoms and the narrower the hard palate.
Fit for practice: Are we there yet?

The transition from medical student to medical practitioner is known to be difficult. Medical education has undergone great change in recent years in an attempt to address this and to produce doctors who are fit for purpose. In spite of these changes, it appears that newly qualified medical graduates continue to describe their transition to practice as stressful, particularly in relation to issues of responsibility, uncertainty and lack of support from senior colleagues (Brennan et al. 2010). In 2005 Finucane and O’Dowd found that 68% of interns working in Ireland felt that they had been inadequately prepared for internship by medical school. Subsequently, the Medical Council of Ireland made a number of recommendations to ensure that undergraduate training is an effective preparation for internship. In an attempt to assess the success or otherwise of these changes and recommendations, we carried out a qualitative assessment of intern preparedness for practice in a large teaching hospital in the South of Ireland in 2010. This study found that there are still many difficulties with the transition from medical student to medical practitioner. Although participants believed that they had good theoretical knowledge, they felt poorly prepared to apply it in practice. Particular areas of concern were the practical application of acute medicine and day-to-day issues regarding prescribing and common calls. Challenges of the job for which the participants had felt unprepared included task overload, prioritization, and sleep deprivation. They described many negative emotions, including anxiety, uncertainty, isolation and guilt. This study identifies that interns in Ireland continue to feel unprepared for several key aspects of practice in the first year of their medical career. This has implications for what is taught and how it is taught in the undergraduate medical curriculum, suggesting a need for change to produce graduates who are better prepared for the job they do.
Mania in a patient receiving testosterone replacement post-orchidectomy taking St John’s wort and sertraline

We describe the case of a patient who developed depression following bilateral orchidectomy for cryptorchidism. He was treated with a conventional selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant, but continued to take St John’s wort (hypericum) against medical advice. He subsequently developed a manic episode. We discuss postulated modes of action of St John’s wort and the possible aetiological importance of testosterone replacement and abnormal gonadotrophin levels in this case.
F-18 2-Fluoro-2-Deoxy-Glucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography for the Detection of Radicular and Peripheral Neurolymphomatosis: Correlation With Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Ultrasound

Neurolymphomatosis is an uncommon extranodal manifestation of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It may mimic a broad variety of neurologic conditions which renders clinical diagnosis challenging. As blind nerve biopsy is invasive and may be false negative, surrogate criteria for the diagnosis of neurolymphomatosis have been proposed based on magnetic resonance imaging/computed tomography findings. However, these morphologic modalities may suffer from limited sensitivity. Recently, a few reports have been published that discuss a possible advantage of F-18 2-fluoro-2-deoxy-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (F-18 FDG PET/CT) in these patients. We report the case of a 41-year-old man who presented with progressive tetraparesis and dysaesthesia, in which F-18 FDG PET/CT aided to the diagnosis of neurolymphomatosis due to a large B-cell lymphoma. The patient received chemotherapy (R-CHOP) and the neurologic symptoms were clearly regressive. Three months after the end of systemic chemotherapy the patient presented again with progressive neurologic symptoms. A second PET/CT was performed and demonstrated disease recurrence in the right testis as well as widespread neurolymphomatosis. Additional ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging examinations were performed and confirmed infiltration of the left brachial plexus, the right femoral, and the right sciatic nerve. We present this case to support the hypothesis that F-18 FDG PET/CT is a valuable imaging modality in patients with suspected neurolymphomatosis. It allows one to accurately determine the extent of the disease in a single whole-body examination.
Altered responses to tone and phoneme mismatch in kindergartners at familial dyslexia risk

Differences in automatic auditory processing between kindergartners with (n = 31) and without (n = 29) familial dyslexia risk were investigated using frequency and phoneme mismatch negativity (MMN) paradigms with small deviance and short intervals. During an early mismatch response segment children at risk tended to have more mid-frontal positivity than controls, especially to phoneme deviance. Significant group differences were found in the late MMN segment, where the mismatch response of children at risk was attenuated to frequency deviance and less left lateralised to phoneme deviance. This indicates deviant automatic processing of phoneme and simple tone deviance in children at risk. These differences might be just related to the dyslexia risk or more specifically to future reading difficulties and thus be useful for early recognition of dyslexia.
It's better to give than to receive: Psychological need satisfaction mediating links between wasta (favouritism) and individuals' psychological distress

Wasta (i.e. the distribution of favours among family, friends and tribe; favouritism; nepotism) permeates numerous Middle Eastern cultures, representing a method of strengthening social ties and showing loyalty/generosity, but also representing one of the largest sources of corruption in Middle East. The current study investigated links between wasta and psychological distress in a survey of 1088 educators from Saudi Arabia. Drawing from the self-determination theory (SDT) conceptual framework, Structural Equation Modeling analyses suggested that benefitting from wasta was linked to higher levels of psychological distress and those links were explained in part (i.e. mediated) by lower levels of autonomy, competency and relatedness. In contrast, providing wasta was associated with higher levels of need satisfaction and correspondingly lower levels of distress. Implications are discussed in terms of the SDT, discrimination and helping behaviour literatures.
Comparative study of bioavailabilities and pharmacokinetics of clindamycin in healthy volunteers and patients with AIDS

The absolute oral bioavailability and pharmacokinetics of clindamycin administered to 16 healthy volunteers and 16 patients with AIDS were compared. Clindamycin was given intravenously (i.v.) (Cleocin phosphate) at a dose of 600 mg as a 25-min infusion and orally (Cleocin hydrochloride) by use of a crossover design in both study groups. Plasma samples were analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography. Plasma drug clearance and volume of distribution at the steady state following the i.v. dose differed between study groups. The clearances were 0.27 +/- 0.06 liter/h/kg in healthy volunteers and 0.21 +/- 0.06 liter/h/kg in AIDS patients (P = 0.014; Mann-Whitney U test); the volumes of distribution at the steady state were 0.79 +/- 0.13 and 0.66 +/- 0.12 liter/kg in healthy volunteers and AIDS patients, respectively (P = 0.005). The elimination half-life did not differ between the two groups. The bioavailability of clindamycin capsules in AIDS patients was approximately 1.5 times that in healthy volunteers (0.53 +/- 0.14 versus 0.75 +/- 0.20; P = 0.002). Peak concentrations following the oral dose were higher in AIDS patients as well (7.7 +/- 2.5 versus 5.3 +/- 1.0 mg/liter; P = 0.0008). Three AIDS patients experienced severe diarrhea following the oral dose; four patients had mild diarrhea following the i.v. dose. No adverse effects were reported by the healthy volunteers. The pharmacokinetic parameters observed in this study for AIDS patients may be useful for the consideration of clindamycin dosage regimens in patients treated for toxoplasmic encephalitis. These findings suggest that the effect of AIDS on drug disposition deserves further investigation, particularly for orally administered drugs.
Unusually Located Stroke After Chemotherapy in Testicular Germ Cell Tumors

Testicular cancer is a type of malignancy that affects young adults and has high rates of cure; however, as any malignancy, it is associated with an increased risk of ischemic or hemorrhagic cerebrovascular disease, given the systemic tumor effects or side effects of chemotherapy, which in turn increases morbidity, functional impairment, and additional risk of early death.
Inhibition of Capillary Morphogenesis and Associated Apoptosis by Dominant Negative Mutant Transforming Growth Factor-β Receptors (*)

Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) induces angiogenesis in vivo and capillary morphogenesis in vitro. Two receptor serine/threonine kinases (types I and II) have been identified as signal transducing TGF-β receptors. We explored the possibility of inhibiting TGF-β- mediated events in glomerular capillary endothelial cells using a TGF-β type II receptor (TβR-II) transdominant negative mutant. A mutant TGF-β type II receptor (TβR-IIM), lacking the cytoplasmic serine/threonine kinase domain, was produced by polymerase chain reaction using rat TβR-II cDNA as template. Since TβR-II and TGF-β type I receptor (TβR-I) heterodimerize for signal transduction, the mutant receptor competes for binding to wild-type TβR-I, hence acting in a dominant negative fashion. Glomerular capillary endothelial cells were stably transfected with TβR-IIM, and four independent clones were expanded. That the TβR-IIM mRNA was expressed was shown by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, RNase protection assay, and Northern analysis. Presence of cell surface TβR-IIM protein was shown by affinity cross-linking with 125I-TGF-β1. In wild-type endothelial cells, TGF-β1 (2 ng/ml) significantly inhibited [3H]thymidine incorporation to 63 ± 10% of control (n = 4). In transfected endothelial cells carrying TβR-IIM, TGF-β1 stimulated [3H]thymidine incorporation to 131 ± 9% of control (n = 4, p < 0.005). Also, in wild-type endothelial cells, endogenous and exogenous TGF-β1 induced apoptosis and associated capillary formation. Both apoptosis and capillary formation were uniformly and entirely absent in transfected endothelial cells carrying TβR-IIM. This represents the first demonstration that capillary morphogenesis in vitro is associated with apoptosis, and that interference with TβR-II signaling inhibits this process in glomerular capillary endothelial cells.
Brain correlates of craving for online gaming under cue exposure in subjects with Internet gaming addiction and in remitted subjects

This study aimed to evaluate brain correlates of cue‐induced craving to play online games in subjects with Internet gaming addiction (IGA), subjects in remission from IGA and controls. The craving response was assessed by event‐related design of functional magnetic resonance images (fMRIs). Fifteen subjects with IGA, 15 in remission from IGA and 15 controls were recruited in this study. The subjects were arranged to view the gaming screenshots and neutral images under investigation of fMRIs. The results showed that bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), precuneus, left parahippocampus, posterior cingulate and right anterior cingulate were activated in response to gaming cues in the IGA group and their activation was stronger in the IGA group than those in the control group. Their region‐of‐interest was also positively correlated with subjective gaming urge under cue exposure. These activated brain areas represent the brain circuit corresponding to the mechanism of substance use disorder. Thus, it would suggest that the mechanism of IGA is similar to substance use disorder. Furthermore, the IGA group had stronger activation over right DLPFC and left parahippocampus than did the remission group. The two areas would be candidate markers for current addiction to online gaming and should be investigated in future studies.
Shape optimization for surface functionals in Navier--Stokes flow using a phase field approach

We consider shape and topology optimization for uids which are governed by the Navier{Stokes equations. Shapes are modelled with the help of a phase eld approach and the solid body is relaxed to be a porous medium. The phase eld method uses a Ginzburg{Landau functional in order to approximate a perimeter penalization. We focus on surface functionals and carefully introduce a new modelling variant, show existence of minimizers and derive rst order necessary conditions. These conditions are related to classical shape derivatives by identifying the sharp interface limit with the help of formally matched asymptotic expansions. Finally, we present numerical computations based on a Cahn{Hilliard type gradient descent which demonstrate that the method can be used to solve shape optimization problems for uids with the help of the new approach.
Electoral Rules, Forms of Government and Redistributive Policy: Evidence from Agriculture and Food Policies

We investigate the effect of electoral rules and forms of government on public policy outcomes using a new dataset on agriculture and food policies from 74 countries over the 1960-2005 period. Using both cross-sectional and panel data analyses we find robust evidence that the specific nature of democratic institutions has important consequences for public policy. Proportional democracies and presidential democracies – compared to majoritarian and parliamentary democracies – give more public support to agriculture and less to food consumers. The magnitude of these constitutional effects are stronger for import-competitive sectors and staple food crops. The effects seem independent from the ideology orientation of governments.
Transgenerational priming of immunity: maternal exposure to a bacterial antigen enhances offspring humoral immunity

Young vertebrates have limited capacity to synthesize antibodies and are dependent on the protection of maternally transmitted antibodies for humoral disease resistance early in life. However, mothers may enhance fitness by priming their offspring's immune systems to elevate disease resistance. Transgenerational induced defences have been documented in plants and invertebrates, but maternal priming of offspring immunity in vertebrates has been essentially neglected. To test the ability of mothers to stimulate the immune systems of offspring, we manipulated maternal and offspring antigen exposure in a wild population of birds, pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca). We show that immunization of the mother before egg laying apparently stimulates a transgenerational defence against pathogens by elevating endogenous offspring antibody production. If the disease environments encountered by mothers and offspring are similar, this transgenerational immune priming may allow young to better cope with the local pathogen fauna.
INTERNATIONAL STUDY OF HISTOCOMPATIBILITY IN RENAL TRANSPLANTATION

With international collaboration, data on more than 2000 cadaver donor transplants were collected and analyzed. In first transplants, the number of pretransplant transfusions given to the recipients correlated significantly with graft survival (P < 0.0001). No correlation of graft outcome was found with matching for HLA-A,B. HLA-DR matching was significantly correlated with outcome in the North American transplants, but not in the European subset of transplants. In second transplants, HLA-DR matching and the duration of the first transplants correlated significantly with graft survival, whereas there was no correlation with HLA-A,B matching or transfusions.
Dynamic Changes in Rat Mesenteric Lymph Proteins Following Trauma Using Label-Free Mass Spectrometry

ABSTRACT Early events triggered by posttrauma/hemorrhagic shock currently represent a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in these patients. The causative agents of these events have been associated with increased neutrophil priming secondary to shock-dependent alterations of mesenteric lymph. Previous studies have suggested that unknown soluble components of the postshock mesenteric lymph are main drivers of these events. In the present study, we applied a label-free proteomics approach to further delve into the early proteome changes of the mesenteric lymph in response to hemorrhagic shock. Time-course analyses were performed by sampling the lymph every 30 min after shock up until 3 h (the time window within which a climax in neutrophil priming was observed). There are novel, transient early post–hemorrhagic shock alterations to the proteome and previously undocumented postshock protein alterations. These results underlie the triggering of coagulation and proinflammatory responses secondary to trauma/hemorrhagic shock, metabolic deregulation and apoptosis, and alterations to proteases/antiproteases homeostasis, which are suggestive of the potential implication of extracellular matrix proteases in priming neutrophil activation. Finally, there is a likely correlation between early postshock mesenteric lymph-mediated neutrophil priming and proteomics changes, above all protease/antiproteases impaired homeostasis (especially of serine proteases and metalloproteases).
The sling in the Aegean Bronze Age

The sling, a feared weapon in early antiquity, in time lost its force to the cutting weapons, especially the cutting weapons of the horseman, and to the shot arrow. The sling itself perishes, and the sling-shot may not be an easy object to recognize in the excavation trench. Evidence for the sling – that is, the sling-shot – in the Aegean Bronze Age is here reviewed.
Can Nurses Govern in a Government Agency?

A shared governance model was implemented within the nursing service of the Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center in 1997. In 1999, members of the Nursing Quality/Staff Education/Research Council examined facility nurses’ perceptions of governance to determine the degree to which the model had been implemented. Results of the study indicate that although imperatives at the organizational level were incompatible with three aspects of shared governance, there were three shared governance dimensions pertaining to basic nursing practice that reached or surpassed governance thresholds. This study highlights the potential of nursing management innovation within highly bureaucratic organizations.
Regulatory T Cells Ameliorate Angiotensin II–Induced Cardiac Damage

Background— Hypertensive target organ damage, especially cardiac hypertrophy with heart failure and arrhythmia, is a major source of morbidity and mortality. Angiotensin II, a major mediator of hypertension and cardiac damage, has proinflammatory properties. Inflammation and activation of the immune system play a pivotal role in pathogenesis of hypertensive target organ damage. However, the role of immunosuppressive CD4+CD25+ regulatory T (Treg) cells in the pathogenesis of hypertensive target organ damage is unexplored. Methods and Results— We conducted adoptive transfer of Treg cells into angiotensin II–infused hypertensive mice. Treg cell recipients exhibited improved cardiac hypertrophy and less cardiac fibrosis despite sustained hypertension. Amelioration of cardiac morphology was accompanied by an improvement in arrhythmogenic electric remodeling, indicating the functional significance of the enhanced cardiac morphology. Delocalization of the connexin 43 gap junction protein is one of the major pathomechanisms in electric remodeling. Pronounced connexin 43 immunoreactivity was found at the lateral borders of cardiomyocytes in angiotensin II–treated mice. In contrast, connexin 43 was restricted to the intercalated disk regions in sham controls. Surprisingly, angiotensin II+Treg–treated mice showed normal connexin 43 gap junction protein localization. Adoptive Treg cell transfer resulted in a marked reduction in cardiac CD4+, CD8+, and CD69+ cell and macrophage infiltration. Conclusions— Immunosuppressive effects of transferred Treg cells ameliorated cardiac damage and accounted for the improved electric remodeling independently of blood pressure–lowering effects. Our results provide new insights into the pathogenesis of hypertensive cardiac damage and could therefore lead to new therapeutic approaches that involve manipulation of the immune system.
Expansion of circulating T cells resembling follicular helper T cells is a fixed phenotype that identifies a subset of severe systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE In the sanroque mouse model of lupus, pathologic germinal centers (GCs) arise due to increased numbers of follicular helper T (Tfh) cells, resulting in high-affinity anti-double-stranded DNA antibodies that cause end-organ inflammation, such as glomerulonephritis. The purpose of this study was to examine the hypothesis that this pathway could account for a subset of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS An expansion of Tfh cells is a causal, and therefore consistent, component of the sanroque mouse phenotype. We validated the enumeration of circulating T cells resembling Tfh cells as a biomarker of this expansion in sanroque mice, and we performed a comprehensive comparison of the surface phenotype of circulating and tonsillar Tfh cells in humans. This circulating biomarker was enumerated in SLE patients (n = 46), Sjögren's syndrome patients (n = 17), and healthy controls (n = 48) and was correlated with disease activity and end-organ involvement. RESULTS In sanroque mice, circulating Tfh cells increased in proportion to their GC counterparts, making circulating Tfh cells a feasible human biomarker of this novel mechanism of breakdown in GC tolerance. In a subset of SLE patients (14 of 46), but in none of the controls, the levels of circulating Tfh cells (defined as circulating CXCR5+CD4+ cells with high expression of Tfh-associated molecules, such as inducible T cell costimulator or programmed death 1) were increased. This cellular phenotype did not vary with time, disease activity, or treatment, but it did correlate with the diversity and titers of autoantibodies and with the severity of end-organ involvement. CONCLUSION These findings in SLE patients are consistent with the autoimmune mechanism in sanroque mice and identify Tfh effector molecules as possible therapeutic targets in a recognizable subset of patients with SLE.