Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
In Vitro Efficacy Assessment of Some Toothpastes and Miswak against Streptococcus Mutans

Background: Tooth decay is a common chronic childhood disease of children aged 5 to 17 years. Streptococcus mutans (S muutans) is one of the causative agents. It is a preventable disease by oral hygiene, which include toothpastes and Salvadora persicain (Miswak). Objective: This study evaluates the effect of some toothpastes and Salvadora persicain on S mutans microorganism. Methods: AloeDent® and Crest® toothpastes were tested against S mutans on Muller Hinton agar (MHA). Followed by testing of Miswak against the same bacteria in three different preparations. Results: Crest toothpaste showed minimal effect against the bacteria. Miswak tests gave significant results. Conclusion: Miswak can be proposed as a good natural preventive anti S mutans agent. Toothpastes need attention and investigation by Saudi food and drug authority.
Spectroscopic Techniques Used for Enzyme Evaluation in Food Industry

Since applications of enzymes in the food industry are many and diverse, monitoring the activity and structure of these bio-catalysts has become a major concern. For this purpose, an in vitro study was conducted on beef liver catalase (BLC; EC. 1.11.1.6), as an enzyme model. The enzymatic activity was measured by following H2O2 dismutation to H2O and O2 under steady-state kinetics conditions. Whereas structural alterations were assessed by series of spectroscopic techniques such as electronic absorption, fluorescence, and circular dichroism at 25 ° C in 0.1 M phosphate buffer solution at pH 7.0. Our results suggested that enzymes used in the food industry could be followed by various spectroscopic techniques to ensure the quality and safety of food products.
A model for tuberculosis with exogenous reinfection.

Following primary tuberculosis (TB) infection, only approximately 10% of individuals develop active T.B. Most people are assumed to mount an effective immune response to the initial infection that limits proliferation of the bacilli and leads to long-lasting partial immunity both to further infection and to reactivation of latent bacilli remaining from the original infection. Infected individuals may develop active TB as a consequence of exogenous reinfection, i.e., acquiring a new infection from another infectious individual. Our results in this paper suggest that exogenous reinfection has a drastic effect on the qualitative dynamics of TB. The incorporation of exogenous reinfection into our TB model allows the possibility of a subcritical bifurcation at the critical value of the basic reproductive number R(0)=1, and hence the existence of multiple endemic equilibria for R(0)<1 and the exogenous reinfection rate larger than a threshold. Our results suggest that reducing R(0) to be smaller than one may not be sufficient to eradicate the disease. An additional reduction in reinfection rate may be required. These results may also partially explain the recently observed resurgence of TB.
Design, characterization and antimalarial efficacy of PEGylated galactosylated nano lipid carriers of primaquine phosphate

Abstract This study was aimed to design and optimize primaquine phosphate (PQ) loaded nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) using response surface methodology. The optimized NLCs were evaluated for various physical and morphological characterizations. The in vitro studies for drug release showed that PQ loaded NLCs had a sustained release up to 72 h and the stability studies confirmed that the PQ-NLCs were stable for 90 d at 4 °C and 25 °C. In vitro erythrocyte toxicity revealed that PQ-NLCs were less toxic than the pure drug. In vitro parasite growth inhibition assay showed an IC50 value of 71.11 ± 6.47 ng/ml for the 3D7 Plasmodium falciparum (CQ sensitive) strain and 263.86 ± 5.68 ng/ml for RKL9 P. falciparum (CQ resistant) strain for the PQ-NLCs. Enhanced parasitaemia suppression of 99.46% at 2 mg/kg/d, a better suppression of parasitaemia of about 28% more than pure drug and a higher survivality rate of 66.66% even after the 35th day was observed for the PQ loaded NLCs. Also from the comparative fluorescent imaging study, it was clearly observed that accumulation of PQ-NLCs in the liver was more that of the pure drug. These results clearly indicated that the limitations of antimalarial drug PQ can be overcomed by loading it into the NLCs.
HIV risk perceptions among adolescents attending family planning clinics: An integrated perspective

Abstract The current study assessed the impact of individual, interpersonal, and contextual factors on HIV risk perception. A total of 426 female adolescents attending family planning clinics took part in this study. The majority, 60.1% were African-American and 39.9% were Hispanic. The results indicated that the majority of participants perceived themselves to be at no or low risk for contracting HIV. Individual, interpersonal as well as contextual factors correlated with HIV risk perception in the study. Adolescents who perceived themselves to be at no or low risk were more likely to be Hispanic, be married and had children. They also felt that they can control situations where they have to refuse sex or insist on condom use, had more frequent communication with sexual partners about condom use and held perceptions that peer norms support condom use. The findings in this study have important implications for risk reduction education for female adolescents. Risk reduction education should strengthen adolescents' personal skills to help them avoid HIV risk despite the various pressures they experience in their life.
Exercise at Old Age: Does It Increase or Alleviate Oxidative Stress?

Abstract: Aging is associated with increased free radical generation in the skeletal muscle that can cause oxidative modification of protein, lipid, and DNA. Physical activity has many well‐established health benefits, but strenuous exercise increases muscle oxygen flux and elicits intracellular events that can lead to increased oxidative injury. The paradox arises as to whether exercise would be advisable to aged population. Research evidence indicates that senescent organisms are more susceptible to oxidative stress during exercise because of the age‐related ultrastructural and biochemical changes that facilitate formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Aging also increases the incidence of muscle injury, and the inflammatory response can subject senescent muscle to further oxidative stress. Furthermore, muscle repair and regeneration capacity is reduced at old age that could potentially enhance the accrual of cellular oxidative damage. Predeposition of certain age‐related pathologic conditions may exacerbate the risks. In spite of these risks, the elderly who are physically active benefit from exercise‐induced adaptation in cellular antioxidant defense systems. Improved muscle mechanics, strength, and endurance make them less vulnerable to acute injury and chronic inflammation. Many critical questions remain regarding the relationship of aging and exercise as we enter a new millennium. For example, how does aging alter exercise‐induced intracellular and intercellular mechanisms that generate ROS? Can acute and chronic exercise modulate the declined gene expression of metabolic and antioxidant enzymes seen at old age? Does exercise prevent age‐dependent muscle loss (sarcopenia)? What kinds of antioxidant supplementation, if any, do aged people who are physically active need? Answers to these questions require highly specific research in both animals and humans.
Multiple Functions of Caveolin-1*

The amino acid sequence of caveolin-1 predicts that it is an integral membrane protein, and there is strong experimental evidence that it has this property. For example, caveolin-1 is cotranslationally inserted into the ER and shipped to the Golgi apparatus where it is incorporated into lipid domains that sort molecules for shipment to the cell surface (1). The preferred location for caveolin-1 at the cell surface is the caveola, and it cannot be removed from these membranes without detergent (2). Finally, the movements of green fluorescent protein-tagged caveolin-1 suggest that normally caveolin-1 moves with caveolae-derived vesicles to multiple interior compartments and then recycles back to the cell surface (3). By contrast, there is compelling evidence that caveolin-1 can be a soluble protein. Immunogold labeling first detected soluble caveolin-1 in the lumen of the ER after cells were exposed to cholesterol oxidase (4). Then a small pool of soluble caveolin-1 was found in fibroblast cytosol in a complex with chaperones (5). A routine survey of caveolin-1 distribution in different tissues identified cells that targeted caveolin-1 primarily to the cytosol (skeletal muscle cells and keratinocytes), to the lumen of secretory vesicles (serous cells of pancreas, fundic stomach, and salivary gland), and to mitochondria (airway epithelial cells and hepatocytes) (6, 7). Both the secreted and the cytosolic caveolin-1 appear to be embedded in lipoprotein-like particles, which may explain why they are soluble. Thus, caveolin-1 is an unusual protein that can be both an integral membrane protein and soluble in multiple cellular compartments. We believe this property is an important clue about its function.
Culture of Trust and Division of Labor

Firms exhibit heterogeneity in size, productivity, and internal structure, and this is true even within the same industry. It has been thought since the time of Adam Smith that a firm's internal structure affects its productivity through the channel of gains from specialization. Our paper provides evidence of a link between an organization's culture – specifically the trust environment – and its internal structure. We show experimentally that exogenously imposed culture endogenously leads to variation in organizational form. We prime trust using past performance from a pilot study and demonstrate that the level of trust within an organization affects division of labor and consequently organizational productivity. This evidence is consistent with a cross-country link between trust and the division of labor that we observe in data from the European Social Survey. Our results point to a mechanism that can help explain existing results on the connection between generalized trust and growth. It also points to an important determinant of a firm's internal structure: corporate culture (of trust).
Research that led to gene targeting Embryonic stem cells

The 2007 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine is awarded to Drs Mario R. Capecchi, Martin J. Evans and Oliver Smithies for their discoveries of principles for introducing specific gene modifications in mice by the use of embryonic stem cells. Their work has made it possible to modify specific genes in the germline of mammals and to raise offspring that carry and express the modified gene. The toolbox of experimental genetic methods developed by Capecchi, Evans and Smithies, commonly called the knockout technology, has permitted scientists to determine the role of specific genes in development, physiology, and pathology. It has revolutionized life science and plays a key role in the development of medical therapy.
Observer Design for Tracking Consensus in Second-Order Multi-Agent Systems: Fractional Order Less Than Two

This technical note studies the leader-following tracking consensus problem of a class of multi-agent systems where the dynamics of the leader is described by second-order systems. In order to track the states of the leader, observers for the followers are designed by fractional-order multi-agent systems where the relative velocity information is unavailable. It is interestingly found that the followers can track the leader with second-order dynamics even if the fractional order is less than two by only using the position information of the local neighbors, which is different from the existing results. A novel fractional-order observer is first proposed, whose order is surprisingly less than the original leader system. It is also shown that leader-following consensus can be ensured if some carefully selected followers are informed and the relative position-based protocols are appropriately designed with fractional order being between one and two. A necessary and sufficient condition for the leader-following consensus in multi-agent systems without control-input delay is proposed. The results are then extended to the case with constant control-input delay. It is found that, in both cases, the real and imaginary parts of the eigenvalues of the augmented Laplacian matrix of the topology play an important role in achieving consensus.
In Pursuit of Patient-Centred Outcomes: A Qualitative Evaluation of the ‘Measure Yourself Medical Outcome Profile’

Objectives: To ascertain the ability of a patient-generated outcome measure, the ‘Measure Yourself Medical Outcome Profile’ (MYMOP), to reflect the outcomes of consultations which patients consider are most important, as derived from qualitative interviews. Methods: A qualitative study using a constant comparative method to analyse semistructured interviews which were then compared with the results of MYMOP questionnaires. A variable-orientated analysis was used to develop themes and a case-orientated analysis was used to develop narrative summaries called vignettes from the interviews. The MYMOP questionnaire was completed by the interviewees (n= 20), a minimum of twice and a maximum of nine times over a four-month period. The scores were displayed on individual MYMOP charts. For each individual, the outcome as measured by MYMOP was compared with the outcome data from the qualitative interviews. The interviewees were attending a variety of complementary practitioners in primary care. Results: The treatment effects which people described were encompassed by five themes: reduction in symptoms; reduction in disability; reduction in, or avoidance of, medication; gaining control and improving coping skills; and securing support and hope through the patient—practitioner relationship. The vignettes demonstrated how individuals identified and valued these various effects and weighed them up in evaluating the overall benefit of the treatment. Their MYMOP charts were able to measure some effects better than others. Conclusions: The treatment effects, as quantified using MYMOP, accorded with those described by most patients at interview, but some important limitations were identified with MYMOP, particularly an underplaying of the importance of medication avoidance or medication reduction in this patient group. This dimension is lacking in most outcome questionnaires and has been included in a new version of MYMOP. This study also showed that qualitative interview data can help in evaluating the ability of outcome questionnaires to measure the treatment effects that particular patient groups consider most important.
Numerical Study of Oxygen Enrichment on NO Pollution Spread in a Combustion Chamber

In this study, a 3D combustion chamber was simulate d using FLUENT 6.32. Aim to obtain detailed informati on on combustion characteristics and _ nitrogen oxides in the furnace and the effect of oxygen enrichment in a combustion pro cess. Oxygenenriched combustion is an effective way to reduce e missions. This paper analyzes NO emission, including thermal NO an d prompt NO. Flow rate ratio of air to fuel is varied as 1.3, 3.2 and 5.1 and the oxygen enriched flow rates are 28 , 54 and 68 lit/min. The 3D Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) equations wi th standard k-ε turbulence model are solved together by Fluent 6.3 2 software. First order upwind scheme is used to model governin g equations and the SIMPLE algorithm is used as pressure velocity c oupling. Results show that for AF=1.3, increase the oxygen flow rate of oxygen reduction in NO emissions is Lance. Moreover, in a fixed oxygen enrichment condition, increasing the air to fuel ra tio will increase the temperature peak, but not the NO emission rate. As a result, oxygen enrichment can reduce the NO emission at this kind of furnace in low air to fuel rates. Keywords—Combustion chamber, Oxygen enrichment, Reynolds Averaged NavierStokes, NO emission
Longitudinal study of molecular epidemiology of small round-structured viruses in a pediatric population

Small round-structured viruses (SRSV), recently designated members of the family Caliciviridae, can now be readily subtyped by amplification of a defined portion of their genome by reverse transcription-PCR and then by identification of the amplicons with specific probes by Southern blotting. A longitudinal survey (from 1991 to 1995) was conducted to determine the genotypes of the SRSV present in pediatric stool specimens from patients with sporadic cases of gastroenteritis. It was found that almost all viruses were of the G-2 genotype, and on probing, the subtype P2-B was predominant but the frequencies of the different subtypes varied from year to year. A survey of the genotypes of SRSV from community outbreaks from 1995 showed that the G-2 genotype was also predominant and that the distribution of its subtypes was similar to that seen in sporadic cases of diarrhea in pediatric patients over the same time period. It was concluded that there is a succession of subtypes of SRSV in our pediatric population over time. This distribution of genotypes in sporadic cases of pediatric gastroenteritis may reflect the distribution in community outbreaks occurring at the same time.
A comparison of prediction methods for 800 MHz mobile radio propagation

The design and installation of a mobile radio system involves the evaluation or prediction of the propagation characteristics associated with the geographical area of interest. A wide variety of prediction techniques has been developed for different mobile environments, so that the task of selecting an appropriate propagation prediction method can be difficult and complex. This is especially true for systems operating in the upper-UHF band of 800-950 MHz, where mobile radio services are rapidly growing. A practical comparison is given of current prediction techniques available in the literature (for slow lognormal fading rather than multipath Rayleigh fading), with an emphasis on three essential criteria to consider in the selection process: the type of terrain or geography covered by each method, the form of prediction provided (e.g., transmission loss estimates, field strength contour maps, etc.), and the implementation difficulty and degree of sophistication.
Urinary Metalloproteinases: Noninvasive Biomarkers for Breast Cancer Risk Assessment

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) and a disintegrin and metalloprotease 12 (ADAM 12) can be detected in the urine of breast cancer patients and provide independent prediction of disease status. To evaluate the potential of urinary metalloproteinases as biomarkers to predict breast cancer risk status, urine samples from women with known risk marker lesions, atypical hyperplasia and lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS), were analyzed. Urine samples were obtained from 148 women: 44 women with atypical hyperplasia, 24 women with LCIS, and 80 healthy controls. MMP analysis was done using gelatin zymography and ADAM 12 analysis was done via immunoblotting with monospecific antibodies and subsequent densitometric measurement. Positive urinary MMP-9 levels indicated a 5-fold risk of atypical hyperplasia and >13-fold risk of LCIS compared with normal controls. Urinary ADAM 12 levels were significantly elevated in women with atypical hyperplasia and LCIS from normal controls, with receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showing an area under the curve of 0.914 and 0.950, respectively. To assess clinical applicability, a predictive index was developed using ADAM 12 in conjunction with Gail risk scores for women with atypia. Scores above 2.8 on this ADAM 12-Gail risk prediction index score are predictive of atypical hyperplasia (sensitivity, 0.976; specificity, 0.977). Our data suggest that the noninvasive detection and analysis of urinary ADAM 12 and MMP-9 provide important clinical information for use as biomarkers in the identification of women at increased risk of developing breast cancer. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2008;17(5):1034–12)
Acquisition and Generalization of Social Behaviors in Language Disabled Deaf Adolescents

In the present study, two experiments were conducted in which the effectiveness of a training package was assessed on the acquisition and generalization of five social behaviors with language-disabled and severe language-disabled deaf adolescents. The training package encom-passed modeling, self-monitoring, self-reinforcement, and mediator-directed supervision and feedback. Procedures to promote generality of effects and social validity of the procedures were used as well. Target behaviors were Initiating Interaction, Turn Waiting, Keeping to the Subject, Communicating Orally, and Using Correct Sentences. Data were collected within a multiple baseline design across behaviors. Results indicated that the training package was effective in improving the performance of all participants. However, increases in percentage of appropriate target behaviors were more substantial for the language-disabled deaf adolescents than for the severely language-disabled deaf adolescents. Maintenance of effects was demonstrated as well.
Efficacy and safety of glucocorticoids in the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is pneumonia acquired infectiously from normal social contact as opposed to being acquired during hospitalization. CAP is a leading cause of illness and death. This review aims to determine the efficacy and safety of glucocorticoids in the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). DATA SOURCES We searched randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from Pubmed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Chinese Journal Full-text Database, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database to obtain the information by using steroids, glucocorticoids, cortisol, corticosteroids, community-acquired pneumonia and CAP as key words. The quality of RCTs was evaluated. A Meta-analysis was made using RevMan 5.0 provided by the Cochrance Collaboration. RESULTS Seven RCTs involving 944 patients were included in the meta-analysis. The mean length of hospital stay in glucocorticoids treatment group was significantly shorter than that in standard treatment group (WMD=-1.70, 95%CI 2.01-1.39, Z=10.81, P<0.00001). No statistically significant differences were found in the mortality rate (RR=0.77,95%CI 0.46-1.27, Z=1.03, P=0.30), the mean length of hospital stay in ICU (WMD=1.17, 95%CI 1.68-4.02, Z=0.81, P=0.42), the incidence of super infection (RR=1.32, 95%CI 0.66-2.63, Z=0.79, P=0.43), the incidence of hyperglycemia (RR=1.84, 95%CI 0.76-4.41, Z=1.36, P=0.17), the incidence of upper gastrointestinal bleeding (RR=1.98, 95%CI 0.37-10.59, Z=0.80, P=0.42) between the standard treatment group and the glucocorticoids treatment group. CONCLUSIONS The use of glucocorticoids in patients with community-acquired pneumonia can significantly shorten the duration of illness and have a favorable safety profile. However, it could not reduce the overall mortality.
Brainstem auditory evoked response in the diagnosis of pediatric neurologic diseases

Brainstem auditory evoked responses (BAERs) were measured in pediatric patients with neurologic diseases. Abnormalities of interwave intervals, amplitude ratios, and response to changing rate of stimulation were found in patients with tumors, myelin disorders, anoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, trauma, and neu-rodegenerative disorders. Reversibility of brainstem abnormalities (excluding multiple sclerosis) and sensitivity to toxic-metabolic disorders are features of the response not previously described in adults with neurologic disorders. The BAER is a promising new tool for the investigation of pediatric neurologic disease.