Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of ultrasound on growing bone.

The epiphyseal area of growing bone is currently considered a contra‐indicated site for ultrasonic therapy. Previous studies indicate that damage occurs to bone cortex and bone marrow with high intensities of ultrasound. The effect of clinical doses of ultrasound upon the epiphyses of growing rabbits was studied. The left knee area of 20 animals was treated underwater with 1 w/cm2 from a 12 cm2 sound head for five minutes daily from the age of three months until there was x‐ray evidence of epiphyseal closure (6 to 8 months). The untreated hind leg served as control. Comparison of the data showed no significant difference in bone length, microscopic appearance, or rate or manner of epiphyseal closure between the treated and control leg.
Effects of Ammonium Metavanadate Treatment Upon Macrophage Glutathione Redox Cycle Activity, Superoxide Production, and Intracellular Glutathione Status

Female B6C3F1 mice were given intraperitoneal injections of ammonium metavanadate (2.5 or 10 mg V/Kg), ammonium chloride, or sodium phosphate buffer every 3 days for 6 weeks. Resident peritoneal macrophages were harvested, lysed by freeze‐thawing, and the resulting cytolysate was assayed for total protein content and enzyme activities of glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase, and glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase. In addition, peritoneal macrophages were assayed for superoxide production using nitroblue tetrazolium reduction, as well as for intracellular levels of oxidized and reduced glutathione. Exposure of mice to vanadium resulted in a dose‐trend depression in the three macrophage enzyme activities as compared with the controls. Vanadium treatment resulted in a similar decrease in the production of superoxide anion, and an increase in levels of oxidized glutathione; however, the total glutathione pool (reduced plus oxidized forms) was not affected.
Nebivolol prevents remodeling in a rat myocardial infarction model: an echocardiographic study.

OBJECTIVE Ventricular remodeling (VR) which develops after myocardial infarction (MI) plays an important role in progressive left ventricular dysfunction. We aimed to investigate the role of nebivolol treatment on VR after a MI in a rat ischemia-reperfusion model. METHODS Rats were divided into 3 groups of 12 each: sham operated (sham-control), MI-induced (MI-control) and nebivolol treated (MI-nebivolol). Left ventricular (LV) diameters, volumes, and diastolic filling parameters were evaluated by echocardiography. On the 28th day, after recording the systemic and LV pressures and determining the plasma nitric oxide (NO) and peroxynitrite (ONOO-) levels , animals were sacrificed and heart, body and LV weights (HW, BW, LVW) were measured and infarct sizes were determined. Results were evaluated statistically by ANOVA for repeated measurements 3x3 factorial design with post-hoc Bonferroni test. RESULTS After MI, while VR (an increase in LV diameters and volumes associated with a decrease in EF, FS and posterior wall thickness change (LWPc) was significant in MI-control rats (p<0.05 for; all comparisons) these changes were significantly less in MI-nebivolol group (p=0.08 and p=0.06 for EF and FS respectively). LV end diastolic pressure (LVEDP) was lower (p<0.005) and Delta+/- dp/dt's (p<0.05) were higher in MI-nebivolol group compared to MI-control animals. Although infarct sizes were similar in MI-induced groups (p=0.79); LVW/HW and HW/BW's were significantly greater in the MI-control group compared to sham-control (p<0.01 for all comparisons), these changes were not statistically significant in MI-nebivolol group. The increase in plasma NO and ONOO- levels were also prevented with nebivolol. CONCLUSION Nebivolol therapy reduced the effects of VR in rats after MI. These beneficial effects were not related to its heart rate and blood pressure reducing effects. Nitric oxide regulatory action of this compound may contribute these beneficial effects on VR developed after MI.
The Loss of Small Objects in Variable TE Imaging: Implications for FSE, RARE, and EPI

The importance to MR image quality of the order of acquisition of different phaseencoded views with sequences that have variable TR and TE has been recently reported. It has been shown that the effective point spread function (PSF) may be manipulated by varying TE or TR, or both, with each phase‐encoding step. This paper explores the behavior of the PSF in a variable TE sequence and its dependence on both imaging and tissue parameters. It is shown that the PSF is different for each tissue type and that its effect on tissue contrast is a function of both the shape and size of the structure. The important problem of signal loss from small objects that arises when the effective PSF is broad and the difficulty in detecting this phenomenon in practical MR images is illustrated. It is shown that the PSF can produce significant blurring and loss of object contrast in fast spin‐echo images but that this blurring may be not be obvious in practice because the noise is unaffected by the PSF. It is also shown that the signal from small lesions with short T2 can easily be lost through this blurring mechanism. The importance of signal loss from small objects and its implication for the clinical use of such sequences as fast spinecho or rapid acquisition relaxation‐enhanced and echo planar imaging is stressed. © 1992 Academic Press,Inc.
Functional recovery of community stroke patients

Purpose: The aims were to describe the functional abilities of and services provided to stroke patients not admitted to hospital a year after stroke and to investigate factors associated with receiving rehabilitation services. Method: A cohort of stroke patients who had not been admitted to hospital were notified by general practitioners. Patients were assessed at a month and a year after stroke on measures of impairment and disability. The rehabilitation received was recorded. There were 124 stroke patients notified by GP's who had not been admitted to hospital. Of these 70 were assessed at both one month and one year after stroke. Results: Patients showed persistent impaired levels of disability one year after stroke, as measured by the Extended Activities of Daily Living (EADL) scale. There was no significant improvement in Barthel scores and only a slight improvement on the EADL from one month to one year after stroke. There were no patients with severe mobility or severe arm impairment. Most patients had some cognitive impairment but there was no significant change between a month and a year. The provision of rehabilitation services increased between a month and a year after stroke. Rehabilitation was provided to those patients with impaired motor function. Conclusions: Stroke patients not admitted to hospital have significant levels of disability which does not change substantially in the year after stroke. Rehabilitation was provided on the basis of physical function, rather than cognitive function.
Chitinase 3-like 1 plasma levels are increased in patients with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis

Background: Chitinase 3-like 1 (CHI3L1) is upregulated in a wide variety of inflammatory conditions. Recent studies have pointed to a role of CHI3L1 in multiple sclerosis (MS) pathogenesis. Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the role of plasma CHI3L1 in MS clinical course and disease activity and to evaluate the effect of interferon-beta (IFNβ) treatment on protein levels. Methods: Plasma CHI3L1 levels were determined by ELISA in 57 healthy controls (HC), 220 untreated MS patients [66 primary progressive MS patients (PPMS), 30 secondary progressive MS patients (SPMS), and 124 relapsing–remitting MS patients (RRMS), 94 during clinical remission and 30 during relapse], and 32 MS patients receiving IFNβ treatment. A polymorphism of the CHI3L1 gene, rs4950928, was genotyped in 3274 MS patients and 3483 HC. Results: Plasma CHI3L1 levels were significantly increased in patients with progressive forms of MS compared with RRMS patients and HC. CHI3L1 levels were similar between RRMS patients in relapse and remission. A trend towards decreased CHI3L1 levels was observed in IFNβ-treated patients. Allele C of rs4950928 was significantly associated with PPMS patients and with higher plasma CHI3L1 levels. Conclusions: These findings point to a role of CHI3L1 in patients with progressive forms of MS, particularly in those with PPMS.
Traumatic Ossicular Chain Separation: Sliding-Thin-Slab Maximum-Intensity Projections for Diagnosis

Objectives: To retrospectively determine, by using multislice computed tomography (MSCT), whether additional interpretation of sliding-thin-slab maximum-intensity projection (MIP) reformation images improve diagnostic accuracy when compared with the diagnostic interpretation of conventional sliding-thin-slab multiplanar reformation (MPR) CT images for traumatic ossicular chain separation. Materials and Methods: Twenty-nine patients with pathologically or clinically confirmed unilateral traumatic ossicular chain separation who underwent temporal bone MSCT were retrospectively identified from electronic medical records. An additional 29 control subjects, who underwent temporal bone MSCT for other reasons, were retrospectively selected from the same period. Two neuroradiologists independently reviewed the 116 temporal bones twice. One review was restricted to MPR ("MPR only") images. The other review used MIP images and MPR ("all reformations") images. The observers were blinded to clinical history, and the 2 reviews took place 8 weeks apart to avoid recall bias. The &khgr;2 test was performed for diagnostic accuracy between MPR images and all reformation images. Cohen &kgr; statistics was used to evaluate interobserver variability. Results: With "all reformations" images, observer 1 diagnosed traumatic ossicular chain separation in 28 (24.1%) of 116 temporal bones, which is significantly higher than that with MPR (16.4%, 19/116 temporal bones, P < 0.05); Observer 2 diagnosed traumatic ossicular chain separation in 27 (23.3%) of 116 temporal bones, which is also significantly higher than that with MPR (17.2.0%, 20/116 bones, P < 0.05). The &kgr; values were 0.89 and 0.96, respectively, on the basis of MPR and "all reformations" images that revealed high interobserver agreement, independent of the imaging modality (MPR or "all reformations" images). Conclusions: Additional interpreting MIP images provided more accurate diagnoses than interpreting MPR images alone for diagnosis of traumatic ossicular chain separation.
Cramer-Rao Lower Bounds for Curve Fitting

Abstract We point out that the derivation of the Cramer–Rao lower bound for estimating a circular arc center and its radius by Chan and Thomas (Graphical Models Image Process.57, 1995, 527–532) has some problems although the final result is correct. Examining the mathematical structure of the problem carefully, we first correct their mistakes and then present a suitable formulation for the problem. We show that the result can be extended to more general problems including line and conic fitting.
Effect of altered thyroid status on in vitro cardiac performance in rats.

Effect of a chronic excess or deficit of thyroid hormone on intrinsic myocardial performance in rats was assessed. Animals were thyroidectomized or treated with thyroid hormone or vehicle 6-7 wk before the study. Body weight and heart weight were decreased in the hypothyroid group, and heart weight was elevated in the hyperthyroid group. Hearts were removed from thyroidectomized, euthyroid or thyroid-treated animals and studied as isolated, perfused working heart preparations. Ventricular function curves were generated by increasing left atrial filling pressure, whereas outflow resistance was not varied. Coronary flow, aortic outflow (and thus cardiac output), heart rate, and peak aortic systolic pressure were measured as a function of preload. These studies showed that performance of hearts from hyperthyroid animals was similar to that of euthyroid controls. Hearts from hypothyroid rats had decreased rate, pressure, and cardiac output but normal stroke volume. Since heart weight was 55% lower than control, normalization of volume work to dry heart weight reversed the difference in cardiac output. Comparison of hearts from hypothyroid animals to control rats of similar weight showed minimal differences in pump function. Thus hyperthyroidism did not result in altered in vitro cardiac output or peak systolic pressure as a function of changing preload when compared with age-matched euthyroid controls, hypothyroidism resulted in a decreased in vitro heart rate but greater cardiac output normalized to heart weight when compared with age-matched controls and hyperthyroid animals; external pacing of hypothyroid hearts yielded myocardial work parameters that were comparable to euthyroid control rats of similar body weight; and cardiac efficiency was significantly greater in hypothyroid hearts than in hyperthyroid hearts. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A review of the floral composition and distribution of mangroves in Sri Lanka

Recently published reports list numbers and distributions of Sri Lankan mangrove species that outnumber the actual species present in the field. The present study serves to review this literature and highlight the causes of such apparently large species numbers, while providing an objective and realistic review of the mangrove species actually present in Sri Lanka today. This study is based on standardized fieldwork over a 4-year period using wellestablished diagnostic identification keys. The study indicates that there are at present 20 identified ‘mangrove species’ (major and minor components) and at least 18 ‘mangrove associates’ along the south-western coast of the island, and addresses the importance of clearly defining these terms. Incorrect identifications in the past have adversely affected interpretation of species composition in the framework of biogeography, remote sensing and biological conservation and management. © 2002 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 138, 29‐43.
Clinical observation of 52 cases of aortitis syndrome.

(1) Records of 52 patients with aortitis syndrome were reviewed. The male to female ratio was 1: 4.2, and the age of the onset averaged 23.6year-old. (2) There was a tendency that the lesions of the thoracic and abdominal aorta types involved younger patients than the aortic arch type. The observation of clinical course suggested the distribution of arterial lesions was fixed in the initial period of the disease. (3) It was speculated that preceding infections, especially nasopharyngeal and pulmonary infections, may facilitate an autoimmune process which has been considered to be related to the development of aortitis syndrome. (4) The principal arterial changes were stenosis and occlusion, but dilatation or aneurysm formation was found in some cases. The distribution of these lesions was analysed.
A new semismooth Newton method for NCPs based on the penalized KK function

In this paper, based on the Kanzow-Kleinmichel (KK) function, we introduce a new nonlinear complementarity problem (NCP) function: penalized KK function. We show that the function possesses desirable properties similar to those of the KK function. Based on this new NCP function, we reformulate the NCP to a system of semismooth equations. We also propose a new semismooth Levenberg–Marquardt method to solve the system of semismooth equations that employs both trust region techniques and line searches. The global and quadratic convergence properties can be established under very mild assumptions. Numerical results show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm and also indicate that superior behaviour of the proposed new NCP function.
Distribution of Rantes and Interleukin-5 in Allergic Nasal Mucosa and Nasal Polyps

Eosinophil-chemoattracting cytokines are thought to be important in the pathogenesis of allergic inflammation. However, little is known about the presence and significance of RANTES in nasal allergy and nasal polyps, Two well-known rhinologic disorders characterized by eosinophil infiltration in the tissue. In order to evaluate the role of RANTES in eosinophil infiltration in vivo, the tissue distributions of RANTES and interleukin-5 (IL-5) and their correlation with eosinophil infiltration were investigated. Nasal mucosa specimens were obtained from 9 allergic and 12 control subjects, and nasal polyps from 6 allergic and 9 nonallergic subjects. All the subjects were divided into 4 groups: normal mucosa, allergic mucosa, nonallergic polyps, and allergic polyps. To identify the cellular localizations of RANTES and IL-5, we used specific immunohistochemical staining. We also investigated the differences in cytokine expression among the 4 groups, and the correlation between cytokine expression and eosinophil infiltration in the tissue. RANTES was expressed in the epithelium, endothelium, and some submucosal cells, while IL-5 was confined to the cells in the submucosa. Expression of both RANTES and IL-5 significantly increased in allergic mucosa and nasal polyps compared to normal mucosa; however, there was no significant difference in their expression between allergic and nonallergic polyps. Both cytokines had a significant correlation between their expression and either total or activated eosinophil numbers. The results of this study suggest that RANTES, as well as IL-5, plays a role in eosinophil recruitment in allergic nasal mucosa and nasal polyps in vivo.
Sensitive and Noninvasive Detection of Aberrant SFRP2 and MGMT-B Methylation in Iranian Patients with Colon Polyps.

BACKGROUND The pathogenesis of sporadic colorectal cancer (CRC) is influenced by the patient genetic background and environmental factors. Based on prior understanding, these are classified in two major pathways of genetic instability. Microsatellite instability (MSI) and CPG island methylator phenotype (CIMP) are categorized as features of the hypermethylated prototype, and chromosomal instability (CIN) is known to be indicative of the non-hypermethylated category. Secreted frizzled related protein 2 (SFRP2), APC1A in WNT signaling pathway and the DNA repair gene, O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT), are frequently hypermethylated in colorectal cancer. Detection of methylated DNA as a biomarker by easy and inexpensive methods might improve the quality of life of patients with CRC via early detection of cancer or a precancerous condition. AIM To evaluate the rate of SFRP2 and MGMT hypermethylation in both polyp tissue and serum of patients in south Iran as compared with matched control normal population corresponding samples. MATERIALS AND METHODS Methylation-specific PCR was used to detect hypermethylation in DNA extracted from 48 polypoid tissue samples and 25 healthy individuals. RESULTS Of total polyp samples, 89.5% had at least one promoter gene hypermethylation. The most frequent methylated locus was SFRP2 followed by MGMT-B (81.2 and 66.6 percent respectively). Serologic detection of hypermethylation was 95% sensitive as compared with polyp tissue. No hypermethylation was detected in normal tissue and serum and its detection in patients with polyps, especially of serrated type, was specific. CONCLUSIONS Serologic investigation for detection of MGMT-B, SFRP2 hypermethylation could facilitate prioritization of high risk patients for colonoscopic polyp detection and excision.
Reduction and Oxidation Processes of Chromium in Soils

The kinetics of reduction and oxidation of soluble chromium in various soils (peat, clay, sand, and luvi-chromic cambisols) were studied at constant soil moisture and constant temperature. A total of 1500 g of each soil was incubated with different concentrations of aqueous solutions of K2Cr2O7 or CrCl3 [1−1000 μg (g of dry soil)-1]. The total exchangeable chromium and Cr(VI) were analyzed in soil extracts over a period of up to 10 days. The parameters influencing the reduction and oxidation of soluble chromium were studied. Reduction of soluble chromium was observed in all the soils examined. It depends mostly on the content of organic matter, on the concentration of the added chromium, and on the pH of the soil. Up to 3 days of the experiment, the reaction was found to be first-order with respect to Cr(VI). Oxidation of soluble chromium was observed especially in soils high in manganese(IV) oxides and low in organic matter. The oxidation of added soluble chromium did not occur in peat soil. The results .
Review: Gp-340/DMBT1 in mucosal innate immunity

Deleted in Malignant Brain Tumour 1 (DMBT1) is a gene that encodes alternatively spliced proteins involved in mucosal innate immunity. It also encodes a glycoprotein with a molecular mass of 340 kDa, and is referred to as gp-340 (DMBT1gp340) and salivary agglutinin (DMBT1SAG). DMBT1gp340 is secreted into broncho-alveolar surface lining fluid whereas DMBTSAG is present in the saliva. The two molecules were shown to be identical and both interact with and agglutinate several Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria including Streptococcus mutans, a bacterium responsible for caries in the oral cavity. DMBT1gp340 interacts with surfactant proteins A and D (SP-D). DMBT1gp340 and SP-D can individually and together interact and agglutinate influenza A virus. DMBT1gp340 also binds to HIV-1 and facilitates transcytosis of the virus into epithelial cells. DMBT1 binds to a variety of other host proteins, including serum and secretory IgA, C1q, lactoferrin, MUC5B and trefoil factor 2 (TFF2), all molecules with involvement in innate immunity and/or wound-healing processes. Recent generation of Dmbt1-deficient mice has provided the research field of DMBT1 with a model that allows research to progress from in vitro studies to in vivo functional studies of the multifunctional proteins encoded by the DMBT1 gene.
Abnormal Brain Structure and Function in Newborns With Complex Congenital Heart Defects Before Open Heart Surgery: A Review of the Evidence

Newborns with complex congenital heart defects are at high risk for developing neurological abnormalities. It is important to understand the timing, progression, and extent of these abnormalities to better elucidate their potential impact on neurodevelopment, and their implications for early screening and intervention. This review synthesizes the recent literature describing neurological and neurobehavioral abnormalities observed in fetuses and newborns before cardiac surgery. A considerable proportion of newborns with complex congenital heart defects exhibit neurobehavioral and electrophysiological abnormalities preoperatively. Likewise, conventional neuroimaging studies reported that a high percentage of this population experienced brain injury. Advanced neuroimaging modalities indicated that fetuses showed delayed third trimester brain growth, and newborns showed impaired white matter maturation, reduced N-acetylaspartate, and increased lactate. These findings suggest a fetal or early postnatal onset of impaired brain growth and development. Consequently, reliable methods for early screening and subsequent developmental intervention must be implemented.