Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Study of surgical landmarks of mandibular foramen for inferior alveolar nerve block: An Osteological study

Background: Local Anaesthesia to inferior alveolar nerve is one of the most common procedures done by surgeons for various treatments and to make it more effective the anaesthetic agent has to be infiltrated closer to mandibular foramen. Unluckily the success rate of inferior alveolar nerve block is very less due to inaccurate localization of the mandibular foramen leading to improper placement of the needle. Objective: The present study has been carried out on dry mandibles to determine the accurate position of mandibular foramen from various landmarks of mandible to provide with the suitable data to help the surgeons to locate the Mandibular foramen with more precision for successful Inferior Alveolar Nerve block. Materials and Methods: This study was carried out in department of anatomy, Yenepoya medical college. A total of 100 dry mandibles were studied on its both sides to locate the mandibular foramen using digital Vernier calipers. Results: The Mean and standard deviation values on right and left sides of the mandibles to locate the mandibular foramen from its anterior border are 17.69(±2.70), 17.94(±2.73), posterior border 11.39(±1.93), 11.40(±2.01), Mandibular notch 22.90(±3.57), 22.39(±3.18), angle of Mandible 23.87(±4.52), 23.66(±4.36) and 3M-third molar to mandibular foramen 17.9(±3.57), 17.6(±3.77) respectively. Conclusion: The comprehension of the Mandibular foramen is of a considerable importance for inferior alveolar nerve anesthesia, dento alveolar surgeries, endodontic treatments and lesions diagnosis. Its precise location enables a more effective anesthesia. Incorrect estimations of its location might be the reason for the unsuccessful anesthesia of the inferior alveolar nerve and damage of neurovascular structures passing through it.
OspC Phylogenetic Analyses Support the Feasibility of a Broadly Protective Polyvalent Chimeric Lyme Disease Vaccine

ABSTRACT Using available Borrelia outer surface protein C (OspC) sequences, a phylogenetic analysis was undertaken to delineate the number of antigenic domains required for inclusion in a broadly protective, chimeric, OspC-based Lyme disease vaccine. The data indicate that approximately 34 would be required and that an OspC-based vaccinogen is feasible.
Effects of Illegal Harvest of Eggs on the Population Decline of Leatherback Turtles in Las Baulas Marine National Park, Costa Rica

Abstract: Within 19 years the nesting population of leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) at Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas declined from 1500 turtles nesting per year to about 100. We analyzed the effects of fishery bycatch and illegal harvesting (poaching) of eggs on this population. We modeled the population response to different levels of egg harvest (90, 75, 50, and 25%) and the effect of eradicating poaching at different times during the population decline. We compared effects of 90% poaching with those of 20% adult mortality because both of these processes were present in the population at Las Baulas. There was a stepwise decline in number of nesting turtles at all levels of egg harvest. Extirpation times for different levels of poaching ranged from 45 to 282 years. The nesting population declined more slowly and survived longer with 20% adult mortality (146 years) than it did with 90% poaching (45 years). Time that elapsed until poaching stopped determined the average population size at which the population stabilized, ranging from 90 to 420 nesting turtles. Our model predicted that saving clutches lost naturally would restore the population when adult mortality rates were low and would contribute more to population recovery when there were short remigration intervals between nesting seasons and a large proportion of natural loss of clutches. Because the model indicated that poaching was the most important cause of the leatherback decline at Las Baulas, protecting nests on the beach and protecting the beach from development are critical for survival of this population. Nevertheless, the model predicted that current high mortality rates of adults will prevent population recovery. Therefore, protection of the beach habitat and nests must be continued and fishery bycatch must be reduced to save this population.
A Study on the Effectiveness of Rumor Control via Social Media Networks to Alleviate Public Panic About COVID-19

The COVID-19 outbreak triggered a massive spread of unverified news on social media and has become a source of rumors. This paper studies the impact of a virtual rumor control center (RCC) on Weibo user behavior. The collected COVID-19 breaking news stories were divided into positive, negative, and neutral categories, while the moderating effect model was used to analyze the influence of anti-rumor on user behavior (forwarding, liking, and commenting). Our research found that rumor refuting does not directly affect user behavior but does have an indirect moderating effect. Rumor refuting has a profound impact on user forwarding behavior in cases of positive and negative news. Specifically, when the epidemic becomes more serious, the role of rumor refuting becomes critical, and vice versa. Refuting rumors reduces user willingness to forward positive or negative news, with more impact on negative news. Time lag analysis shows a significant moderation of unverified news within 72 h of refuting rumors but indicated an apparent weakening trend over time. Furthermore, we discovered non-linear feature and counter-cyclical phenomena in the moderating effect of rumor refutation.
Prevalence of Diagnosed and Undiagnosed Hepatitis C in a Midwestern Urban Emergency Department.

BACKGROUND Targeted hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening is recommended. Implementation of screening in emergency department (ED) settings is challenging and controversial. Understanding HCV epidemiology in EDs could motivate and guide screening efforts. We characterized the prevalence of diagnosed and undiagnosed HCV in a Midwestern, urban ED. METHODS This was a cross-sectional seroprevalence study using de-identified blood samples and self-reported health information obtained from consecutively approached ED patients aged 18-64 years. Subjects consented to a "study of diseases of public health importance" and were compensated for participation. The Biochain ELISA kit for Human Hepatitis C Virus was used for antibody assay. Viral RNA was isolated using the Qiagen QIAamp UltraSens Virus kit, followed by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction using a Bio-Rad CFX96 SYBR Green UltraFast program with melt-curve analysis. RESULTS HCV antibody was detected in 128 of 924 (14%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 12%-16%) samples. Of these, 44 (34%) self-reported a history of HCV or hepatitis of unknown type and 103 (81%; 95% CI, 73%-87%) were RNA positive. Two additional patients were antibody negative but RNA positive. Fully implemented birth cohort screening for HCV antibody would have missed 36 of 128 (28%) of cases with detectable antibody and 26 of 105 (25%) of those with replicative HCV infection. CONCLUSIONS HCV infection is highly prevalent in EDs. Emergency departments are likely to be uniquely important for HCV screening, and logistical challenges to ED screening should be overcome. Birth cohort screening would have missed many patients, suggesting the need for complementary screening strategies applied to an expanded age range.
The effect of nitrogen on the enzymatic pattern of strain L cells.

Strain L cells, incubated for 16 hours per day under an anaerobic atmosphere of 95 per cent nitrogen and 5 per cent carbon dioxide for a period of 3 months, showed a marked increase in their aldolase and lactic dehydrogenase enzyme activities and a marked decrease in their cytochrome oxidase activity. The changes were quickly reversed upon reincubation in an aerobic atmosphere. Multiple inoculations of anaerobic cells in Swiss-Webster mice throughout the period of the experiment failed to produce malignant tumors.
Estate Taxation, Entrepreneurship, and Wealth

We study the effects of abolishing estate taxation in a quantitative and realistic framework that includes the key features that policy makers are worried about: business investment, borrowing constraints, estate transmission, and wealth inequality. We use our model to estimate effective estate taxation. We consider various tax instruments to reestablish fiscal balance when abolishing estate taxation. We find that abolishing estate taxation would not generate large increases in inequality, and would, in some cases, generate increases in aggregate output and capital accumulation. If, however, the resulting revenue shortfall were financed through increased income or consumption taxation, the immensely rich, and the old among those in particular, would experience a welfare gain, at the cost of welfare losses for the vast majority of the population.
The tectonic history of the Tasman Sea: A puzzle with 13 pieces

We present a new model for the tectonic evolution of the Tasman Sea based on dense satellite altimetry data and a new shipboard data set. We utilized a combined set of revised magnetic anomaly and fracture zone interpretations to calculate relative motions and their uncertainties between the Australian and the Lord Howe Rise plates from 73.6 Ma to 52 Ma when spreading ceased. From chron 31 (67.7 Ma) to chron 29 (64.0 Ma) the model implies, transpression between the Chesterfield and the Marion plateaus, followed by strike-slip motion. This transpression may have been responsible for the formation of the Capricorn Basin south of the Marion Plateau. Another major tectonic event took place at chron 27 (61.2 Ma), when a counterclockwise change in spreading direction occurred, contemporaneous with a similar event in the southwest Pacific Ocean. The early opening of the Tasman Sea cannot be modeled by a simple two-plate system because (1) rifting in this basin propagated from south to north in several stages and (2) several rifts failed. We identified 13 continental blocks which acted as microplates between 90 Ma and 64 Ma. Our model is constrained by tectonic lineaments visible in the gravity anomaly grid and interpreted as strike-slip faults, by magnetic anomaly, bathymetry and seismic data, and in case of the South Tasman Rise, by the age and affinity of dredged rocks. By combining all this information we derived finite rotations that describe the dispersal of these tectonic elements during the early opening of the Tasman Sea.
Transcription of PRDM1, the master regulator for plasma cell differentiation, depends on an SP1/SP3/EGR‐1 GC‐box

The positive regulatory domain containing 1, encoded by the PRDM1 gene, is a transcriptional repressor considered as a master regulator that is required and sufficient for plasma cell differentiation. In the present study we have performed sequence analysis of the upstream region of the human PRDM1 gene to detect the minimal promoter region necessary for PRDM1 gene transcription. This region comprises the region upstream of the initiation site, as well as the first exon. Collectively, deletion and mutation analysis in conjunction with luciferase reporter assays, EMSA and supershift assays identified a phylogenetically conserved GC‐box as an essential element for PRDM1 expression. This GC‐box element matches to a binding site for multiple transcription factors such as SP1 and SP3 isoforms as well as early growth response 1. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays confirmed the in vivo binding capability of these factors to the human PRDM1 promoter. These studies together characterize for the first time the basal activity of the human PRDM1 promoter, through which several factors, including SP1, SP3 and early growth response 1, modulate its expression through a conserved GC‐box.
Local Content Policy and SMEs Sector Promotion: The Nigerian Oil Industry Experience

This study investigates the impact of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry Local Content policy and its implications for promoting higher participation of indigenous small to medium-sized firms within the industry. Here we present finding from multiple case studies conducted on three small to medium-sized firms and five semi-structured interviews conducted with key informants, all operating within the industry. The findings from the study reveals that the local content policy has not yet achieved significant success in enhancing: higher indigenous participation, use of local technology, higher contract awards to indigenous firms and stimulating joint venture arrangements between indigenous and foreign oil firms. Specifically, issues such as lack of the local content Act, cumbersome prequalification and entry requirements, underfunded and ill-equipped educational institutions, laissez-faire attitude of multinationals, ineffective monitoring and control by regulatory authorities, and inadequate financing options for indigenous SMEs still hinder the policy efficacy.
Performances of the Negative Tone Resist AZnLOF 2020 for Nanotechnology Applications

We present electron-beam lithography results on an AznLOF2020 UV negative tone resist. This study aims to define electron-beam lithography parameters compatible with microelectromechanical systems/nanoelectromechanical systems fabrication. Usually, one of the properties of the resist material is improved to the detriment of another. Resist properties have been investigated to form small features and high-aspect ratio lines. It has been demonstrated that thickness, postbaking time, development time, and dose effects can be varied and adjusted to form smallest patterns reproducible. Various writing strategies making use of test patterns comprising different nominal feature size were also studied. Additionally, high resolution and dense pattern fabrication with high-aspect ratios are demonstrated. Fifty-nanometer-wide lines spaced out at 100-nm intervals were achieved in a 200-nm-thick resist, and high-aspect ratio 200-nm-wide lines spaced out at 400-nm intervals were realized in a 1-μm-thick resist.
Salivary streptococcus mutans count and caries outcome - a systematic review

Objective : To answer whether an increased salivary S. mutans count is associated with higher caries. Methods : Six databases were searched for articles (4 February 2009). Inclusion criteria : (i) titles/abstracts relevant to topic; (ii) published in English, Portuguese, Spanish; (iii) prospective cohort study; (iv) at least 2 groups / cohorts are investigated, for which a baseline salivary mutans count and a caries outcome after a period of time is reported; (v) caries outcome reported as computable datasets. Results : Fifteen from the initial 134 articles were selected. From these, 5 were rejected and 10 articles reporting on 30 separate datasets accepted. Owing to heterogeneity, no meta-analysis was undertaken. Cohorts which differed statistically significantly (p 0.05) caries outcomes differed little. Cohorts with S. mutans count >105 cfu/ml showed higher caries outcome. The results showed a 55% lower caries risk in subjects with S. mutans <5 x 105 cfu/ml (Relative Risk 0.45 - 95% CI 0.34, 0.59 - p<0.00001). Potential bias may have influenced study results. Conclusion : Increased S. mutans counts are associated with higher caries outcomes. High quality cohort studies are needed to validate the current evidence.
Proteomic analysis of the effects and interactions of sleep deprivation and aging in mouse cerebral cortex

The cellular and molecular processes that underlie the drives and functions of sleep have been the topic of many studies in the last few decades. Discovery‐based techniques, such as cDNA microarrays, have increasingly been utilized in conjunction with sleep deprivation paradigms to examine the molecular mechanisms and functions of sleep. These studies have helped to validate and expand existing hypotheses, such as those on the roles of sleep in synaptic plasticity and in energy metabolism. The mechanisms underlying the highly prevalent changes in sleep architecture with age are not known, but likely reflect fundamental changes in the molecular basis of circadian timing and sleep homeostatic processes. We decided to explore the effects and interactions of sleep deprivation and aging utilizing the proteomic technique of difference in gel electrophoresis (DIGE). DIGE, which utilizes cyanine dye labeling of samples, allows for the comparison of multiple experimental groups within and across gels. In this study, we compared cerebral cortex tissue from young (2.5 months) and old (24 months) mice that had been sleep deprived for 6 h to tissue from undisturbed young and old control animals. Following DIGE, automatic image matching and spot identification, and statistical analysis, 43 unique proteins were identified. The proteins were grouped into seven functional classes based on published characteristics: cell signaling, cytoskeletal, energy metabolism, exocytosis, heat shock proteins, mRNA processing/trafficking, and serum proteins. The identity and characteristics of these proteins relevant to sleep and aging are discussed.
Coincidence of different structures of mucosa‐associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) in the respiratory tract of children: no indications for enhanced mucosal immunostimulation in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

Mucosa‐associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) is the principal inductive site for mucosal immune responses that are capable of T and B cell responses and antigen‐specific responses. In previous independent studies different structures of MALT, e.g. bronchus‐, larynx‐ and nose‐associated lymphoid tissue (BALT, LALT, NALT) have been described separately in various frequencies in the human respiratory tract over life spans. Because upper respiratory tract infections are common in infants, dysregulations of mucosal immune responses might be seriously involved in the aetiology of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). In the present study the coincidental occurrence of the three different MALT structures in the respiratory tract within the same patients were studied, and cases of SIDS and children who had died from different traumatic and natural causes of death (non‐SIDS) were compared. First, the frequency of BALT and LALT in 46 children (35 SIDS, 11 non‐SIDS) with or without NALT were examined. A tendency was found of a coincidence of respiratory MALT structures. In 50 additional cases of infant death (30 SIDS, 20 non‐SIDS) from the multi‐centric German Study on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (GeSID) where death had occurred in the first year of life, the coincidence was evaluated. A coincidental occurrence of BALT, LALT and NALT or BALT and LALT (each about 30%) was found in both groups, whereby the coincidence in SIDS and the control patients did not differ. Interestingly, the children with coincidental MALT were strikingly older, supporting the hypothesis of respiratory MALT formation via environmental stimulation over time.
Inappropriate Drug Use Among Community‐Dwelling Elderly

This study examined inappropriate drug use defined by updated criteria among respondents in the second and third in‐person waves of the Duke Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly. Information about sociodemographics, health status, access to health care, and drug use was determined by in‐home interviews. Drug use was coded for therapeutic class and appropriateness by applying explicit criteria. Among participants, 27% of the second and 22.5% of the third in‐person wave took one or more inappropriate agents. Of these drugs, the most common therapeutic classes were central nervous system and cardiovascular. Longitudinal multivariate analyses found that persons taking several prescription drugs, those having continuity of care, those who previously took inappropriate drugs, and those with many health visits were most likely (p<0.05) to use inappropriate drugs. We conclude that inappropriate drug use is common among community‐dwelling elderly.
Risk factors for acute renal failure requiring dialysis after liver transplantation.

Acute renal failure (ARF) is a common and severe complication after liver transplantation (LT). The aim of this study was to ascertain the impact of ARF requiring dialysis in the outcome of LT and to analyze the risk factors leading to this event in the early post-operative period. From October 1988 to December 1994, 172 LT were performed in 158 patients. Postoperative ARF occurred in 88 transplants (51.1%) during the early postoperative period: mild ARF was found in 46 (serum creatinine 1.5-3 mg/dl), moderate ARF in 12 (serum creatinine > 3 mg/dl) and severe ARF in 30 (serum creatinine > 3 mg/dl with dialysis requirement). Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative variables were studied, comparing patients presenting severe ARF with the remaining patients. Postoperative mortality in the dialysed group was much higher than in the non-dialysis group (50% vs. 13.4%)(p < 0.001) and 1-yr actuarial graft survival was 73.4% for the non-dialysed group compared with 40.9% for the dialysed group (p < 0.05). Among 38 variables investigated, only two factors had independent prognostic value in multivariate analysis: preoperative serum creatinine > 1.5 mg/dl (OR = 4.4, p = 0.006) and graft dysfunction grades III-IV (OR = 8.9, p = 0.001). In conclusion, ARF is a severe complication post-LT; its appearance could be predicted in patients with pre-transplant renal dysfunction, severe graft dysfunction, or both. However, in many cases renal function may revert to normal if treated aggressively with early dialysis support.
Oral Transmucosal Fentanyl Citrate in the Outpatient Management of Severe Cancer Pain Crises: A Retrospective Case Series

Objective:This retrospective chart review evaluated the efficacy of oral transmucosal fentanyl citrate (OTFC) in an outpatient cancer pain center for patients experiencing severe exacerbations of pain that exceed usual breakthrough pain levels. Patients:Records were reviewed for all patients who received OTFC at M.D. Anderson’s outpatient pain clinic over a three-month time period. OTFC was used in thirty-nine patients experiencing a recent onset of severe pain (≥7 on a 0–10 scale). All patients had cancer, cancer-related pain syndromes, and were opioid tolerant with an oral morphine equivalent daily dosage (MEDD) of ≥40 mg/day. Results:Prior to OTFC treatment, all patients reported a mean pain intensity of 9.0 (SD = 1.2). After OTFC treatment, patients reported a mean intensity of 3.0 (SD = 1.4), a significant reduction in pain intensity (P < 0.001). In most cases, OTFC averted the need for an emergency center visit, parenteral opioids, and hospital admission, which suggests that OTFC may be an effective alternative over intravenous opioids to rapidly titrate analgesia in selected opioid-tolerant cancer patients experiencing severe pain.