Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The efficacy of 0.12% chlorhexidine mouthrinse compared with 0.2% on plaque accumulation and periodontal parameters: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVES The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the effects of 0.12% chlorhexidine (CHX) mouthrinse compared with 0.2% on plaque and periodontal parameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS MEDLINE-PubMed and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched for (randomized) clinical trials and cohort studies. Plaque scores, parameters of periodontal inflammation and periodontal attachment loss were selected as primary outcome parameters. RESULTS Screening of 409 titles and abstracts identified eight eligible publications. A meta-analysis of seven studies using the same plaque index showed a significant difference between 0.2% and 0.12% CHX (p=0.008). The Weighted Mean Difference for plaque based on the Quigley & Hein Plaque Index (1968) was 0.10 (95%CI [0.03-0.17]) (heterogeneity I(2)=0%, p=0.87). Three studies that compared 0.12% and 0.2% CHX mouthrinse products provided data on gingival inflammation. No difference in the effect of gingivitis between the two concentrations was found in these studies. No studies could be found that compared the two CHX concentrations and evaluated the probing pocket depth and/or the periodontal attachment level. CONCLUSIONS In comparing 0.12% and 0.2% CHX, information concerning the effect on gingival inflammation was sparse and no studies could be found that compared the two CHX concentrations and evaluated the probing pocket depth and/or the periodontal attachment level. With respect to plaque inhibition, the results showed a small but significant difference in favour of the 0.2% CHX concentration. However, the clinical relevance of this difference is probably negligible.
Genotypic and phenotypic characterization of Porphyromonas gingivalis in relation to virulence

6 PREFACE 7 ABBREVIATIONS 8 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND 9 §Periodontal disease §Porphyromonas gingivalis §Virulence of Porphyromonas gingivalis §Host-parasite interaction §Virulence diversity of Porphyromonas gingivalis AIM 23 MATERIAL AND METHODS 24 §Phenotype characterization (Paper I and III) §Genotype characterization (Paper II and III) §Host-bacterial cells interaction (Paper IV) RESULTS 30 §Phenotypic property of P. gingivalis (Paper I and III) §Genotypic property of P. gingivalis (Paper II and IV) §Binding and invasion capacity of P. gingivalis (Paper IV) MAIN FINDINGS 36 GENERAL DISCUSSION 37 ACKNOWLEDEMENTS 43 REFERENCES 44
Correlating the magic numbers of inorganic nanomolecular assemblies with a {Pd84} molecular-ring Rosetta Stone

Molecular self-assembly has often been suggested as the ultimate route for the bottom-up construction of building blocks atom-by-atom for functional nanotechnology, yet structural design or prediction of nanomolecular assemblies is still far from reach. Whereas nature uses complex machinery such as the ribosome, chemists use painstakingly engineered step-by-step approaches to build complex molecules but the size and complexity of such molecules, not to mention the accessible yields, can be limited. Herein we present the discovery of a palladium oxometalate {Pd84}-ring cluster 3.3 nm in diameter; [Pd84O42(OAc)28(PO4)42]70- ({Pd84} ≡ {Pd12}7) that is formed in water just by mixing two reagents at room temperature, giving crystals of the compound in just a few days. The structure of the {Pd84}-ring has sevenfold symmetry, comprises 196 building blocks, and we also show, using mass spectrometry, that a large library of other related nanostructures is present in solution. Finally, by analysis of the symmetry and the building block library that construct the {Pd84} we show that the correlation of the symmetry, subunit number, and overall cluster nuclearity can be used as a “Rosetta Stone” to rationalize the “magic numbers” defining a number of other systems. This is because the discovery of {Pd84} allows the relationship between seemingly unrelated families of molecular inorganic nanosystems to be decoded from the overall cluster magic-number nuclearity, to the symmetry and building blocks that define such structures allowing the prediction of other members of these nanocluster families.
Quantitative Lymphoscintigraphy to Predict the Possibility of Lymphedema Development After Breast Cancer Surgery: Retrospective Clinical Study

Objective To predict the probability of lymphedema development in breast cancer patients in the early post-operation stage, we investigated the ability of quantitative lymphoscintigraphic assessment. Methods This retrospective study included 201 patients without lymphedema after unilateral breast cancer surgery. Lymphoscintigraphy was performed between 4 and 8 weeks after surgery to evaluate the lymphatic system in the early postoperative stage. Quantitative lymphoscintigraphy was performed using four methods: ratio of radiopharmaceutical clearance rate of the affected to normal hand; ratio of radioactivity of the affected to normal hand; ratio of radiopharmaceutical uptake rate of the affected to normal axilla (RUA); and ratio of radioactivity of the affected to normal axilla (RRA). During a 1-year follow-up, patients with a circumferential interlimb difference of 2 cm at any measurement location and a 200-mL interlimb volume difference were diagnosed with lymphedema. We investigated the difference in quantitative lymphoscintigraphic assessment between the non-lymphedema and lymphedema groups. Results Quantitative lymphoscintigraphic assessment revealed that the RUA and RRA were significantly lower in the lymphedema group than in the non-lymphedema group. After adjusting the model for all significant variables (body mass index, N-stage, T-stage, type of surgery, and type of lymph node surgery), RRA was associated with lymphedema (odds ratio=0.14; 95% confidence interval, 0.04–0.46; p=0.001). Conclusion In patients in the early postoperative stage after unilateral breast cancer surgery, quantitative lymphoscintigraphic assessment can be used to predict the probability of developing lymphedema.
Impact of structured group activities on pre-service teachers’ beliefs about classroom motivation: an exploratory study

Pre-service teachers’ beliefs about classroom motivation, and how these beliefs may be developed during initial teacher preparation, is a relatively new aspect of enquiry in the fields of motivation and teacher education. An empirical study, grounded in a social constructivist perspective, was designed to examine the impact of providing pre-service teachers with opportunities to develop their existing beliefs about classroom motivation in interaction with peers. Participants were 53 teacher education students who participated in three semi-structured small group seminars, involving guided reflection and collaborative activities. Data were collected through matched pre- and post-questionnaires, and a final individual interview. The findings show that pre-service teachers’ initial beliefs about classroom motivation can be consolidated and expanded through engagement in semi-structured collaborative learning activities that induce in-depth reflection and examination of beliefs, and in authentic problem-solving situations that connect with theory. Implications for further research and teacher education are discussed.
Model predictive control based on linear programming - the explicit solution

We study model predictive control (MPC) schemes for discrete-time linear time-invariant systems with constraints on inputs and states, that can be formulated using a linear program (LP). In particular, we focus our attention on performance criteria based on a mixed 1 -norm, namely, 1-norm with respect to time and -norm with respect to space. First we provide a method to compute the terminal weight so that closed-loop stability is achieved. We then show that the optimal control profile is a piecewise affine and continuous function of the initial state and briefly describe the algorithm to compute it. The piecewise affine form allows to eliminate online LP, as the computation associated with MPC becomes a simple function evaluation. Besides practical advantages, the availability of the explicit structure of the MPC controller provides an insight into the type of control action in different regions of the state space, and highlights possible conditions of degeneracies of the LP, such as multiple optima.
Quantitative assessment of commercial filter ‘aids’ for red‐green colour defectives

The claims made for 43 commercial filter ‘aids’, that they improve the colour discrimination of red‐green colour defectives, are assessed for protanomaly and deuteranomaly by changes in the colour spacing of traffic signals (European Standard EN 1836:2005) and of the Farnsworth D15 test. Spectral transmittances of the ‘aids’ are measured and tristimulus values with and without ‘aids’ are computed using cone fundamentals and the spectral power distributions of either the D15 chips illuminated by CIE Illuminant C or of traffic signals. Chromaticities (l,s) are presented in cone excitation diagrams for protanomaly and deuteranomaly in terms of the relative excitation of their long (L), medium (M) and short (S) wavelength‐sensitive cones. After correcting for non‐uniform colour spacing in these diagrams, standard deviations parallel to the l and s axes are computed and enhancement factors El and Es are derived as the ratio of ‘aided’ to ‘unaided’ standard deviations. Values of El for traffic signals with most ‘aids’ are <1 and many do not meet the European signal detection standard. A few ‘aids’ have expansive El factors but with inadequate utility: the largest being 1.2 for traffic signals and 1.3 for the D15 colours. Analyses, replicated for 19 ‘aids’ from one manufacturer using 658 Munsell colours inside the D15 locus, yield El factors within 1% of those found for the 16 D15 colours.
Exploring Term Networks for Semantic Search over Large RDF Knowledge Graphs

Information retrieval approaches are currently regarded as a key technology to empower lay users to access the Web of Data. To assist such need, a large number of approaches such as Question Answering and Semantic Search have been developed. While Question Answering promises accurate results by returning a specific answer, Semantic Search engines are designed to retrieve the top-K resources on a given scoring function. In this work, we focus on the latter paradigm. We aim to address one of the major drawbacks of current implementations, i.e., the accuracy. We propose *P, a Semantic Search approach that explores term networks to answer keyword queries on large RDF knowledge graphs. The proposed method is based on a novel graph disambiguation model. The adequacy of the approach is demonstrated on the QALD benchmark data set against state-of-the-art Question Answering and Semantic Search systems as well as in the Triple Scoring Challenge at the International Conference on Web Search and Data Mining (WSDM) 2017. The results suggest that *P is more accurate than the currently best performing Semantic Search scoring function while achieving a performance comparable to an average Question Answering system.
Heterologous desensitization of the cyclic AMP-independent glycogenolytic response in rat liver cells.

Vasopressin and alpha-adrenergic agonists are known to be potent cyclic AMP-independent Ca2+-dependent activators of liver glycogen phosphorylase. When hepatocytes are pre-incubated with increasing concentrations of vasopressin or of the alpha-agonist phenylephrine, they become progressively unresponsive to a second addition of the respective agonist. The relative abilities of six vasopressin analogues and of five alpha-agonists to activate glycogen phosphorylase and to cause subsequent desensitization are highly correlated, indicating that the same vasopressin and alpha-adrenergic receptors are involved in both responses. About 5-times-higher peptide concentrations are needed to desensitize the cells than to activate their glycogen phosphorylase, whereas the concentrations of alpha-agonists required for the desensitization are only twice those needed for the activation of phosphorylase. The desensitization is not mediated by a perturbation in the agonist-receptor interaction. It is clearly heterologous, i.e. it is not agonist-specific, and must therefore involve a mechanism common to both series of agonists. The evidence for a role of Ca2+ movements or phosphatidylinositol turnover is briefly discussed.
Multi-Document Summarisation Using Generic Relation Extraction Ben Hachey Centre for Languate Tecnology Macquarie

Experiments are reported that investigate the effect of various source document representations on the accuracy of the sentence extraction phase of a multidocument summarisation task. A novel representation is introduced based on generic relation extraction (GRE), which aims to build systems for relation identification and characterisation that can be transferred across domains and tasks without modification of model parameters. Results demonstrate performance that is significantly higher than a non-trivial baseline that uses tf*idf -weighted words and at least as good as a comparable but less general approach from the literature. Analysis shows that the representations compared are complementary, suggesting that extraction performance could be further improved through system combination.
Biochemical and pharmacological study of biologically active preparation of placenta

Our aim was to perform some biochemical and pharmacological studies of bioactive bovine placental preparation via digestion of cow placenta using enzyme contained in swine stomach. Amino acid compositions and contents in biologically active preparation of placenta, obtained by digestion of cow placenta with enzyme contained in swine stomach were measured by HPLC technique and it was found that contents of such amino acids as glycine, proline and lysine were highest and 9 essential amino acids, including valine, histidine, methionine, lysine, threonine, arginine, phenylalanine, leucine and isoleucine were measured. In pharmacological study, acute toxicity (LD50) of the preparation and effect of the preparation on immune response to sheep erythrocyte were investigated in white mice, weighing 18 to 20 g each. The study revealed acute toxicity (LD50) of the preparation was 60 ml per kg. Spleen index of the first and second experimental group animals treated by the preparation during both provoked and unprovoked immune responses increased by 1.2 to 3.09 times as compared to that of negative control animals, while splenocyte count elevated by 1.2 to 2.2 times than negative control animals. Higher contents of essential amino acids of the biologically active preparation of cattle placenta shows its biologically higher nutritive value, as well as pharmacological study reveals the preparation has minimal toxicity and higher effect to stimulate immune responses.
No Influence of 3435C>T ABCB1 (MDR1) Gene Polymorphism on Risk of Adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia and P-glycoprotein Expression in Blast Cells

Inherited differences in xenobiotic transport and metabolism may play an important role in the development of adult acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and response to the chemotherapy. An ATP-binding cassette (ABC) family transporter P-glycoprotein (P-gp or ABCB1), encoded by ABCB1 (MDR1) gene, is involved in the protection against xenobiotics and multi-drug resistance. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential involvement of the ABCB1 gene exon 26 3435C>T single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the genetic susceptibility to AML and regulation of P-gp expression and activity in AML cells. A total of 180 adult AML patients and 180 sex-matched controls were genotyped using PCR-RFLP method. Moreover, in 40 AML patients ABCB1 gene expression was studied by real-time RT-PCR and P-gp expression and activity were assessed by flow cytometry assays. The prevalence of 3435C>T ABCB1 polymorphism was similar in patient and control cohorts (P = 0.16). Furthermore, the carriers of different ABCB1 genotypes did not differ significantly according to ABCB1 gene expression (P = 0.99), P-gp expression (P = 0.42) and P-gp activity (P = 0.83) in leukemic cells. The authors conclude that isolated 3435C>T ABCB1 SNP is not a major factor of the genetic susceptibility to adult AML, and that genotyping of this polymorphism does not allow predicting P-gp expression or activity in AML cells.
Peginterferon Alfa-2b Plus Ribavirin for the Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C Genotype 4

BACKGROUND:The hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype is an important predictive parameter for the success of pegylated interferon plus ribavirin therapy. To date, most published therapeutic trials have enrolled patients infected mainly with HCV genotypes 1, 2, and 3. Data regarding the responsiveness of genotype 4, the predominant type of HCV in the Middle East, are very limited.OBJECTIVE:To assess the efficacy of peginterferon alfa-2b in combination with ribavirin for the treatment of chronic hepatitis caused by HCV genotype 4.METHODS:Sixty-six treatment-naive patients infected with HCV genotype 4 were enrolled in this open label, prospective study. Cohort characteristics included the following: 48 M/18 F, mean age 45 ± 9 years, and mean weight 74 ± 8 kg. All patients had raised alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and were compensated. The mean pretreatment HCV-RNA level was 4.2 × 106 copies/ml (8.4 × 105 iu/ml) and median was 2.15 × 106 copies/ml. Twenty patients (29%) exhibited cirrhosis or severe fibrosis on pretreatment liver biopsy specimens. Participants were to receive peginterferon alfa-2b, 1.5 mcg/kg/wk plus ribavirin 1,000–1,200 mg/day for 48 wk. Patients were followed up for 24 wk after completing therapy. End of treatment viral response and sustained viral response (SVR) were defined as the absence of HCV-RNA from serum (<100 copies/ml) at 48 wk of treatment and at the end of follow-up, respectively. Data were analyzed on an intention-to-treat basis.RESULTS:End of treatment and sustained virologic response were 77% and 68%, respectively. Among patients with pretreatment HCV-RNA ≥2 × 106 SVR was 55% compared with SVR of 86% among patients with HCV-RNA < 2 × 106 (p = 0.05). Patients with cirrhosis or severe fibrosis had significantly lower SVR rate compared to those with mild or no fibrosis (29 vs 84%; p < 0.0002). Three patients (4%) discontinued therapy because of severe flu-like symptoms. Four patients developed hypothyroidism. Dose reduction of ribavirin and peginterferon alfa-2b was necessary in 15% and 6% of the patients, respectively.CONCLUSION:Peginterferon alfa-2b in combination with ribavirin is effective in the treatment of HCV genotype 4. The treatment was well tolerated by most of the patients.
Neither genetic nor observational data alone are sufficient for understanding sex‐biased dispersal in a social‐group‐living species

Complex sex‐biased dispersal patterns often characterize social‐group‐living species and may ultimately drive patterns of cooperation and competition within and among groups. This study investigates whether observational data or genetic data alone can elucidate the potentially complex dispersal patterns of social‐group‐living black and white colobus monkeys (Colobus guereza, ‘guerezas’), or whether combining both data types provides novel insights. We employed long‐term observation of eight neighbouring guereza groups in Kibale National Park, Uganda, as well as microsatellite genotyping of these and two other neighbouring groups. We created a statistical model to examine the observational data and used dyadic relatedness values within and among groups to analyse the genetic data. Analyses of observational and genetic data both supported the conclusion that males typically disperse from their natal groups and often transfer into nearby groups and probably beyond. Both data types also supported the conclusion that females are more philopatric than males but provided somewhat conflicting evidence about the extent of female philopatry. Observational data suggested that female dispersal is rare or nonexistent and transfers into neighbouring groups do not occur, but genetic data revealed numerous pairs of closely related adult females among neighbouring groups. Only by combining both data types were we able to understand the complexity of sex‐biased dispersal patterns in guerezas and the processes that could explain our seemingly conflicting results. We suggest that the data are compatible with a scenario of group dissolution prior to the start of this study, followed by female transfers into different neighbouring groups.
Cognitive Coping and Goal Adjustment After First-Time Myocardial Infarction: Relationships With Symptoms of Depression

The authors studied the relationships among cognitive coping strategies, goal adjustment processes (disengagement and reengagement), and depressive symptomatology in a sample of 139 patients who had experienced a first-time acute myocardial infarction between 3 and 12 months before data assessment. They assessed cognitive coping strategies, goal adjustment, and depressive symptoms by the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, the Goal Obstruction Questionnaire, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, respectively. Main statistical methods were Pearson correlations and multiple regression analyses. Results show significant associations among the cognitive coping strategies of rumination, catastrophizing, and higher depressive symptoms, as well as among positive refocusing, goal reengagement, and lower depressive symptoms. This suggests that cognitive coping and goal reengagement strategies may be useful targets for intervention.
Loss of heterozygosity at chromosomes 8p, 9p, and 14q is associated with stage and grade of non‐papillary renal cell carcinomas

In this study, 105 non‐papillary renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) have been examined for allelic loss at the chromosome 8p12–21.1, 9p21, and 14q24.2‐qter regions, each by two highly polymorphic microsatellites. Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) was detected at both chromosome 8p and 9p in 33 per cent of the cases and at chromosome 14q in 45 per cent of the tumours. A correlation of variables such as size, grade, and stage of tumours with these specific genetic alterations showed that loss of chromosomes 8p and 9p, and especially loss of chromosome 14q regions, is significantly associated with a higher grade of tumour and the combined LOH at these chromosomal sites with advanced tumour stage. These genetic alterations did not show any correlation with the size of non‐papillary RCCs. This study suggests that genetic markers at the above‐mentioned chromosomal sites can predict the clinical outcome of non‐papillary RCCs. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Molecular cloning of homologs of RAS and RHO1 genes from Cryptococcus neoformans

We cloned and sequenced homologs of RAS(CnRAS) and RHO1(CnRHO1) genes from Cryptococcus neoformans. The proteins encoded by the CnRAS and CnRHO1 genes contained 216 and 197 amino acids, respectively. The deduced amino acid sequence of the CnRAS gene shared a high degree of sequence identity with the Ras proteins in other fungal species: Coprinus cinereus(76%), Lentinula edodes(74%), Saccharomyces cerevisiae RAS2(72%), and Schizosaccharomyces pombe(68%). The deduced amino acid sequence of the CnRHO1 gene shared a high degree of sequence identity with the Rho1 proteins in other fungal species: Candida albicans(78%), S. pombe(77%) and S. cerevisiae(76%). The deduced proteins contained GTP‐binding and GTP‐hydrolysis domains, and the prenylation site that are conserved among the small G protein superfamily. The synthetic peptides that contained the C‐terminal amino acid sequence of the CnRas and CnRho1 proteins were geranylgeranylated. The DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank Accession Numbers of the CnRAS and CnRHO1 genes are AB017640 and AB017639, respectively. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.