Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Investigation of the Effect of Various Fluoride Compounds and Preparations Thereof on Erosive Tissue Loss in Enamel in vitro

Metal fluoride preparations are promising in view of protection against dental erosion. The aim of this study was to screen the effect fluoride preparations containing various polyvalent metal cations had on erosion progression under increasingly severe erosive conditions in human enamel in vitro. Specimens were subjected to a cyclic de- and remineralisation procedure. Demineralisation (experiment E1 and E2a: 6 × 2 min/day, experiment E2b: 6 × 5 min/day) was performed with 0.05 M citric acid (pH 2.3). Fluoridation directly followed demineralisation and was reduced stepwise (E1: 6 × 2 min/day, E2a and E2b: 2 × 2 min/day). The test solutions were: ZnF2 (E1), AmF/NaF/CuSO4 (E1), TiF4/AmF/Zn lactate (E1), TiF4 (E1, E2a), TiF4/AmF (E2a), TiF4/AmF/NaF (E2a), TiF4/AmF/ZnF2 (E1, E2a, E2b), AmF/NaF/SnCl2 (2,800 mg/l Sn2+; E1, E2a, E2b), AmF/NaF/SnCl2-1 (700 mg/l Sn2+; E2a, E2b), all 1,500 ppm F–, pH 4.5, and AmF/SnF2 (positive control, pH 4.2, 250 ppm F–; E1, E2a, E2b). In the negative control group, specimens were not fluoridated. Tissue loss was determined by profilometry after the last experimental day. Under mild conditions (E1), tin- and titanium-containing solutions were of marked efficacy and could nearly completely inhibit erosive tissue loss (reduction between 94.2 and 97.5%). With increasingly severe conditions (E2a, E2b), titanium lost its efficacy. Only the highly concentrated tin preparation (2,800 mg/l Sn2+) was able to reduce erosive tissue loss by 93.1%, even under severe conditions (E2b), with less frequent application of the experimental preparations. It should be considered for approaches for a symptomatic therapy of dental erosion.
The effect of sodium nitroprusside on cerebral hemodynamics and headache in healthy subjects

Investigation Sodium nitroprusside (SNP) is a powerful vasodilatory agent that, similarly to glyceryl trinitrate (GTN), releases nitric oxide (NO) but in contrast does not pass the blood-brain barrier. Nevertheless, it has already been used in animal models without any knowledge of its headache-inducing potential. We hypothesized that SNP would induce headache and vasodilation of cephalic and radial but not cerebral arteries. Methods Five healthy volunteers received intravenous infusions of SNP in a non-randomized dose-titration (1–5 µg/kg/min) study. We recorded headache intensity (verbal rating scale from 0 to 10), velocity in the middle cerebral artery (VMCA), and diameters of the superficial temporal artery (STA) and radial artery (RA). Results All participants reported a dose-related headache (median peak = 2.5, range 0–3). SNP dilated the STA and RA, caused a marked increase of heart rate and a decrease of mean arterial pressure (MAP) and partial pressure of end-tidal carbon dioxide (PetCO2). We found that SNP decreased the velocity of the VMCA, but this was canceled by a decrease of cerebral blood flow (CBF) due to hypocapnia. Conclusion The present study shows that SNP is a headache-inducing agent with close similarities to headaches induced by GTN and probably without effect on intracerebral arteries.
Antioxidant treatment improves in vivo cardiac and skeletal muscle bioenergetics in patients with Friedreich's ataxia

Friedreich's ataxia (FA) is the most common form of autosomal recessive spinocerebellar ataxia and is often associated with a cardiomyopathy. The disease is caused by an expanded intronic GAA repeat, which results in deficiency of a mitochondrial protein called frataxin. In the yeast YFH1 knockout model of the disease there is evidence that frataxin deficiency leads to a severe defect of mitochondrial respiration, intramitochondrial iron accumulation, and associated production of oxygen free radicals. Recently, the analysis of FA cardiac and skeletal muscle samples and in vivo phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P‐MRS) has confirmed the deficits of respiratory chain complexes in these tissues. The role of oxidative stress in FA is further supported by the accumulation of iron and decreased aconitase activities in cardiac muscle. We used 31P‐MRS to evaluate the effect of 6 months of antioxidant treatment (Coenzyme Q10 400 mg/day, vitamin E 2,100 IU/day) on cardiac and calf muscle energy metabolism in 10 FA patients. After only 3 months of treatment, the cardiac phosphocreatine to ATP ratio showed a mean relative increase to 178% (p = 0.03) and the maximum rate of skeletal muscle mitochondrial ATP production increased to 139% (p = 0.01) of their respective baseline values in the FA patients. These improvements, greater in prehypertrophic hearts and in the muscle of patients with longer GAA repeats, were sustained after 6 months of therapy. The neurological and echocardiographic evaluations did not show any consistent benefits of the therapy after 6 months. This study demonstrates partial reversal of a surrogate biochemical marker in FA with antioxidant therapy and supports the evaluation of such therapy as a disease‐modifying strategy in this neurodegenerative disorder.
Intermediate filaments in motion: observations of intermediate filaments in cells using green fluorescent protein-vimentin.

In the movies presented in this essay we have demonstrated that IFs are dynamic in nature. Movements of IFs include both extension and retraction and are dependent on the presence of intact MTs. Furthermore, we have characterized a possible intermediate of IF turnover, IF fragments. These fragments are also dynamic and can be visualized moving at the leading edge of cells migrating into a wound edge. Interestingly, the movement of these fragments is also dependent on intact MTs, suggesting that MTs may play a role in turnover of IFs.
COMT gene polymorphism association and drug response in Tourette syndrome.

Departments of Psychiatry, Diagnostic and Evaluation, College of Medicine, Dankook University, Cheonan, Cell Biology Laboratory, Korean Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, Dong-A University, Busan, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Chonbuk National University, Chonju and Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea Correspondence to Myung Ho Lim, MD, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Dankook University, Cheonan, South Korea Tel: + 82 41 5503945; fax: + 82 41 5613007; e-mail: paperose@dku.edu
A critical level of protein synthesis is required for long‐term potentiation

Long‐term potentiation (LTP) of the hippocampal population spike in area CA1 was studied in the hippocampal slice before, during, and after inhibition of protein synthesis. LTP was tested 15 and 30 min following addition of the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide (CXM) to the bathing medium. Stimulation‐induced LTP of the population spike was reduced in slices incubated in CXM for 15 min and completely blocked if incubated for 30 min. Measures of protein synthesis inhibition under the same conditions showed 79% at 15 min and 85% after 30 min. Tests of the effects of repeated LTP treatments at these same time points in the absence of CXM and evaluation of the time course of recovery of LTP from CXM blockade were also conducted. The results confirm previous observations and indicate that a critical amount of protein synthesis inhibition is required to completely block LTP in the hippocampal slice.
Neonatal milk supplementation in lambs has persistent effects on growth and metabolic function that differ by sex and gestational age

Abstract The perinatal environment has a major influence on long-term health and disease risk. Preterm birth alters early-life environment and is associated with altered metabolic function in adulthood. Whether preterm birth per se or the early nutritional interventions used to support growth in preterm infants underpins this association is unknown. Lambs born preterm, following dexamethasone induction of labour, or spontaneously at term were randomised to receive nutrient supplementation, analogous to the milk fortifier used clinically or water as a control for the first 2 weeks after birth. Thereafter, nutrition was not different between groups. Growth was monitored, and the glucose–insulin axis function was assessed in juvenile (4 months) and adult life (14 months). Early nutrition influenced adult metabolic function and body composition to a greater extent than preterm birth. In supplemented females, arginine-stimulated insulin secretion was increased in preterm but reduced in term-born juveniles compared with controls (repeated-measures ANOVA P<0·01). In supplemented preterm males, adult weight, ponderal index (PI) and fasting insulin concentrations were elevated compared with preterm controls (weight, 75 (sem 3) v. 69 (sem 2) kg; PI, 48·0 (sem 2·1) v. 43·7 (sem 1·7) kg/m3; fasting insulin, 0·19 (sem 0·02) v. 0·10 (sem 0·02) ng/ml). Conversely, supplemented term-born males had reduced adult weight, PI and fasting insulin concentrations compared with term-born controls (weight, 64 (sem 2) v. 70 (sem 2) kg; PI, 44·4 (sem 1·8) v. 48·2 (sem 1·7) kg/m3; fasting insulin, 0·09 (sem 0·02) v. 0·14 (sem 0·02) ng/ml; all group×supplement interactions P<0·05). Adult metabolic health may reflect both gestational age at birth and early nutrition. Human studies are urgently needed to investigate the adult sex-specific health implications of neonatal nutritional strategies.
Cryptic diversity of the subfamily Calaphidinae (Hemiptera: Aphididae) revealed by comprehensive DNA barcoding

Aphids are a species rich group comprising many important pests. However, species identification can be very difficult for aphids due to their morphological ambiguity. DNA barcoding has been widely adopted for rapid and reliable species identification as well as cryptic species detection. In this study, we investigated cryptic diversity in the subfamily Calaphidinae (Hemiptera: Aphididae) based on 899 sequences of cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) for 115 morphospecies (78 species collected in this study and sequences of 73 species downloaded from Genbank). Among these 115 morphospecies, DNA barcoding results of 90 (78.3%) species were identical to results of morphological identification. However, 25 (21.7%) morphospecies showed discrepancies between DNA barcoding and traditional taxonomy. Among these 25 discordances, a total of 15 cryptic species were identified from 12 morphospecies. We also found three morphologically distinct species pairs that sharing DNA barcoding. Based on molecular operational taxonomic unit (MOTU) estimation, we discussed on species delimitation threshold value for these taxa. Our findings confirm that Calaphidinae has high cryptic diversity even though aphids are relatively well-studied.
Hypothalamic neurohistochemistry of the murine anorexia (anx/anx) mutation: Altered processing of neuropeptide Y in the arcuate nucleus

Neuropeptide Y is one of the most powerful neurochemical stimulants of food intake known. The neuronal substrate for this action is believed to be the neuropeptide Y‐expressing cell population in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus. In this study, mice homozygous for the anorexia mutation (anx) were investigated histochemically; anx is a recessive mutation that causes decreased food intake and starvation, leading to death 22 days after birth. We were interested to see whether any hypothalamic neurochemical abnormalities could be detected in this genetic model of starvation. By using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization, the hypothalamic distributions of neuropeptide Y, cholecystokinin, galanin, and serotonin, all messenger molecules postulated to be involved in the regulation of food intake and energy metabolism, were investigated. Immunoreactivities for somatostatin, the excitatory amino acid aspartate, and acetylcholinesterase were also studied. Neuropeptide Y‐like immunoreactivity was increased markedly in arcuate cell bodies and decreased in terminals in the arcuate nucleus and other hypothalamic regions of anx/anx mice compared with normal litter mates. In situ hybridization for neuropeptide Y mRNA, however, showed no significant difference in gene expression in the arcuate nucleus. In addition, immunoreactivities for aspartate, acetylcholinesterase, and somatostatin in the arcuate nucleus were decreased in anx/anx mice. For cholecystokinin, galanin, and serotonin, no certain differences in hypothalamic immunoreactivity could be seen. These data suggest that a defect in neuropeptide Y‐ergic signalling in the arcuate neurons may contribute to the failure to thrive in anx/anx mice. J. Comp. Neurol. 387:124–135, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Screening for depression and anxiety disorders in primary care patients

Mood and anxiety disorders are highly prevalent in primary health care. In this study we assessed performance of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) for screening of depression and anxiety disorders in a population of primary care patients. A total of 503 primary care patients consecutively admitted to the primary care medical center in Kaunas, Lithuania, completed the study. We found that the HADS subscale of depression (HADS‐D) at a cutoff score of 6 or more showed the best performance screening for a major depressive episode diagnosed by means of the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), with a sensitivity of 80%, specificity of 69%, positive predictive value of 80%, negative predictive value of 92%, and area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of 0.75. Performance of the HADS‐D against MINI diagnosis of dysthymia was weak. The HADS subscale of anxiety (HADS‐A) at a cutoff score of 9 or more showed the best performance screening for MINI diagnosis of overall anxiety disorders, with a sensitivity of 77%, specificity of 75%, positive predictive value of 53%, negative predictive value of 90%, and area under the ROC curve of 0.76. These results suggest that in primary care patients HADS is an adequate screening instrument for the MINI diagnoses of major depressive episode, but not for dysthymia at a cutoff score of 6, and for anxiety disorders at a cutoff score of 9. Depression and Anxiety 24:455–460, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Haptic Identification of Letters Using the Left or Right Hand

The present study investigated the effects of the use of the right and left hands on haptic identification of letters of the alphabet. Each of the 64 right-handed subjects was given three series of randomly ordered presentations of the 26 letters of the alphabet. The subjects were asked to feel each letter and name correctly each letter as quickly but as accurately as possible. Analysis showed faster identification by those subjects using their left hands on Series 1 with no hand-differences appearing on Series 2 and 3. Significant over-all improvement in identification time occured with practice. The results were interpreted in terms of a novelty hypothesis of right-hemisphere function and an explanation of perceptual learning of letter identification.
Sessile oak forest plant community changes on the NE Iberian Peninsula over recent decades

Our aims were 3-fold: (i) to determine whether global change has altered the composition and structure of the plant community found in the sessile oak forests on the NE Iberian Peninsula over the last decades, (ii) to establish whether the decline in forest exploitation activities that has taken place since the mid-20th century has had any effect on the forests and (iii) to ascertain whether there is any evidence of impact from climate warming.We assess changes in the plant community by comparing a current survey of sessile oak forest with a historical data set obtained from previous regional studies dating from 1962 to 1977. We analyse the regional changes in the community in terms of biodiversity variables, species composition and plant traits. Furthermore, plants traits such as plant life forms and chorological groups are used to discern any effects from land-use changes and climate warming on the plant community.There has been a loss of diversity in the community and, in the hottest region, there is also a loss of species richness. The composition of the community suggests that, although significant changes have taken place over recent decades, these changes differ between regions as a result of the low impact global change has had in the western regions. For instance, while the tree canopy cover in the western sessile oak forests remains stable, the eastern sessile oak forests are still recovering from the former exploitation that led to a loss of their rich and abundant herbaceous stratum. In fact, the recovery process in the Catalan Pre-Coastal Range has constituted an increase in the Euro-Siberian plants typical to this community. Moreover, in the eastern forests, there is evidence that climate warming has impacted the thermophilization of the sessile oak forests found on the Coastal Range.
Measuring quality of life after injury

Injuries often result in a series of negative consequences for individuals, their families, close friends and wider society.1 Quality of life, or more specifically health-related quality of life, after injury is essentially a summary measure of the health impact of non-fatal injuries on individuals. It is most commonly measured using multi-attribute utility instruments (MAUIs), such as the EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D) or the Health Utility Index (HUI2, HUI3). 2 3 MAUIs are standardised health-state classifications which can be used to produce a single utility score based on individuals' responses to questions on the impact of health conditions or injuries on their lives and the preferences of the general public for different health states. The utility scores are designed to range from 0 to 1, and together with information on the duration of health states are used to produce the ‘years lived with disability’ component of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). 4 There are two different approaches to calculating DALYs for injuries. One approach is to use panels of people to provide relative valuations of different health states based on a limited number of vignettes or idealised case descriptors—for example, the Global …
A CASE OF TRANSPLACENTAL HAEMORRHAGE

A multigravida, aged 34, who was under treatment for chronic backache due to slight scoliosis. Past obstetric history: in 1949, normal delivery, female weighing 7 pounds 8 ounces; in 1951, an abortion; in 1952, a normal delivery, male weighing 7 pounds 8 ounces. Present pregnancy : last menstrual period, 10th July, 1961. Expected date of delivery, 17th April, 1962. She was booked at St. Paul’s Hospital, Hemel Hempstead. Apart from troublesome backache, pregnancy was normal until the thirty-sixth week. The baby was found to be in the left sacro-anterior position. External cephalic version was unsuccessful then, but easily performed at the thirty-seventh week. The blood pressure had risen to 135/85. The weight gain was normal and was now 10 stones 10 pounds. At the thirty-eighth week, the blood pressure was 140/100, weight, 10 stones 12 pounds. She was admitted. The backache had become crippling. Surgical induction of labour was performed by low rupture of the membranes. Contractions commenced three and a half hours later. Normal delivery occurred sixteen hours after induction. The blood pressure was l50/90 after delivery; the urine was normal. The placenta was normal. The infant, a female, weighing 6 pounds 4 ounces, was limp and pale, suggesting white asphyxia. Routine resuscitative measures were carried out and respirations fully established in five minutes. When four hours old the baby was still pale; moved all limbs and all reflexes were present. There was no icterus, nor purpura. The spleen was not palpable. The liver edge was just palpable. There was no evidence of any haemorrhage. Meconium was of normal colour. The haemoglobin was 9.6 g. /lOO ml. (65 per cent). Serum bilirubin 2.4 mg. /100 ml. Direct Coomb’s test negative. Blood group AB, Rhesus positive. The mother’s blood, group AB and Rhesus negative, contained Rhesus positive cells, demonstrated by differential agglutination. The total number of cells was not counted. Electrophoretic analysis showed increased amounts of haemoglobin F. No Rhesus antibodies were demonstrated. The baby was given a blood transfusion of 80 ml. of group AB, Rhesus positive sedimented cells through the umbilical vein. This volume was calculated on the basis that the total blood volume would be 240 ml. and the haemoglobin 18 g. /100 ml. in a baby weighing 6 pounds 4 ounces. Three days later the haemoglobin was 17.9 g. /100 ml. Three months after delivery no foetal red cells were detected, nor antibodies demonstrated.
Use of a Consensus Building Approach to Plan Speech Services for Children with Cleft Palate in India

Cleft lip and palate (CLP) is a common birth defect worldwide. While surgical repair can normalize appearance, debilitating speech disorders frequently persist. Speech-language pathology (SLP) services are needed to address these disorders. However in many regions of the world, there is no discipline of SLP or inadequate numbers of trained clinicians. New models for service delivery must be explored to address the needs of children with CLP. Community-based rehabilitation (CBR) programs represent one model that has been successful in the delivery of other rehabilitation services. This paper presents the outcome of a consensus workshop held in India that explored the application of the CBR model to address the need for SLP services for children with CLP when traditional SLP services are limited or not available.
How to Overcome Antiviral-Resistant Hepatitis B Virus?

The goal of antiviral therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis B is long-lasting suppression of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA, normalization of serum alanine aminotransferase and prevention of progression of chronic liver disease to liver cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma and death. Even though substantial advances have been made in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B in the past decade with the use of oral nucleoside/nucleotide analogs, emergence of antiviral resistance is the most important factor in treatment failure for chronic hepatitis B. Herein, we will discuss how to prevent antiviral resistance.
Co-infection of bovine papillomavirus type-1 and -10 in teat warts of dairy cattle

The present study was carried out to investigate the involvement of different bovine papillomavi - ruses in the teat warts of cattle. A total of 11 teat wart samples showing rice grain-like and small, sessile elevated greyish or flesh-like growths were collected from dairy cattle. DNA was extracted from these teat wart samples and PCR and real time PCR techniques were applied using specific primers for BPV-1 and -10 to detect the pres - ence of viral nucleic acid. PCR revealed the presence of viral DNA of BPV-1 and -10 in three and seven samples, respectively. Quantification using real time PCR revealed that the copy numbers of the viral DNA of BPV-1 and -10 DNA varied from 1.12E + 04 to 2.99E + 04 and 3.56E + 02 to 5.23E + 06, respectively. From the present study it can be concluded that BPV-1 and -10 are involved in production of rice grain-like and sessile elevated growths on the teats of cattle.