Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Regular dental attendance and periodontal health knowledge. A cross-sectional survey.

OBJECTIVES To explore dental clinics' performance on periodontal education by comparing knowledge about periodontal health of regular and inconsistent dental attenders. SUBJECTS AND METHODS A population-based study with a cross-sectional design was performed in Galicia (North-Western Spain). Participants were randomly selected from 16 different areas and a questionnaire applied face-to-face. The survey included items on socio-demographic features, habits and routines, periodontal status and periodontal health knowledge. Participants were grouped according to the median of overall knowledge and a logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the relationship between good periodontal knowledge and frequency of dental visits. RESULTS A total of 8,206 individuals were invited to enter the study and 3,553 of them accepted the invitation (43.3%). Most participants (59.3%; n = 1,945) fit within the regular dental attenders' group. Younger women holding a university degree and visiting their dentist regularly elicited higher knowledge about periodontal health. Regular use of dental services increased the chances of being in the higher knowledge group (OR: 1.67; 95%CI: 1.40 - 2.00). CONCLUSIONS Reported regular dental attendance is related to periodontal health knowledge. Specific interventions for promoting tailored patient education on periodontal topics during routine dental visits may have a positive effect on laypersons' knowledge about periodontal health.
Clinical Study of Malignant Melanoma for Recent 14 Years

Purpose: Recently, the incidence of malignant melanoma has been steadily increasing. Malignant melanoma is already known to have poorer prognosis than other primary skin cancers. Despite the poor prognosis, it is relatively less known to the public so that a number of patients visit hospital carrying advanced stage tumor. Yet, extensive study about malignant melanoma is currently insufficient, and specific guidelines and statistical figures in Korea are almost inexistent. Therefore, authors reviewed patients with malignant melanoma who have visited our hospital for last 14 years. Methods: Between January 1994 and January 2008, 62 patients were diagnosed with malignant melanoma at our hospital. A retrospective study was performed with data from patients' charts and biopsy results. Annual incidence, mean age of onset, gender, tumor location, tumor thickness, pathologic ulceration, clinicopathologic subtype, and clinical AJCC stage were evaluated. Analysis of factors associated with survival were performed using the Cox proportional hazard model. Kaplan-Meier method was used to generate survival curves. Results: Clinicopathologic features of 62 patients(32 male, 30 female) with average age of 57 years were evaluated. Most lesions were found in lower limb, and the most common subtype was acral lentiginous melanoma. We could also find that age, tumor thickness, and clinical stage were the only significant prognostic factors. Conclusion: Clinicopathologic features of malignant melanoma were analyzed in this study, but the result is not ready to be generalized because of the limited number of cases. Further study must be performed to report clinical guidelines for prognosis and treatment for malignant melanoma patients in Korea.
Is dental agenesis associated with craniofacial morphology pattern? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE Craniofacial discrepancies have been associated with congenital dental anomalies. The aim of this study was to determine if there is any scientific evidence in the literature regarding the association between dental agenesis and craniofacial morphology. MATERIALS AND METHODS A systematic review and meta-analysis following the PRISMA Statement were conducted and registered in PROSPERO database. A broad search was conducted on databases (PubMed, Virtual Health Library, Web of Science, and Scopus) and grey literature. Articles that were selected based on predetermined eligibility criteria were assessed for quality and risk of bias according to the guidelines described by Folkes and Fulton. Those articles with similarities were submitted to meta-analysis using the RevMan 5.3 program. The certainty of the evidence was tested using the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation). RESULTS An electronic search of 975 articles resulted in 12 articles. These and four articles identified through manual search were eligible to be assessed for methodological quality and the risk of bias. Eleven articles presented moderate to high methodological quality. The included articles observed a reduced mandibular plane, a smaller maxilla and more differences with the increase in the severity of dental agenesis. Seven articles were included in the meta-analyses. Dental agenesis presented smaller SNA angle (P < 0.0001/CI -1.74 [-2.55, -0.92]) with moderate certainty of the evidence; and smaller ANB angle (P = 0.01/CI -0.80 [-1.44, -0.17]), with low certainty of the evidence. CONCLUSIONS This systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrated that dental agenesis may be associated with specific craniofacial morphology. Further studies are necessary due to the variation of the certainty of the evidence. CONFLICT OF INTEREST none declared. REGISTRATION PROSPERO (CRD42017055882).
Apoe ϵ2‐ϵ4 genotype is a possible risk factor for primary progressive aphasia

Although the pathogenic mechanisms involved in frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are poorly known, the frequent occurrence of familial cases suggests the importance of genetic factors. The role of apolipoprotein E (ApoE) in FTD is controversial. An increased frequency of ApoE ε4 allele in patients with FTD and primary progressive aphasia (PPA) was reported in some studies, but not in others. An increased frequency of ε2 allele was detected in FTD, at variance with other investigations. Homozygosity for ε2ε2 genotype was also proposed as a risk factor for FTD. We examined 32 patients with a clinical diagnosis of probable FTD, including 15 patients with PPA, and 87 age-matched non-demented controls. Patients and controls were white, with Central Italian ancestry. ApoE genotyping was performed as previously described. As compared with controls (Table), in the FTD group and the PPA subgroup, there was a significant increase of ε2 and ε4 allele frequencies and a highly significant decrease of ε3 allele frequency. As compared with controls (Table), we observed in FTD group and the PPA subgroup a significant increase of ε2ε4 genotype frequency and a significant decrease of ε3ε3 genotype. All four FTD patients carrying the ε2ε4 genotype were affected by PPA. This study of a relatively large series of patients with a clinical diagnosis of FTD suggests that ApoE ε2ε4 genotype might represent a genetic risk factor for PPA, whereas ε2 and ε4 alleles might be risk factors for FTD and PPA. Conversely, ε3ε3 genotype and ε3 allele might have protective effects for FTD and PPA. At variance with the protective role of ε2 allele in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), this allele might play a pathogenic role in FTD and other neurodegenerative conditions, because it may increase the risk of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and the risk of dementia in PD. The pathogenic role of ε4 allele in FTD must be supported by neuropathologically confirmed studies, because an increased ε4 frequency might be caused by the inadvertent inclusion of patients with misdiagnosed AD. Although the association of ε2ε4 heterozygosity and PPA might be because of insufficient size or unknown specific features of our sample, such association may be explained by molecular heterosis, because subjects heterozygous for a genetic polymorphism may show a significantly greater effect (positive heterosis) for a quantitative or dichotomous trait than homozygotes for either allele. Further investigations on larger samples are required to clarify the role of ApoE ε2ε4 genotype in PPA and FTD and to elucidate the possible pathogenic mechanisms of risk and protection related to ApoE in these conditions.
BLOOD ANTIOXIDANT LEVELS AND ALTERATIONS OF SERUM CALCIUM AND PH IN HEMODIALYSIS PATIENTS

Background: The risk of atherosclerosis and cancer is high in hemodialysis (HD) patients. There is evidence that HD causes oxidative stress. However, the causative factors of oxidative stress are unknown. It has been suggested that HD imposes an additional oxidative stress on patients with chronic renal failure by activation of granulocytes on dialyzer membranes resulting in an imbalance between oxidants and antioxidants. In this regard, a number of reports, either measuring specific analytes or enzymes, or estimating the total antioxidant activity of the plasma have given contradictory and inconclusive results. To investigate the oxidative stress status in Iranian HD patients, in this study, we evaluated GSH and FRAP levels along with C a and p H in the blood of these patients. Methods: Along with 20 healthy age and gender matched control subjects, 24 patients underwent dialysis, three times per week, for four hours in each session. Before and after dialysis, blood was taken for biochemical and liver function tests and to evaluate oxidative stress markers and measure C a and p H levels. Results: There was a significant decrease in FRAP and GSH levels after dialysis compared to those before treatment. Dialysis caused an increase in p H and C a levels compared to levels in control subjects after dialysis. Conclusion: In general, before dialysis, there is a balance between oxidants and antioxidants; however, due to higher levels of oxidants as well as the possible binding of antioxidants to the dialyzer membrane during dialysis, an imbalance occurs. The instability in the balance of oxidants and antioxidants may be the major cause of cellular oxidative damage found in HD patients. This study indicates that there is a significant level of oxidative stress in renal chronic patients and this stress is augmented by dialysis. Antioxidant therapy should be considered in these patients. Abstract
METHOD DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF IMATINIB MESYLATE IN PHARMACEUTICAL DOSAGE FORM BY RP-HPLC

The present research work describes a rapid and accurate RP-HPLC for estimation and validation of Imatinib mesylate in tablet dosage form. It is used in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia. The separation of drug was achieved by on Phenomenex column (4.6 mm X 150 mm i.d) 5µ column. The mobile phase consists mixture Orthophosphoric buffer (pH 2.5): Methanol (50:50). The detection was carried out at a wavelength 263nm. The method was validated as per ICH guidelines for system suitability, linearity, accuracy, precision, robustness and stability of sample solution. The linear ranges for Imatinib mesylate were 10-50 µg/mL, 0.072-2.4 µg/mL respectively with good recoveries i.e., 100.5%.
Who helps? Supporting people who self-harm

This paper presents findings from a survey in which self-harmers were asked to indicate who they had consulted for help in the past and their level of satisfaction with these various sources of professional help. A total of 243 valid responses to an internet-based survey were obtained from users of electronic mailing groups. The survey included questions about who they had approached for help, how satisfied they were with that help and other information relating to the practice of self-harm. Medical personnel were rated as providing the most unsatisfactory support, while self-harm specialists were rated as providing the most satisfactory support. Respondents were more likely to self-harm at night, and the act of self-harm reduced anxiety, depression and confusion. Suggestions for effective intervention are considered in relation to literature on attitudes and behaviours towards self-harmers by health professionals and the need for re-education is emphasised.
Determinants of Induced Abortion and Its Consequences on Women's Reproductive Health: Findings from India's National Family Health Surveys

Objectives. To study the determinants of induced abortion among women in India and to examine the consequences of induced abortion on women’s reproductive health. Methods. The analysis is based on 90,303 ever-married women of reproductive age, 15-49 years, included in India’s second National Family Health Survey, conducted in 1998-99. Covariates included in the study are sex composition of living children, sex preference, women’s age at effective marriage, urban/rural residence, religion, caste/tribe, couple’s education, couple’s working status, media exposure, wealth status, and women’s autonomy. Binary logistic regression methods were used to examine the association between induced abortion and possible determinants, as well as consequences of induced abortion on women’s reproductive health. Results. At the national level, sex composition of living children, women’s autonomy, urban residence, couple’s education, and wealth status were found to be significantly associated with experience of induced abortion among women. However, the factors associated with induced abortion are found to be different in two distinct sociocultural set-ups in India. Although sex composition of living children and couple’s education were the major factors for induced abortion in the northern group of states, wealth status and caste/tribe status were the major factors for the southern group of states. The analysis also shows that, independent of other factors, the likelihood of experiencing any reproductive health problems was 1.5 times higher (odds ratio, 1.46; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.33-1.60; P < .001) among women who had one induced abortion and 1.9 times higher (odds ratio, 1.85; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.522.27; P < .001) among women who had two or more induced abortions compared with women with no history of induced abortion. Conclusions. This study identifies women’s desire to limit family size with preferred sex composition of children as an important determinant of induced abortion in India. The study also suggests that induced abortions may have negative consequences for women’s reproductive health. There is a need for more in-depth qualitative studies at the regional level to better understand the determinants and consequences of this complex and sensitive issue in India. Programs should focus more on the availability and accessibility of contraceptives among women to elude the reproductive health consequences of induced abortion.
Variation of Origin of Left Vertebral Artery: Phylogenic Correlation and Clinical Implication

Variations in the branching pattern of aortic arch are caused by alterations in embryological mechanisms and are implicated in certain clinical manifestations. Anomalous origin of supra aortic arch vessels are common and their detection is important for vascular surgeries of thorax and head and neck. Stenosis of Vertebral Artery (VA) is an important etiological factor for stroke involving posterior cerebrum. Advanced imaging studies like angiograms reveal conditions like VA occlusion prior to surgery. During the course of routine cadaveric dissection for student demonstration a 62 year old male cadaver presented unusual origin of Left Vertebral Artery (LVA). Anomalous of origin and distribution of LVA and its branches can lead to impaired cerebral hemodynamics and cerebral dysfunctions.
A cross sectional study of thalassemia in Ahmedabad City, Gujarat. (Hospital based).

Thalassemia is a quantitative problem of too few globins synthesized, whereas sickle-cell anemia (a hemoglobinopathy) is a qualitative problem of synthesis of an incorrectly functioning globin. The present study was undertaken with objective to study the occurrence and socio-demographic profile of thalassemia cases. There were 223 patients (55 from Municipal Corporation Hospitals & 168 from New civil hospital, Ahmedabad) admitted in the hospitals during January 2006 to March 2009.Majority of patients were males, from 1-5 year age group and from Hindu community. Majority of patients from corporation hospitals had more frequency of blood transfusion compared to government hospital. Thalassemia major cases were higher compared to minor.
Cholesterol: A necessary evil from a multiple sclerosis perspective

Cholesterol and lipid are essential component of nerve cells. They are found in abundant quantities in the brain, with the largest pool of free cholesterol in the myelin sheath, a crucial component taking part in electrochemical conduction along the axons. However, disruption in cholesterol homeostasis becomes detrimental, as seen in multiple sclerosis (MS) at its various stages. MS is a complex disorder that is characterized by ongoing inflammatory, demyelinating and neurodegenerative processes. With an extensive literature search and critical review, we found that emerging epidemiological and molecular evidence suggests that cholesterol might have: (i) a causal relationship with MS; (ii) a positive association with the progression in disability in MS with an increase in cholesterol level; and (iii) an important role to play as a biomarker predicting MS disease course and the therapeutic response. The present review also highlights the possible therapeutic role of cholesterol and lipids in MS.
IS CHLORHEXIDINE AN IDEAL VEHICLE FOR CALCIUM HYDROXIDE? A MICROBIOLOGIC REVIEW (REVIEW ARTICLE)

Microorganisms play a major role in the initiation and perpetuation of pulpal and periapical disease. In order to predictably achieve a bacteria-free root canal system, it is necessary to use intracanal medicaments. Calcium hydroxide [Ca(OH)2] is the most common intracanal medicaments. It is effective against primary infections. However, its effectiveness against Enterococcus (E.) faecalis and Candida (C.) albicans is controversial. On the other hand, chlorhexidine (CHX) is a potent agent against E. faecalis and C. albicans. For this reason, the combination of Ca(OH)2 and CHX has been suggested as an intracanal medicament. The purpose of this article was to review antimicrobial efficacy of Ca(OH)2, CHX as well as their combination.
Assessing the feasibility of a reduced exertion, low-volume, high-intensity interval training (HIT) protocol: a pilot study

Divergence between the evolutionary design of our genome and lifestyle triggers cardiometabolic disease, including diabetes mellitus. Various iterations of low-volume, high-intensity interval training (HIT) can improve risk factors in a manner considered more time-efficient than traditional exercise guidelines. However, the intensity of HIT may present another barrier to participation. Reduced-exertion HIT has shown beneficial effects with relatively low ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) in healthy young participants (Metcalfe et al ., 2011, European Journal of Applied Physiology , 112, 2767–2775). The aim of this study was to replicate this finding to assess feasibility for a larger trial using diabetic patients. With institutional ethics approval, 11 recreationally active participants (3 females, 8 males; age, 22.3 ± 7.3 years; stature, 1.73 ± 0.1 m; mass, 71.9 ± 13.6 kg, BMI, 23.8 ± 2.2 kg·m 2 ) (mean ± SD) took part in a HIT intervention consisting 10 minutes of cycling at 60 W interspersed with 2 × 10–20 s cycling sprints against a braking force equal to 7.5% of body weight. The number of sprints increased over the course of the intervention (2 × 10 s in week 1; 2 × 15 s in weeks 2–3; and 2 × 20 s in week 4). A warm-up (3 min at 30–60 W) and cool down (3 min at 30 W) were also included. Participants performed this activity 2–3 times per week resulting in a total duration of exercise per week of 20–30 minutes. RPE was reported immediately after completion of each HIT session. Whole blood fasting glucose, peak oxygen uptake and body composition were also measured before and after the 4 week intervention. HIT resulted in higher average RPE values (17 ± 1) than those reported by Metcalfe et al . (~13 ± 1). VO 2peak was increased post-intervention (49.27 ± 9.17 ml·kg·min -1 [95%
Helping Carers Care: An Education Programme for Rural Carers of People with a Mental Illness

Objective: To provide descriptive information about a short-term educational programme for rural carers of people with a mental illness, living in the Loddon Campaspe Southern Mallee region. Method: The Carers Education Exchange Programme is a flexible, needsbased model that can be modified to cater for individual groups. It consists of a number of sessions on topics relevant to caring for someone with a mental illness, held over a period of several weeks. The programme is offered at locations throughout the region, making it accessible to carers in isolated, rural areas. Results: Feedback indicates that the benefits of participating in the programme include the reduction of isolation and stigma, increased understanding of mental illness, development of skills relevant to the caring role and the formation of supportive networks, both professional and personal. Conclusions: Educational group programmes for carers are an effective way of providing both education and support. This programme can assist in reducing some of the distress and difficulties inherent in caring for someone with a mental illness. Carer well-being is enhanced by the promotion of self-care and a positive outlook.
Frequency of three common mutations of CARD15/NOD2 gene in Jordanian patients with Crohn's disease.

Background and Aims: CARD15/NOD2 is recognized as a major susceptibility gene for Crohn’s disease. Several mutations of CARD15/NOD2 have been reported in different racial groups. We aimed to investigate the frequency of three common CARD15/NOD2 mutations in a Jordanian Original Research Article Jadallah et al.; BJMMR, 7(2): 93-105, 2015; Article no.BJMMR. 2015.312 94 Crohn’s disease cohort. Methodology: Fifty one unrelated Crohn’s disease patients and fifty one ageand sex-matched healthy controls were recruited at two hospitals in Jordan. Demographic and phenotypic characteristics of patients were ascertained. Allele frequencies for three CARD15/NOD2 mutations (G2722C, C2104T, 3020insC) were determined by PCR-RFLP, ARM-PCR, and direct sequencing using allele specific primers. Results: The frequencies of G2722C alleles in Crohn’s disease patients were higher but not statistically significant as compared to healthy controls (5.9% vs. 1.9%; P = 0.32). On the other hand, C2104T and 3020insC mutations have not been detected in Crohn’s disease patients or healthy controls. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that common mutations of CARD15/NOD2 gene in White patients with Crohn’s disease are not associated with Crohn’s disease in the Jordanian population. Further studies are needed to ascertain the effect of these and other mutations on Crohn’s disease susceptibility and behavior in our population.
A Corpus-Based Study on Attitudinal Stance in Native and Non- Native Academic Writing

Although objective voice is extensively considered among the fundamentals of academic writing, author stance, ‘the way academics annotate their texts to comment on the possible accuracy or creditability of a claim, the extent they want to commit themselves to it, or the attitude they want to convey to an entity, a proposition or the reader’ (Hyland, 2005), seem to be involved in the production of scientific research papers. That is, no matter how academics, especially those who work in the field of social sciences, endeavour to employ impersonal expressions for the sake of objectivity, they inevitably adopt a certain stance while reporting their findings and sometimes even making suggestions for further research. This study investigates the use of attitudinal stance devices in Academic English by native and non-native academic authors of English. Being corpus-based in design, it reports the results of the Contrastive Inter language Analysis (Granger, 1996) administered to doctoral dissertations written by Turkish-speaking, Spanish-speaking and native academic authors of English. Frequencies attitudinal stance devices were separately calculated for each corpus and a log-likelihood test was applied to see whether the authors in concern significantly differ with respect to the use of these devices.