Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of two irrigation protocols and obturation techniques on the apical sealing ability of different root canal sealers: An in vitro study

Abstract Aim: The aim of this study was to compare the influence of two irrigation protocols and obturation techniques on the apical seal of three endodontic sealers. Materials and Methods: Crowns of 130 single-rooted teeth were cut and 10 roots were selected as controls, and the remaining roots were divided into four experimental groups (n = 30) according to the type of irrigation protocol and obturation technique. Each group was divided into three subgroups (n = 10) according to the type of root canal sealer. All root canals were prepared with size F4 Protaper Universal and irrigated with 3% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) + 3% hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) (Groups 1 and 3) or 3% NaOCl + 2% chlorhexidine (CHX) (Groups 2 and 4). Two gutta-percha obturation techniques were used: single-cone (Groups 1 and 2) and continuous wave (Groups 3 and 4) techniques. The following sealers were tested: MTA Fillapex (Subgroup A), AH Plus (Subgroup B), and Realseal SE (Subgroup C). The apical seal was assessed using dye penetration method, and the data were statistically analyzed. Results: In the first group, AH Plus showed the best apical seal (0.46 ± 0.098 mm), while RealSeal SE system showed the worst apical seal (3.47 ± 0.434 mm). In the second group, MTA Fillapex (0.58 ± 0.115 mm) and AH Plus (0.63 ± 0.109 mm) showed the best apical seal. In the third and fourth groups, all types of sealers showed similar high leakage patterns. Marked increase in the apical seal of RealSeal was observed in the third group (1.71 ± 0.453 mm). Conclusions: The type of irrigation protocol and obturation technique could affect the apical seal of tested sealers. When the single-cone technique was used, AH Plus with NaOCl + H2O2 and MTA Fillapex with NaOCl + CHX irrigation protocols showed significantly a high apical seal. RealSeal SE showed the worst apical seal when canals were irrigated with NaOCl/H2O2 and filled with the single-cone technique. All sealers showed inferior results when used with the continuous wave technique.
Oral health status of hearing impaired individuals in a school in Vashi, Navi Mumbai

Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine the oral health status along with child's access, provider's attitude and parental knowledge towards oral care and barriers to dental care of differently abled children attending a school in Vashi, Navi Mumbai. Methodology: Dental caries was assessed using Dentition Status and Treatment Needs Index (1997) as per WHO criteria. Oral hygiene was assessed using Simplified Oral Hygiene Index. Eighty participants between 3-18 years of age. with hearing disability participated in the study. Results: The DMFT score in was 1.86+/-2.54. The mean oral hygiene score was 1.27+-1.04 showing that the oral hygiene was good. Dental trauma was minimal among these children. Conclusion: In conclusion, encouraging and promoting parents of these children to improve their oral health and developing innovative methods to improve communication between the hearing impaired and health care professional is of utmost importance.
Effects of carbophos on rat testopathy following resveratrol administration: An experimental study

Objective: Carbophos (CAR) is an organophosphate that is most capable of producing free radicals and inducing alteration in some of the male reproductive parameters. Resveratrol (RES) is an herbal polyphenol and exerts beneficial antioxidant effects. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of RES against CAR-induced alteration in reproductive parameters of male rats. Methods: In this experimental study, 48 male rats were randomly assigned to eight groups: Group 1: Normal control (saline) group; Group 2: CAR control (250 mg/kg) group; Groups 3–5: 2, 8, and 20 mg/kg RES, respectively, groups; Groups 6–8: CAR plus 2, 8, and 20 mg/kg RES, respectively, groups. The agents were administered intraperitoneally and by gavage daily for 65 days. Sperm parameters, testis malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, total antioxidant capacity, testosterone levels, and germinal layer height were evaluated and compared among these groups. Results: No significant alterations were observed in RES groups (with different doses) compared to the normal control group (P > 0.05). The levels of all parameters except MDA (which decreased) significantly increased in the CAR plus RES (with different doses) groups compared to the CAR control group (P < 0.01). Conclusions: RES attenuates the toxic effect of CAR on some of the male reproductive parameters.
Ventilator- and interface-related factors influencing patient-ventilator asynchrony during noninvasive ventilation

Patient-ventilator asynchrony (PVA) is common in patients receiving noninvasive ventilation (NIV). This occurs primarily when the triggering and cycling-off of ventilatory assistance are not synchronized with the patient's inspiratory efforts and could result in increased work of breathing and niv failure. In general, five types of asynchrony can occur during NIV: ineffective inspiratory efforts, double-triggering, auto-triggering, short-ventilatory cycling, and long-ventilatory cycling. Many factors that affect PVA are mostly related to the degree of air leakage, level of pressure support, and the type and properties of the interface used. Careful monitoring and adjustment of these factors are essential to reduce PVA and improve patient comfort. In this article, we discuss the machine and interface-related factors that influence PVA during NIV and its effect on the respiratory mechanics during pressure support ventilation, which is the ventilatory mode used most commonly during NIV. For that, we critically evaluated studies that assessed ventilator- and interface-related factors that influence PVA during NIV and proposed therapeutic solutions.
Innovation in Oncology Drug Development

Significant progress has been made in our understanding of the molecular lesions responsible for tumor cells to exhibit uncontrolled growth while circumventing normal mechanisms of apoptosis and their ability to migrate and invade normal tissues while evading recognition and destruction by the immune system. This understanding has enabled the development of therapies specifically targeted to these lesions coupled to innovative treatment regimens to most effectively use these new targeted therapies with precision in selected subpopulations of patients. Innovation at the scientific and clinical levels has been appropriately embraced and supported at the FDA, resulting in regulatory innovation to facilitate and adapt to the Precision Medicine environment.
Hypoxia promotes pulmonary vascular remodeling via HIF-1α to regulate mitochondrial dynamics

Background Increasing research suggests that mitochondrial defect plays a major role in pulmonary hypertension (PH) pathogenesis. Mitochondrial dynamics and quality control have a central role in the maintenance of the cell proliferation and apoptosis balance. However, the molecular mechanism underlying of this balance is still unknown. Methods To clarify the biological effects of hypoxic air exposure and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) on pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cell (PASMC) and pulmonary arterial hypertension rats, the cells were cultured in a hypoxic chamber under oxygen concentrations. Cell viability, reactive oxygen species level, cell death, mitochondrial morphology, mitochondrial membrane potential, mitochondrial function and mitochondrial biosynthesis, as well as fission-and fusion-related proteins, were measured under hypoxic conditions. In addition, rats were maintained under hypoxic conditions, and the right ventricular systolic pressure, right ventricular hypertrophy index and right ventricular weight/body weight ratio were examined and recorded. Further, we assessed the role of HIF-1α in the development and progression of PH using HIF-1α gene knockdown using small interfering RNA transfection. Mdivi-1 treatment was performed before hypoxia to inhibit dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1). Results We found that HIF-1α expression was increased during hypoxia, which was crucial for hypoxia-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and hypoxia-stimulated PASMCs proliferation and apoptosis. We also found that targeting mitochondrial fission Drp1 by mitochondrial division inhibitor Mdivi-1 was effective in PH model rats. The results showed that mitochondrial dynamics were involved in the pulmonary vascular remodeling under hypoxia in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, HIF-1α also modulated mitochondrial dynamics in pulmonary vascular remodeling under hypoxia through directly regulating the expression of Drp1. Conclusions In conclusion, our data suggests that abnormal mitochondrial dynamics could be a marker for the early diagnosis of PH and monitoring disease progression. Further research is needed to study the signaling pathways that govern mitochondrial fission/fusion in PH.
The effects of myricitrin and vitamin E against reproductive changes induced by D-galactose as an aging model in female mice: An experimental study

Abstract Background Aging is accompanied by decreasing general function in the cells and tissues. D-galactose (D-gal) induces aging and plays a role in the pathogenesis of it. Myricitrin is a plant-derived antioxidant. Objective The present study was performed to evaluate the effects of myricitrin on antioxidant defense, sex hormone levels, uterus, and ovarian histology in D-gal-induced aging female mouse model. Materials and Methods In this experimental study, 72 female adult NMRI mice, weighing 30-35 gr, 3-4 months old, were randomly divided into six groups (n = 12/each): (I) Control (vehicle; normal saline), (II) D-gal at 500 mg/kg/d for 45 days, (III-V) D-gal + myricitrin-treated groups (these groups received myricitrin at 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg/d, and (VI) D-gal + 100 mg/kg/d vitamin E orally for the last 28 days. The antioxidant indices were done on the basis of colorimetric method, and sex hormone levels were measured by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Histological assessment of the uterus and ovaries were also evaluated. Results D-gal impaired the estrous cycle, also degenerative changes occur in the ovarian follicles and damage to the uterus and ovarian tissue occurs. In D-gal group, the level of sex hormones (p = 0.03) and the total antioxidant capacity (p = 0.002) decreased, while the level of malondialdehyde and gonadotropins increased (p = 0.03). Myricitrin at lower doses and vitamin E ameliorated the D-gal effects. Conclusion These findings suggest that myricitrin at low doses can effectively prevent D-gal-induced oxidation and aging in mice. The effect of myricitrin was equivalent and sometimes better than vitamin E.
Magnetic properties of weak itinerant electron ferromagnets below the Curie temperature

The authors discuss how to treat the magnetic properties of the ordered phase of the weak itinerant electron ferromagnets using a method based on solving a differential equation for the transverse component of the magnetic susceptibility. They show that the simple analytic continuation of the paramagnetic solution does not give the stable solution in the ordered phase below Tc. The low-temperature solutions have an ambiguity corresponding to various choices of initial conditions. The authors discuss how to choose the unique stable solution at a finite temperature below Tc.
The Hierarchical Symbol Integration Model of Individual Differences in Mathematical Skill

Symbolic number knowledge is strongly related to mathematical performance for both children and adults. We present a model of symbolic number relations in which increasing skill is a function of hierarchical integration of symbolic associations. We tested the model by contrasting the performance of two groups of adults. One group was educated in China (n = 71) and had substantially higher levels of mathematical skill compared to the other group who was educated in Canada (n = 68). Both groups completed a variety of symbolic number tasks, including measures of cardinal number knowledge (number comparisons), ordinal number knowledge (ordinal judgments) and arithmetic fluency, as well as other mathematical measures, including number line estimation, fraction/algebra arithmetic and word problem solving. We hypothesized that Chinese-educated individuals, whose mathematical experiences include a strong emphasis on acquiring fluent access to symbolic associations among numbers, would show more integrated number symbol knowledge compared to Canadian-educated individuals. Multi-group path analysis supported the hierarchical symbol integration hypothesis. We discuss the implications of these results for understanding why performance on simple number processing tasks is persistently related to measures of mathematical performance that also involve more complex and varied numerical skills.
Modeling Customers' Intention to Use E-Wallet in a Developing Nation: Extending UTAUT2 With Security, Privacy and Savings

Intention to use e-wallets is affected by a number of factors which are related to consumer perception about privacy, security, price value, benefits etc. A sample of 613 customers of e-wallets in Punjab state in India was validated through mall intercept method. The results indicate that hedonic motivation, perceived security, general privacy, facilitating conditions, performance expectancy, perceived savings and social influence, and price value in this order, influence the intention to adopt e-wallets. Habit and effort expectancy are the hindrances that have a negative impact on the e-wallet adoption. Factors such as hedonic motivations, security, and privacy have larger roles. The service providers should maintain the privacy and security of users and engage customers by modifying the existing services' range and features. The study endorses reduction in the efforts of using e-wallets, and the conversion of habit into more willingly performed behavior. The resulting model can draw meaningful insights about adoption of this emerging payment platform.
mDia1/3-dependent actin polymerization spatiotemporally controls LAT phosphorylation by Zap70 at the immune synapse

mDia1/3 facilitate T cell receptor signaling via F-actin polymerization and are critical for T cell activation and development. The mechanism by which the cytosolic protein Zap70 physically interacts with and phosphorylates its substrate, the transmembrane protein LAT, upon T cell receptor (TCR) stimulation remains largely obscure. In this study, we found that the pharmacological inhibition of formins, a major class of actin nucleators, suppressed LAT phosphorylation by Zap70, despite TCR stimulation–dependent phosphorylation of Zap70 remaining intact. High-resolution imaging and three-dimensional image reconstruction revealed that localization of phosphorylated Zap70 to the immune synapse (IS) and subsequent LAT phosphorylation are critically dependent on formin-mediated actin polymerization. Using knockout mice, we identify mDia1 and mDia3, which are highly expressed in T cells and which localize to the IS upon TCR activation, as the critical formins mediating this process. Our findings therefore describe previously unsuspected roles for mDia1 and mDia3 in the spatiotemporal control of Zap70-dependent LAT phosphorylation at the IS through regulation of filamentous actin, and underscore their physiological importance in TCR signaling.
PRSS contributes to cetuximab resistance in colorectal cancer

PRSS leads to cetuximab resistance by cleaving the drug, and SPINK1 or modified mAbs can avoid PRSS cleavage. Cetuximab improves the survival of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. The main limitation is primary and secondary resistance, the underlying mechanism of which requires extensive investigation. We proved that PRSS expression levels are significantly negatively associated with the sensitivity of cancer cells to cetuximab. Detailed mechanistic analysis indicated that PRSS can cleave cetuximab, leading to resistance. Cetuximab or bevacizumab combined with SPINK1, a PRSS inhibitor, inhibited cell growth more efficiently than cetuximab or bevacizumab alone in xenograft models. PRSS levels in the serum of 156 patients with mCRC were analyzed, and poor efficacy of cetuximab therapy was observed in patients with aberrant PRSS expression. PRSS expression in monoclonal antibody (mAb)–treated patients with cancer from The Cancer Genome Atlas database was also evaluated to determine whether patients with higher PRSS expression have significantly reduced progression-free survival. Our work provides a strong scientific rationale for targeting PRSS in combination with cetuximab therapy.
Epidemiology of Spinal Cord Injuries and their Outcomes: A Retrospective Study at the King Khalid Hospital

Background: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a life-changing neurological injury. Besides having significant implications for the patient, SCI places a considerable burden upon healthcare resources. Common causes of SCI include falls, road traffic accident (RTA), gunshots, and bomb blast. There is limited national data recording the aetiology of SCI in Saudi Arabia. The aim of this study is to collate SCI data obtained from patients admitted to King Khalid hospital (KKH), Najran, over the year covering June 2018 to June 2019. Aim: To measure the frequency and epidemiology of SCI at KKH for all patients admitted to the hospital during the study period; also to evaluate the aetiologies and use the information to propose strategies to minimise SCI. Methods: Data for all patients admitted to KKH with SCI were assessed. Reviewed data included patients’ age, gender, nationality, the cause of SCI, and the outcome. Results: Throughout the study duration, a total of 182 patients were admitted with SCI. Of those, 53% were male, many of whom were between the ages of 16 and 30 years. Amongst males, the most common cause of SCI was RTA (59%); the second most common cause was falls (15%), which is almost tied with bomb blast (15%). Falls are the most common cause of SCI in females (13%); RTAs are the second most common cause of SCI in females. The majority of young patients were stable and had improved. However, six patients were paraplegic following RTA-initiated SCI; four patients were quadriplegic. Conclusion: The most common cause of SCI is RTA, which is followed by fall and bomb blast. The recovery prospects of young SCI patients tend to be better than the prospects of elderly patients.
Spontaneous coronary artery dissection in a patient with hereditary polycystic kidney disease and a recent liver transplant: a case report

Abstract Background Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is an underestimated cause of acute coronary syndromes. A predisposing arteriopathy is often present and a stressor can sometimes be identified. Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the most common hereditary kidney disorder; its associated arteriopathy has been described as a predisposing condition for SCAD. Case summary A 44-year-old woman with ADPKD presented in the emergency room with recent onset thoracic pain radiating to the left arm at rest. She had undergone a recent liver transplant, for which she had received high-dose corticosteroids during 1 month. She was still taking tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil. She had no traditional risk factors but had experienced stress postoperatively. She was known with moderate chronic kidney disease. The initial electrocardiogram (ECG) was normal but high-sensitive troponin T was significantly elevated. Coronary angiography demonstrated diffuse narrowing of the distal left anterior descending artery with preserved flow, compatible with a SCAD Type 2 that was treated conservatively. However, under dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with clopidogrel, the coronary dissection was progressive with new ischaemic ECG changes, further rise of troponins and development of apicoseptal hypokinesia. Because of the small vessel diameter and the preserved distal flow, conservative treatment was maintained. Clopidogrel was interrupted and the patient remained stable. Discussion As SCAD remains an underestimated cause of myocardial infarction, clinicians should be aware of the possibility of SCAD in ADPKD patients with chest pain. This case report illustrates that the decision DAPT vs. aspirin should be individualized in these patients.
The Lévy State Space Model

In this paper we introduce a new class of state space models based on shot-noise simulation representations of nonGaussian Lévy-driven linear systems, represented as stochastic differential equations. In particular a conditionally Gaussian version of the models is proposed that is able to capture heavy-tailed non-Gaussianity while retaining tractability for inference procedures. We focus on a canonical class of such processes, the α-stable Lévy processes, which retain important properties such as self-similarity and heavy-tails, while emphasizing that broader classes of non-Gaussian Lévy processes may be handled by similar methodology. An important feature is that we are able to marginalise both the skewness and the scale parameters of these challenging models from posterior probability distributions. The models are posed in continuous time and so are able to deal with irregular data arrival times. Example modelling and inference procedures are provided using Rao-Blackwellised sequential Monte Carlo applied to a two-dimensional Langevin model, and this is tested on real exchange rate data.
Celebrity Endorsement and Impulsive Buying Intentions in Social Commerce - The Case of Instagram in Indonesia: Celebrity Endorsement

Based on the source credibility model and social network aspects, the authors investigated how endorsement on social media affects consumers' perception of the brand, attractiveness of the product, and ultimately, their impulse to buy. It was postulated that the endorsers' attractiveness, expertise, and trustworthiness, along with their interactivity with followers to be positively related with consumers' attitude toward the brand and merchandise attractiveness, which in turn led to impulse to purchase. These hypotheses were tested by conducting online survey with 204 participants in Indonesia. Study findings indicate that attitude toward brand was influenced by attractiveness and trustworthiness of the endorser, product attractiveness was positively associated with expertise and trustworthiness of the endorser. Brand attitude and merchandise attractiveness, in turn, are positively related to impulse to purchase.
Effect of Qingkailing Injection on Platelet CD62P and Cytokines in Patients with Acute Cerebral Infarction

Objective; To study the therapeutic effect of Qingkailing Injection (QKL) for acute cerebral infarction (ACI) and its influence on platelet CD62P expression and cytokines contents in peripheral blood in patients. Methods: Sixty-five patients of ACI with in the first 72 hrs after onset were randomly divided into treated group (treated with QKL and low molecular dextran) and the control group (treated with low molecular dextran alone). Another group of 30 healthy adults was set up for normal control. Platelet CD62P expression was measured by flow cytometry and the levels of tumor necrosis factor a( TNF-α), interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were measured by electrochemoluminescence (ECL) before and after treatment. Results: Levels of CD62P, TNF-α, IL-2R and IL-6 in the ACI patients, either before or after treatment, were all obviously higher than those in the normal control group (P0.01 or P0.05), the elevation of CD62P expression was positively related with the elevation of the TNF-α, IL-2R and IL-6. After treatment, all the criteria tested decreased more significantly in the treated group after treatment than those in the control group ( P 0.05), and the clinical cure rate and markedly effective rate were also higher in the former than those in the latter ( P 0.05). Conclusion: The mechanism of QKL in treating ACI is related with its actions in inhibiting platelet activation, reducing the cytokines mediated immune response of central nerve system and eliminating inflammatory injury.