Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Using the Expanded Andersen Model to Determine Factors Associated with Mexican Adolescents’ Utilization of Dental Services

Many factors contribute as facilitators of or barriers to adolescents’ use of dental services. Guided by the expanded Andersen model for dental service utilization, the aim of this study was to identify factors associated with the use of dental services among adolescents ages 12–16 in south Mexico City (n = 247). Adolescents answered a questionnaire on predisposing factors (age and gender), enabling factors (socioeconomic status, oral health support, parental years of education, and previous dental treatments), and psychosocial and behavioral factors (attitudes towards oral health; knowledge of gingivitis; alcohol, drug, and tobacco use; and depressive symptoms), and they underwent a visual clinical exam to determine their need factors (caries and gingivitis). The adolescents reported whether or not they had attended a dental visit in the last year for any reason. Multiple logistic regression was used to evaluate these factors. Having oral health support increased the odds of a dental visit by 2.69 (95% CI = 1.24–5.84). Previous dental treatment increased the odds of a dental visit by 2.25 (95% CI = 1.12–4.52). The presence of depressive symptoms reduced the odds of a dental visit by 4% (OR = 0.96, 95% CI = 0.94–0.99). Enabling and psychosocial factors of oral health support and previous dental treatment were positively associated with the utilization of dental services, while depressive symptoms were negatively associated.
Preterm Births and Associated Factors among Women who Delivered in a District Hospital in Eastern Province, Rwanda: A retrospective study

BackgroundPreterm birth is the primary cause of infant fatalities and is a global public health issue. In 2020, approximately 13.4 million babies were born preterm globally. Preterm birth was potentially associated with different socio-demographic factors as well as clinical and gynaeco-obstetrical factors. This study aimed at assessing the prevalence of preterm births and factors associated with them among women who delivered in Gahini District Hospital. MethodsThis study employed a cross-sectional retrospective study design and the sample size was 312 mothers. SPSS version 21 was used for data analysis. Univariate and bivariate analysis with Chi-square tests were performed. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to figure out factors that were independently associated with preterm birth.Results This research revealed that the preterm birth prevalence in Gahini hospital was 9.6% and independently associated factors included mothers’ age >35 (AOR: 9.56; 95% CI: 1.38–66.33), being unmarried (AOR: 18.19, 95% CI: 2.96–111.59) and maternal BMI of 25–30 (AOR: 6.25, 95% CI: 1.34–29.12). ConclusionPreterm birth was found to be associated with different factors. Therefore, intervention strategies related to maternal and child health need to be developed and strengthened to address factors associated with preterm births. Rwanda J Med Health Sci 2023;6(3):269-279
Advances in the study of Müller glia reprogramming in mammals

Müller cells play an integral role in the development, maintenance, and photopic signal transmission of the retina. While lower vertebrate Müller cells can differentiate into various types of retinal neurons to support retinal repair following damage, there is limited neurogenic potential of mammalian Müller cells. Therefore, it is of great interest to harness the neurogenic potential of mammalian Müller cells to achieve self-repair of the retina. While multiple studies have endeavored to induce neuronal differentiation and proliferation of mammalian Müller cells under defined conditions, the efficiency and feasibility of these methods often fall short, rendering them inadequate for the requisites of retinal repair. As the mechanisms and methodologies of Müller cell reprogramming have been extensively explored, a summary of the reprogramming process of unlocking the neurogenic potential of Müller cells can provide insight into Müller cell fate development and facilitate their therapeutic use in retinal repair. In this review, we comprehensively summarize the progress in reprogramming mammalian Müller cells and discuss strategies for optimizing methods and enhancing efficiency based on the mechanisms of fate regulation.
Oleanolic acid rescues critical features of umbilical vein endothelial cells permanently affected by hyperglycemia

Skin wound healing is a physiological process that involves several cell types. Among them, endothelial cells are required for inflammation resolution and neo‐angiogenesis, both necessary for tissue restoration after injury. Primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells (C‐HUVECs) are derived from the umbilical cord. When women develop gestational diabetes, chronic exposure to hyperglycemia induces epigenetic modifications in these cells (GD‐HUVECs), leading to a permanent pro‐inflammatory phenotype and impaired angiogenesis in contrast to control cells. Oleanolic acid (OA) is a bioactive triterpenoid known for its epithelial cell migration promotion stimulation and higher tensile strength of wounds. However, the potentially anti‐inflammatory and pro‐angiogenic properties of OA are still under investigation. We tested OA on C‐ and GD‐HUVECs under inflammatory conditions induced by low levels of the inflammatory cytokine TNF-α. Reduced expression of adhesion molecules VCAM1, ICAM1, and SELE was obtained in OA‐pre‐treated C‐ and GD‐HUVECs. Additionally, protein VCAM1 levels were also decreased by OA. Coherently, monocyte adhesion assays showed that a lower number of monocytes adhered to GD‐HUVEC endothelium under OA pre‐treatment when compared to untreated ones. It is noteworthy that OA improved angiogenesis parameters in both phenotypes, being especially remarkable in the case of GD‐HUVECs, since OA strongly rescued their poor tube formation behavior. Moreover, endothelial cell migration was improved in C‐ and GD‐HUVECs in scratch assays, an effect that was further confirmed by focal adhesion (FA) remodeling, revealed by paxillin staining on immunocytochemistry assays. Altogether, these results suggest that OA could be an emergent wound healing agent due to its capacity to rescue endothelial malfunction caused by hyperglycemia.
Herbal medicine Eunkyo-san (Yinqiao-san) for COVID-19: A telemedicine case series

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases surged across South Korea during the omicron-variant wave. We aimed to report the effectiveness of herbal medicine administered through telemedicine consultations as an adjunctive therapy for COVID-19. Patients with confirmed COVID-19 who were self-isolating at home were provided telephone consultations through a Korean Medicine clinic between January and March 2022. On the basis of their dominant symptoms, the patients were prescribed Eunkyo-san for seven days. Patients were asked to evaluate the severity of their COVID-19 symptoms before and after treatment by numeric rating scale. Of ten patients, more than half of them reported cough, fever, headache, and sore throat on the first telephone consultation. Patients reported that all symptoms related to COVID-19 disappeared completely on the second consultation. No severe adverse events were identified. The results of this case series suggest that Eunkyo-san administration can be a beneficial adjunctive therapy for patients with COVID-19.
Analysis of Transient Seepage Through Levees

Levees are a significant part of the United States flood protection infrastructure. It is estimated that over 100,000 miles of levees exist in the United States. Most of these levees were designed many years ago to protect farmland and rural areas. As growth continues in the United States, many of these levees are now protecting homes and other important structures. The American Society of Civil Engineers gave the levees in the United States a grade of Din 2009. To bring flood protection up to modern standards there requires adequate methods of evaluating levees with respect to seepage, erosion, piping and slope instability. Transient seepage analyses provide an effective method of evaluating seepage through levees and its potentially destabilizing effects. Floods against levees usually last for days or weeks. In response to a flood, pore pressures within the levee will change from negative (suction) to positive as the phreatic surface progresses through the levee. These changes can be calculated by finite element transient seepage analyses. In order for the transient seepage analysis to be valid, appropriate soil properties and initial conditions must be used. The research investigation described here provides simple and practical methods for estimating the initial conditions and soil properties required for transient seepage analyses, and illustrates their use through a number of examples.
“JYOZANKEI QUARTZ-PORPHYRY” AND ITS Sr ISOTOPE RATIO

“Jyozankei quartz-porphyry” is one of the Tertiary granitoids which are developed in the Green-tuff region of southwestern Hokkaido. It is classified into four rock types; granite-porphyry, granodiorite- porphyry I, granodiorite-porphyry II and dacite. Their SiO2 contents change gradually from 64 to 73wt. %. The variation of rock types seems to have been caused by fractionation of plagioclase and hornblends as inferred from their major- and minor-element chemistry. Their initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios are almost identical (0.7046) for each rock type together with a quartz diorite inclusion. Judging from these rations, it is suggested that older crustal materials did not participate in the formation of this dody, and that the source material of the magma which produced this body had lower Rb/Sr ratio.
An Innovative Approach to Environmental Literacy: The Sustainable RADEC Learning Model for Elementary Schools

This study aims to design and develop an Education of Sustainable Development-oriented RADEC learning design model for enhancing the environmental literacy of elementary school students. The research approach employed consists of four key stages: (1) problem identification, (2) defining various objectives, (3) design and development, and (4) product validation. The research sample was selected using purposive sampling and comprised six elementary school teachers from various grade levels, ranging from grade 1 to grade 6. Data collection involved the use of scaled questionnaires and interviews. The collected data were then analyzed using the Explanatory Sequential Mixed Method. The results indicate that the curriculum design for the ESD-oriented RADEC learning model is suitable for implementation in elementary schools. This conclusion is supported by the mean score of 3.98 and a standard deviation of 0.22, showing a consistent range of responses among experts. In other words, the experts unanimously agree that the product design is appropriate for classroom learning. To further assess the validity of the design, a one-way ANOVA test
SWOT ANALYSIS OF GROWTH OF WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS IN DAR ES SALAAM

With limited data and information, this paper aims to examine the growth of women entrepreneurs in Dar es Salaam city Tanzania on strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats. Well-functioning business sectors are crucial driving forces for economic growth. In developing countries, entrepreneurship can function as a tool to fight poverty as well as to strengthen the growth of women entrepreneurs in Tanzania. This study used the sample size of 130 women entrepreneurs from the three districts in Dar es Salaam city; Simple random sampling was used in sampling the women entrepreneurs in Dar es Salaam city in Tanzania. A descriptive statistics analysis was made, comprising the generation of mean and standard deviation. SPSSv16.0 software was used to generate the mean and standard deviation. The findings however reflected as, a major strength was the need for financial independence is an attractive feature to women entrepreneurs. The major opportunity was the desire to own boss leads to women entrepreneurship. The weakness was most women lack entrepreneurs fail because they lack of education and the major threat was most women entrepreneurs have pressure of child care in the family.
Liposuction: Where are We and Where are We Going?

Liposuction is one of the most popular treatment modalities in aesthetic surgery around the World, counting 341,000 liposuction procedures just in 2008 and it was ranked second among all invasive cosmetic procedures, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery [1]. The first surgical procedure was performed by Dujarrier in 1921. He used a uterine curette to remove fat from the knees of a well-known ballerina, with a disastrous outcome. In 1978 Kesselring added strong suction to this sharp curettage method. Shortly after, Illouz replaced the curette by a blunt cannula inserted subcutaneously and connected to a vacuum pump to aspirate the fatty tissues.
The Effects of Pre-Season and Relationships with Physical, Physiological, Body Composition, and Load Markers: A Case Study Comparing Starters versus Non-Starters from an Elite Female Professional Soccer Team

Background and Objectives: Research on female soccer players that analyzes playing status is scarce and has previously only examined load monitoring, while other markers, such as physical (i.e., strength, power, and agility), physiological (i.e., maximal oxygen uptake), and body composition (i.e., body fat mass, fat-free mass, body water, and phase angle) markers, warrant further investigation. Thus, the study aims were to (a) compare physical, physiological, body composition, and load markers between starters and non-starters; (b) compare measurements pre- and post-training intervention (five weeks); and (c) analyze any relationships between physical, physiological, body composition, and load markers in an elite female soccer team. Materials and Methods: Fourteen first-team players participated in the study (age 23.29 ± 3.19 years, weight 59.14 ± 6.87 kg, height 1.66 ± 0.08 m). Several physical (n = 15), physiological (n = 1), body composition (n = 11), and load markers (n = 14) were collected. In addition, participants were sub-divided into starters (n = 7) and non-starters (n = 7). Results: No differences were revealed between starters and non-starters in any of the examined variables. Moreover, following the training intervention, a significantly lower value was found for total body water/fat-free mass ratio (p = 0.043; ES = 0.582). In addition, there were several correlations detected between load and physical/physiological markers (n = 28); load and body composition markers (n = 6); physical/physiological and body composition markers (n = 34); and physical and physiological markers (n = 42). Conclusions: In conclusion, only a slight tendency of higher load values for starters than non-starters was observed. In addition, no differences in physical, physiological, and body composition markers were found between starters and non-starters, possibly suggesting that five weeks were not enough to improve such variables. Finally, the present results provide novel information assessing the effects of the pre-season in elite female Portuguese soccer players and contribute to a better understanding of the associations between different types of measurements.
Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy in Jos: Prospects and Perspectives

Abstract Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is now done in a lot more private and public hospital settings presently in low-income countries, particularly sub-Saharan Africa. Though it is not routinely done in these centres, the percentage of cholecystectomies done laparoscopically has increased over the years. Laparoscopic surgery services were introduced at our hospital in 2011 and this retrospective study reviews our outcomes with the procedure over a 6-year period. A total of 87 cholecystectomies were done in the period under review. Forty-eight (55.2%) were laparoscopic cholecystectomies, 30 (44.8%) were open cholecystectomies, and 9 (10.3%) were mini-laparotomy cholecystectomies. There were 32 (66.7%) women and 16 (33.3%) men who had laparoscopic cholecystectomy giving a male-to-female ratio of 1:2. The mean age of the patients was 41.0 years (SD = 14.3 years). The most common indication for laparoscopic cholecystectomy was calculous cholecystitis. The most common co-morbidity was hypertension in 23 (47.9%) patients, followed by sickle cell anaemia in 10 (20.8%) patients. The operating time ranged from 70 min to 120 min with a mean of 86.6 (SD = 14.5). There were three conversions and two intra-operative complications. Twenty-five patients (52.1%) were discharged within 24 h, 16 (33.3%) within 48 h and the rest (14.6%) were discharged later. The duration of surgery had a significant association with duration of hospital stay. There was 1 mortality in our study. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy offers unique advantages over open such as decreased length of hospital stay and reduced wound complications. Most of the cholecystectomies in our setting are now performed laparoscopically with a low conversion rate and low incidence of bile duct injuries. Patients with sickle cell disease constitute a significant percentage of patients requiring this procedure.
Experimental investigation of turbulent flow through shrouded
 hydrokinetic turbines

—Turbulent vortex development was investigated using laser Doppler velocimetry measurements for shrouded hydrokinetic turbines. The results showed that introducing a screen, to represent a tidal turbine, influenced the mean velocities, turbulence intensities, and integral time scales of the flow through a shroud. The comparison between the screen and no-screen configuration showed that the screen disrupts the formation of large-scale turbulent vortices, which can lead to increased turbulence production within the vicinity of neighbouring turbines. The results suggest that flow through screen causes a larger integral time scale.
The butterfly (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) diversity of Mt. Mosor in Dalmatia, Croatia

Mosor is a small mountain massif situated in central Dalmatia, above the cities of Split and Omiš. It was never a target of any systematic butterfly surveys, with its fauna remaining almost completely unknown. During our surveys from 2011 to 2020, we recorded 96 butterfly species at 60 localities. With the literature record of Polyommatus ripartii, a total of 97 species are recorded from Mt. Mosor. The comparison with the published lists of the neighbouring lower Mt. Kozjak and much higher Mt. Biokovo revealed that the butterfly richness of Mt. Mosor is intermediate, with 87 and 116 species recorded from those mountains, respectively. The biogeographical composition of all three mountains is, however, similar, with the dominant Euro-Siberian and Euro-Oriental faunistic elements comprising together about 80% of the species. For some species with scarce information for Croatia or Dalmatia, like Papilio alexanor, Zerynthia polyxena, Parnassius mnemosynae, Aricia anteros, Polyommatus escheri, Melitaea aurelia, Proterebia phegea, and Neptis rivularis, new records are discussed.
Comparative Study of the Protective and Neurotrophic Effects of Neuronal and Glial Progenitor Cells-Derived Conditioned Media in a Model of Glutamate Toxicity In Vitro

Cell therapy represents a promising approach to the treatment of neurological diseases, offering potential benefits not only by cell replacement but also through paracrine secretory activities. However, this approach includes a number of limiting factors, primarily related to safety. The use of conditioned stem cell media can serve as an equivalent to cell therapy while avoiding its disadvantages. The present study was a comparative investigation of the antioxidant, neuroprotective and neurotrophic effects of conditioned media obtained from neuronal and glial progenitor cells (NPC-CM and GPC-CM) on the PC12 cell line in vitro. Neuronal and glial progenitor cells were obtained from iPSCs by directed differentiation using small molecules. GPC-CM reduced apoptosis, ROS levels and increased viability, expressions of the antioxidant response genes HMOX1 and NFE2L2 in a model of glutamate-induced oxidative stress. The neurotrophic effect was evidenced by a change in the morphology of pheochromocytoma cells to a neuron-like phenotype. Moreover, neurite outgrowth, expression of GAP43, TUBB3, MAP2, SYN1 genes and increased levels of the corresponding MAP2 and TUBB3 proteins. Treatment with NPC-CM showed moderate antiapoptotic effects and improved cell viability. This study demonstrated the potential application of CM in the field of regenerative medicine.
THE RELATIONSHIP OF TOOTH BRUSHING BEHAVIOR, DIETARY PATTERNS, ECONOMIC STATUS ON CARIES OF SOUTH DAHA POPULATION

Background: Based on Riskesdas 2018, prevalence of caries between age of 55-64 is 96,8%. The DMT-T index in Samuda Village, South Daha is 8,2. Caries is the destruction of hard surface of the teeth caused by multifactorial etiology, such as host, substrate, time, microorganisms and predisposing factors like tooth brushing behavior, dietary patterns and economic status. Objectives: Analyzed the relationship between tooth brushing behavior, dietary patterns, economic status and dental caries of South Daha population. Methods: This study was an observational analytic research with cross sectional research design. The population was 2,559 people of South Daha aged between 55-64 and 108 people was involved in this study based on simple random sampling technique. Results: Correlation test result, using Somers'd test to analyze the relationship between tooth brushing behavior and dental caries, is 0.000 (p <0.050), which means there is a relationship between tooth brushing behavior and dental caries with correlation strength is 0.582 (moderate). The correlation result between dietary patterns and dental caries is 0.000 (p <0.050) with correlation strength is 0.239 (weak), which means there is a weak relationship between dietary patterns and dental caries. The correlation between economic status and dental caries is 0.000 (p <0.050) with correlation strength is 0.353 (weak), which means there is a weak relationship between economic status and caries. Conclusion: There is a relationship between tooth brushing behavior and dental caries, there is a relationship between dietary patterns and dental caries and there is a relationship between economic status and dental caries. Keywords: Caries, dietary patterns, economic status, tooth brushing behavior,
Excitatory subtypes of the lateral amygdala neurons are differentially involved in regulation of synaptic plasticity and excitation/inhibition balance in aversive learning in mice

The amygdala plays a crucial role in aversive learning. In Pavlovian fear conditioning, sensory information about an emotionally neutral conditioned stimulus (CS) and an innately aversive unconditioned stimulus is associated with the lateral amygdala (LA), and the CS acquires the ability to elicit conditioned responses. Aversive learning induces synaptic plasticity in LA excitatory neurons from CS pathways, such as the medial geniculate nucleus (MGN) of the thalamus. Although LA excitatory cells have traditionally been classified based on their firing patterns, the relationship between the subtypes and functional properties remains largely unknown. In this study, we classified excitatory cells into two subtypes based on whether the after-depolarized potential (ADP) amplitude is expressed in non-ADP cells and ADP cells. Their electrophysiological properties were significantly different. We examined subtype-specific synaptic plasticity in the MGN-LA pathway following aversive learning using optogenetics and found significant experience-dependent plasticity in feed-forward inhibitory responses in fear-conditioned mice compared with control mice. Following aversive learning, the inhibition/excitation (I/E) balance in ADP cells drastically changed, whereas that in non-ADP cells tended to change in the reverse direction. These results suggest that the two LA subtypes are differentially regulated in relation to synaptic plasticity and I/E balance during aversive learning.