Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Longitudinal analysis of palatal volume in unilateral cleft lip and palate children

Cleft lip and/or palate are among the most frequent congenital craniofacial defects, which every year affect one in 500-700 newborn worldwide (1,2). The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of orthopaedic and surgical treatments on the palatal size and shape of patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP). Ninetysix palatal casts from 32 neonatal patients, attending the Fundacion Clinica de Noel (Colombia) were analyzed through a stereophotogrammetric system. The analysis was carried out before (mean age 10.5 days, SD 4.8) and after (mean age 83.3 days, SD 6.6) orthopaedic treatment (performed with acrylic plates) and after cheiloplasty (mean age 317.1 days, SD 44.2). Volumes of the greater and the minor alveolar segments were evaluated through a new measurement protocol. Intra and inter operator repeatability was evaluated using paired Student’s t test. In order to investigate differences between alveolar segments and time, volume measurements were compared with a repeated two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). No significant differences between repetitions, both intra and inter operator, were found (p>0.05). Random errors explained 3.7% of the sample variance. On the other hand, significant differences in volume measurements were found both in alveolar segment and time (p<0.01). Before orthopaedic treatment, the smaller palatal segment had a mean volume of 0.52 cm3 (SD 0.23), and the greater of 0.9 cm3 (SD 0.40); after orthopaedic treatment, the mean volumes were 0.58 cm3 (SD 0.25), and 1.09 cm3 (SD 0.43). After surgery, mean values of 0.73 cm3 (SD 0.28) and 1.31 cm3 (SD 0.52) were measured. Results suggest that a three-dimensional stereophotogrammetric system is a repeatable and reliable method to evaluate palatal casts of patients with UCLP. Obtained data offer a preliminary quantitative information about the changes occurring in maxillary arches of UCLP patients after orthopaedic treatment and surgery. Further investigation is required to increase the frequency of evaluations and the number of patients.
IgG Fc-binding motif-conjugated HIV-1 fusion inhibitor exhibits improved potency and in vivo half-life: Potential application in combination with broad neutralizing antibodies

The clinical application of conventional peptide drugs, such as the HIV-1 fusion inhibitor enfuvirtide, is limited by their short half-life in vivo. To overcome this limitation, we developed a new strategy to extend the in vivo half-life of a short HIV-1 fusion inhibitory peptide, CP24, by fusing it with the human IgG Fc-binding peptide (IBP). The newly engineered peptide IBP-CP24 exhibited potent and broad anti-HIV-1 activity with IC50 values ranging from 0.2 to 173.7 nM for inhibiting a broad spectrum of HIV-1 strains with different subtypes and tropisms, including those resistant to enfuvirtide. Most importantly, its half-life in the plasma of rhesus monkeys was 46.1 h, about 26- and 14-fold longer than that of CP24 (t1/2 = 1.7 h) and enfuvirtide (t1/2 = 3 h), respectively. IBP-CP24 intravenously administered in rhesus monkeys could not induce significant IBP-CP24-specific antibody response and it showed no obvious in vitro or in vivo toxicity. In the prophylactic study, humanized mice pretreated with IBP-CP24 were protected from HIV-1 infection. As a therapeutic treatment, coadministration of IBP-CP24 and normal human IgG to humanized mice with chronic HIV-1 infection resulted in a significant decrease of plasma viremia. Combining IBP-CP24 with a broad neutralizing antibody (bNAb) targeting CD4-binding site (CD4bs) in gp120 or a membrane proximal external region (MPER) in gp41 exhibited synergistic effect, resulting in significant dose-reduction of the bNAb and IBP-CP24. These results suggest that IBP-CP24 has the potential to be further developed as a new HIV-1 fusion inhibitor-based, long-acting anti-HIV drug that can be used alone or in combination with a bNAb for treatment and prevention of HIV-1 infection.
Nutrient intake in the coloured population of the Cape Peninsula

A diet survey, using the 24‐hour recall method, was conducted in 1982 as part of a cross‐sectional study of the prevalence of coronary heart disease risk factors among the so‐called coloured population of the Cape Peninsula. Randomly selected male and female respondents between 15 and 64 years of age (n = 976) were interviewed by trained nursing sisters. A high animal protein and fat (37% of total energy) intake reflected a typical Western type diet, despite a relatively high polyunsaturated: saturated fatty acid ratio of 0.85. Sugar consumption was high and fibre intake low. An assessment of micronutrient intake revealed low intakes of all minerals (excluding iron and phosphorus in males) and vitamins (excluding nicotinic acid). The need for nutrition education aimed at promoting a varied and prudent diet in this population was demonstrated.
Prevalence, Nature and Characteristics of External Congenital anomalies at Mulago Hospital

Background: Congenital anomalies may be structural, behavioral, functional or metabolic defects acquired before a baby is born and their nature and type are highly dependent on the causative agent as well as the time when they are first diagnosed. There was a need to identify the different defects present at birth among Ugandans in order to appreciate the magnitude of each and its eventual effect on the affected individual. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence, nature and characteristics of external congenital anomalies in live born babies at Mulago hospital. Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted at New Mulago hospital, Kampala Uganda. It involved 754 new born babies who were delivered over a period of four months. They were all examined and evaluated for external anomalies before discharge. Results: A total of 754 live born infants were evaluated for external anomalies during the study; 52.8% were males and 47.0% were females while 0.2% was hermaphrodite. Of the 754 babies, 33 had external congenital anomalies although two of these babies had two anomalies each, making a total of 35 anomalies. The percentage of babies with external congenital anomalies was 4.4. The different anomalies found included those involving limbs (45.7%), Cleft lip and palate (14.2%), Central Nervous System (8.5%), Omphalocele (5.8%), Spina bifida (5.8%) and others (20.0%). Many of these anomalies were a cause of moderate to severe disability. Conclusions/Recommendations: The most common external anomalies were limb defects followed by cranio-facial anomalies both of which constituted more than 68% of all cases. If not well managed, majority of these anomalies can greatly affect the quality of life of the individual. Hence need for appropriate and timely care to reduce on the magnitude of suffering the anomaly would otherwise have caused to the individual, family and the wider community.
Breastfeeding and Low Income Women: An Ecological Assessment

The Surgeon General of the United States (2011) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (2005) have stated unequivocally that breastfeeding is the optimal method of feeding and nurturing children. Decades of scientific literature has indicated that breastfeeding decreases child morbidity and mortality rates, improves maternal health outcomes, provides economic benefits to the family, decreases national health care costs, increases mother-child attachment, and positively impacts society as a whole (United States Department of Health and Human Services-HHS 2011: American Academy of Pediatrics,-AAP,2005) Although breastfeeding promotion and support are defined as integral components of the federally funded Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program, breastfeeding initiation and duration rates are disproportionately low among WIC participants (Ryan & Zhou, 2006). Since the inception of the American WIC program in the early 1970’s, breastfeeding promotion has been a stated goal of the WIC program, yet according to published reports, only 0.6% of the annual WIC budget is spent on promoting breastfeeding for low income women (Ryan & Zhou, 2006). The medical literature indicates that breastfeeding is an essential component of infant and maternal health, and that increasing breastfeeding rates across diverse populations would substantially impact maternal, pediatric, and societal functioning (AAP, 2005). The Surgeon General of the United States (2011) has called upon researchers to identify specific factors that have the potential to increase breastfeeding rates among disadvantaged populations and has urged the scientific community to develop strategies that support and encourage the breastfeeding dyad. In the pilot study presented here, a likert scaled survey derived from the Surgeon General’s “Blueprint for Action on Breastfeeding” was administered to 106 low income women participating in the WIC program in a Midwestern State. The purpose of this study was to identify what factors influenced low income women’s decision to breastfeed. Although previous research has indicated that a myriad of factors are correlated with maternal feeding decisions, data from this study indicated that having access to breastfeeding role models significantly increases breastfeeding rates among low income women participating in the federally funded WIC program.
Acute coronary syndromes in black South African patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection

Objectives: To describe the recent increase in acute coronary syndromes among urban black South Africans in Soweto. Design: Cross-sectional study in 2004 and comparison with data from 1975-80. Setting: Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, Soweto. Participants: Patients admitted with a diagnosis of troponin positive acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in 2004, to Coronary Care Unit (CCU) and patients admitted with a diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in 1975-80. Results: We identified 154 patients with ACS in 2004. Of these 64 (42%) were black, 50 (32%) were white and 40 (26%) Asian. Between 1975 and 80, 54 patients were diagnosed with AMI (50 were black). Mean age in 2004 was 56 years and most were men (110; 71%). Risk factor prevalence was high in 2004. Black patients tended to be younger, less likely to have diabetes than Asians, and much less likely to have a family history of coronary artery disease. Black patients were more likely to have only one coronary artery affected by atherosclerosis than were white patients (48% vs 26%, p=0.07). Eight patients died in 2004 (5%) and eight in 1975-80 (15%). Conclusion: The annual incidence of ACS among black Africans has increased rapidly in Soweto. There seem to be significant dif- ferences in risk factor profile and extent of coronary arteries involved among the different ethnic groups studied. Continued emergence of coronary artery disease implies a significant additional burden to the health system. KS and CA conceived of the study, supervised data collection, and drafted the paper. CA, LN and AB collected data. DW and SS con- tributed to data analysis and paper drafting. EL analysed data. All authors reviewed the final paper. No funding was used to support this study. ARTICLE Spring 2006 • SA HEART 7 SAHJ Journal Spring 06 10/12/06 3:37 PM Page 7
Increased stiffness and flow resistance of the inner wall of Schlemm’s canal in glaucomatous human eyes

Significance Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness. The elevated intraocular pressure that is characteristic of primary open-angle glaucoma is due to increased resistance to aqueous humor outflow. Localizing this increased resistance has eluded investigators until recently. We report here that the glaucomatous flow resistance can be found within approximately 1 µm of the surface of the endothelial lining of Schlemm’s canal in the aqueous humor outflow pathway of the eye. There is a greatly increased tissue stiffness in this same narrow region. Exploring and targeting these highly localized biophysical changes will allow development of new therapies for glaucoma. The cause of the elevated outflow resistance and consequent ocular hypertension characteristic of glaucoma is unknown. To investigate possible causes for this flow resistance, we used atomic force microscopy (AFM) with 10-µm spherical tips to probe the stiffness of the inner wall of Schlemm’s canal as a function of distance from the tissue surface in normal and glaucomatous postmortem human eyes, and 1-µm spherical AFM tips to probe the region immediately below the tissue surface. To localize flow resistance, perfusion and imaging methods were used to characterize the pressure drop in the immediate vicinity of the inner wall using giant vacuoles that form in Schlemm’s canal cells as micropressure sensors. Tissue stiffness increased with increasing AFM indentation depth. Tissues from glaucomatous eyes were stiffer compared with normal eyes, with greatly increased stiffness residing within ∼1 µm of the inner-wall surface. Giant vacuole size and density were similar in normal and glaucomatous eyes despite lower flow rate through the latter due to their higher flow resistance. This implied that the elevated flow resistance found in the glaucomatous eyes was localized to the same region as the increased tissue stiffness. Our findings implicate pathological changes to biophysical characteristics of Schlemm’s canal endothelia and/or their immediate underlying extracellular matrix as cause for ocular hypertension in glaucoma.
The “Why” and “How” of Narcissism: A Process Model of Narcissistic Status Pursuit

We propose a self-regulation model of grandiose narcissism. This model illustrates an interconnected set of processes through which narcissists (i.e., individuals with relatively high levels of grandiose narcissism) pursue social status in their moment-by-moment transactions with their environments. The model shows that narcissists select situations that afford status. Narcissists vigilantly attend to cues related to the status they and others have in these situations and, on the basis of these perceived cues, appraise whether they can elevate their status or reduce the status of others. Narcissists engage in self-promotion (admiration pathway) or other-derogation (rivalry pathway) in accordance with these appraisals. Each pathway has unique consequences for how narcissists are perceived by others, thus shaping their social status over time. The model demonstrates how narcissism manifests itself as a stable and consistent cluster of behaviors in pursuit of social status and how it develops and maintains itself over time. More broadly, the model might offer useful insights for future process models of other personality traits.
Efficacy, safety and tolerability of mometasone furoate 0.1% cream, ointment and lotion in childhood eczema

Background Topical corticosteroids have been the first line treatment in children with eczema. Efforts to develop new topical glucocorticoids with reduce systemic bioactivity help to treat them. Mometasone furoate 0.1% has been found to be efficacious in children with atopic dermatitis. Objective To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy, safety and tolerability of mometasone furoate 0.1% cream, ointment and lotion in childhood eczema. Patients and methods The study was conducted from Oct 2007 to Jan 2008 at the outpatient department of dermatology at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Karachi. A total of 50 children, aged > 12 years, of either sex with all types of childhood eczema were included in the study and those with infection, complication like scars, atrophy, striae, etc, known hypersensitivity to corticosteroids and on any other medicaments were excluded. Parents of children were instructed to apply a thin layer with gentle rubbing twice daily for three weeks. Fingertip unit (FTU) was demonstrated to parents. Tubes of mometasone furoate 0.1% cream, ointment and lotion were given to parents according to the need. Emollient was applied twice daily. Children were followed up at 3, 6 & 12 weeks. SPSS – 13.0 was used for statistical analysis. Friedman test was applied to compare the significance of results at p <0.05. Results Out of 50 patients enrolled, at 3 weeks of follow-up only 43 reported. 29 (67% showed improvement and 14 (32%) fully resolved. At 6 weeks 32 (74.4%) had complete resolution and 7 (16.2%) had improved, but at 12 weeks only 25 patients (58%) had resolved and 6 patients (13.9%) relapsed, while 2 patients were gradually improving. Efficacy in resolution of sign/symptoms on 12 weeks was ( p <0.001). No cutaneous or systemic side effects were seen. Conclusion Mometasone furoate 0.1% cream, ointment and lotion are found to be effective, safe and highly tolerable in childhood eczema and the compound was found equally safe in infants.
GH3 Auxin-Amido Synthetases Alter the Ratio of Indole-3-Acetic Acid and Phenylacetic Acid in Arabidopsis

Abstract Auxin is the first discovered plant hormone and is essential for many aspects of plant growth and development. Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) is the main auxin and plays pivotal roles in intercellular communication through polar auxin transport. Phenylacetic acid (PAA) is another natural auxin that does not show polar movement. Although a wide range of species have been shown to produce PAA, its biosynthesis, inactivation and physiological significance in plants are largely unknown. In this study, we demonstrate that overexpression of the CYP79A2 gene, which is involved in benzylglucosinolate synthesis, remarkably increased the levels of PAA and enhanced lateral root formation in Arabidopsis. This coincided with a significant reduction in the levels of IAA. The results from auxin metabolite quantification suggest that the PAA-dependent induction of GRETCHEN HAGEN 3 (GH3) genes, which encode auxin-amido synthetases, promote the inactivation of IAA. Similarly, an increase in IAA synthesis, via the indole-3-acetaldoxime pathway, significantly reduced the levels of PAA. The same adjustment of IAA and PAA levels was also observed by applying each auxin to wild-type plants. These results show that GH3 auxin-amido synthetases can alter the ratio of IAA and PAA in plant growth and development.
Search for Murine Mammary Tumor Virus-Like Sequences in Egyptian Females Breast Cancer

In 2012, 1.7 million women were diagnosed with breast cancer. Since the 2008 estimates, breast cancer incidence has increased by more than 20%, while mortality has increased by 14%. The identification of the causes of breast cancer is a crucial research issue for the development of effective prevention and treatment strategies. Over the past decades there has been an increasing interest in the possibility that human breast cancer may be caused by viral infections. In this study we searched for presence of mouse mammary tumour virus-like sequences in Egyptian breast cancer specimens. Unselected paraffin-embedded ninety blocks of paired carcinoma and normal breasts were tested for the presence of mouse mammary tumour virus-like envelope gene by PCR. None of the specimens was positive for the presence of mouse mammary tumour virus-like sequences.
Annual report. Surveillance of influenza and other respiratory infections in the Netherlands: winter 2015/2016 : Surveillance van influenza en andere luchtweginfecties: winter 2015/2016

In de winter 2015/2016 was er een griepepidemie in de eerste elf weken van 2016.Dit griepseizoen week niet sterk af van een gemiddeld griepseizoen, met naar schatting ruim 200 duizend huisartsbezoeken voor griepachtige klachten, 96 duizend huisartsbezoeken voor longontstekingen en 3900 doden bovenop het verwachte aantal doden gedurende de elf weken van de epidemie. In de eerste weken van de epidemie werd vooral het influenzavirus A(H1N1)pdm09 aangetroffen. Later was dat vooral het influenzavirus B (Victoria-lijn). De effectiviteit van het griepvaccin (44 procent) leek beter dan vorig jaar, hoewel het influenzavirus B van de Victoria-lijn er niet in was opgenomen. Daar was voor gekozen omdat in voorgaande jaren vooral een ander influenzavirus B (Yamagata-lijn) circuleerde. De Wereldgezondheidsorganisatie heeft geadviseerd om volgend jaar de Victoria-lijn te gebruiken in plaats van de Yamagata-lijn. Het influenzavirus A(H1N1)pdm09 had wel een goede match met het vaccin van dit jaar. Het RIVM heeft dit jaar voor het eerst in twee ziekenhuizen geregistreerd hoeveel mensen zijn opgenomen vanwege complicaties van de griep. Vanuit andere ziekenhuizen is via de media vernomen dat een ongewoon hoog aantal relatief jonge patienten was opgenomen met ernstige luchtwegklachten. Dit was niet terug te zien in de RIVM-data, maar onderstreept het belang van een uitgebreidere surveillance in ziekenhuizen. Van de meldingsplichtige luchtweginfectieziekten kwam in 2015 zowel tuberculose (867 meldingen) als legionellose (419 meldingen) meer voor dan voorgaande jaren. Bij tuberculose heeft dit vooral te maken met het toegenomen aantal asielzoekers. Bij legionellose komt dit waarschijnlijk door het warme en natte weer. Het aantal meldingen van psittacose (47) en Q-koorts (20) was niet opvallend. Dit aantal is echter een onderschatting van het werkelijke aantal, omdat bij longontsteking vaak de oorzaak niet wordt vastgesteld.
Surgery of True Recurring Median Carpal Tunnel Syndrome with Synovial Flap by Wulle Plus Integument Enlargement Leads to a High Patient’s Satisfaction and Improved Functionality

This prospective study was conducted to investigate electrophysiological qualities and patient’s satisfaction of a synovial gliding tissue flap in treating true recurring carpal tunnel syndrome. In 14 patients (11 women, three men), 15 median nerves were included in this retrospective study. For all 15 nerves, motor and sensory nerve conduction velocity, compound muscle action potential, a Visual Analogue Scale-score (VAS-score) questionnaire and an adapted Levine-Test were evaluated pre- and postoperatively. All participants underwent operative neurolysis of the median nerve, which was then enwrapped by a synovial gliding tissue flap. Eleven procedures were completed by integument enlargement. Follow-up period was 12 months. Postoperatively, distal latency decreased significantly by 15.6%. Compound muscle action potential and sensory nerve conduction velocity did not improve significantly. VAS score regarding pain reduced highly significantly with 74.1%. The adapted Levine-Test function score improved highly significantly with 39.2%. The synovial gliding tissue flap lead to an excellent patient’s satisfaction for treating true recurring carpal tunnel syndrome. Primary wound closure should be completed with integument enlargement if needed.
Concordance between clinician, supervisor and observer ratings of therapeutic competence in CBT and treatment as usual: does clinician competence or supervisor session observation improve agreement?

Abstract Background: Lowering the cost of assessing clinicians’ competence could promote the scalability of evidence-based treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Aims: This study examined the concordance between clinicians’, supervisors’ and independent observers’ session-specific ratings of clinician competence in school-based CBT and treatment as usual (TAU). It also investigated the association between clinician competence and supervisory session observation and rater agreement. Method: Fifty-nine school-based clinicians (90% female, 73% Caucasian) were randomly assigned to implement TAU or modular CBT for youth anxiety. Clinicians rated their confidence after each therapy session (n = 1898), and supervisors rated clinicians’ competence after each supervision session (n = 613). Independent observers rated clinicians’ competence from audio recordings (n = 395). Results: Patterns of rater discrepancies differed between the TAU and CBT groups. Correlations with independent raters were low across groups. Clinician competence and session observation were associated with higher agreement among TAU, but not CBT, supervisors and clinicians. Conclusions: These results support the gold standard practice of obtaining independent ratings of adherence and competence in implementation contexts. Further development of measures and/or rater training methods for clinicians and supervisors is needed.