Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of oral clefts in the State of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, between 2000-2005

Instituição: Associação Caruaruense de Ensino Superior (ASCES), Caruaru, PE, Brasil 1Especialista em Saúde Pública pela ASCES; Cirurgiã-dentista da Secretaria de Saúde de Caruaru, PE, Brasil 2Doutora em Saúde Coletiva pela Universidade de Pernambuco (UPE); Docente da Faculdade do Vale do Ipojuca (Favip), Caruaru, PE, Brasil 3Mestre em Dentística pela UPE; Docente da ASCES, Caruaru, PE, Brasil 4Mestre em Odontologia Preventiva e Social pela Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN); Docente da Associação Brasileira de Odontologia – Regional Caruaru, Caruaru, PE, Brasil 5Mestre em Hebiatria pela UPE; Docente da ASCES, Caruaru, PE, Brasil ABSTRACT
Obesity and its association with chronic periodontitis: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Relationship among periodontitis, obesity, and chronic diseases may be multidirectional. Inflammatory diseases such as periodontitis induce the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-1, and IL-6. It has been suggested that the secretion of TNF-α by adipose tissue triggered by lipopolysaccharides from periodontal Gram-negative bacteria promotes hepatic dyslipidemia and decreases insulin sensitivity. AIM: To study the association of obesity with the severity of periodontitis and to compare the blood glucose levels and plasma lipid profile in obese and non-obese subjects with chronic periodontitis. METHODOLOGY: A total of 84 systemically healthy subjects, aged 30–60 years, were included in the study. Periodontal status of the subjects was assessed by recording Community Periodontal Index (CPI) and Gingival Index (Loe and Silness, 1963). Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) were used as measures to assess obesity. The fasting plasma lipids level and fasting blood glucose level were measured. Data were analyzed by unpaired 't'test, Fisher's Exact test, and Chi-square test. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference in Gingival Index and Community Periodontal Index between the obese and non-obese group. Total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels showed significant difference between the two groups. There was no statistically significant difference in mean age, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels, and fasting blood glucose levels between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The present study showed a positive association between obesity and chronic periodontitis. Further long-term studies involving larger sample size are required to confirm this association.
Management of Renal Cell Carcinoma—Current Practice in Sub-Saharan Africa

There is a global variation in the incidence of renal masses with the developed nations having a greater incidence. About 80–90% of renal malignancies are renal cell carcinomas (RCC) which account for 2–4% of all cancers. In Africa and the Middle East, the age-standardized incidence for RCC is 1.8–4.8/100,000 for males and 1.2–2.2/100,000 for females. The management of renal cell cancer is challenging. A multidisciplinary approach is effective for diagnosis, staging, and treatment. Guidelines recommend active surveillance, thermal ablation, partial nephrectomy, radical nephrectomy, cytoreductive nephrectomy and immunotherapy as various modalities for various stages of RCC. However, open radical nephrectomy is most widely adopted as an option for treatment at various stages of the disease in sub-Saharan Africa due to its cost-effectiveness, applicability at various stages, and the reduced cost of follow-up. Nevertheless, most patients in the region present with the disease in the advanced stage and despite surgery the prognosis is poor.
Pattern and Outcome of Diseases in Medical Patients Admitted to Asella Hospital, South-East Ethiopia

Background: Recording pattern of admissions in hospitals is important to estimate the most prevalent diseases in order to implement appropriate preventive strategies that can help in the control of diseases in a cost effective way. Â This study aimed to describe the patterns and outcome of diseases in patients admitted to Asella hospital in South-East Ethiopia. Methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted on all medical admissions from September 11, 2003 to September 10, 2009 in Asella hospital. Relevant information concerning patientâ€™s bio-data and diagnoses for all admissions to the medical ward of the hospital were obtained from the main register of the ward. Results: There were 5,541 admissions over the study period of which 2,807 (50.7%) were males and 2,734 (49.3%) females. The ages of the patients ranged between 13 to 100 years with a mean of 38 years. The mean length of stay was 14.4 days. The bed occupancy was 62.5%. The main indications for admissions were infectious diseases (37.8%), cardiovascular disorders (17.5%), and respiratory disorders (11.1%). Pulmonary tuberculosis was the commonest disease and accounted for 14.4% of total medical admissions. One hundred sixty six (3%) patients discharged themselves against the medical advice and 1,299 (23.4%) patients died during the hospital stay. Most of deaths (61.4%) occurred during the first week of admission. The most common causes of death were infectious diseases (36.6%) and circulatory diseases (18.6%). Conclusions: Strengthening of preventive strategies for both communicable and non-communicable diseases is recommended. In addition, reducing hospital deaths and unnecessary referrals by recruiting skilled healthcare personnel and provision of necessary diagnostic aids and facilities are of utmost importance. Â
Hospital management preparedness tools in biological events: A scoping review

INTRODUCTION: The objective of the present study was to systematically review the current research knowledge on hospital preparedness tools used in biological events and factors affecting hospital preparedness in such incidents in using a scoping review methodology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The review process was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guideline. Online databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar) were used to identify papers published that evaluated instruments or tools for hospital preparedness in biological disasters (such as influenza, Ebola, and bioterrorism events). The search, article selection, and data extraction were carried out by two researchers independently. RESULTS: A total of 3440 articles were screened, with 20 articles identified for final analysis. The majority of research studies identified were conducted in the United States (45%) and were focused on CBRN incident (20%), Ebola, infectious disease and bioterrorism events (15%), mass casualty incidents and influenza pandemic (10%), public health emergency, SARS, and biological events (5%). Factors that were identified in the study to hospitals preparedness in biological events classified in seven areas including planning, surge capacity, communication, training and education, medical management, surveillance and standard operation process. CONCLUSIONS: Published evidences of hospital preparedness on biological events as well as the overall quality of the psychometric properties of most studies were limited. The results of the current scoping review could be used as a basis for designing and developing a standard assessment tool for hospital preparedness in biological events, and it can also be used as a clear vision for the healthcare managers and policymakers in their future plans to confront the challenges identified by healthcare institutes in biologic events.
Inoculation with the mycorrhizal fungus Rhizophagus irregularis modulates the relationship between root growth and nutrient content in maize (Zea mays ssp. mays L.)

Plant root systems play an essential role in nutrient and water acquisition. In resource-limited soils, modification of root system architecture is an important strategy to optimize plant performance. Most terrestrial plants also form symbiotic associations with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to maximize nutrient uptake. In addition to direct delivery of nutrients, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi benefit the plant host by promoting root growth. Here, we aimed to quantify the impact of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis on root growth and nutrient uptake in maize. Inoculated plants showed an increase in both biomass and the total content of twenty quantified elements. In addition, image analysis showed mycorrhizal plants to have denser, more branched root systems. For most of the quantified elements, the increase in content in mycorrhizal plants was proportional to root and overall plant growth. However, the increase in boron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sulfur and strontium was greater than predicted by root system size alone, indicating fungal delivery to be supplementing root uptake.
One-Shot Preparation of Polyacrylamide/Poly(sodium styrenesulfonate) Double-Network Hydrogels for Rapid Optical Tissue Clearing

In this study, we propose a convenient method for the synthesis of double-network gels by the one-shot radical polymerization for their application to rapid optical tissue clearing. Double-network gels were produced during the radical polymerization of acrylamide (AAm) and sodium styrenesulfonate (SS) in the presence of N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide and sodium divinylbenzenesulfonate as the cross-linkers by simultaneous addition, that is, one-shot polymerization accompanying the delay of polymerization for a second network monomer. We analyzed the polymerization process based on the consumption rates of each monomer during the reactions in the absence of the cross-linkers in order to estimate the repeating unit structure of the resulting polymers. We then fabricated the AAm/SS gels by the polymerization of AAm and SS in the presence of the cross-linkers. We analyzed the swelling, viscoelastic, and mechanical properties of the produced gels to investigate their network structure. Finally, we demonstrated the validity of the double-network gels for the application to rapid optical tissue clearing.
A novel sequestrate species from Mexico: Aroramyces guanajuatensis sp. nov. (Hysterangiaceae, Hysterangiales)

Abstract Knowledge of sequestrate Hysterangiaceae fungi in Mexico is very limited. In the present study, a new member of the family, Aroramyces guanajuatensissp. nov., is described. This speciesis closely related to A. balanosporus, but differs from the latter in possessing a tomentose peridium 165–240 µm thick, with occasional large terminal hyphae up to 170 µm, a variable mesocutis (isodiametric to angular), and distinct bright yellowish subcutis. In contrast, A. balanosporus possesses a fibrillose peridial surface with shorter hyphae, a peridium 200–450 µm thick, and a mainly hyaline isodiametric mesocutis with a slightly wider subcutis. The phylogenetic analysis of the LSU gene separated A. guanajuatensis from A. balanosporus with a Bayesian posterior probability (PP) = 1. This is the third Aroramyces species described for the American continent.
Hydrodynamic Determination of the Kinematic Viscosity of Waste Brines

Wastewater from a potash mine in the central region of Catalonia is transported by means of a collector that runs more than 100 km, spilling into the sea on the Catalan central coast. To analyze the hydraulics of this infrastructure, the values of the basic parameters that condition the flow, such as the absolute roughness of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) pipes and the viscosity of the transported brine mixtures, must be characterized. There exists uncertainty about the value of absolute roughness of a PVC pipe as described in the literature; nevertheless, if the pipe is smooth, the influence of the absolute roughness in the hydraulic determination of viscosity will not be significant. In this work, an experimental procedure based on a hydraulic analysis was applied to estimate the kinematic viscosity of a brine mixture, depending on its temperature and concentrations of salts and fines. The results obtained were compared with the results from experiments using an Ostwald viscometer.
Customers’ satisfaction with the Iranian health system reform plan

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Customer's satisfaction is one of the main goals of the health system because it is effective on the desire of external customers for using the services of the health system and also the quality and quantity of the provided care for the internal customers and eventually the health of the society. Considering the importance of the subject, the present study was designed to determine the customers’ satisfaction with the health system reform plan in the field of health. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Participants in the present content analysis qualitative study were 22 technical and operational managers and 118 health-care providers, and 15 recipients of health services referring to the health centers in Qom; who individually answered the questions of the interview guide. The gathered qualitative data were analyzed using conventional qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: Customers’ satisfaction with the health system reform plan was categorized into six themes of decreased trust of the caregivers, wasting caregivers’ time in the health units, increased provision of services to the caregivers, decreased motivation for work, occupational burnout, and a sense of petition in the care providers. CONCLUSIONS: Although external customers were satisfied with some services of the health system reform such as providing various free services, follow-up the patients, and beautification the environment of the health centers; but there are multiple weaknesses in this plan that would cause dissatisfaction in the external and internal customers. More studies seem necessary to better determine the different aspects of the satisfaction in the caregivers and care.
Standardizing the Assessment of Macular Pigment Using a Dual-Wavelength Autofluorescence Technique

Purpose It is essential to have an appropriate measure to assess macular pigment (MP) that can provide an accurate, valid, and reliable representation of the MP within the macula. The aim of this study was to describe and introduce MP optical volume (MPOV) as an optimal value for reporting MP. Methods Three hundred ninety-three subjects were analyzed using the Heidelberg Spectralis with the investigational MP optical density (MPOD) module to measure MPOV and MPOD at four foveal eccentricities (0.23°, 0.51°, 0.98°, 1.76° [7° as reference point]). Lutein (L) and zeaxanthin (Z) dietary intake and serum concentrations were evaluated. Results MPOV mean was 5094 (95%CI, 4877–5310); range: 527 to 10,652. MPOV was inversely correlated with body mass index and positively correlated with education (r = −0.156, P = 0.002 and r = 0.124, P = 0.014, respectively). Serum concentrations of L and Z were positively correlated with MPOV (r = 0.422, P < 0.001 and r = 0.285, P < 0.001, respectively). MPOV was positively correlated to MPOD at all measured eccentricities, with the strongest agreement at 1.76° (r = 0.906, P < 0.001). Serum concentrations of L and Z, BMI, education, and age (P < 0.001) were found to be significant predictors of MPOV. Conclusions The Spectralis MPOV measurement provided a comprehensive and detailed evaluation of the MP profile. The Spectralis MPOV should be considered a preferred metric for the assessment of MP. Translational Relevance Applying a standardized method for the assessment and report of MP will allow to fully derive meaning from observational studies and to successfully implement this MP measurement technique in research and clinical settings.
Autism in Fragile X Syndrome; A Functional MRI Study of Facial Emotion-Processing

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common inherited cause of intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder, and among those with fragile X syndrome, approximately 1/3rd meet a threshold for an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis. Previous functional imaging studies of fragile X syndrome have typically focused on those with fragile X syndrome compared to either neurotypical or autism spectrum disorder control groups. Further, the majority of previous studies have tended to focus on those who are more intellectually able than is typical for fragile X syndrome. In this study, we examine the impact of autistic traits in individuals with fragile X syndrome on a paradigm looking at facial emotion processing. The study included 17 individuals with fragile X syndrome, of whom 10 met criteria for autism as measured by the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS). Prior to the scan, participants rehearsed on a mock scanner to help acclimatize to the scanner environment and thus allow more severely affected individuals to participate. The task examined the blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) response to fearful and neutral faces taken from the Ekman faces series. Individuals in the autism group had a region of significantly reduced activity centered on the left superior temporal gyrus, compared to those with FXS alone, in response to the fearful faces. We suggest that autism in individuals with fragile X syndrome is associated with similar changes in the neurobiology of facial emotion processing as seen in idiopathic autism.
Peer Victimization in Overweight Adolescents and Its Effect on Their Self-Esteem and Peer Difficulties

This study has three objectives: to examine whether adolescents who perceive themselves as overweight differ from others in terms of offline victimization at school, cybervictimization, self-esteem, and difficulties relating to peers; to examine the possible effects of offline and cybervictimization on self-esteem and difficulties relating to peers; and to examine the possible moderating role of perceiving oneself as overweight on those effects. Previously validated questionnaires were applied to a sample of 3145 adolescents in Asturias (Spain). Descriptive, inferential, correlational, and structural equation analyses were performed. Adolescents who perceived themselves as overweight reported being victims of both offline victimization and most forms of cybervictimization to a greater extent than those who did not perceive themselves as overweight. They also reported lower self-esteem and more peer difficulties (shyness or social anxiety). In both groups of adolescents, victimization and cybervictimization were correlated with each other, both types of victimization had direct, negative effects on self-esteem, and self-esteem in turn had a direct, negative effect on peer difficulties. Furthermore, offline victimization had a direct, positive effect on peer difficulties. Perceiving oneself as overweight moderated the effect of self-esteem on peer difficulties. In adolescents perceiving themselves as overweight, low self-esteem was a stronger risk factor of peer difficulties than in the rest of the adolescents. With high overall self-esteem there were no significant differences in peer difficulties between the adolescents perceiving themselves as overweight and the rest of the adolescents.
Adolescents’ Life Satisfaction: The Role of Classroom, Family, Self-Concept and Gender

This study analyzes the direct relationships between classroom and family context and adolescent students’ life satisfaction (LS) and the indirect relationships between these same variables through adolescents’ academic, family, and social self-concept from a gender perspective. In the theoretical model, we assume that the quality of the parent—child relationship affects adolescents’ LS both directly and indirectly through their self-concept. We assume that the quality of the classroom climate also affects adolescents’ LS through their self-concept. The sample consisted of 2373 adolescents (49.8% girls) aged 12 to 18 years (mean (M) = 14.69, standard deviation (SD) = 1.82). A structural equation model was tested to analyse the relationship between the variables. Subsequently, multigroup analysis was performed to determine the structural invariance of the model as a function of gender. The chi square and T-student test was 71.66. Results revealed a direct positive relationship between family environment and LS. Family and classroom environment were indirectly related to LS through their relationship with academic, family, and social self-concept. The result of multigroup analysis supports the structural invariance of the model in both sexes; therefore, the expected relationships are the same for boys and girls, making the model more generalizable and applicable. The practical and theoretical implications are discussed.
Abamectin Efficacy on the Potato Cyst Nematode Globodera pallida

The potato cyst nematode Globodera pallida is a major pest of the potato crop. Abamectin is a biological pesticide showing high nematicide activity, but its efficacy to control G. pallida has not been investigated to date. In this study, combination of different abamectin concentrations ranging from 1.125 to 36 µg/mL x exposure times from 24 to 384 h were tested on the nematode in a hatching test. Abamectin induced mortality with LD50 value in the range of 13.23 (after 24 h) to 2.90 µg/mL (after 384 h). A glasshouse experiment was also performed in pots filled with soil infected with G. pallida in the presence of sprouted potato tubers cultivar “Spunta”. Abamectin at 4.5, 9.0, 18.0 and 36.0 µg/mL was used in comparison with nematicide fosthiazate. The doses of 18 and 36 µg/mL significantly reduced number of eggs, juveniles, cyst/g soil and reproduction rate in comparison to both untreated control and fosthiazate treatment. Soil applications of abamectin provided significant G. pallida control with LD50 and LD99.9 of 14.4 and 131.3 µg/mL, respectively. These results indicate the efficacy of abamectin to control G. pallida on potato crops and its potential use in organic agriculture or in an integrated pest management program.
Marine Seaweed Polysaccharides-Based Engineered Cues for the Modern Biomedical Sector

Seaweed-derived polysaccharides with unique structural and functional entities have gained special research attention in the current medical sector. Seaweed polysaccharides have been or being used to engineer novel cues with biomedical values to tackle in practice the limitations of counterparts which have become ineffective for 21st-century settings. The inherited features of seaweed polysaccharides, such as those of a biologically tunable, biocompatible, biodegradable, renewable, and non-toxic nature, urge researchers to use them to design therapeutically effective, efficient, controlled delivery, patient-compliant, and age-compliant drug delivery platforms. Based on their significant retention capabilities, tunable active units, swelling, and colloidal features, seaweed polysaccharides have appeared as highly useful materials for modulating drug-delivery and tissue-engineering systems. This paper presents a standard methodological approach to review the literature using inclusion-exclusion criteria, which is mostly ignored in the reported literature. Following that, numerous marine-based seaweed polysaccharides are discussed with suitable examples. For the applied perspectives, part of the review is focused on the biomedical values, i.e., targeted drug delivery, wound-curative potential, anticancer potentialities, tissue-engineering aspects, and ultraviolet (UV) protectant potential of seaweed polysaccharides based engineered cues. Finally, current challenges, gaps, and future perspectives have been included in this review.