Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
What is the Role of Epidural Injections in the Treatment of Lumbar Discogenic Pain: A Systematic Review of Comparative Analysis with Fusion

Background Lumbar discogenic pain without pain mediated by a disc herniation, facet joints, or the sacroiliac joints, is common and often results in chronic, persistent pain and disability. After conservative treatment failure, injection therapy, such as an epidural injection, is frequently the next step considered in managing discogenic pain. The objective of this systematic review is to determine the efficacy of lumbar epidural injections in managing discogenic pain without radiculopathy, and compare this approach to lumbar fusion or disc arthroplasty surgery. Methods A systematic review of randomized trials published from 1966 through October 2014 of all types of epidural injections and lumbar fusion or disc arthroplasty in managing lumbar discogenic pain was performed with methodological quality assessment and grading of evidence. The level of evidence was based on the grading of evidence criteria which, was conducted using 5 levels of evidence ranging from levels I to V. Results Based on a qualitative assessment of the evidence for both approaches, there is Level II evidence for epidural injections, either caudal or lumbar interlaminar. Conclusions The available evidence suggests fluoroscopically directed epidural injections provide long-term improvement in back and lower extremity pain for patients with lumbar discogenic pain. There is also limited evidence showing the potential effectiveness of surgical interventions compared to nonsurgical treatments.
Yogatherapie in der Schwangerschaft

Zusammenfassung Studien belegen, dass Yoga Frauen während der Schwangerschaft physisch und psychisch unterstützt. Es kann zur Prophylaxe eingesetzt werden, z. B. von Rückenschmerzen. Als Therapie bietet Yoga eine sichere und effiziente Option in allen Phasen der Schwangerschaft, beispielsweise bei Adaptationsstörungen, Gestosen, drohendem Abort, pränataler Depression bis hin zum Gestationsdiabetes. Wichtig ist die Auswahl und Anpassung der yogischen Techniken an die individuelle Situation der schwangeren Frau. Gemäß dem Konzept der ayurvedischen Medizin wird die Yogatherapie von Empfehlungen zu Ernährung und Lebensstil begleitet.
Transcriptional Regulation During Adipocyte Differentiation: A Role for SWI/SNF Chromatin Remodeling Enzymes: A Dissertation

Chromatin has a compact organization in which most DNA sequences are structurally inaccessible and functionally inactive. Reconfiguration of thechromatir required to activate transcription. This reconfiguration is achieved by the action of enzymes that covalently modify nucleosomal core histones, and by enzymes that disrupt histone-DNA interactions via A TP hydrolysis. TheSWI/SNF family of ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling enzymes has been implicated not only in gene activation but also in numerous cellular processes including differentiation , gene repression , cell cycle control , recombination and DNA repair. PPARy, C/EBPa and C/EBP are transcription factors with well established roles in adipogenesis Ectopical expression of each of these factors in non-adipogenic cells is sufficient to convert them to adipocyte-like cells To determine the requirements of SWI/SNF enzymes in adipocyte differentiation we introduced PPARy, C/EBPa or C/EBP into fibroblasts thatinducibly express dominant-negative versions of the Brahma-Related Gene 1 (BRG1) or human Brahma (BRM), which are the ATPase subunits of the SWI/SNF enzymes. We found that adipogenesis and expression of adipocyte genes were inhibited in the presence of mutant SWI/SNF enzymes. Additionally, in cells expressing C/EBPa or C/EBP , PPARy expression was SWI/SNF dependent. These data indicate the importance of these remodeling enzymes in both early and late gene activation events. Subsequently, we examined by chromatinimmunoprecipitation (ChiP) assay the functional role of SWI/SNF enzymes in the activation of PPARy2, the master regulator of adipogenesis. Temporal analysis of factors binding to the PPARy2 promoter showed
Verbesserung der Mund- und Zahngesundheit in Deutschland

Zusammenfassung Karies und Parodontitis sind die Haupterkrankungen der Zahnmedizin und gehören zu den häufigsten chronischen Erkrankungen. Am Beispiel der Karies veranschaulicht der Beitrag exemplarisch die Wirksamkeit von bevölkerungsweiten Präventionsstrategien: Dank der Einführung von Individual- und Gruppenprophylaxe sowie fluoridiertem Speisesalz in Deutschland konnte die Anzahl der Zähne mit Karieserfahrung bei Kindern von im Schnitt 4,9 um 1990 auf 0,5 im Jahr 2014 gesenkt werden.
A Review of the Genomic Analysis of Children Presenting with Developmental Delay/Intellectual Disability and Associated Dysmorphic Features

This review describes the clinical criteria of developmental delay (DD)/intellectual disability (ID) as well as the various techniques that are currently implemented to diagnose neurodevelopmental disorders that typically present with associated dysmorphic features such as Angelman syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, and DiGeorge syndrome. These analyses include various forms of chromosomal microarray (CMA), which have proven to be superior to previously implemented techniques such as G-banded karyotyping and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis, as well as whole exome sequencing (WES), which is implemented as a secondary examination when CMA analysis is unrevealing. The clinical significance of identified variants and how it relates to facilitating the management of specific genetic disorders such as the above mentioned is also discussed. In addition, the importance of genomic databases and bioinformatics technologies as they relate to variant classification is also considered. Essentially, the discovery of pathogenic variants allows for enhanced management of a patient’s clinical phenotype, whereas the identification of variants of uncertain significance (VUS) has proven to have an increase in the number of associated conflicts as they typically generate more ambiguity in regard to the clinical manifestations present within the child. As a result, additional procedures need to be implemented to mitigate the issues that surround their identification. The concluding remarks are in regard to both the ethical and legal considerations of genetic testing as they relate to informed consent, testing of minors, how to handle secondary findings, as well as the anticipated future direction of genomic analysis.
Metal ion-binding properties of phytochelatins and related ligands

The development of human activities and industrialization has led to an increased release of metals to the aquatic environment. Several metals (such as copper, zinc, and iron) are essential for many physiological processes but can be toxic at enhanced concentrations; others (such as cadmium, lead, and mercury) are not physiologically essential and are toxic at very low concentrations in both plant and algal cells. To cope with the deleterious effects of metals, eukaryotic cells produce strong metal-binding proteins and peptides (including the thiol phytochelatins) involved in metal tolerance and detoxification mechanisms. Plants and algae are also able to maintain the homeostasis of essential metal ions in different cellular compartments by interactions between metal transport, chelation, trafficking and sequestration activities, which regulate the uptake and distribution of these metal ions. In this chapter, we present an overview of the metal ion-binding properties of phytochelatins and related ligands and their involvement in metal ion homeostasis, metal tolerance and detoxification mechanisms. Enzymatic processes implicated in thiol biosynthesis and regulation, and in metal ion sequestration activities, are also described. In addition, this chapter assesses our state of knowledge on the induction of thiols by phytoplankton in laboratory and field experiments.
Aspects of the life and death of neutrophils: adhesion, activation and apoptosis

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Apoptosis and Antioxidant Activities of Catharanthus rosues [L] G.Don Extract on Breast Cancer Cell Line

Tapak dara or Madagascar Periwinkle ( Catharanthus roseus [L] G.Don), a natural plant, is empirically reported to have promising anticancer activity. To elucidate its mechanism, a research was conducted to investigate the possible ethanol extract of C. roseus in inducing apoptosis on breast cancer cell line (T47D). Antioxidant activity of C . roseus was investigated as well. Sub-G1 flowcytometric apoptotic analysis result showed that extract of C . roseus at 6.25 μg/mL induced apoptosis for 26.365%. Increasing extract concentration resulted an increasing apoptotic level as well, extract at concentration of 12.5 μg/mL induced apoptosis for 22.235%. Meanwhile doxorubicin at concentration of 10 μg/mL induced apoptosis for 36.055%. The antioxidant activity was determined by using in vitro assay: inhibition of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity. Antioxidant activity of C . roseus extract were compared to quercetin and butylated hydroxyanisol (BHA), as positive controls. The results showed that DPPH IC 50 of C . roseus extract, quercetin and BHA were 358.411 μg/mL, 19.200 μg/mL and 94.178 μg/mL, respectively. We suggest that C . roseus extract had a potential anticancer activity by inducing apoptosis. Key words : antioxidant, DPPH, Catharanthus roseus , apoptosis, breast cancer, T47D
NeuroVault.org: a web-based repository for collecting and sharing unthresholded statistical maps of the human brain

Here we present NeuroVault — a web based repository that allows researchers to store, share, visualize, and decode statistical maps of the human brain. NeuroVault is easy to use and employs modern web technologies to provide informative visualization of data without the need to install additional software. In addition, it leverages the power of the Neurosynth database to provide cognitive decoding of deposited maps. The data are exposed through a public REST API enabling other services and tools to take advantage of it. NeuroVault is a new resource for researchers interested in conducting meta and coactivation analyses.
Effect of ration balancing on methane emission, faecal archaeol concentration and its relation to enteric methane in crossbred cows

A field study was conducted to evaluate the effect of ration balancing on methane emission, faecal archaeol and its relation with enteric methane in crossbred cows. Crossbred cows (25) in their early stage of lactation (60–80 d postpartum) were identified under field conditions. After recording their average daily feed intake and milk yield for 1 week, methane emission was measured by SF6 tracer technique. A balanced ration was worked out for individual cows and fed to them for 30 d. After feeding a balanced ration, feed intake and methane emission was measured again. On feeding a balanced ration, methane emission (g/d) was reduced by 10.1%. Archaeol concentration in faeces being considered as an indicator of methane emission, its concentration in faeces was measured before and after feeding a balanced ration, which reduced significantly. There existed a significant correlation (r=0.12) between methane emission measured by SF6 tracer technique (g/d) and archaeol concentration (mg/kg DM of faeces). However, more data need to be generated in this regard.
The Nile Soft-shelled Turtle Trionyx triunguis in Turkey, an overview

An apparatus for a disc type medium capable of performing smooth recording/reproducing operations while maintaining gaps between a cartridge and a disc type medium encased therein with a fixed accuracy. The cartridge is held and pressed between support members disposed on a base on which a disc driving spindle motor is mounted and a holder is moved down due to the biasing force of prestressed springs provided on the holder so that warping deformation of the cartridge is corrected. As a result, fixed gaps can be formed surely between an optical disc and the cartridge during operation, thereby making it possible to keep them out of contact with each other.
Uptake, retention and elimination of cysts of the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium spp. by the blue mussel, Mytilus edulis

Cysts of the toxic dinoflagellate Aiexandriam spp. have been implicated in incidents of paralytic shellfish poisoning. There is a paucity of data concerning the possible effects the benthic resting cyst may have upon bivalve biology, although the effects of motile, vegetative Alexandrium cells on bivalve physiology have been extensively studied. The research presented in this thesis examines the role mussels may play in recirculating dinoflagellate cysts within an aquaculture site, the impact of passage through the bivalve gut on the viability of cysts, and the retention time of the cysts within the bivalve digestive tract. -- Mussels from the top and bottom of mussel socks were similarly contaminated with cysts of several dinoflagellate species (Scrippsiella sp., A. fundyense, putative A. ostenfeldii) as there was active sediment resuspension within the site. Scrippsiella sp. cysts dominated the dinoflagellate cyst population of the sediment, however fewer cysts of this species were egested. The composition of the faecal material collected from mussels contaminated in the field and in the laboratory suggests putative A. ostenfeldii cysts were not digested since intact cells of this species were dominant in the faeces. The estimated 8% daily replenishment rate of the bottom sediment A ostenfeldii hypnozygotes by faecal pellet deposition is a considerable contribution to the maintenance of dinoflagellate cyst populations. As well, putative A. ostenfeldii cysts were viable following passage through the acidic bivalve gut. The thick-walled dinoflagellate cysts egested in faeces were of similar viability as cysts found in sediments, germinating in about 10-14 days. The estimated gut retention time of these cysts was 9 h. -- The egestion of viable cysts from mussels could have serious implications for current aquaculture practice. The transport of contaminated bivalves among sites may result in the transfer of viable cysts, capable of germinating and seeding a toxic dinoflagellate bloom in a previously uncontaminated area.
Is Botulinum toxin A an effective treatment for treating children who have lower limb spasticity from cerebral palsy

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not botulinum toxin A is an effective treatment for children who have lower limb spasticity from cerebral palsy. STUDY DESIGN: The study by Carraro et al was a randomized double-blind clinical trial done in 2015.The study done by Kim et al was a randomized, double-blind controlled clinical trial done in 2010. The study by Py et al was a clinical trial done in 2005-2006. DATA SOURCES: Data sources obtained for this review were articles published in peerreviewed journals found using PubMed Database. OUTCOMES MEASURED: The outcome measured the effectiveness of Botox and Botox verse Xeomin and Neuronox, as well as the improvement of Gross Motor function with the use of Botox and Neuronox. RESULTS: The study Carraro et al showed that incobotulinum toxin A (Xeomin) was just as effective for the treatment of spasticity from cerebral palsy, as onabotulinum toxin A (Botox). The study by Kim et al, showed the Neuronox was just as effective as Botox.Lastly, the study by Py et al, provided clear evidence that onabotulinum toxin A (Botox), was an effective treatment of spastic gait in cerebral palsy in the first place. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the studies showed at Xeomin, Neuronox, and Botox all have similar results efficacy for the treatment of lower limb spasticity in children with cerebral palsy.
Aspects of intravenous anaesthesia

Background:Developments in anaesthesia during the recent decades include new drugs with limited unwanted side effects and the need for anaesthesia in new interventions, together with new groups of patients that in the past were considered to be beyond help. Aims:Study I: To determine the bolus dose of remifentanil that depresses the ventilatory drive as deeply as 1 µg/kg of fentanyl.Study II: To test the hypothesis that the combination of rocuronium (0.2 mg/kg) with modest doses of propofol and remifentanil during anaesthesia induction always achieves good or excellent intubation conditions in infants.Study III: To compare the safety of propofol in a large cohort of patients with a known sensitization to soy and/or peanuts to that of non-propofol hypnotic use in a control group.Study IV: To assess muscular endurance from subparalyzing doses of rocuronium on awake subjects.Methods:Study I: A randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study in healthy subjects comparing the effect on ventilation of three different doses of remifentanil and one dose of fentanyl.Study II: A randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial investigating intubation conditions with and without a low-dose of rocuronium in combination with propofol and remifentanil.Study III: A retrospective observational cohort study in patients sensitised to peanut and/or soy anaesthetized with either propofol or another anaesthetic agent.Study IV: A randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study where the effect on muscular endurance of subparalyzing doses of rocuronium was studied in healthy subjects.Results:A remifentanil bolus of 0.5 µg/kg give similar ventilatory depression as a fentanyl bolus of 1 µg/kg.Intubation conditions were classified as ‘poor’ in 14 of 34 (41 %) patients given placebo and in 10 of 36 (28 %) patients given rocuronium. There were no identifiable allergic reactions in either the propofol or in the non-propofol group in patients sensitised to soy and/or peanuts. The sustained handgrip strength after rocuronium (0.08 mg/kg) was one third compared to placebo.Conclusions:Remifentanil bolus is twice as potent as fentanyl bolus in producing ventilatory depression.Adding a low-dose rocuronium did not significantly improve intubation conditions compared to placebo. Propofol was safe to use in a cohort of patients sensitised to soy and/or peanut. Recommendations to withhold propofol because of soy or peanut allergy should be questioned. Low doses of rocuronium may partly exert its effect by reducing muscular endurance. (Less)
Oberflächliche Phlebitis und Venenthrombose der oberen Extremität – banal oder nicht? Superficial phlebitis and venous thrombosis of the upper extremity – trivial or not?

Zusammenfassung Hintergrund: Armvenenthrombosen (AVT) und oberflächliche Phlebitiden der oberen Extremität spielen in der phlebologischen Literatur eher eine Nebenrolle. Fragestellung: Werden AVT und oberflächliche Phlebitiden der Armvenen im klinischen Alltag unterschätzt? Methodik: Literaturrecherche in medizinischen Datenbanken unter Verwendung folgender Stichworte: venous thrombosis, upper extremity, venous catheter, pulmonary embolism, thoracic outlet, varicose veins in upper limbs, superficial phlebitis upper extremity/ limb Ergebnisse: AVT treten bevorzugt nach Anlage von Venenkathetern oder Venenverweilkanülen auf. Malignome sind an zweiter Stelle als ätiologisch relevant zu nennen. Neurovaskuläre Kompressionssyndrome spielen eine untergeordnete Rolle. Oberflächliche Phlebitiden der Armvenen finden in der Literatur wenig Erwähnung, die Erkenntnisse sind heterogen. Zusammenfassung: AVT sind häufiger als erwartet und oft klinisch stumm. Phlebitiden, die in Verbindung mit einer Venenverweilkanüle auftreten, sollten duplexsonographisch abgeklärt werden. Weitere Studien, insbesondere zur Rolle der oberflächlichen, katheterassoziierten Phlebitiden, wären wünschenswert. Summary Background: In contrast to venous thromboembolism in the lower limbs, reports of thrombosis or phlebitis in the arm are rare. Methods: A review of different data bases was performed using the following key words: venous thrombosis, upper extremity, venous catheter, pulmonary embolism, thoracic outlet, varicose veins in upper limbs, superficial phlebitis upper extremity/limb. Results: Upper extremity thrombosis is often caused by catheters or in accordance to malignancies. Conclusion: Upper extremity thrombosis is more frequent than supposed and should be examined using duplex ultrasound.
Effect of ulinastatin on acute lung injury induced by severe heat stroke and its mechanism

Objective To investigate the effect of ulinastatin on severe heat-stroke with acute lung injury induced by severe heat stroke. Methods Thirty severe heat stroke patients were divided into conventional group (n=15) and ulinastatin group (n=15) randomly, with another 80 healthy adults serving as controls. The baseline data such as age, gender, onset period and APACHEⅡ scores were recorded and compared between the two groups on admission. Peripheral leucocyte counts, oxygenation index and Murray scores were determined on the 1st, 3rd and 5th day. The concentration of inflammatory mediators in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and alveolar macrophage supernatant were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Western blotting and real-time PCR were used to measure expression of triggering receptor -1 on myeloid cells (TREM-1) on alveolar macrophages. Furthermore, comparison was made in terms of the ventilation period, ICU stay time and mortality in 28 days between the two groups. Results No differences were found in age, gender, onset period and APACHEⅡ scores between the two groups (P>0.05). Compared with the conventional group, peripheral leucocyte counts and Murray scores in the ulinastatin group significantly decreased on the 3rd and 5th day (P<0.05, P<0.01). But oxygenation index was higher in the ulinastatin group than in the conventional group (P<0.05). The concentration of TNF-α and IL-6 in BALF was lower in the ulinastatin group than in the conventional group (on the 3rd day: P<0.05, P<0.01; on the 5th day: P<0.01, P<0.01). The concentration of TNF-α and IL-6 in alveolar macrophage supernatant was lower in the ulinastatin group than in the conventional group (on the 3rd day: P<0.05, P<0.01; on the 5th day: P<0.01, P<0.05). The expression of TREM-1 protein on alveolar macrophages were lower in the ulinastatin group than in the conventional group (on the 3rd day P<0.01; on the 5rd day P<0.05). TREM-1 mRNA was lower in the ulinastatin group than in the conventional group (on the 3rd day: P<0.05; on the 5th day: P<0.05). Eventually, the treatment of ulinastatin shorten ventilation period and ICU stay time (P<0.01, P<0.05). Nonetheless, it failed to show any improvement in terms of the mortality during 28 days (P＞0.05). Conclusion Our study exhibited that ulinastatin had good effect on the heat stroke patients with acute lung injury and it helped reduce the inflammatory reaction of pulmonary tissues. The underlying mechanism of these effects might lie in its ability to reduce heat stroke-induced inflammatory secretion and expression of TREM-1 on alveolar macrophage. DOI: 10.11855/j.issn. 0577-7402.2017. 04.06