Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Treatment of Osteopathology of the Jaws Associated with Bone Resorption Inhibitors: An 8-Year Single-Centre Experience

Since the discovery that treatment with oral or intravenous bisphosphonate causes bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaws (BRONJ), numerous articles on this disease have been published. The number of causative agents was extended after intervention of RANKL-inhibitor denosumab, which has been shown to be as well associated with osteopathology of the jaws. Nonetheless, knowledge of the specific pathogenesis of this clinical entity remains lacking, and no standardized treatment protocols are available. Therefore, despite the vast literature on osteonecrosis of the jaws, there is still considerable ambiguity regarding the optimum treatment of this disease, especially among general practitioners who deal increasingly with bisphosphonates.
Streptococcal Serogroup: A Epidemic in Norway 1987–1988

A nationwide outbreak of Lancefield group A streptococcal (GAS) infections in Norway during the season 1987–88 is described. Data were collected from the Norwegian infectious disease notification system and supplemented by active search for cases of bacteraemia and other serious infections in addition to serotyping of selected clinical bacterial isolates. The number of reported cases of non-invasive GAS infections from week 29/1987 to week 28/1988 was 60% higher than expected. Between 1 Jan. and 30 June 1988, 84 cases of bacteraemia were notified, several with fulminant septicaemia and shock. The case fatality rate was 25%. Six cases of neonatal GAS septicaemia were seen. There was a nearly 3-fold total increase in occurrence of GAS bacteraemia compared with previous years, and the increase was marked particularly in cases among older children and adults 30–50 years old. Additional culture-confirmed diagnoses included unusual cases compared to recent decades such as pneumonia with empyema, necrotising fas.
Prevalence and Awareness about Chlamydial Infection in Women Undergoing Infertility Evaluation in Lagos, Nigeria

Purpose: To determine the prevalence and level of awareness of genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection and possible correlative factors among women undergoing infertility evaluation. Methods: The study involved analysis of demographics and results of chlamydia screening in 77 infertile women undergoing evaluation over a six month period in Lagos, Nigeria. Results: The mean age was 32 + 6.4 yr (range 20-39 yr). Chlamydia screening was positive in 14 (18.2%). Awareness about the existence, symptomatology, mode of infection and complications was poor. Statistically significant correlation existed between prevalence of chlamydia infection and age, previous history of sexual infection and minimum of one sexual partner in the last one year (p <0.05). The prevalence also increased in secondarily infertile and married women. Conclusion: Chlamydia prevalence was relatively high in women undergoing infertility evaluation in Lagos, with positive correlative factors being increasing age of women, previous sexual infection and one or more sexual partners. Keywords: Prevalence; Awareness; Chlamydial infection screening; Infertility; Nigeria.
GUIDELINE FOR THE TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER , 2 ND EDITION

APA’s Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients With Bipolar Disorder, 2nd Edition, was published in April 2002 (1). Since that time, a number of controlled treatment studies on aspects of bipolar disorder have been completed and published or are in press, including studies of second-generation (atypical) antipsychotics as monotherapy and as adjunctive treatment (with more traditional mood stabilizers) for the acute treatment of mania, studies of antiepileptic agents for the acute treatment of mania, trials for three medications for the acute treatment of bipolar depression, four monotherapy and one combination therapy relapse prevention studies, and studies of psychosocial interventions for maintenance. The evidence from these studies supports a substantially expanded set of options for clinicians who treat patients with bipolar disorder. This guideline watch briefly reviews the most important of the studies. The majority of the studies were industry supported.
Parenting groups for parents whose children are in care

Excluding very severe child abuse cases, biological parents are usually encouraged to maintain contact with their children in care. Parent-child contact is often considered important because it can maintain the child's psychological identity and well-being. It can also maintain parent-child attachment and in some cases facilitate reunification. Improving parenting skills is viewed as an important method by which contact between children and their biological parents can be enhanced. However, mainstream parenting groups are often unsuitable for parents whose children are in care for a number of reasons. There is stigma involved with having children in care, such parents have very complex lives and there are reduced opportunities to practise skills learnt with their children. Groups designed specifically for parents whose children are in care appear to be a promising approach to improving the quality of contact between these parents and their children. This paper will review group-based approaches to working with biological parents whose pre-school-aged children have been placed in care. The paper will also report the findings of a research project designed to identify key facilitators and barriers to parental involvement in a group-based programme which includes contact between parents and their children who have been placed in care. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Self-reported hearing problems among older adults: prevalence and comparison to measured hearing impairment.

BACKGROUND There are not many population-based epidemiological studies on the association between self-reported hearing problems and measured hearing thresholds in older adults. Previous studies have shown that the relationship between self-reported hearing difficulties and measured hearing thresholds is unclear and, according to our knowledge, there are no previous population-based studies reporting hearing thresholds among subjects with hyperacusis. PURPOSE The aim was to investigate the prevalence of self-reported hearing problems, that is, hearing difficulties, difficulties in following a conversation in noise, tinnitus, and hyperacusis, and to compare the results with measured hearing thresholds in older adults. RESEARCH DESIGN Cross-sectional, population-based, and unscreened. STUDY SAMPLE Random sample of subjects (n=850) aged 54-66 yr living in the city of Oulu (Finland) and the surrounding areas. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Otological examination, pure tone audiometry, questionnaire survey RESULTS The prevalence of self-reported hearing problems was 37.1% for hearing difficulties, 43.3% for difficulties in following a conversation in noise, 29.2% for tinnitus, and 17.2% for hyperacusis. More than half of the subjects had no hearing impairment, or HI (BEHL[better ear hearing level]0.5-4 kHz<20 dB HL) even though they reported hearing problems. Subjects with self-reported hearing problems, including tinnitus and hyperacusis, had significantly poorer hearing thresholds than those who did not report hearing problems. Self-reported hearing difficulties predicted hearing impairment in the pure-tone average at 4, 6, and 8 kHz, and at the single frequency of 4 kHz. CONCLUSIONS The results indicate that self-reported hearing difficulties are more frequent than hearing impairment defined by audiometric measurement. Furthermore, self-reported hearing difficulties seem to predict hearing impairment at high frequencies (4-8 kHz) rather than at the frequencies of 0.5-4 kHz, which are commonly used to define the degree of hearing impairment in medical and legal issues.
Current Management of Pulmonary Hypertension

There is an increased awareness and recognition of pulmonary hypertensive disorders over the last 2 decades. This has paralleled the enhanced understanding of the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of these processes. Particularly, the genetic abnormalities in patients with familial primary pulmonary hypertension and primary pulmonary hypertension in patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia have been described. Fortunately, some of the improved knowledge has furthered treatment options and other novel therapies. Despite these new developments, there remains a significant need for improved treatment options for these patients; the survival can still be as short as 6 months in patients with World Health Organization (WHO)/New York Heart Association
Complete mitochondrial genome of the pelagic stingray Pteroplatytrygon violacea (Myliobatiformes: Dasyatidae)

Abstract The pelagic stingray Pteroplatytrygon violacea is the only pelagic species of the Dasyatidae (Chondrichthyes: Elasmobranchii), which is widely distributed in all tropical, subtropical and temperate oceans. In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of Pteroplatytrygon violacea was determined. It is 17,665 bp in length and contains 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes and 1 control region, with the typical gene order and direction of transcription of vertebrates. The overall nucleotide compositions of the whole mitogenome are 30.8% A, 26.9% C, 28.6% T and 13.7% G. The ND2 and CO1 sequences are highly similar to the corresponding sequences of this species available in NCBI collected from the Atlantic sea.
Letter by Moris et al Regarding Article, "Ticagrelor in Acute Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack in Asian Patients: From the SOCRATES Trial (Acute Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack Treated With Aspirin or Ticagrelor and Patient Outcomes)".

In the SOCRATES trial (Acute Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack Treated With Aspirin or Ticagrelor and Patient Outcomes),1 there was a trend toward a lower hazard ratio in reducing the risk of the primary end point of stroke, myocardial infarction, or death in the ticagrelor group in Asian patients compared with that in the aspirin group. First, most patients with a history of stroke or transient ischemic attack were using aspirin before inclusion. The American Heart Association guideline acknowledges a lack of evidence with respect to therapeutic options in patients who have vascular events while using aspirin, but that in these cases it is …
Recombinant activated factor VII does not reduce bleeding in rabbits treated with aspirin and clopidogrel

Summary Combined antiplatelet agents (cAPA), aspirin plus clopidogrel, increase the risk of bleeding. We hypothesised that recombinant activated FVIIa (rFVIIa), which normalises thrombin generation in platelet-rich plasma from patients treated with cAPA, could limit this bleeding risk. It was the objective of this study to investigate the efficacy and safety of rFVIIa compared to placebo, in a bleeding and thrombosis model in rabbits treated with aspirin and clopidogrel. New-Zealand rabbits, randomised into two groups (Placebo1, n=36 ; cAPA, n=34), were anaesthetised, ventilated and monitored for blood pressure, temperature and carotid blood flow. The Folts model was applied to a carotid artery. Cyclic flow reductions (CFR) were recorded over a first 20-min period (Obs1). Each rabbit was then randomly assigned into one of three subgroups (Placebo2, 40 μg/kg rFVIIa, 160 μg/kg rFVIIa) and CFR were monitored for a second 20-min period (Obs2). Ear bleeding time (BT) was measured at the end of each period. Hepatosplenic (HS) section was performed at the end of the experiment and HS blood loss defines the primary endpoint. Secondary endpoints were thrombosis (CFR), prothrombin time, platelet aggregation, and thrombin generation. Non- parametric statistical tests were used (p<0.05). cAPA significantly increased HS blood loss, BT and suppressed CFR compared to Placebo1 (p<0.05). rFVIIa injection did not modify HS blood loss, BT or CFR rate in Placebo1 rabbits nor in cAPA animals. These effects were unaffected by either rFVIIa dose. rFVIIa accelerated thrombin generation but had no effect on platelet aggregation in citrated platelet-rich plasma. rFVIIa did not modify HS blood loss associated with cAPA in rabbits.
In Vivo Models Used for Evaluation of Potential Antigastroduodenal Ulcer Agents

Peptic ulcer is among the most serious gastrointestinal diseases in the world. Several orthodox drugs are employed for the treatment of the disease. Although these drugs are effective, they produce many adverse effects thus limiting their use. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in alternative therapies, especially those from plants due to their perceived relative lower side effects, ease of accessibility, and affordability. Plant medicines with ethnomedicinal use in peptic ulcer management need to be screened for their effectiveness and possible isolation of lead compounds. This requires use of appropriate animal models of various ulcers. The limited number of antiulcer models for drug development against gastric and duodenal ulcer studies has hindered the progress of targeted therapy in this field. It is, therefore, necessary to review the literature on experimental models used to screen agents with potential antigastroduodenal ulcer activity and explain their biochemical basis in order to facilitate their use in the development of new preventive and curative antiulcer drugs. Clinical trials can then be carried out on agents/drugs that show promise. In this paper, current in vivo animal models of ulcers and the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying their induction, their limitations, as well as the challenges associated with their use have been discussed.
Aversive memory, anxiety-related behaviors, and serum neurochemical levels in a rat model of labored sleep loss.

Results: Our results demonstrated that TSD (P < 0.001) and CPSR (P < 0.001) induce memory impairment while exert anxiolytic-like effects in comparison with controls. Data showed that CPSR causes more memory impairment and anxiolytic-like effect in comparison to TSD (P < 0.001). These interventions however, did not alter the locomotor activity. Serum corticosterone level raised dramatically in CPSR rats in comparison to TSD and controls. Although the difference in serum BDNF level between TSD and CPSR arms was insignificant, it was markedly decreased in comparison to corresponding controls (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Our findings suggest the more pronounced effect of CPSR rather than TSD in impairing aversive memory and reducing anxiety. Decreased BDNF and peaked corticosterone level in TSD and CPSR suggest the probable inflammatory processes involved in possible insults to the brain caused by SD.
Hypoxic/Ischemic and Infectious Events Have Cumulative Effects on the Risk of Cerebral Palsy in Very-Low-Birth-Weight Preterm Infants

Background: Hypoxia/ischemia and inflammation are two major mechanisms for cerebral palsy (CP) in preterm infants. Objective: To investigate whether hypoxia/ischemia- and infection-related events in the perinatal and neonatal periods had cumulative effects on CP risk in very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) premature infants. Methods: From 1995 to 2005, 5,807 VLBW preterm infants admitted to Taiwan hospitals were enrolled. The cumulative effects of hypoxic/ischemic and infectious events during the perinatal and neonatal periods on CP risk at corrected age 24 months were analyzed. Results: Of the 4,355 infants with 24-month follow-up, 457 (10.5%) had CP. The CP group had significantly higher incidences of hypoxia/ischemia-related events in the perinatal and neonatal periods, and sepsis in the neonatal period than the normal group. Three hypoxic/ischemic events, including birth cardiopulmonary resuscitation (OR 2.25; 95% CI 1.81-2.82), patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) ligation (2.94; 1.35-5.75) and chronic lung disease (3.14; 2.61-3.85) had the most significant contribution to CP. Relative to CP risk for infants with neither the three hypoxic/ischemic events nor sepsis, the CP odds increased 1.98-, 2.26- and 2.15-fold for infants with birth cardiopulmonary resuscitation, PDA ligation and chronic lung disease, respectively; while the combination with sepsis further increased the odds to 3.18-, 3.83- and 3.25-fold, respectively. Using the three hypoxic/ischemic events plus sepsis, CP rates were 10.0, 16.7, 26.7, 40.0 and 54.7% for infants with none, one, two, three and four events, respectively. Conclusions: Hypoxic/ischemic and infectious events across the perinatal and neonatal periods exerted cumulative effects on CP risk in VLBW premature infants.
Canada: a new angle on packs

Point-of-sale marketing is among the most widespread and effective forms of tobacco marketing, particularly in countries such as Canada where other forms of tobacco advertising are prohibited. It is therefore not surprising that tobacco companies continue to search for ways to increase the salience of package displays and other forms of point-of-sale marketing. Imperial Tobacco Canada, a wholly owned subsidiary of BAT and the largest tobacco manufacturer in Canada, has recently added a new twist to retail displays. It has begun marketing du …
What Is Special about Face Recognition? Nineteen Experiments on a Person with Visual Object Agnosia and Dyslexia but Normal Face Recognition

In order to study face recognition in relative isolation from visual processes that may also contribute to object recognition and reading, we investigated CK, a man with normal face recognition but with object agnosia and dyslexia caused by a closed-head injury. We administered recognition tests of up right faces, of family resemblance, of age-transformed faces, of caricatures, of cartoons, of inverted faces, and of face features, of disguised faces, of perceptually degraded faces, of fractured faces, of faces parts, and of faces whose parts were made of objects. We compared CK's performance with that of at least 12 control participants. We found that CK performed as well as controls as long as the face was upright and retained the configurational integrity among the internal facial features, the eyes, nose, and mouth. This held regardless of whether the face was disguised or degraded and whether the face was represented as a photo, a caricature, a cartoon, or a face composed of objects. In the last case, CK perceived the face but, unlike controls, was rarely aware that it was composed of objects. When the face, or just the internal features, were inverted or when the configurational gestalt was broken by fracturing the face or misaligning the top and bottom halves, CK's performance suffered far more than that of controls. We conclude that face recognition normally depends on two systems: (1) a holistic, face-specific system that is dependent on orientationspecific coding of second-order relational features (internal), which is intact in CK and (2) a part-based object-recognition system, which is damaged in CK and which contributes to face recognition when the face stimulus does not satisfy the domain-specific conditions needed to activate the face system.
Polyelectrolyte complexes: mechanisms, critical experimental aspects, and applications

Abstract The polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) are versatile formulations formed by electrostatic interactions between oppositely charged biopolymers. PECs have been investigated widely by the researchers to explore the virtues of this formulation viz. high biocompatibility, excellent biodegradability, low toxicity, cost-effective, environment-friendly, and energy-efficient production. The prime object of the present review is to present the prominent features of PECs including mechanism of PEC formation, structural models of PECs, interactions involved in PEC formation, steps involved in PEC fabrication, factors affecting the formation of PECs and applications of PECs. The patents pertaining to PECs have briefly been tabulated as well.
The Molecular Alterations Regarding Apoptosis in HepatocellularCarcinoma Cells at a Glance

Ranking one of the most critical worldwide health troubles relating to mortality, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been a grievous scourge of humanity for a long time. Despite that plentiful attempts have been made, it still remains being a great challenge for us to conquer this disease. Multiple molecular alterations can be frequently detected in the pathogenesis and development of HCC, such as members of Ras family, Bcl-2 family and tumor suppressors. Importantly, most of these alterations are responsible for disrupting the balance between cell proliferation and apoptosis, which has been generally voted as a key event closely associated with carcinogenesis. Hence, this review aims to update the current related articles and provide a further understanding about such molecular changes relevant to trigger imbalances in the regulation of apoptosis in HCC.
The perinatal period: A literature review from the biopsychosocial perspective

This review paper presents research findings relating to physical, biological, social and psychological factors as they influence maternal and child health across the perinatal period. Taking a public health perspective, the paper also identifies best opportunities for service development to improve population health. Important gaps in our research knowledge about optimal maternal and child health are identified. The review concludes by highlighting the area of social support as a highly recommended priority for service development within maternal and child health.
Phase II Study of Single-Agent Navitoclax (ABT-263) and Biomarker Correlates in Patients with Relapsed Small Cell Lung Cancer

Purpose: Bcl-2 is a critical regulator of apoptosis that is overexpressed in the majority of small cell lung cancers (SCLC). Nativoclax (ABT-263) is a potent and selective inhibitor of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL. The primary objectives of this phase IIa study included safety at the recommended phase II dose and preliminary, exploratory efficacy assessment in patients with recurrent and progressive SCLC after at least one prior therapy. Experimental Design: Thirty-nine patients received navitoclax 325 mg daily, following an initial lead-in of 150 mg daily for 7 days. Study endpoints included safety and toxicity assessment, response rate, progression-free and overall survival (PFS and OS), as well as exploratory pharmacodynamic correlates. Results: The most common toxicity associated with navitoclax was thrombocytopenia, which reached grade III–IV in 41% of patients. Partial response was observed in one (2.6%) patient and stable disease in 9 (23%) patients. Median PFS was 1.5 months and median OS was 3.2 months. A strong association between plasma pro–gastrin-releasing peptide (pro-GRP) level and tumor Bcl-2 copy number (R = 0.93) was confirmed. Exploratory analyses revealed baseline levels of cytokeratin 19 fragment antigen 21-1, neuron-specific enolase, pro-GRP, and circulating tumor cell number as correlates of clinical benefit. Conclusion: Bcl-2 targeting by navitoclax shows limited single-agent activity against advanced and recurrent SCLC. Correlative analyses suggest several putative biomarkers of clinical benefit. Preclinical models support that navitoclax may enhance sensitivity of SCLC and other solid tumors to standard cytotoxics. Future studies will focus on combination therapies. Clin Cancer Res; 18(11); 3163–9. ©2012 AACR.