Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of zinc deficiency on oral and periodontal diseases in rats.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate the alterations of oral and periodontal tissues in zinc-deficient rats compared with control rats. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study was carried out on 14 Sprague-Dawley rats, cessation of lactation on the 24th day after birth. Rats were randomly divided into two groups. Group I rats were fed with a zinc-deficient diet and group II rats were fed with a zinc-containing diet. At the end of the fourth week on experimental diets, alterations of the oral tissues in both groups were recorded. In addition, the gingival index (GI-Löe-Silness), plaque index (PI-Silness-Löe) and periodontal pocket depth scores were recorded in order to assess periodontal tissue health in the rats. Then, blood samples were taken and the serum zinc levels measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. At the end of the experiment, oral tissue samples were investigated by light microscopy. Finally, the results of the two groups were compared by using the Student's t-test. RESULTS The effects of zinc deficiency were observed at 10-16 d in rats. Although body weight, body length and tail length were retarded in zinc-deficient rats, they were advanced in rats fed with a zinc-containing diet. The mean plaque index and gingival index for group II rats were significantly lower than for group I rats (p<0.001), but there was no significant difference regarding pocket depth between the two groups of rats (p>0.05). Aphthous ulcer was often seen in the study group, where it was observed on the alveolar mucosa with a high rate of 29.9%. According to histological findings, there was no difference related to the epithelial keratinization of the hard palate between the two groups. However, hyperkeratosis was found on the dorsal surface of the tongue in zinc-deficient rats. CONCLUSION The findings indicated that oral health was better in group II rats (those fed with a zinc-containing diet) than in group I (zinc-deficient) rats. Hyperkeratinization was more prominent in zinc-deficient rats. We suggest that zinc deficiency is a potential risk factor for oral and periodontal diseases.
Apoptosis and the cell cycle

In this review, we consider apoptosis as a process intimately linked to the cell cycle. There are several reasons for thinking of apoptosis as a cell cycle phenomenon. First, within the organism, apoptosis is almost exclusively found in proliferating tissues. Second, artificial manipulation of the cell cycle can either prevent or potentiate apoptosis, depending on the point of arrest. Data from such studies have suggested that molecules acting late in G1 are required for apoptosis. Since passage through late G1 into S phase in mammalian cells is known to be regulated by p53 and by activation of cyclin‐dependent kinases, we also examine recent studies linking these molecules to the apoptotic pathway.
Meeting report – Oocyte maturation and fertilization: lessons from canonical and emerging models

The EMBO workshop ‘Oocyte maturation and fertilization: lessons from canonical and emerging models’ was held at the Oceanologic Observatory of Banyuls in France in June 2013 and was organized by Anne-Marie Geneviere, Olivier Haccard, Peter Lenart and Alex McDougall. A total of 78 participants shared their research on germline formation, oocyte development, sperm, fertilization and early development. Here, we report the highlights of this meeting.
Beyond core measures: identifying modifiable risk factors for prevention of surgical site infection after elective total abdominal hysterectomy.

BACKGROUND Despite adherence to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) core measures for preventing surgical site infections (SSI), our institution has a >10% rate of SSI after total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH), higher than the 90(th) percentile for SSI rates published in the 2009 National Healthcare Safety Network report. METHODS A retrospective chart review was performed for patients who underwent elective TAH at a public safety net hospital in Denver from December 30, 2005, to March 9, 2010. The primary outcome was development of SSI within 30 days. A secondary outcome was adherence to CMS core measures. RESULTS A total of 192 patients were included in the analysis, of whom 21 (10.9%) developed SSI. More than 95% had received antibiotics in the 60 min before surgical incision, and >90% received an appropriate antibiotic. Compliance with post-anesthesia care unit normothermia was equivalent in the SSI and non-SSI groups (81.0% vs. 75.2%; p=0.5588). Surgical site infection was associated with obesity (body mass index [BMI]≥30) (15.4% vs. 6.9%; p=0.0609), estimated blood loss≥500 mL (18.5% vs. 8.0%; p=0.0353), and receipt of a blood transfusion (28.6% vs. 10.5%; p=0.0183). In a multiple logistic regression model, obesity marginally increased the risk of SSI (odds ratio [OR] 2.55; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.94-6.74), whereas blood transfusion was significantly associated with a higher risk of SSI (OR 3.58; 95% CI 1.21-10.62). CONCLUSIONS Blood transfusion was associated with SSI after TAH in our population. As it is a modifiable risk factor, larger multi-center studies are needed to confirm this result and determine appropriate transfusion thresholds.
Mutation Update of ARSA and PSAP Genes Causing Metachromatic Leukodystrophy

Metachromatic leukodystrophy is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive demyelination. The disease is caused by variants in the ARSA gene, which codes for the lysosomal enzyme arylsulfatase A, or, more rarely, in the PSAP gene, which codes for the activator protein saposin B. In this Mutation Update, an extensive review of all the ARSA‐ and PSAP‐causative variants published in the literature to date, accounting for a total of 200 ARSA and 10 PSAP allele types, is presented. The detailed ARSA and PSAP variant lists are freely available on the Leiden Online Variation Database (LOVD) platform at http://www.LOVD. nl/ARSA and http://www.LOVD. nl/PSAP, respectively.
Time‐shift imaging condition

Seismic imaging based on single-scattering approximation involves matching of source and receiver wavefields at every image location. Wavefields at depth are functions of space and time and are reconstructed from surface data either by integral methods (Kirchhoff migration) or by differential methods (reverse-time or wavefield extrapolation migration). Different methods can be used to analyze wavefield matching, of which cross-correlation is a popular option. A simple imaging condition requires time cross-correlation of source and receiver wavefields, followed by extraction of the zero time lag. A generalized imaging condition operates by cross-correlation in both space and time, followed by image extraction at zero time lag. Spatial cross-correlation lags are indicators of imaging accuracy and are also used for image angle-decomposition. In this paper, we introduce an alternative prestack imaging condition in which we preserve multiple lags of the time cross-correlation. Prestack images are described as functions of time-shifts as opposed to spaceshifts between source and receiver wavefields. This imaging condition is applicable to migration by Kirchhoff, wavefield extrapolation or reverse-time techniques. The transformation allows construction of common-image gathers presented as function of either time-shift or reflection angle at every location in space. Inaccurate migration velocity is revealed by angle-domain common-image gathers with non-flat events. Computational experiments with a complex salt dataset demonstrate the main features of the method. 1
Association of aberrant methylation of tumor suppressor genes with tumor aggressiveness and BRAF mutation in papillary thyroid cancer

The role of aberrant tumor suppressor gene methylation in the aggressiveness of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) has not been documented. By showing promoter methylation‐induced gene silencing in PTC‐derived cell lines, we first demonstrated the functional consequence of methylation of several recently identified tumor suppressor genes, including those for tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase‐3 (TIMP3), SLC5A8, death‐associated protein kinase (DAPK) and retinoic acid receptor β2 (RARβ2). We then investigated the role of methylation of these genes in the aggressiveness of PTC by examining the relationship of their aberrant methylation to clinicopathological characteristics and BRAF mutation in 231 primary PTC tumors. Methylation of TIMP3, SLC5A8 and DAPK was significantly associated with several aggressive features of PTC, including extrathyroidal invasion, lymph node metastasis, multifocality and advanced tumor stages. Methylation of these genes was also significantly associated with BRAF mutation in PTC, either individually or collectively in various combinations. Methylation of these genes, either individually or collectively, occurred more frequently in more aggressive classical and tall‐cell PTC subtypes than in less aggressive follicular‐variant PTC, with the latter known to infrequently harbor BRAF mutation. Several other tumor suppressor genes investigated were not methylated. These results suggest that aberrant methylation and hence silencing of TIMP3, SLC5A8, DAPK and RARβ2, in association with BRAF mutation, may be an important step in PTC tumorigenesis and progression. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Molecular motors hijacking by intracellular pathogens

Cargoes are transported intracellularly along cytoskeletal tracks composed of actin or tubulin. Their movement involves the action of molecular motor proteins that generate directed movement along microtubules or actin filaments. The three classes of molecular motors – kinesins, dyneins and myosins – are involved in a multiplicity of biological movements such as mitosis, positioning of organelles, intracellular transports and also vesicular sorting through membrane tubulation and fission and delivery to their target compartment. Intracellular pathogens use this molecular machinery to reach their site of replication, to leave their host or to control the dynamics of membrane exchanges with their replication compartment.
Quality of Life With Functional Pharyngeal Preservation in Advanced Carcinomas of the Base Tongue Complex Using an Integrated Trimodality Approach

Standard management of advanced carcinoma arising from the base of the tongue or infiltrating that region from contiguous areas (henceforth referred to as base of tongue complex [BTC] tumors) with radical surgery and postoperative radiation therapy results in extensive loss of function affecting deglutition, speech, and physical appearance. From January 1995, 16 patients with advanced stage BTC tumors were entered in this phase II study. Eleven patients (74%) had N2–3 neck disease. To optimize neck control, those with clinical N+ nodes at presentation had neck dissection. This was followed by hyperfractionated radiotherapy at 120 cGy twice daily to a median dose of 7,320 cGy to the primary and 6,240 cGy to areas with pathologically positive nodes. Concomitant chemotherapy was administered during weeks 1 and 4 of the radiation therapy using bolus cisplatin 75 to 100 mg/m2 on day 1 and continuous infusional 5-fluorouracil 750 to 1,000 mg/m2/d from days 1 to 4 of each chemotherapy cycle. Survival curves were plotted for various events, using actuarial life table methods. A functional assessment was made at least 1 year after completion of treatment using a previously validated Head/Neck Performance Status Scale. The median follow-up period was 23 months. There was a 100% complete response to the treatment at the primary site. The actuarial 4-year local (primary site) control was 100%, locoregional control (including nodes) was 69%, and disease-specific survival was 70% at 4 years. The predominant acute toxicity (63% incidence) was reversible grade III mucositis resulting in a median of 9 days’ interruption in treatment. All of the patients were able to complete the prescribed treatment course, and there were no treatment-related deaths. Quality of Life assessment after treatment examined all facets of oropharyngeal function. Of note, none of the patients required long-term tube feedings. For the nine patients who responded to the functional assessment questionnaire, the results were excellent (score >75). The mean score for ability to eat in public was 75, mean of 76 for normalcy of diet, and 91 for understandability of speech. Concomitant hyperfractionated chemoradiation therapy produced excellent functional preservation with good long-term control in this patient group with historically poor prognosis. A 4-year actuarial local control rate of 69% was obtained, which is comparable to results of radical surgery and adjuvant radiation therapy. Further studies with modifications of fractionation and use of newer chemotherapy agents/radioprotectors will improve on these gains while reducing toxicity.
A detail simulation study on Extended Source Ultra-Thin Body Double-Gated Tunnel FET

This work presents an extensive simulation study on different design parameters of an Extended Source Ultra Thin Body Double-Gated Tunneling Field Effect Transistor structure. The study investigates the effects of different device design parameter variations on electrical parameters like: sub-threshold swing, trans-conductance, ON-state current and OFF-state current. Finally an optimum structure for Extended Source Ultra Thin Body Double-Gated Tunneling Field Effect Transistor has been derived from the simulation study, with encouraging results for parameters of interest.
Use of a rapid assay of subforms of creatine kinase MB to diagnose or rule out acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND Ruling out myocardial infarction in patients coming to the emergency room with chest pain is hindered by the lack of a specific early diagnostic marker. Less than 30 percent of patients admitted to coronary care units have infarction, resulting in substantial unnecessary expenditures. We developed a rapid assay of the subforms of creatine kinase MB (CK-MB) and prospectively analyzed its sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing myocardial infarction in the first six hours after the onset of chest pain. METHODS In 1110 consecutive patients who came to the emergency room with chest pain, blood samples were collected every 30 to 60 minutes until at least 6 hours after the onset of symptoms; in patients who were then admitted to the hospital, samples were collected every 4 hours for up to 48 hours. The samples were analyzed for CK-MB subforms, and the diagnosis of myocardial infarction was confirmed by conventional CK-MB analysis. RESULTS Of the 1110 patients evaluated, 121 had myocardial infarction. The sensitivity of the assay of CK-MB subforms to detect myocardial infarction in the first six hours after the onset of symptoms was 95.7 per cent, as compared with only 48 percent for the conventional CK-MB assay; the specificity was 93.9 percent among patients hospitalized without myocardial infarction and 96.2 percent among those sent home. Among the patients with myocardial infarction, definitive results of the subform assay were available a mean (+/- SD) of 1.22 +/- 1.17 hours after their arrival in the emergency room. CONCLUSIONS The assay of CK-MB subforms reliably detected myocardial infarction within the first six hours after the onset of symptoms, and its use could reduce admission to the coronary care unit by 50 to 70 percent, thereby reducing costs.
Meshology: a fast-growing field involving mesh and/or tape removal procedures and their outcomes

Stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse are two of the commonest conditions affecting women today. It is associated with significant compromise to quality of life. Through the years, there has been an evolution of technique and graft material to augment repairs for durability. Transvaginal placements of synthetic mid-urethral slings and vaginal meshes have largely superseded traditional tissue repairs in the current era because of presumed efficacy and ease of implant with device ‘kits’. The use of synthetic material has generated novel complications, including mesh extrusion, pelvic and vaginal pain and mesh contraction. In this review, our aim is to discuss the management and outcomes associated with mesh removal. In addition, we will briefly review the safety communications issued by the US FDA on transvaginal mesh placement and a new classification system for complications arising from the use of synthetic graft endorsed by both the International Continence Society and International Urogynecological Association.
Quantitative and qualitative evaluation of AspectJ, JBoss AOP and CaesarJ, using Gang-of-Four design patterns

Several languages are currently proposed to apply the basics of the aspect oriented programming and choosing one language or another is not obvious since they are sophisticated languages that deal with new sophisticated concepts of software engineering. A comparison between these languages is therefore worthwhile, not only to help developers choosing the right language for their needs but also to improve these languages themselves. However, such a comparison requires important investigations to put into evidence strengths and weaknesses of each language and ultimately operate a synergy between these languages. In this study we have selected three of well known advanced separation of concerns (ASOC) languages: AspectJ, JBoss AOP and CaesarJ, and we have conducted a comparative study using the GoF design patterns as hypothetical benchmarks. Our starting point was our confidence in the fact that design patterns are seamlessly powerful elicitation artifacts to test separation of concerns languages. Indeed design patterns cover most of the problems associated with the design and implementation of large and complex software systems. This article reports on our quantitative and qualitative comparisons using eight GoF design patterns in each of the AspectJ, JBoss AOP and CaesarJ languages. The result of this work allowed us to highlight strengths and weakness of each language and showed that the use of design patterns as benchmarks is an effective way for comparing ASOC languages.
Distribution of M retinal ganglion cells in diurnal and nocturnal new world monkeys

The topography of M ganglion cell distribution was studied in the retinae of two New World monkey species, the diurnal capuchin monkey Cebus apella and the nocturnal owl monkey Aotus azarae. Retinal whole mounts were stained by the neurofibrillar method of Gros‐Schultze. As occurs with other diurnal primates, the Cebus M‐ganglion cell density peaks in the foveal slope and declines towards the periphery. In the Aotus retina, the M ganglion cell density peaks in the area centralis and declines toward the periphery. In both species the cell density in the temporal, dorsal, and ventral meridians are similar for equivalent eccentricities. The cell density in the nasal meridian is higher than in the other meridians. The naso‐temporal density ratio ranges between 1.2 and 4.3 in the Cebus and 1.6 and 2.2 in the Aotus. The total number of M‐ganglion cells was 140,300 and 74,000 in the Cebus and Aotus retinae, respectively, corresponding to about 10% and 15.4% of the total retinal ganglion cell population in these species. The results indicate that M ganglion cells are similarly organized in both diurnal and nocturnal simians, but may be proportionally more important for the nocturnal species. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Biological Importance of Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) in Human Health-A Classic Review

The recognition of vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) is associated with history of an unrelenting search for the cause of the ancient hemorrhagic disease scurvy. Isolated in 1928, vitamin C is essential for the development and maintenance of connective tissues. It plays an important role in bone formation, wound healing and the maintenance of healthy gums. Vitamin C plays an important role in a number of metabolic functions including the activation of the B vitamin, folic acid, the conversion of cholesterol to bile acids and the conversion of the amino acid, tryptophan, to the neurotransmitter, serotonin. It is an antioxidant that protects body from free radicals' damages. It is used as therapeutic agent in many diseases and disorders. Vitamin C protects the immune system, reduces the severity of allergic reactions and helps fight off infections.
Respiratory damage in children exposed to urban pollution

Southwest Metropolitan Mexico City (SWMMC) children are chronically exposed to complex mixtures of air pollutants. In a cross‐sectional arm of our study, we investigated the association between exposure to SWMMC atmosphere and nasal abnormalities, hyperinflation, and interstitial markings assessed by chest X‐rays, lung function changes, several serum cytokines, and endothelin‐1 in 174 children aged 5–17 years vs. 27 control children residents in low‐polluted areas. Control children had no nasal lesions, and only one child showed an abnormal chest X‐ray. SWMMC children exhibited nasal abnormalities (22%), hyperinflation (67%), interstitial markings (49%), and a mild restrictive pattern by spirometry (10%). Interstitial markings were associated with a decrease in predicted values of FEF25–75, FEF75, and the FEV1/FVC ratio. Boys had a higher probability of developing interstitial markings with age (P = 0.004). Blood smear findings included toxic granulations in neutrophils and schistocytes. SWMMC children had more serum IL10 and IL6 and less IL8 than controls. In a longitudinal arm of our study, we found a significant seasonal drop in FVC and FEV1 associated with a 6‐month period of high ozone and PM10 levels. Our data strongly suggest that a lifelong exposure to urban air pollution causes respiratory damage in children. Moreover, a cytokine network becomes imbalanced, with a shift towards upregulation of anti‐inflammatory cytokines. Consequently, these children are potentially at risk for developing chronic lung disease and other systemic effects later in life. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2003; 36:148–161. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Failure Patterns Following Curative Resection of Colonic Carcinoma

To identify patterns of failure following curative resection of colonic (nonrectal) carcinoma, the medical records of 533 patients undergoing resection with curative intent were reviewed. The overall local failure rate was 19% (102/533 patients) with 32 patients having local failure alone and 70 patients having concurrent local failure and distant metastases. The incidence of local failure rose with advancing stage of disease. Tumors staged B3, C2, and C3 had local failure rates in excess of 30%. Local failures occurred predominantly in tumor bed and adjoining structures (82%) and not by regional nodal failure (18%). One hundred thirty-one patients (25%) developed distant metastases. One hundred ten patients (84%) failed in the abdomen-liver, peritoneal seeding, para-aortic, or portahepatic lymph nodes. Patients with Stage B3, C2, and C3 tumors were found to have abdominal failure rates (excluding local failure) of greater than 20%. The highest failure rates in the liver were in Stage C2 and C3 patients in which the subsequent development of liver metastases was 29% and 31%, respectively. In Stage C3, peritoneal seeding and abdominal lymph node failure occurred in 18% and 14% of the patients, respectively.
Tilde MODEL - Multilingual Open Data for EU Languages

This paper describes a Multilingual Open Data corpus for European languages that was built in scope of the MODEL project. We describe the approach chosen to select data sources, which data sources were used, how the source data was handled, what tools were used and what data was obtained in the result of the project. Obtained data quality is presented, and a summary of challenges and chosen solutions are described, too. This paper may serve as a guide and reference in case someone might try to do something similar, as well as a guide to the new open data obtained.