Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Teledermatology: clinical case profiles and practical issues.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Teledermatology is an area that has shown rapid growth in the recent past. However, not many studies have been conducted with regards to the application of teledermatology in India. Aim of our study was to evaluate the clinical profiles of cases referred for teledermatology consultation at our center, and to assess and compare the different modalities of teledermatology consultations done at our center along with the practical issues related to such a service. METHODS A retrospective study of teledermatology consultations at our center over a 3-year period was carried out. Store-and-forward (SAF), realtime consults (RTC), and hybrid (combining the two) were included.Two trained dermatologists were involved in carrying out the consultations in the referral center. RESULTS Of the 120 consultations, 68 male and 52 female patients in the age range of 2-77 years were seen. In more than 90% of the cases, teleconsultation was the first contact for the patient with the dermatologist (for the present condition). In 68% of the cases, the reference was for both diagnosis and management, while in the rest, the reference was mainly related to management issues (appropriate diagnosis having already been made). Certainity of diagnosis was maximum for hybrid, SAF, and RTC. CONCLUSIONS Teledermatology can prove valuable as a tool to provide healthcare in areas of shortage of specialists. A hybrid system combining SAF and RTC could be the ideal form of teledermatology consultations in the future. Many practical issues need to be addressed before the effectiveness of teledermatology in India can be fully recognized.
Conventional Radiography-A Few Challenging Applications

Radiography is one of the most widely used volumetric NDT methods, which is based on the differential absorption of penetrating radiation by the component. Using radiography one can examine wide variety of materials ranging from light to heavy elements, components of different size and shapes ranging from miniature electronics parts to large vessels and different products forms such as castings, weldments, composite etc. Conventional radiography, which uses X-ray machine and radioactive isotopes such as Iridium-192 and Cobalt 60 for generating penetrating radiation, is used for recording the internal defects of the object on a radiographic film. Advance radiography methods such as Micro Focal Radiography, Digital Radiography, and Real Time Radiography have been developed to offer an edge over conventional radiography for better definition and detectability of small defects, quick result and image processing. However, with all its limitations, conventional radiography can give results beyond expectation, provided the technique selected is proper and adequate. At Centre for Design and Manufacture (CDM) capability of conventional radiography was explored for the examination of Boron Carbide Pellets and Friction Stir Welded Aluminium plates, having challenging requirements. Boron Carbide (B4C) is an extremely hard ceramic material used in tank armor, bulletproof vests and numerous industrial applications. Control rods of nuclear reactor contain pellets of Boron Carbide, which act as neutron absorber. Pellets of Boron Carbide are manufactured by sintering process in which objects of different shapes are formed by heating metal powder at temperature below its melting point. Pores and microscopic imperfections in ceramic give rise to cracks, which can lead to potentially dangerous equipment failure. Radiography technique was developed to detect cracks, micro pores and local density variation in pellets having diameter of 11.85/11.47 mm and length in the range of 5mm to 20mm as an effective quality control tool. Friction Stir Welding (FSW) is a solid state welding process in which metals are joined together without fusion or filler metal. The welds are created by the combined action of frictional heating and mechanical deformation due to rotating tool. This process is primarily used on Aluminium, and most often on large pieces which cannot be easily heat treated post weld to recover tempering characteristics. To establish the FSW process for welding of 5mm aluminium plates, number of trials using different parameters were carried out at BARC. In one of the welded pieces, it was a tricky task to detect lack of penetration under the Titanium foil, which was sandwiched between two Aluminium plates butting each other. This paper presents a brief description of these two jobs, radiographic technique developed for their examination and analysis of the results.
TRICHOME BIREFRINGENCE-LIKE27 Affects Aluminum Sensitivity by Modulating the O-Acetylation of Xyloglucan and Aluminum-Binding Capacity in Arabidopsis1[W][OPEN]

O-acetylation of xyloglucan affects aluminum sensitivity in Arabidopsis by modifying the aluminum-binding capacity of xyloglucan in the cell wall. Xyloglucan (XyG) has been reported to contribute to the aluminum (Al)-binding capacity of the cell wall in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). However, the influence of O-acetylation of XyG, accomplished by the putative O-acetyltransferase TRICHOME BIREFRINGENCE-LIKE27 (TBL27 [AXY4]), on its Al-binding capacity is not known. In this study, we found that the two corresponding TBL27 mutants, axy4-1 and axy4-3, were more Al sensitive than wild-type Columbia-0 plants. TBL27 was expressed in roots as well as in leaves, stems, flowers, and siliques. Upon Al treatment, even within 30 min, TBL27 transcript accumulation was strongly down-regulated. The mutants axy4-1 and axy4-3 accumulated significantly more Al in the root and wall, which could not be correlated with pectin content or pectin methylesterase activity, as no difference in the mutants was observed compared with the wild type when exposed to Al stress. The increased Al accumulation in the wall of the mutants was found to be in the hemicellulose fraction. While the total sugar content of the hemicellulose fraction did not change, the O-acetylation level of XyG was reduced by Al treatment. Taken together, we conclude that modulation of the O-acetylation level of XyG influences the Al sensitivity in Arabidopsis by affecting the Al-binding capacity in the hemicellulose.
Longitudinal study of urban American Indian 12-step attendance, attrition, and outcome.

OBJECTIVE Strong opinions have been voiced about the "fit" between 12-step treatment, community-based 12-step practices, and American Indian beliefs and values. Little is known, however, about the relative benefit of 12-step programs for urban American Indians, although they are the most widely accessed type of treatment by American Indians. This study investigated rates of 12-step attendance, attrition, and substance use outcomes for American Indians for 9 months relative to non-Hispanic White participants. METHOD This study compared urban American Indian (n = 63) and non-Hispanic White (n = 133) 12-step attendance, attrition, and substance use over 9 months. The sample was formed by merging data from two prospective single-group longitudinal studies investigating behavior change in community-based 12-step programs. Participants were interviewed at baseline and at 3-, 6-, and 9-month follow-ups. No intervention was provided. Participants were recruited from Alcoholics Anonymous meetings in the community and as they presented for outpatient substance use disorder treatment. Substance use and patterns of 12-step attendance were measured using the Form 90 calendar-based interview, and the General Alcoholics Anonymous Tools of Recovery was administered to assess the adoption of prescribed 12-step practices and beliefs. RESULTS Trajectories in 12-step meeting attendance over 9 months did not differ between American Indian and non-Hispanic White participants. However, American Indian participants discontinued 12-step attendance significantly less often than non-Hispanic White participants. Higher rates of 12-step attendance predicted increased alcohol abstinence and decreased drinking intensity for both American Indian and non-Hispanic White participants. Twelve-step attendance was unrelated to later illicit drug use for both American Indian and non-Hispanic White participants. CONCLUSIONS Community-based 12-step program attendance is associated with drinking reductions among urban American Indians.
LFG-500, a newly synthesized flavonoid, induces apoptosis in human ovarian carcinoma SKOV3 cells with involvement of the reactive oxygen species-mitochondria pathway

Ovarian cancer is the main cause of gynecologic malignancy-related mortality in women. Therefore, the disease requires improvements in treatment options and in the potency of chemotherapeutic drugs. The study of apoptosis in tumor cells is an important field for cancer therapy and cancer molecular biology. It has recently been established that LFG-500, a new synthesized flavonoid with a piperazine and benzyl group substitution, has strong anticancer activity. However, its exact molecular mechanism is not fully understood. The present study aimed to examine the effects of LFG-500 on human ovarian cancer SKOV3 cells, as well as to identify its underlying mechanisms. The data showed that LFG-500 inhibited the growth of SKOV3 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. It was found that LFG-500 induced apoptosis in SKOV3 cells, detected by DAPI staining and an Annexin V/PI double-staining assay. Moreover, LFG-500 reduced caspase-3 protein expression and increased the Bcl-2-associated X protein/B-cell lymphoma 2 protein ratio. Further findings revealed that LFG-500 treatment resulted in reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and loss of mitochondrial transmembrane potential. Collectively, these results demonstrated that LFG-500 efficiently induced apoptosis in SKOV3 cells, an event possibly associated with the trigging of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway through ROS accumulation. Therefore, LFG-500 shows potential as a potent anticancer agent for the treatment of ovarian cancer.
Effects of Residual Oil Fly Ash (ROFA) in Mice with Chronic Allergic Pulmonary Inflammation

Exposure to particulate matter (PM) air pollution is associated with increased asthma morbidity. Residual oil flash ash (ROFA) is rich in water-soluble transition metals, which are involved in the pathological effects of PM. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of intranasal administration of ROFA on pulmonary inflammation, pulmonary responsiveness, and excess mucus production in a mouse model of chronic pulmonary allergic inflammation. BALB/c mice received intraperitoneal injections of ovalbumin (OVA) solution (days 1 and 14). OVA challenges were performed on days 22, 24, 26, and 28. After the challenge, mice were intranasally instilled with ROFA. After forty-eight hours, pulmonary responsiveness was performed. Mice were sacrificed, and lungs were removed for morphometric analysis. OVA-exposed mice presented eosinophilia in the bronchovascular space (p < .001), increased pulmonary responsiveness (p < .001), and epithelial remodeling (p = .003). ROFA instillation increased pulmonary responsiveness (p = .004) and decreased the area of ciliated cells in the airway epithelium (p = .006). The combined ROFA instillation and OVA exposure induced a further increase in values of pulmonary responsiveness (p = .043) and a decrease in the number of ciliated cells in the airway epithelium (p = .017). PM exposure results in pulmonary effects that are more intense in mice with chronic allergic pulmonary inflammation.
Factors associated with self-assessed work ability.

BACKGROUND Symptoms and health problems caused or aggravated by work are common. In order to study perceived work ability and associated factors, including those related to work, a closer analysis was undertaken in an occupational health setting. AIMS This study aimed to analyse self-assessed work ability and its determinants in employees seeking medical advice, with special emphasis on work-related factors. METHODS During 723 illness-related visits to occupational physicians, questionnaires covering personal data, main health problems, their work relatedness, duration and effect on work ability were completed by the employee and physician. Factors associated with self-assessed work ability were studied in a multinomial logistic regression model. RESULTS The majority of employees considered themselves as being able or partially able to work despite the health problem. Independent predictors of impaired work ability were mental or musculoskeletal disorders, self-assessed work relatedness of the disease, older age, blue-collar work and short duration of the symptoms. If the patient was convinced about the benefits of work-related interventions, the risk for disability was significantly reduced. CONCLUSIONS Special attention should be paid to the recognition and modification of potential work-related causes of disability. In addition, patients with partial work ability should be encouraged to stay at work instead of taking sick leave. For effective disability management, accommodated work and other evidence-based interventions are needed at the workplace.
Detecting neural changes during stress and fatigue effectively: a comparison of spectral analysis and sample entropy

Brain computer interface (BCI) technology as its name implies, relies upon decoding brain signals into operational commands. Aside from needing effective means of control, successful BCIs need to remain stable in varying physiological conditions. BCIs need to be developed with mechanisms to recognise and respond to physiological states (such as stress and fatigue) that can disrupt user capability. This paper compares a spectral analysis of EEG signals technique with a nonlinear method of sample entropy to detect changes in brain dynamics during moments of stress and fatigue. The results demonstrated few changes in the spectral frequency bands of the EEG during fatigue and stress conditions. However, when the EEG signals were analysed with the nonlinear technique of sample entropy the results indicated a reduction of complexity during moments of fatigue and stress and an increase in complexity during moments of engagement to the task.
Cross-sectional study on surveillance of surgical site infections after vascular surgery.

AIMS To determine the incidence and risk factors for surgical site infections (SSI) after vascular surgery, to evaluate the Dutch safety bundle to reduce adverse complications and to analyze causative microorganisms of SSIs. MATERIALS & METHODS The 3.5-year study was divided into two periods: the control period (before bundle implementation) and intervention period (after implementation). Postdischarge surveillance was performed until 30 days after surgery. Causative microorganisms from in-hospital wound swabs were determined. SSI rates between both periods were compared and a risk analysis was carried out by performing a logistic regression. RESULTS The study included 1719 operations. The in-hospital SSI rate increased significantly over time. Out of 140 SSIs, 39% were diagnosed postdischarge. Risk factors were diabetes, age >60 years and operations classified as contaminated or dirty. Pseudomonas aeruginosa susceptibility was the highest for gentamicin (97%). All Staphylococcus aureus were methicillin susceptible. CONCLUSION As patient demographics are important to determine the effectiveness of infection preventive measures, (postdischarge) surveillance is important for developing SSI interventions.
Clinical Results and Mechanical Properties of the Carotid CGUARD Double-Layered Embolic Prevention Stent

Purpose: To report early clinical outcomes with a novel double-layer stent for the internal carotid artery (ICA) and the in vitro investigation of the stent’s mechanical properties. Methods: A prospective single-center study enrolled 30 consecutive patients (mean age 73.1±6.3 years; 21 men) with symptomatic (n=25) or high-grade (n=5) ICA stenosis treated with the new double-layer carotid CGUARD Embolic Prevention System (EPS) stent, which has an inner open-cell nitinol design with an outer closed-cell polyethylene terephthalate layer. The average stenosis of the treated arteries was 84.1%±7.9% with a mean lesion length of 16.6±2.1 mm. In the laboratory, 8×40-mm stents where tested in vitro with respect to their radial force during expansion, the bending stiffness of the stent system and the expanded stent, as well as the collapse pressure in a thin and flexible sheath. The wall adaptation was assessed using fluoroscopy after stent release in step and curved vessel models. Results: The stent was successfully implanted in all patients. No peri- or postprocedural complications occurred; no minor or major stroke was observed in the 6-month follow-up. The bending stiffness of the expanded stent was 63.1 N·mm2 and (not unexpectedly) was clearly lower than that of the stent system (601.5 N·mm2). The normalized radial force during expansion of the stent to 7.0 mm, consistent with in vivo sizing, was relatively high (0.056 N/mm), which correlates well with the collapse pressure of 0.17 bars. Vessel wall adaptation was harmonic and caused no straightening of the vessel after clinical application. Conclusion: Because of its structure, the novel CGUARD EPS stent is characterized by a high flexibility combined with a high radial force and very good plaque coverage. These first clinical results demonstrate a very safe implantation behavior without any stroke up to 6 months after the procedure.
[Effects of hyperoxia, glycerol and ventricular drainage on ICP and CBF in patients with increased ICP due to CSF circulatory-absorbance disturbance].

The effects of hyperoxia, glycerol and ventricular drainage on intracranial pressure (ICP) and cerebral blood flow (CBF) were studied in cases with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) circulatory-absorbance disturbance due to subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) or intraventricular hematoma. Ventricular fluid pressure (VFP) was monitored through a controlled ventricular drainage (CVD) tube using a Statham P-50 pressure transducer. CBF was measured by the 10mCi133Xe intravenous injection method using a Valmet BI-1400 rCBF analyzer. ISI (initial slope index) was used for the CBF value. Studied cases were 19 SAH patients and 2 hypertensive intracerebral hematoma cases with intraventricular hematoma. Hyperoxia included hyperbaric oxygen (HBO), reduced ICP and CBF. During pure oxygen inhalation at atmospheric pressure (1ATA . O2), there was a tendency toward a relationship showing that the higher the resting state ICP, the lesser the likelihood of a CBF decrease. This may indicate that increased ICP impairs cerebral vascular reactivity to hyperoxia in relation to the degree of elevation. The effects of hyperoxia on ICP and CBF were temporary and they promptly returned to the resting state after cessation of oxygen inhalation. In some cases, there was a rebound phenomenon in ICP after HBO. Glycerol administration reduced ICP and increased CBF. There was no clear correlation between resting state ICP and CBF increase after glycerol administration. The effects of glycerol were also temporary. ICP control by opening CVD increased CBF. There was a correlation between the level of resting state ICP and the CBF increase after the opening of CVD. In cases with CSF circulatory-absorbance disturbance, elevated ICP reduced CBF and may further worsen the cerebral damage. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
If at first you don't succeed… Studies of ontogeny shed light on the cognitive demands of habitual tool use

Many species use tools, but the mechanisms underpinning the behaviour differ between species and even among individuals within species, depending on the variants performed. When considering tool use ‘as adaptation’, an important first step is to understand the contribution made by fixed phenotypes as compared to flexible mechanisms, for instance learning. Social learning of tool use is sometimes inferred based on variation between populations of the same species but this approach is questionable. Specifically, alternative explanations cannot be ruled out because population differences are also driven by genetic and/or environmental factors. To better understand the mechanisms underlying routine but non-universal (i.e. habitual) tool use, we suggest focusing on the ontogeny of tool use and individual variation within populations. For example, if tool-using competence emerges late during ontogeny and improves with practice or varies with exposure to social cues, then a role for learning can be inferred. Experimental studies help identify the cognitive and developmental mechanisms used when tools are used to solve problems. The mechanisms underlying the route to tool-use acquisition have important consequences for our understanding of the accumulation in technological skill complexity over the life course of an individual, across generations and over evolutionary time.
A Mammalian Histone Deacetylase Related to the Yeast Transcriptional Regulator Rpd3p

Trapoxin is a microbially derived cyclotetrapeptide that inhibits histone deacetylation in vivo and causes mammalian cells to arrest in the cell cycle. A trapoxin affinity matrix was used to isolate two nuclear proteins that copurified with histone deacetylase activity. Both proteins were identified by peptide microsequencing, and a complementary DNA encoding the histone deacetylase catalytic subunit (HD1) was cloned from a human Jurkat T cell library. As the predicted protein is very similar to the yeast transcriptional regulator Rpd3p, these results support a role for histone deacetylase as a key regulator of eukaryotic transcription.
Social Phobia: Comorbidity and Morbidity in an Epidemiologic Sample

• Selected sociodemographic and clinical features of social phobia were assessed in four US communities among more than 13 000 adults from the Epidemiologic Catchment Area study. Rates of social phobia were highest among women and persons who were younger (age, 18 to 29 years), less educated, single, and of lower socioeconomic class. Mean age at onset was 15.5 years, and first onsets after the age of 25 years were uncommon. Lifetime major comorbid disorders were present in 69% of subjects with social phobia and usually had onset after social phobia. When compared with persons with no psychiatric disorder, uncomplicated social phobia was associated with increased rates of suicidal ideation, financial dependency, and having sought medical treatment, but was not associated with higher rates of having made a suicide attempt or having sought treatment from a mental health professional. An increase in suicide attempts was found among subjects with social phobia overall, but this increase was mainly attributable to comorbid cases. Social phobia, in the absence of comorbidity, was associated with distress and impairment, yet was rarely treated by mental health professionals. The findings are compared and contrasted with prior reports from clinical samples.