Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Free vascularized fibular graft: A versatile graft for reconstruction of large skeletal defects and revascularization of necrotic bone

The microvascular transfer ot a fibular graft that was initially introduced for the treatment of massive bone loss in the appendicular skeleton has more recently found another useful application in the management of the osteonecrosis of the femoral head. Since 1989, we have successfully used the free vascularized fibula in two patients with segmental bone loss, one in the fore arm and the other in the distal femur. We have also attempted revascularization of the femoral head in fifteen patients (eighteen hips) with osteonecrosis. Although our follow‐up is short, the results have been encouraging and this method is now the treatment of choice in the early stages of the disease. © Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Evaluation of radar reflectivity factor simulations of ice crystal populations from in situ observations for the retrieval of condensed water content in tropical mesoscale convective systems

This study presents the evaluation of a technique to estimate cloud condensed water content (CWC) in tropical convection from airborne cloud radar reflectivity factors at 94 GHz and in situ measurements of particle size distributions (PSDs) and aspect ratios of ice crystal populations. The approach is to calculate from each 5 s mean PSD and flight-level reflectivity the variability of all possible solutions of m(D) relationships fulfilling the condition that the simulated radar reflectivity factor (T-matrix method) matches the measured radar reflectivity factor. For the reflectivity simulations, ice crystals were approximated as oblate spheroids, without using a priori assumptions on the mass–size relationship of ice crystals. The CWC calculations demonstrate that individual CWC values are in the range ±32 % of the retrieved average CWC value over all CWC solutions for the chosen 5 s time intervals. In addition, during the airborne field campaign performed out of Darwin in 2014, as part of the international High Altitude Ice Crystals/High Ice Water Content (HAIC/HIWC) projects, CWCs were measured independently with the new IKP-2 (isokinetic evaporator probe) instrument along with simultaneous particle imagery and radar reflectivity. Retrieved CWCs from the T-matrix radar reflectivity simulations are on average 16 % higher than the direct CWCIKP measurements. The differences between the CWCIKP and averaged retrieved CWCs are found to be primarily a function of the total number concentration of ice crystals. Consequently, a correction term is applied (as a function of total number concentration) that significantly improves the retrieved CWC. After correction, the retrieved CWCs have a median relative error with respect to measured values of only −1 %. Uncertainties in the measurements of total concentration of hydrometeors are investigated in order to calculate their contribution to the relative error of calculated CWC with respect to measured CWCIKP. It is shown that an overestimation of the concentration by about +50 % increases the relative errors of retrieved CWCs by only +29 %, while possible shattering, which impacts only the concentration of small hydrometeors, increases the relative error by about +4 %. Moreover, all cloud events with encountered graupel particles were studied and compared to events without observed graupel particles. Overall, graupel particles seem to have the largest impact on high crystal number-concentration conditions and show relative errors in retrieved CWCs that are higher than for events without graupel particles.
Hepatitis C virus: Screening, diagnosis, and interpretation of laboratory assays

An estimated 3% of the world population is infected with Hepatitis C virus (HCV), a hepatotropic RNA virus, transmitted primarily via the blood route. The major modes of transmission of the virus include injection drug use, unsafe injection practices, blood transfusion etc. HCV causes chronic hepatitis in about 80% of those infected by it. The mainstay in diagnosing infection with HCV is to initially screen high risk groups for antibodies to HCV (anti-HCV). The inclusion of serum to cut-off ratio (S/CO) in recent guidelines is helpful in deciding the supplemental assay to be used to confirm initially reactive screening results. Nucleic acid amplification tests (NAT) are used as confirmatory tools, and also to determine viral load prior to initiating treatment. Quantitative NAT has replaced qualitative assays. Genotyping is an important tool in clinical management to predict the likelihood of response and determine the optimal duration of therapy. The impact of this infection has begun to emerge in India. The problem of professional blood donation despite an existing law against it, and flourishing unsafe injection practices, are potential sources for the spread of hepatitis C in our country. All health care practitioners need to understand how to establish or exclude a diagnosis of HCV infection and to interpret the tests correctly. In the absence of a preventive or therapeutic vaccine, and also of post-exposure prophylaxis against the virus, it is imperative to diagnose infection by HCV so as to prevent hepatic insult and the ensuing complications that follow, including primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This review aims to help blood bank staff regarding options for diagnosis and management of donors positive for HCV.
Enteric parasites and AIDS.

OBJECTIVE To report on the importance of intestinal parasites in patients with AIDS, showing relevant data in the medical literature, with special emphasis on epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment of enteroparasitosis, especially cryptosporidiosis, isosporiasis, microsporidiasis and strongyloidiasis. DESIGN Narrative review.
Rapid Response Teams: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND Although rapid response teams (RRTs) increasingly have been adopted by hospitals, their effectiveness in reducing hospital mortality remains uncertain. We conducted a meta-analysis to assess the effect of RRTs on reducing cardiopulmonary arrest and hospital mortality rates. METHODS We conducted a systematic review of studies published from January 1, 1950, through November 31, 2008, using PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Knowledge, CINAHL, and all Evidence-Based Medicine Reviews. Randomized clinical trials and prospective studies of RRTs that reported data on changes in the primary outcome of hospital mortality or the secondary outcome of cardiopulmonary arrest cases were included. RESULTS Eighteen studies from 17 publications (with 1 treated as 2 separate studies) were identified, involving nearly 1.3 million hospital admissions. Implementation of an RRT in adults was associated with a 33.8% reduction in rates of cardiopulmonary arrest outside the intensive care unit (ICU) (relative risk [RR], 0.66; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.54-0.80) but was not associated with lower hospital mortality rates (RR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.84-1.09). In children, implementation of an RRT was associated with a 37.7% reduction in rates of cardiopulmonary arrest outside the ICU (RR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.46-0.84) and a 21.4% reduction in hospital mortality rates (RR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.63-0.98). The pooled mortality estimate in children, however, was not robust to sensitivity analyses. Moreover, studies frequently found evidence that deaths were prevented out of proportion to reductions in cases of cardiopulmonary arrest, raising questions about mechanisms of improvement. CONCLUSION Although RRTs have broad appeal, robust evidence to support their effectiveness in reducing hospital mortality is lacking.
A limited number of IgH-primers binding to framework region 1 is sufficient to detect the majority of mature small B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue by PCR

IGH gene rearrangement analysis by PCR is the widely accepted tool to determine clonality of B-cell lymphoid proliferations on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue, but the results are often unsatisfying in terms of sensitivity. This is mainly due to poor quality DNA because of degradation and hence difficulties to amplify products of the needed length. Therefore, most previous attempts to determine clonality have depended on primers binding to framework region 3 thus producing amplification products of relatively short length. In order to improve clonality analyses, we have developed a sensitive monoplex PCR-protocol using primers binding to framework region 1 with extended cycling (42 cycles) and subsequent heteroduplex analysis. For comparison, multiplex reactions with alternative primers binding to framework region 1 according to the BIOMED-2 protocol were analyzed. By the two methods combined, we were able to detect clonality of 94% (16/17) of mature small B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas. The results suggest that PCR with primers binding to frame work region 1 may be the method of choice when assessing clonality of mature small B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas on formalin-fixed tissue.
Equisalience analysis: A new window into the functional architecture of human cognition.

Different dimensions of visual sensitivity play different roles in visual pro­ cessing. We see this neurophysiologically in the specialization of brain regions for various sorts of visual information. For example, as discussed in this chap­ ter, the magnocellular layers of the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) convey information about achromatic luminance variations of low spatial and high temporal frequency, whereas the parvocellular layers carry information about both chromatic and achromatic variations of high spatial and low temporal frequency (Livingstone & Hubel, 1987, 1988). Psychophysics also reveals that different sorts of visual information play different roles in visual processing. Consider that acuity for luminance modulations is much higher than acuity for either (a) equiluminant, chromatic modulations (e.g., Mullen, 1985) or (b) modulations of texture contrast (Sutter, Sperling, & Chubb, 1995). Apparently, variations in light intensity (compared with variations in color or in texture contrast) have special status in conveying information about fine detail in the visual scene. By contrast, Chaparro, Stromeyer, Huang, Kronauer, and Eskew (1993) investigated detection of briefly flashed, small (between 5' and 15' of arc) foveally presented spots; spots could differ from the background either in color (either redder or greener than the yellow background) or in luminance (either brighter or darker than the background). Over the range of spot sizes and durations tested, participants were generally more sensitive to chromatic than to luminance differences, leading Chaparro et al. to claim in their title that "Colour is what the eye sees best" (p. 348). They also concluded, based on differences in temporal and spatial summation, that different signal processing streams are used to produce the luminance and chromatic judgments. These considerations suggest that to understand human visual processing, we need to understand what sorts of visual information (which dimensions of
The dimensional accuracy of four impression techniques with the use of addition silicone impression materials.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to assess the influence of impression technique selection on the dimensional accuracy of the produced casts. METHODOLOGY Four impression techniques (single-stage, two-stage, monophase, and heavy/wash technique) were used to make addition silicone impressions of a phantom head maxillary jaw. The impression materials used were Aquasil, Extrude, and Imprint. Measurements on casts were made for the inter-abutment distances to assess dimensional accuracy. RESULTS There was a significant difference (p < 0.05) for the anteroposterior distances with the single-stage technique. The crossarch distances were slightly increased compared with the master model for all techniques, but significant statistical differences were only recorded for the single-stage technique and the monophase technique. The monophase technique demonstrated irregular results. The heavy/wash technique showed no significant differences for all the measurements compared with the standard model. CONCLUSION The results suggest that the selection of impression technique is an important factor that can affect the dimensional accuracy of the subsequent models which are used for indirect restorations.
ASSESSING THE SLEEP QUALITY AND DEPRESSION-ANXIETY-STRESS IN IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME PATIENTS.

BACKGROUND Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common functional gastrointestinal disorders with chronic abdominal pain and altered bowel habit without any organic reason. Sleep disorders may be associated to IBS. OBJECTIVE We aimed to assess sleep disturbances and depression-anxiety-stress in IBS patients. METHODS In this analytical cross sectional study from November 2013 to May 2014, A total of 123 IBS patients were recruited by simple random sampling. IBS was diagnosed using ROME-III criteria. Demographic and basic data were driven from all patients then Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index questionnaire was utilized to estimate sleep quality and DASS (depression anxiety stress scale) questionnaire was filled out for depression, anxiety and stress. RESULTS The mean age of patients was 29±9, where 48 cases (39%) were male. Twelve cases (10%) had a background disease. Types of IBS in patients were included 38% diarrhea, 42% constipation and 20% mixed. From all IBS patients 87 (71%) cases had depression, 97 (79%) patients stress, 94 (76%) patients had anxiety. Seventy-six (62%) cases of IBS patients had poor sleep quality. Simultaneously employing predictors demonstrate that gender, background disease, and type of IBS did not statistically significant. On the other hand, depression (P=0.034, OR=2.35), anxiety (P=0.011, OR=3.022), and stress (P=0.029, OR=2.77) were significantly effect on sleep quality in poor sleepers. CONCLUSION Many of IBS patients is suffering from poor sleep quality. It seems that sleep disorder should be considered and treated in this patients.
A Protein Phosphatase Methylesterase (PME-1) Is One of Several Novel Proteins Stably Associating with Two Inactive Mutants of Protein Phosphatase 2A*

Carboxymethylation of proteins is a highly conserved means of regulation in eukaryotic cells. The protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) catalytic (C) subunit is reversibly methylated at its carboxyl terminus by specific methyltransferase and methylesterase enzymes which have been purified, but not cloned. Carboxymethylation affects PP2A activity and varies during the cell cycle. Here, we report that substitution of glutamine for either of two putative active site histidines in the PP2A C subunit results in inactivation of PP2A and formation of stable complexes between PP2A and several cellular proteins. One of these cellular proteins, herein named protein phosphatase methylesterase-1 (PME-1), was purified and microsequenced, and its cDNA was cloned. PME-1 is conserved from yeast to human and contains a motif found in lipases having a catalytic triad-activated serine as their active site nucleophile. Bacterially expressed PME-1 demethylated PP2A C subunit in vitro, and okadaic acid, a known inhibitor of the PP2A methylesterase, inhibited this reaction. To our knowledge, PME-1 represents the first mammalian protein methylesterase to be cloned. Several lines of evidence indicate that, although there appears to be a role for C subunit carboxyl-terminal amino acids in PME-1 binding, amino acids other than those at the extreme carboxyl terminus of the C subunit also play an important role in PME-1 binding to a catalytically inactive mutant.
Bounds for e ective properties of multimaterial two-dimensional conducting composites , and elds in optimal composites

The paper suggests exact bounds for the e ective conductivity of an isotropic multimaterial composite, which depend only on isotropic conductivities of the mixed materials and their volume fractions. These bounds re ne Hashin-Shtrikman and Nesi bounds in the region of parameters where they are loose. The bounds by polyconvex envelope are modi es by taking into account the range of elds in optimal structures. The bounds are a solution of a formulated nite-dimensional constrained optimization problem. For three-material composites, bounds for e ective conductivity are found in an explicit form. Three-material isotropic microstructures of extremal conductivity are found. It is shown that they realize the bounds for all values of conductivities and volume fractions. Optimal structures are laminates of a nite rank. They vary with the volume fractions and experience two topological transitions: For large values of m1, the domain of material with minimal conductivity is connected, for intermediate values of m1, no material forms a connected domain, and for small values ofm1, the domain intermediate material is connected.
Evaluation of the concentration of malondialdehyde and nitrite in patients with sickle cell anemia treated or not with hydroxyurea.

OBJECTIVE To determine the serum levels of malondialdehyde and nitrite in patients with sickle cell anemia treated or not with hydroxyurea in outpatient's setting. METHODS Of the 65 patients with sickle cell anemia selected for the study, 51 were not treated with hydroxyurea (Group 1), 14 made chronic use of hydroxyurea (Group 2) and 20 individuals had no hemoglobinopathies (Control Group). RESULTS The Control Group had a lower and more homogeneous concentration of malondialdehyde levels as compared to the other groups. The results of Groups 1 and 2 showed increased values of malondialdehyde levels when compared to the Control Group. Considering the values of Groups 1 and 2, there were no significant changes in the malondialdehyde levels. There was no significant difference in the serum levels of nitrite between the groups. Group 2 presented a statistically significant correlation between serum malondialdehyde levels and the clinical variables investigated. In turn, Group 1 showed correlation only with occurrence of three or more vaso-occlusive crises. There was no correlation between nitrite levels and the clinical variables. CONCLUSION The results revealed that during the pathogenesis of sickle cell anemia, an increase in lipid peroxidation was observed. On the other hand, no changes in oxidative parameters were detected during treatment with hydroxyurea, probably due to the short period of treatment of the patients studied.
Anomalies génétiques de sécrétion de l'insuline et diabète sucré de la petite enfance

» Le diabete est une maladie metabolique aux multiples facteurs genetiques. Certaines formes sont dues a des mutations dans un gene unique qui conduisent a une reduction de la fonction de la cellule beta. Ces formes representent 1 a 2% de l'ensemble des diabetes (1). Le diabete neonatal est un diabete rare qui apparait dans les premieres semaines ou mois de vie. Deux formes sont decrites en fonction de la duree de l'insulinorequerance. Dans le diabete neonatal transitoire, la carence en insuline antenatale conduit a un retard de croissance intra-uterin, la remission survient au bout de quelques mois, et on assiste souvent a une recidive sous forme d'un diabete sucre de type indetermine mais definitif, ce phenomene apparaissant frequemment au moment de l'adolescence. Il semble que l'alteration de la fonction pancreatique dans cette affection existe tout au long de la vie mais s'aggrave lors des periodes de demande metabolique accrue, notamment pendant la periode neonatale, la puberte ou la grossesse. Dans le diabete neonatal permanent, la secretion d'insuline devient insuffisante tres tot apres la naissance et necessite une insulinotherapie tout au long de la vie. Le diabete neonatal peut etre du a une anomalie d'une region du chromosome 6q24 soumise a empreinte, a une mutation des genes Kir6.2 et ABCC8 codant pour le canal potassique ATP-dependant, a une mutation du gene de l'insuline ou du gene de la glucokinase. De plus, des mutations d'autres genes (IPF1, PTF1A, FOXP3, GLIS3, TCF2, EIF2AK3) sont a l'origine de syndromes associes au diabete neonatal definitif. L'etude en biologie moleculaire des diabetes neonataux a permis de nettes avancees dans la comprehension de la physiopathologie, notamment de la secretion d'insuline, et a conduit a l'amelioration du diagnostic et du traitement.
High-Performance Polymers and Their Potential Application as Medical and Oral Implant Materials: A Review

Purpose:To review the literature on high-performance polymeric (HPP) materials used as medical and oral implants and make comparisons with the commonly used titanium. Material and Methods:Original scientific articles published in English in MEDLINE (PubMed-NCBI) and Picarta literature databases between January 01, 1995 and June 01, 2013 were included in this review. Additional information was derived from scientific reports, medical and chemical textbooks, handbooks, product information, manufacturers' instructions, and Internet web sites of the manufacturers. Results:Based on the 7 animal studies and 1 clinical study, HPP polyetheretherketone (PEEK) consisting of a single monomer and featuring a low Young modulus may be advantageous. PEEK seems to lead to less osteolyses and healing problems and no scattering in radiation was observed. Some animal studies showed direct contact between PEEK and the bone with high biocompatibility and no evidence for cytotoxicity, mutagenicity, carcinogenicity, and immunogenicity to the present day. Conclusion:The HPPs (ie, PEEK) may carry some potential to be an alternative material for titanium as medical and dental implants. Yet, clinical and animal studies are limited in the field of implantology with such materials.
Construction of transgenic Trichoderma koningi with chit42 of Metarhizium anisopliae and analysis of its activity against the Asian corn borer

The chit42 gene was cloned from Metarhizium anisopliae CY1 and was inserted into Trichoderma koningii T30 genome by protoplast transformation. Sixteen transgenic isolates were identified by polymerase chain reaction analysis. The chit42 gene was 1275 bp in length and its coded protein was approximately 42 kDa in size. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis and the measurement of the chitinase activity under induced conditions were conducted. Mortality of the Asian corn borer (Ostrinia furnacalis) was used for assessing efficacy of culture filtrates and conidial suspensions of transgenic Trichoderma strains against the insect. The results indicated that the transgenic Trichoderma strain harboring chit42 gene from Metarhizium anisopliae CY1 showed significant lethal effect on the Asian corn borer larvae. Study on growth inhibition of silkworm (Bombyx mori) larvae was carried out. The transgenic Trichoderma could better hinder the growth and development of the silkworm larvae than the wild-type Trichoderma did. The inhibition to the expression of three genes associated with development and anti-stress response in the mid-gut of the Asian corn borer larvae was more significant in the transcriptional level after larvae were fed with transgenic biomass than with the wild type. Evaluation of inhibition on the growth of maize ear rot pathogens was carried out in vitro test and the transgenic strains kept antagonistic activity against Fusarium verticilloides.