Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Folate in colorectal cancer, prostate cancer and cardiovascular disease

The importance of folate and related B-vitamins in health is currently a topic of great interest, both in the media and in medical research. A high periconceptual consumption of folate prevents neural tube defects in the developing fetus, which has led several countries, including the United States, to implement mandatory fortification of foodstuffs with folic acid, the pure, synthetic form of folate. However, although evidence suggests other potential health benefits for folate, none have been clearly established. Two of the major and most-researched diseases in which folate is believed to have a role are cancer and cardiovascular disease (CVD), the subject of the thesis summarized in this article (‘‘Folate in cancer and cardiovascular disease; prospective studies from the population-based Northern Sweden Health and Disease Study’’, Umeå University Medical Dissertations, New Series No. 1049, ISSN 0346-6612, ISBN 91-7264-159-2). Other less-researched conditions in which folate has been implicated include various adverse pregnancy outcomes [1–4], depression [5,6], schizophrenia [7] and bone health [8,9]. Although some evidence suggests an involvement of folate metabolism, primarily via homocysteine [10], in Alzheimer’s disease and other cognitive/neurological disorders, results to date have generally not been convincing [10–12]. The aim of my thesis was to assess the relationship between factors involved in folate metabolism and the risk of developing colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, stroke and acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The studies had a nested case-referent design and were based on blood samples and data from the population-based cohorts of the Northern Sweden Health and Disease Study, with a total of nearly 90,000 participants at present. The largest
The strengthening effect of percutaneous vertebroplasty.

AIM To examine whether single-needle vertebroplasty is effective in strengthening vertebrae. MATERIALS AND METHODS Four adjacent intact lumbar vertebrae were removed from each of nine adult post-mortem subjects. One or two vertebra of each set was injected with low viscosity acrylic bone cement using a single-track posterolateral approach. Vertebral strength was measured during constant rate axial compression. RESULTS Single-needle injection delivered different quantities of cement (1-8 ml) in an asymmetric distribution. Injected vertebrae were stronger than controls in 10 out of 12 cases (P < 0.01), suggesting that cement injection increases the load needed to cause initial vertebral fracture. Compression was continued past the point of initial failure, to simulate progressive vertebral collapse. Injected specimens were more resistant to deformation than control specimens (P < 0.05), most of which initially deformed with little increase in load. CONCLUSION Single-track injection of bone cement appeared to strengthen vertebrae against both initial failure and subsequent collapse. The magnitude of strength increase from vertebroplasty was variable, and did not correlate with the volume of cement injected. Further investigation is needed to optimize the technique.Gishen, P. (2000). Clinical Radiology55, 471-476.
Inflammatory mediators in the pathogenesis of periodontitis

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory condition of the periodontium involving interactions between bacterial products, numerous cell populations and inflammatory mediators. It is generally accepted that periodontitis is initiated by complex and diverse microbial biofilms which form on the teeth, i.e. dental plaque. Substances released from this biofilm such as lipopolysaccharides, antigens and other virulence factors, gain access to the gingival tissue and initiate an inflammatory and immune response, leading to the activation of host defence cells. As a result of cellular activation, inflammatory mediators, including cytokines, chemokines, arachidonic acid metabolites and proteolytic enzymes collectively contribute to tissue destruction and bone resorption. This review summarises recent studies on the pathogenesis of periodontitis, with the main focus on inflammatory mediators and their role in periodontal disease.
Alopecia femenina y sistemas de integración capilar: estudio de la repercusión psicológica

Resumen Fundamento: Es sabido que la alopecia femenina provoca una intensa repercusion en el psiquismo. Sin embargo, no existen estudios que calibren los cambios que puedan producirse en el mismo, cuando el aspecto de la paciente mejora gracias a la implantacion de un Sistema de Integracion Capilar. Un Sistema de Integracion Capilar (SIC) es una protesis parcial de cabello, de caracter semipermanente, personalizada, hecha a mano con pelos naturales de iguales caracteristicas de color, grosor y textura al cabello del paciente, que se ajusta a la porcion del cuero cabelludo carente de pelo y que se integra, sin intervencion quirurgica, cabello a cabello ocultando las zonas afectadas y creando una apariencia homogenea. El objetivo de este trabajo es conocer en que medida la implantacion del SIC mejora el estado psicologico de las pacientes que sufren alopecia de diferentes tipos. Material y metodo: Se estudio en 24 mujeres con alopecia moderada-grave de diferentes tipos que acudieron de forma sucesiva al Instituto Medico Dermatologico (IMD) de Madrid (Espana) entre febrero y julio de 2011 para ser tratadas con SIC. Se completo el cuestionario Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) antes y 3 meses despues de la implantacion del SIC. Se comparo la evolucion en el tiempo de los cuadros de ansiedad y depresion a traves del test de McNemar como herramienta estadistica. Resultados: Ansiedad: al inicio del estudio el 83,33% de las pacientes mostraban diferentes niveles de ansiedad. A los 3 meses de la implantacion de los SIC, el 74,99% de las pacientes mostraron una mejoria estadisticamente significativa (p-valor < 0,01) en el estado de ansiedad. Depresion: al inicio del estudio el 66,67% de las pacientes mostraron signos de depresion. A los 3 meses desaparecieron en el 100% de los casos los rasgos de depresion. Conclusiones: Este estudio confirma que los cuadros de alopecia repercuten negativamente (ansiedad, depresion) en el psiquismo de la mujer. Los SIC constituyen una herramienta eficaz para el tratamiento cosmetico de las alopecias, con efectos psicologicos positivos casi inmediatos.
Biotests and Biosensors for Ecotoxicology of Metal Oxide Nanoparticles: A Minireview

Nanotechnologies have become a significant priority worldwide. Several manufactured nanoparticles - particles with one dimension less than 100 nm - are increasingly used in consumer products. At nanosize range, the properties of materials differ substantially from bulk materials of the same composition, mostly due to the increased specific surface area and reactivity, which may lead to increased bioavailability and toxicity. Thus, for the assessment of sustainability of nanotechnologies, hazards of manufactured nanoparticles have to be studied. Despite all the above mentioned, the data on the potential environmental effects of nanoparticles are rare. This mini-review is summarizing the emerging information on different aspects of ecotoxicological hazard of metal oxide nanoparticles, focusing on TiO2, ZnO and CuO. Various biotests that have been successfully used for evaluation of ecotoxic properties of pollutants to invertebrates, algae and bacteria and now increasingly applied for evaluation of hazard of nanoparticles at different levels of the aquatic food-web are discussed. Knowing the benefits and potential drawbacks of these systems, a suite of tests for evaluation of environmental hazard of nanoparticles is proposed. Special attention is paid to the influence of particle solubility and to recombinant metal-sensing bacteria as powerful tools for quantification of metal bioavailability. Using recombinant metal-specific bacterial biosensors and multitrophic ecotoxicity assays in tandem will create new scientific knowledge on the respective role of ionic species and of particles in toxicity of metal oxide nanoparticles.
Determinants of the prognosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

OBJECTIVE Fibrotic idiopathic interstitial pneumonias are chronic and progressive lung diseases with different prognosis, with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) having the worst prognosis. Many patients need a surgical lung biopsy for the definite diagnosis of IPF but age and the clinical context often contraindicate this procedure. The aim of this study is to identify predictors of survival, apart from lung biopsy, in patients with definite and possible IPF. PATIENTS AND METHODS We studied 42 patients with HRCT pattern of definite or possible IPF, by assessing the mortality in relationship with baseline HRCT and functional findings. HRCT was assessed both as prevalent pattern (definite vs possible UIP) and as score of the different abnormalities (in particular, honeycombing (HC) and total fibrotic score). Pulmonary function was assessed as baseline FVC, TLC and DLCO values, as well as change over 6 months of follow-up. Both univariate and multivariate analyses were performed in order to detect predictors of mortality. RESULTS During follow-up, 10 out of 42 patients died. Mortality rate was not different according to the qualitative pattern of fibrosis at HRCT. Among the different HRCT scores, a cut-off of 15% in the HC score differentiated patients with higher mortality rate. A lower baseline FVC, and a greater decrease in pulmonary function after 6 months, were both associated with higher mortality. In a logistic analysis taking in consideration clinical, radiological and functional findings, only baseline FVC and FVC change after 6 months resulted significant predictors of mortality. CONCLUSIONS Functional evaluation at the baseline and during follow-up is more relevant than HC score for the prognosis of patients with definite and possible IPF.
Description and mission evaluation of the Hungarian case-control surveillance of congenital abnormalities, 1980-1996.

BACKGROUND The Hungarian Case-Control Surveillance of Congenital Abnormalities was established in 1980. This article describes how the Hungarian Case-Control Surveillance of Congenital Abnormalities was first organized and is currently maintained. The baseline statistics are provided and potential venues of postmarketing surveillance of drug teratogenicity and other public health tasks and research are proposed. METHODS Cases with congenital abnormalities and patient controls with Down syndrome were selected from the Hungarian Congenital Abnormality Registry. Population controls without congenital abnormalities were selected from the National Birth Registry on the basis of three matching criteria: sex, week of birth, and district of parent's residence. Three sources of information concerning drug exposures, maternal disorders, and pregnancy complications, among others, were used: (1) prospective and medically recorded data from antenatal care logbooks and discharge summaries; (2) retrospective maternal self-reported data obtained with a structured questionnaire in all the three study groups; and (3) data collected by regional nurse in house visits to nonrespondent cases and patient controls. Twenty-five congenital abnormality groups were evaluated. During the 17-year period of data collection, 22,843 cases, 38,151 population controls, and 834 patient controls were incorporated into the data set, constituting the largest population-based case-control data set of congenital abnormalities to date. RESULTS Demographic features of pregnant women and informative offspring are presented along with the distribution of 25 main groups of congenital abnormalities. CONCLUSIONS This system is appropriate for postmarketing the surveillance of drug teratogenicity, for the improvement of congenital abnormality diagnosis, to get informed consent, to have a communication with parents and to provide material for research.
Adipocytes: Regulation by Insulin and Participation in Insulin-dependent Glucose Transport

Syntaxins are thought to be membrane receptors that bind proteins of the synaptobrevin/ vesicle-associated membrane protein (VAMP) family found on transport vesicles. Recently, we detected synaptobrevin II and cellubrevin on immunopurified vesicles containing the glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) in insulin-responsive cells. In an effort to identify the plasma membrane receptors for these vesicles, we now examine the expression of syntaxins in the 3T3-L1 adipocyte cell line. Neither syntaxin 1A nor 1B was found, in keeping with the neuronal restriction of these isoforms. In contrast, syntaxins 2 and 4 were readily detectable. By subcellular fractionation and estimation of protein yields, 67% of syntaxin 4 was localized to the plasma membrane, 24% to the low-density microsomes, and 9% to the high-density microsomes. Interestingly, acute insulin treatment decreased the content of syntaxin 4 in low-density microsomes and caused a corresponding gain in the plasma membrane fraction, reminiscent of the recruitment of GLUT4 glucose transporters. In contrast, there was no change in the distribution of syntaxin 2, which was mostly associated in the plasma membrane. A fraction of the intracellular syntaxin 4 was recovered with immunopurified GLUT4-containing vesicles. Moreover, anti-syntaxin 4 antibodies introduced into permeabilized 3T3-L1 adipocytes significantly reduced the insulin-dependent stimulation of glucose transport, in contrast to the introduction of irrelevant immunoglobulin G, which was without consequence. We propose that either the plasma membrane and/or the vesicular syntaxin 4 are involved in docking and/or fusion of GLUT4 vesicles at the cell surface of 3T3-L1 adipocytes.
Critical Roles of Subunit NuoH (ND1) in the Assembly of Peripheral Subunits with the Membrane Domain of Escherichia coli NDH-1*

The bacterial proton-translocating NADH:quinone oxidoreductase (NDH-1) consists of two domains, a peripheral arm and a membrane arm. NuoH is a counterpart of ND1, which is one of seven mitochondrially encoded hydrophobic subunits, and is considered to be involved in quinone/inhibitor binding. Sequence comparison in a wide range of species showed that NuoH is comprehensively conserved, particularly with charged residues in the cytoplasmic side loops. We have constructed 40 mutants of 27 conserved residues predicted to be in the cytoplasmic side loops of Escherichia coli NuoH by utilizing the chromosomal DNA manipulation technique and investigated roles of these residues. Mutants of Arg37, Arg46, Asp63, Gly134, Gly145, Arg148, Glu220, and Glu228 showed low deamino-NADH-K3Fe(CN)6 reductase activity, undetectable NDH-1 in Blue Native gels, low contents of peripheral subunits (especially NuoB and NuoCD) bound to the membranes, and a significant loss of the membrane potential and proton-pumping function coupled to deamino-NADH oxidation. The results indicated that these conserved residues located in the cytoplasmic side loops are essential for the assembly of the peripheral subunits with the membrane arm. Implications for the involvement of NuoH (ND1) in maintaining the structure and function of NDH-1 are discussed.
Avaliação \'in vivo\' da prevalência de recessão gengival e facetas de desgaste

RESUMO Esta pesquisa avalia a prevalencia, extensao e severidade de recessoes gengivais e de facetas de desgaste em 60 individuos, alunos do primeiro ano do curso de graduacao em Odontologia e Fonoaudiologia da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Campus de Bauru, com idades variando entre 17 e 24 anos. As avaliacoes foram realizadas utilizando-se de questionarios, exames fisicos das Articulacoes Temporomandibulares, exames clinicos e modelos de gesso. As recessoes gengivais foram mensuradas na regiao central dos dentes e as facetas de desgaste foram avaliadas duplamente, de forma intra-oral e posteriormente nos modelos de gesso. Avaliando as correlacoes entre as lesoes e as associacoes com os fatores contribuintes pesquisados e de acordo com os teste estatisticos utilizados, constatou-se que todos os alunos apresentaram facetas de desgaste, sendo que os dentes mais afetados foram os caninos (26,46%). Alem disso, 73,33% dos alunos apresentaram recessoes gengivais sendo os pre-molares os dentes mais afetados (49,74%), encontrando-se correlacao entre as lesoes localizadas nos premolares esquerdos (p = 0.001). A variavel genero nao apresentou associacao com as lesoes avaliadas. Observadas as facetas de desgaste e seus provaveis fatores contribuintes, nao houve associacao com a presenca de ruidos nas Articulacoes Temporomandibulares, mas houve diferenca estatisticamente significante nos molares esquerdos nos pacientes que apresentavam desoclusao em grupo nos movimentos laterais excursivos (p = 0.007). Com relacao aos habitos parafuncionais houve relacao estatistica entre o relato de apertamento e facetas nos incisivos esquerdos (p = 0.044) e entre o relato de bruxismo e a facetas nos caninos direitos (p = 0.009) e esquerdos (p = 0.006). Frente as recessoes gengivais nao houve relacao entre nivel de placa, grau de escovacao e tipo de gengiva, sendo o tratamento ortodontico significante para as recessoes gengivais encontradas somente nos pre-molares direitos (p = 0.019).
Forensic handwritten document management system

Forensic handwriting analysis is an important task in crime investigation. Writers of documents are sometimes unknown or disputed so it is difficult for the forensic detectives to identity of those writers. Currently, forensic professionals perform the analysis of these documents manually. Document management system for forensic document identification, verification and analysis are described. The system is designed to assist forensic document examiner with identifying and comparing Arabic handwriting and its characteristics with a graphical user interface. The same system also provides the examiner with functionalities for retrieving information about documents, region of interest, words, and writers. The system has been implemented using Oracle Database 6i. Our forensic document management system (FDMS) prompts its users with a graphical user interface (GUI) for forensic handwritten document database exploration and management.
Far-infrared hopping conductivity in the CuO chains of a single-domain YBa2Cu3O7- delta crystal.

We report on the observation of far-infrared hopping conductivity in the CuO chains of a single-domain YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ crystal. Our results suggest that at low temperatures the mean free path of carriers in the chains is mainly determined by scattering at oxygen vacancies, while at higher temperatures scattering at phonons occurs additionally
OLED-on-CMOS integration for augmented-reality systems

Several fields of application are increasingly using augmented-reality to enhance their performance, e.g., maintenance, manufacturing and security,. OLED-on-CMOS technology provides significant benefits to the realization of compact and lightweight augmented-reality systems. This paper describes the integration of highly-efficient, low-voltage organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) and photodiodes on a CMOS-substrate to combine display and camera functionality (OLEDCam) in a single optical microsystem device. The optical engineering aspects to project images into the human eye and capture the user's point of gaze at the same time will be discussed. To support human-computer interaction we present a system concept to integrate eye-tracking capability into head-mounted displays (HMDs) using an OLEDCam. The portable control electronic and OLEDCam prototypes are presented. Based on results obtained from the first OLEDCam samples we examine the challenges and identify specifications in an augmented-reality system design. Finally, we introduce possible applications using OLED-on-CMOS for augmented-reality systems.
HDR reservoir analysis incorporating acoustic emission data

A set of models of HDR systems is presented which attempts to explain the formation and operation of HDR systems using only the in-situ properties of the fractured rock mass, the earth stress field, the engineering intervention applied by way of stimulation and the relative positions and pressures of the well(s). A statistical and rock mechanics description of fractures in low permeability rocks provides the basis for modeling of stimulation, circulation and water loss in HDR systems. The model uses a large number of parameters, chiefly simple directly measurable quantities, describing the rock mass and fracture system. The effect of stimulation (raised fluid pressure allowing slip) on fracture apertures is calculated, and the volume of rock affected per volume of fluid pumped estimated. The total rock volume affected by stimulation is equated with the rock volume containing the associated AE (microseismicity). The aperture and compliance properties of the stimulated fractures are used to estimate impedance and flow within the reservoir. Fluid loss from the boundary of the stimulated volume is treated using radial leak-off with pressure-dependent permeability.
Development and validation of a high performance thin layer chromatographic method for determination of 1, 8-Cineole in Callistemon Citrinus

A new, simple, precise, rapid, and selective high performance thin layer chromatographic (HPTLC) method has been developed and validated for the estimation of 1, 8-cineole in volatile oil of leaves of Callistemon Citrinus obtained by hydro distillation. The method was validated as per ICH guidelines and can be utilized for routine analysis. The retention factor for 1, 8-cineole was found to be 0.52. The linearity was found to be in the range of 3 μg-12 μg. The recovery obtained for 1, 8-cineole was 98%, which is satisfactory. The result obtained in validation indicate the accuracy, reproducibility, and reliability of the developed HPTLC method for determination of 1, 8-cineole.
BODYSTORMING FOR MOVEMENT-BASED INTERACTION

After a decade of movement-based interaction in human–computer interaction, designing for the moving body still remains a challenge. Research in this field requires methods to help access, articulate, and harness embodied experiences in ways that can inform the design process. To address this challenge, this article appropriates bodystorming, an embodied ideation method for movement-based interaction design. The proposed method allows for early consideration of the physical, collocated, and social aspects of a designed activity as illustrated with two explorative workshops in different application domains: interactive body games and interactive performances. Using a qualitative methods approach, we used video material from the workshops, feedback from participants, and our own experience as participants and facilitators to outline important characteristics of the bodystorming method in the domain of movement-based interaction. The proposed method is compared with previous ones and application implications are discussed.