Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Smile Train: The ascendancy of cleft care in India

Though India has an estimated population of one million untreated cleft patients, facilities for its treatment have been limited and are not evenly distributed across the country. Furthermore, a paucity of committed cleft surgeons in fewer hospitals to provide quality surgical treatment to these patients, poverty, illiteracy, superstitions and poor connectivity in some remote regions severely limit the chances of an average cleft lip patient born in India from receiving rational and effective comprehensive treatment for his/her malady. The Smile Train Project with its singular focus on cleft patients started its philanthropic activities in India in the year 2000. It made hospitals and included clefts surgeon equal partners in this programme and helped them treat as many cleft patients as they possibly could. The Project encouraged improvement of the training and infrastructure in various centres across the length and breadth of the region. The Project received an unprecedented success in terms of growth of number of centres, cleft surgeons and quantum of cleft patients reporting for treatment. The G S Memorial Hospital is one such partner hospital. It started innovative outreach programmes and took a holistic view of the needs of these patients and their families. With the support of the Smile Train, it has not only succeeded in providing treatment to more than 14,500 patients in 5 years, but has also devised innovative outreach programmes and seamlessly incorporated salient changes in the hospital system to suit the needs of the target population.
Renal impairment in deoxycorticosterone acetate‐salt hypertensive rats

Summary: This study has compared renal function in deoxycorticosterone (DOCA)‐salt hypertensive Wistar rats (uninephrectomy followed by administration of DOCA 25 mg subcutaneously every fourth day and 1% NaCl in the drinking water) with various control rats using the isolated perfused kidney preparation. The systolic blood pressure of DOCA‐salt hypertensive rats was 180 ± 10 mmHg (uninephrectomy controls: 136 ± 9 mmHg) while normalization of calcium intake (DOCA‐Ca rats, 1% CaCl2 in water) attenuated this increase (systolic blood pressure, 146 ± 5 mmHg). Renal mass corrected for body weight increased by 25% after uninephrectomy, 55% in uninephrectomized rats given NaCl, 152% in DOCA‐salt rats and 147% in DOCA‐Ca rats. At a renal perfusion pressure of 135 mmHg, isolated perfused kidneys from DOCA‐salt rats showed decreases of 48% in glomerular filtration rate and 69% in sodium excretion with an increase of 44% in renal vascular resistance compared with uninephrectomized rats. There were no significant differences in renal function between DOCA‐salt and DOCA‐Ca rats. Histological assessment of renal pathology showed proximal tubular hypertrophy and hyperplasia, marked focal distal tubular atrophy, interstitial fibrosis and glomerular hypercellularity in DOCA rats compared with UNX rats. Lesions were less obvious in UNX‐salt or DOCA‐Ca rats. The lack of direct correlation between alterations in function and pathology may be explained by the compensatory effect of remaining healthy or hypertrophied nephrons. Thus, the DOCA‐salt model of hypertension in rats is associated with marked structural kidney damage and severely decreased kidney function. Marked attenuation of systemic hypertension by normalizing calcium intake in DOCA‐salt rats did not prevent impairment of kidney function.
Adherence to Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy among HIV-Infected Children in Kano, Nigeria

Background: HIV has emerged as one of the leading causes of childhood mortality and morbidity in sub Saharan Africa. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) in children in Africa has resulted in dramatically improved survival. However, excellent adherence is one of the most important factors in determining treatment success and preventing viral resistance. While studies of African adults showed that good adherence to ART is possible despite poor social circumstances, there are limited data on ART adherence among African children, and hence the need for the current study. This study determined factors associated with adherence to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) among HIV-infected children in Kano, Nigeria. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Special Treatment Clinic (STC) of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria. The study population comprised HIV- infected children taking ARV medications, which accessed care at the Clinic between June and August 2010, and met the eligibility criteria. A list of all children who were on HAART and had a clinic appointment within the study period was generated. From this list, participants were randomly selected using a computer-based random number generator. Caregivers were interviewed at the clinic using a structured questionnaire Results: A total of 122 children (64% males) out of 130 contacted, whose caregivers provided consent, were recruited into the study. The median age of the study children was 5.5 years (IQR: 1.3 to 14 years). A total of 80 children (65.6%) were adherent to the prescribed antiretroviral drugs for the 7 days preceding the interview. Non-adherence was found to be significantly associated with caregiver's report of missing at least one clinic appointment in the last six months (p-value 0.000) and children on second line HAART regimen (p-value 0.01). However, children whose caregivers were older than 25 years (p-value 0.012) were more likely to be adherent than their respective counterparts. Conclusion: Adherence to HAART in children in Kano, Nigeria was similar to reported adherence levels from other sub-Saharan African countries. Keeping clinic appointments was strong predictor of good adherence to HAART.
Pericellular Proteins of the Developing Mouse Tendon: A Proteomic Analysis

Tendon fibroblasts synthesize and assemble collagen fibrils, the basic structural unit of tendons. Regulation of fibrillogenesis is essential for tendon development and function. Fibril assembly begins within extracellular micro-domains associated with the fibroblast surface. We hypothesize that molecules crucial to the regulation of fibril assembly are membrane associated and/or within the pericellular micro-environment. This report defines proteins in the surfaceome, that is, plasma membrane and pericellular matrix, from mouse flexor digitorum longus tendons. Proteomic analysis identified a set of surfaceome molecules including collagens, fibronectin, integrins, proteoglycans, and receptors in extracts from mouse tendons at postnatal day 1, a developmental stage when collagen protofibril nucleation and initial steps in fibril assembly predominate. The proteomic results were validated for molecules identified with a small number of unique peptides and/or low sequence coverage. For these analyses, proteins were selected based on their potential roles in fibril nucleation, that is, collagen V; organization of fibrillogenesis, that is, integrins and fibronectin; and known localization to the plasma membrane with potential to impact matrix assembly, that is, CD44, syndecan-1, epidermal growth factor receptor, and matrix metalloproteinase 25. These molecules were all detected in extracts of the developing tendon, demonstrating that the surfaceome included molecules hypothesized to regulate fibrillogenesis as well as many with no known function in this capacity. This report, therefore, generates an unbiased set of cell surface-associated molecules, providing a resource to identify novel or unexpected regulatory molecules involved in collagen fibril and matrix assembly.
Fluid management in major burn injuries

It is a widely accepted fact that severe fluid loss is the greatest problem faced following major burn injuries. Therefore, effective fluid resuscitation is one of the cornerstones of modern burn treatment. The aim of this article is to review the current approaches available for modern trends in fluid management for major burn patients. As these current approaches are based on various experiences all over the world, the knowledge is essential to improve the status of this patient group.
An Internet-based discussion forum as a useful resource for the discussion of clinical cases and an educational tool

Introduction: An Internet-based group of plastic surgeons was formed in India in February 2001. It has 1290 members and seeks to facilitate online discussion. These discussions were reviewed to assess their value in education and aiding patient management. Materials and Methods: All messages and discussions between August 2007 and July 2008 were examined retrospectively. Data were collected regarding topics, replies, and use of clinical images. Results: A total of 2217 messages were exchanged within 330 separate discussions (mean = 6.7 messages per discussion, range = 0–45). A total of 164 discussions contained photographs (50%). Mean number of photographs per discussion was five (range = 0–34). Discussions included requests for advice on complex cases (40%), interesting cases and their management/outcome (25%) and courses/conferences (30%). Topics discussed include training/courses (26.7%), cleft (15.4%), aesthetics (13.1%), trauma (12.5%), head and neck (8.4%), cutaneous (6.4%), perineal/genital reconstruction (6.1%), and scar management (4.7%). Discussion: Forums like this facilitate discussion between individuals in remote locations. They provide easy access to the expertise of a large cohort of highly experienced surgeons. Most discussions were clinical, involving challenging situations. The discussions are open and nonjudgmental, hence encouraging contribution and healthy debate. We encourage its use as an educational tool and a platform for discussion.
The absence of the embryo in the pseudopregnant uterus alters the deposition of some ECM molecules during decidualization in mice

Abstract The embryo-implantation promotes deep changes in the uterus resulting in the formation of a new structure at the maternal–fetal interface, the decidua. Decidualization can also be induced in pseudopregnant rodents resulting in a structure called deciduoma that is morphologically and functionally similar to the decidua. Previous studies from our and other laboratories demonstrate that in rodents, decidualization of the endometrium requires remarkable remodeling of the endometrial extracellular matrix (ECM) that is mainly coordinated by estradiol and progesterone. The influence of the embryo in this process, however, has not yet been investigated. To enlarge the knowledge on this subject, the present study investigates the behavior of a set of ECM molecules, in the absence of paracrine cues originated from the embryo. For that deciduoma was induced in pseudopregnant Swiss mice, and the distribution of collagen types I, III, IV, V and the proteoglycans decorin and biglycan was investigated by immunolabeling from the fifth to the eighth day of pseudopregnancy. It was observed the deposition of collagen types III and IV as well as decorin and biglycan was similar to that previously described by our group in the decidua. However, in the absence of the embryo, some differences occur in the distribution of collagen types I and V, suggesting that beside the major role of ovarian hormones on the endometrial ECM remodeling, molecular signals originated from the conceptus may influence this process.
Selection of animal models for pre-clinical strategies in evaluating the fracture healing, bone graft substitutes and bone tissue regeneration and engineering

Abstract In vitro assays can be useful in determining biological mechanism and optimizing scaffold parameters, however translation of the in vitro results to clinics is generally hard. Animal experimentation is a better approximation than in vitro tests, and usage of animal models is often essential in extrapolating the experimental results and translating the information in a human clinical setting. In addition, usage of animal models to study fracture healing is useful to answer questions related to the most effective method to treat humans. There are several factors that should be considered when selecting an animal model. These include availability of the animal, cost, ease of handling and care, size of the animal, acceptability to society, resistance to surgery, infection and disease, biological properties analogous to humans, bone structure and composition, as well as bone modeling and remodeling characteristics. Animal experiments on bone healing have been conducted on small and large animals, including mice, rats, rabbits, dogs, pigs, goats and sheep. This review also describes the molecular events during various steps of fracture healing and explains different means of fracture healing evaluation including biomechanical, histopathological and radiological assessments.
Pulmonary cryptococcosis with cryptococcal meningitis in an immunocompetent host

Cryptococcosis is a systemic fungal infection associated with significant morbidity and mortality. It predominantly affects people with immunosuppresion and human immunodeficiency virus infection. Extrapulmonary dissemination is rare in immunocompetent hosts. We present here a case of disseminated cryptococcosis in an immunocompetent patient who presented with an unusually large pulmonary mass and meningitis and successfully managed with medical therapy.
Influenza: Vacunación a nuevos grupos etarios

La vacunacion anti-influenza es la herramienta fundamental para la prevencion de esta importante enfermedad viral. Las indicaciones de vacunacion, tradicio-nalmente enfocadas a los adultos a partir de los 65 anos y a portadores de enfermedades cronicas, se han ido ampliando en los ultimos anos. Se presenta el fundamento de la reduccion de la edad de vacunacion de adultos y de la incorporacion de lactantes sanos entre 6 y 24 meses de edad y se analiza el comportamiento de la vacuna en estos grupos etarios. Finalmente, se indican nuevos grupos posibles a incorporar en los programas de vacunacion en el futuro
Developments in laser Doppler blood perfusion monitoring

This paper reviews the development and use of laser Doppler perfusion monitors and imagers. Despite their great success and almost universal applicability in microcirculation research, they have had great difficulty in converting to widespread clinical application. The enormous interest in microvascular blood perfusion coupled with the 'ease of use' of the technique has led to 2000+ publications citing its use. However, useful results can only be achieved with an understanding of the basic principles of the instrumentation and its application in the various clinical disciplines. The basic technical background is explored and definitions of blood perfusion and laser Doppler perfusion are established. The calibration method is then described together with potential routes to standardisation. A guide to the limitations in application of the technique gives the user a clear indication of what can be achieved in new studies as well as possible inadequacy in some published investigations. Finally some clinical applications have found acceptability and these will be explored.
Right-sided diaphragmatic eventration: A rare entity

Eventration of the diaphragm is an abnormal elevation of the dome of diaphragm. It is a condition in which all or part of the diaphragm is largely composed of fibrous tissue with only a few or no interspersed muscle fibers. It can be complete or partial. Complete eventration of the right diaphragm, as seen in this adult patient, is relatively rare.
Changes in body composition after 2 years with rheumatoid arthritis

Objectives: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Possible predictors for CVD are early changes in body composition. We therefore evaluated changes in lean body mass (LBM), lean mass of arms and legs (LMAL), total body fat mass (BFM), and truncal fat distribution (FD) after 2 years with RA and possible predictors. Methods: We registered 63 (45 women) RA patients with disease duration of ≤ 12 months at baseline and after 2 years. Disease Activity Score using 28 joint counts (DAS28), Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) score, body mass index (BMI), comorbidities, smoking, and medications were recorded. Total and regional lean mass and fat mass were measured with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). The data were compared with 63 age- and gender-matched controls. Results: LBM and LMAL at baseline in RA patients were significantly lower in men (p = 0.020 and 0.002, respectively) compared to matched controls. Truncal FD was non-significantly increased in RA patients (women p = 0.133, men p = 0.119). The age-related deterioration with decreased LBM after 2 years (p = 0.002 in women and men) and increased BFM (p < 0.001) and truncal FD (p = 0.020) in women were all significantly less pronounced in RA patients than in matched controls. Conclusions: In patients with early RA and after initiation of therapy, the age-related deterioration with decreasing LBM and increasing truncal FD was lower than in control subjects in this observational study. These potentially harmful alterations seem to be modifiable factors in patients with early RA.
Ultraviolet radiation-induced cytokines promote mast cell accumulation and matrix metalloproteinase production: potential role in cutaneous lupus erythematosus

Objective: To examine the role of mast cells (MCs), cytokines, and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) following ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation in cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE). Methods: Immunohistochemistry was used to determine the presence of MCs and the expression of MMP-1, MMP-9, interleukin (IL)-15, and CCL5/RANTES in skin from patients with CLE. Human keratinocytes were exposed to varying doses of UVB and supernatants were collected and assessed for IL-15, CCL5, MMP-1, and MMP-9 by protein assays. MC migration was determined against supernatants from UVB-treated keratinocytes. Results: MCs in the skin of patients with CLE were significantly increased. MMP-1 and MMP-9 expression was abundant in these lesions. Intense reactivity for IL-15 and CCL5 was found in skin, particularly in epidermal keratinocytes, from patients with CLE. UVB irradiation induced IL-15, CCL5, MMP-1, and MMP-9 production from keratinocytes in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Supernatants obtained from UVB-treated keratinocytes induced MC migration, which was attenuated by anti-IL-15 and anti-CCL5 neutralizing antibodies. IL-15 induced MC-derived MMP production. Conclusions: Our results indicate that MCs and MMPs may play a role in the skin inflammation in CLE. MC recruitment as well as MMP production may be perpetuated by UV irradiation through locally released mediators.
Efficient mapping of genomic sequences to optimize multiple pairwise alignment in hybrid cluster platforms

Summary Multiple sequence alignment (MSA), used in biocomputing to study similarities between different genomic sequences, is known to require important memory and computation resources. Nowadays, researchers are aligning thousands of these sequences, creating new challenges in order to solve the problem using the available resources efficiently. Determining the efficient amount of resources to allocate is important to avoid waste of them, thus reducing the economical costs required in running for example a specific cloud instance. The pairwise alignment is the initial key step of the MSA problem, which will compute all pair alignments needed. We present a method to determine the optimal amount of memory and computation resources to allocate by the pairwise alignment, and we will validate it through a set of experimental results for different possible inputs. These allow us to determine the best parameters to configure the applications in order to use effectively the available resources of a given system.
Comparison of Different Approaches for Measuring Tibial Cartilage Thickness

Abstract Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease affecting bones and cartilage especially in the human knee. In this context, cartilage thickness is an indicator for knee cartilage health. Thickness measurements are performed on medical images acquired in-vivo. Currently, there is no standard method agreed upon that defines a distance measure in articular cartilage. In this work, we present a comparison of different methods commonly used in literature. These methods are based on nearest neighbors, surface normal vectors, local thickness and potential field lines. All approaches were applied to manual segmentations of tibia and lateral and medial tibial cartilage performed by experienced raters. The underlying data were contrast agent-enhanced cone-beam C-arm CT reconstructions of one healthy subject’s knee. The subject was scanned three times, once in supine position and two times in a standing weight-bearing position. A comparison of the resulting thickness maps shows similar distributions and high correlation coefficients between the approaches above 0.90. The nearest neighbor method results on average in the lowest cartilage thickness values, while the local thickness approach assigns the highest values. We showed that the different methods agree in their thickness distribution. The results will be used for a future evaluation of cartilage change under weight-bearing conditions.
Epstein–Barr virus early antigen diffuse (EBV-EA/D)-directed immunoglobulin A antibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus patients

Objective: We sought to determine whether the serological response towards lytic cycle antigens of Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) is altered in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. Method: We used enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to investigate the prevalence of EBV early antigen diffuse (EBV-EA/D) antibodies in sera from 60 patients with SLE, 40 with scleroderma (SSc), 20 with primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS), 20 with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 20 healthy controls, and also subjects with various circulating autoantibodies. Samples from patients were obtained from clinics specialized within the diseases in Denmark and Sweden and samples from healthy controls were obtained from volunteers. Results: A significant elevated titre of immunoglobulin (Ig)A, IgG, and IgM EBV-EA/D antibodies was found in SLE patients compared to healthy controls, a finding not explained by immunosuppressive treatment or disease activity. The largest difference was observed for IgA EBV-EA/D antibodies (p = 0.0013) with a seropositive rate of 58% in SLE patients and 0% in healthy controls. RA and SSc patients and individuals seropositive for anti-Scl-70 were additionally found to have elevated titres of IgA EBV-EA/D antibodies (40%, p = 0.014; 60%, p = 0.015; and 38.5%, p = 0.045, respectively). However, the titres were generally lower than in SLE patients. Conclusion: Our findings support an association between EBV and SLE. The elevated titre of EBV-EA/D-directed IgA antibodies found in SLE patients could suggest reactivation of EBV in epithelial cells or reinfection of epithelial cells after reactivation in B cells, indicating lack of control of the latent infection.