Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Repair of annular disc lesions: Spatial and temporal localisation of TGF-beta, SPARC (Osteonectin, BM-40) and FGF-2 are early responses in experimentally injured ovine discs

+*Melrose, J (A-NHMRC); *Smith, S (A-NHMRC); **Little, C (A-The University of Wales); *Kitson, J (E-The Royal North Shore Hospital); *Hwa, S (A-Taiwanese Government); *Ghosh, P (E-University of Sydney) +*The Institute of Bone and Joint Research, The University of Sydney and Royal North Shore Hospital, St. Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia. The Institute of Bone and Joint Research, Level 5, University Clinic, Royal North Shore Hospital, St. Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia. , 612-9926-7395, Fax: 612-9926-6539, jmelrose@mail.usyd. edu.au
Prevalence of dental caries among different stage students in College of Dentistry , Hawler Medical

Introduction Dental Caries, another term for tooth cavity, decay, or caries, is the breakdown of tooth structure by bacterial activities. The first person responsible for oral health education, promotion, and providing dental treatments are dentists and dental staff. 2 Therefore, they should all know about oral health preventive measures. Do we need to educate the patients before giving treatments? Does it affect the success of our treatments? Will it promote oral health? All these questions need to be answered. Comparing oral health attitudes between dental professionals in different countries will be time-consuming, costly, and difficult to perform. Many of the researches are done among dental students for simplicity, and for ease of comparison between different levels of oral health education. A study carried out in turkey among dental students reported the effectiveness of oral health education and it is needed for improvement of oral health in Turkey. Also in Jordan, a study was done but it reports poor oral health attitude and behavior among dental students. Significant cultural differences were found in oral health attitudes, behavior and values in freshman dental students of Japan, western china and Hong Kong . Another study exploring cross-cultural differences between Japanese and Greek dental students concludes that there Background and Objectives: Dental caries considered as one of the most prevalent diseases affecting teeth. Many organizations are trying to prevent this disease in a variety of ways. The first responsible person professionally for oral health education is the dentist. In order to educate others, one should apply these measures by himself. The aim is to measure the prevalence of dental caries among different stage students, in college of Dentistry/Hawler Medical University. Then relate the prevalence with their academic knowledge of dental caries prevention and to know if males or females have more dental caries, in academically educated dental students about dental caries prevention. Methods: 148 were collected, and the DMFT index scored for them. From which 62 of them were males and 86 females. Peak participation was in the first stage. Females were dominant in participation in all the stages without exception. The female to male ratio was 1.39:1 in the total of all stage participants. Results: The results appeared not significant, with no association between dental caries and academic education of dental caries prevention (p=0.703). There was some difference between the stages, but it was not coincident with having oral health education or not. Conclusion: Academic information has little effect on increasing or decreasing dental caries rates.
Multiple Waves of COVID-19 Impact on Israeli Medical Student Psycho-Emotional Conditions, Substance Use and Resilience: 2020–2022

In many locations, death from COVID-19 is on the decline and restrictions to prevent its spread are being relaxed. Schengen, the EU passport -free zone that covers most of the European countries, evidences many countries transitioning away from stringent COVID-19 travel and entry rules. However, some countries remain high risk with problem levels of infection, hospitalization, and death such as Hong Kong and Japan. (Johns Hopkins University, 2022). The World Health Organization recently reported there is continuous and substantial virus evolution that will result in the emergence of new variants and the need to update coronavirus vaccines (World Health Organization, 2022). Since the early stages of pandemic infection, the Ben Gurion University of the Negev-Regional Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research Center has been monitoring COVID-19 impact on university student psycho-emotional conditions including substance use and resilience. Findings, including those of a cross-national nature, have been published by the Journal of Loss and Trauma (Isralowitz et al., 2021; Gritsenko et al., 2022; Pavlenko et al., 2021; Sugawara et al., 2021). This letter to the editor reports the association between COVID-19 fear and Israeli medical student psycho-emotional conditions including depression, exhaustion, loneliness, nervousness, anger, substance use (e.g., tobacco, alcohol, binge drinking and prescription drugs – pain relievers, sedatives and tranquilizers) and resilience. Data were collected from May 2020 to February 2022 at 4 peak periods of COVID-19 infection. A convenience sample of 376 medical students included 240 females and 136 males. It is hypothesized that COVID-19 fear, psycho-emotional well-being, substance use and resilience differ among medical students based on gender status. Furthermore, it is hypothesized that resilience minimizes maladaptive behavior. This research, like other BGU-RADAR Center COVID-19 studies, used the Qualtrics software platform for online survey data collection and, two data collection instruments – the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) (Ahorsu et al., 2020) and the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) (Smith et al., 2008). The reliability of the FCV-19S and BRS were 0.823 and 0.826, respectively. The average age of the students over the survey period was 25.6 years. Over the 4 peak periods of COVID-19 infection females evidenced higher fear scores (t3421⁄4 3.295; p< .001). However, female resilience scores were similar to those reported by their male counterparts (t1571⁄4 0.748; n.s.). Students’ religiosity (i.e., secular vs. nonsecular) was not found to be a significant factor associated with fear (t3011⁄41.114; n.s.) and resilence (t1561⁄40.956; n.s.). The average rates of COVID-19 fear associated with
Value-at-risk in the presence of asset price bubbles

ABSTRACT In this study, we respond to the criticism that the value-at-risk (VaR) measure fails during financial crises and is only applicable during periods without asset price bubbles. We propose a new dating mechanism that is based on the work of Phillips (2015) to date-stamp the origination and termination of the asset price bubbles. Our method relaxed the minimum bubble duration constraint in the original model, and the empirical application statistically identified the bubbles periods in nine stock markets (Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Spain, Hong Kong, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States). We choose the two most widely adopted VaR models (RiskMetrics and RiskMetrics 2006) to test the performance. Our results show that the RiskMetrics model fails in most periods, whereas the RiskMetrics 2006 performs efficiently in the periods with asset price bubbles. These results prove the criticism that all the VaR models fail during crises as invalid.
Problems of European Integration in the Construction of EU Security Policy in the Context of Counter-Terrorism

The main purpose of the article is to identify the main problems of European integration in building the EU security policy in the context of countering terrorism. The research methodology includes the methodology of graph and connection theory. Taking into account the opinion of experts, the main problems of European integration in building the EU security policy in the context of countering terrorism for the countries of Eastern Europe were identified. After the start of a full-scale invasion of the russian federation into the territory of Ukraine, a large number of countries that are not yet members of the European Union have stepped up and are striving to start integration processes to form a common European security system. In this regard, the purpose and content of this study are to more thoroughly define these processes and identify the main problems and issues. As a result of the study, the main problems of European integration in building the EU security policy in the context of countering terrorism were identified. The main model of the negative impact of the key problems of European integration in the construction of EU security policy in the context of countering terrorism was formed. The study has limitations and deals with taking into account the specifics of security policy exclusively in the countries of Eastern Europe. Further research is needed to determine the main problems of European integration in building the EU security policy in the context of countering terrorism for the countries of the world.
Mental health symptoms and coping strategies among Ukrainians during the Russia-Ukraine war in March 2022

Context: The Russian attack on Ukraine has been ongoing since February 24, 2022. Nevertheless, no research has documented the mental health of Ukrainians during the biggest land war in Europe after the Second World War, or how Ukrainians cope with the impact of the war. Objectives: To provide the prevalence rates of symptoms of psychological distress, anxiety, depression, and insomnia; and to link them with Ukrainians’ productive coping strategies during the war. Design, setting, and participants: Online survey conducted in Ukraine during the initial period of the Russian invasion (March 19–31, 2022), using a quota sampling method, of 1,400 Ukrainians aged 18 years or older, with a total of 801 valid responses for a response rate of 57.2%. Main outcome measures: Psychological distress assessed by the Kessler Psychological Distress scale (K6); anxiety assessed by Generalized Anxiety Disorder-2 (GAD-2) scale; depression assessed by Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2); insomnia assessed by Insomnia Severity Index-4 (ISI-4); modes of coping assessed by Brief COPE. Results: Of 801 Ukrainian adults, 52.7% had symptoms of psychological distress (mean = 13.3 [SD = 4.9]); 54.1% of them reported symptoms of anxiety (mean = 2.9 [SD = 1.7]); 46.8% reported symptoms of depression (mean = 2.6 [SD = 1.6]). Symptom criteria for insomnia were met by 97 respondents (12.1%) (mean = 10.4 [SD = 4.2]). Demographic variables (including gender, living in an urban area, having children or elderly persons in the household, living in an area occupied by Russian forces) were associated with symptoms of distress, anxiety, depression, and insomnia. The productive coping strategies of using instrumental support, behavioral disengagement, self-distraction, and planning were significantly associated with mental health symptoms. Conclusions: Prevalence rates of symptoms of psychological distress, anxiety, depression, and insomnia were high. These findings underscore the need for healthcare and productive coping strategies for Ukrainians during the war.
Developing Difference: Social Organization and the Rise of the Auto Industries of South Korea, Taiwan, Spain, and Argentina

Theories of economic development as diverse as modernization, dependency, world-system, and market reform take a “critical factor” view. Proponents of each theory argue that countries fail to develop because of an obstacle to economic growth. We argue instead that neither a critical factor nor a single path leads to economic development; viable paths vary. Economic growth depends on linking a country's historically developed patterns of social organization to the opportunities of global markets. We formulate a sociological theory of cross-national comparative advantage including not only economic factor endowments but also institutionalized patterns of authority and organization. Such patterns legitimize certain actors and certain relationships among those actors, which facilitate development success in some activities but not in others. We illustrate this approach to understanding development outcomes with a comparative analysis of the difficult rise of the automobile assembly and components industries in South Korea, Taiwan, Spain, and Argentina.
Projection of Long-Term Total Factor Productivity Growth for 12 Asian Economies

This study reviews and analyzes the changes in total factor productivity (TFP) growth in 12 Asian economies – the People’s Republic of China; Hong Kong, China; India; Indonesia; the Republic of Korea; Malaysia; Pakistan; the Philippines; Singapore; Taipei, China; Thailand; and Viet Nam – for the period 1970-2007. By performing an empirical analysis using a comprehensive international data set, the paper investigates the main factors influencing TFP growth based on a modified version of the 2003 empirical growth model of Bosworth and Collins. Special emphasis is placed on intangible factors such as human capital, and research and development capital, in defining the TFP dynamics. The resulting benchmark models from these empirical analyses are used to produce the long-term projection of TFP growth for the Asian economies for the period 2010 through 2030.
Effects of rituximab treatment on the serum concentrations of vitamin D and interleukins 2, 6, 7, and 10 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Background Rituximab, a monoclonal antibody that selectively targets CD20-positive B-lymphocytes, is used for the treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with an inadequate response or tolerance to tumor necrosis factor inhibitors. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of rituximab treatment on the serum concentrations of vitamin D, interleukin (IL) 2, IL-6, IL-7, and IL-10 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods Forty-five patients, aged 25–78 years, were enrolled into a cohort prospective study. All patients were treated with intravenous rituximab. Disease activity score-28 (DAS-28) and serum concentrations of rheumatoid factor (RF), C-reactive protein (CRP), anticyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), health assessment questionnaire (HAQ), vitamin D, ILs 2, 6, 7, and 10 were estimated in the patients before and after treatment with rituximab. Results DAS-28, HAQ score, and serum concentrations of CRP, RF, anti-CCP, IL-2, IL-6, IL-7, IL-10, and ESR significantly decreased after treatment. All 45 patients had vitamin D deficiency before treatment and this did not significantly change after treatment. However no significant association was found among serum vitamin D concentration and any of the ILs. Conclusion We concluded from this study that although rituximab treatment of patients with RA significantly reduced their disease activity and serum concentrations of IL-2, IL-6, IL-7, and IL-10, it did not significantly alter their vitamin D status. Furthermore, no significant association was found among serum vitamin D concentration and any of the ILs.
Prevalence of self-reported food allergy in Hong Kong children and teens--a population survey.

BACKGROUND There is a paucity of data on the prevalence, natural history and management of food allergy in most of the populous Asian countries, including China. OBJECTIVE To determine the point prevalence of self-reported food allergy in Chinese children and teenagers in Hong Kong. METHODS A cross-sectional population-based questionnaire survey targeted at children aged 0-14y was conducted by use of face-to-face interviews and self-administered questionnaires. Information was obtained from the parent as proxy respondent for children aged 10 and below and from both parent and child for children aged 11 to 14. Households were drawn from the Register of Quarters maintained by the Census and Statistics Department by systematic replicated sampling. RESULTS A total of 7,393 land-based noninstitutionalized children aged 14 and below in Hong Kong were recruited, excluding those with non-Cantonese speaking parents and those living in non-built-up areas. The sample was representative of the 884,300 children in the target population. 352 reported having adverse reactions to foods and the estimated prevalence was 4.8% (95% CI 4.3-5.3%). The estimated prevalence of peanut allergy was 0.3-0.5% (95%CI 0.1 to 0.7%). In terms of relative frequency, shellfish, which was the top allergen, accounted for more than a third of all reactions. The second most common was hen's egg (14.5%), the third cow's milk and dairy products (10.8%) and co-fourth were peanut and combined fruits (8.5%). Out of 352 subjects who reported adverse reactions, 127 (36.1%) had urticaria and or angioedema and 79 (22.4%) had eczema exacerbations. Combined gastrointestinal symptoms accounted for 20.8 % (diarrhoea 12.8%; vomiting 5.4%; abdominal pain 2.6%). Fifty-five (15.6%) had anaphylaxis, and 7 (2%) had respiratory difficulties. CONCLUSION This survey has provided the first population based epidemiological information related to food allergy amongst children and younger teenagers in Hong Kong. The prevalence of food allergy, including that from more common subtypes, like shellfish and peanut, is highly comparable to that of most of the developed nations.
Title Cardiomyocyte-restricted overexpression of extracellular superoxide dismutase increases nitric oxide bioavailability and reduces infarct size after ischemia / reperfusion

Increased levels of extracellular superoxide dismutase (ecSOD) induced by preconditioning or gene therapy protect the heart from ischemia/reperfusion injury. To elucidate the mechanism responsible for this action, we studied the effects of increased superoxide scavenging on nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability in a cardiac myocytespecific ecSOD transgenic (Tg) mouse. Results indicated that ecSOD overexpression increased cardiac myocytespecific ecSOD activity 27.5-fold. Transgenic ecSOD was localized to the sarcolemma and, notably, the cytoplasm of cardiac myocytes. Ischemia/reperfusion injury was attenuated in ecSOD Tg hearts, in which infarct size was decreased and LV functional recovery was improved. Using the ROS spin trap, DMPO, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy demonstrated a significant decrease in ROS in Tg hearts during the first 20 min of reperfusion. This decrease in ROS was accompanied by an increase in NO production determined by EPR using the NO spin trap, Fe-MGD. Attenuated ROS in ecSOD Tg myocytes was also supported by decreased production of peroxynitrite (ONOO). Increased NO bioavailability was confirmed by attenuated guanylate cyclase-dependent (p-VASP) signaling. In conclusion, attenuation of ROS levels by cardiac-specific ecSOD overexpression increases NO bioavailability in response to ischemia/reperfusion and protects against reperfusion injury. These findings are the Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00395-012-0305-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. D. Obal Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, USA D. Obal Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Louisville, Louisville, USA D. Obal S. Dai R. Keith N. Dimova J. Kingery Y. -T. Zheng D. Conklin A. Bhatnagar G. Rokosh (&) Institute of Molecular Cardiology, Diabetes and Obesity Center, University of Louisville, 580 South Preston Street, Louisville, KY 40202, USA e-mail: gregg.rokosh@louisville.edu J. Zweier M. Velayutham Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA S. D. Prabhu Division of Cardiovascular Disease, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama-Birmingham, 311 Tinsley Harrison Tower, 1900 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35294-0006, USA S. D. Prabhu Division of Cardiovascular Disease, Department of Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology, University of Alabama-Birmingham, 311 Tinsley Harrison Tower, 1900 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35294-0006, USA Q. Li Institute of Molecular Cardiology, Diabetes and Obesity Center, University of Louisville, 570 South Preston Street, Louisville, KY 40202, USA D. Yang University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China R. Bolli Institute of Molecular Cardiology, Diabetes and Obesity Center, University of Louisville, 550 South Jackson Street, Louisville, KY 40202, USA 123 Basic Res Cardiol (2012) 107:305 DOI 10.1007/s00395-012-0305-1
Characteristics of Vibrio parahaemolyticus O3:K6 from Asia

ABSTRACT A variety of serovars of the food-borne pathogen Vibrio parahaemolyticus normally cause infection. Since 1996, the O3:K6 strains of this pathogen have caused pandemics in many Asian countries, including Taiwan. For a better understanding of these pandemic strains, the recently isolated clinical O3:K6 strains from India, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan were examined in terms of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) typing and other biological characteristics. After PFGE and cluster analysis, all the O3:K6 strains were grouped into two unrelated groups. The recently isolated O3:K6 strains were all in one group, consisting of eight closely related patterns, with I1(81%) and I5(13%) being the most frequent patterns. Pattern I1 was the major one for strains from Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. All recently isolated O3:K6 strains carried the thermostable direct hemolysin (tdh) gene. No significant difference was observed between recently isolated O3:K6 strains and either non-O3:K6 reference strains or old O3:K6 strains isolated before 1996 with respect to antibiotic susceptibility, the level of thermostable direct hemolysin, and the susceptibility to environmental stresses. Results in this study confirmed that the recently isolated O3:K6 strains of V. parahaemolyticus are genetically close to each other, while the other biological traits examined were usually strain dependent, and no unique trait was found in the recently isolated O3:K6 strains.
From ‘Class’ to ‘Social Strata': grasping the social totality in reform-era China

Abstract Reform era China has witnessed the simultaneous production of a middle class and increasing socioeconomic inequality. The ideological counterpart of this development is a new form of cultural nationalism that stands in striking contrast to Maoist developmentalism and in striking conformity with neoliberal logics. This article explores this shift in Chinese nationalism and national ideology by looking at the rejection of the language of class and the adoption of social strata as the language of social analysis. This shift has produced a new model of citizenship which seeks to manage the newly stratified society by articulating inequality as cultural difference in a hierarchy of national belonging. At the same time this neoliberal ethos is in dialogue with calls for social responsibility by left-liberal intellectuals in the wake of a rising number of popular protests and a growing concern about social inequality. This essay will discuss aspects of middle-class formation in China's economic reforms, first, by exploring its textual production as a category for social scientific analysis and social critique. Then it will explore how middle-classness becomes represented in mass media forms such as advertising as a new form of identity that is staged in anticipation of its realisation as a widespread social phenomenon.