Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Crown discoloration promoted by materials used in regenerative endodontic procedures and effect of dental bleaching: spectrophotometric analysis

Abstract Regenerative endodontic procedure (REP) has been proposed as a new approach to treat immature permanent teeth. However, materials used in REP for root canal disinfection or cervical sealing may induce tooth discoloration. Objectives To assess tooth crown’s color after intracanal treatment with triple antibiotic paste (TAP) or calcium hydroxide (CH); cervical sealing with glass ionomer cement (GIC) or mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA); and bleaching with carbamide peroxide. Material and Methods After pulp removal and color spectrophotometer measurement, 50 bovine incisors were divided into 4 experimental groups and one control (untreated). Experiments were performed in phases (Ph). Ph1: TAP (ciprofloxacin, metronidazole, minocycline), TAPM (ciprofloxacin, metronidazole, amoxicillin), DAP (ciprofloxacin, metronidazole), or CH treatment groups. After 1 and 3 days (d); 1, 2, 3 weeks (w); and 1, 2, 3 and 4 months (m), color was measured and medications were removed. Ph2: GIC or MTA cervical sealing, each using half of the specimens from each group. Color was assessed after 1d, 3d; 1w, 2w, 3w; 1m and 2m. Ph3: Two bleaching sessions, each followed by color measurement. Data were analyzed with ANOVA and post-hoc Holm-Sidak method. Results Ph1: Specimens of TAP group presented higher color alteration (ΔE) mean than those of TAPM group. No significant difference was found among TAP or TAPM and CH, DAP or Control groups. Ph2: cervical sealing materials showed no influence on color alteration. Ph3: Different ΔE means (from different groups), prior to bleaching, became equivalent after one bleaching session. Conclusions TAP induces higher color alteration than TAPM; color alteration increases over time; cervical sealing material has no influence on color alteration; and, dental bleaching was able to recover, at least partially, the tooth crown’s color.
Atherosclerotic Risk Factors and Premature Atherosclerosis in Acromegaly Before and After 48 Months of Octreotide-LAR Treatment

We studied premature atherosclerosis with carotid Doppler ultrasonography in active acromegaly before and after treatment. Patients (n = 27) with active acromegaly and 12 age-, gender-, and body mass index-matched healthy individuals were included in the study. Carotid intima–media thickness was decreased significantly in the inactive group after treatment (median: 0.6 mm, interquartile range [IQR]: 0.55-0.80]) when compared with the active group (median: 0.9 mm [IQR: 0.75-1.15], P < .0001), but there was no significant difference between the inactive and control groups. There was a correlation between homeostasis model of assessment–insulin resistance (P = .01, r = .41) and growth hormone (GH; P < .0001, r = .46). In conclusion, premature atherosclerosis was demonstrated in active acromegaly patients probably as a consequence of insulin resistance and direct vascular effects of GH and/or insulin-like growth factor 1.
Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs and Cancer Death in the Finnish Prostate Cancer Screening Trial

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), especially aspirin, have been associated with lowered cancer incidence and mortality. We examined overall cancer mortality and mortality from specific cancer sites among the 80,144 men in the Finnish Prostate Cancer Screening Trial. Information on prescription drug use was acquired from the national drug reimbursement database. Over-the-counter use information was gathered by a questionnaire. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) by prescription and over-the-counter NSAID use for overall and specific cancer deaths were calculated using Cox regression. During the median follow-up time of 15 years, 7,008 men died from cancer. Men with prescription NSAID use had elevated cancer mortality (HR 2.02 95% CI 1.91–2.15) compared to non-users. The mortality risk was increased for lung, colorectal and pancreas cancer mortality (HR 2.68, 95%CI 2.40–2.99, HR 1.91, 95% CI 1.57–2.32 and HR 1.93, 95% CI 1.58–2.37, respectively). The increased risk remained in competing risks regression (HR 1.11, 95% CI 1.05–1.18). When the usage during the last three years of follow-up was excluded, the effect was reversed (HR 0.69, 95% CI 0.65–0.73). Cancer mortality was not decreased for prescription or over-the-counter aspirin use. However, in the competing risk regression analysis combined prescription and over-the-counter aspirin use was associated with decreased overall cancer mortality (HR 0.76, 95% CI 0.70–0.82). Cancer mortality was increased for NSAID users. However, the risk disappeared when the last 3 years were excluded.
A General Framework for Mining Massive Data Streams

In many domains, data now arrive faster than we are able to mine it. To avoid wasting these data, we must switch from the traditional “one-shot” data mining approach to systems that are able to mine continuous, high-volume, open-ended data streams as they arrive. In this article we identify some desiderata for such systems, and outline our framework for realizing them. A key property of our approach is that it minimizes the time required to build a model on a stream while guaranteeing (as long as the data are iid) that the model learned is effectively indistinguishable from the one that would be obtained using infinite data. Using this framework, we have successfully adapted several learning algorithms to massive data streams, including decision tree induction, Bayesian network learning, k-means clustering, and the EM algorithm for mixtures of Gaussians. These algorithms are able to process on the order of billions of examples per day using off-the-shelf hardware. Building on this, we are currently developing software primitives for scaling arbitrary learning algorithms to massive data streams with minimal effort.
Data Acquisition System Based on Subsampling for Testing Wideband Multistandard Receivers

In this paper, a data acquisition module meeting the specifications of a wideband multistandard receiver test system is presented. It provides a high resolution over large bandwidth with only a low-jitter wideband sample-and-hold and an intermediate frequency analog-to-digital converter by means of subsampling. Using commercial devices on a multilayer printed circuit board, experimental results showed more than a resolution of 8 b for a signal bandwidth of 20 MHz with a center frequency of up to 4 GHz, which is enough to cover the requirements of test systems for most of present wireless communication standards.
Locality-sensitive hashing scheme based on p-stable distributions

We present a novel Locality-Sensitive Hashing scheme for the Approximate Nearest Neighbor Problem under lp norm, based on p-stable distributions.Our scheme improves the running time of the earlier algorithm for the case of the lp norm. It also yields the first known provably efficient approximate NN algorithm for the case p<1. We also show that the algorithm finds the exact near neigbhor in O(log n) time for data satisfying certain "bounded growth" condition.Unlike earlier schemes, our LSH scheme works directly on points in the Euclidean space without embeddings. Consequently, the resulting query time bound is free of large factors and is simple and easy to implement. Our experiments (on synthetic data sets) show that the our data structure is up to 40 times faster than kd-tree.
Advent of maternal serum markers for Down syndrome screening.

Trisomy 21, or Down syndrome, is the most common serious autosomal chromosome aberration in which affected individuals survive beyond infancy. The association between advancing maternal age and increased risk of trisomy 21 is well known, and pregnant women older than 35 years at delivery are routinely offered invasive prenatal diagnostic testing. More recently, the use of maternal serum markers in the second trimester of pregnancy to predict the risk of trisomy 21 for women under the age of 35 has received intensive analysis. Maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein (MSAFP) was the first of these markers to be identified, and an inverse correlation between MSAFP level and risk of trisomy 21 was noted. A second marker, unconjugated estriol (uE3), has also been studied, and a correlation between low uE3 and trisomy 21 has been demonstrated, with a high level of correlation between AFP and uE3. The addition of uE3 to the screening protocol has not consistently improved detection rates, possibly because of its high correlation with AFP. A strong association of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and Down syndrome was reported. This analyte is the most sensitive one in use today, although controversy exists regarding the best form of the analyte to use for trisomy 21 prediction. Several groups of investigators advocate measurement of total hCG, while others feel that measurement of the free-beta subunit of the molecule offers greater detection ability. The maximum detection rate that has been reported is 80 percent with a 5 percent false-positive rate using a combination of MSAFP, free-beta hCG, and maternal age. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Migraine with aura and risk of cardiovascular and all cause mortality in men and women: prospective cohort study

Objective To estimate whether migraine in mid-life is associated with mortality from cardiovascular disease, other causes, and all causes. Design Population based cohort study. Setting Reykjavik, Iceland. Participants 18 725 men and women, born 1907-35 and living in Reykjavik and adjacent communities. Main outcome measures Mortality from cardiovascular disease, non-cardiovascular disease, and all causes. Questionnaires and clinical measures were obtained in mid-life (mean age 53, range 33-81) in the Reykjavik Study (1967-91). Headache was classified as migraine without aura, migraine with aura, or non-migraine headache. Median follow-up was 25.9 years (0.1-40.2 years), with 470 990 person years and 10 358 deaths: 4323 from cardiovascular disease and 6035 from other causes. We used Cox regression to estimate risk of death in those with migraine compared with others, after adjusting for baseline risk factors. Results People with migraine with aura were at increased risk of all cause mortality (adjusted (for sex and multivariables) hazard ratio 1.21, 95% confidence interval 1.12 to 1.30) and mortality from cardiovascular disease (1.27, 1.13 to 1.43) compared with people with no headache, while those with migraine without aura and non-migraine headache were not. Further examination of mortality from cardiovascular disease shows that people with migraine with aura were at increased risk of mortality from coronary heart disease (1.28, 1.11 to 1.49) and stroke (1.40, 1.10 to 1.78). Women with migraine with aura were also at increased risk of mortality from non-cardiovascular disease (1.19, 1.06 to 1.35). Conclusions Migraine with aura is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular and all cause mortality in men and women. The risk of mortality from coronary heart disease and stroke mortality is modestly increased in people with migraine, particularly those with aura.
Smoking-Specific Parenting and Smoking Onset in Adolescence: The Role of Genes from the Dopaminergic System (DRD2, DRD4, DAT1 Genotypes)

Although only few studies have shown direct links between dopaminergic system genes and smoking onset, this does not rule out the effect of a gene-environment interaction on smoking onset. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the associations between smoking-specific parenting (i.e., frequency and quality of communication and house rules) and smoking onset while considering the potential moderating role of dopaminergic system genes (i.e., DRD2, DRD4, and DAT1 genotypes). Data from five annual waves of the ‘Family and Health’ project were used. At time 1, the sample comprised 365 non-smoking adolescents (200 younger adolescents, mean age = 13.31, SD = .48; 165 older adolescents, mean age = 15.19, SD = .57). Advanced longitudinal analyses were used (i.e., logistic regression analyses, (dual) latent growth curves, and cross-lagged path models). The results showed a direct effect of quality of communication on smoking onset. No direct effects were found for frequency of communication and house rules. Furthermore, no direct and moderating effects of the DRD2, DRD4, or DAT1 genotypes were found. In conclusion, the findings indicated that the effects of smoking-specific parenting on smoking are similar for adolescent carriers and non-carriers of the dopaminergic system genes.
Evaluation of light-emitting diodes as attractant for sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) in northeastern Brazil

Hoover Pugedo light traps were modified for use with green and blue-light-emitting diodes to trap phlebotomine sandflies in northeastern Brazil. A total of 2,267 specimens belonging to eight genera and 15 species were sampled. The predominant species were Nyssomyia whitmani(34.41%) and Micropygomyia echinatopharynx(17.25%). The green LED trap prevailed over the blue and control lights; however, no statistically significant difference could be detected among the three light sources. Even without statistical significance, we suggest using LEDs as an attractant for the capture of sandflies because of several advantages over the conventional method with incandescent lamps.
New Prospects for the Management of Renal Bone Disease

The last decade has been a remarkably productive one in the field of bone biology. New insights into the maintenance of a normal bone microenvironment have led to significant advances in our understanding of many important skeletal disorders, including renal osteodystrophy. Novel targets for therapeutic manipulation have been exposed and encouraging progress made towards new treatments. In addition, just as clinical studies have alerted us to the potential hazards of vascular calcification, basic science has unearthed the intimate nature of the relationship between the previously separate disciplines of bone and vascular biology. The clinical nephrologist, however, may be forgiven a little cynicism at this point. If such progress has been made, why do the same proverbial difficulties confront us in day-to-day practice? Control of phosphate remains inadequate, despite a literature which constantly reaffirms its crucial importance, and parathyroid hyperplasia seems inevitable in many patients. Furthermore, even the satisfaction of successful control of serum parathyroid hormone concentration must now be tempered by disquiet regarding the skeletal and cardiovascular consequences of oversuppression. This review aims to provide an update of the latest developments in relevant skeletal research and to assess how recently acquired knowledge may improve clinical nephrological practice over the next five years.
A One-Layer Projection Neural Network for Nonsmooth Optimization Subject to Linear Equalities and Bound Constraints

This paper presents a one-layer projection neural network for solving nonsmooth optimization problems with generalized convex objective functions and subject to linear equalities and bound constraints. The proposed neural network is designed based on two projection operators: linear equality constraints, and bound constraints. The objective function in the optimization problem can be any nonsmooth function which is not restricted to be convex but is required to be convex (pseudoconvex) on a set defined by the constraints. Compared with existing recurrent neural networks for nonsmooth optimization, the proposed model does not have any design parameter, which is more convenient for design and implementation. It is proved that the output variables of the proposed neural network are globally convergent to the optimal solutions provided that the objective function is at least pseudoconvex. Simulation results of numerical examples are discussed to demonstrate the effectiveness and characteristics of the proposed neural network.
Bilateral cochlear implants in long-term and short-term deafness

Abstract This case is of a 70-year-old man with single-sided deafness (SSD) in the right ear since childhood, who developed a sudden severe hearing loss in the left ear at the age of 63. Eventually, after he received cochlear implants in both ears, he started to present behavioural auditory processing skills associated with binaural hearing, such as improved ability to understand speech in the presence of background noise, and sound localization. Outcomes were measured using cortical auditory evoked potentials, speech perception in noise, sound localization tests, and a self-rating questionnaire. The results suggest that even after more than 50 years of unilateral deafness it was possible to develop binaural interaction and sound localization as a result of electric auditory stimulation.
The status of animal feeds and nutrition in the West Shewa Zone of Oromiya, Ethiopia

The resource base (animal and feed resources) of the various districts in the West Shewa Zone are summarised and synthesised from secondary data. The feed resource balance of each district is estimated from area coverage and average productivity of the major feed resources. Data generated from recent surveys of selected weredas in the zone are used as case studies to substantiate the secondary data and reflect the current reality on the ground. Technical information pertinent to the zone in terms of feed production, feed quality and feeding systems were reviewed and synthesised to identify challenges and opportunities in feed and animal industry. Estimates based on secondary data suggest that the available feed production (basal diet) per annum is 1.68t TLU-1, which is about 70% of the requirement per TLU yr-1. A substantial decline in availability of grazing lands, low productivity and quality of native pasture are major challenges in areas where natural pasture is the dominant basal feed. The use of crop residues as livestock feed is increasing from time to time in most of the districts and their optimal use is constrained primarily by their low nutrient concentration, digestibility and low intake. The use of industrial byproducts is confined to peri-urban or urban livestock production, and to few households in the mixed crop-livestock production system adopting improved livestock breeds, mainly of dairy. The use of improved forage and pasture crops is limited to few households who adopted improved livestock breeds of dairy under smallholder’s conditions. Opportunities for mitigating poor nutrition and transforming animal agriculture within the zone through the use of improved feed technology or information are identified and highlighted.
Short-hairpin RNAs synthesized by T7 phage polymerase do not induce interferon

RNA interference (RNAi) mediated by small-interfering RNAs (siRNAs) is a highly effective gene-silencing mechanism with great potential for gene-therapeutic applications. siRNA agents also exert non-target-related biological effects and toxicities, including immune-system stimulation. Specifically, siRNA synthesized from the T7 RNA polymerase system triggers a potent induction of type-I interferon (IFN) in a variety of cells. Single-stranded RNA also stimulates innate cytokine responses in mammals. We found that pppGn (n = 2,3) associated with the 5′-end of the short-hairpin RNA (shRNA) from the T7 RNA polymerase system did not induce detectable amounts of IFN. The residual amount of guanine associated with the 5′-end and hairpin structures of the transcript was proportional to the reduction of the IFN response. Here we describe a T7 pppGn (n = 2,3) shRNA synthesis that does not induce the IFN response, and maintains the full efficacy of siRNA.
Predictors of hypocretin (orexin) deficiency in narcolepsy without cataplexy.

STUDY OBJECTIVES To compare clinical, electrophysiologic, and biologic data in narcolepsy without cataplexy with low (≤ 110 pg/ml), intermediate (110-200 pg/ml), and normal (> 200 pg/ml) concentrations of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) hypocretin-1. SETTING University-based sleep clinics and laboratories. PATIENTS Narcolepsy without cataplexy (n = 171) and control patients (n = 170), all with available CSF hypocretin-1. DESIGN AND INTERVENTIONS Retrospective comparison and receiver operating characteristics curve analysis. Patients were also recontacted to evaluate if they developed cataplexy by survival curve analysis. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS The optimal cutoff of CSF hypocretin-1 for narcolepsy without cataplexy diagnosis was 200 pg/ml rather than 110 pg/ml (sensitivity 33%, specificity 99%). Forty-one patients (24%), all HLA DQB1*06:02 positive, had low concentrations (≤ 110 pg/ml) of CSF hypocretin-1. Patients with low concentrations of hypocretin-1 only differed subjectively from other groups by a higher Epworth Sleepiness Scale score and more frequent sleep paralysis. Compared with patients with normal hypocretin-1 concentration (n = 117, 68%), those with low hypocretin-1 concentration had higher HLA DQB1*06:02 frequencies, were more frequently non-Caucasians (notably African Americans), with lower age of onset, and longer duration of illness. They also had more frequently short rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep latency (≤ 15 min) during polysomnography (64% versus 23%), and shorter sleep latencies (2.7 ± 0.3 versus 4.4 ± 0.2 min) and more sleep-onset REM periods (3.6 ± 0.1 versus 2.9 ± 0.1 min) during the Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT). Patients with intermediate concentrations of CSF hypocretin-1 (n = 13, 8%) had intermediate HLA DQB1*06:02 and polysomnography results, suggesting heterogeneity. Of the 127 patients we were able to recontact, survival analysis showed that almost half (48%) with low concentration of CSF hypocretin-1 had developed typical cataplexy at 26 yr after onset, whereas only 2% had done so when CSF hypocretin-1 concentration was normal. Almost all patients (87%) still complained of daytime sleepiness independent of hypocretin status. CONCLUSION Objective (HLA typing, MSLT, and sleep studies) more than subjective (sleepiness and sleep paralysis) features predicted low concentration of CSF hypocretin-1 in patients with narcolepsy without cataplexy.
Uniform Temperature Dependency in the Phenology of a Keystone Herbivore in Lakes of the Northern Hemisphere

Spring phenologies are advancing in many ecosystems associated with climate warming causing unpredictable changes in ecosystem functioning. Here we establish a phenological model for Daphnia, an aquatic keystone herbivore based on decadal data on water temperatures and the timing of Daphnia population maxima from Lake Constance, a large European lake. We tested this model with long-term time-series data from two lakes (Müggelsee, Germany; Lake Washington, USA), and with observations from a diverse set of 49 lakes/sites distributed widely across the Northern Hemisphere (NH). The model successfully captured the observed temporal variation of Daphnia phenology in the two case study sites (r2 = 0.25 and 0.39 for Müggelsee and Lake Washington, respectively) and large-scale spatial variation in the NH (R2 = 0.57). These results suggest that Daphnia phenology follows a uniform temperature dependency in NH lakes. Our approach – based on temperature phenologies – has large potential to study and predict phenologies of animal and plant populations across large latitudinal gradients in other ecosystems.
Experimental confirmation of the X-ray magnetic circular dichroism sum rules for iron and cobalt.

High precision, {ital L}{sub 2,3}-edge photoabsorption and magnetic circular dichroism spectra of iron and cobalt were measured in transmission with {ital in} {ital situ} grown thin films, eliminating experimental artifacts encountered by the indirect methods used in all previous measurements. The magnetic moments determined from the integrals of these spectra are found to be in excellent agreement (within 3%) for the orbital to spin moment ratios, and in good agreement (within 7%) for the individual moments, with those obtained from Einstein--de Haas gyromagnetic ratio measurements, demonstrating decisively the applicability of the individual orbital and spin sum rules.