Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
In vitro evaluation of a multispecies oral biofilm on different implant surfaces

Biofilm accumulation on implant surfaces is one of the most important factors for early and late implant failure. Because of the related clinical implications, the aim of this in vitro study was to compare the bacterial cell attachment of a four-species oral biofilm on titanium discs of purity grade 2 and 4, with machined surfaces and etched-thermochemically modified with Avantblast®. The in vitro biofilm model was composed of early (Actinomyces naeslundii, Streptococcus gordonii), secondary (Veillonella parvula), and intermediate (Fusobacterium nucleatum ssp. polymorphum) colonizers of tooth surfaces. A total of 36 discs were divided into four groups: Tigr2-c (titanium grade 2, machined surface), Tigr2-t (titanium grade 2, modified surface with Avantblast®), Tigr4-c (titanium grade 4, machined surface), Tigr4-t (titanium grade 4, modified surface with Avantblast®). The experiment was repeated three times. Biofilm viability was tested with 1% 2, 3, 5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride solution and bacterial cell quantification by checkerboard DNA–DNA hybridization. Descriptive analysis was performed to evaluate biofilm composition and differences between groups were checked with the Mann–Whitney test (p < 0.05). After one week, multispecies biofilms showed a similar pattern of bacterial composition on all analyzed implant surfaces. The most prevalent bacterium was V. parvula (∼50% of the total biomass), followed by S. gordonii (∼30%), F. nucleatum ssp. polymorphum (∼10%) and A. naeslundii (<5%). Total bacterial biomass was significantly higher in both grade-4-titanium surfaces (p < 0.05). The results demonstrated that not only implant surface treatment, but also titanium purity, influence early bacterial colonization.
SUSTAINED ATTENTION IN CHILDREN WITH ADHD

Introduction. The symptoms that comprise inattentive behaviour in ADHD include problems with focusing on a task and sustaining attention over a long period, even in advantageous external conditions. There is also a characteristic excessive distractibility under the influence of other, unimportant stimuli. Thus attention processes are one of the main variables which form the clinical picture of ADHD. The research published to date on this topic does not, however, lead to an unequivocal conclusion concerning the existence of sustained attention deficits (vigilance deficits). The aim of our research was to assess this aspect of attention processes in children with the combined and inattentive type of ADHD. Material and Methods. The research group consisted of 132 children, age 9;06-12;02 (combined type – 64 children, inattentive type – 21 children, control group 47 children). The level of sustained attention was defined as the capability to sustain attention over a long period (the 20-minute Stop Signal Task requires a high level of vigilance), and to perform effectively a monotonous, easy, but rather long task (the 20-minute Continuous Performance Task). Results. The results obtained by the children from both clinical groups differ significantly in all parameters from the controls. This suggests that there exists an attention alertness network deficit in ADHD. No significant differences were observed between the combined and inattentive type. Conclusions. Our results confirmed problems with sustained attention during long-lasting and monotonous tasks in ADHD children. The deficits of sustained attention in combined ADHD and inattention ADHD are alike, so those deficits are common for all children with ADHD. SUSTAINED ATTENTION IN CHILDREN WITH ADHD
An Algorithm for Identification of Reduced-Order Dynamic Models of Gas Turbines

Model based approaches show a lot of advantages for fault detection and condition monitoring. Particularly, it is true in employing reduced order models for real-time parameter identification and output prediction of gas turbines. Many algorithms have been developed, but most of them focus on one-step-ahead prediction models and involve complex computation. These algorithms are not acceptable for long-term prediction and real-time condition monitoring. In this paper, an improved gradient method (dynamic gradient descent) is proposed. The idea is to take account of the dependency of prediction errors and calculate the gradient information recursively. Not only low computation expense is achieved, but the non-Gaussian errors can also be overcome when this approach is applied to estimate parameters of a reduced order gas turbine model and to improve long-term prediction
Isolation and molecular size of Clostridium botulinum type C toxin

A procedure is described for the purification of hemagglutinin-free Clostridium botulinum type C toxin. The toxin was purified approximately 1,000-fold from the original culture supernatant in an overall yield of 60% to a final specific toxicity of 4.4 x 10(7) minimal lethal doses/mg of protein. The toxin had a molecular weight of 141,000 and consisted of a heavy and a light chain. The molecular weights of the subunits were approximately 98,000 and 53,000. When comparing the molecular size and composition of type C toxin to that of botulinum toxins of different types, some common features may be suggested; i.e., the toxin has a molecular weight between 141,000 to 160,000 and is comprised of a heavy and a light chain linked by disulfide bonds (or bond).
Poly(A) at the 3′ End of Positive-Strand RNA and VPg-Linked Poly(U) at the 5′ End of Negative-Strand RNA Are Reciprocal Templates during Replication of Poliovirus RNA

ABSTRACT A 3′ poly(A) tail is a common feature of picornavirus RNA genomes and the RNA genomes of many other positive-strand RNA viruses. We examined the manner in which the homopolymeric poly(A) and poly(U) portions of poliovirus (PV) positive- and negative-strand RNAs were used as reciprocal templates during RNA replication. Poly(A) sequences at the 3′ end of viral positive-strand RNA were transcribed into VPg-linked poly(U) products at the 5′ end of negative-strand RNA during PV RNA replication. Subsequently, VPg-linked poly(U) sequences at the 5′ ends of negative-strand RNA templates were transcribed into poly(A) sequences at the 3′ ends of positive-strand RNAs. The homopolymeric poly(A) and poly(U) portions of PV RNA products of replication were heterogeneous in length and frequently longer than the corresponding homopolymeric sequences of the respective viral RNA templates. The data support a model of PV RNA replication wherein reiterative transcription of homopolymeric templates ensures the synthesis of long 3′ poly(A) tails on progeny RNA genomes.
Image appearance modeling

Traditional color appearance modeling has recently matured to the point that available, internationally-recommended models such as CIECAM02 are capable of making a wide range of predictions to within the observer variability in color matching and color scaling of stimuli in somewhat simplified viewing conditions. It is proposed that the next significant advances in the field of color appearance modeling will not come from evolutionary revisions of these models. Instead, a more revolutionary approach will be required to make appearance predictions for more complex stimuli in a wider array of viewing conditions. Such an approach can be considered image appearance modeling since it extends the concepts of color appearance modeling to stimuli and viewing environments that are spatially and temporally at the level of complexity of real natural and man-made scenes. This paper reviews the concepts of image appearance modeling, presents iCAM as one example of such a model, and provides a number of examples of the use of iCAM in still and moving image reproduction.
Comparison of Task Performance by Students with Autism and Moderate Intellectual Disabilities When Presenting Video Models on Large and Small Screen Sizes

This investigation compared the ability of students with disabilities to complete fine motor tasks when presented with video models on a small personal digital assistant (PDA) screen and a traditional computer laptop screen. Two groups of elementary age students participated in the study: four with moderate intellectual disabilities (Moderate ID), and four with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). An adapted alternating treatments design with extended baseline, comparison, and final treatment condition was used to compare performance across the two screen sizes. Overall results suggest that students with ASD may perform equally as well, regardless of screen size, while some students with Moderate ID may need a larger screen size in order to perform fine motor tasks using video models. Results further indicate that individual differences occurred across some of the students (two of the four students with Moderate ID performed better when using the smaller screen) and that task requirements may have influenced performance (more errors occurred with tasks that may have presented greater cognitive challenges to students).
Blood Serum Affects Polysaccharide Production and Surface Protein Expression in S. Aureus

Background S. aureus biofilm serves a major role in pathogenesis. Two of the major components of bacterial biofilm are Polysaccharides intercellular adhesions (PIA) and surface proteins. It is not known how PIA and surface proteins expressions are affected in presence of blood serum. Analyses of surface proteins expressions will provide more effective biomarker discovery that might lead to development of antimicrobial therapeutics to meet the challenges of biofilm-related infections. Method Secondary cultures of S. aureus Philips, a biofilm-forming bacterium, were generated by inoculating 1 ml of overnight culture into 50 ml of TSB. Bacteria were cultured at several concentrations of blood serum and found that 12.5% supplemented blood serum provide s similar growth curve as normal TSB (100%). One and 2 D SASPAGE were used to separate proteins and the differentially expressed proteins were identified by nano-LC/MS. Results Polysaccharide intercellular adhesions production was significantly increased due to the addition of blood serum in the media. We also identified two serum proteins, apolipoprotein and globulin (Fc and Fab), that remained attached with the membrane fraction of bacterial proteins. Conclusion These results have strongly demonstrated that blood serum influences the exopolysaccharide expression in S. aureus.
The impact of genetic variation in the G6PC2 gene on insulin secretion depends on glycemia.

CONTEXT Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the G6PC2 locus are associated with fasting glucose and insulin secretion. These SNPs are not associated with type 2 diabetes risk. OBJECTIVE Our objective was to investigate whether the impact of the SNP on variables of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion is influenced by glucose tolerance status. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, AND INTERVENTION In this cross-sectional study, we genotyped 1505 healthy Caucasian subjects [normal glucose tolerance (NGT), 1098; impaired glucose tolerance (IGT)/impaired fasting glucose (IFG), 407] for SNP rs560887 within the G6PC2 locus. A subgroup of 326 subjects underwent an iv glucose tolerance test, and 512 participants took part in a hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp. For replication, SNP rs560887 was genotyped in 457 subjects (NGT, 265; IGT, 192) from four independent German and Dutch studies who underwent a hyperglycemic clamp. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Insulin secretion was evaluated. RESULTS Carriers of the major G-allele exhibited increased fasting glycemia (P<0.0001). Insulin sensitivity and secretion were not associated with the SNP (P≥0.06). Glucose tolerance status and genotype interacted on insulin secretion (P=0.036), such that in NGT subjects, the minor A-allele of rs560887 was associated with decreased insulinogenic index (P=0.044), which was not the case in subjects with IFG/IGT (P=1.0). During the iv glucose tolerance test, an association of A-allele carriers with decreased first-phase insulin secretion was also observed only in NGT subjects (P=0.0053). Likewise, in the hyperglycemic clamp group, the A-allele was associated with decreased first-phase insulin secretion only in the NGT group (P=0.022) but not in the IGT group. CONCLUSIONS The effects of hyperglycemia on insulin secretion override the more subtle effects of genetic variation in the G6PC2 locus on insulin secretion.
Ensemble‐based chemical data assimilation. I: General approach

Data assimilation is the process of integrating observational data and model predictions to obtain an optimal representation of the state of the atmosphere. As more chemical observations in the troposphere are becoming available, chemical data assimilation is expected to play an essential role in air‐quality forecasting, similar to the role it has in numerical weather prediction. Considerable progress has been made recently in the development of variational tools for chemical data assimilation. In this paper we assess the performance of the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) and compare it with a state‐of‐the‐art 4D‐Var approach. We analyse different aspects that affect the assimilation process, and investigate several ways to avoid filter divergence. Results with a real model and real observations show that EnKF is a promising approach for chemical data assimilation. The results also point to several issues on which further research is necessary. Copyright © 2007 Royal Meteorological Society
Automatic abstraction for worst-case analysis of discrete systems

Recently a methodology for worst-case analysis of discrete systems has been proposed by the author. The methodology relies on a user-provided abstraction of system components. In this paper the author proposes a procedure to automatically generate such abstractions for system components with Boolean transition functions. She use a binary decision diagram (BDD) of the transition function to generate a formula in Presburger arithmetic representing the desired abstraction. The author's experiments indicate that the approach can be applied to control-dominated embedded systems.
Nanoscopic insights into seeding mechanisms and toxicity of α-synuclein species in neurons

Significance The self-assembly of normally soluble proteins into fibrillar amyloid structures is associated with a range of neurodegenerative disorders. Here, we monitor the fate of different forms of α-synuclein (AS), a protein implicated in Parkinson’s disease, via optical nanoscopy directly in neuronal cells. We show that exogenously added preformed AS fibrils elongate by the addition of endogenous AS, naturally present in neurons. In contrast, exogenously added monomeric AS induces aggregate formation within the cells and leads to apoptosis. The latter is significantly reduced by the addition of preformed fibrils, suggesting a neuroprotective role of fibrillar species. The visualization of these effects at the nanoscale shown here opens up new avenues for understanding the links between AS aggregation and neuronal toxicity. New strategies for visualizing self-assembly processes at the nanoscale give deep insights into the molecular origins of disease. An example is the self-assembly of misfolded proteins into amyloid fibrils, which is related to a range of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. Here, we probe the links between the mechanism of α-synuclein (AS) aggregation and its associated toxicity by using optical nanoscopy directly in a neuronal cell culture model of Parkinson’s disease. Using superresolution microscopy, we show that protein fibrils are taken up by neuronal cells and act as prion-like seeds for elongation reactions that both consume endogenous AS and suppress its de novo aggregation. When AS is internalized in its monomeric form, however, it nucleates and triggers the aggregation of endogenous AS, leading to apoptosis, although there are no detectable cross-reactions between externally added and endogenous protein species. Monomer-induced apoptosis can be reduced by pretreatment with seed fibrils, suggesting that partial consumption of the externally added or excess soluble AS can be significantly neuroprotective.
Biologically plausible learning in recurrent neural networks for flexible decision tasks

Recurrent neural networks operating in the near-­chaotic regime exhibit complex dynamics, reminiscent of neural activity in higher cortical areas. As a result, these networks have been proposed as models of cortical computation during cognitive tasks. However, existing methods for training the connectivity of these networks are either biologically implausible, and/or require an instantaneous, real-­time continuous error signal to guide the learning process. The lack of plausible learning method may restrict the applicability of recurrent neural networks as models of cortical computation. Here we introduce a biologically plausible learning rule that can train such recurrent networks, guided solely by delayed, phasic rewards at the end of each trial. We use this method to learn various tasks from the experimental literature, showing that this learning rule can successfully implement flexible associations, memory maintenance, nonlinear mixed selectivities, and coordination among multiple outputs. The trained networks exhibit complex dynamics previously observed in animal cortex, such as dynamic encoding and maintenance of task features, switching from stimulus-­specific to response-­specific representations, and selective integration of relevant input streams. We conclude that recurrent neural networks can offer a plausible model of cortical dynamics during both learning and performance of flexible behavior. Introduction Recent evidence suggests that neural representations are highly dynamic, encoding multiple aspects of tasks, stimuli, and commands in the joint fluctuating activity of interconnected populations of neurons, rather than in the stable activation of specific neurons ​ (Meyers et al. this reason, such models have been used to investigate the mechanisms by which neural populations solve various computational problems, including working memory ​ (Barak et al. 1. CC-BY-NC 4.0 International license peer-reviewed) is the author/funder. It is made available under a The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not .
Utopian Hopes or Dystopian Fears? Exploring the Motivational Underpinnings of Moralized Political Engagement

People are more likely to become politically engaged (e.g., vote, engage in activism) when issues are associated with strong moral convictions. The goal of this research was to understand the underlying motivations that lead to this well-replicated effect. Specifically, to what extent is moralized political engagement motivated by proscriptive concerns (e.g., perceived harms, anticipated regret), prescriptive concerns (e.g., perceived benefits, anticipated pride), or some combination of these processes? And are the motivational pathways between moral conviction and political engagement the same or different for liberals and conservatives? Two studies (combined N = 2,069) found that regardless of political orientation, the association between moral conviction and political engagement was mediated by the perceived benefits of preferred but not the perceived harms of non-preferred policy outcomes, and by both anticipated pride and regret, findings that replicated in two contexts: legalizing same-sex marriage and allowing concealed weapons on college campuses.
Robust Multiple Model Fitting with Preference Analysis and Low-rank Approximation

This paper deals with the extraction of multiple models from outlier-contaminated data. The method we present is based on preference analysis and low rank approximation. After representing points in a conceptual space, Robust PCA (Principal Component Analysis) and Symmetric NMF (Non negative Matrix Factorization) are employed to reduce the multi-model fitting problem to many single-fitting problems, which in turn are solved with a strategy that resembles MSAC (M-estimator SAmple Consensus). Experimental validation on public, real data-sets demonstrates that our method compares favourably with the state of the art.
Spin-orbit alignment in the very low mass binary regime - The L dwarf tight binary 2MASSW J0746425+200032AB

Studies of solar-type binaries have found coplanarity between the equatorial and orbital planes of systems with <40 AU separation. By comparison, the alignment of the equatorial and orbital axes in the substellar regime, and the associated implications for formation theory, are relatively poorly constrained. Here we present the discovery of the rotation period of 3.32 ± 0.15 h from 2MASS J0746+20A – the primary component of a tight (2.7 AU) ultracool dwarf binary system (L0+L1.5). The newly discovered period, together with the established period via radio observations of the other component, and the well constrained orbital parameters and rotational velocity measurements, allow us to infer alignment of the equatorial planes of both components with the orbital plane of the system to within 10 degrees. This result suggests that solar-type binary formation mechanisms may extend down into the brown dwarf mass range, and we consider a number of formation theories that may be applicable in this case. This is the first such observational result in the very low mass binary regime. In addition, the detected period of 3.32 ± 0.15 h implies that the reported radio period of 2.07 ± 0.002 h is associated with the secondary star, not the primary, as was previously claimed. This in turn refutes the claimed radius of 0.78 ± 0.1 R_J for 2MASS J0746+20A, which we demonstrate to be 0.99 ± 0.03 R_J.
THE EFFECT OF THE TYPE OF HEMODIALYSIS BUFFER ON THE QTC INTERVAL IN PATIENTS ON CHRONIC HEMODIALYSIS

Background: Identifying the sources of variation in QTc measurements is important for preventing arrhythmias during and after hemodialysis. The present study was designed to determine the correlation between the type of hemodialysis buffer and the changes in QTc interval in patients on chronic hemodialysis. Methods: Fifty-nine patients on chronic hemodialysis who referred in winter 2007 to hemodialysis centers of Ghaem and Hashemi Nejad hospitals, in Mashhad, Iran, were divided into two groups according to their last dialysate buffer: acetate or bicarbonate. Electrocardiography, arterial blood gas parameters, serum K + , Na + , ionized calcium, and albumin levels were measured prior to and after hemodialysis in all patients.
Guggenheim Study Suggests Arts Education Benefits Literacy Skills - New York Times

A study to be released today by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum suggests that it does, citing improvements in a range of literacy skills among students who took part in a program in which the Guggenheim sends artists into schools. The study, now in its second year, interviewed hundreds of New York City third graders, some of whom had participated in the Guggenheim program, called Learning Through Art, and others who did not.
Distributed Boundary Estimation using Sensor Networks

We examine the problem of determining boundaries occurring in natural phenomena using sensor networks. Sensor nodes remotely collect data about various points on the boundary. From this data, we estimate the boundary along with the confidence intervals using a regression relationship among sensor locations and the distances to the boundary. The confidence intervals are guaranteed to be narrower than a specified maximum width. Our distributed boundary estimation strategy uses a hierarchical structure of clusters of sensor nodes and requires 20-50% less messages as compared to a centralized scheme. The computed intervals show desired coverage of the true boundary points. Further, motivated by the practical need to estimate the boundary with a minimum number of sensors, we develop an adaptive approach for turning sensors on and off. The number of ON sensors in this scheme is only about 15% more than what a practical Oracle needs, to evaluate the boundary and confidence intervals around it. Our algorithms are also evaluated using data from real sensors on a testbed