Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CT diagnosis of ectopically erupting maxillary canines--a case report.

This case report describes the use of high-resolution computed tomography (CT) in the diagnosis of both the location and extent of root resorption of permanent incisors due to ectopic eruption of the maxillary canine. The CT image proved to be superior and more information was obtained than when conventional radiographic methods, including polytomography, are used. Although CT is an expensive method, it is not time-consuming or complicated. As the skin entrance dose is also low and the exposure of radio-sensitive organs can be avoided, we consider that the advantages of CT clearly warrant its use in this type of patient with a potential resorptive canine/lateral situation due to ectopic eruption of the maxillary canines.
Sensitizing capacity and cross‐reactivity of phenyl glycidyl ether studied in the guinea‐pig maximization test

Background: Simultaneous contact allergies to the reactive diluent phenyl glycidyl ether (PGE) and epoxy resins based on diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) or epoxy resins of the bisphenol F‐type have been reported. The latter epoxy resins contain three isomers of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol F (DGEBF). PGE, DGEBA, and DGEBF are chemically similar with respect to the reactive glycidyl group and an aromatic ring, making cross‐reactivity one of the possible explanations to simultaneous reactions.
Fast Exact Inference for Recursive Cardinality Models

Cardinality potentials are a generally useful class of high order potential that affect probabilities based on how many of D binary variables are active. Maximum a posteriori (MAP) inference for cardinality potential models is well-understood, with efficient computations taking O(D log D) time. Yet efficient marginalization and sampling have not been addressed as thoroughly in the machine learning community. We show that there exists a simple algorithm for computing marginal probabilities and drawing exact joint samples that runs in O(D log2 D) time, and we show how to frame the algorithm as efficient belief propagation in a low order tree-structured model that includes additional auxiliary variables. We then develop a new, more general class of models, termed Recursive Cardinality models, which take advantage of this efficiency. Finally, we show how to do efficient exact inference in models composed of a tree structure and a cardinality potential. We explore the expressive power of Recursive Cardinality models and empirically demonstrate their utility.
Discrete Ba2+ block as a probe of ion occupancy and pore structure in the high-conductance Ca2+ -activated K+ channel

In this study, high-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels from rat skeletal muscle were incorporated into planar phospholipid bilayers, and discrete blockade of single channels by Ba2+ was studied. With 150 mM K+ held constant in the internal solution, increasing external K+ over the range 100-1,000 mM raises the rate of Ba2+ dissociation. This "enhancement effect," which operates at K+ concentrations 3-4 orders of magnitude higher than those required for the "lockin" effect described previously, depends on applied voltage, saturates with K+ concentration, and is not observed with Na+. The voltage dependence of the Ba2+ off-rate varies with external K+ in a way suggesting that K+, entering the channel from the external side, forces Ba2+ dissociation to the internal solution. With K+ held fixed in the external solution, the Ba2+ off-rate decreases as internal K+ is raised over the range 0- 50 mM. This "lock-in" effect is similar to that seen on the external side (Neyton and Miller, 1988), except that the internal lock-in site is of lower affinity and shows only a fivefold preference for K+ over Na+. All the results taken together argue strongly that this channel's conduction pathway contains four sites of very high affinity for K+, all of which may be simultaneously occupied under normal conducting conditions. According to this view, the mutual destabilization resulting from this high ionic occupancy leads to the unusually high conductance of this K+-specific channel.
US guidance for thoracic biopsy: a valuable alternative to CT.

PURPOSE To determine the role, accuracy, and selection criteria of ultrasonographic (US) guidance for biopsy for thoracic lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS Imaging-guided thoracic biopsies (n = 86) were performed in 84 consecutive patients. US guidance was used for lesions abutting the chest wall; computed tomographic (CT) guidance was used for all masses surrounded by aerated lung. Mass location and size, guidance modality, histologic results, procedure time, and complications were recorded. RESULTS Thirty-four lesions (19 parenchymal, six pleural, six chest wall, three mediastinal) were amenable to US-guided biopsy. The mean mass diameter was 4.3 cm, the mean number of passes was 3.2, and the mean procedure time was 31.4 minutes. A histologic diagnosis was achieved in 31 (91%) patients, including all with small (< 2-cm) masses (n = 9). There was one case of pneumothorax. CT guidance was used in 52 (60%) of 86 cases. Lesions were parenchymal (n = 41), pleural (n = 1), and mediastinal and hilar (n = 10). The mean diameter was 2.9 cm, the mean number of passes was 2.3, and the mean procedure time was 45.2 minutes. A histologic diagnosis was achieved in 37 (71%) patients, including 18 of 27 with a small mass. Complications included pneumothorax (n = 21) and parenchymal hemorrhage (n = 2). CONCLUSION US is an effective and safe alternative to CT for guidance at biopsy of masses abutting the chest wall. Real-time US visualization allows accurate needle placement, shorter procedure time, and performance in debilitated and less cooperative patients.
Railway Revenue Management: Overview and Models

The railway industry offers similar revenue management opportunities to those found in the airline industry. The railway industry caters for the delivery and management of cargo as well as the transport of passengers. Unlike the airline industry, the railway industry has seen relatively little attention to revenue management problems. We provide an overview of the published literature for both passenger and freight rail revenue management. We include a summary of the some the available models and include some possible extensions. From the existing literature and talks with industry, it is clear that that there is room to exploit revenue management techniques in the railway industry, an industry that has revenues of $60 billion in the US and promises huge growth in Europe in the forthcoming years.
A numerical examination of shear banding and simple shear non-coaxial flow rules

Strain localisation and shear band formation is frequently observed during the handling and flow of dense phase particulate materials. However, a complete understanding of how shear bands form and what happens inside shear bands is still lacking. In order to address this problem, discrete particle simulations have been carried out to examine the detailed processes that occur at the grain scale associated with the initiation and development of shear bands. To reliably identify the continuum model applicable within a shear band is difficult due to the small number of particles/contacts involved. However, it is normally accepted that the mode of deformation within a shear band is one of simple shear. Consequently, simple shear simulations have been performed in order to determine the evolution of the stress tensor, dilation rate, and the principal directions of stress and strain-rate. It is demonstrated that the corresponding non-coaxial flow rule is equivalent to that suggested by Tatsuoka et al. (Géotechnique 38 148 (1988)). Furthermore, at fully developed flow when there is no further change in volume, the stress and strain-rate directions are coaxial and the flow rule is that proposed by Hill (The Mathematical Theory of Plasticity (Oxford University Press, 1950) p. 294).
Measuring Motor Skills in Finnish Children with Intellectual Disabilities

This investigation examined differences in motor skill development between Finnish children (12 boys, 8 girls) with mild intellectual disability and typically developing Finnish children between the ages of 7 and 11 years. Ulrich's Test of Gross Motor Development (TGMD) assessed the performances of 20 children with intellectual disability and an age- and sex-matched sample of 20 children without disabilities. Videotaped performances were assessed by the authors who were very familiar with the TGMD–2. The group with intellectual disability performed at a statistically significantly lower level on the Gross Motor Quotient, Locomotor, and Object Control subtests of TGMD–2, compared to the group without intellectual disability. The delay was equivalent to 3 to 4 years behind the Finnish normative group in gross motor development. In five out of 12 subtests, the group with intellectual disability achieved 0% mastery. Given low gross motor skills, children with intellectual disability require additional fundamental motor skill training in their active school or free time.
Phytotoxic Activity of Ocimum tenuiflorum Extracts on Germination and Seedling Growth of Different Plant Species

Phytotoxic activity of Ocimum tenuiflorum (Lamiaceae) plant extracts was investigated against the germination and seedling growth of cress (Lepidium sativum), lettuce (Lactuca sativa), alfalfa (Medicago sativa), Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum), barnyard grass (Echinochloa crus-galli), and timothy (Phleum pratense) at four different concentrations. The plant extracts at concentrations greater than 30 mg dry weight equivalent extract mL−1 reduced significantly the total germination percent (GP), germination index (GI), germination energy (GE), speed of emergence (SE), seedling vigour index (SVI), and coefficient of the rate of germination (CRG) of all test species except barnyard grass and GP of lettuce. In contrast, time required for 50% germination (T 50) and mean germination time (MGT) were increased at the same or higher than this concentration. The increasing trend of T 50 and MGT and the decreasing trend of other indices indicated a significant inhibition or delay of germination of the test species by O. tenuiflorum plant extracts and vice versa. In addition, the shoot and root growth of all test species were significantly inhibited by the extracts at concentrations greater than 10 mg dry weight equivalent extract mL−1. The I 50 values for shoot and root growth were ranged from 26 to 104 mg dry weight equivalent extract mL−1. Seedling growth was more sensitive to the extracts compared to seed germination. Results of this study suggest that O. tenuiflorum plant extracts have phytotoxic properties and thus contain phytotoxic substances. Isolation and characterization of those substances from this plant may act as a tool for new natural, biodegradable herbicide development to control weeds.
Search for Planetary Candidates within the OGLE Stars

We develop a method to distinguish between planetary and stellar companions to stars that present a periodic decrease in brightness, interpreted as a transit. Light curves from a total of 177 stars from the OGLE project were fitted by a model that simulates planetary transits using an opaque disk in front of an image of the Sun. The simulation results yield the orbital radius in units of stellar radii, the orbital inclination angle, and the ratio of the planet radius to the star radius. Combining Kepler's third law with a mass-radius relation for main-sequence stars, it was possible to estimate values for the masses and radii of both the primary and secondary objects. This model was successfully tested with the confirmed planets orbiting the stars HD 209458, TrES-1, and OGLE-TR 10, 56, 111, 113, and 132. The method consists of selecting as planetary candidates only those objects with primary densities between 0.7 and 2.3 solar densities (F, G, and K stars) and secondaries with radii of less than 1.5 Jovian radii. The method is not able to distinguish between a planet and a dwarf star with a mass less than 0.1 M☉, such as OGLE-TR 122. We propose a selection of 28 planetary candidates (OGLE-TR 49, 51, 55, 63, 71, 76, 90, 97, 100, 109, 114, 127, 130, 131, 134, 138, 140, 146, 151, 155, 159, 164, 165, 169, 170, 171, 172, and 174) for follow-up high-resolution spectroscopy.
The HIV-1 Nef Protein Binds Argonaute-2 and Functions as a Viral Suppressor of RNA Interference

The HIV-1 accessory protein Nef is an important virulence factor. It associates with cellular membranes and modulates the endocytic machinery and signaling pathways. Nef also increases the proliferation of multivesicular bodies (MVBs), which are sites for virus assembly and budding in macrophages. The RNA interference (RNAi) pathway proteins Ago2 and GW182 localize to MVBs, suggesting these to be sites for assembly and turnover of the miRNA-induced silencing complex (miRISC). While RNAi affects HIV replication, it is not clear if the virus encodes a suppressor activity to overcome this innate host response. Here we show that Nef colocalizes with MVBs and binds Ago2 through two highly conserved Glycine-Tryptophan (GW) motifs, mutations in which abolish Nef binding to Ago2 and reduce virus yield and infectivity. Nef also inhibits the slicing activity of Ago2 and disturbs the sorting of GW182 into exosomes resulting in the suppression of miRNA-induced silencing. Thus, besides its other activities, the HIV-1 Nef protein is also proposed to function as a viral suppressor of RNAi (VSR).
Influence of fiber modification on interfacial adhesion and mechanical properties of pineapple leaf fiber‐epoxy composites

Three kinds of surface treatment, that is, the alkalization (5% w/v NaOH aqueous solution), the deposition of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) from toluene solution (1% w/v DGEBA), and the alkalization combined with the deposition of DGEBA (5% w/v NaOH/1% w/v DGEBA) were applied to modify interfacial bonding and to enhance mechanical properties of pineapple leaf fiber (PALF) reinforced epoxy composites. The fiber strength and strain were measured by single fiber test and the fiber strength variation was assessed using Weibull modulus. Furthermore, a fragmentation test was used to quantify the interfacial adhesion of PALF-epoxy composite. It was verified that the interfacial shear strength of modified PALFs was substantially higher than that of untreated PALF by almost 2-2.7 times because of the greater interaction between the PALFs and epoxy resin matrix. The strongest interfacial adhesion was obtained from the fibers that had been received the alkalization combined with DGEBA deposition. Moreover, the flexural and impact properties of unidirectional PALF-epoxy composites were greatly enhanced when reinforced with the modified PALFs due to an improvement in interfacial adhesion, particularly in the synergetic use of 5% NaOH and 5% NaOH/1% DGEBA.
Ecuador's Rural Nonfarm Sector as a Route Out of Poverty

The author analyzes a recent household survey for Ecuador to assess the role of the nonagricultural rural sector in reducing poverty. That sector accounts for roughly 40 percent of rural incomes in Ecuador, three-fourths of which comes from nonagricultural enterprises as opposed to wage labor. The sector provides employment to nearly 40 percent of men and 50 percent of economically active women. The nonagricultural rural sector represents a potentially important route out of poverty: Poverty declines as the share of income from nonagricultural sources arises. Nonagricultural employment and earnings are positively associated with higher education levels and better access to infrastructure services. Although women are more likely than men to be employed in this sector, their earnings for given education levels and other household characteristics are significantly lower. All other things equal, the greatest fall in poverty could be expected from expanding employment opportunities in transport, commerce-related activities, and such services as administration and the hotel and restaurant trade.
Autonomic responses and efferent pathways from the insular cortex in the rat

The anatomical distribution of autonomic, particularly cardiovascular, responses originating in the insular cortex was examined by using systematic electrical microstimulation. The localization of these responses to cell bodies in the insular cortex was demonstrated by using microinjection of the excitatory amino acid, D, L‐homocysteic acid. The efferents from the cardiovascular responsive sites were traced by iontophoretic injection of the anterograde axonal tracer Phaseoleus vulgaris leucoagglutinin (PHA‐L).
A Novel In Vitro Model to Study Pericytes in the Neurovascular Unit of the Developing Cortex

Cortical function is impaired in various disorders of the central nervous system including Alzheimer’s disease, autism and schizophrenia. Some of these disorders are speculated to be associated with insults in early brain development. Pericytes have been shown to regulate neurovascular integrity in development, health and disease. Hence, precisely controlled mechanisms must have evolved in evolution to operate pericyte proliferation, repair and cell fate within the neurovascular unit (NVU). It is well established that pericyte deficiency leads to NVU injury resulting in cognitive decline and neuroinflammation in cortical layers. However, little is known about the role of pericytes in pathophysiological processes of the developing cortex. Here we introduce an in vitro model that enables to precisely study pericytes in the immature cortex and show that moderate inflammation and hypoxia result in caspase-3 mediated pericyte loss. Using heterozygous EYFP-NG2 mouse mutants we performed live imaging of pericytes for several days in vitro. In addition we show that pericytes maintain their capacity to proliferate which may allow cell-based therapies like reprogramming of pericytes into induced neuronal cells in the presented approach.
Sampling the form of inner experience in three adults with Asperger syndrome

Synopsis Three adults with Asperger syndrome were invited to talk about their inner experiences, using an experience sampling and interview technique. They reported thoughts primarily or solely in the form of images. By contrast, normal adults previously tested with this technique reported inner experiences of a variety of forms. The present report suggests the feasibility and potential interest of the experience sampling method with high-functioning individuals with autistic disorder.
A randomized controlled trial to determine the effect of spinal stabilization exercise intervention based on pain level and standing balance differences in patients with low back pain

Summary Background A number of studies have evaluated exercise interventions compared with other treatment strategies for subjects with recurrent low back pain (LBP); however, subject pain level and balance were not carefully considered. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of spinal stabilization exercises (SSE) for managing pain and increasing balance strategy changes following unexpected perturbations in patients diagnosed with recurrent LBP. Material/Methods Twenty-one age- and gender-matched patients participated in a supervised SSE or control exercise program 5 times a week over a 4-week period. The Million Visual Analogue Scale (MVAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) were used to measure each patient’s level of pain and disability. Balance measurements were derived from recordings of the anterior-posterior (A/P) and medio-lateral (M/L) center of pressure (COP) displacements during 3 consecutive, unexpected random perturbations. Results The level of reported pain and disability significantly decreased following treatment for both groups. Although the M/L sway was not significantly different in either group (p=0.86), there was a significant difference between group and measurement time during A/P sway (p=0.04). The A/P displacement of the SSE group significantly decreased compared with the control group. The decreased A/P displacement can be linked to the SSE intervention, which helps prevent further injury by limiting an individual’s response rate to external perturbations. Conclusions Clinicians might consider SSE for LBP patients as a possible rehabilitation strategy to reduce A/P displacement.
Relationship between obesity and obesity-related morbidities weakens with aging.

BACKGROUND A weak relationship exists between obesity and mortality risk in older populations, however, the influence of age on the relationship between obesity and morbidity is unclear. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of age on the relationship between obesity and cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension. METHODS Data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988-1994) were used. Individuals were classified into specific age (young: 18-40; middle: 40-65; old: 65-75; and very old: ≥75 years) and body mass index (BMI; 18.5-24.9, >25-29.9, ≥ 30kg/m(2)) categories. Cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension were categorized using measured metabolic risk factors, physician diagnosis, or medication use. RESULTS Age modified the relationship between BMI and cardiovascular disease (Age × BMI interaction, p = .049), dyslipidemia (Age × BMI interaction, p = .035 for men, p < .001 for women), and hypertension (Age × BMI interaction, p = .023) in women but not in men (p = .167). However, age did not modify the relationship between BMI and type 2 diabetes (Age × BMI interaction, p = .177). BMI was strongly associated with increased relative risk of cardiovascular disease, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension in the young and middle aged, however, the association between BMI and these metabolic conditions were much more attenuated with increasing age. CONCLUSION A stronger association between obesity and prevalent metabolic conditions exists in young and middle-aged populations than in old and very old populations. Longitudinal studies are needed to verify these findings and to confirm the benefits of weight loss on health across the life span.
Structural asymmetry in the Thermus thermophilus RuvC dimer suggests a basis for sequential strand cleavages during Holliday junction resolution

Holliday junction (HJ) resolvases are structure-specific endonucleases that cleave four-way DNA junctions (HJs) generated during DNA recombination and repair. Bacterial RuvC, a prototypical HJ resolvase, functions as homodimer and nicks DNA strands precisely across the junction point. To gain insights into the mechanisms underlying symmetrical strand cleavages by RuvC, we performed crystallographic and biochemical analyses of RuvC from Thermus thermophilus (T.th. RuvC). The crystal structure of T.th. RuvC shows an overall protein fold similar to that of Escherichia coli RuvC, but T.th. RuvC has a more tightly associated dimer interface possibly reflecting its thermostability. The binding mode of a HJ-DNA substrate can be inferred from the shape/charge complementarity between the T.th. RuvC dimer and HJ-DNA, as well as positions of sulfate ions bound on the protein surface. Unexpectedly, the structure of T.th. RuvC homodimer refined at 1.28 Å resolution shows distinct asymmetry near the dimer interface, in the region harboring catalytically important aromatic residues. The observation suggests that the T.th. RuvC homodimer interconverts between two asymmetric conformations, with alternating subunits switched on for DNA strand cleavage. This model provides a structural basis for the ‘nick-counter-nick’ mechanism in HJ resolution, a mode of HJ processing shared by prokaryotic and eukaryotic HJ resolvases.