Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Cultural Basis for Oral Health Practices among Somali Refugees Pre-and Post-Resettlement in Massachusetts

Background. Oral health disparities related to socioeconomic status have been well described in the U.S., but oral health among refugee groups has not been well characterized. This article examines oral health among Somali refugees in Massachusetts. Methods. Eighty-three (83) participants were purposively selected for an in-depth, open-ended interview related to oral health. Results. Older individuals associated use of the stick brush with the Islamic practice of cleansing before prayer. When unable to find stick brushes in the U.S., many adopted the Western toothbrush. Parents expressed concern that their children had adopted U.S. practices of brushing with a toothbrush only once or twice a day. Conclusions/implications. Somali oral health practices have changed following arrival to the U.S., but the underlying model for oral health care remains rooted in Islam. By acknowledging the value of traditional practices, dentists may communicate the value of Western preventive and restorative dentistry, and recommend approaches to integrating the two.
Scale-invariant structure of strongly conserved sequence in genomic intersections and alignments

A power-law distribution of the length of perfectly conserved sequence from mouse/human whole-genome intersection and alignment is exhibited. Spatial correlations of these elements within the mouse genome are studied. It is argued that these power-law distributions and correlations are comprised in part by functional noncoding sequence and ought to be accounted for in estimating the statistical significance of apparent sequence conservation. These inter-genomic correlations of conservation are placed in the context of previously observed intra-genomic correlations, and their possible origins and consequences are discussed.
An emerging role for long non-coding RNAs in cancer metastasis

Metastasis is a multistep process beginning with the dissemination of tumor cells from a primary site and leading to secondary tumor development in an anatomically distant location. Although significant progress has been made in understanding the molecular characteristics of metastasis, many questions remain regarding the intracellular mechanisms governing transition through the various metastatic stages. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are capable of modulating both transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation, and thus, coordinating a wide array of diverse cellular processes. Current evidence indicates that lncRNAs may also play a crucial role in the metastatic process through regulation of metastatic signaling cascades as well as interaction with specific metastatic factors. Here we summarize a subset of lncRNAs with proposed roles in metastasis and, when applicable, highlight the mechanism by which they function.
Improved Prefusion Stability, Optimized Codon Usage, and Augmented Virion Packaging Enhance the Immunogenicity of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Fusion Protein in a Vectored-Vaccine Candidate

ABSTRACT Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most important viral agent of severe pediatric respiratory tract disease worldwide, but it lacks a licensed vaccine or suitable antiviral drug. A live attenuated chimeric bovine/human parainfluenza virus type 3 (rB/HPIV3) was developed previously as a vector expressing RSV fusion (F) protein to confer bivalent protection against RSV and HPIV3. In a previous clinical trial in virus-naive children, rB/HPIV3 was well tolerated but the immunogenicity of wild-type RSV F was unsatisfactory. We previously modified RSV F with a designed disulfide bond (DS) to increase stability in the prefusion (pre-F) conformation and to be efficiently packaged in the vector virion. Here, we further stabilized pre-F by adding both disulfide and cavity-filling mutations (DS-Cav1), and we also modified RSV F codon usage to have a lower CpG content and a higher level of expression. This RSV F open reading frame was evaluated in rB/HPIV3 in three forms: (i) pre-F without vector-packaging signal, (ii) pre-F with vector-packaging signal, and (iii) secreted pre-F ectodomain trimer. Despite being efficiently expressed, the secreted pre-F was poorly immunogenic. DS-Cav1 stabilized pre-F, with or without packaging, induced higher titers of pre-F specific antibodies in hamsters, and improved the quality of RSV-neutralizing serum antibodies. Codon-optimized RSV F containing fewer CpG dinucleotides had higher F expression, replicated more efficiently in vivo, and was more immunogenic. The combination of DS-Cav1 pre-F stabilization, optimized codon usage, reduced CpG content, and vector packaging significantly improved vector immunogenicity and protective efficacy against RSV. This provides an improved vectored RSV vaccine candidate suitable for pediatric clinical evaluation. IMPORTANCE RSV and HPIV3 are the first and second leading viral causes of severe pediatric respiratory disease worldwide. Licensed vaccines or suitable antiviral drugs are not available. We are developing a chimeric rB/HPIV3 vector expressing RSV F as a bivalent RSV/HPIV3 vaccine and have been evaluating means to increase RSV F immunogenicity. In this study, we evaluated the effects of improved stabilization of F in the pre-F conformation and of codon optimization resulting in reduced CpG content and greater pre-F expression. Reduced CpG content dampened the interferon response to infection, promoting higher replication and increased F expression. We demonstrate that improved pre-F stabilization and strategic manipulation of codon usage, together with efficient pre-F packaging into vector virions, significantly increased F immunogenicity in the bivalent RSV/HPIV3 vaccine. The improved immunogenicity included induction of increased titers of high-quality complement-independent antibodies with greater pre-F site Ø binding and greater protection against RSV challenge.
Divergence of baboon endogenous type C virogenes in primates: genomic viral RNA in molecular hybridization experiments

RNA purified from two related RNA tumor viruses, one isolated from a baboon, Papio anubis, and the second from cultured blood leukocytes of a patient with acute myelogenous leukemia, was labeled with 125I and hybridized to DNA from different primates. RNA from both viruses showed maximum sequence homology with genes in baboons and little homology with genes of humans. The results confirm earlier suggestions that both viruses originated by transcription of baboon virogenes, and that one was transmitted to humans in nature. Hybridization of the viral RNA to cell DNA followed complicated kinetic patterns, indicating the presence of both repeated and infrequent virogene elements. This conclusion was verified in experiments using varied DNA:RNA ratios. It is proposed that virogenes, though composed of genes repeated 10 times or more, consist of some sequences more preferentially conserved than others. The non-uniformity of virogene sequence conservation limits the use of viral probes in studies concerning certain aspects of virogene evolution.
The p65 subunit of NF-kappaB binds to PGC-1alpha, linking inflammation and metabolic disturbances in cardiac cells.

AIMS Nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) is a transcription factor induced by a wide range of stimuli, including hyperglycaemia and pro-inflammatory cytokines. It is associated with cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. It was previously reported that the NF-kappaB-mediated inhibition of proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator-1alpha (PGC-1alpha) might explain the shift in glucose metabolism during cardiac pathological processes induced by pro-inflammatory stimuli, although the specific mechanisms remain to be elucidated. We addressed the specific mechanisms by which exposure to tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) results in PGC-1alpha down-regulation in cardiac cells and, as a consequence, in the metabolic dysregulation that underlies heart dysfunction and failure. METHODS AND RESULTS By using coimmunoprecipitation studies, we report for the first time that the p65 subunit of NF-kappaB is constitutively bound to PGC-1alpha in human cardiac cells and also in mouse heart, and that NF-kappaB activation by TNF-alpha exposure increases this binding. Overexpression and gene silencing analyses demonstrated that the main factor limiting the degree of this association is p65, because only the modulation of this protein modified the physical interaction. Our data show that the increased physical interaction between p65 and PGC-1alpha after NF-kappaB activation is responsible for the reduction in PGC-1alpha expression and subsequent dysregulation of glucose oxidation. CONCLUSION On the basis of these data, we propose that p65 directly represses PGC-1alpha activity in cardiac cells, thereby leading to a reduction in pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (PDK4) expression and the subsequent increase in glucose oxidation observed during the proinflammatory state.
A benchmark for surface reconstruction

We present a benchmark for the evaluation and comparison of algorithms which reconstruct a surface from point cloud data. Although a substantial amount of effort has been dedicated to the problem of surface reconstruction, a comprehensive means of evaluating this class of algorithms is noticeably absent. We propose a simple pipeline for measuring surface reconstruction algorithms, consisting of three main phases: surface modeling, sampling, and evaluation. We use implicit surfaces for modeling shapes which are capable of representing details of varying size and sharp features. From these implicit surfaces, we produce point clouds by synthetically generating range scans which resemble realistic scan data produced by an optical triangulation scanner. We validate our synthetic sampling scheme by comparing against scan data produced by a commercial optical laser scanner, where we scan a 3D-printed version of the original surface. Last, we perform evaluation by comparing the output reconstructed surface to a dense uniformly distributed sampling of the implicit surface. We decompose our benchmark into two distinct sets of experiments. The first set of experiments measures reconstruction against point clouds of complex shapes sampled under a wide variety of conditions. Although these experiments are quite useful for comparison, they lack a fine-grain analysis. To complement this, the second set of experiments measures specific properties of surface reconstruction, in terms of sampling characteristics and surface features. Together, these experiments depict a detailed examination of the state of surface reconstruction algorithms.
Evaluation of in vitro degradation of PCL scaffolds fabricated via BioExtrusion. Part 1: Influence of the degradation environment

One of the most promising approaches in tissue engineering (TE) comprises the development of 3D porous scaffolds which are able to promote tissue regeneration. Biocompatible and biodegradable poly(ϵ-caprolactone) (PCL) structures are increasingly used as temporary extra-cellular matrices for bone tissue engineering. To ensure an appropriate bone restoration over the long term, the selected material must have a degradation rate that match the in-growth of new bone. The in vivo process, by which the scaffold degrades and is resorbed transferring the load and function back to the host tissue, is complex. Consequently, an appropriate preliminary in vitro study is required. A novel extrusion-based technology called BioExtruder was used to produce PCL porous scaffolds made with layers of directionally aligned microfilaments. The in vitro degradation behaviour in both simulated body fluid (SBF) and phosphate buffer solution (PBS) were investigated over 6 months. The characterization of the degradation behaviour of the structures was performed at specific times by evaluating changes in the average molecular weight, the weight loss and its thermal properties. Morphological and surface chemical analyses were also performed using a Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and an X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), respectively.
Effect of β -glucanase and xylanase supplementation of barley- and rye-based diets on caecal microbiota of broiler chickens

1. The aim was to investigate the effect of grain type (barley or rye) and exogenous enzymes (β-glucanase or xylanase) on the composition of chicken caecal microbiota as examined by classical culturing and molecular techniques (fluorescent in-situ hybridisation (FISH) and terminal-restriction fragment-length polymorphism (T-RFLP)). 2. Plate counting revealed higher total numbers of anaerobic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria and yeasts in caecal contents of birds fed with rye-based diets than in birds fed with barley-based diets. 3. As assessed by FISH analysis, the most abundant bacterial groups in the broiler caeca were Clostridium coccoides–Eubacterium rectale followed by Bacteroides sp. , Lactobacillus sp. /Enterococcus sp. , Bifidobacterium sp. and Enterobacteriaceae. For both cereal types, the enzyme supplementation significantly decreased the relative amount of Enterobacteriaceae. 4. The T-RFLP profiles indicated that the caecal microbiota of birds receiving rye-based diets was more diverse than that of birds fed on barley-based diets. 5. Irrespective of the method applied, the results indicate that the cereal type as well as the exogenous enzyme supplementation influence the microbiota in broiler chicken caeca, and may have the effect of reducing potentially pathogenic Enterobacteriaceae populations.
EFFECTS OF INTERNET USE AND SOCIAL RESOURCES ON CHANGES IN DEPRESSION

We examine how people's different uses of the Internet predict their later scores on a standard measure of depression, and how their existing social resources moderate these effects. In a longitudinal US survey conducted in 2001 and 2002, almost all respondents reported using the Internet for information, and entertainment and escape; these uses of the Internet had no impact on changes in respondents' level of depression. Almost all respondents also used the Internet for communicating with friends and family, and they showed lower depression scores six months later. Only about 20 percent of this sample reported using the Internet to meet new people and talk in online groups. Doing so changed their depression scores depending on their initial levels of social support. Those having high or medium levels of social support showed higher depression scores; those with low levels of social support did not experience these increases in depression. Our results suggest that individual differences in social resources and people's choices of how they use the Internet may account for the different outcomes reported in the literature.
Entrapping adversaries for source protection in sensor networks

Sensor networks are used in a variety of application areas for diverse problems from habitat monitoring to military tracking. Whenever they are used to monitor sensitive objects, the privacy of monitored objects' locations becomes an important concern. When a sensor reports a monitored object by sending a series of messages through the sensor network, the route these messages take in theory creates a trail leading back to their source. By eavesdropping on communications, an attacker may be able to move from node to node to follow this trail. Several approaches aimed at discouraging this kind of eavesdropping have been proposed, including mechanisms for constructing "phantom" routes and approaches that insert fake sources as background noise. A problem with existing approaches is that message latencies become larger and energy costs become higher as a result of introducing protections for the privacy of a source location. This paper proposes a new cyclic entrapment method (CEM) that protects source locations in sensor networks while adding a comparatively low cost in terms of additional message latency and energy
Intermittent Administration of Parathyroid Hormone 1–34 Enhances Osteogenesis of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells by Regulating Protein Kinase Cδ

Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) can differentiate into osteoblasts and are regulated by chemical cues. The recombinant N-terminal (1–34 amino acids) fragment of the parathyroid hormone (PTH (1–34)) is identified to promote osteogenesis. The osteoanabolic effects of intermittent PTH (1–34) treatment are linked to a complex consisting of signaling pathways; additionally, protein kinase C (PKC) act as mediators of multifunctional signaling transduction pathways, but the role of PKC δ (PKCδ), a downstream target in regulating osteoblast differentiation during intermittent administration of PTH (1–34) is less studied and still remains elusive. The purpose of this study is to examine the role of PKCδ during intermittent and continuous PTH (1–34) administration using osteoblast-lineage-committed hMSCs. Relative gene expression of osteoblast-specific genes demonstrated significant upregulation of RUNX2, type I Collagen, ALP, and Osterix and increased alkaline phosphatase activity in the presence of PTH (1–34). Intermittent PTH (1–34) administration increased PKC activity at day 7 of osteogenic differentiation, whereas inhibition of PKC activity attenuated these effects. In addition, the specific isoform PKCδ was activated upon treatment. These findings demonstrate that intermittent PTH (1–34) treatment enhances the osteogenesis of hMSCs by upregulating osteoblast-specific genes via PKCδ activation.
Striving for Failure: An Industrial Case Study about Test Failure Prediction

Software regression testing is an important, yet very costly, part of most major software projects. When regression tests run, any failures that are found help catch bugs early and smooth the future development work. The act of executing large numbers of tests takes significant resources that could, otherwise, be applied elsewhere. If tests could be accurately classified as likely to pass or fail prior to the run, it could save significant time while maintaining the benefits of early bug detection. In this paper, we present a case study to build a classifier for regression tests based on industrial software, Microsoft Dynamics AX. In this study, we examine the effectiveness of this classification as well as which aspects of the software are the most important in predicting regression test failures.
A Convergent Reinforcement Learning Algorithm in the Continuous Case Based on a Finite Difference Method

In this paper, we propose a convergent Reinforcement Learning algorithm for solving optimal control problems for which the state space and the time are continuous variables. The problem of computing a good approximation of the value function, which is essential because this provides the optimal control, is a difficult task in the continuous case. Indeed, as it has been pointed out by several authors, the use of parameterized functions such as neural networks for approximating the value function may produce very bad results and even diverge. In fact, we show that classical algorithms, like Q-learning, used with a simple look-up table built on a regular grid, may fail to converge. The main reason is that the discretization of the state space implies a lost of the Markov property even for deterministic continuous processes. We propose to approximate the value function with a convergent numerical scheme based on a Finite Difference approximation of the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equation. Then we present a model-free reinforcement learning algorithrn, called Finite Difference Reinforcement Learning, and prove its convergence to the value function of the continuous problem.
Kikuchi-Fujimoto Disease: A Case Report and Literature Review

Case. 38-year-old lady was referred to the ENT clinic with history of right-sided facial pain, otalgia, and odynophagia. Clinical examination revealed enlarged right-sided lymph nodes in the neck. Further radiological scans showed a mass near the carotid and enlarged level V lymph nodes. Lymphoma was initially suspected. Fine-needle aspiration and excision biopsy were undertaken. Histological analysis later suggested Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease, also known as histiocytic necrotising lymphadenitis. Literature Review. Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease (KFD) was described in 1972 as lymphadenitis with focal proliferation of reticular cells accompanied by numerous histiocytes and extensive nuclear debris. KFD, frequently found in East Asian countries, is rare in the UK. No definite aetiology of KFD is known despite autoimmune and infection factors being suggested. The diagnostic hallmark is histological findings from lymph nodes. Malignancy should be excluded. This condition is mainly self-limiting; hence, management is limited to supportive care. Steroid therapy could be used in severe cases. KFD is relatively unknown in the UK and this case report aims to highlight its occurrence in our population.
Effect of Dexamethasone and Fluticasone on Airway Hyperresponsiveness in Horses With Inflammatory Airway Disease

Background Airway hyperresponsiveness (AWHR), expressed as hypersensitivity (PC 75 RL) or hyperreactivity (slope of the histamine dose‐response curve), is a feature of inflammatory airway disease (IAD) or mild equine asthma in horses. Glucocorticoids are used empirically to treat IAD. Objectives To determine whether dexamethasone (DEX) (0.05 mg/kg IM q24h) and inhaled fluticasone (FLUT) (3,000 μg q12h) administered by inhalation are effective in decreasing AWHR, lung inflammation, and clinical signs in horses with IAD. Methods A randomized crossover study design was used. Eight horses with IAD were assigned to a treatment group with either DEX or FLUT. Measured outcomes included lung mechanics during bronchoprovocative challenges, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cytology, and scoring of clinical signs during exercise. Results Dexamethasone and FLUT abolished the increase in RL by 75% at any histamine bronchoprovocative dose in all horses after the first week of treatment. However, after 2 weeks of FLUT treatment, 1 horse redeveloped hypersensitivity. There was a significant decrease in the number of lymphocytes after treatment with both DEX and FLUT (P = .039 for both) but no significant differences in other BALF cell types or total cell counts (P > .05). There was no difference in the scoring of the clinical signs during each treatment and washout period (P > .05). Conclusions and Clinical Importance Both DEX and FLUT treatments significantly inhibit airway hypersensitivity and hyperreactivity in horses with IAD. There are no significant effects on the clinical signs or the number of inflammatory cells (except lymphocytes) in BALF. The treatments have no residual effect 3 weeks after discontinuation.
Rural parents' perceptions of risks associated with their children's exposure to radon.

OBJECTIVES To examine the level of awareness of radon issues, correlates of elective testing behaviors, and the accuracy of risk perception for radon exposures among rural residents receiving public health services. DESIGN A cross-sectional design was used in which questionnaire data and household analytic data for radon levels were collected from a nonprobabilistic sample of rural households. SAMPLE Thirty-one rural households with 71 adults and 60 children participated in the study. Primary household respondents were female (100%), Caucasian (97%), and primarily (94%) between 21 and 40 years of age. MEASUREMENT Questionnaire data consisted of knowledge and risk perception items about radon and all homes were tested for the presence of radon. RESULTS The prevalence of high airborne radon (defined as> or=4 pCi/l) was 32%. More than a third of the sample underestimated the seriousness of health effects of radon exposure, 39% disagreed that being around less radon would improve the long-term health of their children, and 52% were unsure whether radon could cause health problems. After adjusting for chance, only 21% of the subjects correctly understood their risk status. CONCLUSIONS This study provides preliminary evidence that low-income rural citizens do not understand their risk of radon exposure or the deleterious consequences of exposure.