Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Acellular dermal matrix and subepithelial connective tissue grafts for root coverage: A systematic review

Background: The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate whether patients with gingival recession would benefit from an acellular dermal matrix graft (ADMG) in ways that are comparable to the gold standard of the subepithelial connective tissue graft (SCTG). Materials and Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis comparing ADMG to SCTG for the treatment of Miller Class I and II recession defects was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, Excerpta Medica Database, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases were searched up to March 2016 for controlled trials with minimum 6 months duration. The primary outcome was root coverage; secondary outcomes included attachment level change, keratinized tissue (KT) change, and patient-based outcomes. Both authors independently assessed the quality of each included trial and extracted the relevant data. Results: From 158 potential titles, 17 controlled trials were included in the meta-analysis. There were no differences between ADMG and SCTG for mean root coverage, percent root coverage, and clinical attachment level gain. ADMG was statistically better than SCTG for gain in width of KT (−0.43 mm; 95% confidence interval: −0.72, −0.15). Only one study compared patient-based outcomes. Conclusion: This review found that an ADMG would be a suitable root coverage substitute for an SCTG when avoidance of the second surgical site is preferred.
Herbivory in the Previous Generation Primes Plants for Enhanced Insect Resistance1[W][OA]

Inducible defenses, which provide enhanced resistance after initial attack, are nearly universal in plants. This defense signaling cascade is mediated by the synthesis, movement, and perception of jasmonic acid and related plant metabolites. To characterize the long-term persistence of plant immunity, we challenged Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) with caterpillar herbivory, application of methyl jasmonate, or mechanical damage during vegetative growth and assessed plant resistance in subsequent generations. Here, we show that induced resistance was associated with transgenerational priming of jasmonic acid-dependent defense responses in both species, caused caterpillars to grow up to 50% smaller than on control plants, and persisted for two generations in Arabidopsis. Arabidopsis mutants that are deficient in jasmonate perception (coronatine insensitive1) or in the biogenesis of small interfering RNA (dicer-like2 dicer-like3 dicer-like4 and nuclear RNA polymerase d2a nuclear RNA polymerase d2b) do not exhibit inherited resistance. The observation of inherited resistance in both the Brassicaceae and Solanaceae suggests that this trait may be more widely distributed in plants. Epigenetic resistance to herbivory thus represents a phenotypically plastic mechanism for enhanced defense across generations.
Geometric Properties of Fractional Brownian Sheets Dongsheng Wu and

Let B = B(t), t ∈ R+ be an (N, d)-fractional Brownian sheet with Hurst index H = (H1, . . . , HN ) ∈ (0, 1) . Our objective of the present paper is to characterize the anisotropic nature of B in terms of H. We prove the following results: (1) B is sectorially locally nondeterministic. (2) By introducing a notion of “dimension” for Borel measures and sets, which is suitable for describing the anisotropic nature of B , we determine dimHB (E) for an arbitrary Borel set E ⊂ (0, ∞) . Moreover, when B〈α〉 is an (N, d)-fractional Brownian sheet with index 〈α〉 = (α, . . . , α) (0 < α < 1), we prove the following uniform Hausdorff dimension result for its image sets: If N ≤ αd, then with probability one, dimHB 〈α〉(E) = 1 α dimHE for all Borel sets E ⊂ (0,∞) . (3) We provide sufficient conditions for the image B(E) to be a Salem set or to have interior points. The results in (2) and (3) describe the geometric and Fourier analytic properties of B . They extend and improve the previous theorems of Mountford [35], Khoshnevisan and Xiao [29] and Khoshnevisan, Wu and Xiao [28] for the Brownian sheet, and Ayache and Xiao [5] for fractional Brownian sheets.
Origin of Negative Blood Oxygenation Level—Dependent fMRI Signals

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) techniques are based on the assumption that changes in spike activity are accompanied by modulation in the blood oxygenation level—dependent (BOLD) signal. In addition to conventional increases in BOLD signals, sustained negative BOLD signal changes are occasionally observed and are thought to reflect a decrease in neural activity. In this study, the source of the negative BOLD signal was investigated using T2*-weighted BOLD and cerebral blood volume (CBV) techniques in isoflurane-anesthetized cats. A positive BOLD signal change was observed in the primary visual cortex (area 18) during visual stimulation, while a prolonged negative BOLD change was detected in the adjacent suprasylvian gyrus containing higher-order visual areas. However, in both regions neurons are known to increase spike activity during visual stimulation. The positive and negative BOLD amplitudes obtained at six spatial-frequency stimuli were highly correlated, and negative BOLD percent changes were approximately one third of the postitive changes. Area 18 with positive BOLD signals experienced an increase in CBV, while regions exhibiting the prolonged negative BOLD signal underwent a decrease in CBV. The CBV changes in area 18 were faster than the BOLD signals from the same corresponding region and the CBV changes in the suprasylvian gyrus. The results support the notion that reallocation of cortical blood resources could overcome a local demand for increased cerebral blood flow induced by increased neural activity. The findings of this study imply that caution should be taken when interpreting the negative BOLD signals as a decrease in neuronal activity.
An alternative approach to the modification of talc for the fabrication of polypropylene/Talc composites

We report an alternative method to modify talc for use in the fabrication of composites of polypropylene (PP) and talc. Grinding pulverization is employed to prepare talc fillers (referred to hereafter as p-talc). The properties of composites made with p-talc compare favorably with compo- sites made with pulverized talc that has been further treated with a silane coupling agent (referred to as s-talc). The mor- phology of PP/p-talc composites illustrates particle orienta- tion and a uniform dispersion of pulverized talc in the PP ma- trix. Modulated DSC analysis shows the ability of p-talc and s-talc to nucleate PP crystallization. The mechanical properties (i.e., the dynamic modulus, tensile strength, and impact re- sistance) of the PP/p-talc composites are very similar to PP/s- talc composites. The modification of talc by grinding is thus a highly effective alternative method to prepare PP/talc com- posites that does not require chemical treatment of the talc. The pulverization method is simpler and less expensive in comparison to silane treatment. 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 106: 386-393, 2007
Climate Change and Genetic Structure of Leading Edge and Rear End Populations in a Northwards Shifting Marine Fish Species, the Corkwing Wrasse (Symphodus melops)

One mechanism by which marine organisms may respond to climate shifts is range shifts. The corkwing wrasse (Symphodus melops) is a temperate fish species, inhabiting the coasts of Europe, that show strong indications of current as well as historical (ice-age) range shifts towards the north. Nine neutral microsatellite DNA markers were screened to study genetic signatures and spatial population structure over the entire geographic and thermal gradient of the species from Portugal to Norway. A major genetic break (F ST = 0.159 average among pairs) was identified between Scandinavian and more southern populations, with a marked reduction (30% or more) in levels of genetic variability in Scandinavia. The break is probably related to bottleneck(s) associated with post-glacial colonization of the Scandinavian coasts, and indicates a lack of present gene flow across the North Sea. The lack of gene flow can most likely be attributed to the species’ need for rocky substrate for nesting and a relatively short pelagic larval phase, limiting dispersal by ocean currents. These findings demonstrate that long-distance dispersal may be severely limited in the corkwing wrasse, and that successful range-shifts following present climate change may be problematic for this and other species with limited dispersal abilities, even in the seemingly continuous marine environment.
Caught in the Middle: Combined Impacts of Shark Removal and Coral Loss on the Fish Communities of Coral Reefs

Due to human activities, marine and terrestrial ecosystems face a future where disturbances are predicted to occur at a frequency and severity unprecedented in the recent past. Of particular concern is the ability of systems to recover where multiple stressors act simultaneously. We examine this issue in the context of a coral reef ecosystem where increases in stressors, such as fisheries, benthic degradation, cyclones and coral bleaching, are occurring at global scales. By utilizing long-term (decadal) monitoring programs, we examined the combined effects of chronic (removal of sharks) and pulse (cyclones, bleaching) disturbances on the trophic structure of coral reef fishes at two isolated atoll systems off the coast of northwest Australia. We provide evidence consistent with the hypothesis that the loss of sharks can have an impact that propagates down the food chain, potentially contributing to mesopredator release and altering the numbers of primary consumers. Simultaneously, we show how the effects of bottom-up processes of bleaching and cyclones appear to propagate up the food chain through herbivores, planktivores and corallivores, but do not affect carnivores. Because their presence may promote the abundance of herbivores, the removal of sharks by fishing has implications for both natural and anthropogenic disturbances involving the loss of corals, as herbivores are critical to the progress and outcome of coral recovery.
Special Issue Article: Environmental DNA Choice of capture and extraction methods affect detection of freshwater biodiversity from environmental DNA

Environmental DNA (eDNA) is used to detect biodiversity by the capture, extraction, and identification of DNA shed to the environment. However, eDNA capture and extraction protocols vary widely across studies. This use of different protocols potentially biases detection results and could significantly hinder a reliable use of eDNA to detect biodiversity. We tested whether choice of eDNA capture and extraction protocols significantly influenced biodiversity detection in aquatic systems. We sampled lake and river water, captured and extracted eDNA using six combinations of different protocols with replication, and tested for the detection of four macroinvertebrate species. Additionally, using the same lake water technical replicates, we compared the effect of capture and extraction protocols on metabarcode detections of biodiversity using 16S for eubacteria and cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) for eukaryotes. Protocol combinations for capture and extraction of eDNA significantly influenced DNA yield and number of sequences obtained from next generation sequencing. We found significantly different detection rates of species ranging from zero percent to thirty-three percent. Differences in which protocol combinations produced the highest metabarcoded biodiversity were detected and demonstrate that different protocols are required for different biodiversity targets. Our results highlight that the choice of molecular protocols used for capture and extraction of eDNA from water can strongly affect biodiversity detection. Consideration of biases caused by choice of protocols should lead to a more consistent and reliable molecular workflow for repeatable and increased detection of biodiversity in aquatic communities.
Sintering Mechanism (I)

A new sintering equation is derived on the basis that the neck growth during sintering is caused by the transfer of atoms on the neck surface of material unlike a conventional idea which is the transfer of the inner part of material.The atomic flow on the surface is expressed as J=NC (f1-f2), where J is the flow of atoms in a unit area and a unit time in the surface, N is a number of atoms per unit surface area, C is the concentrationof the vacancy in the surface, fl is the jumping frequency from the surface to the space, and f2 is the jumping frequency from the surface to the bulk. From the above equation, it is clear that the fifth power of the neck radius x is proportional to the sintering time t in the equation of the neck growth which is composed of the physical constants of solid surface, and it can be estimated that the neck growth changes even in sintering in various atmospheric gases.The new equation substituting the physical constants of the material explains well the experimental data after Kuczynski numerically.
Gain Scheduled Control of Linear Systems Subject to Actuator Saturation With Application to Spacecraft Rendezvous

This brief is concerned with gain scheduled approaches to the stabilization of linear systems with actuator saturation. For linear systems that are polynomially unstable, using the parametric Lyapunov equation-based and Riccati equation-based design, we propose gain scheduling approaches to increase the design parameter online so as to increase the convergence rates of the closed-loop systems. To apply the proposed gain scheduling approaches, only a scalar differential equation whose right-hand side is a function of the state vector is required to be integrated online. The closed-loop system is proven to be exponentially stable provided some parameters in the scheduling law are properly chosen. The established gain scheduling approaches are also extended to exponentially unstable linear systems with actuator saturation. As applications of the proposed dynamic gain scheduling approaches, the controller design of spacecraft rendezvous systems is revisited. Numerical simulation with the nonlinear model of a spacecraft rendezvous system shows the effectiveness of the proposed gain scheduling approaches.
Adaptive modulation and flexible resource allocation in space-division- multiplexed elastic optical networks

Space division multiplexing (SDM) and elastic optical networking (EON) have been proposed to increase the transmission capacity and flexibility of optical transport networks. The problem of allocating available resources over the EON network is called routing and spectrum assignment (RSA); it is called routing, modulation level, and spectrum assignment (RMLSA) if modulation adaptivity is enabled. Considering SDM adds more flexibility to the resource allocation problem. In this paper, we formulate the routing, modulation level, space, and spectrum assignment (RMLSSA) as integer linear programming (ILP) in a path-based manner for static traffic. Next, the stepwise greedy algorithm (SGA) and four different sorting policies to initiate the algorithmare proposed as a heuristic method to find a near-optimal solution of the RMLSSA problem. Finally, the paper evaluates the effectiveness of sorting policies and the SGA algorithm with different metrics. The performance results show that the SGA initiated with connection demands sorted based on increasing the number of possible space and spectrum assignment layouts (SAL) can achieve the best near-optimal solution for a small network experiment. Moreover, the ascending SAL number (ASN) policy shows the best performance for realistic networks.
Analysis of Proanthocyanidins in Grape Seed Extracts, Health Foods and Grape Seed Oils

Grape seed extract (GSE) is one of Japan's natural food additives, and is recommended for use as an antioxidant. The component of interest is polyphenol, mainly proanthocyanidins, which are condensed tannins. A vanillin-hydrochloric acid (HCl) assay is specific for flavan-3-ol. The sensitivity of GSE components to the vanillin-HCl assay differed according to the chemical structure. We applied this assay to the determination of proanthocyanidin content in GSEs, health foods containing GSEs and grape seed oils. The concentration of proanthocyanidins in GSEs and health foods was overestimated in the vanillin-HCl assay when (+)-catechin was used as a standard. However, the concentration of proanthocyanidins in health foods with high protein or a high colored substance content was underestimated. No proanthocyanidins were detected in grape seed oil. Furthermore, we examined the content of low molecular weight compounds in GSE by reversed-phase HPLC. The percentage of low molecular weight compounds, including gallic acid, (+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin, procyanidins B1, B2 and C was estimated to be 5.5-12.2%(w/w).
Measurement of resin pressure in composite laminates during cure

A promising method of measuring the resin pressure within a composite laminate during processing has been developed. This method can be used to investigate the control of voids, or resin flow and laminate compaction in several composite material processing methods such as ACND, hot press curing and resin transfer moulding. Sensor assemblies were developed and tested to show that their response is reproducible, linear and stable with temperature and time. Resin pressure profiles for three AS4/3501-6 laminates were generated and compared. The experimental results were compared to a resin flow model simulation. The prepreg used for the experiments was aged, so the simulation was run several times with various initial degrees of cure of the resin. Experimental data were compared to the simulation predictions to determine the apparent initial degree of cure of the resin, and the resin pressure profiles from the experiments and the simulation with this resin initial degree of cure were compared. The resin pressure within a laminate increases with the applied pressure until flow begins, at which time the resin pressure drops off progressively through the laminate thickness from the top surface to the toolplate. Conversely, the pressure at the surface of the laminate, next to the bleeder, remains at the vacuum pressure until the onset of flow when it increases as resin enters the bleeder. The measured resin pressure profiles were consistent both with the experimental results, and the simulation predictions. An advanced degree of cure of the resin at the start of the cure cycle significantly affects the resin flow and compaction in a laminate during cure.
Efficacy of Various Disinfectants on Dental Impression Materials

Aim: Dental impressions often carry microorganisms that may cause cross infection from patients to dental staff. This in-vivo study evaluated microbial load on impressions (dentulous and edentulous) and the effectiveness of various disinfectants on the reduction of microorganisms from the impression surfaces after immersion and spray disinfection of impressions using five disinfectants for 10 minutes time. Materials and Methods: A total of 30 edentulous and 30 dentulous impressions were made using zinc oxide Eugenol and irreversible hydrocolloid respectively. Disinfectants used were Povidine-Iodine, Sodium Hypochlorite, Glutaraldehyde, Peracetic Acid (as immersion) and Isopropyl Alcohol (as spray). Results: The microbial load on irreversible hydrocolloid impression (dentulous subjects) was observed to be twice than that on the zinc oxide Euginol impression (edentulous subjects). All disinfectants showed reduction in microbial growth. Conclusions: Peracetic Acid was found most effective followed by Glutaraldehyde and Sodium Hypochlorite; the latter disinfectants were comparable in their antimicrobial effect. Povidine-Iodine and Isopropyl Alcohol were found to be less effective than Peracetic Acid, Glutaraldehyde and Sodium Hypochlorite, but were effective than the control group. Disinfection of impression materials should be mandatory to prevent cross-infection.
ALTERNATIVE ROUTES TO STAINLESS STEEL – A LIFE CYCLE APPROACH

A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of stainless steel production, including that of the nickel, ferronickel, ferrochromium and iron feedstocks was carried out using inventory data derived from the literature. The environmental impact categories considered in the study were Global Warming Potential (GWP), Acidification Potential (AP) and total (or full cycle) energy consumption. The effects of different sources of electricity (black coal, natural gas and hydroelectricity) were also examined in the study. The results of the LCA showed that when ferronickel is used as the nickel source, the total energy consumption for stainless steel production is approximately 50% higher than when nickel metal is used as the nickel source (75 MJ/kg cf. 49 MJ/kg). This result comes about largely because the Fe units in ferronickel have a much higher energy intensity than do the Fe units in pig iron, and the greater the use of the former at the expense of the latter, the greater is the total energy consumption. The results also showed that the production of ferronickel made by far the largest contribution (59%) to the total energy consumption for stainless steel production when this feedstock is used as the nickel source, but when nickel metal is used as the nickel source the contributions of the various stages are more evenly distributed. It was also observed that the electricity consumption of the electric furnaces used in the production of ferronickel, ferrochromium and stainless steel contributed approximately 50% to the total energy consumed in stainless steel production. Given the relatively low efficiencies associated with electrical power generation, significant reductions in the total energy of stainless steel production could be anticipated if more direct use of thermal energy was made in the ferronickel, ferrochromium and/or stainless steel smelting stages, for example by utilising bath smelting processes.
A decision support system for predicting students’ performance

Educational data mining is an emerging research field concerned with developing methods for exploring the unique types of data that come from educational context. These data allow the educational stakeholders to discover new, interesting and valuable knowledge about students. In this paper, we present a new user-friendly decision support tool for predicting students’ performance concerning the final examinations of a school year. Our proposed tool is based on a hybrid predicting system incorporating a number of possible machine learning methods and achieves better performance than any examined single learning algorithm. Furthermore, significant advantages of the presented tool are that it has a simple interface and it can be deployed in any platform under any operating system. Our objective is that this work may be used to support student admission procedures and strengthen the service system in educational institutions.