Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of different light-curing modes on degree of conversion, staining susceptibility and stain's retention using different beverages in a nanofilled composite resin.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM It is unknown whether the staining pigment concentration would affect the color of composite resin and whether the absorption of the staining pigment is related to the degree of conversion (DC). PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of light-curing units (LCUs) on DC, superficial staining (ΔE), and pigment concentration (PC) in a nanofilled composite resin (Z350, 3M ESPE) using different beverages. MATERIALS AND METHODS Specimens were polymerized for 20 seconds using four LCUs (N=50): quartz-tungsten-halogen (QTH)--450 mW/cm(2); laser (LAS)--300 mW/cm(2); second-generation light-emitting diode (LED)-1100 mW/cm(2); and third generation LED--700 mW/cm(2). DC (%) was measured using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Specimens concerning each group (N=10) were then immersed in one of the solutions (distilled water, red wine, whisky, coffee, and cola--40 min/day, for 40 days). Specimen's color was measured before and after exposure to solutions using a colorimeter (Commission Internacionale de I'Eclairaga L*a*b* color scale), and ΔE was calculated. Specimens were then prepared for the spectrophotometric analysis to measure PC. Data were submitted to two-way analysis of variance and Tukey's test (p=0.05). RESULTS DC: QTH presented the lowest DC, with statistical differences for LAS, LED 2, and LED 3. Whisky and wine showed lower PC mean values than cola and coffee. No statistical difference was observed for LCUs regarding PC and all staining solutions, except cola. Whisky showed the highest values for ΔE regarding all LCUs. Wine showed statistically lower ΔE than whisky, with water presenting the lowest ΔE. LAS and QTH showed higher values than LED 2 concerning ΔE. CONCLUSION LCUs interfered with DC and altered the PC and ΔE of the composite resin submitted to different staining solutions. There was no correlation among DC, PC, and ΔE. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE Light-curing modes might interfere with staining susceptibility, stain's retention, and DC of a composite resin, compromising the clinical performance. The highest pigment absorption was not associated with the highest superficial staining of the composite resin. Alcoholic drinks lead to greater superficial staining and non-alcoholic solutions lead to a higher pigment concentration.
Competitive inhibition of amino acid transport in human preovulatory ovarian follicles

ABSTRACT To date we have yet to examine whether amino acid (AA) transport in human ovarian follicles is affected by competitive inhibition. In contrast, transplacental transfer of AAs in late-gestation sheep is characterized by reciprocal competition. This phenomenon has been described by algebraic equations of umbilical uptake of AAs based on maternal arterial concentrations. In the present translational study at a university teaching hospital, we verified whether these equations apply to the transport of AAs from blood to follicular fluid (FF) in human preovulatory follicles. For this purpose we used our data on AA concentrations in blood and FF measured earlier by high-performance liquid chromatography in specimens from 14 patients undergoing oocyte retrieval for in vitro fertilization after controlled ovarian stimulation. The main outcome measure was statistical significance of Spearman correlation coefficients for measured versus calculated concentrations of 8 AAs: isoleucine, leucine, valine, phenylalanine, methionine, threonine, lysine, and arginine. Equations for umbilical uptake provided a highly accurate description of blood-to-FF transport for 7 AAs with the exception of lysine: R ≥ 0.899 (p < 0.0001) for the branched-chain AAs, R = 0.829 (p = 0.0003) for threonine, R = 0.754 (p = 0.0019) for arginine, and R = 0.631 (p = 0.0156) for phenylalanine and methionine. We conclude that these equations indicate competitive inhibition between the AAs studied. Our study strongly suggests that many AA transport systems operating in the placenta should also be active in the cells of the preovulatory follicle. Future studies on AA fluxes in human ovarian follicles must consider possible competitive inhibition. Abbreviations: AA: amino acid; FF: follicular fluid; HPLC: high-performance liquid chromatography
Effects of maropitant, acepromazine, and electroacupuncture on vomiting associated with administration of morphine in dogs.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate effects of maropitant, acepromazine, and electroacupuncture on morphine-related signs of nausea and vomiting in dogs and assess sedative effects of the treatments. DESIGN Randomized controlled clinical trial. ANIMALS 222 dogs. PROCEDURES Dogs received 1 of 6 treatments: injection of saline (0.9% NaCl) solution, maropitant citrate, or acepromazine maleate or electroacupuncture treatment at 1 acupoint, 5 acupoints, or a sham acupoint. Morphine was administered after 20 minutes of electroacupuncture treatment or 20 minutes after injectable treatment. Vomiting and retching events and signs of nausea and sedation were recorded. RESULTS Incidence of vomiting and retching was significantly lower in the maropitant (14/37 [37.8%]) group than in the saline solution (28/37 [75.7%]) and sham-acupoint electroacupuncture (32/37 [86.5%]) groups. The number of vomiting and retching events in the maropitant (21), acepromazine (38), 1-acupoint (35), and 5-acupoint (34) groups was significantly lower than in the saline solution (88) and sham-acupoint electroacupuncture (109) groups. Incidence of signs of nausea was significantly lower in the acepromazine group (3/37 [8.1%]) than in the sham-acupoint group (15/37 [40.5%]). Mean nausea scores for the saline solution, maropitant, and sham-acupoint electroacupuncture groups increased significantly after morphine administration, whereas those for the acepromazine, 1-acupoint electroacupuncture, and 5-acupoint electroacupuncture groups did not. Mean sedation scores after morphine administration were significantly higher in dogs that received acepromazine than in dogs that received saline solution, maropitant, and sham-acupoint electroacupuncture treatment. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Maropitant treatment was associated with a lower incidence of vomiting and retching, compared with control treatments, and acepromazine and electroacupuncture appeared to prevent an increase in severity of nausea following morphine administration in dogs.
Orbital Capture of Stars by a Massive Black Hole via Exchanges with Compact Remnants

We propose a dynamical mechanism for capturing stars around a massive black hole (MBH) that is based on the accumulation of a very dense cluster of compact stellar remnants near the MBH. This study is motivated by the presence of ~10 young massive stars (M* ~ 3-15 M☉, spectral types ~B9 V-O8 V) less than 0.04 pc from the MBH in the Galactic center (GC). Their existence in the extreme environment so close to an MBH is a challenge for theories of star formation and stellar dynamics. We show that young stars, which formed far from the MBH and were then scattered into eccentric orbits, repeatedly cross a cluster of stellar black holes (SBHs) where they may undergo rare direct three-body exchanges with an MBH-SBH "binary. " The interaction between two objects of comparable mass ejects the SBH and captures the star on a tight orbit around the MBH. Such captures can naturally explain some trends observed in the orbits of the young stars. We derive the capture cross section, validate it by Monte Carlo simulations, and calculate the number of captured stars in the GC using the currently uncertain estimates of the numbers of SBHs in the inner 0.04 pc and of young stars in the inner few parsecs of the GC. We find that under favorable conditions, three-body exchange can account for ~25% of the observed stars, mostly at the fainter end of the observed range. We discuss additional effects that possibly increase the capture efficiency. Future detections of the dark mass around the MBH and deeper surveys of the central parsecs will establish whether or not there are enough SBHs and young stars there for exchange captures to singly account for the central young stars. We estimate that there are also ~35 lower mass stars (M* ~ 1-3 M☉, ~G2 V-A0 V) in the inner 0.04 pc similarly captured by exchanges with neutron stars (NSs). Ongoing replacement of compact remnants by main-sequence stars (SBHs by NS progenitors, NSs by white dwarf progenitors) may regulate the accumulation of compact remnants near the MBH.
Causes, consequences, and cures for neuroinflammation mediated via the locus coeruleus: noradrenergic signaling system

Aside from its roles in as a classical neurotransmitter involved in regulation of behavior, noradrenaline (NA) has other functions in the CNS. This includes restricting the development of neuroinflammatory activation, providing neurotrophic support to neurons, and providing neuroprotection against oxidative stress. In recent years, it has become evident that disruption of physiological NA levels or signaling is a contributing factor to a variety of neurological diseases and conditions including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Multiple Sclerosis. The basis for dysregulation in these diseases is, in many cases, due to damage occurring to noradrenergic neurons present in the locus coeruleus (LC), the major source of NA in the CNS. LC damage is present in AD, multiple sclerosis, and a large number of other diseases and conditions. Studies using animal models have shown that experimentally induced lesion of LC neurons exacerbates neuropathology while treatments to compensate for NA depletion, or to reduce LC neuronal damage, provide benefit. In this review, we will summarize the anti‐inflammatory and neuroprotective actions of NA, summarize examples of how LC damage worsens disease, and discuss several approaches taken to treat or prevent reductions in NA levels and LC neuronal damage. Further understanding of these events will be of value for the development of treatments for AD, multiple sclerosis, and other diseases and conditions having a neuroinflammatory component.
Human activity analysis

Human activity recognition is an important area of computer vision research. Its applications include surveillance systems, patient monitoring systems, and a variety of systems that involve interactions between persons and electronic devices such as human-computer interfaces. Most of these applications require an automated recognition of high-level activities, composed of multiple simple (or atomic) actions of persons. This article provides a detailed overview of various state-of-the-art research papers on human activity recognition. We discuss both the methodologies developed for simple human actions and those for high-level activities. An approach-based taxonomy is chosen that compares the advantages and limitations of each approach. Recognition methodologies for an analysis of the simple actions of a single person are first presented in the article. Space-time volume approaches and sequential approaches that represent and recognize activities directly from input images are discussed. Next, hierarchical recognition methodologies for high-level activities are presented and compared. Statistical approaches, syntactic approaches, and description-based approaches for hierarchical recognition are discussed in the article. In addition, we further discuss the papers on the recognition of human-object interactions and group activities. Public datasets designed for the evaluation of the recognition methodologies are illustrated in our article as well, comparing the methodologies' performances. This review will provide the impetus for future research in more productive areas.
Building a Low-Cost AFM with a Quartz Sensor and its Advantages

Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and similar technologies are gaining extraordinary relevance thanks to their capabilities in manipulating on the micro and nano scale and performing studies with atomic resolution. From RoboticMicro-Assembly to pharmacology and cancerology the AFM technology is being applied and developed, however the instruments and equipment necessary to perform research are very expensive, which limits the development and use of this technology. In this work, the first decisive stage for the construction of a low-cost AFM, with a tuning fork as a sensor was done. Its design and planning carefully considered economical options and a number of AFM components were made from scratch, using computer assisted design (CAD) software, 3D printing and other methods. This AFM has the notable characteristic of using a tuning fork as a sensor, which besides being a more cost-effective option, also brings more applications and advantages in relation to the traditional sensors used. One of the benefits of the AFM is in the study of nano-mechanical properties, which can lead to a better understanding of deceases, biological processes or new construction materials, given the prevalence of this topic, the method for using an AFM with a tuning fork as a sensor, to study such properties, is studied and demonstrated. The value of the Young’s modulus, is determined successfully for some samples and compared to the values found in literature with other methods. Besides studying mechanical properties the custom made AFM is used to perform topography of calibration samples and CD samples, where pits and lands (encoded data) were observed, confirming that the AFM is functional. The quality of the AFM is not identical to that of an expensive commercial AFM and economical improvements for further development are suggested.
Third trimester ultrasound accuracy and delivery outcome in obese and morbid obese pregnant women

Abstract Objective: Several studies have highlighted the negative impact of maternal obesity on ultrasound accuracy for fetal weight estimation (EFW). However, the evidence is conflicting. We aimed in our study to find if the ultrasound accuracy for EFW would differ or decrease in obese and morbid obesity classes. We also studied the mode of delivery within the same cohort. Methods: It is a retrospective study of obese patients with recorded BMI ≥30 kg/m2, class I and II (BMI: 30–39.9 kg/m2) compared with extreme obese class III (BMI ≥40 kg/m2), who gave birth after 28-week gestation of viable singleton, who had an ultrasound within 7 d of delivery with reported normal amniotic fluid and no major fetal anomaly; the EFW was consistently measured through Hadlock regression formula in the period of 2014–2015 inclusive. Differences between the EFW and actual birth weight (ABW) were assessed by percentage error, accuracy in predictions within ±10% of error and the Pearson correlation coefficient were used to correlate EFW with the ABW. The study’s secondary outcome was to study the mode of delivery and the rate of cesarean section in obese and morbid obese patients. Results: Total 106 cases fulfilled our criteria. Class I and II as the first group (n = 53). Class III as the second group (n = 53). Maternal and birth characteristics were similar. The Pearson correlation coefficient equal 1 in both groups. The overall mean absolute difference (MAD) in grams of the whole obese cohort was 242 ± 213. The MAD was 242 ± 202 and 242 ± 226 g for the first and second group, respectively (p = 1.0). The overall mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) in this obese cohort was 8%. The MAPE for the first and second group, respectively were 8 and 7% (p = 0.4). The overall rate of cesarean delivery was 60% (64/106) with no differences between the obese and morbid obese BMI classes. Sixty-six percentage (42/64) of these cesarean cases was for repeat cesarean section. Conclusion: Despite what has been previously reported about the negative impact of maternal obesity on EFW accuracy, we could not demonstrate this relationship in our obese cohort (MAPE <10%). In addition, we could not illustrate a significant difference in ultrasound accuracy across various obesity classes. However, we found a significantly increased rate of delivery by repeated cesarean section in this obese cohort.
On-the-fly rendering of losslessly compressed irregular volume data

Very large irregular-grid data sets are represented as tetrahedral meshes and may incur significant disk I/O access overhead in the rendering process. An effective way to alleviate the disk I/O overhead associated with rendering a large tetrahedral mesh is to reduce the I/O bandwidth requirement through compression. Existing tetrahedral mesh compression algorithms focus only on compression efficiency and cannot be readily integrated into the mesh rendering process, and thus demand that a compressed tetrahedral mesh be decompressed before it can be rendered into a 2D image. This paper presents an integrated tetrahedral mesh compression and rendering algorithm called Gatun, which allows compressed tetrahedral meshes to be rendered incrementally as they are being decompressed, thus leading to an efficient irregular grid rendering pipeline. Both compression and rendering algorithms in Gatun exploit the same local connectivity information among adjacent tetrahedra, and thus can be tightly integrated into a unified implementation framework. Our tetrahedral compression algorithm is specifically designed to facilitate the integration with an irregular grid renderer without any compromise in compression efficiency. A unique performance advantage of Gatun is its ability to reduce the runtime memory footprint requirement by releasing memory allocated to tetrahedra as early as possible.
Extent of alcohol prohibition in civil policy in Muslim majority countries: the impact of globalization.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Many policies have been introduced to reduce alcohol harm in different countries. However, Muslim majority countries (MMCs), where the major religion (Islam) prohibits alcohol consumption, have less well-developed civil alcohol policies. Overall, MMCs have low prevalence of alcohol consumption, although recently most MMCs have been undergoing transition, which has sometimes increased pressure for alcohol availability and impacted on social practices, alcohol policies and broader public health. Globalization, the influence of the global alcohol industry, recent governmental transition or political instability and the presence of immigrants from non-Muslim countries can all affect civil alcohol policy. In this context, consumption overall has increased compared with two decades ago. This paper presents an overview of current civil alcohol policy, with regard to the presence or absence of alcohol prohibition, and provides an insight into the legal availability of alcohol in MMCs and the challenges facing policymakers. METHODS English, Arabic and Persian language sources were examined, using PubMed, government websites for each country and the World Health Organization (WHO). Some of the challenges MMCs may face in developing alcohol policies are explored, including the need to interact with the global economy and the potential influence of the alcohol industry. CONCLUSION Muslim majority countries have adopted a range of civil alcohol policies in recent decades. There is a pressing need for better data and to support Muslim majority countries in alcohol policy development. Lessons from Muslim majority countries can help to inform other parts of the world.
Attitudes of venture capital investors towards entrepreneurs with previous business failure

Business failure represents a significant outcome of entrepreneurial activity and yet remains an underdeveloped area of research. This article focuses on the attitudes of venture capitalist (VC) investors towards entrepreneurs with a previous failure experience. It illustrates that VCs recognize the complex, contextual nature of failure and do not necessarily perceive the entrepreneur to be the primary cause of the venture's demise. Consequently, the article differentiates between ‘business’, ‘entrepreneurial’ and ‘venture capitalist’ failure. The article demonstrates that VCs often adopt a tolerant, flexible and open-minded attitude to failure and are keen to understand the circumstances in which it occurred. The majority of the VCs in the study emphasize that their decision to invest in an entrepreneur is not negatively affected to any significant degree by a previous experience of failure. A number of influential factors are presented, such as a high quality concept, which can offset this aspect of the entrepreneur's track record. The article concludes that business failure is not automatically considered a ‘black mark’ by VCs. It is important for entrepreneurs involved in business failure to be aware of these positive and sympathetic attitudes when considering putting forward new proposals to the VC community.
Bio cooperative robotic platform for motor function recovery of the upper limb after stroke

Biocooperative augmented robots, can enhance rehabilitation therapies by giving the correct assistance at the correct time. Since different patients may benefit from different amounts of assistance or resistance at a given time, predicting when a person enters in an undesired psychophysiological state can provide an intelligent system with important information about when to initiate interaction. This paper presents a subject centered approach method that includes the human into the loop by using physiological feedback techniques. This allows the robot to adapt to several different patients and maintain the therapy as intensive as possible without compromising patients health or letting the individual get stressed which would result in a decay of the overall performance.
Counting YouTube videos via random prefix sampling

Leveraging the characteristics of YouTube video id space and exploiting a unique property of YouTube search API, in this paper we develop a random prefix sampling method to estimate the total number of videos hosted by YouTube. Through theoretical modeling and analysis, we demonstrate that the estimator based on this method is unbiased, and provide bounds on its variance and confidence interval. These bounds enable us to judiciously select sample sizes to control estimation errors. We evaluate our sampling method and validate the sampling results using two distinct collections of YouTube video id's (namely, treating each collection as if it were the "true" collection of YouTube videos). We then apply our sampling method to the live YouTube system, and estimate that there are a total of roughly 500 millions YouTube videos by May, 2011. Finally, using an unbiased collection of YouTube videos sampled by our method, we show that YouTube video view count statistics collected by prior methods (e.g., through crawling of related video links) are highly skewed, significantly under-estimating the number of videos with very small view counts (<1000); we also shed lights on the bounds for the total storage YouTube must have and the network capacity needed to delivery YouTube videos.