Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Neurosensory alterations of the inferior alveolar and mental nerve after genioplasty alone or associated with sagittal osteotomy of the mandibular ramus.

AIMS The purpose of our protocol is to study neurosensory disturbances following genioplasty, sagittal split mandibular osteotomy, or both procedures in combination. Many authors assessed the incidence and degree of neurosensory disturbances of the inferior alveolar nerve following orthognathic surgery but often results are difficult to interpret and compare due to a lack of standardization of methods. PATIENTS Fifty patients (24 males and 26 females) were tested with qualitative (touch sensation, sharp/blunt test, cold sensation and hot sensation) and quantitative methods (localization test, two point static and dynamic test) at least 1 year after orthognathic surgery. The patients were divided into the following groups: 10 patients in group 1 (controls); 12 patients in group 2 (genioplasty alone or in association with maxillary osteotomy or vertical mandibular ramus osteotomy); 10 patients in group 3 (sagittal split osteotomy alone); 18 patients in group 4 (sagittal split osteotomy with concomitant genioplasty). METHOD On both sides four areas were tested: centre of chin and lip (cutaneous and mucosal sides), 2 cm lateral to the chin centre (cutaneous and mucosal sides), 3 cm lateral to the chin centre i.e. approximately at the mental foramen (cutaneous and mucosal sides) and vermilion. Tests were always performed by the same person. All patients were also asked to indicate whether the altered sensation was considered subjectively as being disabling. RESULTS None of the patients showed persistent anaesthesia in the tested areas according to the qualitative tests. In group 2 the quantitative sensory tests revealed normal or slight hypoaesthesia (17%) in all areas tested; in 30% of the patients of group 3, minimal quantitative sensory disturbances were noted, while the incidence of objective sensory deficits increased in patients who had undergone a concomitant genioplasty (40% among group 4). Among the tested areas the vermilion and oral commissure were affected most often in all groups. Statistical analysis (using STATA 6.0) revealed that these differences were significant (p<0.05). There were also significant differences between group 1 and groups 3 and 4 for tactile sensitivity, location tests and sharp-blunt discrimination, while two point discrimination (quantitative test) showed statistically significant differences between group 1 and all other groups (2-4). No statistically significant differences among the four groups were found for thermal sensation (hot and cold). CONCLUSIONS The combination of genioplasty and sagittal split osteotomy seems to be more detrimental for the lip sensibility than genioplasty or sagittal split alone. Thermal sensation is less affected than tactile sensation, location and two point discrimination tests (static and dynamic). Despite that, sensory deficit was never considered as disabling by the patients subjectively.
LP/WLP Hybrid Scheme for Quality Improvement of TCX Coders Operating at Low Bit Rates

In this paper, we propose a switchable linear prediction (LP)/warped linear prediction (WLP) hybrid scheme for the transform coded excitation (TCX) coder, which is adopted as a core codec in AMRWB+ and USAC. The proposed algorithm selects either an LP or WLP filter on a per-frame basis. To provide a smooth transitions between LP and WLP frames, a window switching scheme is developed using sine and rectangular windows. In addition, a Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM)-based classification module is used to determine the prediction mode. Through a subjective listening test it was confirmed that the proposed LP/WLP switching scheme offers improved sound quality. key words: warped linear prediction (WLP), linear prediction, audio coding, TCX, low bit rate
Labor Pain Treated with Acupuncture or Acupressure

Opioid-dependent women have an 80% to 90% unintended pregnancy rate, almost double the overall unintended pregnancy rate: 40% globally and 51% in north America. The prescription drug abuse milieu increases the possibility opioid abusing laboring patients. In 2012, neonatal abstinence syndrome occurred in 5.8 per 1000 hospital births. Non-pharmacological labor pain management (NPLPM) is especially recommended for laboring patients with a history of substance abuse. Therefore, literature review was performed to elucidate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture, noninvasive electro-acupuncture (EA), and acupressure in labor pain management. Compared to standard intrapartum controls, bilateral EA at JiaJin or Sanyinjiao significantly reduced visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores 30-minutes post intervention (p < 0.01) and Stage 1 active phase labor length (p < 0.05). EA achieves shorter Stage 2 labor than patient-controlled epidural analgesia (p = 0.05); and 10-point lower VAS pain scores and reduced cesarean delivery rate than no-analgesia controls, p < 0.05. Current evidence indicates that EA should have a role in NPLPM, and that acupressure may have a role in NPLPM. Nevertheless, future RCTs could strengthen the argument for increased EA and acupressure use in NPLPM.
Behaviour of grid-connected photovoltaic inverters in islanding operation

The behaviour of photovoltaic (PV) inverters operating in islanding mode is very complicated. The islanding of PV inverters depends on the anti-islanding protection system. Therefore, this paper first investigates different methods for the islanding detection of PV inverters. Different factors influencing the behaviour of PV inverters in the islanding operation, such as the behaviour of load, parameters in PV inverter control system, are also studied by simulations. Two kinds of PV systems connected to LV and MV network are concerned by a deeper study. An evaluation of different passive methods is carried out for different scenarios in order to verify their performances. Experimental tests in the islanding operation are carried out for PV inverters connected to the LV network.
Medical Disorders of Pregnancy

An accurate obstetric history has been obtained from 44 parous women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), who have attended the Departments of Medicine and Obstetrics at Hammersmith Hospital over the last ten years. Twenty-four of the women were Caucasian, 15 Negro and 5 Asian. A total of 137 pregnancies was recorded. Seventy-three pregnancies occurred in 30 patients before the onset of the first clinical manifestations of SLE. Of these, 55 resulted in a live baby, while 18 (25 %) ended in abortion or stillbirth. Previous studies have shown a similar high incidence of fetal deaths (Estes & Larson 1965, Fraga et al. 1974). It is suggested that 'preclinical' disease may be present in many of these patients. Screening of patients, particularly Negroes, with recurrent abortions, may reveal previously unsuspected SLE. Sixty-four pregnancies occurred in 30 patients after the onset of clinical disease. Of these, 32 resulted in a live baby, while 32 (46%) ended in either spontaneous early abortion (23 pregnancies), therapeutic abortion (7) or stillbirth (2). Of the 44 women 39 produced at least one live baby. The outcome of each pregnancy did not correlate with specific maternal organ involvement. In particular, 15 patients had definite histological and/or biochemical and serological evidence of lupus nephritis, although none had seriously impaired renal function. The outcome of the 35 pregnancies in these patients was comparable with those in patients without renal involvement. No obvious progression of renal or any other organ dysfunction appeared to result from pregnancy. The administration of corticosteroids to control severe disease activity was continued or begun during the gestation period in 33 pregnancies. There was no significant difference in the early abortion rate compared with pregnancies not treated with steroids, but 12 of the 16 live babies in this group were delivered prematurely, before the 38th week. In the 16 successful pregnancies not receiving steroids, there were only 3 premature deliveries but more of these babies were small for dates (see Fig 1) even though these were likely to be patients less severely affected by SLE. Premature delivery would appear to correlate with increased maternal disease activity (Estes & Larson 1965,
Temperature-Dependent Adsorption of Pluronic F127 Block Copolymers onto Carbon Black Particles Dispersed in Aqueous Media

The adsorption properties of Pluronic F127 poly(ethylene oxide)−poly(propylene oxide)−poly(ethylene oxide) PEO−PPO−PEO block copolymer onto carbon black (CB) particles dispersed in water have been investigated. The CB particles have fractal structure according to small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurements. The Langmuir isotherm could describe the adsorption behavior of Pluronic F127 onto CB particles below the block copolymer critical micellization concentration (CMC). Temperature plays an important role in determining the thickness and structure of the adsorbed layer. Below the temperature where micelles start forming (CMT), the added Pluronic F127 block copolymer molecules contribute to an increase of the adsorbed layer thickness (determined by dynamic light scattering) by forming a monolayer. Above the CMT, SANS experiments, performed under contrast matching conditions where either the block copolymer or the CB particles were rendered “invisible”, confirmed that the adsorbed layer had structure.
First Detection of TR34 L98H and TR46 Y121F T289A Cyp51 Mutations in Aspergillus fumigatus Isolates in the United States

ABSTRACT Azole resistance in Aspergillus fumigatus is an increasing problem. The TR34 L98H and TR46 Y121F T289A mutations that can occur in patients without previous azole exposure have been reported in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Australia. Here, we report the detection of both the TR34 L98H and TR46 Y121F T289A mutations in confirmed A. fumigatus isolates collected in institutions in the United States. These mutations, other mutations known to cause azole resistance, and azole MICs are reported here.
Identification of the Axin and Frat Binding Region of Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3*

Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) is a key component of several signaling pathways including those regulated by Wnt and insulin ligands. Specificity in GSK-3 signaling is thought to involve interactions with scaffold proteins that localize GSK-3 regulators and substrates. This report shows that GSK-3 forms a low affinity homodimer that is disrupted by binding to Axin and Frat. Based on the crystal structure of GSK-3, we have used surface-scanning mutagenesis to identify residues that differentially affect GSK-3 interactions. Mutations that disrupt Frat and Axin cluster at the dimer interface explaining their effect on homodimer formation. Loss of the Axin binding site blocks the ability of dominant negative GSK-3 to cause axis duplication in Xenopus embryos. The Axin binding site is conserved within all GSK-3 proteins, and its loss affects both cell motility and gene expression in the nonmetazoan,Dictyostelium. Surprisingly, we find no genetic interaction between a non-Axin-binding GSK-3 mutant and T-cell factor activity, arguing that Axin interactions alone cannot explain the regulation of T-cell factor-mediated gene expression.
DNA Binding Properties of TAF1 Isoforms with Two AT-hooks*

TATA-binding protein-associated factor 1 (TAF1) is an essential component of the general transcription factor IID (TFIID), which nucleates assembly of the preinitiation complex for transcription by RNA polymerase II. TATA-binding protein and TAF1·TAF2 heterodimers are the only components of TFIID shown to bind specific DNA sequences (the TATA box and initiator, respectively), raising the question of how TFIID localizes to gene promoters that lack binding sites for these proteins. Here we demonstrate that Drosophila TAF1 protein isoforms TAF1-2 and TAF1-4 directly bind DNA independently of TAF2. DNA binding by TAF1 isoforms is mediated by cooperative interactions of two identical AT-hook motifs, one of which is encoded by an alternatively spliced exon. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays revealed that TAF1-2 bound the minor groove of adenine-thymine-rich DNA with a preference for the sequence AAT. Alanine-scanning mutagenesis of the alternatively spliced AT-hook indicated that Lys and Arg residues made essential DNA contacts, whereas Gly and Pro residues within the Arg-Gly-Arg-Pro core sequence were less important for DNA binding, suggesting that AT-hooks are more divergent than previously predicted. TAF1-2 bound with variable affinity to the transcription start site of several Drosophila genes, and binding to the hsp70 promoter was reduced by mutation of a single base pair at the transcription start site. Collectively, these data indicate that AT-hooks serve to anchor TAF1 isoforms to the minor groove of adenine-thymine-rich Drosophila gene promoters and suggest a model in which regulated expression of TAF1 isoforms by alternative splicing contributes to gene-specific transcription.
Colony genetic organization and colony fusion in the termite Reticulitermes flavipes as revealed by foraging patterns over time and space

Temporal and spatial analyses are seldom utilized in the study of colony genetic structure, but they are potentially powerful methods which can yield novel insights into the mechanisms underlying variation in breeding systems. Here we present the results of a study which incorporated both of these dimensions in an examination of genetic structure of subterranean termites in the genus Reticulitermes (primarily R. flavipes). Most colonies of this species (70%) were simple families apparently headed by outbred primary reproductives, while most of the remaining (27% of the total) colonies contained low effective numbers of moderately inbred reproductives. Mapping the spatial distribution of colony foraging sites over time revealed that despite the high colony density, the absolute foraging boundaries of most R. flavipes colonies were persistent and exclusive of other conspecific colonies, which suggests that this species is more territorial than has been implied by laboratory studies of intraspecific aggression. Nevertheless, we found a single colony (3% of all colonies) which contained the offspring of more than two unrelated reproductives. Although other studies have also described subterranean termite colonies with a similarly complex genetic composition, we demonstrate here that such colonies can form under natural conditions via the fusion of whole colonies. This study underscores how repeated sampling from individual colonies over time and space can yield information about colony spatial and genetic structure that cannot be obtained from conventional analyses or sampling methods.
Prevention of fatal experimental burn-wound sepsis due to Klebsiella pneumoniae KP1-O by immunization with homologous capsular polysaccharide.

The immunogenicity and protective capacity of highly purified Klebsiella pneumoniae KP1-O capsular polysaccharide was evaluated. Polysaccharide antigen from K. pneumoniae KP1-O was isolated, purified, and characterized. The final preparation consisted primarily of carbohydrate and was of high molecular weight (greater than or equal to 5 X 10(6]. The polysaccharide antigen was found to be immunogenic in mice in a dose-dependent fashion, as determined by ELISA. Prior immunization of mice with low doses of K. pneumoniae KP1-O polysaccharide provided highly significant protection (P less than .01) against fatal burn wound sepsis with the homologous strain. The level of protection correlated with IgG ELISA titers and was dependent upon prevention of bacteremia following challenge.
Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor-associated Factor 2 (TRAF2)-deficient B Lymphocytes Reveal Novel Roles for TRAF2 in CD40 Signaling*

CD40 function is initiated by tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor-associated factor (TRAF) adapter proteins, which play important roles in signaling by numerous receptors. Characterizing roles of individual TRAFs has been hampered by limitations of available experimental models and the poor viability of most TRAF-deficient mice. Here, B cell lines made deficient in TRAF2 using a novel homologous recombination system reveal new roles for TRAF2. We demonstrate that TRAF2 participates in synergy between CD40 and B cell antigen receptor signals, and in CD40-mediated, TNF-dependent IgM production. We also find that TRAF2 participates in the degradation of TRAF3 associated with CD40 signaling, a role that may limit inhibitory actions of TRAF3. Finally, we show that TRAF2 and TRAF6 have overlapping functions in CD40-mediated NF-κB activation and CD80 up-regulation. These findings demonstrate previously unappreciated roles for TRAF2 in signaling by TNF receptor family members, using an approach that facilitates the analysis of genes critical to the viability of whole organisms.
Comparative in vitro pharmacodynamics of imipenem and meropenem against Pseudomonas aeruginosa

MICs are commonly used to assess the in vitro activities of antimicrobial agents; however, they provide minimal information on the pattern of bacterial activities. Time-kill studies with extensive sampling allow assessment of both the rate and extent of bacterial killing and regrowth. We compared imipenem and meropenem by both MIC-MBC testing and a time-kill study with P. aeruginosa 27853. In the time-kill study, concentration/MIC ratios ranging from 0.0625 to 32 times the MIC were studied. The kill rate, time to 99.9% kill, doubling time of regrowth, and area under the bacterial killing curve (AUKC) were evaluated. Degradation during the testing procedure was accounted for by assessing actual drug exposure as determined by the area under the concentration-time curve. Pharmacodynamic parameters were compared by using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The modal MIC and MBC for imipenem were 2 and 4 micrograms/ml, respectively, and those for meropenem were 0.25 and 0.5 microgram/ml, respectively. In the time-kill study, both agents displayed concentration-dependent activity over a range of 0.25 to 4 times the MIC. Initial killing (0 to 1 h) was faster with imipenem at the same concentration/MIC ratios (P = 0.0506). The time to 99.9% kill was approximately 5 h for both agents. When regrowth occurred, the doubling rate for imipenem, which was the same as that for the growth control, was twice as rapid as that for meropenem. At the same concentrations, the AUKCs over 24 h were lower for meropenem than for imipenem (P = 0.0280); however, when normalized by MIC, imipenem resulted in smaller AUKCs. Comparison of plots of area under the concentration-time curve versus AUKC, which accounted for drug degradation and actual drug exposure, revealed that meropenem was three times more active than imipenem, rather than the eightfold difference suggested by MICs. Time-kill curves with extensive sampling and measurement of actual drug exposure, rather than traditional MIC testing, may more accurately assess differences in the in vitro activities of antimicrobial agents.
Motion Analysis of Fluid Flow in a Spinning Disk Reactor

The flow of a liquid film over a rapidly rotating horizontal disk has numerous industrial applications including pharmaceuticals, chemical engineering, bioengineering, etc. The analysis and control of complex fluid flows over a rapidly rotating horizontal disk is an important issue in the experimental fluid mechanics. The spinning disk reactor exploits the benefits of centrifugal force, which produces thin highly sheared films due to radial acceleration. The hydrodynamics of the film results in excellent fluid mixing and high heat or mass transfer rates. This work focuses on developing a novel approach for fluid flow tracking and analysis. Specifically, the developed algorithm is able to detect the moving waves and compute controlling film flow parameters for the fluid flowing over a rotating disk. The input to this algorithm is an easily acquired non-invasive video data. It is shown that under single light illumination it is possible to track specular portion of the reflected light on the moving wave. Hence, the fluid wave motion can be tracked and fluid flow parameters can be computed. The fluid flow parameters include wave velocities, wave inclination angles, and distances between consecutive waves. Once the parameters are computed, their accuracy is analyzed and compared with the solutions of the mathematical fluid dynamics models based on the Navier-Stokes equations for the case of a thin film. The fluid model predicts wave characteristics based on directly measured controlling parameters, such as disk rotation speed and fluid flow rate. It is shown that
Genetic basis of neurocognitive decline and reduced white-matter integrity in normal human brain aging

Significance Identification of genes associated with brain aging should improve our understanding of the biological processes that govern normal age-related decline. In randomly selected pedigrees, we documented profound aging effects from young adulthood to old age (18–83 years) on neurocognitive ability and diffusion-based white-matter measures. Despite significant phenotypic correlation between white-matter integrity and tests of processing speed, working memory, declarative memory, and intelligence, no evidence for shared genetic determination was observed. Applying a gene-by-environment interaction analysis where age is an environmental factor, we demonstrate a heritable basis for neurocognitive deterioration with age. In contrast, increasing white-matter incoherence with age appears to be nongenetic. Identifying brain-aging traits is a critical first step in delineating the biological mechanisms of successful aging. Identification of genes associated with brain aging should markedly improve our understanding of the biological processes that govern normal age-related decline. However, challenges to identifying genes that facilitate successful brain aging are considerable, including a lack of established phenotypes and difficulties in modeling the effects of aging per se, rather than genes that influence the underlying trait. In a large cohort of randomly selected pedigrees (n = 1,129 subjects), we documented profound aging effects from young adulthood to old age (18–83 y) on neurocognitive ability and diffusion-based white-matter measures. Despite significant phenotypic correlation between white-matter integrity and tests of processing speed, working memory, declarative memory, and intelligence, no evidence for pleiotropy between these classes of phenotypes was observed. Applying an advanced quantitative gene-by-environment interaction analysis where age is treated as an environmental factor, we demonstrate a heritable basis for neurocognitive deterioration as a function of age. Furthermore, by decomposing gene-by-aging (G × A) interactions, we infer that different genes influence some neurocognitive traits as a function of age, whereas other neurocognitive traits are influenced by the same genes, but to differential levels, from young adulthood to old age. In contrast, increasing white-matter incoherence with age appears to be nongenetic. These results clearly demonstrate that traits sensitive to the genetic influences on brain aging can be identified, a critical first step in delineating the biological mechanisms of successful aging.