Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Estudo da liga alumínio-zinco como filtração alternativa em aparelhos de raios X odontológicos

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of alternative filtration with the aluminum-zinc alloy in dental X-ray devices, regarding the energy spectrum, dose, contrast and image quality. This study was carried out comparing the conventional aluminum filter with aluminum-zinc alloy filters of various thicknesses and with different percentages of zinc in the alloy (2, 3, 4 and 5%). A conventional X-ray device operating with 60 and 70 kVp as well as D- and E-speed films were utilized in order to obtain images of a phantom and an aluminum step wedge. The utilization of Al-Zn filters resulted in a spectrum without hardening of beams. The rate of kerma in the air decreased 18.53%, without any alteration in contrast and image quality. The results revealed that the 2% Al-Zn alloy filter with 1.99 mm of thickness, utilized with the tension of 60 kVp and D-speed film, had the best performance. It reduced the rate of kerma without varying the indices of contrast and maintained image quality at acceptable levels, without increasing the time of exposure.
Influence of genetic variants on gene expression in human pancreatic islets – implications for type 2 diabetes

Most signals detected by genome-wide association studies map to non-coding sequence and their tissue-specific effects influence transcriptional regulation. However, many key tissues and cell-types required for appropriate functional inference are absent from large-scale resources such as ENCODE and GTEx. We explored the relationship between genetic variants influencing predisposition to type 2 diabetes (T2D) and related glycemic traits, and human pancreatic islet transcription using RNA-Seq and genotyping data from 420 islet donors. We find: (a) eQTLs have a variable replication rate across the 44 GTEx tissues (<73%), indicating that our study captured islet-specific cis-eQTL signals; (b) islet eQTL signals show marked overlap with islet epigenome annotation, though eQTL effect size is reduced in the stretch enhancers most strongly implicated in GWAS signal location; (c) selective enrichment of islet eQTL overlap with the subset of T2D variants implicated in islet dysfunction; and (d) colocalization between islet eQTLs and variants influencing T2D or related glycemic traits, delivering candidate effector transcripts at 23 loci, including DGKB and TCF7L2. Our findings illustrate the advantages of performing functional and regulatory studies in tissues of greatest disease-relevance while expanding our mechanistic insights into complex traits association loci activity with an expanded list of putative transcripts implicated in T2D development.
A study of IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α as inflammatory markers in COPD patients

Aim To assess the diagnostic value of interleukin 6 (IL-6), IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) as inflammatory markers in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. Methods and results IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α levels were measured by ELISA in the serum and the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in 10 control participants and 25 mild and moderate COPD patients, whereas 25 patients with severe COPD were studied for the serum level of these inflammatory biomarkers. The mean value and SD of BAL and serum IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α levels were significantly higher in COPD patients when compared with control participants; the serum level of these biomarkers were also significantly higher in severe compared with mild and moderate COPD patients. Conclusion Increased srum and/or BAL IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α can be used as biomarkers of the systemic inflammatory response in COPD patients, and their levels are correlated with the severity of COPD. Egypt J Broncho 2014 8:91-99 ͹ 2014 Egyptian Journal of Bronchology.
Proanthocyanidin Interferes with Intrinsic Antibiotic Resistance Mechanisms of Gram‐Negative Bacteria

cells, or formation of biofilm, and emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens recalcitrant to treatment due to acquired resistance. Here, we report that a purified cranberry proanthocyanidin (cPAC) fraction potentiates the activity of a broad range of antibiotic classes against the opportunistic pathogens Escherichia coli , Proteus mirabilis , and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. cPAC was an effective potentiator against diverse bacterial lifestyles normally tolerant to antibiotics, such as biofilm bacteria, dormant cells, and in experimental models of chronic infections. Remark-ably, when combined with tetracycline, cPAC was able to completely prevent the evolution of resistance in E. coli and P. aeruginosa . These results suggest that in combination with antibiotic therapy, cPAC has the potential to decrease the spread of antibiotic resistance and prolong the effectiveness of currently available drugs. Opportunistic pathogens colonize surfaces in healthcare settings,
Spatial Variability and Geostatistical Mapping of Selected Soil Properties in Mt. Wakakusa Grassland of Japan

Mt. Wakakusa in Central Japan is a semi-natural grassland which has been maintained by repeated application of prescribed burnings of vegetation for more than 500 years. We assessed the spatial variability of selected soil properties and constructed their distribution maps using a geostatistical method to provide spatial information on soil resource for sustainable land management in this grassland. All the examined soil properties showed intermediate (coefficient of variation [CV] = 10%-90%) or high (CV > 90%) variability, except for the soil pH (CV < 10%), suggesting that the precision soil management approach is recommendable in the study site. The variogram analysis revealed that all of the soil properties, except for the electrical conductivity with a very weak spatial dependency (nugget-to-sill [N/S] ratio > 0.75), showed a very strong or moderately strong spatial dependency (N/S ratio ≤ 0.50), which might occur under the strong influence of intrinsic factors such as the inherent soil quality. The soil maps constructed by the ordinary kriging method helped in understanding the distribution patterns of the examined soil properties and identifying specific locations with signs of degradation and pollution. These spatial distribution patterns should be considered when developing a sustainable soil management strategy in Mt. Wakakusa grassland. Discipline: Agricultural Environment Additional key words: ordinary kriging, prescribed burning, semivariogram, spatial dependency
Quality of root canal filling performed by undergraduate students in a Saudi Dental College

The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of teaching endodontics to undergraduate students at Riyadh Colleges. This study was undertaken by assessing the technical quality of root canal obturation and the presence of procedural errors in root canal treatment cases performed by the final year dental students in clinics. All of the root canal treatment cases performed by the final year dental students in the 2nd semester of 2012 to 2013 were examined, with a total of 450 root canals from 241 teeth. The quality of root canal obturation was examined in relation to the length of the root filling based on the radiographic apex, the density of the obturation according to the presence of voids, and the taper of root canal fillings. The overall acceptable quality of the evaluated root canals was 36%. Of these canals, acceptable length, density, and taper were reported in 76.6, 46.4, and 73.8%, respectively. Overall, 9.3% of the treated root canals had procedural errors, and majority of these errors were found in canals of posterior mandibular teeth. Apical transportation was the most encountered error; it was found in 3.1% of the treated canals. The technical quality of the root canal treatments conducted by the students in this study was comparable to other studies. However, introducing new techniques and armamentaria might improve this quality. Key words: Technical quality of obturation, undergraduate education, evaluation, education development.
Deep-learning-based cell composition analysis from tissue expression profiles

We present Scaden, a deep neural network for cell deconvolution that uses gene expression information to infer the cellular composition of tissues. Scaden is trained on single cell RNA-seq data to engineer discriminative features that confer robustness to bias and noise, making complex data preprocessing and feature selection unnecessary. We demonstrate that Scaden outperforms existing deconvolution algorithms in both precision and robustness. A single trained network reliably deconvolves bulk RNA-seq and microarray, human and mouse tissue expression data and leverages the combined information of multiple data sets. Due to this stability and flexibility, we surmise that deep learning will become an algorithmic mainstay for cell deconvolution of various data types. Scaden’s comprehensive software package is easy to use on novel as well as diverse existing expression datasets available in public resources, deepening the molecular and cellular understanding of developmental and disease processes.
Quality of life among elderly in a rural area

Background: Quality of life (QOL) among elderly is an important area of concern which reflects the health status and well-being of this vulnerable population. Their number in the developing world is increasing due to demographic transition. For India, the population of above 60 years was around 7% in 2001, which is expected to rise to 11.6% by 2026. The objective of the study was to assess the quality of life (QOL) among elderly in a rural area. Methods: A community based cross-sectional study was conducted among 50 elderly subjects exiting the primary health centre at Nemam, Thiruvallur district, Tamilnadu. Data on QOL was assessed by WHO questionnaire (WHO QOL-BREF). Written and informed consent was obtained from all participants. The study protocol was approved by Institutional ethics committee. Results: Majority of participants were of 60-64 years age group (40%). Out of 50 participants, 20 (40%) were male and 30 (60%) were females. Among the participants 52% were working and 76% married. The overall mean (SD) score was 49.28 (9.92) with first, second and third quartile scores of 43.8, 47 and 51 respectively. The difference of scores between men and women was statistically insignificant. Conclusions: QOL score among elderly was found to be average. The scores of social relationship were low for both male and female elderly subjects. This implies an urgent need for health educating the elderly with regard to their social and physical group recreational activities that will build their self-confidence and thereby improving their QOL.
On the Electroimmobilization of Fishes for Research and Practice: Opportunities, Challenges, and Research Needs

As a result of growing demand for immediate-release sedatives in fisheries research, electroimmobilization has been receiving increasing attention due to its superior induction and recovery times and practicality, particularly under field conditions. However, a review of electroimmobilization and its role in fisheries science has not been previously conducted. Here we describe and differentiate the various forms of electroimmobilization and attempt to standardize relevant terminology. We review the known efficacy of electroimmobilization of fish and summarize the current available knowledge on this topic while identifying major knowledge gaps. Although more information is needed to determine optimal forms and settings for different species, life history stages, and environmental variables, electroimmobilization is a useful tool for fish handling that equals or surpasses the capabilities of chemical sedatives without exacerbating (and sometimes reducing) the negative consequences associated with chemical sedatives and fish handling practices more generally.
Comparison of direct drilling, reduced cultivation and ploughing on the growth of cereals

Summary This paper gives measurements of soil physical conditions and root growth made in the experiment described in the previous paper. The effect of methods of tillage on soil properties (strength, bulk density, nutrient distribution and fauna) and the effects on root development and the absorption of nutrients from different depths in the soil were investigated. The procedures used for these measurements are described. Greater soil compaction occurred in all years after direct drilling. The growth of seminal roots of young plants was reduced by direct drilling in each year but only in the first year were there significant differences in root development between treatments at later stages of growth. Similarly, in each year early shoot growth was reduced by direct drilling but, with the exception of the first year, the plants were subsequently able to compensate adequately. Direct drilling resulted in more earthworms being present in the soil, and caused the surface soil to be more friable and contain a higher concentration of available phosphorus and potassium.
Noncontact SpO2 Measurement Using Eulerian Video Magnification

Peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) monitoring is critical during surgery and in intensive care units (ICS). Over the last decades, several studies have addressed the noncontact monitoring of vital signs, but few reports have focused on SpO2. This paper presents an SpO2 monitoring method without physical contact with the patient using imaging photoplethysmography (iPPG). Eulerian video magnification (EVM) was employed in the proposed solution to amplify the changes in skin color due to the heart cycle. The developed software operates on a widely available, low-cost hardware platform. Experiments were performed with nine healthy individuals. When comparing the experimental SpO2 results to those obtained with a reference pulse oximeter, the proposed solution showed good accuracy, with differences of less than 2%.
Quality of sleep and methods of management of sleep disorders in elderly of Yazd city in 2016

Introduction: Sleep quality and quantity impacts on the mental and physical health. With age, major changes in sleep pattern and structure occure that causes sleep disturbances and frequent complaints resulting from it. The aim of this study was to determine the quality of sleep, and sleep disorders and management of them in the elderly of Yazd city. Methods: In a cross-sectional analytical study, 200 elderly aged 60 years and over were randomly selected from Yazd health centers. Demographic and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index questionnaires were used to collect data from the elderly face to face. After collecting data using SPSS version 22 and descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, t-test and ANOVA were used to analyze the data. Results: The average age of elderly was 67.9 ± 6.6 years. 50.5 percent of elderly were women, 23.5 percent were illiterate, and 69 percent were married. The average sleep quality score was 7.76± 3.13. Sleep quality was related to marital status (p=0.006), education (p ; 0.001), chronic diseases (P=0.043), employment (P=0.029) and income (P=0.001). The most common methods for managing the sleep disorders were sleep hygiene (70.5 percent), cognitive method (63.4 percent) and using sleeping pills (28.6%). Conclusion: According to the results this study, sleep quality is poor in elderly of Yazd city. Health promotion interventions are needed to improve the quality and quantity of sleeps in the elderly.
Soil quality indicators under management systems in a Quilombola community in the Brazilian Cerrado

Soil management systems exert different effects on soil attributes, especially on the organic matter content, and, consequently, the soil aggregation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of different land uses practiced by quilombola family farmers on water stable aggregates, glomalin and organic carbon in soil aggregates. Soil samples were collected at depths of 0-10 and 10-20 cm from areas cultivated under the following management systems: 1) conventional corn plantation (MA), 2) cultivation of citrus trees intercropped with annual crops (AC) (a conservationist approach), 3) pasture of Brachiaria (Urochloa spp.) (PA), and, as reference, an area of the Cerrado (CR) free of any anthropogenic interference. The studied areas were evaluated in a completely randomized design, with five replications, in a subplot scheme. The plots were the management systems and the subplots the depths. Soil macro-aggregates were predominant at both depths and the aggregate stability indices were higher than 90 % for all management systems. Total organic carbon in the two aggregate classes (micro and macroaggregates) correlated with the MWD (mean weight-diameter), but not with the easily extractable glomalin (EEG) related soil protein. Soil micro and macro-aggregates, EEG and MWD discriminated management systems and are important soil quality indicators. The carbon content in both micro-aggregates (C-MIC) and macro-aggregates (C-MAC) of the intercropped system (AC) was higher than in the CR. The soil attributes that best separated the areas were C-MIC, MWD and EEG in macro-aggregates for the depth of 0-10 cm, and EEG in micro-aggregates, together with MWD and C-MAC for the depth of 10-20 cm.
Can a Tiger Change Its Spots? A Test of the Stability of Spot Patterns for Identification of Individual Tiger Salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum)

—There is increasing interest in the use of unique spot patterns as a way to “mark” individual amphibians as an alternative to invasive techniques for studies of free-ranging populations. however, studies testing the efficacy of the pattern recognition technique have largely drawn their conclusions from the ability to recognize recaptured individuals that were identified solely by spot pattern. individuals whose color pattern changed significantly would therefore not be identified upon recapture. for this study, Tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum) were captured in west-central minnesota and maintained in captivity for one year, and their dorsal and ventral surfaces photographed approximately every six weeks. The stability of the spot patterns and their utility as individual identifiers were examined through comparison tests that required the matching of photographs taken 12 months apart. each of the 23 volunteers who took the test was given a sample photograph and asked to choose the corresponding photograph from four others or to choose “no match”. on average, volunteers were able to correctly match the photographs only 67% of the time. four of the salamanders (36%) could be identified by all volunteers, whereas another 36% were matched at a rate that was no better than guessing. Two of these salamanders changed dramatically in appearance, from the spotted A. tigrinum pattern to the blotched A. mavortium melanostictum pattern. The high frequency of misidentifications and the dramatic changes in coloration have implications not only for studies that involve identification of recaptured individuals, but potentially for efforts to classify the different subspecies of Tiger salamanders.
Arquivos para a história regional do esporte

Tomando como exemplo uma pesquisa sobre a historia do esporte em Goias, no Centro-Oeste do Brasil, este artigo analisa alguns dos principais desafios documentais que podem afetar o trabalho de pesquisa sobre a historia regional do esporte. Mais especificamente, o artigo trata das dificuldades para se localizar e acessar vestigios do passado esportivo de regioes fora das maiores cidades do pais. Palavras-chave : historia do esporte; historia regional; historia do Brasil; Goias. Abstract Taking as an example a research project about the history of sports in Goias, in the Midwest of Brazil, this article examines some of the main documentary challenges that may affect research on the regional history of sport. More specifically, the paper addresses difficulties related to locating and accessing traces of the sporting past of regions outside of the major cities of the country. Keywords : history of sport; regional history; history of Brazil; Goias. Resumen Tomando como ejemplo una investigacion sobre la historia del deporte en Goias, en la region central de Brasil, este articulo examina algunos de los principales desafios documentales que puedan afectar el trabajo de investigacion sobre la historia regional del deporte. Mas especificamente, el articulo aborda las dificultades para localizarse y acceder vestigios del pasado deportivo de regiones fuera de las mayores ciudades del pais. Palabras claves : historia del deporte; historia regional; historia del Brasil; Goias.
Pixel-Level Decisions based Robust Face Image Recognition

Face recognition is a special topic in visual information processing that has grown to be of tremendous interest to pattern recognition researchers for the past couple of decades (Delac & Grgic, 2007; Hallinan et al., 1999; Li & Jain, 2005; Wechsler, 2006; Zhao & Chellappa, 2005). However, the methods in general faces the problem of poor recognition rates under the conditions of: (1) large changes in natural variability, and (2) limitations in training data such as single gallery per person problem. Such conditions are undesirable for face recognition as the inter-class and intra-class variability between faces become high, and the room for discrimination between the features become less. Major methods that are employed to reduce this problem can be classified into three groups: (1) methods whose so-called gallery set consists of multiple training images per person (e.g. Etemad & Chellappa (1997); Jenkins & Burton (2008)) (2) image preprocessing techniques that aim at feature restoration (e.g. Ahlberg & Dornaika (2004)), and (3) use of geometrical transforms to form face models (e.g. Ahlberg & Dornaika (2004)). Even though they show high performance under specific conditions they lack robust performance and in many cases have proved to be computationally expensive. Being distinct from these computational schemes, the human visual system, which is the best available natural model for face recognition, uses modular approach for classification of faces (Moeller et al., 2008). This chapter presents a method (James, 2008; James & Dimitrijev, 2008) that implements the concept of local binary decisions to form a modular unit and a modular system for face recognition. This method is applied to formulate a simple algorithm and its robustness verified against various natural variabilities occurring in face images. Being distinct from a traditional approach of space reduction at feature level or automatic learning, we propose a method that can suppress unwanted features and make useful decisions on similarity irrespective of the complex nature of underlying data. The proposed method in the process do not require dimensionality reduction or use of complex feature extraction or classifier training to achieve robust recognition performance.
Student Satisfaction with a Web-based Collaborative Work Platform1

Abstract The present paper analyses the results of a research study on translation students’ satisfaction and perceived improvement of their computer, tele- and teamworking skills by using Basic Support Cooperative Work (BSCW) software. The data were obtained from questionnaires given before and after taking part in the project. Results have proven the suitability of BSCW for telework training. The students’ opinions about teamwork are now more positive and they feel more confident about their computer and translation skills. Student satisfaction is almost unanimous.