Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Parafunctional Behaviors and Its Effect on Dental Bridges

Parafunctional behaviors, especially bruxism, are not uncommon among patient visiting dentists’ clinics daily and they constitute a major dental issue for almost all dentists. Many researchers have focused on the definition, pathophysiology, and treatment of these behaviors. These parafunctional behaviors have a considerable negative impact on teeth and dental prothesis. In this review, we focused on the impact of parafunctional behaviors on dental bridges. We summarized the definitions, epidemiology, pathophysiology, and consequences of parafunctional behaviors. In addition, we reviewed previous dental literature studies that demonstrated the effect of bruxism or other parafunctional behaviors on dental bridges and dental prothesis. In conclusion, parafunctional behaviors are common involuntary movements involving the masticatory system. They are more prevalent among children. These behaviors have deleterious effects on dental structures. Causes of parafunctional behaviors include anxiety, depression, smoking, caffeine intake, sleep disorders, or central neurotransmitter dysfunction. Bruxism and other similar masticatory system activity cause dental fracture, loss, and weardown of enamel or teeth. They can also affect different types of dental protheses both fixed and removable types. Parafunctional behaviors shorten the life expectancy of these protheses, and damage residual dentition and denture-bearing tissues.
Evaluation of severe disease induced by aerosol inoculation of calves with bovine respiratory syncytial virus.

OBJECTIVE To develop a model of bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) infection that induces severe disease similar to that seen in some cattle with naturally acquired BRSV infection. ANIMALS 25 male Holstein calves, 8 to 16 weeks old. PROCEDURE 17 calves were given a low-passage field isolate of BRSV by aerosolization; 8 control calves were given supernatant from noninfected cell culture. Disease was characterized by evaluating clinical signs, virus isolation and pulmonary function tests, and results of blood gas analysis, gross and histologic postmortem examination, and microbiologic testing. RESULTS Cumulative incidence of cough, harsh lung sounds, adventitious sounds, and dyspnea and increases in rectal temperature and respiratory rate were significantly greater in infected calves. Three infected calves developed extreme respiratory distress and were euthanatized 7 days after inoculation. Virus was isolated from nasal swab specimens from all infected calves but not from mock infected calves. On day 7 after inoculation, mean PaO2 and PaCO2 were significantly lower, and pulmonary resistance was significantly higher, in infected calves. During necropsy, infected calves had varying degrees of necrotizing and proliferative bronchiolitis and alveolitis with syncytial formation. The 3 calves euthanatized on day 7 had emphysematous bullae in the caudal lung lobes; 1 had unilateral pneumothorax. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Severe disease similar to that seen in some cattle with naturally acquired BRSV infection can be induced in calves with a single aerosol exposure of a low-passage clinical isolate of BRSV. Our model will be useful for studying the pathogenesis of BRSV infection and for evaluating vaccines and therapeutics.
GemC1 controls multiciliogenesis in the airway epithelium

Multiciliated cells are terminally differentiated, post‐mitotic cells that form hundreds of motile cilia on their apical surface. Defects in multiciliated cells lead to disease, including mucociliary clearance disorders that result from ciliated cell disfunction in airways. The pathway controlling multiciliogenesis, however, remains poorly characterized. We showed that GemC1, previously implicated in cell cycle control, is a central regulator of ciliogenesis. GemC1 is specifically expressed in ciliated epithelia. Ectopic expression of GemC1 is sufficient to induce early steps of multiciliogenesis in airway epithelial cells ex vivo, upregulating McIdas and FoxJ1, key transcriptional regulators of multiciliogenesis. GemC1 directly transactivates the McIdas and FoxJ1 upstream regulatory sequences, and its activity is enhanced by E2F5 and inhibited by Geminin. GemC1‐knockout mice are born with airway epithelia devoid of multiciliated cells. Our results identify GemC1 as an essential regulator of ciliogenesis in the airway epithelium and a candidate gene for mucociliary disorders.
Stress reduction with osteopathy assessed with GDV electrophotonic imaging: effects of osteopathy treatment.

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study is to explore how osteopathy treatments influence certain measurable aspects of the human biofield; namely, various calculated parameters of finger corona discharge patterns produced by high-voltage electrophotography. METHODS The Gas Discharge Visualization camera was used to assess subjects before and after osteopathy treatment. Thirty-three (33) apparently healthy adults (20-56 years old) took part in the study. The patterns of light emitted from the subjects' fingertips were digitally recorded and computer analyzed. Parameters including normalized area, brightness, and right- and left-hand integrals were calculated and statistically compared. RESULTS Most of the recipients of these osteopathic treatments experienced increase in fingertip florescence area and average intensity, reduction in stress levels, and improved blood pressure measurements. With all of these parameters simultaneously improving, the patients received a good benefit from these sessions. CONCLUSIONS Virtually all subjects were in a good mood after treatment. Many of them had pain and muscle tension that disappeared. These changes were reflected in all parameters analyzed, in both psychosomatic and somatic states. Thus, osteopathic manipulations as administered in these two studies provide good, lasting relaxation. This study also provides the interesting observation that daily relaxation practices done by Dr. Paoletti enable him to work hard without additional stress.
An online sequence-to-sequence model for noisy speech recognition

Generative models have long been the dominant approach for speech recognition. The success of these models however relies on the use of sophisticated recipes and complicated machinery that is not easily accessible to non-practitioners. Recent innovations in Deep Learning have given rise to an alternative - discriminative models called Sequence-to-Sequence models, that can almost match the accuracy of state of the art generative models. While these models are easy to train as they can be trained end-to-end in a single step, they have a practical limitation that they can only be used for offline recognition. This is because the models require that the entirety of the input sequence be available at the beginning of inference, an assumption that is not valid for instantaneous speech recognition. To address this problem, online sequence-to-sequence models were recently introduced. These models are able to start producing outputs as data arrives, and the model feels confident enough to output partial transcripts. These models, like sequence-to-sequence are causal - the output produced by the model until any time, $t$, affects the features that are computed subsequently. This makes the model inherently more powerful than generative models that are unable to change features that are computed from the data. This paper highlights two main contributions - an improvement to online sequence-to-sequence model training, and its application to noisy settings with mixed speech from two speakers.
Copurification of ribosomal protein S2 and DNA‐dependent RNA polymerase from heat‐shocked cells of Bacillus subtilis

The DNA‐dependent RNA polymerases from heat‐shocked and vegetatively grown cells of Bacillus subtilis were isolated and compared. The RNA polymerase from non‐stressed cells had the well known a, ß, ß' and σ composition of eubacterial RNA polymerases. The RNA polymerase from heat‐shocked cells exhibited one additional band shown by SDS‐PAGE. N‐terminal sequencing of the first 16 amino acids of the associated protein demonstrated its identity with the ribosomal protein S2.
Australian English pronunciation into the 21st century

Australian English is traditionally considered to be the form of English spoken by people who are born in Australia or who immigrate at an early age and whose peer network consists of Australian English speakers (Bernard 1981). Such a simple definition implies that Australian English is a single form, which all native-born Australians will attain and exhibit. This paper will review segmental aspects of Australian English pronunciation today and discuss the inadequacies of the traditional definition. In addition, some current theoretical issues will be highlighted and suggestions will be made about the creation of a new model for conceptualising Australian English in the 21st century.
Safety of a Novel Calcium/Potassium Salt of Hydroxycitric Acid (HCA-SX): I. Two-Generation Reproduction Toxicity Study

ABSTRACT (-)-Hydroxycitric acid (HCA), a natural plant extract from the dried fruit rind of Garcinia cambogia, has been reported to inhibit fat synthesis and reduce food intake. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of a novel calcium/potassium salt of (-)-hydroxycitric acid (HCA-SX) on the reproductive systems of male and female rats, the postnatal maturation and reproductive capacity of their offspring, and possible cumulative effects through multiple generations. Sprague-Dawley rats (30/sex/group) were maintained on feed containing HCA-SX at dose levels of 0, 1000, 3000, or 10,000 ppm for 10 weeks prior to mating, during mating, and, for females, through gestation and lactation, across two generations. During the period of study, animals were examined daily for signs of clinical toxicity and their body weight and feed consumption were recorded twice a week. For the parents (F0 and F1) and the offspring (F1 and F2a), reproductive parameters such as fertility and mating, gestation, parturition, litters, lactation, sexual maturity, and development of offspring were assessed. At termination, necropsy and histopathological examinations were performed on all animals. Dietary exposure of HCA-SX to parental male and female rats of both (F0 and F1) the generations during the premating and mating periods, for both sexes, and during gestation and lactation in case of female rats, did not reveal any remarkable incidence of mortality or abnormal clinical signs. Compared to respective controls, HCA-SX exposure did not affect feed consumption or body weight at any of the exposure levels. HCA-SX exposure did not affect reproductive performance as evaluated by sexual maturity, fertility and mating, gestation, parturition, litter properties, lactation, and development of the offspring. Based on the results of this study, the parental as well as the offspring no-observed-adverse-effect level for HCA-SX was determined to be greater than 10,000 ppm in diet or equivalent to 1018 and 1524 mg/kg body weight/day in male and female rats, respectively.
Substrate diversity and expression of the 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid oxygenase from Burkholderia cepacia AC1100

Burkholderia cepacia AC1100 uses the chlorinated aromatic compound 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid as a sole source of carbon and energy. The genes encoding the proteins involved in the first step (tftA and tftB [previously designated tftA1 and tftA2, respectively]) have been cloned and sequenced. The oxygenase, TftAB, is capable of converting not only 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid to 2,4,5-trichlorophenol but also a wide range of chlorinated aromatic phenoxyacetates to their corresponding phenolic derivatives, as shown by whole-cell and cell-free assays. The rate of substrate utilization by TftAB depends upon the extent of chlorination of the substrate, the positions of the chlorines, and the phenoxy group. These results indicate a mechanistic similarity between TftAB and the 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid/alpha-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase, TfdA, from Alcaligenes eutrophus JMP134. The promoter of the oxygenase genes was localized by promoter-probe analysis, and the transcriptional start site was identified by primer extension. The beta-galactosidase activity of the construct containing the promoter region cloned upstream of the beta-galactosidase gene in the promoter-probe vector pKRZ-1 showed that this construct is constitutively expressed in Escherichia coli and in AC1100. The -35 and -10 regions of the oxygenase genes show significant sequence identity to typical Escherichia coli sigma 70 promoters.
Influence of market orientation on food plant diversity of farms located on Amazonian Dark Earth in the region of Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil

Homegardens may serve as reservoirs of agro-biodiversity on highly fertile, anthropogenic Amazonian Dark Earth (ADE) soils of the Amazon basin. However, as these soils are used more intensively for market-oriented agriculture, we suspected a decrease in their agro-biodiversity. We present data obtained from surveys on 16 farms where ADE was present in the region of Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. When farms were separated into two groups by market orientation, species richness on the farms was not significantly influenced by market orientation, but there was less dominance (i.e., more diversity) for homegardens in the low-market orientation group (P < 0.1). The proportion of native species was not affected by market orientation. Hence, while the most market-oriented farms retained high species richness, homegardens located on them contained higher proportions of commercially interesting species.
DltX of Bacillus thuringiensis Is Essential for D-Alanylation of Teichoic Acids and Resistance to Antimicrobial Response in Insects

The dlt operon of Gram-positive bacteria is required for the incorporation of D-alanine esters into cell wall-associated teichoic acids (TAs). Addition of D-alanine to TAs reduces the negative charge of the cell envelope thereby preventing cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs) from reaching their target of action on the bacterial surface. In most gram-positive bacteria, this operon consists of five genes dltXABCD but the involvement of the first ORF (dltX) encoding a small protein of unknown function, has never been investigated. The aim of this study was to establish whether this protein is involved in the D-alanylation process in Bacillus thuringiensis. We, therefore constructed an in frame deletion mutant of dltX, without affecting the expression of the other genes of the operon. The growth characteristics of the dltX mutant and those of the wild type strain were similar under standard in vitro conditions. However, disruption of dltX drastically impaired the resistance of B. thuringiensis to CAMPs and significantly attenuated its virulence in two insect species. Moreover, high-performance liquid chromatography studies showed that the dltX mutant was devoid of D-alanine, and electrophoretic mobility measurements indicated that the cells carried a higher negative surface charge. Scanning electron microscopy experiments showed morphological alterations of these mutant bacteria, suggesting that depletion of D-alanine from TAs affects cell wall structure. Our findings suggest that DltX is essential for the incorporation of D-alanyl esters into TAs. Therefore, DltX plays a direct role in the resistance to CAMPs, thus contributing to the survival of B. thuringiensis in insects. To our knowledge, this work is the first report examining the involvement of dltX in the D-alanylation of TAs.
The sleep supine position has a major effect on optimal nasal continuous positive airway pressure : relationship with rapid eye movements and non-rapid eye movements sleep, body mass index, respiratory disturbance index, and age.

STUDY OBJECTIVES To evaluate the impact of sleep position on optimal nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP [op-nCPAP]) in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients and to investigate how rapid eye movements (REM) and Non-REM (NREM) sleep, body mass index (BMI), respiratory disturbance index (RDI), and age are related to this effect. DESIGN Retrospective analysis. SETTING Sleep Disorders Unit at Loewenstein Hospital Rehabilitation Center. PATIENTS Eighty-three consecutive adult OSA patients who underwent a complete nCPAP titration. From this group, 60 patients who spent at least 30 min in both the supine (Sup) and lateral (Lat) positions and 46 patients who had data on both positions during REM and NREM sleep were included in the analysis. RESULTS In most OSA patients (52; 86.7%), the recommended op-nCPAP was obtained when the patients slept in the Sup posture. The mean op-nCPAP was significantly higher in the Sup posture (10.00 +/- 2.20 cm H(2)O) than it was in the Lat posture (7.61 +/- 2.69 cm H(2)O). The op-nCPAP was significantly higher in the Sup position than it was in the Lat position in both REM and NREM sleep, as well as in the severe BMI group (BMI >/= 30) and in the less obese group (BMI < 30). Similarly, in the severe (RDI >/= 40) and less severe groups (RDI < 40), as well as in both age groups (< and > 60 years of age), the op-nCPAP was significantly higher in the Sup posture than it was in the Lat posture. Irrespective of the four parameters mentioned, the actual differences in op-nCPAP between the two body postures were almost identical, ranging between 2.31 and 2.66 cm H(2)O. CONCLUSIONS For most OSA patients, the op-nCPAP level is significantly higher in the Sup position than it is in the Lat position. This is true for REM and NREM sleep, for obese and nonobese patients, for patients with different degrees of severity, and for young and old OSA patients. Since the op-nCPAP was highest in the Sup posture during REM sleep, no nCPAP titration should be considered complete without the patient having slept in the Sup posture during REM sleep.
Subspace-Based Technique for Speckle Noise Reduction in SAR Images

Image-subspace-based approach for speckle noise removal from synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images is proposed. The underlying principle is to apply homomorphic framework in order to convert multiplicative speckle noise into additive and then to decompose the vector space of the noisy image into signal and noise subspaces. Enhancement is performed by nulling the noise subspace and estimating the clean image from the remaining signal subspace. Linear estimator minimizing image distortion while maintaining the residual noise energy below some given threshold is used to estimate the clean image. Experiments are carried out using synthetically generated data set with controlled statistics and real SAR image of Selangor area in Malaysia. The performance of the proposed technique is compared with Lee and homomorphic wavelet in terms of noise variance reduction and preservation of radiometric edges. The results indicate moderate noise reduction by the proposed filter in comparison to Lee but with a significantly less blurry effect and a comparable performance in terms of noise reduction to wavelet but with less artifacts. The results also show better preservation of edges, texture, and point targets by the proposed filter than both Lee and wavelet and less required computational time.
Expression of Multidrug Resistance Efflux Pump Gene norA Is Iron Responsive in Staphylococcus aureus

ABSTRACT Staphylococcus aureus utilizes efflux transporter NorA to pump out a wide range of structurally dissimilar drugs, conferring low-level multidrug resistance. The regulation of norA expression has yet to be fully understood although past studies have revealed that this gene is under the control of the global transcriptional regulator MgrA and the two-component system ArlRS. To identify additional regulators of norA, we screened a transposon library in strain Newman expressing the transcriptional fusion norA-lacZ for altered β-galactosidase activity. We identify a transposon insertion in fhuB, a gene that encodes a ferric hydroxamate uptake system permease, and propose that the norA transcription is iron responsive. In agreement with this observation, addition of FeCl3 repressed the induction of norA-lacZ, suggesting that bacterial iron uptake plays an important role in regulating norA transcription. In addition, a fur (ferric uptake regulator) deletion exhibited compromised norA transcription and reduced resistance to quinolone compared to the wild-type strain, indicating that fur functions as a positive regulator of norA. A putative Fur box identified in the promoter region of norA was confirmed by electrophoretic mobility shift and DNase I footprint assays. Finally, by employing a siderophore secretion assay, we reveal that NorA may contribute to the export of siderophores. Collectively, our experiments uncover some novel interactions between cellular iron level and norA regulation in S. aureus.
Cooperative Learning with Visual Attributes

Learning paradigms involving varying levels of supervision have received a lot of interest within the computer vision and machine learning communities. The supervisory information is typically considered to come from a human supervisor -- a "teacher" figure. In this paper, we consider an alternate source of supervision -- a "peer" -- i.e. a different machine. We introduce cooperative learning, where two agents trying to learn the same visual concepts, but in potentially different environments using different sources of data (sensors), communicate their current knowledge of these concepts to each other. Given the distinct sources of data in both agents, the mode of communication between the two agents is not obvious. We propose the use of visual attributes -- semantic mid-level visual properties such as furry, wooden, etc.-- as the mode of communication between the agents. Our experiments in three domains -- objects, scenes, and animals -- demonstrate that our proposed cooperative learning approach improves the performance of both agents as compared to their performance if they were to learn in isolation. Our approach is particularly applicable in scenarios where privacy, security and/or bandwidth constraints restrict the amount and type of information the two agents can exchange.