Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Comparative Study of Shade-Matching Reproducibility Using an Intraoral Scanner and a Spectrophotometer

Background: We compared the repeatability of the shade determination of resin composite restorations and acrylic teeth in light and darker shades at baseline and after an aging process through two digital tooth color-matching methods: using a Trios 3Shape intraoral scanner and using a Vita Easyshade Compact spectrophotometer. Material and Methods: Forty upper central incisor acrylic teeth in the shade A1 (n = 10) and A3 (n = 10) were randomly assigned to be restored with Filtek Bulk Fill in the shade A1 (n = 10) or A3 (n = 10). Subsequently, 20 Class V cavities were prepared in a standardized manner (mesio-distal = 3.0 mm, cervical–occlusal = 2.0 mm, depth = 1.5 mm). Cavities were restored using an universal adhesive system and resin composite in two increments and were light-cured. The shade difference between the resin composite Class V restorations in acrylic teeth of the A1 and A3 shades was evaluated at baseline and after aging. Aging was simulated using ultraviolet light for 120 h. An Easyshade device and an intraoral scanner were used under D65 illumination. Measurements were taken five times, on top of the restoration and on the acrylic teeth, in a randomized manner. Results: Data analysis was on the calculation of the arithmetic mean for the percentage of repeatability conducted by the Trios scanner and the Easyshade device. There was no statistically significant comparison between the shade measurement devices (p > 0.05). At baseline, the repeatability for both the Trios intraoral scanner and the Vita Easyshade Compact device for artificial teeth in the shades A1 and A3 was 100%. After aging, the trueness recorded by the intraoral scanner and the Easyshade device for artificial teeth in the shade A1 was 80%. For Class V restoration with shade A1, the intraoral scanner recorded 80% trueness and the Easyshade device recorded 60% trueness at baseline. For shade A3, the intraoral scanner recorded 60% trueness and the Easyshade device recorded 60% trueness. Conclusions: The intraoral scanner and Easyshade device are reliable for baseline shade selection, but their accuracy decreases after aging, particularly for darker shades.
Demystifying the likelihood of reidentification in neuroimaging data: A technical and regulatory analysis

Abstract Sharing research data has been widely promoted in the field of neuroimaging and has enhanced the rigor and reproducibility of neuroimaging studies. Yet the emergence of novel software tools and algorithms, such as face recognition, has raised concerns due to their potential to reidentify defaced neuroimaging data that are thought to have been deidentified. Despite the surge of privacy concerns, however, the risk of reidentification via these tools and algorithms has not yet been examined outside the limited settings for demonstration purposes. There is also a pressing need to carefully analyze regulatory implications of this new reidentification attack because concerns about the anonymity of data are the main reason that researchers think they are legally constrained from sharing their data. This study aims to tackle these gaps through rigorous technical and regulatory analyses. Using a simulation analysis, we first tested the generalizability of the matching accuracies in defaced neuroimaging data reported in a recent face recognition study (Schwarz et al., 2021). The results showed that the real-world likelihood of reidentification in defaced neuroimaging data via face recognition would be substantially lower than that reported in the previous studies. Next, by taking a US jurisdiction as a case study, we analyzed whether the novel reidentification threat posed by face recognition would place defaced neuroimaging data out of compliance under the current regulatory regime. Our analysis suggests that defaced neuroimaging data using existing tools would still meet the regulatory requirements for data deidentification. A brief comparison with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was also provided. Then, we examined the implication of NIH’s new Data Management and Sharing Policy on the current practice of neuroimaging data sharing based on the results of our simulation and regulatory analyses. Finally, we discussed future directions of open data sharing in neuroimaging.
Envelope-Based Multichannel Noise Reduction for Cochlear Implant Applications

Cochlear implants (CI) are implantable electronic prostheses that aim to restore communication in people with severe to profound hearing loss. This is achieved by transforming the acoustic signals into electrical stimuli and applying them directly to the cochlea through a set of electrodes. Despite its effectiveness under optimal environmental conditions, its performance is severely degraded in the presence of noise. This work proposes an envelope-based minimum-variance distortionless response (MVDR) approach for multichannel noise reduction in CI applications. The original constraint in the conventional time-domain MVDR beamformer is modified to ensure that the second-order statistical moments of the processed and original speech-only envelopes are equivalent. Assuming strict computational limitations, as those found in commercial multi-electrode systems, a low computational-cost particular case of the proposed method results in a power-based MVDR that has a semi-analytical solution. The resulting algorithm provides a fast calculation method for its optimal coefficients without losing significant performance compared to its general form. Results obtained from computational simulations and objective performance criteria indicate higher intelligibility levels achieved by the proposed methods compared to the conventional time-domain MVDR beamformer. This evidence is corroborated by psychoacoustic experiments with ten normal-hearing volunteers listening to vocoded speech, and one CI user employing a research interface.
Sport events and social legacies

Sport events are used more and more in both developing and developed contexts to promote development (especially economic growth), enhance social cohesion and healthy lifestyles and profile locations as tourist destinations. Associated with an increased number of sport events and academic interest is greater focus on legacies, that is, what are the likely impacts (both positive and negative) of sport events. There are a range of legacies associated with sport events that include economic, social, political, tourism, infrastructural and sport impacts. There is a tendency to focus on the economic and infrastructural impacts and social legacies are often neglected. This is particularly the case the bigger the sport events. Furthermore, there is increased debate in the literature about what constitutes a sport event legacy and how can they be encouraged and assessed. In terms of the latter, the importance of undertaking research on legacy impacts is highlighted and methodological approaches are debated. This article draws on the growing body of literature on sport events and legacies to examine social aspects, an under-researched component of legacy research, in relation to key debates and issues as well as methodological aspects. Given the recent successful hosting of Africa’s first mega-event, the 2010 Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) World Cup, the article reflects on the social legacies associated with this event.
The Impact of Energetic Particle Precipitation on Mesospheric OH – Variability of the Sources and the Background Atmosphere

Using a new analysis technique, we estimate the precipitating particle fluxes measured by the Medium Energy Proton and Electron Detector on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellites. These fluxes are used to quantify the direct impact of energetic particle precipitation (EPP) on mesospheric hydroxyl (OH) measured from the Aura satellite during 2005–2009 in the Northern Hemisphere, covering the declining and minimum phase of solar cycle 23. Using multiple linear regression of nighttime OH volume mixing ratio with temperature, geopotential height, water vapor (H2O) volume mixing ratio, Lyman‐alpha (Ly‐α) radiation, and particle energy deposition, we account for the background variability and hence the EPP impact independent of season and other short‐term variability. We investigate the relative importance of solar proton events, energetic electron precipitation and the background to OH variability. The background dominates over EPP above 70‐km altitude. Below 70 km, EPP dominates. The maximum EPP contribution is 44% and 34% in the geographic and corrected geomagnetic (CGM) settings respectively at 67 km. Protons dominate over electrons at mesospheric altitudes with maximum contributions of 43% and 32% at 67 km in the geographic and CGM settings, respectively. In a CGM setting, the electrons contribution is comparable to that of protons above 70 km, with a maximum contribution of 11% at 75 km. Since the period investigated is during relatively low solar activity, these results represent a lower estimate of the general EPP contribution to OH variability.
Optimizing The Growth of Palm Palm Seedlings by Providing Several Types of Market Waste Fertilizer and Planting Media

Oil palm is a plant that holds a significant position in the agricultural and horticultural industries. The objective of this study was to examine the correlation between the composition of the planting medium and the utilization of commercial fertilizer waste on the growth of oil palm in nurseries. Additionally, the study aimed to determine the impact of different waste fertilizers on the market and the composition of the growing media for oil palm trees in the nursery. The research was conducted at the Education and Research Garden (KP2) in Wedomartani Village, Depok District, Sleman Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta. The research site is at an altitude of 118 meters above sea level, and the study was conducted from March to June 2023. A factorial randomized design (CRD), consisting of two factors, was employed for this study. The first factor involved market waste, which was categorized into three levels: fish waste (70g), vegetable waste (70g), and fruit fertilizer (70g). The second factor focused on the composition of the planting media, which also had three levels: latosol 100g: beach sand 1900g, latosol 150g: beach sand 1850g, and latosol 200g: beach sand 1800g. The study included five repetitions, resulting in a total of 45 plants. The research data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) at a significance level of 5%. The study's results revealed an interaction between the combination of market waste fertilizer and the composition of the oil palm planting media in the pre-nursery stage. Significant interactions and effects were observed between the combinations of fertilizer market waste and the composition of the growing media on leaf area and soil pH. Furthermore, the market waste fertilizer significantly impacted the number of leaves, stem diameter, shoot fresh weight, shoot dry weight, plant fresh weight, and plant dry weight. Additionally, the composition of the media had a significant influence on stem diameter and soil pH.
Safety and Efficacy of High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound and Monopolar Radiofrequency Combination Therapy for Skin Tightening: A Retrospective Study in Malaysia

Background High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) and monopolar radiofrequency (MRF) are common treatment modalities that have shown significant results in skin tightening. Nevertheless, the novel combination of these two treatments is new to the Malaysian landscape. Thus, this study aims to investigate the safety and efficacy of this novel combination treatment for the Malaysian population. Methods This retrospective study included data on HIFU and MRF combination therapy for skin tightening collected from an aesthetic clinic in Johor Bahru, Malaysia from June 2018 to May 2021. Efficacy was assessed using the Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS) and Glogau classification, while the safety of the treatment was analysed using pain scores and adverse events (AEs). Results A total of 56 patients with a mean age of 47.7 years old (SD 10.00) were included in this study. The majority of the patients had Fitzpatrick skin types III and IV. Most of the patients were Chinese, followed by Malay, Indian and others. Most patients (96.4%) showed clinically significant improvement in skin tightening after treatment, with 15 patients scoring 1 (very much improved) and 39 scoring 2 (improved). All patients reported transient mild erythema, with no serious AEs, such as burn, swelling, numbness or muscle weakness. Among the patients, 80% reported a pain score of 5, while 10% reported pain scores of 4 and 6. Conclusion Combining HIFU with MRF therapy improved GAIS scores by 96.4%, indicating a secure and efficient skin-tightening method. Transient erythema was shown to be the most common side effect of this combination.
Membranes and Synaptosomes Used to Investigate Synaptic GABAergic Currents in Epileptic Patients

Among the most prevalent neurological disorders, epilepsy affects about 1% of the population worldwide. We previously found, using human epileptic tissues, that GABAergic neurotransmission impairment is a key mechanism that drives the pathological phenomena that ultimately lead to generation and recurrence of seizures. Using both a “microtransplantation technique” and synaptosomes preparations from drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsies (TLEs), we used the technique of two-electrode voltage clamp to record GABA-evoked currents, focusing selectively on the synaptic “fast inhibition” mediated by low-affinity GABAA receptors. Here, we report that the use-dependent GABA current desensitization (i.e., GABA rundown, which is evoked by applying to the cells consecutive pulses of GABA, at high concentration), which is a distinguishing mark of TLE, is mainly dependent on a dysfunction that affects synaptic GABAA receptors. In addition, using the same approaches, we recorded a depolarized GABA reversal potential in synaptosomes samples from the human epileptic subicula of TLE patients. These results, which confirm previous experiments using total membranes, suggest an altered chloride homeostasis in the synaptic area. Finally, the lack of a Zn2+ block of GABA-evoked currents using the synaptosomes supports the enrichment of “synaptic fast inhibitory” GABAA receptors in this preparation. Altogether, our findings suggest a pathophysiological role of low-affinity GABAA receptors at the synapse, especially during the fast and repetitive GABA release underlying recurrent seizures.
Novel bimetallic plasmonic nanomaterials

Plasmonic nanomaterials have attracted a lot of attention recently due to their application in various fields such as chemical and biological sensing, catalysis, energy harvesting and optical devices. However, there is a need to address several outstanding issues with these materials, including cost-effective synthesis, tunability in plasmonic characteristics, and long term stability. In this thesis, we have focused on bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs) of Ag and Co due to their immiscibility as well as their individual properties. First, a pulsed laser induced dewetting route was used to synthesize Ag-Co bimetallic plasmonic NPs. An synthesis parameter space was derived to show the range of achievable particle diameter and composition. Subsequently, the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) characteristics were studied by broadband spectroscopy which showed that LSPR in Ag-Co NPs can be readily tuned over a wavelength range one order magnitude greater than that for pure Ag NPs. In another important result, significantly better optical stability with 10 times higher life-time in Ag-Co bimetallic NPs was observed as compared to pure Ag NPs under ambient conditions due to cathodic protection of Ag by galvanic coupling of Ag and Co within the NPs. During this study, various new methods, that can be broadly applied to other material systems, were developed to aid in sample preparation and analysis. One was a novel and simple technique to make NPs on electron transparent substrates (i.e. Carbon) for improved the quality of TEM and EELS analysis. A method to quantitatively analyze low-loss EELS spectra was also developed in which necessary number of Lorentzians were fitted in spectrum to obtain detailed information of surface plasmons. By EELS analysis of bimetallic Ag-Co NPs, the first known discovery of a ferroplasmon, i.e. strong visible and ultraviolet wavelength plasmons in ferromagnetic materials, was made. It was observed that Co, when in contact with Ag in a NP, shows strong surface plasmons, which was highly unusual based on the known highly damped plasmonic nature of pure Co. These investigations helped advancing the science of bimetallic plasmonic nanomaterials and unequivocally demonstrate Ag-Co NP system as a promising material for plasmonics based applications.
A Possible Therapeutic Application of the Selective Inhibitor of Urate Transporter 1, Dotinurad, for Metabolic Syndrome, Chronic Kidney Disease, and Cardiovascular Disease

The reabsorption of uric acid (UA) is mainly mediated by urate transporter 1 (URAT1) and glucose transporter 9 (GLUT9) in the kidneys. Dotinurad inhibits URAT1 but does not inhibit other UA transporters, such as GLUT9, ATP-binding cassette transporter G2 (ABCG2), and organic anion transporter 1/3 (OAT1/3). We found that dotinurad ameliorated the metabolic parameters and renal function in hyperuricemic patients. We consider the significance of the highly selective inhibition of URAT1 by dotinurad for metabolic syndrome, chronic kidney disease (CKD), and cardiovascular disease (CVD). The selective inhibition of URAT1 by dotinurad increases urinary UA in the proximal tubules, and this un-reabsorbed UA may compete with urinary glucose for GLUT9, reducing glucose reabsorption. The inhibition by dotinurad of UA entry via URAT1 into the liver and adipose tissues increased energy expenditure and decreased lipid synthesis and inflammation in rats. Such effects may improve metabolic parameters. CKD patients accumulate uremic toxins, including indoxyl sulfate (IS), in the body. ABCG2 regulates the renal and intestinal excretion of IS, which strongly affects CKD. OAT1/3 inhibitors suppress IS uptake into the kidneys, thereby increasing plasma IS, which produces oxidative stress and induces vascular endothelial dysfunction in CKD patients. The highly selective inhibition of URAT1 by dotinurad may be beneficial for metabolic syndrome, CKD, and CVD.
Elevating Chest X-ray Image Super-Resolution with Residual Network Enhancement

Chest X-ray (CXR) imaging plays a pivotal role in diagnosing various pulmonary diseases, which account for a significant portion of the global mortality rate, as recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO). Medical practitioners routinely depend on CXR images to identify anomalies and make critical clinical decisions. Dramatic improvements in super-resolution (SR) have been achieved by applying deep learning techniques. However, some SR methods are very difficult to utilize due to their low-resolution inputs and features containing abundant low-frequency information, similar to the case of X-ray image super-resolution. In this paper, we introduce an advanced deep learning-based SR approach that incorporates the innovative residual-in-residual (RIR) structure to augment the diagnostic potential of CXR imaging. Specifically, we propose forming a light network consisting of residual groups built by residual blocks, with multiple skip connections to facilitate the efficient bypassing of abundant low-frequency information through multiple skip connections. This approach allows the main network to concentrate on learning high-frequency information. In addition, we adopted the dense feature fusion within residual groups and designed high parallel residual blocks for better feature extraction. Our proposed methods exhibit superior performance compared to existing state-of-the-art (SOTA) SR methods, delivering enhanced accuracy and notable visual improvements, as evidenced by our results.
The Genetics of Tuberous Sclerosis Complex and Related mTORopathies: Current Understanding and Future Directions

The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway serves as a master regulator of cell growth, proliferation, and survival. Upregulation of the mTOR pathway has been shown to cause malformations of cortical development, medically refractory epilepsies, and neurodevelopmental disorders, collectively described as mTORopathies. Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) serves as the prototypical mTORopathy. Characterized by the development of benign tumors in multiple organs, pathogenic variants in TSC1 or TSC2 disrupt the TSC protein complex, a negative regulator of the mTOR pathway. Variants in critical domains of the TSC complex, especially in the catalytic TSC2 subunit, correlate with increased disease severity. Variants in less crucial exons and non-coding regions, as well as those undetectable with conventional testing, may lead to milder phenotypes. Despite the assumption of complete penetrance, expressivity varies within families, and certain variants delay disease onset with milder neurological effects. Understanding these genotype–phenotype correlations is crucial for effective clinical management. Notably, 15% of patients have no mutation identified by conventional genetic testing, with the majority of cases postulated to be caused by somatic TSC1/TSC2 variants which present complex diagnostic challenges. Advancements in genetic testing, prenatal screening, and precision medicine hold promise for changing the diagnostic and treatment paradigm for TSC and related mTORopathies. Herein, we explore the genetic and molecular mechanisms of TSC and other mTORopathies, emphasizing contemporary genetic methods in understanding and diagnosing the condition.
How much of Typhoon Morakot's extreme rainfall is attributable to anthropogenic climate change?

Typhoon Morakot (2009), which made landfall in Taiwan during August 7–9, 2009, produced the highest rainfall and became the deadliest typhoon ever recorded in Taiwan since 1958. To assess the role of anthropogenic climate change in the typhoon‐related torrent, we compare the water budget between a pair of cloud‐resolving sensitivity experiments. The pair consists of a control simulation that reproduces Typhoon Morakot (2009) in current climate and a sensitivity simulation in which the same storm is placed in a slightly different climate background where the late 20th century anthropogenic climate change signal is removed. The anthropogenic signal is estimated with the CMIP5 experiments of 18 models for the period of 1985–2005, during which the global warming trend is discernible. In climate states that differ merely by a 20‐year mean anthropogenic change, Morakot (2009) yields 3.4–3.6% more total rainfall in the control experiment than its sensitivity counterpart within a radius of 300–500 km from the storm centre. Water budget analysis indicates that the increase in typhoon rainfall is mainly resulted from the enhanced convergence of vapour flux. The enhancement is, in turn, contributed by the increased tropospheric moisture due to global warming and, to a lesser extent, by a more active secondary circulation in the storm that is associated with the anthropogenic climate change.