Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of Endodontically Treated Premolars and Molars With Untreated Canals and Their Association With Apical Periodontitis Using Cone-Beam Computed Tomography

Background This retrospective study evaluated the prevalence of untreated canals in root-canal-treated maxillary and mandibular posterior teeth and their association with apical periodontitis (AP) in a Saudi Arabian population. This study is based on a radiographic examination of scans taken using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Methodology The study comprised CBCT scans obtained from 300 individuals (150 women and 150 men) aged 18 to 80 years. Images were evaluated for the presence of AP related to untreated canals of endodontically treated maxillary and mandibular posterior teeth. Disruption in the lamina dura surrounding the breadth of periodontal ligaments at the apical third of the roots was described as a periapical lesion. The outcomes were presented in the form of frequencies and percentages. To assess proportional differences, the chi-square test was performed, with the significance level set at ≤0.05. Results The overall percentage of untreated canals among endodontically treated teeth was 12.46%. The prevalence of untreated canals was the highest in maxillary second molars (38.1%) (p = 0.045). The prevalence of AP among teeth with untreated canals was 85.4%, with 88.5% in the maxilla (p = 0.0347) and 81.8% in the mandible (p = 0.010). Conclusions The prevalence of AP in root-canal-treated teeth with missed canals was high (85.4%), with most identified untreated canals in maxillary and mandibular first molars.
Psychological Predictors of Intention to Use Fitness Apps: The Role of Subjective Knowledge and Innovativeness

Abstract Health and fitness apps have grown exponentially during covid-19 lockdowns. Using a sample of 331 European fitness apps users, this study investigated the psychological drivers of users’ intention on fitness apps. This study draws upon the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and innovation diffusion theory. Its findings reveal that subjective knowledge and personal innovativeness predict perceived Usefulness, health consciousness, and ease of use. The strongest predictor of intention to use an app is perceived Usefulness, which mediates the influence of subjective knowledge and innovativeness on intention to use. Health consciousness predicts ease of use; however, the latter does not predict behavioural intention. This is one of the first studies on European users of fitness apps and investigating the psychological antecedents of TAM, i.e., innovativeness, subjective knowledge, and consciousness.
Detection and differentiation of ataxic and hypokinetic dysarthria in cerebellar ataxia and parkinsonian disorders via wave splitting and integrating neural networks

Dysarthria may present during the natural course of many degenerative neurological conditions. Hypokinetic and ataxic dysarthria are common in movement disorders and represent the underlying neuropathology. We developed an artificial intelligence (AI) model to distinguish ataxic dysarthria and hypokinetic dysarthria from normal speech and differentiate ataxic and hypokinetic speech in parkinsonian diseases and cerebellar ataxia. We screened 804 perceptual speech analyses performed in the Samsung Medical Center Neurology Department between January 2017 and December 2020. The data of patients diagnosed with parkinsonian disorders or cerebellar ataxia were included. Two speech tasks (numbering from 1 to 50 and reading nine sentences) were analyzed. We adopted convolutional neural networks and developed a patch-wise wave splitting and integrating AI system for audio classification (PWSI-AI-AC) to differentiate between ataxic and hypokinetic speech. Of the 395 speech recordings for the reading task, 76, 112, and 207 were from normal, ataxic dysarthria, and hypokinetic dysarthria subjects, respectively. Of the 409 recordings of the numbering task, 82, 111, and 216 were from normal, ataxic dysarthria, and hypokinetic dysarthria subjects, respectively. The reading and numbering task recordings were classified with 5-fold cross-validation using PWSI-AI-AC as follows: hypokinetic dysarthria vs. others (area under the curve: 0.92 ± 0.01 and 0.92 ± 0.02), ataxia vs. others (0.93 ± 0.04 and 0.89 ± 0.02), hypokinetic dysarthria vs. ataxia (0.96 ± 0.02 and 0.95 ± 0.01), hypokinetic dysarthria vs. none (0.86 ± 0.03 and 0.87 ± 0.05), and ataxia vs. none (0.87 ± 0.07 and 0.87 ± 0.09), respectively. PWSI-AI-AC showed reliable performance in differentiating ataxic and hypokinetic dysarthria and effectively augmented data to classify the types even with limited training samples. The proposed fully automatic AI system outperforms neurology residents. Our model can provide effective guidelines for screening related diseases and differential diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases.
Android as a Receptionist in a Shopping Mall Using Inverse Reinforcement Learning

For human-robot interaction (HRI), it is difficult to hand-craft all the rules for robots owing to diverse situations. Therefore, inverse reinforcement learning (IRL) is a potential solution that helps transfer human knowledge about interactions to robots. However, the feasibility of practically using IRL for HRI remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate a practical HRI application of IRL. An android was trained using IRL and acted as a receptionist to encourage visitors to practice hand hygiene in a shopping mall. We found that android learning through IRL has a competitive ability to a well-trained human operator on the reception task. Furthermore, we found that the android maintained high performance regardless of customer traffic. Our results demonstrate the potential of IRL in advancing the social HRI field. We anticipate that our work will be a starting point for using IRL in future HRI applications.
Influence of Wound Fluid on the Transdifferentiation of Human Mesenchymal Bone Marrow Stem Cells into Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) in the tumor microenvironment have a decisive influence on tumor growth and metastatic behavior. The cellular origins as well as the stimuli leading to CAF formation are heterogenous, impeding a precise characterization. Aim of this study was to analyze the influence of cytokines secreted in the process of wound healing, tumor cell-associated paracrine-secreted factors, and direct cell-cell contact on the expression of the CAF-associated markers fibroblast activation protein (FAP), α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), thrombospondin-1 (THBS1), and tenascin-c (TNC) by RT-PCR in mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). Cells developed different morphological characteristics after incubation with wound fluid (WF). Moreover, expression of FAP and α-SMA in MSC was significantly reduced after WF compared to tumor-conditioned medium and in co-culture with tumor cells; THBS1 and TNC were not significantly altered after any of the different incubation methods. There were no alterations of expression patterns of FAP and α-SMA in the immunohistochemical analysis. Differences in the cytokine composition of the media were found in the dot blot. The heterogeneity of the results emphasizes the complexity of the interactions of tumor cells and cells of the microenvironment, particularly through the addition of human-derived WF.
Biomonitoring of Fetal Exposure to Carbon Monoxide in the First Trimester of Pregnancy in the Core Niger Delta

Background: In the Niger Delta area of Nigeria, human medical biomonitoring, including that of maternal Carboxyhemoglobin (MCOHb) had never been performed irrespective of devastating environmental pollution in the region. Aim: The goals of the study were to quantify the impact of maternal exposure to CO in the first trimester of pregnancy in the core Niger Delta by measuring MCOHb concentrations and to assess the effect of maternal demographic and obstetric characteristics on the impact. Material and methods: The study was of cross-sectional design carried out at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH) in Nigeria. 490 consecutive pregnant women in the first trimester were recruited from the antenatal clinic from January 2021 to January 2022. Gestational age was estimated with the aid of an ultrasound scan. Demographic, social and obstetric characteristics were taken. MCOHb concentrations were measured with the aid of a smokerlyser. Data was analyzed, using SPSS version 25.0 (Armonk, NY) software. Ethical approval was obtained from the RSUTH Ethics Committee. Results: The mean value of MCOHb concentration was 1.15±0.40% Out of the 490 patients that were assessed, 461(94.08%) had mild impact from CO exposure (MCOHb= 0.78-1.5%), 18 (3.67%) – moderate impact (MCOHb = 1.75-2.23%) and 11 (2.24%) had severe impact (MCOHb = 2.39% and above). Moderate and severe impact were most prominent in women of 25-29 and 35-39 years of age respectively at which they occurred in 11 out of 145 (7.59%) and 7 out of 103 women (6.80%) respectively and the differences at various age groups were statistically significant [X2=23.119, p<0.010, 95%CI (0.038,0.046)]. The differences in the severity of maternal impact among women with different BMI classes were statistically significant [X2=56.707, p<0.001, 95%CI (0.001,0.001)] with those with class III BMI most likely to have severe impact [4(22.22%) out of 18 patients]. There was inverse relationship between parity and the severity of the impact of CO exposure but the differences at various parity groups were not statistically significant [X2=10.580, p<0.012, 95%CI (0.101,0.113)]. There was also a paradoxical finding of 3 smokers having only mild impact. Conclusion: The mean value of MCOHb was 1.15±0.40. Mild, moderate and severe impact from maternal CO exposure was established with the moderate and severe impacts more prominent at maternal ages of 25-39 years, at higher BMI and at lower parity.
High Ethanol Production by Marine-Derived Yeasts-Saccharomyces cerevisiae under Stress Pressures

For practical applications of bioethanol, the uses of both highly concentrated biomass materials and their effective fermentation by yeasts are indispensable in order to produce ethanol at low costs. However, as the saccharified products of those biomass generally contain abundant sugars, the yeasts are affected by the compounds and are inclined to decrease their physiological activities. In the process of fermentation, ethanol is gradually produced by the yeasts in the culture; the concentrated metabolic product also damages itself, and inhibition of the fermentation frequently occurs. The application of yeasts with high fermentative activities under stress pressures such as sugars and ethanol is thus desired for bioethanol production. In this study, various types of high-fermentative yeasts under stress pressures were isolated mainly from coastal waters in Japan and characterized. All yeast strains with high fermentative activities under 20% v/v ethanol were found to be Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The HK21 strain isolated from Tokyo Bay and identified as S. cerevisiae had the highest fermentation activity under 30% w/v sorbitol and under 20% v/v ethanol, and it produced approx. 70 g/l (9% v/v) ethanol from the 15% w/v glucose solution at 25 oC within 5 days.
Impacts of COVID-19 on Owner's Veterinary Healthcare Seeking Behavior for Dogs With Chronic Conditions: An Exploratory Mixed-Methods Study With a Convenience Sample

This mixed-method study explored the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on owners' veterinary healthcare seeking, with particular focus on dogs with chronic conditions. A convenience sample of 719 UK dog owners completed an online survey (December 2020-January 2021). Differences in treatment provision and respondents' decisions to seek care across acute, preventative, chronic conditions and for end-of-life care were explored. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify factors associated with seeking care for any health issue compared to deciding against it, and urgency to seek care given symptom that could indicate chronic conditions. Open-ended questions were analyzed by thematic analysis. Significant (p-value < 0.05) differences in care seeking decisions were identified regarding access to veterinary care and the way treatment was provided across all health issues. The top reasons for not seeking care across all health issues were a lack of access to a veterinarian (30%, n = 56/187) and a reluctance for a dog to go to the clinic unaccompanied (20%, n = 38/187). Variables related to stronger dog-owner relationship, higher confidence in seeking care, perception of: benefits of veterinary care, dog's high susceptibility to illness and high severity of dog's condition, increased the odds of seeking, and urgency to seek, care. A dog's chronic illness diagnosis reduced the odds of seeking care during the pandemic, reportedly due to difficulties in accessing care for non-urgent issues. Qualitative analysis showed that limited access to routine consultations, delays in test results and restricted access to complementary treatments, led some owners of dogs with chronic conditions to believe that their dog's welfare had deteriorated during the pandemic. Pandemic control measures necessitated changes to how consultations were run. These changes were often viewed favorably, but dog-client separation during consultations were considered problematic, sometimes delaying veterinary advice-seeking, including for euthanasia. Separating owners from their dogs during veterinary consultations should be avoided wherever possible due to impacts on dogs, owners and healthcare seeking. Interventions to improve veterinary healthcare seeking could target attitudes toward benefits of seeking care, improve owners' self-efficacy and capitalize on the dog-owner bond. Such interventions should be implemented alongside interventions aimed at removing structural barriers to accessing healthcare.
Synergistic effect of Ficus sycomorus (Moraceae) leaf and stem-bark extracts against Some Selected Pathogens

The aim of the study was to assess the antibacterial effect of Ficus sycomorusextracts and their synergistic antibiotics against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The extract of medicinal plants were prepared using Soxhlet apparatus for alcoholic extract, and water reflux for aqueous extracts. The results of this study showed that ethanolic extracts of Ficus were showed against E. coli, S. aureusand P. aeruginosa, While Aquatic extract showed synergistic effect with some antibiotics better than organic solvent. The results of this study showed that there is a decrease in MIC in case of methanolic extract of F. sycomorusextracts against selected bacteria. Thereby, our results indicate the possibility of using these extracts in the treatment of bacterial infections, and the results of this study was encouraging, despite the need for clinical studies to determine of the real effectiveness and potential toxic effects in vivo. These results was revealed the importance of plant extracts when associated with antibiotic and in control of bacteria
Novelty-Related fMRI Responses of Precuneus and Medial Temporal Regions in Individuals at Risk for Alzheimer Disease

Background and Objectives We assessed whether novelty-related fMRI activity in medial temporal lobe regions and the precuneus follows an inverted U-shaped pattern across the clinical spectrum of increased Alzheimer disease (AD) risk as previously suggested. Specifically, we tested for potentially increased activity in individuals with a higher AD risk due to subjective cognitive decline (SCD) or mild cognitive impairment (MCI). We further tested whether activity differences related to diagnostic groups were accounted for by CSF markers of AD or brain atrophy. Methods We studied 499 participants aged 60–88 years from the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases Longitudinal Cognitive Impairment and Dementia Study (DELCODE) who underwent task-fMRI. Participants included 163 cognitively normal (healthy control, HC) individuals, 222 SCD, 82 MCI, and 32 patients with clinical diagnosis of mild AD. CSF levels of β-amyloid 42/40 ratio and phosphorylated-tau181 were available from 232 participants. We used region-based analyses to assess novelty-related activity (novel > highly familiar scenes) in entorhinal cortex, hippocampus, and precuneus as well as whole-brain voxel-wise analyses. First, general linear models tested differences in fMRI activity between participant groups. Complementary regression models tested quadratic relationships between memory impairment and activity. Second, relationships of activity with AD CSF biomarkers and brain volume were analyzed. Analyses were controlled for age, sex, study site, and education. Results In the precuneus, we observed an inverted U-shaped pattern of novelty-related activity across groups, with higher activity in SCD and MCI compared with HC, but not in patients with AD who showed relatively lower activity than MCI. This nonlinear pattern was confirmed by a quadratic relationship between memory impairment and precuneus activity. Precuneus activity was not related to AD biomarkers or brain volume. In contrast to the precuneus, hippocampal activity was reduced in AD dementia compared with all other groups and related to AD biomarkers. Discussion Novelty-related activity in the precuneus follows a nonlinear pattern across the clinical spectrum of increased AD risk. Although the underlying mechanism remains unclear, increased precuneus activity might represent an early signature of memory impairment. Our results highlight the nonlinearity of activity alterations that should be considered in clinical trials using functional outcome measures or targeting hyperactivity.
The role of institutions in international coconut trade: a gravity model approach

There is hardly a debate surrounding the influence of institutional quality on a country s economy. In the last few decades, many studies have attempted to assess the effects of institutions on international trade. Yet, few studies have attempted to look at single commodities. We study the role of different institutional actors on global trade of coconuts products. The coconuts trade has its history from colonial roots and has recently been changed by the trend of branding coconuts as a healthy alternative to other oil fats. We utilize an extended gravity model to measure how institutions affect the trade performance of 26 coconut exporting countries to the top three coconut importing countries. We fail to find a significance when measuring the effect of the quality of domestic institutions on the coconut trade flow. At the same time, foreign institutions can have an influence through agreements such as the EU-ACP partnership. Acknowledgement : I would like to thank Prof. Dr. Stephan von Cramon-Taubadel for his guidance and encouragement thourghout the process of this paper. I would also like to acknolwedge Luis de los Santos for the many inspiring discussions that we've had during the past year. Thank you to Dela-Dem Doe Fiankor and Eva Hasiner for assistsing me on the specifics of the gravity model. Thanks also to everyone at GlobalFood RTG for all the thought provoking discussions!
International Portfolio Allocation and Income Smoothing: Evidence from Recent Changes in Euro Region

In this paper, we make two contributions to the literature. First, we construct a new measurement to capture income smoothing effectively. Second, we present new empirical evidence on the linkages between international asset trading and income smoothing. We use factor income inflows instead of the commonly used net factor income and arrive at results, among others, similar to previous studies in the literature: (a) risk sharing and equity portfolio home bias are strongly correlated for EU members; and (b) Specialization in output plays a significant role in income smoothing. Our findings also confirm that the increased level of economic integration witnessed in the Euro area as a result of the monetary union fosters output specialization across EU members and leads to asymmetric output fluctuations. Cross-border financial assets’ trading within the Euro Area, though smaller in comparison to the overall OECD block, serves as a shock absorber as factor income flows to smooth domestic consumption and income. However, although we have observed a decrease in home bias for OECD members, we could not find any evidence of higher income smoothing as a result.
Effects of drying methods on the quality characteristics of mango powder

Mango pulp of 12.5°Brix was used to obtain mango powders by freeze drying, spray drying and vacuum drying. The freeze dried product had superior quality, however the spray dried product was stable and more economical. A readily re-hydrateable mango oowder of 2.16% moisture content could be produced by freeze drying. The methods used for drying of mango pulp were found to significantly affect the colour parameters. Freeze drying seems to prevent colour changes, resulting in product with improved quality characteristics. The loss of ascorbic acid during freeze and vacuum drying were 21.5 and 31.3% respectively. The total carotenoid content decreased from 51.2 to 40.7 ug/g during freeze drying of the mango pulp. Vacuum drying caused extensive browning in the dried pulp and produced less acceptable powder compared to freeze and spray drying. Addition of maltodextrin in proportion to concentration reduced the stickiness and solubility of the final product. Sensory panelists ranked the juice prepared from the freeze dried powder highest and there were no significant differences (P>0.05) between the juice prepared from spray drying of mango pulp upto 50% maltodextrin. This study indicated that by using appropriate experimental conditions, reasonably good mango powder could be obtained.
Removing Heavy Metals Through Different Types of Soils and Marble Powder Found in Oman

In this research, adsorption followed by filtration was used for removing heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Mn, and Cr) from the polluted water. Three types of soils (silty, sandy and clay) and three types of marble powder (pure, impure, marble-granite mix) were used as an adsorbent. The soil and marble samples were collected from different regions of Oman. The maximum adsorption obtained was 96.01% for Zn using pure marble powder and the minimum adsorption obtained was 6.70% for Mn using impure marble powder. Through different soils, the maximum adsorption of 88.61% was achieved for Zn using clay and the lowest one is for Cr 16.51% using silty soil. The results suggest that among the marble powders, the pure ones show the maximum (96.01% for Zn) and marble-granite show the minimum (Mn 6.70%) adsorption performance. Among the adsorbents, Zn is the best adsorbate (96.01%) while the worst among the group is Mn, which merely adsorbed 6.70% with the selected adsorbents.