Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessment of All-Ceramic Dental Restorations Behavior by Development of Simulation-Based Experimental Methods

New dental materials are often introduced into the market and especially in the current practice, without a basic understanding of their clinical performance because long‐term controlled clinical trials are required, which are both time consuming and expensive. Ceramic materials are known for their relatively high fracture resistance and improved aesthetics, but brittleness remains a concern. The stressed areas of the materials are key factors for the failure analysis, and numerical simulations may play an important role in the understanding of the behavior of all‐ceramic restorations. Simulation‐based medicine and the development of complex computer models of biological structures are becoming ubiquitous for advancing biomedical engineering and clinical research. The studies have to be focused on the analysis of all‐ceramic restorations failures, investigating several parameters involved in the tooth structure–restoration complex, in order to improve clin‐ ical performances. The experiments have to be conducted and interpreted reported to the brittle behavior of ceramic systems. Varied simulation methods are promising to assess the biomechanical behavior of all‐ceramic systems, and first principal stress criterion is an alternative for ceramic materials investigations. The development of well‐designed experiments could be useful to help to predict the clinical behavior of these new all‐ ceramic restorative techniques and materials. The effect of zirconia copings design on the resistance to load in posterior crowns in order to prevent “chipping” is very important. Finite element analyses provide a biomechanical explanation of the clinical behavior of different all‐ceramic bilayer crowns. A cusp‐supporting design reduces maximum stresses in the framework, but these have to be correlated also with the thickness of the framework. The biomechanical behavior of ceramic monolithic crowns for the posterior areas can be assessed using finite element analyses. The material is important to withstand increased loads which occur during functions.
Characterization of Three Novel Linear Neutralizing B-Cell Epitopes in the Capsid Protein of Swine Hepatitis E Virus

ABSTRACT Hepatitis E virus (HEV) causes liver disease in humans and is thought to be a zoonotic infection, with domestic animals, including swine and rabbits, being a reservoir. One of the proteins encoded by the virus is the capsid protein. This is likely the major immune-dominant protein and a target for vaccination. Four monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), three novel, 1E4, 2C7, and 2G9, and one previously characterized, 1B5, were evaluated for binding to the capsid protein from genotype 4 swine HEV. The results indicated that 625DFCP628, 458PSRPF462, and 407EPTV410 peptides on the capsid protein comprised minimal amino acid sequence motifs recognized by 1E4, 2C7, and 2G9, respectively. The data suggested that 2C7 and 2G9 epitopes were partially exposed on the surface of the capsid protein. Truncated genotype 4 swine HEV capsid protein (sp239, amino acids 368 to 606) can exist in multimeric forms. Preincubation of swine HEV with 2C7, 2G9, or 1B5 before addition to HepG2 cells partially blocked sp239 cell binding and inhibited swine HEV infection. The study indicated that 2C7, 2G9, and 1B5 partially blocked swine HEV infection of rabbits better than 1E4 or normal mouse IgG. The cross-reactivity of antibodies suggested that capsid epitopes recognized by 2C7 and 2G9 are common to HEV strains infecting most host species. Collectively, MAbs 2C7, 2G9, and 1B5 were shown to recognize three novel linear neutralizing B-cell epitopes of genotype 4 HEV capsid protein. These results enhance understanding of HEV capsid protein structure to guide vaccine and antiviral design. IMPORTANCE Genotype 3 and 4 HEVs are zoonotic viruses. Here, genotype 4 HEV was studied due to its prevalence in human populations and pig herds in China. To improve HEV disease diagnosis and prevention, a better understanding of the antigenic structure and neutralizing epitopes of HEV capsid protein are needed. In this study, the locations of three novel linear B-cell recognition epitopes within genotype 4 swine HEV capsid protein were characterized. Moreover, the neutralizing abilities of three MAbs specific for this protein, 2C7, 2G9, and 1B5, were studied in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, these findings reveal structural details of genotype 4 HEV capsid protein and should facilitate development of applications for the design of vaccines and antiviral drugs for broader prevention, detection, and treatment of HEV infection of diverse human and animal hosts.
Near‐Surface Soil Moisture Assimilation for Quantifying Effective Soil Hydraulic Properties under Different Hydroclimatic Conditions

We conducted a validation study of a newly developed near‐surface soil moisture assimilation scheme for estimating effective soil hydraulic properties using soil moisture data from different hydroclimatic regions, including semihumid Oklahoma, humid Iowa and Illinois, and temperate humid China. A genetic algorithm (GA) was used to estimate the effective soil water retention θ(h) and hydraulic conductivity K(h) functions of an effective modeling domain by minimizing errors between observed near‐surface soil moisture and values simulated with the Richards‐based Soil–Water–Atmosphere–Plant (SWAP) model. The parameter estimation approach considered uncertainties in the initial and bottom boundary conditions, rooting depth, and root density by creating simulation ensembles based on combinations of several modeling conditions and a multipopulation approach in the GA to estimate uncertainties in the derived soil hydraulic properties. The results showed that θ(h) is not very sensitive to variations in the initial and boundary conditions, rooting depth, and root density applied on the modeling domain. The value of K(h) was found to be more sensitive to variations in rooting depth and root density than to variations in the initial and boundary conditions. With the modeling domain better represented, the estimated θ(h) and K(h) functions were found to be satisfactory in most of the locations studied. They were validated using laboratory‐measured θ(h) and Ksat, observed soil moisture in the field, and soil hydraulic properties from the UNSODA database. Our study indicates, however, that the homogeneous‐medium assumption commonly used to effectively describe a heterogeneous system may fail to closely represent a highly heterogeneous (layered) soil profile if only the near‐surface soil moisture data are used to define the subsurface soil hydraulic properties. Additional soil moisture data from deeper depths may be needed to better estimate the effective soil hydraulic properties of highly heterogeneous systems.
Sensing Interruptibility in the Office: A Field Study on the Use of Biometric and Computer Interaction Sensors

Knowledge workers experience many interruptions during their work day. Especially when they happen at inopportune moments, interruptions can incur high costs, cause time loss and frustration. Knowing a person's interruptibility allows optimizing the timing of interruptions and minimize disruption. Recent advances in technology provide the opportunity to collect a wide variety of data on knowledge workers to predict interruptibility. While prior work predominantly examined interruptibility based on a single data type and in short lab studies, we conducted a two-week field study with 13 professional software developers to investigate a variety of computer interaction, heart-, sleep-, and physical activity-related data. Our analysis shows that computer interaction data is more accurate in predicting interruptibility at the computer than biometric data (74.8% vs. 68.3% accuracy), and that combining both yields the best results (75.7% accuracy). We discuss our findings and their practical applicability also in light of collected qualitative data.
A default risk model with multi-loan lending operations: a system of integral scale with scope

Recent research on multi-loan lending operations has remained largely silent on the question of what ties together the retail banking functions of scale and scope lending. Our main point is that in a sense, they are just two different manifestations of banking expansion. This is especially true to the extent that banks are heavily involved in consolidation-based lending. In a multi-loan call pricing model, changes in lending scope have direct effects on the bank's interest margin related to lending scale and thus bank profits and risks. Comparative static analysis shows that scale and scope lending are complements. However, this commingling is not guaranteed to produce higher return and greater safety for the bank. As a result, bank equity return and default risk are overvalued when the integral role on the inclusion of more realistic loan portfolio management in the consolidated banking is ignored.
Representation, Control, or Reasoning? Distinct Functions for Theory of Mind within the Medial Prefrontal Cortex

The medial pFC (mPFC) is frequently reported to play a central role in Theory of Mind (ToM). However, the contribution of this large cortical region in ToM is not well understood. Combining a novel behavioral task with fMRI, we sought to demonstrate functional divisions between dorsal and rostral mPFC. All conditions of the task required the representation of mental states (beliefs and desires). The level of demands on cognitive control (high vs. low) and the nature of the demands on reasoning (deductive vs. abductive) were varied orthogonally between conditions. Activation in dorsal mPFC was modulated by the need for control, whereas rostral mPFC was modulated by reasoning demands. These findings fit with previously suggested domain-general functions for different parts of mPFC and suggest that these functions are recruited selectively in the service of ToM.
Bit Preservation: A Solved Problem?

For years, discussions of digital preservation have routinely featured comments such as “bit preservation is a solved problem; the real issues are … ”. Indeed, current digital storage technologies are not just astoundingly cheap and capacious, they are astonishingly reliable. Unfortunately, these attributes drive a kind of “Parkinson’s Law” of storage, in which demands continually push beyond the capabilities of systems implementable at an affordable price. This paper is in four parts: Claims, reviewing a typical claim of storage system reliability, showing that it provides no useful information for bit preservation purposes. Theory, proposing “bit half-life” as an initial, if inadequate, measure of bit preservation performance, expressing bit preservation requirements in terms of it, and showing that the requirements being placed on bit preservation systems are so onerous that the experiments required to prove that a solution exists are not feasible. Practice, reviewing recent research into how well actual storage systems preserve bits, showing that they fail to meet the requirements by many orders of magnitude. Policy, suggesting ways of dealing with this unfortunate situation. 1
Profile of agomelatine and its potential in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder

Background Although many generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) patients respond to the available pharmacological treatments, nearly half of them do not present the expected results. Besides, the side effects associated to some drugs have a negative impact on treatment adherence. Therefore, the aim of this review was to report the clinical profile of agomelatine, a selective melatonergic MT1/MT2 receptor agonist with serotonin 5-HT2c receptor antagonist activities, as a potential pharmacological option in the treatment of GAD. Methods We performed a literature review regarding studies that evaluated the use of agomelatine in GAD treatment. Results Two short-term, double-blinded studies and one prevention-treatment trial evaluated the efficacy of agomelatine in the treatment of GAD. Agomelatine was associated with higher rates of clinical response and remission, when compared to placebo. In addition, the long-term use of agomelatine decreased the risk of relapse of anxiety symptoms, even for the severely ill patients. Besides, the tolerability was satisfactory with the absence of discontinuation symptoms, as observed in previous studies. Conclusion The efficacy and tolerability profiles of agomelatine in the treatment of GAD were good. However, the scarce number of trials, the small sample sizes, and the use of patients without any comorbid conditions were some limitations that impaired the generalization of the results in the general population. Nevertheless, agomelatine is an attractive off-label option in the treatment of GAD that needs more conclusive evidences to establish its role in future guidelines.
Overview of Analyzing Real Time Segmentation of High Definition Video using Gaussian Mixture Model Algorithm on FPGA

: In many image and video processing systems, background identification is basic and important features to perform the operations. In this paper we are analyzing different approaches, models and algorithms of segmentation in real time for background identification. We are approaching the segmentation for high definition vedio using Gaussian mixture model (GMM) and implement the same on high speed FPGA board. We are trying to improve the process at High resolution (HD) Frames per second (fps). we are targeting to achieve less hardware consumption with high resolution.
Effects of a Post-Deworming Health Hygiene Education Intervention on Absenteeism in School-Age Children of the Peruvian Amazon

Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections are a leading cause of disability and disease burden in school-age children of worm-endemic regions. Their effect on school absenteeism, however, remains unclear. The World Health Organization currently recommends delivering mass deworming and health hygiene education through school-based programs, in an effort to control STH-related morbidity. In this cluster-RCT, the impact of a health hygiene education intervention on absenteeism was measured. From April to June 2010, all Grade 5 students at 18 schools in a worm-endemic region of the Peruvian Amazon were dewormed. Immediately following deworming, nine schools were randomly assigned to the intervention arm of the trial using a matched-pair design. The Grade 5 students attending intervention schools (N = 517) received four months of health hygiene education aimed at increasing knowledge of STH prevention. Grade 5 students from the other nine schools (N = 571) served as controls. Absenteeism was measured daily through teachers' attendance logs. After four months of follow-up, overall absenteeism rates at intervention and control schools were not statistically significantly different. However, post-trial non-randomized analyses have shown that students with moderate-to-heavy Ascaris infections and light hookworm infections four months after deworming had, respectively, missed 2.4% (95% CI: 0.1%, 4.7%) and 4.6% (95% CI: 1.9%, 7.4%) more schooldays during the follow-up period than their uninfected counterparts. These results provide empirical evidence of a direct effect of STH infections on absenteeism in school-age children.
LivBioSig: Development of a toolbox for online bio-signals processing and experimentation

Various research fields, such as brain computer interface, requires online acquisition and analysis of biological data to validate assumptions or to help obtaining insights into the physiological processes of the human body. In this paper we introduce the LivBioSig toolbox for online bio-signals processing and experimentation. This open source and modularized MATLAB toolbox allows performing various experiment paradigms involving online signal processing. These currently include synchronous and asynchronous BCI experiments, and event related stimulation experiments. The use of Graphic User Interfaces (GUI) makes the system suitable even for beginner Matlab users, and the experiments easily configurable. The modularized structure allows advanced users to develop the toolbox further to adapt it to the needs of the research fields.
Structural Dynamics of Carbon Dots in Water and N,N-Dimethylformamide Probed by All-Atom Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Carbon dots (CDs), one of the youngest members of the carbon nanostructure family, are now widely experimentally studied for their tunable fluorescence properties, bleaching resistance, and biocompatibility. Their interaction with biomolecular systems has also been explored experimentally. However, many atomistic details still remain unresolved. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations enabling atomistic and femtosecond resolutions simultaneously are a well-established tool of computational chemistry which can provide useful insights into investigated systems. Here we present a full procedure for performing MD simulations of CDs. We developed a builder for generating CDs of a desired size and with various oxygen-containing surface functional groups. Further, we analyzed the behavior of various CDs differing in size, surface functional groups, and degrees of functionalization by MD simulations. These simulations showed that surface functionalized CDs are stable in a water environment through the formation of an extensive hydrogen bonding network. We also analyzed the internal dynamics of individual layers of CDs and evaluated the role of surface functional groups on CD stability. We observed that carboxyl groups interconnected the neighboring layers and decreased the rate of internal rotations. Further, we monitored changes in the CD shape caused by an excess of charged carboxyl groups or carbonyl groups. In addition to simulations in water, we analyzed the behavior of CDs in the organic solvent DMF, which decreased the stability of pure CDs but increased the level of interlayer hydrogen bonding. We believe that the developed protocol, builder, and parameters will facilitate future studies addressing various aspects of structural features of CDs and nanocomposites containing CDs.
Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma transcriptome reveals the effect of FOXM1 on patient outcome through novel PIK3R3 mediated activation of PI3K signaling pathway

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) presents poor prognosis, and patients diagnosed with this tumor currently lack target treatments. Therefore, in order to identify potential targets for ESCC treatment, we carried out a transcriptome analysis with ESCC and paired nonmalignant surrounding mucosa samples, followed by a master regulator analysis, and further explored the role of the identified central regulatory genes through in vivo and in vitro assays. Among the transcription factors deregulated/enriched in ESCC, we focused on FOXM1 because of its involvement in the regulation of critical biological processes. A new transcriptome analysis performed with ESCC cell lineage TE-1 showed that the modulation of FOXM1 expression resulted in PIK3R3 expression changes, whereas chromatin immunoprecipitation assay revealed that FOXM1 was capable of binding onto PIK3R3 promoter, thus demonstrating that PIK3R3 is a new FOXM1 target. Furthermore, FOXM1 overexpression resulted in the activation of PIK3/AKT signaling pathway through PIK3R3-mediated AKT phosphorylation. Finally, the analysis of the clinic-pathological data of ESCC patients revealed that overexpression of both FOXM1 and PIK3R3 was associated with poor prognosis, but only the latter was an independent prognosis factor for ESCC patients. In conclusion, our results show that FOXM1 seems to play a central role in ESCC carcinogenesis by upregulating many oncogenes found overexpressed in this tumor. Furthermore, PIK3R3 is a novel FOXM1 target that triggers the activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway in ESCC cells.
Object Localization, Segmentation, and Classification in 3D Images

Object Localization, Segmentation, and Classification in 3D Images by Allan Zelener Advisor: Ioannis Stamos We address the problem of identifying objects of interest in 3D images as a set of related tasks involving localization of objects within a scene, segmentation of observed object instances from other scene elements, classifying detected objects into semantic categories, and estimating the 3D pose of detected objects within the scene. The increasing availability of 3D sensors motivates us to leverage large amounts of 3D data to train machine learning models to address these tasks in 3D images. Leveraging recent advances in deep learning has allowed us to develop models capable of addressing these tasks and optimizing these tasks jointly to reduce potential errors propagated when solving these tasks independently.
Impact of smoking on cognitive decline in early old age: the Whitehall II cohort study.

CONTEXT Smoking is a possible risk factor for dementia, although its impact may have been underestimated in elderly populations because of the shorter life span of smokers. OBJECTIVE To examine the association between smoking history and cognitive decline in the transition from midlife to old age. DESIGN Cohort study. SETTING The Whitehall II study. The first cognitive assessment was in 1997 to 1999, repeated over 2002 to 2004 and 2007 to 2009. PARTICIPANTS Data are from 5099 men and 2137 women in the Whitehall II study, mean age 56 years (range, 44-69 years) at the first cognitive assessment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The cognitive test battery was composed of tests of memory, vocabulary, executive function (composed of 1 reasoning and 2 fluency tests), and a global cognitive score summarizing performance across all 5 tests. Smoking status was assessed over the entire study period. Linear mixed models were used to assess the association between smoking history and 10-year cognitive decline, expressed as z scores. RESULTS In men, 10-year cognitive decline in all tests except vocabulary among never smokers ranged from a quarter to a third of the baseline standard deviation. Faster cognitive decline was observed among current smokers compared with never smokers in men (mean difference in 10-year decline in global cognition=-0.09 [95% CI, -0.15 to -0.03] and executive function=-0.11 [95% CI, -0.17 to -0.05]). Recent ex-smokers had greater decline in executive function (-0.08 [95% CI, -0.14 to -0.02]), while the decline in long-term ex-smokers was similar to that among never smokers. In analyses that additionally took dropout and death into account, these differences were 1.2 to 1.5 times larger. In women, cognitive decline did not vary as a function of smoking status. CONCLUSIONS Compared with never smokers, middle-aged male smokers experienced faster cognitive decline in global cognition and executive function. In ex-smokers with at least a 10-year cessation, there were no adverse effects on cognitive decline.
Modeling the barrier-layer formation in the southeastern Arabian Sea

The effect of salinity on the formation of the barrier layer (BL) in the southeastern Arabian Sea (SEAS) is investigated using an ocean general circulation model. In accordance with previous studies, the runoff distribution and the India–Sri Lanka passage have a strong impact on the realism of the salinity simulated in the area at seasonal time scales. The model simulates a BL pattern in fairly good agreement with available observations. Eulerian and Lagrangian approaches show that the BL is formed by two complementary processes, the arrival of low-salinity surface waters that are cooled en route to the SEAS and downwelling of waters mostly local to the SEAS in the subsurface layers. The surface waters are partly of Bay of Bengal origin and are partly from the SEAS, but are cooled east and south of Sri Lanka in the model. That the downwelled subsurface waters are warm and are not cooled leads to temperature inversions in the BL. The main forcing for this appears to be remotely forced planetary waves.