Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Oxygen-inhibited layer in adhesion dentistry.

PURPOSE Characteristics of the oxygen-inhibited layer, including bond strength, photoinitiator decomposition, and post-curing degree of conversion, were investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS To investigate shear bond strength, BisCover (Bisco, Inc., Schaumburg, IL, USA) and D/E Resin (Bisco, Inc.) were placed on disks of Renew composite (Bisco, Inc.) and cured both with and without an oxygen-inhibited layer. Light-Bond composite (Reliance Orthodontic, Itasca, IL, USA) was placed in a gelatin capsule and light cured over the cured resin. After soaking in water for 2 hours at 37 degrees C, specimens were sheared to failure using a universal testing machine (Model 4466, Instron Inc., Canton, MA, USA). To investigate microtensile bond strength, composite substrates prepared using Renew A2 composite were light cured either in air or under nitrogen. Light-Core (Bisco, Inc.) was placed on each substrate and light cured. The resulting specimens were sectioned into composite beams and stressed to failure using a microtensile tester (built by Bisco, Inc.). To determine camphorquinone (CQ) decomposition, an experimental CQ resin was placed between two glass plates and irradiated for different time intervals. The absorption spectrum was obtained using a Cary 50 Bio UV-Visible Spectrometer (Varian, Mulgrave, Australia). To explore the degree of conversion, polyester film strips (Mylar, DuPont, Wilmington, DE, USA) coated with the CQ resin were pre-cured in air for different time periods, and then post-cured at low intensity for 5 minutes under nitrogen. A Spectrum 1000FTIR Spectrometer (Perkin Elmer, Norwalk, CT, USA) was used to measure the degree of conversion. RESULTS Bond strength tests resulted in no significant difference between samples with or without an oxygen-inhibited layer. The oxygen-inhibited layer contained reduced amounts of photoinitiator. The degree of conversion of post-cured oxygen-inhibited layers was lower than that for the control. CONCLUSION An oxygen-inhibited layer is not necessary for bonding with composite resin. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE It was believed that an oxygen-inhibited layer was required for bonding of composite resin. Studies show that composites bond even in the absence of an oxygen-inhibited layer, including recent products that cure without an oxygen-inhibited layer. With many simplified adhesives, especially self-etching, all-in-one adhesives, the oxygen-inhibited layer is acidic. This acidity interferes with self-curing reactions, making these adhesives incompatible with self-cured composites.
A state classification method based on space-time signal processing using SVM for wireless monitoring systems

In this paper we focus on improving state classification methods that can be implemented in elderly care monitoring systems. The authors group has previously proposed an indoor monitoring and security system (array sensor) that uses only one array antenna as the receiver. The clear advantages over conventional systems are improvement of privacy concern from the usage of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, and elimination of installation difficulties. Our approach is different from the previous detection method which uses an array of sensors and a threshold that can classify only two states: nothing and something happening. In this paper, we present a state classification method that uses only one feature obtained from the radio wave propagation, and assisted by multiclass support vector machines (SVM) to classify the occurring states. The feature is the first eigenvector that spans the signal subspace of interest. The proposed method can be applied to not only indoor environments but also outdoor environments such as vehicle monitoring system. We performed experiments to classify seven states in an indoor setting: “No event,” “Walking,” “Entering into a bathtub,” “Standing while showering,” “Sitting while showering,” “Falling down,” and “Passing out;” and two states in an outdoor setting: “Normal state” and “Abnormal state. ” The experimental results show that we can achieve 96.5 % and 100 % classification accuracy for indoor and outdoor settings, respectively.
Hand gesture recognition system using image processing

A gesture is a form of non verbal communication or non vocal communication in which visible bodily actions communicate particular messages, either in place of, or in conjunction with, speech. Gestures include movement of the hands, face, or other parts of the body. Gestures differ from physical non-verbal communication that does not communicate specific messages, such as purely expressive displays, proxemics, or displays of joint attention. Gestures allow individuals to communicate a variety of feelings and thoughts, from contempt and hostility to approval and affection, often together with body language in addition to words when they speak. Gesture processing takes place in areas of the brain such as Broca's and Wernicke's areas, which are used by speech and sign language. In fact, language is thought to have evolved from manual gestures. The theory that language evolved from manual gestures, termed Gestural Theory.
Inhibition of the Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase/p70S6-Kinase Pathway Induces B16 Melanoma Cell Differentiation*

α-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone and cAMP-elevating agents are known to induce B16 cell differentiation, characterized by increased melanin synthesis and dendrite outgrowth. In order to elucidate intracellular signaling pathways involved in this differentiation process, we focused our interest on the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/p70S6-kinase pathway. The specific inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase by LY294002 markedly stimulated dendrite outgrowth, thus mimicking the action of cAMP-elevating agents on B16 cell morphology. In addition, LY294002 and rapamycin, a specific p70S6-kinase inhibitor, were found to independently stimulate tyrosinase expression, thus increasing melanin synthesis. In an attempt to better dissect the molecular mechanisms triggered by cAMP to induce melanoma cell differentiation, we examined the effects of a cAMP-elevating agent forskolin, on both phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and p70S6-kinase activities. Specific kinase assays revealed that forskolin partially inhibited phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity and completely blocked p70S6-kinase activity and phosphorylation. In conclusion, our results clearly demonstrate that the inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and p70S6-kinase is involved in the regulation of B16 cell differentiation. Furthermore, we provide evidence which suggests that cAMP-induced melanogenesis and dendricity are, at least partially, mediated by the cAMP inhibition of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/p70S6-kinase signaling pathway.
Malay Language Speech Recogniser with Hybrid Hidden Markov Model and Artificial Neural Network (HMM/ANN)

There are many artificial intelligence approaches used in the development of Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR), and hybrid approach is one of them. The common hybrid method in speech recognition is the combination of Hidden Markov Model (HMM) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN). The hybrid HMM/ANN is able to combine the strength of HMM in sequential modeling structure and ANN in pattern classification. Thus, this paper proposed a speaker independent and continuous Malay language speech recogniser by using the hybrid HMM/ANN method. In addition to that, this paper presents a study on Standard Malay's phonetic and phonology to help in the recognition of Malay words. The CSLU toolkit is utilized for building the recogniser, and the experimental results showed that the proposed HMM/ANN model outperformed the conventional HMM model. The performances of the recognisers are measured in term of word accuracy and sentence accuracy.
Efficacy of etifoxine compared to lorazepam monotherapy in the treatment of patients with adjustment disorders with anxiety: a double‐blind controlled study in general practice

Adjustment Disorders With Anxiety (ADWA) account for almost 10% of psychologically motivated consultations in primary care. The aim of this double‐blind randomised parallel group study was to compare (non‐inferiority test) the efficacies of etifoxine, a non‐benzodiazepine anxiolytic drug, and lorazepam, a benzodiazepine, for ADWA outpatients followed by general practitioners. 191 outpatients (mean age: 43, female: 66%) were assigned to receive etifoxine (50 mg tid) or lorazepam (0.5‐0.5‐1 mg /day) for 28 days. Efficacy was evaluated on days 7 and 28 of the treatment. The main efficacy assessment criterion was the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety score (HAM‐A) on Day 28 adjusted to Day 0. The anxiolytic effect of etifoxine was found not inferior to that of lorazepam (HAM‐A score decrease: 54.6% vs 52.3%, respectively, p = 0.0006). The two drugs were equivalent on Day 28. However, more etifoxine recipients responded to the treatment (HAM‐A score decreased by ≥50%, p = 0.03). Clinical improvement (based on Clinical Global Impression scale CGI, Social Adjustment Scale Self‐Report SAS‐SR, and Sheehan scores) was observed in both treatment arms, but more etifoxine patients improved markedly (p = 0.03) and had a marked therapeutic effect without side effects as assessed by CGI, p = 0.04. Moreover, 1 week after stopping treatment, fewer patients taking etifoxine experienced a rebound of anxiety, compared to lorazepam (1 and 8, respectively, p = 0.034). Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Identification of PSME3 as a Novel Serum Tumor Marker for Colorectal Cancer by Combining Two-dimensional Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis with a Strictly Mass Spectrometry-based Approach for Data Analysis*

The purpose of this study was to identify and validate novel serological protein biomarkers of human colorectal cancer (CRC). Proteins from matched CRC and adjacent normal tissue samples were resolved by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. From each gel all spots were excised, and enveloped proteins were identified by MS. By comparison of the resulting protein profiles, dysregulated proteins can be identified. A list of all identified proteins and validation of five exemplarily selected proteins, elevated in CRC was reported previously (Roessler, M., Rollinger, W., Palme, S., Hagmann, M. L., Berndt, P., Engel, A. M., Schneidinger, B., Pfeffer, M., Andres, H., Karl, J., Bodenmuller, H., Ruschoff, J., Henkel, T., Rohr, G., Rossol, S., Rosch, W., Langen, H., Zolg, W., and Tacke, M. (2005) Identification of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase as a novel serum tumor marker for colorectal cancer. Clin. Cancer Res. 11, 6550–6557). Here we describe identification and initial validation of another potential marker protein for CRC. Comparison of tissue protein profiles revealed strong elevation of proteasome activator complex subunit 3 (PSME3) expression in CRC tissue. This dysregulation was not detectable based on the spot pattern. The PSME3-containing spot on tumor gels showed no visible difference to the corresponding spot on matched control gels. MS analysis revealed the presence of two proteins, PSME3 and annexin 4 (ANXA4) in one and the same spot on tumor gels, whereas the matched spot contained only one protein, ANXA4, on control gels. Therefore, dysregulation of PSME3 was masked by ANXA4 and could only be recognized by MS-based analysis but not by image analysis. To validate this finding, antibody to PSME3 was developed, and up-regulation in CRC was confirmed by Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. Finally by developing a highly sensitive immunoassay, PSME3 could be detected in human sera and was significantly elevated in CRC patients compared with healthy donors and patients with benign bowel disease. We propose that PSME3 be considered a novel serum tumor marker for CRC that may have significance in the detection and in the management of patients with this disease. Further studies are needed to fully assess the potential clinical value of this marker candidate.
An on-line geographical information system–based condition monitoring system for 11-kv distribution line insulator

Overhead distribution lines can be considered as tributaries of a distribution system, traversing difficult terrain under harsh climatic conditions. Thus, insulators on distribution lines are prone to damage. A damaged insulator causes distortion of the electric field around it, generating leakage currents, which further damage the surface of the insulator, leading eventually to ground faults. Several computer-aided systems have been adopted by electric power utilities for continuous monitoring of the distribution system by distribution control centers (DCC) [1]–[7]. These systems frequently use technologies such as image processing to conduct electrical and physical tests on the distribution lines [8]–[12].
A two-phase decision-making method for handling personnel selection problem

The aim of this paper is attempted to present a systematic decision-making model to deal with the personnel selection effectively and efficiently. At first stage, quantitative information of each applicant is considered in proposed method to reduce number of candidates. For this purpose, the TOPSIS and entropy methods are applied to calculate closeness coefficient of each applicant. In next stage, qualitative information of each suitable candidate is expressed by 2-tuple linguistic variable. Therefore, we combined the PROMETHEE with entropy method to compute the outranking indices of candidates with respect to each qualitative criterion. A comprehensive support index is defined in this paper to determine ranking order of each candidate by considering quantitative and qualitative information simultaneously. An example is implemented to present the computational process of proposed method.
Representation and Computation With Decision - and Game - Theoretic Agents

Abstract : This project aimed at working towards a theory of representation and computation in decision and game-theoretic models. In many domains, such as the ones faced by the military, or in e-commerce, task allocation (and other multiagent protocols) is carried out in non-cooperative environments. Game theory deals with decision making in noncooperative environments, but ignores fault-tolerance and related computational issues. We have isolated several central and complementary lines of research, which are essential for establishing a general synthesized theory of representation and computation in decision and game-theoretic models, and made significant progress in each of those directions.
The cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 is required for TGF-β1-induced podocyte apoptosis

The cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 is required for TGF-β1-induced podocyte apoptosis. Background Reduced podocyte number is a critical determinant in the development of glomerulosclerosis. Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) induces podocyte apoptosis, but the cell cycle events are not known. The cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor p21 increases in podocytes in diseases where TGF-β increases. Accordingly, we studied the role of p21 in podocyte apoptosis. Methods Immortalized and primary p21+/+ and p21-/- mouse podocytes were used. Apoptosis was measured by Hoechst 33342 staining and caspase-3 activity following the exposure to TGF-β1 or puromycin aminonucleoside. p21 and specific Bcl-2-related family proteins levels were measured by Western blot analysis. To prove a role for p21, we reconstituted p21 expression in p21-/- podocytes utilizing an adenovirus vector. Results TGF-β1 increased the protein levels of p21 in p21+/+ podocytes, and this coincided with apoptosis. In contrast, TGF-β1 did not induce apoptosis in p21-/- podocytes. Restoring p21 expression increased apoptosis in p21-/- podocytes following exposure to TGF-β1. TGF-β1 increased the protein levels of an antiapoptotic Bcl-2 in p21-/- podocytes, but not in p21+/+ podocytes. Moreover, TGF-β1 did not increase Bcl-2 expression in p21-/- podocytes in which p21 expression was restored. Finally, puromycin aminonucleoside also induced apoptosis in p21+/+ podocytes, but not in p21-/- podocytes. Conclusion Podocyte apoptosis induced by TGF-β1 and puromycin aminonucleoside requires p21, and Bcl-2 plays a crucial role downstream of p21 in mediating this effect. These results suggest that p21 may play a critical role in the decrease in podocyte number in disease status accompanied by increased TGF-β1.
Genetic environment of &bgr;‐lactamase genes of extended‐spectrum &bgr;‐lactamase‐producing Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates from patients with lower respiratory tract infection in China

Background Extended‐spectrum &bgr;‐lactamase (ESBL)‐producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) is one of the most popular pathogens that cause refractory respiratory tract infection. The genetic environment, including insertion sequences and the types of promoter, plays a key role in exploration of the mechanism of prevalence and dismission of the ESBL‐producing K. pneumoniae isolates. The aim of the investigation was to target analysis the genetic environment and promoter sequences of blaCTX‐M, blaSHV and blaTEM, the most popular &bgr;‐lactamase genes harbored by ESBL‐producing K. pneumoniae isolates. Methods From February 2010 to July 2011, 158 of 416 K. pneumoniae isolates producing ESBL from patients with lower respiratory tract infection were collected from seven tertiary hospitals from Beijing, Anhui, Fujian, Liaoning, Hebei and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in China. The genetic environment including promoters of 10 types of blaCTX‐M, 18 types of blaSHV and 2 types of blaTEM were analyzed by amplification and direct sequencing with various sets of PCR primers. Results ISEcp1 was located upstream of the 5' end of the blaCTX‐M gene in 130 (97.0%) out of 134 K. pneumoniae isolates harboring blaCTX‐M and provided a conserved promoter to blaCTX‐M. A non‐coding sequence preceded by kdpC and recF was identified in all of the blaSHV genes except blaSHV‐12 and blaSHV‐2a. IS26 was also found upstream of 1 blaCTX‐M‐15, 10 blaSHV‐1 strains, 4 blaTEM‐1 and all of the blaSHV‐2, blaSHV‐2a, blaSHV‐5 and blaSHV‐12. Eighty‐seven of 91 strains harboring blaTEM‐1 carried a copy of Tn2 and IS26‐blaTEM‐1 fragments were also detected in 4 strains. With respect to K. pneumoniae, the genetic environment of blaCTX‐M‐38, blaSHV‐142 and blaTEM‐135 were firstly elaborated, and four kinds of novel genetic environment of blaCTX‐M‐3, blaCTX‐M‐15 and blaTEM‐1 have been detected as well. Conclusions Perfective implementation of the genetic environment information of &bgr;‐lactamase gene needs to be further explored and supplemented. ISEcp1 and IS26 elements are widespread upstream of the blaCTX‐M, blaSHV and blaTEM genes and contribute to horizontal transmission and genetic expression.
Effect of residual stress on transmural sarcomere length distributions in rat left ventricle.

It has been previously shown that the myocardium in the walls of the unloaded passive left ventricle (LV) is not stress free. To assess the functional significance of residual stress in the ventricular wall, we compared the transmural distributions of sarcomere length (SL) in specimens of rat LV myocardium fixed in the unloaded (residually stressed) and stress-free states. When a cross-sectional ring cut from the equatorial region of the freshly arrested rat hearts was cut radially to relieve residual stress, it sprang open into an arc with a mean opening angle of 45 +/- 15 degrees (SD) (n = 8). During immersion fixation in glutaraldehyde, the opening angle increased 9.3 +/- 7.1 degrees (SD) overall. SLs were measured at 16 equally spaced transmural locations from the free wall in the stress-free tissue sections and were compared with control measurements from adjacent cross-sectional rings in which residual stress had not been relieved. Average SL for the stress-free tissue (n = 11) was 1.84 +/- 0.05 (SD) microns and for the unloaded tissue was 1.83 +/- 0.06 (SD) microns. However, analysis of covariance on the pooled data showed that the transmural distributions were significantly different (P < 0.0001). Whereas SL was uniform across the wall in the stress-free state with a mean gradient of -0.014 +/- 0.044 (SD) microns/total wall thickness, there was a significant decrease (P = 0.001) in SL from epicardium to endocardium in the intact unloaded tissue [slope = -0.114 +/- 0.054 (SD) microns/total wall thickness]. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The Reported Validity and Reliability of Methods for Evaluating Continuing Medical Education: A Systematic Review

Purpose To appraise the reported validity and reliability of evaluation methods used in high-quality trials of continuing medical education (CME). Method The authors conducted a systematic review (1981 to February 2006) by hand-searching key journals and searching electronic databases. Eligible articles studied CME effectiveness using randomized controlled trials or historic/concurrent comparison designs, were conducted in the United States or Canada, were written in English, and involved at least 15 physicians. Sequential double review was conducted for data abstraction, using a traditional approach to validity and reliability. Results Of 136 eligible articles, 47 (34.6%) reported the validity or reliability of at least one evaluation method, for a total of 62 methods; 31 methods were drawn from previous sources. The most common targeted outcome was practice behavior (21 methods). Validity was reported for 31 evaluation methods, including content (16), concurrent criterion (8), predictive criterion (1), and construct (5) validity. Reliability was reported for 44 evaluation methods, including internal consistency (20), interrater (16), intrarater (2), equivalence (4), and test–retest (5) reliability. When reported, statistical tests yielded modest evidence of validity and reliability. Translated to the contemporary classification approach, our data indicate that reporting about internal structure validity exceeded reporting about other categories of validity evidence. Conclusions The evidence for CME effectiveness is limited by weaknesses in the reported validity and reliability of evaluation methods. Educators should devote more attention to the development and reporting of high-quality CME evaluation methods and to emerging guidelines for establishing the validity of CME evaluation methods.
Assessment of Adult Neurogenesis in Mice

Adult neurogenesis is a lifelong developmental process that occurs in two discrete regions in the adult mammalian brain: the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus (DG) and the subventricular zone (SVZ) along the lateral ventricles. Despite immense interest in the therapeutic potential of adult neural stem cells (aNSCs) residing along these two neurogenic regions, molecular and cellular mechanisms regulating this process are not fully defined. Defining the regulatory mechanisms responsible for the genesis of new neurons in the adult brain is integral to understanding the basic biology of aNSCs. The techniques described here provide a basic blueprint to isolate, culture, and perform experiments using aNSCs in vitro as well as providing methods to perform immunohistochemistry on brain sections. Curr. Protoc. Toxicol. 56:12.20. 1‐12.20. 16. © 2013 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.