Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Early events associated with periodontal connective tissue attachment formation on titanium and hydroxyapatite surfaces.

Endosseous dental implants can support at least three types of biomaterial/connective tissue interfaces: osseointegration, fibro-osseous integration, and periodontal connective tissue attachment. Although a periodontal connective tissue attachment offers distinct advantages, only osseointegration and fibro-osseous integration are at present clinically achievable. Recent studies indicate a periodontal regeneration-competent cell population and an appropriate biomaterial substrate both are required for periodontal connective attachment formation on biomaterial surfaces. We therefore have developed an in vitro model to characterize the effects of various biomaterial substrates on the early events of periodontal connective tissue attachment formation. Primary cultures of periodontal ligament and gingival connective tissue cells were cultured on uncoated (control) and coated (titanium- and hydroxyapatite-coated) tissue culture plastic, and the level of cell proliferation, collagen, and noncollagen protein synthesis, alkaline phosphatase activity, and expression of a 42 kD cementum extracellular matrix protein were measured over 5, 7, and 9 days in culture. While all three substrates supported cell attachment, proliferation, and protein synthesis, only uncoated and titanium-coated tissue culture plastic supported expression of the cementum extracellular matrix protein after 9 days of culture. In addition, the levels of cell proliferation and collagen and noncollagen protein synthesis for cells grown on hydroxyapatite-coated surfaces lagged behind cells cultured on the control or titanium-coated surfaces at each of the three time points. These data suggest that biomaterial substrates markedly can influence the temporal sequence of extracellular matrix proteins associated with periodontal connective tissue attachment formation. In addition to surface composition (titanium versus hydroxyapatite), surface properties (e.g., topography) also may have an effect on periodontal connective tissue attachment formation. This model may be of use in designing biomaterials to support the formation of periodontal connective tissue attachment in vivo.
Clinical competency evaluation of Brazilian chiropractic interns.

OBJECTIVE This study compares the results of an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) between 2 groups of students before an internship and after 6 months of clinical practice in an internship. METHODS Seventy-two students participated, with 36 students in each cohort. The OSCEs were performed in the simulation laboratory before the participants' clinical practice internship and after 6 months of the internship. Students were tested in 9 stations for clinical skills and knowledge. The same procedures were repeated for both cohorts. The t test was used for unpaired parametric samples and Fisher's exact test was used for comparison of proportions. RESULTS There was no difference in the mean final score between the 2 groups (p = .34 for test 1; p = .08 for test 2). The performance of the students in group 1 was not significantly different when performed before and after 6 months of clinical practice, but in group 2 there was a significant decrease in the average score after 6 months of clinical practice. CONCLUSIONS There was no difference in the cumulative average score for the 2 groups before and after 6 months of clinical practice in the internship. There were differences within the cohorts, however, with a significant decrease in the average score in group 2. Issues pertaining to test standardization and student motivation for test 2 may have influenced the scores.
The Low Density Lipoprotein Receptor-related Protein Is a Motogenic Receptor for Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1*

Although plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is known to stimulate cell migration, little is known about underlying mechanisms. We show that both active and inactive (e.g. cleaved) PAI-1 can activate the Jak/Stat signaling system and stimulate cell migration in chemotaxis, haptotaxis, chemokinesis, and wound healing assays. Moreover, antibodies to the LDL receptor-related protein (LRP) and an LRP antagonist (RAP) blocked these motogenic effects of PAI-1, while a PAI-1 mutant that did not bind to LRP failed to activate the Jak/Stat signaling pathway or to stimulate cell migration. PAI-1 had no chemotactic effect on LRP-deficient cells. These results indicate that LRP is a signaling molecule, that it mediates the migration-promoting activity of PAI-1, and that this activity does not require intact, biologically active PAI-1. Activation of this LRP-dependent signaling pathway by PAI-1 may begin to explain how the inhibitor stimulates cell migration in a variety of normal and pathological processes.
Distributed channel allocation scheme based on LTE system in smart grid

This paper introduces a distributed mechanism for wireless channel allocation in smart grids. In wireless communication system for smart grid, we have to consider two factors: the unavoidable external interference and the numerous terminals in the network. By defining a priority for each wireless device, the wireless channels are allocated for each terminal interrupted by accident in a distributed way. Since terminals gain the priority with its localized information, this allocation scheme is scalable for deployment in large networks. Moreover, the performance of our allocation scheme is demonstrated by the numerical simulations.
EFFECT OF LIGHTWEIGHT AGGREGATE ON EARLY-AGE CRACKING OF MASS CONCRETE

ii ACKNOWLEDEGEMENTS . iv LIST OF TABLES . xiii LIST OF FIGURES . xvi Chapter 1: Introduction . 1 1.1 Background . 1 1.2 Lightweight Aggregates . 5 1.3 Research Approach . 6 1.4 Research Objectives . 9 1.5 Dissertation Outline . 10 Chapter 2: Part I: Introduction . 13 2.1 Background . 13 2.2 Lightweight Aggregates . 17 2.3 Objectives . 19 2.4 Research Approach . 19 2.5 Outline of Part I . 22 Chapter 3: Part I: Literature Review . 23 3.1 Early-Age Cracking . 23 3.1.1 Temperature and Thermal Stress Development . 24
Spatial Variability of Groundwater Recharge and its Effect on Shallow Groundwater Quality in Southern New Jersey

Point estimates of groundwater recharge at 48 sediment‐coring locations vary substantially (−18.5–1840 cm yr−1) in a 930‐km2 area of southern New Jersey. Darcian estimates of steady, long‐term recharge made at depth in the unsaturated zone were estimated using pedotransfer functions of soil texture and interpolated (mapped) with nonparametric methods to assess aquifer vulnerability in the area. The probability of exceeding the median recharge (29.1 cm yr−1) is low in the southwestern and northeastern portions of the study area and high in the eastern and southeastern portions. Estimated recharge is inversely related to measured percentage clay and positively related to the percentage of well‐drained soils near wells. Spatial patterns of recharge estimates, exceedance probabilities, and clay content indicate that sediment texture controls recharge in the study area. Relations with land elevation and a topographic wetness index were statistically insignificant. Nitrate concentration and atrazine (6‐chloro‐N2‐ethyl‐N4‐isopropyl‐1,3,5‐triazine‐2,4‐diamine) percentage detection in samples of shallow groundwater (typically <10 m) are higher for low recharge sites (≤29.1 cm yr−1) than for high recharge sites (>29.1 cm yr−1) in agricultural and urban areas. Differences between high and low recharge sites in these areas are highly significant for NO3 concentration, but not for atrazine concentration.
AUTO LEVEL CONTROL SYSTEMS OF V-TAIL QUADCOPTER

This work proposes the auto level control system development of V-tail quadcopter. Orientation control is implemented by PID control technique which used feedback data from the nine d.o. f MARG (Magnetic, Angular Rate, and Gravity) sensors. These sensors are used to estimate the orientation angle by using quaternion algorithm represented Kalman based on fusion sensor. The experimental results shows that the optimum control system in x axis is achieved by determining Kp, Ki, KD and KDd are 8.0, 2.2, 0.316 and 10, respectively. Whereas for y axis: Kp, Ki, KD and KDd are 7.04, 1.72, 0.340 and 10, respectively. The steady state error of controll system is less than one degree for x axis as well as y axis.
On a general class of inhomogeneous random digraphs

We study a family of directed random graphs whose arcs are sampled independently of each other, and are present in the graph with a probability that depends on the attributes of the vertices involved. In particular, this family of models includes as special cases the directed versions of the Erdos-Renyi model, graphs with given expected degrees, the generalized random graph, and the Poissonian random graph. We establish the phase transition for the existence of a giant strongly connected component and provide some other basic properties, including the limiting joint distribution of the degrees and the mean number of arcs. In particular, we show that by choosing the joint distribution of the vertex attributes according to a multivariate regularly varying distribution, one can obtain scale-free graphs with arbitrary in-degree/out-degree dependence.
Efficacy and Safety of Trabectedin or Dacarbazine for Metastatic Liposarcoma or Leiomyosarcoma After Failure of Conventional Chemotherapy: Results of a Phase III Randomized Multicenter Clinical Trial.

PURPOSE This multicenter study, to our knowledge, is the first phase III trial to compare trabectedin versus dacarbazine in patients with advanced liposarcoma or leiomyosarcoma after prior therapy with an anthracycline and at least one additional systemic regimen. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to receive trabectedin or dacarbazine intravenously every 3 weeks. The primary end point was overall survival (OS), secondary end points were disease control-progression-free survival (PFS), time to progression, objective response rate, and duration of response-as well as safety and patient-reported symptom scoring. RESULTS A total of 518 patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to either trabectedin (n = 345) or dacarbazine (n = 173). In the final analysis of PFS, trabectedin administration resulted in a 45% reduction in the risk of disease progression or death compared with dacarbazine (median PFS for trabectedin v dacarbazine, 4.2 v 1.5 months; hazard ratio, 0.55; P < .001); benefits were observed across all preplanned subgroup analyses. The interim analysis of OS (64% censored) demonstrated a 13% reduction in risk of death in the trabectedin arm compared with dacarbazine (median OS for trabectedin v dacarbazine, 12.4 v 12.9 months; hazard ratio, 0.87; P = .37). The safety profiles were consistent with the well-characterized toxicities of both agents, and the most common grade 3 to 4 adverse effects were myelosuppression and transient elevation of transaminases in the trabectedin arm. CONCLUSION Trabectedin demonstrates superior disease control versus conventional dacarbazine in patients who have advanced liposarcoma and leiomyosarcoma after they experience failure of prior chemotherapy. Because disease control in advanced sarcomas is a clinically relevant end point, this study supports the activity of trabectedin for patients with these malignancies.
Positive Bias in Teenage Drivers With ADHD Within a Simulated Driving Task

Objective: Youth with ADHD exhibit positive bias, an overestimation of ability, relative to external indicators. The positive bias construct is understudied in adolescents, particularly in the domain of driving. Study is needed as youth with ADHD experience greater negative outcomes in driving relative to typically developing teens. Method: Positive bias on a driving simulator task was investigated with 172 teenagers with ADHD, combined type. Youth participated in a driving simulation task and rated driving performance afterward. Results: Compared with external ratings of driving performance, youth overestimated driving competence for specific driving behaviors as well as globally. The global rating demonstrated a greater degree of positive bias. Greater positive bias on global ratings of driving ability also predicted greater rates of risky driving behaviors during the simulator exercise independent from disruptive behavior disorder symptoms. Conclusion: Results inform prevention and intervention efforts for teenage drivers with ADHD.
Naturalistic comparative study of outcome and cognitive effects of unmodified electro-convulsive therapy in schizophrenia, mania and severe depression in Nigeria.

BACKGROUND Although unmodified electro-convulsive therapy (ECT) is widely used in Nigeria for schizophrenia, mania and severe depression failing to respond to adequate pharmacotherapy in the short-term, there are no prospective studies on its efficacy and side effects. OBJECTIVE To compare the efficacy of electro-convulsive therapy and standard pharmacotherapy in the treatment of schizophrenia, mania and severe depression. DESIGN A prospective open label study. METHOD Seventy subjects (mean age, 29.4) with mean duration of illness, 50.6 months, and diagnosis of schizophrenia (37.1%), mania (28.6%), severe depression (30%) and schizo-affective disorder (4.3%), were assessed pre-ECT and at seven other intervals in six months, using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and other cognitive test batteries. They were compared with a matched group of patients who received only pharmacotherapy. RESULTS Although the ECT group had suffered more treatment resistant disorders, there was full clinical recovery in two months, when all were discharged. The group had significantly shortened duration of hospitalisation, after commencement of ECT. Hence ECT facilitated recovery in this potentially drug treatment resistant psychotic subjects. Although frequency of complaints of subjective memory difficulty increased during ECT and normalised at follow up, objective tests showed steady cognitive improvement with clinical recovery. Complaints of muscle pain (31.4%), post-ECT confusion (15.7%) and post-ECT headache (20%) in the first week of treatment, were not evident at follow up. CONCLUSION Unmodified ECT combined with pharmacotherapy was safe and effective with non-enduring subjective memory difficulty for this potentially drug treatment resistant group of psychotic patients.
Selective contribution of interleukin‐6 and leptin to brain inflammatory signals induced by systemic LPS injection in mice

This study aimed to address the relative contributions of the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) and the cytokine‐like hormone leptin to the genomic activation of brain cells during lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced systemic inflammation. Wildtype and IL‐6KO mice were injected with LPS (50 μg/kg, intraperitoneally) and the brains analyzed by immunohistochemistry and reverse‐transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR). LPS induced a pronounced nuclear translocation of the signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT3) throughout the brains of wildtype mice, an effect that was significantly diminished, but not abolished, in the IL‐6KOs. The remnant STAT3‐activation, although still observed within some of the same areas activated by IL‐6, was most intense in ependymal and meningial cells and along distinct blood vessels throughout the brain. This expression was almost totally abolished in the presence of an anti‐leptin antiserum. Interestingly, the induction of cyclooxygenase 2 and microsomal prostaglandin E synthase (mPGES), the rate‐limiting enzymes for synthesis of PGE2 by LPS, was diminished to a degree that correlated with the absence of IL‐6 but not entirely with leptin. These results demonstrate that the induction of the inflammatory pathway in the brain is mediated by both IL‐6 and leptin, which appear to work in tandem. Unlike IL‐6, however, the contribution of leptin to this response was limited to distinct cell types/brain areas and STAT3‐responsive target genes implicated in the brain‐controlled sickness‐type response. The physiological significance of leptin's action on meningeal and endothelial cells remains to be clarified but might reflect a role in LPS‐induced immune cell infiltration into the brain. J. Comp. Neurol. 511:373–395, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Influence of Enterohepatic Recycling on the Time Course of Brain-to-Blood Partitioning of Valproic Acid in Rats

A widely used metric of substrate exposure in brain is the brain-to-serum partition coefficient (Kp,brain; Cbrain/Cserum), most appropriately determined at distribution equilibrium between brain tissue and serum. In some cases, Cbrain/Cserum can peak and then decrease, as opposed to monotonically increasing to a plateau, precluding accurate estimation of partitioning. This “overshoot” has been observed with compounds that undergo enterohepatic recycling (ER), such as valproic acid (VPA). Previous simulation experiments identified a relationship between overshoot in the Cbrain/Cserum versus time profile and distribution into a peripheral “compartment” (e.g., the ER loop). This study was conducted to evaluate model predictions of that relationship. Initial experiments tested the ability of activated charcoal, antibiotics, or Mrp2 deficiency to impair VPA ER in rats, thereby limiting the apparent volume of distribution associated with ER. Mrp2 deficiency (significantly) and antibiotics (moderately) interrupted VPA ER. Subsequently, brain partitioning was evaluated in the presence versus absence of ER modulation. Although overshoot was not eliminated completely, deconvolution revealed that overshoot was reduced in Mrp2-deficient and antibiotic-treated rats. Consistent with model predictions, overshoot was higher after antibiotic treatment (moderate ER interruption) than in Mrp2 deficiency (substantial ER interruption). Steady-state Kp,brain was unaffected by experimental manipulation, also consistent with model predictions. These data support the hypothesis that Cbrain/Cserum may overshoot Kp,brain based on the extent of peripheral sequestration. Consideration of this information, particularly for compounds that undergo significant extravascular distribution, may be necessary to avoid erroneous estimation of Kp,brain.
Measuring Perceptions of Synergistic Circulatory Disease Risk Due to Smoking and the Oral Contraceptive Pill

There is evidence that the oral contraceptive pill (OCP) and smoking contribute independently to risk of circulatory disease. There is mixed evidence that the combined risk may be greater than the sum of these factors operating in isolation. Little is known about how the general population views the risks from OCP use, singly and in combination with smoking. Previous attempts at assessing whether the public views risks as operating synergistically have generally found evidence for subadditive models, where the combined risk is less than the sum of factors operating in isolation. However, concerns have been expressed over the validity of the measures of risk perception used. Therefore, this study used three distinct methods of measurement to assess the extent to which 241 undergraduate students perceive the risks of smoking and the OCP, separately and combined, for circulatory disease. For all three methods, respondents read each of four vignettes describing information about a woman's risk factors (with high and low levels of both OCP and smoking), and then estimated risk of circulatory disease using one of the three risk measures. The three measures produced similar ratings. Consistent with the epidemiological evidence, information about smoking had more impact on estimates of overall risk than did information about the OCP. For all three measures, responses were consistent with an additive model of risk from smoking and the OCP. This convergence of results from different methods suggests that all three methods of measurement employed, which all had a large number of response options, may be valid.
Simulation of Gas-Phase Kinetics in $\hbox{CHF}_{3}:\hbox{H}_{2}: \hbox{O}_{2}$ Mixtures

A gas-phase reaction model for and mixtures was developed. Self-consistent electron impact cross-section set for was introduced. The original total and partial dissociation cross sections were received. A developed gas-phase kinetic scheme was tested on the experimental data. An important role of the chain reactions in the kinetics of F and H atoms and radicals was revealed.
The Master Settlement Agreement and African Americans: Opinions About the Allocation of Resources

This article analyzes demographic, attitudinal, and behavioral variables that predict African Americans’ opinions about state distribution of funds received from the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA). The sample consisted of 1,000 randomly selected African Americans from 10 U.S. congressional districts represented by African Americans. Descriptive analysis revealed that 38.7% of respondents favored dispersing funds evenly between tobacco control and other state functions, and 63% of respondents favored specifically directing MSA funds to African American communities. Cumulative logit regression analysis showed that age, education, geographic region, and smoking status were significant predictors of opinions about spending MSA funding on antismoking initiatives. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that opinions about targeted MSA funds to African Americans varied by homeownership, views on tobacco excise taxes, the fairness of tobacco taxes to African Americans, and the association between smoking and racism in U.S. society.
Unveiling the modernity bias: a critical examination of the politics of ICT4D

The issue of politics in information and communication technology for development (ICT4D) research is rarely debated, yet one of the key instrumental freedoms proposed by Sen [(1999). Development as freedom. New York: First Anchor Books] in his seminal book on development is political liberty for individuals. We argue that ICT4D initiatives are predominantly informed by a modernist philosophy, which in their effort to bring some material progress risk granting technological tools a major role. This view assumes that ICT4D users are merely passive recipients of the benefits of technology. Moreover, it implies that development can only be brought by those in a more developed, powerful position. This in itself is a political viewpoint, and thus politics is embedded in the design of ICT4D projects. Building on Sen's (1999) capability framework, we discuss how far ICT4D projects are able to assist political liberty of the alleged beneficiaries, given that political liberties are constrained by wider institutional factors. We conclude by making a call for researchers to more critically examine the structure and intention of ICT4D projects.