Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Determination of the Rate of Release of Intra-oral Mercury Vapor from Amalgam

The experimental and analytical difficulties associated with the measurement of mercury vapor in the oral cavity are considerable. In the present paper, the objective was to measure the amount of intra-oral mercury vapor in subjects with amalgams, by means of two sets of equipment based on different functional principles. In addition, it was found that the type of mercury source prevalent in the oral cavity had to be evaluated. The measuring technique used to obtain correct results is discussed, and an evaluation of the conditions for the application of the measuring equipment available was made. It was found that the amount of mercury released from the oral cavity was time-dependent. Furthermore, the amount of mercury released with the time kept constant was almost independent of the pumping flow rate up to 8 L/min. It was found that the tissue, saliva, and the amalgam restorations were not depleted of mercury during the measuring time. The results of the Mercollector-Mercometer measurements carried out on seven subjects with nine or more occlusal surfaces restored with dental amalgam and on three subjects without any amalgam restorations revealed that the rate of mercury release was in the range 0.03-0.34 ng/sec in the former group and < 0.01 nglsec in the latter. Based on the experimental results and on theoretical considerations, it was concluded that the amount of mercury released per time unit is the only quantity measurable.
A novel analytic wavelet ridge detector for dynamic eccentricity detection in BLDC motors under dynamic operating conditions

A new method using the analytic wavelet transform of the stator current signal is proposed for detecting dynamic eccentricity in brushless direct current (BLDC) motors operating under rapidly varying speed conditions. As wavelets are inherently suited for non-stationary signal analysis, this method does not require the use of any windows nor is it dependent on any assumption of local stationarity. The time-frequency resolution obtained is therefore better than other existing techniques such as the short time Fourier transform (STFT). Experimental results are provided to show that the proposed method works over a wide speed range of motor operation and provides an effective and robust way of detecting rotor faults such as dynamic eccentricity in BLDC motors.
Clinical Relevance of Diagnosing COPD by Fixed Ratio or Lower Limit of Normal: A Systematic Review

Abstract Background: Different spirometric criteria in diagnosing COPD have been advocated by different groups, debilitating adequate diagnosis and treatment of COPD. We reviewed the clinical relevance of fixed ratio and lower limit of normal (LLN) in diagnosing COPD and explored if modifying factors may affect their clinical relevance. Methods: Two reviewers independently searched PubMed and Embase for papers that compared both criteria on any clinically relevant outcome, published before June 1st, 2012, without any language restriction. Two reviewers independently extracted the study characteristics, including study design, population characteristics and diagnostic criteria used, and summarized the results of clinical relevance. Study quality was assessed by scoring forms for bias and level of evidence. Results: Of 394 studies retrieved, 11 studies were included, with a median of 1,258 participants. Although both criteria appeared related with various clinically relevant outcomes, we were unable to prefer one criterion over the other, with various performances of the criteria for different outcomes. Should the criteria disagree on diagnosis, an alternative diagnosis should be suspected, in particular in those (elderly) with less severe airflow limitation for whom the LLN appears a better criterion. The fixed ratio appears to perform better in subjects with more severe airflow limitation. Conclusion: In diagnosing COPD, severity of airflow limitation appears an important factor for choosing whether the fixed ratio or LLN. Disagreement between the criteria is suggestive for an alternative diagnosis. Future studies on clinical relevance should further reveal the criterion of choice, in order to improve adequate diagnosis and consequent treatments.
Machine learning approaches to study HIV / AIDS infection : A Review

In this review, PubMed database has been explored to elucidate the problems related to HIV/AIDS, which have been solved previously using various machine learning approaches and some other techniques. Literatures from the epidemic years of HIV/AIDS till February, 2017 have been examined and problems such as prediction of HIV/AIDS protease cleavage sites and inhibitors, prediction of coreceptors usage for viral entry, development of anti-viral agents and prediction of response, resistance and adverse effect of antiretroviral therapy have been considered for the current study. Complications associated with HIV/AIDS infection as well as all three stages of HIV infection have been described. HIV virus binding to the coreceptors CCR5 and CXCR4 are delineated to show the signifi cant role of the coreceptors for the anti-HIV drug development. After exploring various datasets, viral tropisms are found to be relevant to the viral third V3 region of the HIV virus binding.
The secreted IpaB and IpaC invasins and their cytoplasmic chaperone IpgC are required for intercellular dissemination of Shigella flexneri

Invasion of epithelial cells by Shigella flexneri involves entry and dissemination. The main effectors of entry, IpaB and IpaC, are also required for contact haemolytic activity and escape from the phagosome in infected macrophages. These proteins are stored in the cytoplasm in association with the chaperone IpgC, before their secretion by a type III secretion apparatus is activated by host cells. We used a His‐tagged IpgC protein to purify IpgC‐containing complexes and showed that only IpaB and IpaC are associated with IpgC. Plasmids expressing His6‐IpgC either alone or together with IpaB or IpaC under the control of an IPTG‐inducible lac promoter were introduced into ipgC, ipaB or ipaC mutants. Induction of expression of the recombinant plasmid‐encoded proteins by IPTG allowed bacteria to enter epithelial cells, and the role of these proteins in dissemination was investigated by incubating infected cells in either the absence or the presence of IPTG. The size of plaques produced by recombinant strains on cell monolayers was regulated by IPTG, indicating that IpgC, IpaB and IpaC were each required for efficient dissemination. Electron microscopy analysis of infected cells indicated that these proteins were necessary for lysis of the membrane of the protrusions during cell‐to‐cell spread.
Dynamic simulator for anaerobic digestion processes

A transient, two‐culture model simulating methane production from biomass has been developed. The simulator, based partially on the work by Andrews and McCarty, is capable of calculating the hydrolysis products of several common organic materials, accommodating various substrate feeding modes, and simulating the transient physico‐biochemical transport and conversion processes occurring in the biological, liquid, and gaseous phases of a well‐mixed reactor. The mathematical representation of this bioconversion system consists of a set of 11 coupled, nonlinear first‐order rate equations based on the principles of mass conservation and biochemical reaction kinetics. The model can be used in conjunction with laboratory investigations and as a simulator for evaluating process control strategies and cost developments.
A digital input electricity energy measurement standard

A measurement standard of digital input electricity energy based on the analog based method was developed in NIM China. The resistive voltage divider and current shunt with capacitor compensation were adopted; the non-integral period sampling technology was used to reduce the algorithm error. The working frequency of this standard is 45 to 65 Hz, the voltage range is 60 V to 380 V and current range is 0.2 A to 20 A.
Depression in Multiple Sclerosis: Reactive or Endogenous?

Multiple sclerosis is associated with high rates of depression. The extent to which this is related to living with chronic illness or part of the disease process remains unclear. This question was investigated by comparing rates of depression in MS with those in rheumatoid arthritis, which involves similar physical and psychosocial stressors but without central nervous system involvement. The study involved an on-line survey, which included measures of depression not confounded by somatic symptoms, medication use, self-reported physical functioning, pain, and other demographic variables. Results indicated that disease group (multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis) independently predicted depression above and beyond demographic and disease-related variables. Results support the hypothesis that depression in MS is partly determined by direct neurological consequences of the condition.
Generation of Human Lens Epithelial‐Like Cells From Patient‐Specific Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Cataractogenesis begins from the dynamic lens epithelial cells (LECs) and adjacent fiber cells. LECs derived from cell lines cannot maintain the crystalline expression as the primary LECs. The current study aimed to efficiently generate large numbers of human LECs from patient‐specific induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Anterior lens capsules were collected from cataract surgery and were used to culture primary hLECs. iPSCs were induced from these primary hLECs by lentiviral transduction of Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c‐Myc. Then, the generated iPSCs were re‐differentiated into hLECs by the 3‐step addition of defined factor combinations (Noggin, BMP4/7, bFGF, and EGF) modified from an established method. During the re‐differentiation process, colonies of interest were isolated using a glass picking tool and cloning cylinders based on the colony morphology. After two steps of isolation, populations of LEC‐like cells (LLCs) were generated and identified by the expression of lens marker genes by qPCR, western blot and immunofluorescence staining. The study introduced a modified protocol to isolate LLCs from iPSCs by defined factors in a short time frame. This technique could be useful for mechanistic studies of lens‐related diseases. J. Cell. Physiol. 231: 2555–2562, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Use of Protein Folding Reagents

The reagents and methods for purification of the denaturants guanidine hydrochloride (guanidine‐HCl) and urea are described. Sulfhydryl reagents (reducing agents) and “oxido‐shuffling” (or oxidative regeneration) systems are also discussed.
Analysis of the primary structure of the long terminal repeat and the gag and pol genes of the human spumaretrovirus

The nucleotide sequence of the human spumaretrovirus (HSRV) genome was determined. The 5' long terminal repeat region was analyzed by strong stop cDNA synthesis and S1 nuclease mapping. The length of the RU5 region was determined and found to be 346 nucleotides long. The 5' long terminal repeat is 1,123 base pairs long and is bound by an 18-base-pair primer-binding site complementary to the 3' end of mammalian lysine-1,2-specific tRNA. Open reading frames for gag and pol genes were identified. Surprisingly, the HSRV gag protein does not contain the cysteine motif of the nucleic acid-binding proteins found in and typical of all other retroviral gag proteins; instead the HSRV gag gene encodes a strongly basic protein reminiscent of those of hepatitis B virus and retrotransposons. The carboxy-terminal part of the HSRV gag gene products encodes a protease domain. The pol gene overlaps the gag gene and is postulated to be synthesized as a gag/pol precursor via translational frameshifting analogous to that of Rous sarcoma virus, with 7 nucleotides immediately upstream of the termination codons of gag conserved between the two viral genomes. The HSRV pol gene is 2,730 nucleotides long, and its deduced protein sequence is readily subdivided into three well-conserved domains, the reverse transcriptase, the RNase H, and the integrase. Although the degree of homology of the HSRV reverse transcriptase domain is highest to that of murine leukemia virus, the HSRV genomic organization is more similar to that of human and simian immunodeficiency viruses. The data justify classifying the spumaretroviruses as a third subfamily of Retroviridae.
A Context-Aware System Infrastructure for Monitoring Activities of Daily Living in Smart Home

We propose a three-layered context-aware architecture for monitoring activities of daily life in smart home. This architecture provides for the inclusion of functionalities that range from low-level data collection to high-level context knowledge extraction. We have also devised an upper-level ontology to model the context in which the activities take place. This enables having a common activity-related context representation, on which to infer and share knowledge. Furthermore, we have begun to implement a platform that realizes our architecture and ontology, making use of Microsoft’s Lab of Things (LoT) platform, being the preliminary results on this task also described in the paper.
Central Nervous System Injury and Neurobiobehavioral Function in Children With Brain Tumors: A Review of the Literature

Background: Children with brain tumors present a complex set of factors when considering treatment decisions, including type and location of tumor and age of the child. Two-thirds of children will survive, but historically have had poorer neurocognitive and quality-of-life outcomes when compared with survivors of other childhood cancers. Delaying or forgoing cranial radiation completely is thought to lead to improved neurobiobehavioral outcomes, but there is still relatively little research in this area. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to review and consolidate what is known about the effects of cranial radiation and chemotherapy on normal brain tissue and to synthesize that information relative to neurobiobehavioral findings in children with brain tumors. Methods: A literature search using PubMed and PsycINFO from 2000 to 2011 was done using a variety of terms related to childhood brain tumor treatment and outcome. A total of 70 articles were reviewed, and 40 were chosen for inclusion in the review based on most relevance to this population. Results: Both cranial radiation and certain chemotherapy agents cause damage to or loss of healthy neurons, as well as a decrease in the number of progenitor cells of the hippocampus. However, in general, children treated with chemotherapy alone appear to have less of a neurobiobehavioral impact than those treated with cranial radiation. Conclusions: The trend toward delaying or postponing cranial radiation when possible may improve overall neurocognitive and quality-of-life outcomes. Implications for Practice: Nurses require knowledge of these issues when discussing treatment with families and with caring for long-term survivors.
Epidermal growth factor receptor numbers in male and female mouse primary hepatocyte cultures

Epidermal growth factor receptors (EGF‐R) were measured in adult male and female mouse primary hepatocyte cultures. On culture day 1, female hepatocytes had significantly fewer EGF‐R than male hepatocytes (1·3 × 104 versus 6·2 × 105 per cell). Over the next three days, morphological changes consistent with progressive heptocyte dedifferentiation were observed. During this period, EGF‐R numbers progressively increased in female cultures and decreased in male cultures, and by day 4 the sexual difference in EGF‐R numbers was obliterated. These results indicate that a relationship exists between the degree of differentiation in hepatocyte cultures and the expression of EGF‐R on the cell surface.
Climate and oceanography of the Galapagos in the 21st century : expected changes and research needs

With the likelihood that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse-gas levels in the atmosphere will continue to increase for the next decades, and that the planet as a whole will likely warm as a result, we expect the oceanography and climate of the Galapagos to change. Based on an analysis of observational studies and climate models, the main changes are likely to include higher sea-surface temperatures, continued El Nino and La Nina events, some of which will be intense, a rise in sea level of several cm, increased precipitation, lower surface ocean pH, and a reduction in upwelling. These changes will likely alter the marine and terrestrial ecosystems of the Galapagos in ways that are difficult to predict. Major uncertainties exist concerning the relationship between the expected regional changes in ocean temperatures, precipitation, upwelling and seawater pH that most climate models consider, and the local changes in the Galapagos Islands.
Involvement of the JNK activation in terbinafine‐induced p21 up‐regulation and DNA synthesis inhibition in human vascular endothelial cells

Previously, we demonstrated that the extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK)‐mediated pathway contributes to the terbinafine (TB)‐induced increases of p21 and p53 protein level as well as decrease of DNA synthesis in human umbilical venous endothelial cells (HUVEC). The aim of this study is to examine the involvement of c‐Jun NH2‐terminal kinase (JNK) in the TB‐induced increase of p21 protein level and DNA synthesis inhibition. Western blot analysis and kinase assay demonstrated that TB treatment increased both the protein level and the kinase activity of JNK1/2 in HUVEC. Transfection of HUVEC with JNK1 dominant negative (DN‐JNK1) prevented the TB‐induced increases of p21 and p53 protein level and decrease of DNA synthesis, suggesting that JNK1/2 activation is involved in the TB‐induced cell cycle arrest in HUVEC. Moreover, over‐expression of mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MEK)‐1 prevented the TB‐induced increase of JNK1/2 protein levels, suggesting that MEK‐1 is an upstream inhibitor of JNK. Transfection of HUVEC with DN‐JNK1 prevented the TB‐induced inhibition of ERK phosphorylation, suggesting that JNK1/2 might serve as a negative regulator of ERK. Taken together, our results suggest that JNK activation is involved in the TB‐induced inhibition of ERK phosphorylation, p53 and p21 up‐regulation and DNA synthesis inhibition in HUVEC. J. Cell. Biochem. 108: 860–866, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Hovering by Gazing: A Novel Strategy for Implementing Saccadic Flight-Based Navigation in GPS-Denied Environments

Hovering flies are able to stay still in place when hovering above flowers and burst into movement towards a new object of interest (a target). This suggests that sensorimotor control loops implemented onboard could be usefully mimicked for controlling Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). In this study, the fundamental head-body movements occurring in free-flying insects was simulated in a sighted twin-engine robot with a mechanical decoupling inserted between its eye (or gaze) and its body. The robot based on this gaze control system achieved robust and accurate hovering performances, without an accelerometer, over a ground target despite a narrow eye field of view (±5°). The gaze stabilization strategy validated under Processor-In-the-Loop (PIL) and inspired by three biological Oculomotor Reflexes (ORs) enables the aerial robot to lock its gaze onto a fixed target regardless of its roll angle. In addition, the gaze control mechanism allows the robot to perform short range target to target navigation by triggering an automatic fast “target jump” behaviour based on a saccadic eye movement.
and erosion Tectonic consequences of Martian dichotomy modification by lower-crustal flow

The Martian hemispheric dichotomy shows compressional features a few hundred kilometers south of the dichotomy boundary, and contemporaneous extensional features along the boundary. Two processes that may have contributed to the observed deformation are lateral lower-crustal flow and erosion. Crustal flow causes a decrease in crustal thickness in the south, and an increase in the north. The result is compressional surface stresses in the highlands and extensional stresses around the dichotomy boundary. The magnitude, location, and timing of the predicted stresses are consistent with the observed tectonic features and strongly suggest that moderate lateral flow occurred. For the nominal heat flux and rheology, sufficient lateral flow is generated for a mean crustal thickness of 70 km. Erosion generates extension in the south and compression in the north, opposite to what is observed. Either erosion only resulted in local, as opposed to regional, distribution of highland material, or the rigidity of the lithosphere was sufficiently high at the time of erosion that significant stresses did not develop.
Aggressiveness, sexuality, and obsessiveness in late stages of ALS patients and their effects on caregivers

Abstract Clinical experience has shown an increase of behavioural and mood symptoms, especially in the areas of aggressiveness, sexuality and obsessiveness, during the late stages of ALS. The lack of conclusive data concerning these symptoms prompted us to assess the psychological aspects of ALS patients in advanced stages of the disease. Moreover, we evaluated the personality of their caregivers in order to analyse the relationship between the pair. For these purposes, we studied 10 patients with ALS in late stages (tracheostomized for 36 months) and their caregivers using a questionnaire specifically elaborated for patients’ communication limits. To assess the state of anxiety and depression of both patients and caregivers, we used the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). To investigate caregivers’ personality, we administered the Big Five Questionnaire (BFQ). Data showed a trend of aggression and high level of obsessiveness in ALS patients, associated with several clinical characteristics. High levels of anxiety emerged in both patients and caregivers. Regarding BFQ, caregivers obtained higher scores in the dimension of Conscientiousness and very low scores in Extraversion and Emotional Stability. In conclusion, the study showed a potential and considerable effect of the long duration of ALS on patients’ personality and caregivers’ distress.
A scanning laser microscope system to observe static and dynamic magnetic domain behavior

Scanning laser microscopes (SLMs) have been used to characterize the magnetic properties of materials for some time. The first SLM built was a purely static system capable of imaging magnetic domains. Dynamic capability was introduced with the development of the R-Theta microscope. However, this microscope utilizes a rotating drive. A scanning laser microscope has been designed to observe the dynamic behavior of domain switching during the thermomagnetic write process and the subsequent magnetization state (domain orientation) in stationary media, without the requirement for a rotating drive. It may also be used to write to the magneto-optic (MO) disk material thermomagnetically prior to imaging. Images are derived from the longitudinal and polar magneto-optic Kerr effects. In this paper, the different configurations for imaging are described and some initial images are presented.