Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Subgingival microflora and periodontal disease.

Abstract This article describes the subgingival microflora of the healthy periodontium, gingivitis, advanced adult periodontitis, and juvenile periodontitis. A total of seven to nine subjects were examined in each of the four periodontal clinical entities listed. The individual bacteriological samples included material from the base of a single periodontal pocket. The sampling, the treatment of the samples, and the bacteriological cultivations were carried out using continuous anaerobic techniques. Briefly, the healthy gingival sulcus harbored a scant microflora dominated by Gram-positive organisms (85%), usually Streptococcus and facultative Actinomyces species. The development of gingivitis was accompanied by a marked increase in the total number of Gram-negative organisms. Fusobacterium nucleatum, Bacteroides melaninogenicus ss. intermedius, Haemophilus species, and other Gram-negative organisms comprised about 45% of the total gingivitis isolates. Streptococcus and facultative and anaerobic Actinomyces species constituted the majority of the Gram-positive gingivitis isolates. The micro-flora of advanced adult periodontitis was comprised mainly of Gram-negative anaerobic rods (about 75%), B. melaninogenicus ss. asaccharolyticus and F. nucleatum being the most predominant isolates. The deep pocket microflora in juvenile periodontitis was also made up mainly of Gram-negative organisms (about 65%), but was of a nature different from that of adult periodontitis, being predominated by isolates of Bacteroides species and other organisms of unknown species. The present article also concerns factors of importance for the colonization of Gram-negative anaerobic rods in the oral cavity and periodontal pockets. In vitro experiments showed that cells of B. melaninogenicus ss. asaccharolyticus and other Gram-negative organisms attached in high numbers to epithelial cells, hydrosyapatite (HA) surface, and Gram-positive bacteria when suspended in phosphate-buffered saline; however, the bacterial attachment to epithelial cells and HA was strongly inhibited in the presence of human saliva and serum. In contrast, saliva and serum had little effect upon the attachment of Gram-negative bacteria to Gram-positive bacterial cells. These findings agreed well with data from an in vivo study, in which streptomycin-labeled cells of B. melaninogenicus ss. asaccharolyticus were introduced into the mouth of two volunteers. A significantly higher number of B. melaninogenicus cells was recovered from dental plaque than from the other oral surfaces studied. The present series of studies has pointed to certain Gram-negative organisms as potential pathogens in rapidly progressing periodontal lesions. The available data on oral microbial ecology suggest that the presence of dental plaque containing Gram-positive organisms may be essential for the attachment and colonization of several Gram-negative species after their initial introduction into the mouth and the periodontal pocket area. The clinical relevance of these findings is discussed.
Prostaglandin H synthase: protein synthesis-independent regulation in bovine aortic endothelial cells.

The objective of the present study was to examine whether prostaglandin H synthase (PGHS) can be regulated by pathways independent of de novo synthesis of PGHS. Incubation of bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC) for as short as 5 min with NaF (40 mM) resulted in a 60% increase in PGHS activity. PGHS activity induced by NaF was unaffected by either 10 μM cycloheximide or 1 μM actinomycin D. Aspirin (25 μM) completely inhibited resting PGHS activity, and NaF did not induce further stimulation. NS-398 (500 nM), a specific PGHS-2 inhibitor, was ineffective. Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) induced a significant increase in PGHS activity within 30 min and was insensitive to cycloheximide. The levels of PGHS-1 and PGHS-2 proteins, as measured by Western blots, were not affected by NaF or bFGF. The tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein attenuated PGHS activity that was induced by NaF and bFGF, whereas the tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor, sodium orthovanadate, augmented these responses. The G protein activators 5'-guanylyl imidodiphosphate and guanosine 5'- O-(3-thiotriphosphate) inhibited both resting and NaF-induced PGHS activities. These results suggest that, in BAEC, PGHS-1 activity can be regulated by tyrosine kinase and/or G proteins, independently of de novo protein synthesis.
Diversity of the RFamide Peptide Family in Mollusks

Since the initial characterization of the cardioexcitatory peptide FMRFamide in the bivalve mollusk Macrocallista nimbosa, a great number of FMRFamide-like peptides (FLPs) have been identified in mollusks. FLPs were initially isolated and molecularly characterized in model mollusks using biochemical methods. The development of recombinant technologies and, more recently, of genomics has boosted knowledge on their diversity in various mollusk classes. Today, mollusk FLPs represent approximately 75 distinct RFamide peptides that appear to result from the expression of only five genes: the FMRFamide-related peptide gene, the LFRFamide gene, the luqin gene, the neuropeptide F gene, and the cholecystokinin/sulfakinin gene. FLPs display a complex spatiotemporal pattern of expression in the central and peripheral nervous system. Working as neurotransmitters, neuromodulators, or neurohormones, FLPs are involved in the control of a great variety of biological and physiological processes including cardiovascular regulation, osmoregulation, reproduction, digestion, and feeding behavior. From an evolutionary viewpoint, the major challenge will then logically concern the elucidation of the FLP repertoire of orphan mollusk classes and the way they are functionally related. In this respect, deciphering FLP signaling pathways by characterizing the specific receptors these peptides bind remains another exciting objective.
Vulnerability Testing of Software System Using Fault Injection

We describe an approach for testing a software system for possible security flaws. Traditionally, security testing is done using penetration analysis and formal methods. Based on the observation that most security flaws are triggered due to a flawed interaction with the environment, we view the security testing problem as the problem of testing for the fault-tolerance properties of a software system. We consider each environment perturbation as a fault and the resulting security compromise a failure in the toleration of such faults. Our approach is based on the well known technique of fault-injection. Environment faults are injected into the system under test and system behavior observed. The failure to tolerate faults is an indicator of a potential security flaw in the system. An Environment-Application Interaction (EAI) fault model is proposed. EAI allows us to decide what faults to inject. Based on EAI, we present a security-flaw classification scheme. This scheme was used to classify 142 security flaws in a vulnerability database. This classification revealed that 91% of the security flaws in the database are covered by the EAI model.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences the Hiv-1 Vpr Protein: a Multifaceted Target for Therapeutic Intervention

The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Vpr protein is an attractive target for antiretroviral drug development. The conservation both of the structure along virus evolution and the amino acid sequence in viral isolates from patients underlines the importance of Vpr for the establishment and progression of HIV-1 disease. While its contribution to virus replication in dividing and non-dividing cells and to the pathogenesis of HIV-1 in many different cell types, both extracellular and intracellular forms, have been extensively studied, its precise mechanism of action nevertheless remains enigmatic. The present review discusses how the apparently multifaceted interplay between Vpr and host cells may be due to the impairment of basic metabolic pathways. Vpr protein modifies host cell energy metabolism, oxidative status, and proteasome function, all of which are likely conditioned by the concentration and multimerization of the protein. The characterization of Vpr domains along with new laboratory tools for the assessment of their function has become increasingly relevant in recent years. With these advances, it is conceivable that drug discovery efforts involving Vpr-targeted antiretrovirals will experience substantial growth in the coming years.
Generating Cultural Characters based on Hofstede Dimensions

The virtual humans behaviors can be endowed with different levels of intelligence and their action/motion can present more or less realism. In this scope, it is still a challenge to create, in an automatic and easy way, virtual humans that move and behave in a way that seems natural. Cultural aspects and population differences can produce deviations in speed, density and flow of the crowd. These aspects can be observed in videos of different Countries and certainly it can produce more realistic agents, if incorporated to simulation models. This paper presents a methodology to generate virtual humans which trajectories are based on real life video sequences, and in addition we considered Hofstede Cultural Dimensions (HCD) to map cultural differences. The method is tested in a set of real environments, but can be scaled for any environment that have video sequences and tracked human trajectories for training‥
Thermal Conductivity of Metal Powder and Consolidated Material Fabricated via Selective Laser Melting

Selective Laser Melting (SLM) is a direct fabrication of part through layer by layer powder deposition and successive laser beam irradiation based on Computer Aided Design (CAD) data. One of the important properties in SLM is thermal conductivity of metal powder. This is because the ability of metal powder to conduct heat will affect the consolidation process during SLM. In this paper, thermal conductivity of metal powders with different particle diameters and their mixture was analysed. Other than that, thermal conductivity of consolidated materials fabricated via SLM process was also studied. In order to measure the thermal conductivity of metal powder, a theoretically verified method which was previously developed by the authors was used. Determination of thermal conductivity of consolidated material was analysed using laser flash technique. It was found that the thermal conductivity of powder metal was influenced by bulk density and particle diameter of metal powder. In this study also, metal powders of different particle diameters were mixed with various volume ratios, and its effect was discussed. Thermal conductivity of the consolidated materials was also examined, and its relation to porosity was elaborated.
Deterministic Approach to Predicting the Fatigue Crack Growth in the 2024-T3 Aluminum Alloy Under Variable Amplitude Loading

Deterministic Approach to Predicting the Fatigue Crack Growth in the 2024-T3 Aluminum Alloy Under Variable Amplitude Loading The paper presents the attempt to predict fatigue crack growth rate in a component subjected to variable amplitude loading containing overload-underload cycles. For this goal in a deterministic approach the modified Willenborg retardation model was applied. To provide experimental data the research into fatigue crack growth for 2024-T3 aluminum alloy sheet CCT specimens under LHL type block program loading with multiple overload-underload cycles was developed. The microfractographic analysis of fatigue fractures with the use of the transmission electron microscope (TEM) made it possible to trace the effect of block program loading on the crack growth rate. The knowledge of the affection of a particular overload-underload cycle or a block of these cycles on crack rate on the basis of microfractographic analysis was utilized for assessing the equivalent loading for the LHL block program. The diagrams that presented the crack growth rate both on the surface and inside the aluminum alloy sheet was performed. The crack growth rate inside the sheet was estimated on the basis of the striation spacing analysis.
T cell genetic background determines default T helper phenotype development in vitro

A host's ability to resist certain pathogens such as Leishmania major can depend upon the phenotype of T helper (Th) subset that develops. Different murine genetic backgrounds are known to significantly alter the direction of Th subset development, although the cellular basis of this influence is poorly understood. To examine the basis of this effect we used an in vitro alpha/beta-T cell receptor (TCR) transgenic system for analysis of Th phenotype development. To control for TCR usage, we derived the DO11.10 alpha/beta-TCR transgene in several genetic backgrounds. Our findings suggest that the effects of genetic background on Th phenotype development reside within the T cell, and not the antigen-presenting cell compartment. Transgenic T cells from both the B10.D2 and BALB/c backgrounds showed development toward either the Th1 or Th2 phenotype under the strong directing influence of interleukin (IL) 12 and IL4, respectively. However, when T cells were activated in vitro under neutral conditions in which exogenous cytokines were not added, B10.D2-derived T cells acquired a significantly stronger Th1 phenotype than T cells from the BALB/c background, correspondent with in vivo Th responses to Leishmania in these strains. Importantly, these cytokine differences resulted in distinct functional properties, because B10.D2- but not BALB/c-derived T cells could induce macrophage production of nitric oxide, an important antimicrobial factor. Thus, the genetically determined default Th phenotype development observed in vitro may correspond to in vivo Th subset responses for pathogens such as Leishmania which do not initiate strong Th phenotype-directing signals.
Proton transport by phosphate diffusion--a mechanism of facilitated CO2 transfer

We have measured CO2 fluxes across phosphate solutions at different carbonic anhydrase concentrations, bicarbonate concentration gradients, phosphate concentrations, and mobilities. Temperature was 22-25 degrees C, the pH of the phosphate solutions was 7.0-7.3. We found that under physiological conditions of pH and pCO2 a facilitated diffusion of CO2 occurs in addition to free diffusion when (a) sufficient carbonic anhydrase is present, and (b) a concentration gradient of HCO3- is established along with a pCO2 gradient, and (c) the phosphate buffer has a mobility comparable to that of bicarbonate. When the phosphate was immobilized by attaching 0.25-mm-long cellulose particles, no facilitation of CO2 diffusion was detectable. A mechanism of facilitated CO2 diffusion in phosphate solutions analogous to that in albumin solutions was proposed on the basis of these findings: bicarbonate diffusion together with a facilitated proton transport by phosphate diffusion. A mathematical model of this mechanism was formulated. The CO2 fluxed predicted by the model agree quantitatively with the experimentally determined fluxes. It is concluded that a highly effective proton transport mechanism acts in solutions of mobile phosphate buffers. By this mechanism; CO2 transfer may be increased up to fivefold and proton transfer may be increased to 10,000-fold.
RNA structure is a key regulatory element in pathological ATM and CFTR pseudoexon inclusion events

Genomic variations deep in the intronic regions of pre-mRNA molecules are increasingly reported to affect splicing events. However, there is no general explanation why apparently similar variations may have either no effect on splicing or cause significant splicing alterations. In this work we have examined the structural architecture of pseudoexons previously described in ATM and CFTR patients. The ATM case derives from the deletion of a repressor element and is characterized by an aberrant 5′ss selection despite the presence of better alternatives. The CFTR pseudoexon instead derives from the creation of a new 5′ss that is used while a nearby pre-existing donor-like sequence is never selected. Our results indicate that RNA structure is a major splicing regulatory factor in both cases. Furthermore, manipulation of the original RNA structures can lead to pseudoexon inclusion following the exposure of unused 5′ss already present in their wild-type intronic sequences and prevented to be recognized because of their location in RNA stem structures. Our data show that intrinsic structural features of introns must be taken into account to understand the mechanism of pseudoexon activation in genetic diseases. Our observations may help to improve diagnostics prediction programmes and eventual therapeutic targeting.
Real time paddy crop field monitoring using Zigbee network

Sensors are the essential device for precision agricultural applications. In this paper we have detailed about how to utilize the sensors in paddy crop field area and explained about Wireless Sensor Network (WSN), Zigbee network, Protocol stack, zigbee Applications and the results are given, when implemented the zigbee network experimentally in real time environment. This paper proposed idea about monitoring the crop field area without human interaction. The fundamental concept of this paper is to provide a highly enabled monitoring of crop field. This paper is focus on the sensing and monitoring of the crop field and gives various sensing analyzes in the paddy crop field.
RoboFrameNet: Verb-centric semantics for actions in robot middleware

Advancements in robotics have led to an ever-growing repertoire of software capabilities (e.g., recognition, mapping, and object manipulation). However, robotic capabilities grow, the complexity of operating and interacting with such robots increases (such as through speech, gesture, scripting, or programming). Language-based communication can offer users the ability to work with physically and computationally complex robots without diminishing the robot's inherent capability. However, it remains an open question how to build a common ground between natural language and goal-directed robot actions, particularly in a way that scales with the growth of robot capabilities. We examine using semantic frames - a linguistics concept which describes scenes being acted out - as a conceptual stepping stone between natural language and robot action. We examine the scalability of this solution through the development of RoboFrameNet, a generic language-to-action pipeline for ROS (the Robot Operating System) that abstracts verbs and their dependents into semantic frames, then grounds these frames into actions. We demonstrate the framework through experiments with the PR2 and Turtlebot robot platforms and consider the future scalability of the approach.
Thermoregulation and Body Fluid Osmolality

Thermoregulatory responses induce dehydration, and dehydration itself raises body temperature, causing an increase in the threshold temperature for cutaneous vasodilatation and sweating, the sensitivity of cutaneous vasodilatation in response to a unit rise in body temperature, and the maximum attainable level of cutaneous circulation, and sweat rate. The reduction of these thermoregulatory responses has been related to hypovolemia and hyperosmolality. Evidence showing the involvement of cardiopulmonary baroreceptors is discussed along with an introduction on the effect of hyperosmolality on skin blood flow and sweating and the involvement of central nervous mechanisms. Heat induced hyperosmolality triggers regulatory responses maintaining blood volume and circulatory function, including a fluid shift between body fluid compartments and the control of fluid intake. Evidence showing the importance of the osmotic regulation of body fluid by drinking is also presented. Finally, the effect of hypovolemia and hyperosmolality under thermal stress due to hot environment or physical activity is discussed from the viewpoint of the interaction between circulation, thermoregulation and body fluid homeostasis.
Broadcast-efficient algorithms on the coarse-grain broadcast communication model with few channels

The main contribution of this work is to present elegant broadcast-efficient algorithms for permutation routing, ranking, and sorting n items on the Broadcast Communication Model (BCM, for short) endowed with p processors and k communication channels. We begin by presenting an optimal off-line routing algorithm using n/k broadcast rounds for any k, p, and n. We then go on to develop an on-line routing algorithm that takes 2 n/k+k-1 broadcast rounds on a p-processor, k-channel BCM, whenever k/spl les//spl radic/(p/2). Using this routing algorithm, we develop a ranking algorithm that takes only 3 n/k+0(n/k) broadcast rounds, as well as a sorting algorithm that takes 4 n/k+0(n/k) broadcast rounds on a p-processor, k-channel BCM, provided that k/spl les//spl radic/(p/2) and p/spl isin/0(n). Our algorithms offer a significant improvement over the state of the art.
New parsimonious simulation methods and tools to assess future food and environmental security of farm populations

This article presents conceptual and empirical foundations for new parsimonious simulation models that are being used to assess future food and environmental security of farm populations. The conceptual framework integrates key features of the biophysical and economic processes on which the farming systems are based. The approach represents a methodological advance by coupling important behavioural processes, for example, self-selection in adaptive responses to technological and environmental change, with aggregate processes, such as changes in market supply and demand conditions or environmental conditions as climate. Suitable biophysical and economic data are a critical limiting factor in modelling these complex systems, particularly for the characterization of out-of-sample counterfactuals in ex ante analyses. Parsimonious, population-based simulation methods are described that exploit available observational, experimental, modelled and expert data. The analysis makes use of a new scenario design concept called representative agricultural pathways. A case study illustrates how these methods can be used to assess food and environmental security. The concluding section addresses generalizations of parametric forms and linkages of regional models to global models.
Analysis of Multiuser Stacked Space-time Orthogonal and Quasi-orthogonal Designs

We consider space-time transceiver architectures for multiple access fading channels with K users, each equipped with multiple transmit antennas. Each user employs an orthogonal or a quasi-orthogonal design as an inner code. At the multi-antenna receiver, successive group interference suppression strategies based on the linear zero-forcing or linear MMSE filters are employed in some fixed or channel dependent order. These strategies exploit the specific structure of the inner codes to yield high diversity orders while preserving the decoupling property of the constituent inner codes thereby enabling the use of simple demodulators. Motivated by the special structure of the effective channel matrix induced by the inner codes, we obtain several new results on the QR and eigenvalue decompositions of certain structured random matrices. Using these random-matrix distribution results, we characterize the high-SNR performance limits of the transceiver architectures under consideration by obtaining their diversity- multiplexing tradeoff curves.