Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Antimicrobial effect of calcium hydroxide as an intracanal medicament in root canal treatment: a literature review - Part II. in vivo studies

The first part of this study reviewed the characteristics of calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) and summarized the results of in vitro studies related to its antimicrobial effects. The second part of this review covers in vivo studies including human clinical studies and animal studies. The use of Ca(OH)2 as an intracanal medicament represented better histological results in animal studies. However, human clinical studies showed limited antimicrobial effects that microorganisms were reduced but not eliminated through the treatment, and that some species had resistance to Ca(OH)2. Most of clinical outcome studies supported that there is no improvement in healing of periapical lesions when Ca(OH)2 was applied between appointments. Further studies are required for the antimicrobial effects of Ca(OH)2, and search for the ideal material and technique to completely clean infected root canals should be continued.
VFHF: A combining obstacle avoidance method based on laser rangefinder

Real-time obstacle avoidance is one of the key issues to successful applications of mobile robot in the complex and unknown environment. However, now commonly used local obstacle avoidance strategies have some deficiencies. For example, VFH is superior to path planning, but it is not optimal when encountering with a obstacle which suddenly appears in front of the mobile robot. By the development of sensor technology, laser rangefinders are now widely used in the navigation of the mobile robot, which are more accurate than ultrasonic sensors. Therefore, some new algorithms have been proposed to achieve the purpose of obstacle avoidance and navigation. This paper proposes a concise and stable obstacle avoidance method named VFHF which is based on the laser rangefinder and combines VFH and VFF to compensate for the close-distance obstacle avoidance which is a inherent defect of VFH. Considering the feature of the laser rangefinder, the methods of computation and local path planning strategies of both VFH and VFF have been modified. Experiments have demonstrated the validity and the technical feasibility of the proposed methods.
Annotation Graphs as a Framework for Multidimensional Linguistic Data Analysis

In recent work we have presented a formal framework for linguistic annotation based on labeled acyclic digraphs. These `annotation graphs' offer a simple yet powerful method for representing complex annotation structures incorporating hierarchy and overlap. Here, we motivate and illustrate our approach using discourse-level annotations of text and speech data drawn from the CALLHOME, COCONUT, MUC-7, DAMSL and TRAINS annotation schemes. With the help of domain specialists, we have constructed a hybrid multi-level annotation for a fragment of the Boston University Radio Speech Corpus which includes the following levels: segment, word, breath, ToBI, Tilt, Treebank, coreference and named entity. We show how annotation graphs can represent hybrid multi-level structures which derive from a diverse set of file formats. We also show how the approach facilitates substantive comparison of multiple annotations of a single signal based on different theoretical models. The discussion shows how annotation graphs open the door to wide-ranging integration of tools, formats and corpora.
A Matching Technique in Example-Based Machine Translation

This paper addresses an important problem in Example-Based Machine Translation (EMBT), namely how to measure similarity between a sentence fragment and a set of stored examples. A new method is proposed that measures similarity according to both surface structure and content. A second contribution is the use of clustering to make retrieval of the best matching example from the database more efficient. Results on a large number of test cases from the CELEX database are presented.
National stroke audit: a tool for change?

Objectives—To describe the standards of care for stroke patients in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and to determine the power of national audit, coupled with an active dissemination strategy to effect change. Design—A national audit of organisational structure and retrospective case note audit, repeated within 18 months. Separate postal questionnaires were used to identify the types of change made between the first and second round and to compare the representativeness of the samples. Setting—157 trusts (64% of eligible trusts in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland) participated in both rounds. Participants—5589 consecutive patients admitted with stroke between 1 January 1998 and 31 March 1998 (up to 40 per trust) and 5375 patients admitted between 1 August 1999 and 31 October 1999 (up to 40 per trust). Audit tool—Royal College of Physicians Intercollegiate Working Party stroke audit. Results—The proportion of patients managed on stroke units rose between the two audits from 19% to 26% with the proportion managed on general wards falling from 60% to 55% and those managed on general rehabilitation wards falling from 14% to 11%. Standards of assessment, rehabilitation, and discharge planning improved equally on stroke units and general wards, but in many aspects remained poor (41% formal cognitive assessment, 46% weighed once during admission, 67% physiotherapy assessment within 72 hours, 24% plan documented for mood disturbance, 36% carers' needs assessed separately). Conclusions—Nationally conducted audit linked to a comprehensive dissemination programme was effective in stimulating improvements in the quality of care for patients with stroke. More patients are being managed on stroke units and multidisciplinary care is becoming more widespread. There remain, however, many areas where standards of care are low, indicating a need for investment of skills and resources to achieve acceptable levels.
The Paradoxical Nature of Electronic Decision Aids on Comparison-Shopping: The Experiments and Analysis

Consumers who use electronic decision aids such as comparison-shopping agents may be overwhelmed by the amount of choice information available to them, leading to an inability to choose or dissatisfaction with the ultimate choice, a state of "choice overload. " Two experiments were designed to test the choice overload hypothesis. Eight choice tasks of different sizes were presented to subjects. By observing the decision quality, decision time, and decision confidence, we confirmed our hypothesis that choice overload exists when the comparison matrix exceeds a certain size (24 choices and 10 attributes for each choice in this research). Subjects were then given different combinations of decision-making tools (sorting and short-listing) and conditions (refreshing of information) to deal with the same choice task within the choice overload range obtained from the initial experiment. The use of both decision-making tools unexpectedly required more decision-making effort and resulted in less decision satisfaction than when only one decision-making tool was provided. We believe these findings are relevant to the future development of electronic decision aids. Further research is needed in this direction to extend our understanding of decision-making in electronic decision aids mediated environment.
Two on-line Japanese character databases in Unipen format

This paper presents the UP-Kuchibue and UP-Nakayosi databases containing on-line handwritten Japanese characters. These databases are the international versions of two databases, Kuchibue and Nakayosi, collected in the Nakagawa Laboratory at the University of Agriculture & Technology in Tokyo. They contain more than 3 million characters written by 283 Japanese writers. UP-Kuchibue and UP-Nakayosi are stored in the common Unipen format. Unipen is a western plain ASCII format which allows easy access for international researchers and facilitates international benchmarks.
The Association among Hypothalamic Subnits, Gonadotropic and Sex Hormone Plasmas Levels in Alzheimer’s Disease

This study investigates the sex-specific role of the Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Gonadal axis in Alzheimer’s disease progression, utilizing ADNI1 data for 493 individuals, analyzing plasma levels of gonadotropic and sex hormones, and examining neurodegeneration-related brain structures. We assessed plasma levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), progesterone (P4), and testosterone (T), along with volumetric measures of the hippocampus, entorhinal cortex, and hypothalamic subunits, to explore their correlation with Alzheimer’s disease markers across different cognitive statuses and sexes. Significant cognitive status effects were observed for all volumetric measures, with a distinct sex-by-cognitive status interaction for hypothalamic volume, indicating a decrease in males but not in females across cognitive impairment stages. Regression analyses showed specific hypothalamic subunit volume related to hormone levels, accounting for up to approximately 40% of the variance (p < 0.05). The findings highlight sex differences in neurodegeneration and hormonal regulation, suggesting potential for personalized treatments and advancing the understanding of Alzheimer’s disease etiology.
A Genomewide RNAi Screen for Genes That Affect the Stability, Distribution and Function of P Granules in Caenorhabditis elegans

P granules are non-membrane-bound organelles found in the germ-line cytoplasm throughout Caenorhabditis elegans development. Like their “germ granule” counterparts in other animals, P granules are thought to act as determinants of the identity and special properties of germ cells, properties that include the unique ability to give rise to all tissues of future generations of an organism. Therefore, understanding how P granules work is critical to understanding how cellular immortality and totipotency are retained, gained, and lost. Here we report on a genomewide RNAi screen in C. elegans, which identified 173 genes that affect the stability, localization, and function of P granules. Many of these genes fall into specific classes with shared P-granule phenotypes, allowing us to better understand how cellular processes such as protein degradation, translation, splicing, nuclear transport, and mRNA homeostasis converge on P-granule assembly and function. One of the more striking phenotypes is caused by the depletion of CSR-1, an Argonaute associated with an endogenous siRNA pathway that functions in the germ line. We show that CSR-1 and two other endo-siRNA pathway members, the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase EGO-1 and the helicase DRH-3, act to antagonize RNA and P-granule accumulation in the germ line. Our findings strengthen the emerging view that germ granules are involved in numerous aspects of RNA metabolism, including an endo-siRNA pathway in germ cells.
Bridging the accuracy of functional and machine-learning-based mixed-signal testing

Numerous machine-learning-based test methodologies have been proposed in recent years as a fast alternative to the standard functional testing of mixed-signal/RF integrated circuits. While the test error probability of these methods is rather low, it is still considered prohibitive for accurate production testing. In this paper, we demonstrate how to minimize this test error probability and, thus, how to bridge the accuracy of functional and machine-learning-based test methods. The underlying idea is to measure the confidence of the machine-learning-based test decision and retest the small fraction of circuits for which this confidence is low via standard functional test. Through this approach, the majority of circuits are tested using fast machine-learning-based tests, which, nevertheless, are equivalent to the standard functional ones with regards to test error probability. By varying the acceptable confidence level, the proposed method enables exploration of the trade-off between test time and test accuracy
Multifunctional Activities of Green Tea Catechins in Neuroprotection

Many lines of evidence suggest that oxidative stress resulting in reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and inflammation play a pivotal role in the age-associated cognitive decline and neuronal loss in neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s (AD), Parkinson’s (PD) and Huntington’s diseases. One cardinal chemical pathology observed in these disorders is the accumulation of iron at sites where the neurons die. The buildup of an iron gradient in conjunction with ROS (superoxide, hydroxyl radical and nitric oxide) are thought to constitute a major trigger in neuronal toxicity and demise in all these diseases. Thus, promising future treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and aging depends on availability of effective brain permeable, iron-chelatable/radical scavenger neuroprotective drugs that would prevent the progression of neurodegeneration. Tea flavonoids (catechins) have been reported to possess potent iron- chelating, radical-scavenging and anti-inflammatory activities and to protect neuronal death in a wide array of cellular and animal models of neurological diseases. Recent studies have indicated that in addition to the known antioxidant activity of catechins, other mechanisms such as modulation of signal transduction pathways, cell survival/death genes and mitochondrial function, contribute significantly to the induction of cell viability. This review will focus on the multifunctional properties of green tea and its major component (–)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and their ability to induce neuroprotection and neurorescue in vitro and in vivo. In particular, their transitional metal (iron and copper) chelating property and inhibition of oxidative stress.
Longitudinal associations between the frequency of playing Mahjong and cognitive functioning among older people in China: evidence from CLHLS, 2008–2018

Background Cognitive decline is prevalent among older adults, often resulting in decreased capabilities for self-care and a diminished quality of life. Mahjong, a culturally cherished and extensively played intellectual game in China, demands considerable cognitive function. While the cognitive benefits of playing Mahjong have been widely accepted, this study investigates an under explored aspect and aimed to ascertain the game’s potential contributions toward bolstering self-care abilities, enhancing overall quality of life, and mitigating against rising societal healthcare costs. Methods The data analyzed in the study is collected from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) with cognitive functioning being assessed through the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). The frequency of playing Mahjong was measured through a self-reported questionnaire. Multiple linear regression models, latent variable growth models, and cross-lagged models were used to investigate the longitudinal relationship between game frequency and cognitive function in older people. Results Of the 7,535 participants, the mean (SD) age was 81.96 (10.53) years. There were 7,308 (97%), 4,453 (59%), and 1,974 (26%) participants in 2011, 2014, and 2018, respectively. The results showed that Mahjong players had significantly higher MMSE scores compared to non-players from 2008 to 2018 (β = 0.893; p < 0.001), and non-players had significantly lower scores in 2011, 2014, and 2018 than in 2008 (β = −1.326, −0.912, −0.833; Ps > 0.05). Moreover, the frequency of playing Mahjong was associated with improved various cognitive domains. The declining frequency of playing Mahjong was substantially associated with the declining rate of MMSE scores (r = 0.336; p < 0.001). Mahjong frequency showed positive effects on MMSE scores, while the influence of Mahjong on MMSE scores were not significant. Conclusion Playing Mahjong has a positive influence on the cognitive functioning among older people. It can help buffer against the decline in cognitive function and maintain cognitive function levels. The higher frequency of playing Mahjong is associated with improved reaction, attention and calculation, and self-coordination. A decline in the frequency of playing Mahjong was associated with a declining rate of cognitive function. The higher frequency of playing Mahjong among older people unilaterally influenced the improvement of cognitive function levels in older people in China.
Mechanisms for multi-unit auctions

We present an incentive-compatible polynomial-time approximation scheme for multi-unit auctions with general k-minded playervaluations. The mechanism fully optimizes over an appropriately chosen sub-range of possible allocations and then uses VCG payments over this sub-range. We show that obtaining a fully polynomial-time incentive-compatible approximation scheme, at least using VCG payments, is NP-hard. For the case of valuations given by black boxes, we give a polynomial-time incentive-compatible 2-approximation mechanism and show that no better is possible, at least using VCG payments.
Mere Visual Perception of Other People’s Disease Symptoms Facilitates a More Aggressive Immune Response

An experiment (N = 28) tested the hypothesis that the mere visual perception of disease-connoting cues promotes a more aggressive immune response. Participants were exposed either to photographs depicting symptoms of infectious disease or to photographs depicting guns. After incubation with a model bacterial stimulus, participants’ white blood cells produced higher levels of the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the infectious-disease condition, compared with the control (guns) condition. These results provide the first empirical evidence that visual perception of other people’s symptoms may cause the immune system to respond more aggressively to infection. Adaptive origins and functional implications are discussed.
A distributed and robust SDN control plane for transactional network updates

Software-defined networking (SDN) is a novel paradigm that outsources the control of programmable network switches to a set of software controllers. The most fundamental task of these controllers is the correct implementation of the network policy, i.e., the intended network behavior. In essence, such a policy specifies the rules by which packets must be forwarded across the network. This paper studies a distributed SDN control plane that enables concurrent and robust policy implementation. We introduce a formal model describing the interaction between the data plane and a distributed control plane (consisting of a collection of fault-prone controllers). Then we formulate the problem of consistent composition of concurrent network policy updates (termed the CPC Problem). To anticipate scenarios in which some conflicting policy updates must be rejected, we enable the composition via a natural transactional interface with all-or-nothing semantics. We show that the ability of an f-resilient distributed control plane to process concurrent policy updates depends on the tag complexity, i.e., the number of policy labels (a.k.a. tags) available to the controllers, and describe a CPC protocol with optimal tag complexity f + 2.
Effects of recycling on the biomechanical characteristics of retrieved orthodontic miniscrews

Objective The aim of this study was to compare recycled and unused orthodontic miniscrews to determine the feasibility of reuse. The comparisons included both miniscrews with machined surfaces (MS), and those with etched surfaces (ES). Methods Retrieved MS and ES were further divided into three subgroups according to the assigned recycling procedure: group A, air-water spray; group B, mechanical cleaning; and group C, mechanical and chemical cleaning. Unused screws were used as controls. Scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry, insertion time and maximum insertion torque measurements in artificial bone, and biological responses in the form of periotest values (PTV), bone–implant contact ratio (BIC), and bone volume ratio (BV) were assessed. Results Morphological changes after recycling mainly occurred at the screw tip, and the cortical bone penetration success rate of recycled screws was lower than that of unused screws. Retrieved ES needed more thorough cleaning than retrieved MS to produce a surface composition similar to that of unused screws. There were no significant differences in PTV or BIC between recycled and unused screws, while the BV of the former was significantly lower than that of the latter (p < 0.05). Conclusions These results indicate that reuse of recycled orthodontic miniscrews may not be feasible from the biomechanical aspect.
Bank failure prediction using an accurate and interpretable neural fuzzy inference system

Bank failure prediction is an important study for regulators in the banking industry because the failure of a bank leads to devastating consequences. If bank failures are correctly predicted, early warnings can be sent to the responsible authorities for precaution purposes. Therefore, a reliable bank failure prediction or early warning system is invaluable to avoid adverse repercussion effects on other banks and to prevent drastic confidence losses in the society. In this paper, we propose a novel self-organizing neural fuzzy inference system, which functions as an early warning system of bank failures. The system performs accurately based on the auto-generated fuzzy inference rule base. More importantly, the simplified rule base possesses a high level of interpretability, which makes it much easier for human users to comprehend. Three sets of experiments are conducted on a publicly available database, which consists of 3635 United States banks observed over a 21-year period. The experimental results of our proposed model are encouraging in terms of both accuracy and interpretability when benchmarked against other prediction models.
Quantitative Research in Taxation – Discussion Papers

We examine whether companies voluntarily disclose additional information about tax loss carryforwards when the recoverability is more uncertain. With this study, we aim to explain part of the huge cross-sectional variation in the tax footnote. To assess disclosure behavior, we hand-collect data from notes of large German firms’ IFRS financial statements and identify voluntarily disclosed information. First, our results support prior literature’s evidence of a considerable cross-sectional variation of disclosure in the tax footnote. Second, we find that uncertainty about the usability of tax losses has a significantly positive relation to the amount and quality of disclosure, controlling for other disclosure determinants derived from prior literature and for sample selection. Third, our results indicate that the observed disclosure behavior is not simply a reflection of the firm’s general disclosure behavior but specific to the tax footnote. These findings are robust to several historic and forward-looking indicators representing uncertainty. Our findings suggest that managers anticipate the investors’ need for more private information and disclose them voluntarily to reduce information asymmetries. This result indicates that part of the cross-sectional variation in the tax footnote can be explained by firms anticipating investors’ demand for additional information.