Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The influence of the design of two different bioresorbable barriers on the results of guided tissue regeneration therapy. An intra-individual comparative study in the monkey.

The aim of the present study was to compare two bioresorbable barriers to evaluate whether differences in design influence the result of guided tissue regeneration (GTR) therapy. Twenty-four (24) plaque exposed, recession type defects in 4 monkeys were treated. Contralateral defects were randomized for test or control treatment. During a healing period of 6 weeks, gingival recession resulting in device exposure occurred at 3 test and 10 control sites. One control barrier was exfoliated. Histologically, 9 of the 12 test barriers were completely integrated with the surrounding tissues. At 3 test sites, epithelium had migrated apically outside the barrier to a level not exceeding one-third of the height of the device. Seven of the 11 control barriers were enclosed by dentogingival epithelium. The adjacent connective tissue exhibited local inflammatory cell infiltrates (ICT). At the remaining 4 control sites, the epithelial downgrowth as well as the adjacent ICT areas were limited to the coronal 1/3 of the device. New attachment; i.e., new cementum with inserting collagen fibers, averaged 2.2 mm and 0.8 mm at the test and control sites respectively (P < 0.01). Based on the results of the present study, it was concluded that a bioresorbable GTR device, designed to prevent epithelial downgrowth along the barrier surface, has a higher potential to promote new attachment formation than a device which does not have this property.
Cluster-preserving Embedding of Proteins

Similarity searching in protein sequence databases is a standard technique for biologists dealing with a newly sequenced protein. Exhaustive search in such databases is prohibitive because of the large sizes of these database and because pairwise comparisons are slow. Heuristic techniques, such as FASTA and BLAST, are useful because they are fast and accurate, though it has been shown that exhaustive search is more accurate. Therefore, there are times when one would like to perform an exhaustive search. We propose an efficient method, called SparseMap, for preprocessing a database of proteins to support efficient similarity searches using expensive but sensitive distance functions, such as those based on Smith-Waterman similarity. Our method is based on a Low-dimensional Euclidean Embedding approach. We compare our method with other embedding approaches, and show that our method is faster and produces embeddings which preserve more biological information about the proteins, such as pairwise distance and biological clusters.
"Effect of nano-filled surface coating agent on fluoride release from conventional glass ionomer cement: an in vitro trial".

CONTEXT To overcome the drawbacks of glass ionomer cement of sensitivity to initial desiccation and moisture contamination the use of surface coating agent is recommended. The search in this area led to invent of use of nanofillers in surface coating agent, but its effect on fluoride release is not clear. AIM The aim of this study is to evaluate and compare the fluoride release from conventional glass ionomer cement with and without surface coating agent. SETTINGS AND DESIGN This in vitro study comprised of total 80 samples (40 samples of each with and without surface coating). MATERIALS AND METHODS Specimens were prepared, G coat plus was applied and light cured. Fluoride release of the sample was measured every 24 h for 7 days and weekly from 7th to 21 st day using Sension4 pH/ISE/MV Meter. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED Descriptive Statistics, Repeated Measure ANOVA, Paired Sample t-test, Independent Sample t-test, Scheffe post hoc test. RESULTS Mean values clearly reveal a significant decrease in the fluoride release from day 1 to day 21 for both groups. Non-coated group released significantly more fluoride than surface coated group (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS It can be concluded that nanofilled surface coating agent will reduce the amount of fluoride released into oral environment as compared to non-coated group and at the same time releasing fluoride into surrounding cavity walls to create zones of inhibition into the cavity floor to help internal remineralization.
Identification of putative dental epithelial stem cells in a lizard with life-long tooth replacement

Most dentate vertebrates, including humans, replace their teeth and yet the process is poorly understood. Here, we investigate whether dental epithelial stem cells exist in a polyphyodont species, the leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius). Since the gecko dental epithelium lacks a histologically distinct site for stem cells analogous to the mammalian hair follicle bulge, we performed a pulse-chase experiment on juvenile geckos to identify label-retaining cells (LRCs). We detected LRCs exclusively on the lingual side of the dental lamina, which exhibits low proliferation rates and is not involved in tooth morphogenesis. Lingual LRCs were organized into pockets of high density close to the successional lamina. A subset of the LRCs expresses Lgr5 and other genes that are markers of adult stem cells in mammals. Also similar to mammalian stem cells, the LRCs appear to proliferate in response to gain of function of the canonical Wnt pathway. We suggest that the LRCs in the lingual dental lamina represent a population of stem cells, the immediate descendents of which form the successional lamina and, ultimately, the replacement teeth in the gecko. Furthermore, their location on the non-tooth-forming side of the dental lamina implies that dental stem cells are sequestered from signals that might otherwise induce them to differentiate.
The pathways to psychiatric care: a cross-cultural study

SYNOPSIS This paper describes the referral pathways taken by 1554 patients newly referred to the mental health services in 11 countries, and documents factors associated with delays in referral. The pathways in centres relatively well provided with psychiatric staff were dominated by general practitioners and to a lesser extent hospital doctors: the relatively less well resourced centres showed a variety of pathways with native healers often playing an important part. Delays were remarkably short in all centres regardless of psychiatric resources, but in some centres we found longer delays on pathways involving native healers. Somatic problems were a common presentation in all centres, and in some centres there was a tendency for patients presenting with somatic problems to have longer delays than those with symptoms of depression or anxiety. The implications of these findings are discussed in the context of an ongoing programme of WHO research activities aimed at improving the quality of mental illness care available in community settings.
Managing Alcoholism: Matching Clients to Treatments

PART I: RESEARCH IN TRANSITION: The Hippocratic tradition Outcome of alcoholism treatment New directions in research PART II: CONCEPTIONS OF ALCOHOLISM: The moral model The disease model Alcohol dependence The symptomatic model The learning model The social model A bio-psycho-social perspective PART III: SYSTEMS OF TREATMENT: Matching and the systems approach Clinical versus statistical prognosis Pattison's treatment profiles The core-shell system The Penn-VA project PART IV: STUDIES OF INTERACTION: Research methodology Studies with null results Personality traits Social and psycholocial resources Cognitive styles Degree of alcohol dependence PART V: SELECTION OF TREATMENT: Treatment in perspective Matching clients to treatments Strategies of alcoholism treatment.
Promoting fathers' engagement with children: Preventive interventions for low-income families.

Few programs to enhance fathers' engagement with children have been systematically evaluated, especially for low-income minority populations. In this study, 289 couples from primarily low-income Mexican American and European American families were randomly assigned to one of three conditions and followed for 18 months: 16-week groups for fathers, 16-week groups for couples, or a 1-time informational meeting. Compared with families in the low-dose comparison condition, intervention families showed positive effects on fathers' engagement with their children, couple relationship quality, and children's problem behaviors. Participants in couples' groups showed more consistent, longer term positive effects than those in fathers-only groups. Intervention effects were similar across family structures, income levels, and ethnicities. Implications of the results for current family policy debates are discussed.
Theory of correlations in stochastic neural networks.

One of the main experimental tools in probing the interactions between neurons has been the measurement of the correlations in their activity. In general, however the interpretation of the observed correlations is diicult, since the correlation between a pair of neurons is innuenced not only by the direct interaction between them but also by the dynamic state of the entire network to which they belong. Thus, a comparison between the observed correlations and the predictions from speciic model networks is needed. In this paper we develop the theory of neuronal correlation functions in large networks comprising of several highly connected subpopulations, and obeying stochastic dynamic rules. When the networks are in asynchronous states, the cross-correlations are relatively weak, i.e., their amplitude relative to that of the auto-correlations is of order of 1=N, N being the size of the interacting populations. Using the weakness of the cross-correlations, general equations which express the matrix of cross-correlations in terms of the mean neuronal activities, and the eeective interaction matrix are presented. The eeective interactions are the synaptic eecacies multiplied by the the gain of the postsynaptic neurons. The time-delayed cross-correlation matrix can be expressed as a sum of exponentially decaying modes that correspond to the (non-orthogonal) eigenvectors of the eeective interaction matrix. The theory is extended to networks with random connectivity, such as randomly dilute networks. This allows for the comparison between the contribution from the internal common input and that from the direct interactions to the correlations of monosynaptically coupled pairs. A closely related quantity is the linear response of the neurons to external time-dependent perturbations. We derive the form of the dynamic linear response function of neurons in the above architecture, in terms of the eigenmodes of the eeective interaction matrix. The behavior of the correlations and the linear response when the system is near a bifurcation point is analyzed. Near a saddle-node bifurcation the correlation matrix is dominated by a single slowly decaying critical mode. Near a Hopf-bifurcation the correlations exhibit weakly damped sinusoidal oscillations. The general theory is applied to the case of randomly dilute network consisting of excitatory and inhibitory subpopulations, using parameters that mimic the local circuit of 1mm 3 of rat neocortex. Both the eeect of dilution as well as the innuence of a nearby bifurcation to an oscillatory states are demonstrated.
Effects of marital transitions on changes in dietary and other health behaviours in US women.

BACKGROUND Previous studies have indicated that married people have lower mortality and are generally healthier. Most previous studies have been cross-sectional and few studies investigated the effect of marital transition on health. With a prospective design and repeated measures of variables, we sought to analyse the temporal relation between marital transition and change in health behaviours. METHODS We followed up 80 944 women aged 46-71 for 4 years (1992-1996). All information was self-reported. We used multivariate-adjusted linear and logistic regression models to examine the impact of changes in marital status on concomitant changes in health behaviours, controlling for potential confounders and baseline health behaviours. RESULTS Compared with women who remained married, women who divorced/widowed had body mass index (BMI) decreases of 0.65 kg/m(2) (P < 0.001) and 0.44 kg/m(2) (P < 0.001), respectively. Compared with women who remained unmarried, women who remarried had an increase in mean BMI of 0.41 kg/m(2) (P < 0.001). Women who divorced increased physical activity by 1.23 metabolic equivalent hours (MET)/week (P = 0.07) compared with women who stayed married. Among non-smokers and past smokers, women who divorced/widowed had more than a twofold increased risk of relapsing/starting smoking (OR = 2.47, 95% CI: 1.56, 3.89; OR = 2.08, 95% CI: 1.56, 2.76, respectively) than women who stayed married. Divorced and widowed women had decreased vegetable intake relative to women who stayed married (-2.93 servings/week [P < 0.001] and -1.67 servings/week [P < 0.001], respectively). CONCLUSIONS These patterns suggest both health-damaging and health-promoting changes accompanying divorce and widowhood, and generally health-promoting changes following remarriage.
Evaluation of Extremely Small Sound Source Signals Used in Speaking-Aid System with Statistical Voice Conversion

We have so far proposed a speaking-aid system for laryngectomees using a statistical voice conversion technique. In the proposed system, artificial speech articulated with extremely small sound source signals is detected with a Non-Audible Murmur (NAM) microphone, and then, the detected artificial speech is converted into more natural voice in a probabilistic manner. Although this system basically allows laryngectomees to speak while keeping the external source signals silent, it is still questionable how much these new sound source signals affect the converted speech quality. In this paper, we investigate the impact of various sound source signals on voice conversion accuracy. Various small sound source signals are designed by changing the spectral envelope and the waveform power independently. We conduct objective and subjective evaluations. The results of these experimental evaluations demonstrate that voice conversion accepts 1) various sound source signals with different spectral envelopes and 2) large degree of power of the sound source signals unless the power of speaking parts is almost equal to that of silence parts. Moreover, we also investigate the effectiveness of enhancing auditory feedback during speaking with the extremely small sound source signals.
Mobile Robot Path Planning Software and Hardware Implementations

—This paper presents the use of search algorithms and discrete environments to find the path in mobile robots systems navigation. Implementations of Breadth-First search algorithm are made both in software and in hardware. The results using the hardware approach provide significant time gain, compared with the software implementation. The time gain and the dynamical hardware reconfigurability allow multiple tasks implementation and the possibility to choose the appropriate one for the application.
Hybrid ARQ for non-orthogonal space-time block codes

We propose a novel hybrid automatic repeat-request (HARQ) scheme for non-orthogonal space-time block codes based on BCH and Reed Solomon codes. We use list decoding techniques to significantly reduce the decoding complexity. We obtain significant gains in terms of dropped packet rate and throughput spectral efficiency at the cost of increased complexity.
Sulphate adsorption at the Fe ( hydr ) oxide – H 2 O interface : comparison of cluster and periodic slab DFT predictions

The transport and bioavailability of sulphate in soils are significantly affected by adsorption reactions at the mineral–H2O interface. Therefore, an understanding of the mechanisms and kinetics of sulphate adsorption is of fundamental importance in soil chemistry. In this investigation, the binding geometries of bidentate bridging and monodentate sulphate complexes at the Fe (hydr)oxide–H2O interface were predicted with static cluster and periodic slab density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The cluster calculations were performed with edge-sharing dioctahedral Fe3þ models, using the unrestricted PBE0 exchange-correlation functional and a combination of effective core potential (LanL2DZ – Fe atoms) and all-electron (6–311þG(d,p) or 6–311þG(3df,p) – S, O, and H atoms) basis sets. The periodic slab calculations were performed with a (3 2) slab of the (100) a-FeOOH surface, by means of the projector-augmented wave method and a plane-wave basis set. For the periodic slab DFT calculations, the spin-polarized (SP) PBE exchange-correlation functional, with and without explicit consideration of an on-site Coulomb interaction parameter (i.e. SP-PBE and SP-PBEþU methods), was used. Despite the lack of long-range order, cluster model predictions of the interatomic distances and angles of bidentate bridging and monodentate sulphate were in good agreement with the periodic slab model predictions. Quantitative analysis of the cluster and periodic slab DFT predictions is expected to result from theoretical fitting of extended X-ray absorption fine structure measurements. The application of computational chemistry methods to soil chemistry research is anticipated to provide novel insight into the mechanisms and kinetics of ion sorption.
Control by numbers: new managerialism and ranking in higher education

This paper analyses the role of rankings as an instrument of new managerialism. It shows how rankings are reconstituting the purpose of universities, the role of academics and the definition of what it is to be a student. The paper opens by examining the forces that have facilitated the emergence of the ranking industry and the ideologies underpinning the so-called ‘global’ university rankings. It demonstrates how rankings are a part of politically inspired, performativity-led mode of governance, designed to ensure that universities are aligned with market values through systems of intensive auditing. It interrogates how the seemingly objective character of rankings, in particular the use of numbers, creates a facade of certainty that make them relatively unassailable: numerical ordering gives the impression that what is of value in education can be measured numerically, hierarchically ordered and incontrovertibly judged. The simplicity and accessibility of numerical rankings deflects attention from their arbitrariness and their political and moral objectives.
L'expérimentation de l'utilisation des jeux vidéo en remédiation cognitive

Le developpement des pratiques psychotherapeutiques avec les patients cerebroleses et leurs proches, qui se sont developpees depuis un peu plus de 20 ans, ont permis une meilleure connaissance de leur psychopathologie. Cet article decrit cette approche en se centrant sur trois elements psychopathologiques lies plus specifiquement au fait d’etre cerebrolese : l’atteinte de l’identite, la meconnaissance du handicap cognitif et comportemental, les difficultes du travail de deuil.
Forearm blood flow measured by venous occlusion plethysmography in healthy subjects and in women with postmastectomy oedema

A chronic swelling of the arm may develop following damage to axillary lymph vessels during breast cancer treatment. Certain unusual pathophysiological features of postmastectomy oedema indicate that factors additional to lymphatic damage are important. One factor postulated previously is a haemodynamic abnormality. Forearm blood flow was therefore measured by venous occlusion plethysmography using both a conventional mercury strain gauge and a newer optical volumeter (Perometer®). The latter was initially assessed in healthy subjects. When forearm blood flow was measured using the two methods simultaneously, the strain gauge and Perometer®did not differ significantly for healthy or oedematous arms. Dominant and non-dominant arm blood flow in healthy subjects was similar but with greater variation between sides with the Perometer®. Using the strain gauge, blood flow in the oedematous arm (2.51 6 1.33 ml/100 ml per min) was significantly lower than in the opposite unaffected arm (3.77 6 2.29 ml/100 ml per min; p = 0.026). The Perometer®results showed a similar but nonsignificant trend (p = 0.105). Taking into account the greater limb volume on the affected side, total forearm blood flow was essentially the same in each arm (unaffected: 40.72 6 28.70 ml/min; oedematous: 41.78 6 22.11 ml/min). The reduced blood flow per unit volume of arm was therefore likely to be due to a simple `dilution' effect of the increase in volume. The results indicate that it is unlikely that raised blood flow contributes to oedema formation, contrary to the haemodynamic concept.
Intratubular renin-angiotensin system in hypertension.

The complexity of the intrarenal renin-angiotensin (Ang) system (RAS) continues to reveal itself as evidence accumulates demonstrating its robust independent regulation in the interstitial and intratubular compartments within the kidney.1,–,3 Early reports demonstrating the presence of Ang II receptors on the brush border of proximal tubules suggested physiological roles.4 However, because of the abundance of degradating enzymes on the brush border, the concentrations of angiotensin peptides were considered to be relatively low. Nevertheless, the abundance of luminal Ang II receptors throughout proximal and distal nephron segments sustained interest in the luminal actions of Ang II.5,6 Tubular perfusion studies indicating that luminal Ang II alters tubular sodium and volume reabsorption rate1,5,7,8 supported an important physiological role for luminal Ang II receptors.9 A paradigm shift occurred when it was discovered that the proximal intratubular concentrations of Ang I and II were much greater than their corresponding plasma concentrations.7,10,11 In addition, when proximal tubular fluid was incubated with excess renin, the resultant formation of Ang I indicated very high angiotensinogen (AGT) substrate availability in this segment.7,12 Furthermore, tubular fluid collected from downstream segments of perfused tubules also had Ang II concentrations similar to those in nonperfused tubules, thus supporting a local origin.11 These findings, along with the demonstration that proximal tubule cells express AGT mRNA and protein,13,14 established the foundation for the existence of a robust physiologically important tubular RAS. ### Intratubular Ang II Receptors and Ang II Concentrations The principal Ang II type receptor in adult kidneys is the Ang II type 1 (AT1) receptor,5 although Ang II type 2 receptors are upregulated in certain conditions15,16 and may also play a role in renin synthesis.17 Nevertheless, …