Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Remineralization Effects of a Two-solution Fluoride Mouthrinse: An in situ Study

Results from previous studies show that a two-solution fluoride (F) rinse is significantly more effective than a NaF rinse of the same F content of 250 μg/g (ppm) in remineralizing enamel and root lesions in an in vitro cyclic de- and remineralization model. In the present study, the two-solution rinse and two NaF rinses with F contents of 250 ppm and 1000 ppm were evaluated in an intra-oral remineralization model. Caries-like lesions were formed in the enamel of extracted human molars with the use of a pH 4 demineralizing solution. Thin sections of the enamel (~ 120 μm) containing lesions were prepared, and the mineral contents of the lesions were assessed by quantitative microradiography. With the cut surfaces protected by nail varnish, 3 enamel specimens were mounted with wax in the lingual areas of a removable mandibular appliance. The study used a randomized, crossover design with seven subjects. In each of the 3 legs of the study, subjects wore the appliances continuously except when eating, drinking, and brushing their teeth. Twice daily (after breakfast and before bedtime), the subjects received a one-minute rinse with 20 mL of (1) 250-ppm-F NaF rinse, (2) 1000-ppm-F NaF rinse, or (3) 228-ppm-F two-solution F rinse. At the end of the 14-day experimental period, the sections were retrieved, and the mineral contents of the lesions were again assessed quantitatively. The results show that both the 1000-ppm-F NaF and 228-ppm-F two-solution rinses produced a greater (p < 0.05) remineralization than did the 250-ppm-F NaF rinse. The remineralization produced by the two-solution rinse was not statistically different (p > 0.05) from that produced by the NaF rinse with 4x the F content (1000 ppm F).
Expression of human pim family genes is selectively up‐regulated by cytokines promoting T helper type 1, but not T helper type 2, cell differentiation

Cytokines are the most important inducers of T helper (Th) cell differentiation. Interleukin‐12 (IL‐12) and interferon‐α (IFN‐α) are responsible for human Th1‐cell differentiation, while IL‐4 is the critical cytokine promoting Th2‐cell development. These two subsets of cells co‐ordinate immunological responses to pathogens as well as autoimmune or allergic reactions. The pim family of proto‐oncogenes encodes serine/threonine‐specific kinases involved in cytokine‐mediated signalling pathways in haematopoietic cells. Here we demonstrate that expression of pim‐1 and pim‐2 mRNAs is selectively up‐ or down‐regulated in human cord‐blood‐derived CD4+ cells freshly induced to polarize towards Th1 or Th2 cells, respectively, whereas their expression is inhibited in both cell types by the immunosuppressive transforming growth factor β (TGF‐β). Moreover, the Th1‐specific cytokines IL‐12 and IFN‐α, but not the Th2‐specific cytokine IL‐4, transiently up‐regulate pim‐1 and pim‐2 mRNA expression in human peripheral blood T cells and natural killer cells. In addition, the Pim‐1 protein levels are strongly up‐regulated by Th1‐specific cytokines in all of these cell types. Taken together, our results suggest that pim genes and their protein products are involved in the early differentiation process of T helper cells.
Breakthroughs in Photonics 2012: Breakthroughs in Microwave Quantum Photonics in Superconducting Circuits

The latest breakthroughs in microwave quantum photonics in superconducting circuits are presented. Advancing technologies of Josephson junction quantum bits (qubits) have been applied to control and measurement of itinerant microwave fields. Methods to generate nonclassical microwave states such as single-photon states and squeezed states have been developed. Techniques to characterize those nonclassical itinerant states have also been established. They are ready to be combined to demonstrate various quantum protocols, which extend the possibilities of quantum information processing, quantum metrology, and quantum communications using superconducting circuits.
Platelet p24/CD9, a Member of the Tetraspanin Family of Proteins a

p24/CD9 has a wide yet selective distribution in both hematopoietic and nonhematopoietic cells. The first description of this antigen was reported by Kersey et a/. ’ who described the production of a monoclonal antibody (mAb) raised against NALM-6 cells, a pre-B form of ALL. This antibody, BA-2, precipitated a 24,000Da protein from solubilized lymphoid leukemia cell proteins. This antigen was detectable on the surface of bone marrow lymphohemopoietic precursors and in most cases of non-T, non-B ALL. Since 1981, there have been numerous reports of antibodies generated from lymphoid cell origin or platelet origin that bind to a 24,000-Da protein and cause the activation of human platelets. At the Third Workshop on Human Leukocyte Antigens held at Oxford in 1986, 14 such antibodies were reported.2 Through the use of immunofluorescent techniques, the CD9 antigen has been detected mainly on platelets, lymphoid progenitor cells, and mitogenstimulated T and B cells. p24/CD9 is found on the surface of 90% of non-Tlymphoid leukemias, about 20% of T-acute-lymphoid leukemias, and all megakaryocytic leukemia^. ^ It has been suggested that the antigen is weakly expressed in myeloid and chronic lymphoid leukemias. Thus, because this antigen is present on nucleated cells which are highly proliferative, it is possible that p24/CD9 may contribute to the process of cell proliferation or other normal physiologic processes such as cell trafficking. All anti-p24/CD9 mAbs described thus far cause platelet activation. This activation response is apparently due to the interaction of the bound CD9 mAb and the Fc receptor, FcyRII. It has been demonstrated that the activating activity of antip24/CD9 mAb is inhibited by the preincubation of platelets with a mAb to the Fc receptor on platelets, IV-3.4-6 Monovalent Fab fragments generated from CD9 mAbs have had different effects ranging from no effect to that of enhancing the aggregation response of subthreshold levels of other agonists such as collagen or ADP. ’v8 Thus, activation by anti-p24/CD9 Fab fragments or the augmentation of platelet response by anti-p24/CD9 might be due to contamination of the preparations by intact mAb or, on the other hand, may represent some effector function
Multi-Factor Biometrics : An Overview

In today’s technological and data intensive world security and privacy have become important issues. Consequently the growth in importance has driven the growth of security and access management technologies. The development uni-factor biometric systems have created a means of identifying or verifying individuals. However, the use of multi-factor biometric systems allows for greater accuracy and reliability in user authentication. In this paper, we discuss multi-factor biometric systems, the different levels of fusion, their advantages, privacy and security issues associated with biometrics.
Subdivisions of chick diencephalic roof plate: Implication in the formation of the posterior commissure

The subcommissural organ (SCO) is a roof plate differentiation located in the caudal diencephalon under the posterior commissure (PC). A role for SCO and its secretory product, SCO‐spondin, in the formation of the PC has been proposed. Here, we provide immunohistochemical evidence to suggest that SCO is anatomically divided in a bilateral region positive for SCO‐spondin that surrounds a negative medial region. Remarkably, axons contacting the lateral region are highly fasciculated, in sharp contrast with the defasciculated axons of the medial region. In addition, lateral axon fascicles run toward the midline inside of tunnels limited by the basal prolongations of SCO cells and extracellular SCO‐spondin. Our in vitro data in collagen gel matrices show that SCO‐spondin induces axonal growth and fasciculation of pretectal explants. Together, our findings support the idea that SCO‐spondin participates in the guidance and fasciculation of axons of the PC. Developmental Dynamics 239:2584–2593, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A Genome Wide Screening Approach for Membrane-targeted Proteins*S

Membrane-associated proteins are critical for intra- and intercellular communication. Accordingly approaches are needed for rapid and comprehensive identification of all membrane-targeted gene products in a given cell or tissue. Here we describe a modification of the yeast Ras recruitment system to this end and designate the modified approach the Ras membrane trap (RMT). A pilot RMT screen was carried out on the central nervous system of the mollusk Lymnaea stagnalis, a model organism from a phylum that still lacks a representative with a sequenced genome. 112 gene products were identified in the screen of which 79 lack assignable homologs in available data bases. Currently available annotation tools predicted membrane association of only 45% of the 112 proteins, although experimental verification in mammalian cells confirmed membrane association for all clones tested. Thus, genome annotation using currently available tools is likely to underpredict representation of membrane-associated gene products. The 32 proteins with known homologies include many targeted to the endoplasmic reticulum or the nucleus, thus RMT provides a tool that can cover intracellular membrane proteomes. Two sequences were found to represent gene families not found to date in invertebrate genomes, emphasizing the need for whole genome sequences from mollusks and indeed from representatives of all major invertebrate phyla.
Entropic Latent Variable Integration via Simulation

This paper introduces a general method to convert a model defined by moment conditions that involve both observed and unobserved variables into equivalent moment conditions that involve only observable variables. This task can be accomplished without introducing infinite‐dimensional nuisance parameters using a least favorable entropy‐maximizing distribution. We demonstrate, through examples and simulations, that this approach covers a wide class of latent variables models, including some game‐theoretic models and models with limited dependent variables, interval‐valued data, errors‐in‐variables, or combinations thereof. Both point‐ and set‐identified models are transparently covered. In the latter case, the method also complements the recent literature on generic set‐inference methods by providing the moment conditions needed to construct a generalized method of moments‐type objective function for a wide class of models. Extensions of the method that cover conditional moments, independence restrictions, and some state‐space models are also given.
A Sperm Cytoskeletal Protein That Signals Oocyte Meiotic Maturation and Ovulation

Caenorhabditis elegans oocytes, like those of most animals, arrest during meiotic prophase. Sperm promote the resumption of meiosis (maturation) and contraction of smooth muscle–like gonadal sheath cells, which are required for ovulation. We show that the major sperm cytoskeletal protein (MSP) is a bipartite signal for oocyte maturation and sheath contraction. MSP also functions in sperm locomotion, playing a role analogous to actin. Thus, during evolution, MSP has acquired extracellular signaling and intracellular cytoskeletal functions for reproduction. Proteins with MSP-like domains are found in plants, fungi, and other animals, suggesting that related signaling functions may exist in other phyla.
Endorsement of the Consort Statement by Chinese Journals of Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Survey of Journal Editors and Review of Journals— Instructions for Authors

Background We aimed to assess the endorsement of the Consolidation Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement by Chinese journals of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and its incorporation into their editorial processes. Methods PubMed, Embase and major Chinese databases were searched to identify journals of TCM from China for inclusion. The latest ‘instruction for authors’ (IFA) of each included journal was obtained and any text mentioning CONSORT or CONSORT extension papers was extracted. Subsequently, the editor of each of the included journals was surveyed about their journal's endorsement of the CONSORT recommendations and their incorporation into editorial and peer review processes. Results Sixty-three journals of TCM from China were examined. Of these, only three (5%) and one (2%) of the 63 journals mentioned the CONSORT statement and extension papers, respectively, in their IFA. Fifty-four of 63 (86%) of surveyed journals responded, with the majority of respondents being editors. Only 20% (11/54) of the respondents reported that they had any knowledge of the CONSORT statement. Only 6% (3/54) of the editors reported that they required authors to comply with the CONSORT statement or that they incorporated it into their peer review and editorial processes. Conclusions TCM journals in China endorsing the CONSORT statement constituted a small percentage of the total. The majority of editors surveyed were not familiar with the content of the CONSORT statement and extension papers. We strongly recommend that the China Periodicals Association issue a policy to promote the endorsement of the CONSORT statement and conduct relevant training for journal editors in China.
Implementation of Smart Metering Systems: Challenges and Solutions

In recent decade, with advancements in telecommunications and information management systems technology and the increasing requirements of various sectors of the power industry for monitoring and controlling all of the network components (from production to consumption) power companies feel necessary to add intelligence to their grid as a scientific and practical solution to the utility industry. In most of the developed countries, electric power companies are planning to put priority on Smart Grid planning and for fulfilling this, implementation of Smart Metering Systems and energy management are the first and most basic step. Certainly, in the implementation of smart grids and smart metering infrastructure, power companies will face two major challenges, the cost of implementing these systems and the implementation complexity of the system. Therefore, this paper examines the challenges and strategies in order to better implementation of these systems in electrical grids.
Density-Weighted Nystrm Method for Computing Large Kernel Eigensystems

The Nystrm method is a well-known sampling-based technique for approximating the eigensystem of large kernel matrices. However, the chosen samples in the Nystrm method are all assumed to be of equal importance, which deviates from the integral equation that defines the kernel eigenfunctions. Motivated by this observation, we extend the Nystrm method to a more general, density-weighted version. We show that by introducing the probability density function as a natural weighting scheme, the approximation of the eigensystem can be greatly improved. An efficient algorithm is proposed to enforce such weighting in practice, which has the same complexity as the original Nystrm method and hence is notably cheaper than several other alternatives. Experiments on kernel principal component analysis, spectral clustering, and image segmentation demonstrate the encouraging performance of our algorithm.
Ethinyl Estradiol/Drospirenone for the Treatment of the Emotional and Physical Symptoms of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder

A combined oral contraceptive pill containing 20 μg of ethinyl estradiol and 3 mg of the progestin drospirenone in a novel dose regimen (24 active pills followed by 4 placebo pills), has demonstrated efficacy for the symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder, a severe form of premenstrual syndrome, with an emphasis on the affective symptoms. Drospirenone has progestagenic, anti-androgenic and anti-aldosterone properties, which differ from earlier generations of progestins, and reducing the hormone pill-free interval allows for better suppression of ovarian steroid production.
The painter from Sinaloa: artistic analysis of a case of spatial agnosia and neglect of visual shapes

ABSTRACT Paintings produced spontaneously by patients with neurological lesions represent a fascinating opportunity to analyze some aspects of the underlying disease and involved brain mechanisms. Many cases of artists who have suffered spatial neglect following a neurological disease have been reported in the literature. However, only a few studies evaluating the different subtypes of graphic neglect and aspects related to the construction of perspective (three dimensionality) in works of art have been published. In the present article, we present the case of an artist who, after resection of a central neurocytoma that affected the right thalamo-parietal connections, suffered an impairment of the ability to create perspective in his paintings and involuntary omission of only shapes in the left side of his paintings, although colors and contours were preserved.
Trajectories of Cognitive Decline following Dementia Onset: What Accounts for Variation in Progression?

Background: Delineating the natural history of dementia progression has important clinical implications, including reducing caregiver burden and targeting effective drug trials. We examined whether trajectories of cognitive change differed reliably after diagnosis, and whether diverse predictors of such differences (demographic, psychological, biological, genetic, social) could be identified. Methods: Cognitive change was examined for incident dementia cases (mild: n = 156; moderate: n = 77; severe: n = 73) and controls (n = 249) from the Kungsholmen Project, a community-based study of adults 75 years and older. Results: For those with dementia, total variance attributed to between-person differences in cognitive decline was modest and linked to but a single predictor (history of cardiovascular disease). Although less variance in cognitive decline was observed for the similarly aged controls, numerous significant predictors of these differences were identified. Conclusion: The neurodegenerative process underlying dementia overshadows formerly significant predictors of cognitive change.
Potent In Vitro Antimalarial Activity of Metacycloprodigiosin Isolated from Streptomycesspectabilis BCC 4785

ABSTRACT Bioassay-guided fractionation of the extract from the fermentation broth of Streptomycesspectabilis BCC 4785 led to the isolation of three principle antimalarial agents, metacycloprodigiosin, bafilomycin A1, and spectinabilin. Metacycloprodigiosin exhibited potent in vitro activity against Plasmodiumfalciparum K1, with a 50% inhibitory concentration of 0.0050 ± 0.0010 μg/ml, while its cytotoxicity was much weaker.
An Investigation on Numerical Characterization of Scattering from Target in a Dielectric Rough Soil Surface

Based on the Propagation-Inside-Layer Expansion (PILE) and Forward-Backward method (FBM), the composite scattering from the target below a dielectric rough soil surface using the extended PILE (EPILE) combined with the Forward-Backward method (FBM) is studied. The accuracy and e-ciency of the EPILE + FBM for this speciflc type of composite scattering is researched by comparing with the method of moments (MOM), the in∞uences of the target size, target depth, target horizontal distance, the rms height, the correlation length, the incident angle and the soil moisture content, etc., to the bistatic scattering coe-cient (BSC) are also investigated.
Uniqueness, the minimum norm constraint, and analog networks for optical flow along contours

E. Hildreth's (1984) method of computing optical flow along contours cannot resolve the aperture problem for a rigidly translating straight line contour. The authors propose an additional constraint, which they call the minimum norm constraint, as a means of resolving the ambiguity for such a contour. The minimum norm constraint tends to drive the velocity estimate towards the direction normal to the contour everywhere along the contour, i.e., it counters the effect of the smoothness constraint. This is in accord with recent psychophysical studies of K. Nakayama and G. Silverman (1988) which have revealed the presence of such a tendency in the human visual system. The authors propose an analog network for computing contour based optical flow in real-time. They illustrate the minimum norm constraint through experiments. <<ETX>>
The epidermal growth factor receptor gene sequence is highly conserved in primary gastric cancers

Recent studies have disclosed the presence of somatic mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene in non‐small cell lung cancers (NSCLC), and susceptibility to the EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (gefitinib) was determined by the presence of mutations in the kinase domain of this gene. We thus predicted a clinical benefit of gefitinib against the 12% of primary colorectal cancers exhibiting a mutation reflective of this potential distinctive susceptibility.
Neglected infections of poverty in the United States and their effects on the brain.

A group of neglected infections are emerging as important causes of psychiatric and mental illness among vulnerable populations living in extreme poverty in the United States. These chronic infections may partially account for the achievement gap noted among socioeconomically disadvantaged students. The neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a group of chronic parasitic and related infections that can last decades or even the lifetime of an individual. During this time, they produce long-lasting and debilitating effects that impair productive capacity and child development. Indeed, the NTDs have actually been shown to trap people in poverty through these adverse effects. The NTDs are not rare diseases. Quite the opposite— the NTDs are now recognized as the most common afflictions of impoverished people living in low- and middle-income countries of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The NTDs are also considered a major reason why the “bottom billion” (ie, the 1.3 billion) people living below the poverty level cannot escape poverty. In 2008, I identified a group of neglected parasitic
The Effects of Electrode and Annealing on CoFeB–MgO–TbFeCo Perpendicular Magnetic Tunnel Junctions

In this study, we report the effects of electrode and annealing on the magnetic properties of CoFeB-MgO-CoFeB-TbFeCo structures. The samples of structure bottom electrode/Co<sub>20</sub>Fe<sub>60</sub>B<sub>20</sub>(x nm)/MgO(1)/Co<sub>20</sub>Fe<sub>60</sub>B<sub>20</sub>(0 or 1 nm)/Tb2<sub>3</sub>(Fe<sub>80</sub>Co<sub>20</sub>)<sub>77</sub>(5 nm)/top electrode were deposited on SiO<sub>2</sub> substrates at room temperature. The structures were then annealed at the temperature ranging from 250 to 400°Cunder 5 kOe perpendicular applied field for two hours. We found that the magnetic properties of the CoFeB free layer depend on the electrode stack structures. The perpendicular magnetic easy axis of the CoFeB free layer can be maintained after annealing up to 400°C.
Acyclic graph coloring and the complexity of the star chromatic number

Star chromatic number, introduced by A. Vince, is a natural generalization of chromatic number. We consider the question, “When is χ* < χ? ” We show that χ* < χ if and only if a particular digraph is acyclic and that the decisioin problem associated with this question is probably not in NP though it is both NP-hard and NP-easy. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.