Post-training flexibility in category learning.

Exemplar models of categorization, which assume that people make classification decisions based on item information stored in memory, typically assume that all of the exemplars are available and inform decision-making. However, in this study, we hypothesized that people may selectively emphasize subsets of exemplars, giving rise to individual differences in categorization. To verify this hypothesis, we adopted the partial-XOR category structure in Conaway and Kurtz (Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 24, 1312-1323 2017), which has been evident to be able to induce two major response patterns in the transfer phase: the Proximity and XOR patterns. "Experiment 1" confirmed that these two patterns could be generated if participants were trained with only the exemplars of one category or the other. In "Experiment 2", participants were asked to not only learn the category labels of all exemplars but also memorize the exemplars of only Category A (Condition A), only Category B (Condition B), or two categories (Condition AB) for a recognition test after the training phase of the categorization task. As expected, in the transfer phase, the participants tended to perform the XOR and Proximity patterns, when the exemplars of Category A and Category B were respectively targeted for the recognition test. The parameters of the SDGCM estimated by Bayesian inference for modeling the data of "Experiment 2" showed that the exemplar accessibility of Category A was larger than that of Category B for performing the XOR pattern and vice versa for performing the proximity pattern, hence verifying our hypothesis.

Why Do We Not Wear Masks Anymore during the COVID-19 Wave? Vaccination Precludes the Adoption of Personal Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions: A Quantitative Study of Taiwanese Residents.

Background and Objectives: This study examined whether the decline in people's adoption of personal NPIs (e.g., mask wearing) results from the preclusion by vaccination. This study also incorporates the concepts of risk perception and the risk-as-feelings model to elucidate the possible mechanisms behind this preclusion. Materials and Methods: Two cross-sectional surveys (N = 462 in Survey 1 and N = 505 in Survey 2) were administered before and during the first outbreak of COVID-19 in Taiwan. The survey items were designed to measure participants' perceived severity of COVID-19, worry about COVID-19, intention to adopt personal NPIs, and attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccines. Utilizing the risk perception framework, we conducted multigroup SEM (Structural Equation Modeling) to construct the optimal structural model for both samples. Results and Conclusions: The multigroup SEM results showed that worry (i.e., the emotional component of risk perception) fully mediates the influence of the perceived severity of COVID-19 (i.e., the cognitive component of risk perception) on the intention to adopt NPIs in both surveys [z = 4.03, p < 0.001 for Survey 1 and z = 2.49, p < 0.050 for Survey 2]. Before the outbreak (i.e., Survey 1), people's attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccines showed no significant association with their worry about COVID-19 [z = 0.66, p = 0.508]. However, in Survey 2, following the real outbreak of COVID-19, people's attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccines negatively predicts their worry about COVID-19 [z = -4.31, p < 0.001], indirectly resulting in a negative effect on their intention to adopt personal NPIs. This suggests the occurrence of the Peltzman effect. That is, vaccination fosters a sense of safety, subsequently diminishing alertness to COVID-19, and thus reducing the intention to adopt personal NPIs.

Magnesium decreases urine supersaturation but not calcium oxalate stone formation in genetic hypercalciuric stone-forming rats.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Hypercalciuria is the most common identifiable risk factor predisposing to CaOx stone formation. Increased oral magnesium intake may lead to decreased CaOx stone formation by binding intestinal Ox leading to decreased absorption and/or binding urinary Ox to decrease urinary supersaturation. This study assessed the effect of oral magnesium on 24-hour urine ion excretion, supersaturation, and kidney stone formation in a genetic hypercalciuric stone-forming (GHS) rat model of human idiopathic hypercalciuria. METHODS: When fed the oxalate precursor, hydroxyproline, every GHS rat develops CaOx stones. The GHS rats were fed a normal calcium and phosphorus diet with hydroxyproline to induce CaOx , were divided into three groups of ten rats per group: control diet with 4.0 g/kg MgO, low MgO diet (0.5 g/kg), and high MgO diet (8 g/kg). At 6 weeks, twenty-four-hour urines were collected, and urine chemistry and supersaturation were determined. Stone formation was quantified. RESULTS: The GHS rats fed the low and high Mg diets had a significant reduction and increase, respectively, in urinary Mg compared to those fed the control diet. Dietary Mg did not alter urine Ca excretion while the low Mg diet led to a significant fall in urinary Ox. Urine supersaturation with respect to CaOx was significantly increased with low Mg, whereas urine supersaturation was significantly decreased with high Mg. There was no effect of dietary Mg on stone formation within 6 weeks of treatment. CONCLUSION: Dietary magnesium decreases urine supersaturation but not CaOx stone formation in GHS rats.

Simulation-predicted and -explained inheritance model of pathogenicity confirmed by transgenic mice models.

Variants in the gap junction beta-2 (GJB2) gene are the most common cause of hereditary hearing impairment. However, how GJB2 variants lead to local physicochemical and structural changes in the hexameric ion channels of connexin 26 (Cx26), resulting in hearing impairment, remains elusive. In this study, using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we showed that detached inner-wall N-terminal "plugs" aggregated to reduce the channel ion flow in a highly prevalent V37I variant in humans. To examine the predictive ability of the computational platform, an artificial mutant, V37M, of which the effect was previously unknown in hearing loss, was created. Microsecond simulations showed that homo-hexameric V37M Cx26 hemichannels had an abnormal affinity between the inner edge and N-termini to block the narrower side of the cone-shaped Cx26, while the most stable hetero-hexameric channels did not. From the perspective of the conformational energetics of WT and variant Cx26 hexamers, we propose that unaffected carriers could result from a conformational predominance of the WT and pore-shrinkage-incapable hetero-hexamers, while mice with homozygous variants can only harbor an unstable and dysfunctional N-termini-blocking V37M homo-hexamer. Consistent with these predictions, homozygous V37M transgenic mice exhibited apparent hearing loss, but not their heterozygous counterparts, indicating a recessive inheritance mode. Reduced channel conductivity was found in Gjb2V37M/V37M outer sulcus and Claudius cells but not in Gjb2WT/WT cells. We view that the current computational platform could serve as an assessment tool for the pathogenesis and inheritance of GJB2-related hearing impairments and other diseases caused by connexin dysfunction.

First Reported Case of a Pyrophosphate Kidney Stone in a Human.

Urolithiasis composed of pyrophosphate salts has only been reported in animals, in the form of potassium magnesium pyrophosphate. However, there have been no reports of pyrophosphate stones in humans. Hypophosphatasia is an inherited disease characterized by low alkaline phosphatase activity and elevated levels of pyrophosphate in blood and urine. Urolithiasis is a part of the hypophosphatasia phenotype. The role of elevated urine pyrophosphate levels in the formation of stones in hypophosphatasia is unknown. Here, we report a case of a 60-year-old man with recurrent urolithiasis. The patient's most recent presentation was gross hematuria and his computed tomography scan showed bilateral kidney stones. Stones were removed via retrograde intrarenal surgery. Stone analysis revealed a composition of potassium magnesium pyrophosphate. The patient also has a long history of fracturing bone disease which led to the consideration of hypophosphatasia as the cause of both his bone disease and pyrophosphate stones. Hypophosphatasia was confirmed by genetic analysis. Pyrophosphate has been of interest in the fields of mineral metabolism because of its action as a crystallization inhibitor. However, pyrophosphate at elevated concentrations in the presence of divalent cations can exceed its solubility. Nephrocalcinosis and stone disease have been described in hypophosphatasia; stones have been assumed to be calcium phosphate but no compositional analysis has been reported. This is the first report of human stones composed of pyrophosphate salts, which led to the subsequent diagnosis of hypophosphatasia in this patient.

In situ spin coater for multimodal grazing incidence x-ray scattering studies.

We present herein a custom-made, in situ, multimodal spin coater system with an integrated heating stage that can be programmed with spinning and heating recipes and that is coupled with synchrotron-based, grazing-incidence wide- and small-angle x-ray scattering. The spin coating system features an adaptable experimental chamber, with the ability to house multiple ancillary probes such as photoluminescence and visible optical cameras, to allow for true multimodal characterization and correlated data analysis. This system enables monitoring of structural evolutions such as perovskite crystallization and polymer self-assembly across a broad length scale (2 Å-150 nm) with millisecond temporal resolution throughout a complete thin film fabrication process. The use of this spin coating system allows scientists to gain a deeper understanding of temporal processes of a material system, to develop ideal conditions for thin film manufacturing.

Full-Privacy Secured Search Engine Empowered by Efficient Genome-Mapping Algorithms.

Since the 90s, keyword-based search engines have been the only option for people to locate relevant web content through a simple query comprising one to a few keywords. These engines, whether free or paid, retained users' search queries and preferences, often to deliver targeted ads. Additionally, user-uploaded articles for plagiarism detection can further be stored as part of service providers' expanding databases for profit. Essentially, users could not search without exposing their queries to these providers. We present a new solution here: a method for searching the internet using a full article as a query without disclosing the content. Our Sapiens Aperio Veritas Engine (S.A.V.E.) uses an encoding scheme and an FM-index search, borrowed from next-generation human genome sequencing. Each word in a user's query is transformed into one of 12 "amino acids" to create a pseudo-biological sequence (PBS) on the user's device. Plagiarism checks are done by users submitting their locally created PBSs to our cloud service. This detects identical content in our database, which includes all English and Chinese Wikipedia articles and Open Access journals up to April 2021. PBSs, longer than 12 "amino acids", show accurate results with less than 0.8% false positives. Performance-wise, S.A.V.E. runs at a similar genome-mapping speed as Bowtie and is >5 orders faster than BLAST. With both standard and private modes, S.A.V.E. offers a revolutionary, privacy-first search and plagiarism check system. We believe this sets an exciting precedent for future search engines prioritizing user confidentiality. S.A.V.E. can be accessed at https://dyn.life.nthu.edu.tw/SAVE/.

Amelioration of intestinal barrier function and reduction of blood lead level in adult women with recurrent spontaneous abortion by a novel product of dietary fiber mixture, Holofood.

BACKGROUND: The elevated circulating toxins secondary to the impairment of intestinal barrier integrity commonly elicit a chronic inflammatory response and finally contribute to multiple diseases. These toxins, including bacterial by-products and heavy metals, are the potent risk factors for the development of recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA). Preclinical evidence suggests that several dietary fibers can restore intestinal barrier function and decrease the accumulation of heavy metals. However, it is uncertain whether treatment with a newly developed blend of dietary fibers product (Holofood) benefits patients with RSA. METHODS: In this trial, we enrolled 70 adult women with RSA, who were randomly assigned into the experiment group and the control group in a 2:1 ratio. Upon the basis of conventional therapy, subjects in the experiment group (n = 48) received 8 weeks oral administration with Holofood three times daily at a dose of 10 g each time. Subjects without Holofood consumption were set as the control (n = 22). Blood samples were collected for the determinations of metabolic parameters, heavy mental lead, and the indices related to intestinal barrier integrity (D-lactate, bacterial endotoxin, and diamine oxidase activity). RESULTS: The reduction amplitude in blood lead from baseline to week 8 was 40.50 ± 54.28 (µg/L) in the experiment group as compared with 13.35 ± 36.81 (µg/L) in the control group (P = 0.037). The decreased level of serum D-lactate from baseline to week 8 was 5.58 ± 6.09 (mg/L) in the experiment group as compared with - 2.38 ± 8.90 (mg/L, P < 0.0001) in the control group. The change in serum DAO activity from baseline to week 8 was 3.26 ± 2.23 (U/L) in the experiment group as compared with - 1.24 ± 2.22 (U/L, P < 0.0001) in the control group. Participants who received Holofood had a greater decline in blood endotoxin from baseline to week 8 than those in the control group. Moreover, by comparing with the self-baseline, Holofood consumption significantly decreased the blood levels of lead, D-lactate, bacterial endotoxin, and DAO activity. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that Holofood affords a clinically relevant improvements in blood lead level and intestinal barrier dysfunction in patients with RSA.

Fast Polysulfide Conversion Catalysis and Reversible Anode Operation by A Single Cathode Modifier in Li-Metal Anode-Free Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

The two major issues confronting the commercialization of rechargeable lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are the sluggish kinetics of the sulfur electrochemical reactions on the cathode and inadequate lithium deposition/stripping reversibility on the anode. They are commonly mitigated with additives designed specifically for the anode and the cathode individually. Here, we report the use of a single cathode modifier, In2 Se3 , which can effectively catalyse the polysulfide reactions on the cathode, and also improve the reversibility of Li deposition and removal on the anode through a LiInS2 /LiInSe2 containing solid electrolyte interface formed in situ by the Se and In ions dissolved in the electrolyte. The amounts of dissolved Se and In are small relative to the amount of In2 Se3 administered. The benefits of using this single modification approach were verified in Li-metal anode-free Li-S batteries with a Li2 S loading of 4 mg cm-2 and a low electrolyte/Li2 S ratio of 7.5 µL mg-1 . The resulting battery showed 60 % capacity retention after 160 cycles at the 0.2 C rate and an average Coulombic efficiency of 98.27 %, comparing very well with recent studies using separate electrode modifiers.

Parallel use of human stem cell lung and heart models provide insights for SARS-CoV-2 treatment.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) primarily infects the respiratory tract, but pulmonary and cardiac complications occur in severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). To elucidate molecular mechanisms in the lung and heart, we conducted paired experiments in human stem cell-derived lung alveolar type II (AT2) epithelial cell and cardiac cultures infected with SARS-CoV-2. With CRISPR-Cas9-mediated knockout of ACE2, we demonstrated that angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) was essential for SARS-CoV-2 infection of both cell types but that further processing in lung cells required TMPRSS2, while cardiac cells required the endosomal pathway. Host responses were significantly different; transcriptome profiling and phosphoproteomics responses depended strongly on the cell type. We identified several antiviral compounds with distinct antiviral and toxicity profiles in lung AT2 and cardiac cells, highlighting the importance of using several relevant cell types for evaluation of antiviral drugs. Our data provide new insights into rational drug combinations for effective treatment of a virus that affects multiple organ systems.

Mutually beneficial confluence of structure-based modeling of protein dynamics and machine learning methods.

Proteins sample an ensemble of conformers under physiological conditions, having access to a spectrum of modes of motions, also called intrinsic dynamics. These motions ensure the adaptation to various interactions in the cell, and largely assist in, if not determine, viable mechanisms of biological function. In recent years, machine learning frameworks have proven uniquely useful in structural biology, and recent studies further provide evidence to the utility and/or necessity of considering intrinsic dynamics for increasing their predictive ability. Efficient quantification of dynamics-based attributes by recently developed physics-based theories and models such as elastic network models provides a unique opportunity to generate data on dynamics for training ML models towards inferring mechanisms of protein function, assessing pathogenicity, or estimating binding affinities.

Actin filaments form a size-dependent diffusion barrier around centrosomes.

The centrosome, a non-membranous organelle, constrains various soluble molecules locally to execute its functions. As the centrosome is surrounded by various dense components, we hypothesized that it may be bordered by a putative diffusion barrier. After quantitatively measuring the trapping kinetics of soluble proteins of varying size at centrosomes by a chemically inducible diffusion trapping assay, we find that centrosomes are highly accessible to soluble molecules with a Stokes radius of less than 5.8 nm, whereas larger molecules rarely reach centrosomes, indicating the existence of a size-dependent diffusion barrier at centrosomes. The permeability of this barrier is tightly regulated by branched actin filaments outside of centrosomes and it decreases during anaphase when branched actin temporally increases. The actin-based diffusion barrier gates microtubule nucleation by interfering with γ-tubulin ring complex recruitment. We propose that actin filaments spatiotemporally constrain protein complexes at centrosomes in a size-dependent manner.

Improved Neutralization of Omicron BA.4/5, BA.4.6, BA.2.75.2, BQ.1.1, and XBB.1 with Bivalent BA.4/5 Vaccine

The BNT162b2 bivalent BA.4/5 COVID-19 vaccine has been authorized to mitigate COVID-19 due to current Omicron and potentially future variants. New sublineages of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron continue to emerge and have acquired additional mutations, particularly in the spike protein, that may lead to improved viral fitness and immune evasion. The present study characterized neutralization activities against new Omicron sublineages BA.4.6, BA.2.75.2, BQ.1.1, and XBB.1 after a 4th dose (following three doses of BNT162b2) of either the original monovalent BNT162b2 or the bivalent BA.4/5 booster in individuals >55 years of age. For all participants, the 4th dose of monovalent BNT162b2 vaccine induced a 3.0x, 2.9x, 2.3x, 2.1x, 1.8x, and 1.5x geometric mean neutralizing titer fold rise (GMFR) against USA/WA1-2020 (a strain isolated in January 2020), BA.4/5, BA.4.6, BA.2.75.2, BQ.1.1, and XBB.1, respectively; the bivalent vaccine induced 5.8x, 13.0x, 11.1x, 6.7x, 8.7x, and 4.8x GMFRs. For individuals without SARS-CoV-2 infection history, BNT162b2 monovalent induced 4.4x, 3.0x, 2.5x, 2.0x, 1.5x, and 1.3x GMFRs, respectively; the bivalent vaccine induced 9.9x, 26.4x, 22.2x, 8.4x, 12.6x, and 4.7x GMFRs. These data suggest the bivalent BA.4/5 vaccine is more immunogenic than the original BNT162b2 monovalent vaccine against circulating Omicron sublineages, including BQ.1.1 that is becoming prevalent globally.

Parallel use of pluripotent human stem cell lung and heart models provide new insights for treatment of SARS-CoV-2.

SARS-CoV-2 primarily infects the respiratory tract, but pulmonary and cardiac complications occur in severe COVID-19. To elucidate molecular mechanisms in the lung and heart, we conducted paired experiments in human stem cell-derived lung alveolar type II (AT2) epithelial cell and cardiac cultures infected with SARS-CoV-2. With CRISPR- Cas9 mediated knock-out of ACE2, we demonstrated that angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) was essential for SARS-CoV-2 infection of both cell types but further processing in lung cells required TMPRSS2 while cardiac cells required the endosomal pathway. Host responses were significantly different; transcriptome profiling and phosphoproteomics responses depended strongly on the cell type. We identified several antiviral compounds with distinct antiviral and toxicity profiles in lung AT2 and cardiac cells, highlighting the importance of using several relevant cell types for evaluation of antiviral drugs. Our data provide new insights into rational drug combinations for effective treatment of a virus that affects multiple organ systems. One-sentence summary: Rational treatment strategies for SARS-CoV-2 derived from human PSC models.

Less invasive SARS-CoV-2 testing for children: A comparison of saliva and a novel Anterior Nasal Swab

Reducing procedural discomfort for children requiring respiratory testing for SARS-CoV-2 is important in supporting testing strategies for case identification. Alternative sampling methods to nose and throat swabs, which can be self-collected, may reduce laboratory-based testing requirements and provide rapid results for clearance to attend school or hospital settings. The aim of this study was to compare preference and diagnostic sensitivity of a novel anterior nasal swab (ANS), and saliva, with a standard combined nose and throat (CTN) swab. The three samples were self-collected by children aged 5-18 years who had COVID-19 or were a household close contact. Samples were analysed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) on the Allplex SARS-CoV-2 Assay. Most children and parents preferred the ANS and saliva swab over the CTN swab for future testing. The ANS was highly sensitive (sensitivity 1.000 (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.920, 1.000)) for SARS-CoV-2 detection, compared to saliva (sensitivity 0.886, 95% CI 0.754, 0.962). We conclude the novel ANS is a highly sensitive and more comfortable method for SARS-CoV-2 detection when compared to CTN swab.

Efficacy of a patient isolation hood in reducing exposure to airborne infectious virus in a simulated healthcare setting

BackgroundHealthcare workers treating patients with SARS-CoV-2 are at risk of infection from patient-emitted virus-laden aerosols. We quantified the reduction of airborne infectious virus in a simulated hospital room when a ventilated patient isolation (McMonty) hood was in use. MethodsWe nebulised 109 plaque forming units (PFU) of bacteriophage PhiX174 virus into a 35.1m3 room with a hood active or inactive. The airborne concentration of infectious virus was measured by BioSpot-VIVAS and settle plates using plaque assay quantification on the bacterial host Escherichia coli C. The particle number concentration (PNC) was monitored continuously using an optical particle sizer. ResultsMedian airborne viral concentration in the room reached 1.41 x 105 PFU.m-3 with the hood inactive. Using the active hood as source containment reduced infectious virus concentration by 374-fold in air samples. This was associated with a 109-fold reduction in total airborne particle number escape rate. The deposition of infectious virus on the surface of settle plates was reduced by 87-fold. ConclusionsThe isolation hood significantly reduced airborne infectious virus exposure in a simulated hospital room. Our findings support the use of the hood to limit exposure of healthcare workers to airborne virus in clinical environments. Lay summaryCOVID-19 patients exhale aerosol particles which can potentially carry infectious viruses into the hospital environment, putting healthcare workers at risk of infection. This risk can be reduced by proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect workers from virus exposure. More effective strategies, however, aim to provide source control, reducing the amount of virus-contaminated air that is exhaled into the hospital room. The McMonty isolation hood has been developed to trap and decontaminate the air around an infected patient. We tested the efficacy of the hood using a live virus model to mimic a COVID-19 patient in a hospital room. Using the McMonty hood reduced the amount of exhaled air particles in the room by over 109-times. In our tests, people working in the room were exposed to 374-times less infectious virus in the air, and room surfaces were 87-times less contaminated. Our study supports using devices like the McMonty hood in combination with PPE to keep healthcare workers safe from virus exposure at work.

Gut Microbiome-Targeted Modulations Regulate Metabolic Profiles and Alleviate Altitude-Related Cardiac Hypertrophy in Rats.

It is well known that humans physiologically or pathologically respond to high altitude, with these responses accompanied by alterations in the gut microbiome. To investigate whether gut microbiota modulation can alleviate high-altitude-related diseases, we administered probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics in rat model with altitude-related cardiac impairment after hypobaric hypoxia challenge and observed that all three treatments alleviated cardiac hypertrophy as measured by heart weight-to-body weight ratio and gene expression levels of biomarkers in heart tissue. The disruption of gut microbiota induced by hypobaric hypoxia was also ameliorated, especially for microbes of Ruminococcaceae and Lachnospiraceae families. Metabolome revealed that hypobaric hypoxia significantly altered the plasma short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), bile acids (BAs), amino acids, neurotransmitters, and free fatty acids, but not the overall fecal SCFAs and BAs. The treatments were able to restore homeostasis of plasma amino acids and neurotransmitters to a certain degree, but not for the other measured metabolites. This study paves the way to further investigate the underlying mechanisms of gut microbiome in high-altitude related diseases and opens opportunity to target gut microbiome for therapeutic purpose. IMPORTANCE Evidence suggests that gut microbiome changes upon hypobaric hypoxia exposure; however, it remains elusive whether this microbiome change is a merely derivational reflection of host physiological alteration, or it synergizes to exacerbate high-altitude diseases. We intervened gut microbiome in the rat model of prolonged hypobaric hypoxia challenge and found that the intervention could alleviate the symptoms of pathological cardiac hypertrophy, gut microbial dysbiosis, and metabolic disruptions of certain metabolites in gut and plasma induced by hypobaric hypoxia. Our study suggests that gut microbiome may be a causative factor for high-altitude-related pathogenesis and a target for therapeutic intervention.

Helical structure motifs made searchable for functional peptide design.

The systematic design of functional peptides has technological and therapeutic applications. However, there is a need for pattern-based search engines that help locate desired functional motifs in primary sequences regardless of their evolutionary conservation. Existing databases such as The Protein Secondary Structure database (PSS) no longer serves the community, while the Dictionary of Protein Secondary Structure (DSSP) annotates the secondary structures when tertiary structures of proteins are provided. Here, we extract 1.7 million helices from the PDB and compile them into a database (Therapeutic Peptide Design database; TP-DB) that allows queries of compounded patterns to facilitate the identification of sequence motifs of helical structures. We show how TP-DB helps us identify a known purification-tag-specific antibody that can be repurposed into a diagnostic kit for Helicobacter pylori. We also show how the database can be used to design a new antimicrobial peptide that shows better Candida albicans clearance and lower hemolysis than its template homologs. Finally, we demonstrate how TP-DB can suggest point mutations in helical peptide blockers to prevent a targeted tumorigenic protein-protein interaction. TP-DB is made available at http://dyn.life.nthu.edu.tw/design/ .

Assessment of the Caries Detection Ability of Quantitative Light-induced Fluorescence (QLF) in Primary Teeth in vitro / 대한소아치과학회지

The aim of this study was to evaluate QLF (quantitative light-induced fluorescence) technology for the caries detection in primary teeth and validate the relationships between the cavity volume of carious lesions and QLF analysis results. Total 125 tooth surfaces include 53 occlusal surfaces, and 72 proximal surfaces were investigated with the portable QLF device for detection of dental caries in primary molars. Micro-CT radiograph was also performed to classify carious lesions and calculate the cavity volume. QLF showed good accuracy and reliability (sensitivity 0.75 - 0.94, specificity 0.82 - 0.95, and AUROC 0.88 - 0.98) for the caries detection in primary teeth except ΔR average results of proximal caries which showed relatively low values. Statistically significant relationships were found between ΔF average, QS-Index and the cavity volume according to Spearman rank-order correlation coefficients (r = 0.805 - 0.832, p < 0.001). QLF detection method would be a harmless and reliable way for children to diagnose dental caries without the concern about radiation exposure.