Aesthetic Preference in the Transverse Orientation of the Occlusal Plane in Rehabilitation: Perspective of Laypeople and Dentists

The present study had a convenience sample with 236 laypeople and 242 dentists who completed an online questionnaire to choose the most attractive image among six pairs for comparison. Control image: symmetric (parallelism between occlusal plane (OP), commissural line (CL), and interpupillary line (IL)). Change of Control, obtaining three images with a 3-degree inclination of the labial commissures. Image A: OP parallel to IL; Image B: OP parallel to CL; Image C: OP at 1.5 degree mean angulation between IL and CL. Non-parametric comparison (IBM© SPSS Statistics vs. 27.0, p < 0.05). The “Dentists” group’s decreasing order of preference (attractiveness) of the images is: Control > A > C > B (p < 0.05). In the “Lay” group, it is: Control > A > (C not ≠ B). Dentists significantly prefer more the Control and Image A than laypeople (p < 0.001). Sex (single exception in laypeople), age, and dentist’s area of activity did not interfere in the perception of attractiveness. Dentists and laypeople preferred the Control when compared to images with CL canted. In the existence of CL inclination, the preference of the groups was the IL as a reference for OP orientation, with the mean angulation or coincident with the CL being considered less aesthetic.

The Role of Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) in the Control of Neuroendocrine Regulation of Growth

In mammals, the neuroendocrine system, which includes the communication between the hypothalamus and the pituitary, plays a major role in controlling body growth and cellular metabolism. GH produced from the pituitary somatotroph is considered the master regulator of somatic development and involved, directly and indirectly, in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism via complex, yet well-defined, signaling pathways. GH production from the pituitary gland is primarily regulated by the counter-regulatory effects of the hypothalamic GHRH and SST hormones. The role of IGF-1 feedback regulation in GH production has been demonstrated by pharmacologic interventions and in genetically modified mouse models. In the present review, we discuss the role of IGF-1 in the regulation of the GH-axis as it controls somatic growth and metabolic homeostasis. We present genetically modified mouse models that maintain the integrity of the GH/GHRH-axis with the single exception of IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R) deficiency in the hypothalamic GHRH neurons and somatotroph that reveals a novel mechanism controlling adipose tissues physiology and energy expenditure.

Lessons from an unusual vertebrate sex-determining gene

So far, very few sex-determining genes have been identified in vertebrates and most of them, the so-called ‘usual suspects’, evolved from genes which fulfil essential functions during sexual development and are thus already tightly linked to the process that they now govern. The single exception to this ‘usual suspects’ rule in vertebrates so far is the conserved salmonid sex-determining gene, sdY (sexually dimorphic on the Y chromosome), that evolved from a gene known to be involved in regulation of the immune response. It is contained in a jumping sex locus that has been transposed or translocated into different ancestral autosomes during the evolution of salmonids. This special feature of sdY , i.e. being inserted in a ‘jumping sex locus’, could explain how salmonid sex chromosomes remain young and undifferentiated to escape degeneration. Recent knowledge on the mechanism of action of sdY demonstrates that it triggers its sex-determining action by deregulating oestrogen synthesis that is a conserved and crucial pathway for ovarian differentiation in vertebrates. This result suggests that sdY has evolved to cope with a pre-existing sex differentiation regulatory network. Therefore, ‘limited options’ for the emergence of new master sex-determining genes could be more constrained by their need to tightly interact with a conserved sex differentiation regulatory network rather than by being themselves ‘usual suspects’, already inside this sex regulatory network. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Challenging the paradigm in sex chromosome evolution: empirical and theoretical insights with a focus on vertebrates (Part I)’.

Effects of blue monochromatic light directed at one eye of pregnant horse mares on gestation, parturition and foal maturity

Blue light directed at one eye advances the equine ovulatory season but can also advance foaling. In this study, effects of blue LED light on pregnancy outcome were assessed. Twenty mares with singleton pregnancies were studied over two consecutive years in a cross-over design. In one year, mares received an extended photoperiod using 50 lux of blue LED light (468 nm) directed at a single eye from 08:00 until 23:00 daily via head-worn light masks starting mid-December and in the other year remained untreated as controls. Gestation was shorter in blue LED light-treated (333.2+/- 1.0 days, +/- SEM) than in control pregnancies (337.9+/-1.8 days, p<0.05). Colostral IgG content was lower in treated than in control pregnancies (p<0.05) but was adequate to ensure sufficient IgG transfer to newborn foals with a single exception. Foals born to blue LED light-treated mares had lower wither heights (102.5+/-1.1 vs. 105.2+/-1.0 cm, p<0.01), similar weights (55.0+/-1.3 vs. 55.5+/-1.1 kg) and took less time to stand after birth than control foals (39+/-3 vs. 56+/-4 min, p<0.05). The neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, was higher in foals born to blue LED light-treated mares than controls (3.2+/-0.2 vs. 2.7+/-0.2; p<0.05). Foals born to blue LED light-treated mares had reduced hair length compared to controls (13.1+/-0.8 vs. 20.9+/-0.1 mm; p<0.001) and hair regrowth in treated mares was reduced (p<0.05). Maternal plasma prolactin concentration was increased in treated mares (p=0.05) and peaked at foaling (p<0.001). In conclusion, blue LED light directed at one eye advanced foaling and influenced height, hair coat and maturity in foals.

Is there evidence for cross-domain congruency sequence effect? A replication of Kan et al . (2013)

Exploring the mechanisms of cognitive control is central to understanding how we control our behaviour. These mechanisms can be studied in conflict paradigms, which require the inhibition of irrelevant responses to perform the task. It has been suggested that in these tasks, the detection of conflict enhances cognitive control resulting in improved conflict resolution of subsequent trials. If this is the case, then this so-called congruency sequence effect can be expected to occur in cross-domain tasks. Previous research on the domain-generality of the effect presented inconsistent results. In this study, we provide a multi-site replication of three previous experiments of Kan et al . (Kan IP, Teubner-Rhodes S, Drummey AB, Nutile L, Krupa L, Novick JM 2013 Cognition 129 , 637–651) which test congruency sequence effect between very different domains: from a syntactic to a non-syntactic domain (Experiment 1), and from a perceptual to a verbal domain (Experiments 2 and 3). Despite all our efforts, we found only partial support for the claims of the original study. With a single exception, we could not replicate the original findings; the data remained inconclusive or went against the theoretical hypothesis. We discuss the compatibility of the results with alternative theoretical frameworks.

Demonstrating the Reliability of the Self-Appraisal Questionnaire for Use With South African Offenders

The objective of this research was to examine the reliability and effectiveness of the Self-Appraisal Questionnaire (SAQ) for use with South African offenders. A total of 986 male offenders, with a mean age of 30.6 years ( SD = 9.83) and who were incarcerated in different correctional centers in South Africa, participated in the study. Approximately 75% of the participants were convicted of violent crimes. The Cronbach’s α reliability coefficient for the total SAQ was .92 and subscale coefficients varied between .32, which are consistent with previous international results. Most of the inter-subscale correlations are statistically significant and of moderate strength ( r = .4–.7) or small relationships ( r = .2–.4). With a single exception, all the items-subscale correlations were above .30 and consistent with the results of prior research conducted in Australia, Canada, England, Singapore, and the United States of America.

Cervantine Criticism until 1999

This chapter presents a survey of Cervantine criticism until the closing of the twentieth century. With a single exception, the critical fortunes of Cervantes’s works are treated here in the order in which they were originally published. From his first published work in 1585 to the posthumous Persiles in 1617, the Cervantine canon has provided an immeasurable influence on world literature and culture. This chapter analyses their reception in Spain and around the world and describes the most well-known and significant academic studies in the nearly four centuries since the writer’s death.

Balancing production and culture: Sustainable agriculture in the Amazon

Sustainable food production in developing countries is challenging, as it requires balancing scalability with respect for local culture and traditions. Bolivia represents a particularly interesting example; with over 36 recognized indigenous groups encompassing over 70% of the country’s population in a relatively small territory, Bolivia is considered one of the most diverse countries in the world (Ferreira et al., 2019). Agriculture in Bolivia employs over 5% of the country’s population and represents over 14% of its GDP. Yet, the introduction of new agribusiness approaches has often been met with resistance by the local communities. For example, the use of transgenic seeds in Bolivia is forbidden by law, with a single exception in soybean production (Avila and Izquierdo, 2006). As result, Bolivia is at a disadvantage in relation to its neighbors in agricultural production. In addition, high costs of transport and export of produce due to the landlocked nature of the country, compounded by logistic difficulties of exporting through a third country, highlight the need of policies that facilitate a larger and more efficient food production.

ICTV Virus Taxonomy Profile: Alphaflexiviridae

The family Alphaflexiviridae includes viruses with flexuous filamentous virions that are 470–800 nm in length and 12–13 nm in diameter. Alphaflexiviruses have a single-stranded, positive-sense RNA genome of 5.5–9 kb. They infect plants and plant-infecting fungi. They share a distinct lineage of alphavirus-like replication proteins that is unusual in lacking any recognized protease domain. With a single exception, cell-to-cell and long-distance movement is facilitated by triple gene block proteins in plant-infecting genera. This is a summary of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) Report on the family Alphaflexiviridae, which is available at www.ictv.global/report/alphaflexiviridae.

Galton, Terman, Cox: The Distinctive Volume II in Genetic Studies of Genius

With just one exception, all of the volumes in Terman’s Genetic Studies of Genius report the results of a longitudinal study of more than a thousand intellectually gifted children. That single exception is Volume II, Cox’s single-authored The Early Mental Traits of Three Hundred Geniuses, which instead was a retrospective study of 301 eminent creators and leaders, using historiometric methods to estimate their IQs (as well as to assess a subset of 100 on 67 character traits). This article discusses how this volume actually fits with the other four volumes in the set. After giving the historical background, discussion turns to the emergence of Cox’s doctoral dissertation. Then comes a narrative of the aftermath, including subsequent contributions by Cox, Terman, and numerous other researchers extending into the 21st century. The article closes by treating the ways that the intellectually gifted and the historic geniuses are not comparable, thus indicating the need for more recent replications and extensions of her work.