Attachment Process Research Articles

How relationship shapes the market: an ethnographic study of French tire industry

Based on a two-year autoethnographic research in the car tire trade, this study of market exchanges examines how merchants’ relationships with customers enable and sustain exchange by shaping market arrangements. Referring to these relationships as an attachment process at work in the market, this study demonstrates the relational influence wielded by merchants through the ideational, practical, and emotional ties they cultivated with customers. These framed, patterned, and emotionally meaningful relationships show that market embeddedness is endogenously produced and exerts an impact upon customers, competition, demand, and supply. Complementing the conventional economic transactional view of market, our findings contribute to a relational perspective and understanding of market dynamics.

The associations between mothers’ and grandmothers’ self-control, mother-grandmother coparenting relationships and caregiver-child attachment: An actor-partner interdependence mediation model

More and more grandparents are involved in parenting and share the responsibility of raising children with parents in China. Less is known, however, regarding the mutual effects of caregivers on children in intergenerational coparenting families. This study aimed to examine how mothers’ and grandmothers’ self-control, mother-grandmother coparenting relationships, and caregiver-child attachment were associated and to investigate whether the pathways were different in mother-child and grandmother-child dyads. Participants were mothers and grandmothers from 501 intergenerational coparenting households. The results from Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Modeling (APIMeM) indicated that mothers’ and grandmothers’ self-control were indirectly related to their own caregiver-child attachment through their self-report coparenting relationships. Additionally, the effect of mothers’ self-control spilled over to the grandmother-child attachment through grandmothers’ self-report coparenting relationships. Overall, the findings indicated that mothers’ and grandmothers’ self-control, mother-grandmother coparenting relationships, and their attachment to the child significantly differed between mother-child dyads and grandmother-child dyads. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of women caregiver-child attachment processes and highlight the implications of using the dyadic approach in understanding and improving family functioning in intergenerational coparenting families, which provide implications for family interventions.

Organizational innovations related to Primary Care Access Points (GAP) for unattached patients in Quebec: a multi-case qualitative study

BackgroundBeing attached to a primary care (PC) provider is at the core of a strong primary health care system. Centralized waiting lists (CWL) for unattached patients have been implemented in eight provinces of Canada to support the attachment process. In Quebec, the Ministry of Health mandated the implementation of Primary Care Access Points (GAP) across the province to help unattached patients navigate the health system while awaiting attachment through the CWL. Several local health territories developed complementary innovations to the GAP to respond to local population needs. This paper aims to describe five organizational innovations implemented locally.MethodsThis multi-case qualitative study was conducted in four local health territories in the province of Quebec. Fifty-two semi-structured interviews with healthcare managers, nurses, physicians, other health professionals and administrative staff were conducted between April 2023 and April 2024. An interview guide was developed based on existing frameworks on the implementation of innovations and the evaluation of the GAP. Thematic analysis was conducted using NVivo software. Inductive and deductive approaches were used to develop relevant codes and themes. Logic models were built to describe the organizational innovations.ResultsFive organizational innovations are described. First, a multidisciplinary clinic aimed at responding to patients with mental health issues was implemented. Second, a nurse clinic was implemented to provide temporary care for patients with unstable chronic illnesses. The third innovation is a mobile proximity clinic where unattached GAP patients are first evaluated by a paramedic before receiving care from a nurse. Fourth, a pharmacist trajectory was implemented to increase engagement of community pharmacists to respond to GAP patients. The last innovation is a decentralized GAP offering in-person nursing care to unattached GAP patients.ConclusionsDescriptions of these five innovations are key to inform other territories and provinces on ways to improve access for unattached patients while they are waiting to be attached. The introduction of the GAP and the organizational innovations, suggests a transition where access to PC services does not rely solely on attachment status.

Theoretical Study on the Dissociation Mechanism of Thiophene in the UV Photoabsorption, Ionization, and Electron Attachment Processes

ABSTRACTA computational study on the intricate mechanism of thiophene ring‐fragmentation (TRF) in the UV photodissociation, dissociative ionization, and dissociative electron attachment process has been performed. The complete fragmentation process is studied using high level G4 composite method for neutral, cationic, and anionic species by elucidating a detailed mechanism for various reaction channels. The study shows that for neutral thiophene, the major pathway is the migration of H atom and subsequent fragmentation through a transition state yielding acetylene (HC≡CH) and H2C=C=S. However, for the thiophene cation, the acetylene (HC≡CH)+H2C=C=S+ channel is a two‐step and barrier less process. The onset of CH3+HC=C=C=S channel has been observed in both the thiophene cation and anion which was absent in the neutral analogue. Similarly, the onset of H2S+HC≡C—C≡CH channel has been found to operate only in the thiophene cation. Others, such as HCS and HS elimination channels have been found in all the species showing similar dissociation mechanism. For the thiophene anion, the TRF process is very much similar to that of thiophene cation. However, the reaction enthalpies of the various elimination channels in the anionic species are lower as compared to that of cationic species. During the study, the ionization energies and electron affinities of various molecules/radicals produced during the fragmentation process of thiophene were also computed.

Emergent ecology in a microscale model of the surface ocean.

Microbial processes operate at the microscale, which is not resolved by existing ecosystem models. Here, we present a novel model that simulates a 1 mL three-dimensional cube using a hybrid Lagrangian-Eulerian approach, at ecologically relevant timescales. The model simulates individual microbes, including three phytoplankton size classes with healthy, senescent, and dead lifecycle stages; copiotrophic and oligotrophic heterotrophic bacteria; and dissolved organic matter at 50 µm resolution. Diffusion, shear, sedimentation, chemotaxis, and attachment processes are explicitly resolved. The emerging quantitative representation of the ecosystem shows that (1) copiotrophs grow mostly attached to eukaryotic phytoplankters and get almost all of their carbon from them vs. oligotrophs that grow on exudates and lysates of cyanobacteria; (2) contrasting diel patterns in substrate appearance in the phycosphere vs. ambient water and growth of particle-associated copiotrophs vs. free-living oligotrophs; (3) attached bacteria reduce carbon flux from the phycosphere, lowering chemotactic efficiency toward eukaryotes below that toward cyanobacteria; (4) shear reduces chemotactic efficiency and fitness of the copiotroph; and (5) the main benefit of chemotaxis is to locate attachment partners. These patterns are consistent with available observations. Our study provides insights into the microscale ecology of marine bacteria, and the open-source code is a tool for further research in this area.IMPORTANCEA large amount of global CO2 fixation is performed by marine phytoplankton, and a substantial fraction of that is released as dissolved organic carbon and further processed by heterotrophic bacteria. The interaction between phytoplankton and bacteria, i.e., the carbon flux between them, is therefore an important process in the global carbon and climate system. Some bacteria have developed specialized behavioral traits, like swimming and attachment, to increase their carbon acquisition. These interactions occur at the micrometer scale, for example, the immediate vicinity of phytoplankters (the phycosphere), but existing biogeochemical models typically only simulate down to the 1 meter vertical or ~100 kilometer horizontal scale. We present a new microscale model and use it to predict fluxes and other features in the surface ocean. The model makes important predictions about the fluxes between various types of phytoplankton and bacteria and the role of behavioral traits, and it provides a basis and tool for further research in this area.

Breaking the Lithiation Barrier via Tailored-Design Facile Kinetic Pathways in TiO2(B) Realizing 50C Ultrafast Charging.

As a promising anode material for fast charging lithium-ion batteries, bronze-phase titanium dioxide (TiO2(B)) still faces the challenge of sluggish Li+ diffusion kinetics in the solid phase during lithiation/delithiation processes. Herein, a facile synthetic strategy has been proposed to optimize the microstructure of TiO2(B), which enables facilitated lithiation and therefore significantly improved rate performance. The rice-granular nanoparticles with precisely controlled aspect ratios (AR) can be obtained via manipulating the ligand concentrations that affect nucleation and oriented attachment processes, as well as adjusting the calcination temperatures to control the Oswald ripening process. As a result, the smaller ab plane in rice-granular TiO2(B) enhances Li+ diffusion efficiency on C' site and inhibits the inhomogeneity of Li+ between inter and inside particles. Benefiting from breaking the Li+ diffusion kinetics, the rice-granular TiO2(B) maintains a high specific capacity of 159.5 mAh g-1 at 50C, with an excellent capacity retention ratio of 93.67% after 5000 cycles at 10C. This work provides an efficient and simple strategy to minimize the challenging lithiation paths in TiO2(B) anode, and offers new opportunities for high rate battery design.

Dosimetric saturation effect study and correction calculation method of ionization chamber at ultra-high dose rate (FLASH)

Backgroundand Purpose: FLASH radiotherapy has aroused strong interest among researchers, but how to monitor dose in real time and lack of generally accepted ion correction model are one of the challenges. This study is based on previous research work, the dosimetric verification of FLASH ionization chamber was performed using a 200 keV electron beam irradiation platform at an ultra-high dose rate. At the same time, the finite element program is written to analyze and calculate the ion correction factor. In addition, the results are compared with the calculation results of Boag model. MethodsIn this study, the pressure of the sensitive volume in the detector was adjusted to 16 mbar for the purpose of dosimetry of dose rates in excess of 100 Gy/s. In order to monitor the response of the detector, the beam frequency and pulse width were adjusted accordingly. However, due to the saturation effect of the ionization chamber, the processes of electron ion pair drift, attachment, recombination and diffusion in the sensitive volume were modelled on the basis of the relevant physical principles. Finally, the correction factor was calculated by the finite element analysis. ResultsThe experimental results demonstrate that the FLASH ionization chamber is capable of meeting the requirements of dose measurement and beam monitoring of the electron beam at ultra-high dose rates. Furthermore, the analytical model is able to more accurately describe the saturation effect and calculate the correction factor. ConclusionIn this paper, the method of reducing air pressure is employed for the purpose of monitoring the dose of ultra-high dose rate. Simultaneously, the finite element method was employed to analyze the physical process of electron–ion pairs within the chamber and to calculate the ion correction factor analytically. A comparison with the Boag model indicates that the proposed approach is effective. However, the results exhibit a certain degree of divergence from experimental outcomes. This discrepancy may be attributed to the influence of the input parameters, which require further calibration to enhance the accuracy and the robustness of the model.

Understanding the Relationship Between Attachment Orientation and Physical Activity Participation: An Exploratory Study.

Physical inactivity is recognized as a global health challenge. Attachment theory may provide insight into individual physical activity (PA) patterns, informing the development of PA interventions to promote the maintenance of behavior change. This study investigated the associations between attachment orientation and why and how individuals engage in PA. Given the association between attachment and sensory processing, this study also investigated the link between sensory processing and PA participation. Participants (N = 141) completed an online questionnaire that included the Modified Experiences of Close Relationships Scale and the Highly Sensitive Person Scale. The relationship between attachment orientation and sensory processing patterns, and preference for PA participation were analyzed using 2-sided independent t tests. Attachment avoidance, attachment anxiety, and sensory sensitivity were significantly related to participants' preference for PA participation in theoretically consistent ways. Avoidantly attached individuals were less likely to participate in PA as a form of social interaction (mean = 8.57, SD = 2.87, P = .005, d = 0.48). Anxiously attached individuals were more likely to participate in PA to support weight management (mean = 37.02, SD = 11.54, P = .01, d = -0.46) or if recommended by a health professional (mean = 43.55, SD = 12.45, P = .039, d = -0.88). Sensory sensitive individuals were more likely to participate in PA alone (mean = 124.11, SD = 19.23, P = .005, d = -0.510), and more likely to prefer light-intensity forms of PA (mean = 133.29, SD = 12.67, F3,123 = 5.49, P = .001). Findings highlight the potential value of considering an individual's attachment orientation and sensory processing patterns in the development of PA interventions. This may help to address the challenges of PA participation, by individually tailoring interventions to participants.

History of S'Tieng instrumental music in Binh Phuoc Province perspectives on conservation – promotion and inheritance from a cultural management perspective

Vietnam is a multi-ethnic country. In the territory of Vietnam, there are 54 ethnic groups living. Each ethnic group has a process of attachment to the historical process of Vietnam through the periods, making contributions in the history of building and preserving the country. In the history of establishment and development, Binh Phuoc province belongs to the Southeast is an area with many ethnic groups and communities, including the S'Tieng ethnic group. The cultural assets of the S'Tieng ethnic groups in the Southeast are quite diverse and complex, with many cultural systems intertwined and intertwined. On this land, there were ethnic groups living for a long time, before the Vietnamese came to declare the land. Ethnic groups such as S'Tieng, Mạ, Chơ-ro, Cơ ho, Mơ nông are considered indigenous inhabitants. The cultural heritage of the S'Tieng ethnic group has its peculiarities, contributing to making the cultural appearance of the Southeast in general and Binh Phuoc province more diverse and rich.

A convection-diffusion-reaction system with discontinuous flux modelling biofilm growth in slow sand filters

A Slow Sand Filter (SSF) consists of biofilm attached to saturated packed sand with supernatant water on top, through which water flows by gravity. SSFs are used in the production of drinking water to improve water quality and remove pathogens, and, as they use biological filtration via the microbes present in the biofilm, they are simple and cheap to construct. A drawback of SSFs is that the difficult sampling and the complex dynamics associated with biofilm growth of microbes pose an obstacle for analysis and predictions. In order to overcome this issue, a mathematical model consisting of a non-linear convection-diffusion-reaction system with discontinuous flux is developed from first principles as a unified framework for the dynamics in time and depth of the biofilm and microbial community, where a variety of ecological models can be included in the reaction terms, which also contain attachment, detachment and transfer processes. The multi-phase approach considers three main physical volumes: a biofilm matrix, the water volume enclosed by it and the flowing suspension through the SSF surrounding the biofilm. The only input data needed are the inflow concentrations and rate, light irradiation and temperature. The model includes a Cahn–Hilliard-type equation for the biofilm velocity in the supernatant water. A numerical scheme that preserves physical properties of the solution is also presented. This is achieved with a time-splitting scheme using an upwind scheme with an adaptive time-step size that ensures positivity of the solution under a CFL condition and a reasonable assumption on the separate numerical solution of the Cahn–Hilliard-type equation. The latter is solved numerically with a semi-implicit finite-difference scheme using a mixed form of the equation. The flexible model framework with its numerical scheme allows for including a variety of ecological models, making the investigation and development of increasingly complex simulations possible. Simulations with different model parameters are shown to be qualitatively consistent with the literature.

Role of a novel uropod-like cell membrane protrusion in the pathogenesis of the parasite Trichomonas vaginalis.

Trichomonas vaginalis causes trichomoniasis, the most common non-viral sexually transmitted disease worldwide. As an extracellular parasite, adhesion to host cells is essential for the development of infection. During attachment, the parasite changes its tear ovoid shape to a flat ameboid form, expanding the contact surface and migrating through tissues. Here, we have identified a novel structure formed at the posterior pole of adherent parasite strains, resembling the previously described uropod, which appears to play a pivotal role as an anchor during the attachment process. Moreover, our research demonstrates that the overexpression of the tetraspanin T. vaginalis TSP5 protein (TvTSP5), which is localized on the cell surface of the parasite, notably enhances the formation of this posterior anchor structure in adherent strains. Finally, we demonstrate that parasites that overexpress TvTSP5 possess an increased ability to adhere to host cells, enhanced aggregation and reduced migration on agar plates. Overall, these findings unveil novel proteins and structures involved in the intricate mechanisms of T. vaginalis interactions with host cells.

Resolving intermediates during the growth of aluminum deuteroxide (Hydroxide) polymorphs in high chemical potential solutions

Aluminum hydroxide polymorphs are of widespread importance yet their kinetics of nucleation and growth remain beyond the reach of current models. Here we attempt to unveil the reaction processes underlying the polymorphs formation at high chemical potential. We examine their formation in-situ from supersaturated alkaline sodium aluminate solutions using deuteration and time-resolved neutron pair distribution function analyses, which indicate the formation of individual Al(OD)3 layers as an intermediate particle phase. These layers ultimately stack to form gibbsite- or bayerite-like layered heterostructures. Ex-situ characterization of the recovered precipitates using 27Al magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, Raman, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy, suggests the presence of additional intermediate states, an amorphous compound bearing both tetrahededrally- and penta-coordinated Al3+. These observations reveal the complex pathways to form Al(OD)3 monolayers via either transient pentacoordinate species or amorphous-to-ordered transitions. The subsequent crystallization of admixed gibbsite/bayerite is followed by an Al(OD)3 monolayer attachment process.

Structural and quantitative comparison of viral infection-associated N-glycans in plasma from humans, pigs, and chickens: Greater similarity between humans and chickens than pigs

Host N-glycans play an essential role in the attachment, invasion, and infection processes of viruses, including zoonotic infectious diseases. The similarity of N-glycans in the trachea and lungs of humans and pigs facilitates the cross-species transmission of influenza viruses through respiratory tracts. In this study, the structure and quantity of N-glycans in the plasma of humans, pigs, and chickens were analyzed using liquid chromatography-quadrupole-Orbitrap-tandem mass spectrometry. N-glycans in humans (35), pigs (28), and chickens (53) were identified, including the most abundant, species-common, and species-specific N-glycans. Among the N-glycans (relative quantity >0.5%), the sialic acid derivative of N-acetylneuraminic acid was identified in humans (the sum of the relative quantities of each; 64.3%), pigs (45.5%), and chickens (64.4%), whereas N-glycolylneuraminic acid was only identified in pigs (18.1%). Sialylated N-glycan linkage isomers are the influenza virus receptors (α2-6 in humans, α2-3 and α2-6 in pigs, and α2-3 in chickens). Only α2-6 linkages (human, 58.2%; pig, 44.8%; and chicken, 60.6%) were more abundant than α2-3/α2-6 linkages (human, 4.6%; pig, 0.6%; and chicken, 3.4%) and only α2-3 linkages (human, 1.5%; pig, 0.1%; and chicken, 0.4%). Fucosylation, which can promote viral infection through immune modulation, was more abundant in pigs (76.1%) than in humans (36.4%) and chickens (16.7%). Bisecting N-acetylglucosamine, which can suppress viral infection by inhibiting sialylation, was identified in humans (10.3%) and chickens (16.9%), but not in pigs. These results indicate that plasma N-glycans are similar in humans and chickens. This is the first study to compare plasma N-glycans in humans, pigs, and chickens.

Macroscale vertical power-law distribution of bacteria in dark oceans can emerge from microscale bacteria-particle interactions

Microbes in the dark oceans are a key determinant of remineralization of sinking carbon particles. However, most marine ecosystem models overlook how microbes aggregate on particles and the microscale interactions between particle-associated microbes, making it difficult to obtain mechanistic insights on their vertical power-law decay pattern. Here, we present a spatial population model where the attachment and detachment processes of bacterial cells depend on local density of particle-associated bacteria. We show that the power-law relationship can emerge when the non-random aggregated distribution of bacteria is considered without any depth-specific environmental parameters. Furthermore, the comparison between model behavior and empirical patterns in the Pacific and Southern Ocean indicated that temperature-dependent hydrolysis rate and nutrient-dependent sinking rate of particles are key parameters to explain the regional variations of the power-law exponent. The mechanistic approach developed here provides a pathway to link micro-scale interactions between individuals to macro-scale food chain structures and carbon cycle

Attachment processes of negative flashes with multiple return strokes to a tall tower observed at close distances

Two downward negative flashes (F1612 & F1613) with multiple return strokes struck to the 356-m Shenzhen Tower were analyzed. The high-speed camera captured upward positive connecting leaders (UCL) for the first strokes of both flashes and two subsequent strokes of F1612. The observations also show that none of the downward negative leader (DNL) completely propagated to the tower tip before the occurrence of the return stroke (RS), so that we inferred that the UCL initiated from the tower tip might exist for each RS of the two flashes. The possible height of the UCL and DNL connecting point above the tower tip for each RS was estimated, which showed a positive correlation to the speed of corresponding DNL. The striking distances estimated for 8 subsequent RSs in F1612 were in a range from 14.6 m to 85.4 m and that for 3 subsequent RSs in F1613 were from 24.2 m to 66.2 m. There was a weak positive linear relationship between the DNL speed and striking distance for subsequent RSs in the two flashes. The DNL speed showed a positive correlation to the peak current of corresponding RS.

Fourth-Order Algebraic Diagrammatic Construction for Electron Detachment and Attachment: The IP- and EA-ADC(4) Methods.

We present a non-Dyson fourth-order algebraic diagrammatic construction formulation of the electron propagator, featuring the distinct IP- and EA-ADC(4) schemes for the treatment of ionization and electron attachment processes. The algebraic expressions have been derived automatically using the intermediate state representation approach and implemented in the Q-Chem quantum-chemical program package. The performance of the novel methods is assessed with respect to high-level reference data for ionization potentials and electron affinities of closed- and open-shell systems. While only minor improvements over the corresponding third-order methods are observed for one-hole ionization and one-particle electron attachment processes from closed-shell systems (MAEIP-ADC(4) = 0.27 eV and MAEEA-ADC(4) = 0.05 eV), a significantly enhanced performance is found in case of open-shell reference states (MAEIP-ADC(4) = 0.11 eV and MAEEA-ADC(4) = 0.02 eV). A particularly appealing feature of the novel methods is their accurate treatment of satellite transitions. For closed-shell reference states, we obtain accuracies of MAEIP-ADC(4) = 0.81 eV and MAEEA-ADC(4) = 0.27 eV, while in case of open-shell reference states, mean absolute errors of MAEIP-ADC(4) = 0.15 eV and MAEEA-ADC(4) = 0.27 eV are found.

Neural correlates of distress and comfort in individuals with avoidant, anxious and secure attachment style: an fMRI study

ABSTRACT Despite a growing literature, experiments directly related to attachment are still needed. We explored brain processes involved in two aspects of attachment, distress and comfort. Seventy-eight healthy adult males with different attachment styles (secure, avoidant, and anxious) viewed distress, comfort, complicity-joy and neutral images (picture database BAPS-Adult) in an fMRI block design. ROIs from the modules described in the functional Neuro-Anatomical Model of Attachment (Long et al. 2020) were studied. Secure participants used more co- and self-regulation strategies and exhibited a higher activation of the reward network in distress and comfort viewing, than insecure participants. Avoidant participants showed the lower brain activations. Their approach and reward modules were the least activated in distress and comfort. Anxious participants presented both higher activations of the approach and aversion modules during complicity-joy. In addition, comfort and complicity-joy were processed differently according to attachment styles and should be differentiated among positive stimuli to disentangle attachment processes.

An Innovative Approach for Precise Identification of the Lowest Unoccupied Molecular Orbital Using the Parametric Equation of Motion.

The lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) plays a crucial role in quantum chemistry, but current quantum chemistry calculations fail to provide useful virtual orbitals, making it challenging to explore various processes such as photochemical reactions, electron attachment, reduction, or excitation processes. The LUMO obtained from the self-consistent field (SCF) solution can not be relied upon and needs to be identified as they are often present among the continuum states having almost similar energies. The nuclear charge stabilization method has been proven useful in identifying LUMO. Herein, we have proposed the application of parametric equations of motion (PEM) in conjunction with nuclear charge stabilization method to identify the LUMO obtained from the SCF solution exhibiting stability with different basis sets including diffuse functions.

Premixed calcium silicate-based ceramic sealers promote osteogenic/cementogenic differentiation of human periodontal ligament stem cells: A microscopy study.

To evaluate the effects of premixed calcium silicate based ceramic sealers on the viability and osteogenic/cementogenic differentiation of human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs). The materials evaluated were TotalFill BC Sealer (TFbc), AH Plus Bioceramic Sealer (AHPbc), and Neosealer Flo (Neo). Standardized discs and 1:1, 1:2, and 1:4 eluates of the tested materials were prepared. The following in vitro experiments were carried out: ion release, cell metabolic activity 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, cell migration, immunofluorescence experiment, cell attachment, gene expression, and mineralization assay. Statistical analyses were performed using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey's post hoc test (p < .05). Increased Ca2+ release was detected in TFbc compared to AHPbc and Neo (*p < .05). Biological assays showed a discrete cell metabolic activity and cell migration in Neo-treated cell, whereas scanning electronic microscopy assay exhibited that TFbc group had a better cell adhesion process of substrate attachment, spreading, and cytoskeleton development on the niche-like structures of the cement than AHPbc and Neo. The sealers tested were able to induce overexpression of the CEMP-1, ALP, and COL1A1 genes in the first days of exposure, particularly in the case of TFbc (***p < .001). All materials tested significantly increased the mineralization of hPDLSCs when compared to the negative control, although more pronounced calcium deposition was observed in the TFbc-treated cells (***p < .001). Our results suggested that TFbc promotes cell differentiation, both by increasing the expression of key osteo/odontogenic genes and by promoting mineralization of the extracellular matrix, whereas this phenomenon was less evident in Neo and AHPbc. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: TFbc group had a better cell adhesion process of substrate attachment, spreading, and cytoskeleton development on the niche-like structures of the cement than AHPbc and Neo. The sealers tested were able to induce overexpression of the CEMP-1, ALP, and COL1A1 genes in the first days of exposure, particularly in the case of TFbc. All materials tested significantly increased the mineralization of hPDLSCs when compared to the negative control, although more pronounced calcium deposition was observed in the TFbc-treated cells.

Power Law in Deep Neural Networks: Sparse Network Generation and Continual Learning With Preferential Attachment.

Training deep neural networks (DNNs) typically requires massive computational power. Existing DNNs exhibit low time and storage efficiency due to the high degree of redundancy. In contrast to most existing DNNs, biological and social networks with vast numbers of connections are highly efficient and exhibit scale-free properties indicative of the power law distribution, which can be originated by preferential attachment in growing networks. In this work, we ask whether the topology of the best performing DNNs shows the power law similar to biological and social networks and how to use the power law topology to construct well-performing and compact DNNs. We first find that the connectivities of sparse DNNs can be modeled by truncated power law distribution, which is one of the variations of the power law. The comparison of different DNNs reveals that the best performing networks correlated highly with the power law distribution. We further model the preferential attachment in DNNs evolution and find that continual learning in networks with growth in tasks correlates with the process of preferential attachment. These identified power law dynamics in DNNs can lead to the construction of highly accurate and compact DNNs based on preferential attachment. Inspired by the discovered findings, two novel applications have been proposed, including evolving optimal DNNs in sparse network generation and continual learning tasks with efficient network growth using power law dynamics. Experimental results indicate that the proposed applications can speed up training, save storage, and learn with fewer samples than other well-established baselines. Our demonstration of preferential attachment and power law in well-performing DNNs offers insight into designing and constructing more efficient deep learning.