Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Biometric Identification Based on Frequency Analysis of Cardiac Sounds

The performance of traditional biometric identification systems is, as yet, unsatisfactory in certain applications. For this reason, other physiological or behavioral characteristics have recently been considered, using new electrical or physical signals linked to a person's vital signs. This paper examines the biometric characteristics of phonocardiogram (PCG) signals from cardiac auscultation. The idea is that PCG signals have specific individual characteristics that can be taken into consideration as a physiological sign used in a biometric system. More specifically, the paper proposes a preliminary study related to the identification of individuals via frequency analysis of cardiac sounds. The results, obtained using a database containing several heart sound recordings from 20 different people, confirm the biometric properties of PCG signals, which can thus be included among the physiological signs used by an automatic identification system.
Comparative epidemiology of sudden infant death syndrome and sudden intrauterine unexplained death

Background: Unexplained antepartum stillbirth and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) are major contributors to perinatal and infant mortality in the western world. A relation between them has been suggested. As an equivalent of SIDS, only cases validated by post mortem examination are diagnosed as sudden intrauterine unexplained death (SIUD). Objective: To test the hypothesis that SIDS and SIUD have common risk factors. Methods: Registration comprised all stillbirths in Oslo and all infant deaths in Oslo and the neighbouring county, Akershus, Norway during 1986–1995. Seventy six cases of SIUD and 78 of SIDS were found, along with 582 random controls surviving infancy, all singletons. Odds ratios were obtained by multiple logistic regression analysis. Results: Whereas SIUD was associated with high maternal age, overweight/obesity, smoking, and low education, SIDS was associated with low maternal age, smoking, male sex, multiparity, proteinuria during pregnancy, and fundal height exceeding +2 SD. Thus the effects of maternal age were opposite in SIUD and SIDS (adjusted odds ratio 1.39 (95% confidence interval 1.17 to 1.66) per year, p < 0.0005). Heavy smoking, male sex, and a multiparous mother was less likely in SIUD than in SIDS (0.22 (0.06 to 0.83), 0.22 (0.07 to 0.78), and 0.03 (<0.01 to 0.17) respectively). Overweight/obesity and low fundal height were more common in SIUD than in SIDS (7.45 (1.49 to 37.3) and 13.8 (1.56 to 122) respectively). Conclusions: The differences in risk factors do not support the hypothesis that SIDS and SIUD have similar determinants in maternal or fetal characteristics detectable by basic antenatal care.
Differences in the misreporting of chronic conditions, by level of education: the effect on inequalities in prevalence rates.

OBJECTIVES Many studies of socio-economic inequalities in the prevalence of chronic conditions rely on self-reports. For chronic nonspecific lung disease, heart disease, and diabetes mellitus, we studied the effects of misreporting on variations in prevalence rates by respondents' level of education. METHODS In 1991, a health interview survey was conducted in the southeastern Netherlands with 2867 respondents. Respondents' answers were compared with validated diagnostic questionnaires in the same survey and the diagnoses given by the respondents' general practitioners. RESULTS Misreporting of chronic lung disease, heart disease, and diabetes may be extensive. Depending on the condition and the reference data used, the confirmation fractions ranged between . 61 and . 96 and the detection fractions between . 13 and . 93. Misreporting varied by level of education, and although various patterns were observed, the dominant pattern was that of more underreporting among less educated persons. The effects on prevalence rates were to underestimate differences by level of education to a sometimes considerable degree. CONCLUSIONS Misreporting of chronic conditions differs by respondents' level of education. Health interview survey data underestimate socioeconomic inequalities in the prevalence of chronic conditions.
Early healing of implants placed into fresh extraction sockets: an experimental study in the beagle dog. III: soft tissue findings.

AIM To describe histologically the early phases of soft tissue healing to implants placed into fresh extraction sockets. MATERIALS AND METHODS In 16 beagle dogs, 64 3.25-mm-wide cylindrical screw implants were inserted into the distal sockets of the third and fourth lower premolars using a one-stage trans-mucosal healing protocol. Biopsies were then taken at 1, 2, 4 and 8 weeks and prepared for histological examination. RESULTS One-week specimens showed a junctional epithelium and an underlying loose connective tissue rich in inflammatory cells. At 2 weeks, signs of epithelial proliferation and a more organized connective tissue were observed. At 4 and 8 weeks, inflammation was absent; the epithelium appeared mature and in close contact with the surface of the healing abutment or the implant. The connective tissue was dense in an area close to the implant surface and the fibres were aligned parallel to the implant surface. The soft tissue dimensions at 8 weeks were approximately 5 mm, including about 3-3.5 mm of epithelium and 1-1.5 mm of connective tissue. CONCLUSION Soft tissue healing to implants placed in fresh extraction sockets may result in a longer epithelial interface than implants placed in a healed ridge.
Platelet Expression Profiling and Clinical Validation of Myeloid-Related Protein-14 as a Novel Determinant of Cardiovascular Events

Background— Platelets participate in events that immediately precede acute myocardial infarction. Because platelets lack nuclear DNA but retain megakaryocyte-derived mRNAs, the platelet transcriptome provides a novel window on gene expression preceding acute coronary events. Methods and Results— We profiled platelet mRNA from patients with acute ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI, n=16) or stable coronary artery disease (n=44). The platelet transcriptomes were analyzed and single-gene models constructed to identify candidate genes with differential expression. We validated 1 candidate gene product by performing a prospective, nested case-control study (n=255 case-control pairs) among apparently healthy women to assess the risk of future cardiovascular events (nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, and cardiovascular death) associated with baseline plasma levels of the candidate protein. Platelets isolated from STEMI and coronary artery disease patients contained 54 differentially expressed transcripts. The strongest discriminators of STEMI in the microarrays were CD69 (odds ratio 6.2, P<0.001) and myeloid-related protein-14 (MRP-14; odds ratio 3.3, P=0.002). Plasma levels of MRP-8/14 heterodimer were higher in STEMI patients (17.0 versus 8.0 &mgr;g/mL, P<0.001). In the validation study, the risk of a first cardiovascular event increased with each increasing quartile of MRP-8/14 (Ptrend<0.001) such that women with the highest levels had a 3.8-fold increase in risk of any vascular event (P<0.001). Risks were independent of standard risk factors and C-reactive protein. Conclusions— The platelet transcriptome reveals quantitative differences between acute and stable coronary artery disease. MRP-14 expression increases before STEMI, and increasing plasma concentrations of MRP-8/14 among healthy individuals predict the risk of future cardiovascular events.
Statistical characterisation of heavy metal contents in Paracentrotus lividus from Mediterranean Sea

This work focuses on the estimation of Hg, As, Cr, Ni, Cu, V, Cd and Pb by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in 135 adult specimens of Paracentrotus lividus collected in different coastal areas of Sicily (Gela, Punta Secca, Ragusa (RG), Siracusa, Priolo, Catania, Messina, Milazzo, Brolo and Filicudi), in order to monitor the Mediterranean marine ecosystem by use of sea urchin as bioindicator. Moreover, the paper deals with the statistical classification of the tested samples according to the sampling area based on metal concentrations. The descriptive statistics findings were obtained and, a starting multivariate matrix was built. Data-sets were subjected to Kruskal–Wallis test to verify the significance of differences in metal concentrations, and then a factor analysis with principal components extraction was performed to try to differentiate urchin samples collected in different areas. The results showed that P. lividus is a suitable organism to be used as bioindicator.
Peri-implant marginal bone level: a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies comparing platform switching versus conventionally restored implants.

AIM To systematically review the literature to compare implant survival (IS) and marginal bone loss (MBL) around platform-switched (PS) versus conventionally restored platform-matching dental implants. MATERIAL AND METHODS Randomized, controlled human clinical trials (RCTs) comparing IS and MBL in PS and conventionally restored implants, with 12 months of follow-up and at least 10 implants were identified through electronic and manual search. Review and meta-analysis were performed according to PRISMA statement. Risk ratio (RR) for implant failure and mean difference (MD) for MBL, with 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. Sources of heterogeneity among studies were also investigated by subgroup analyses. RESULTS Ten RCTs involving 435 subjects and 993 implants contributed to this review. The cumulative estimated implant success rate revealed no statistically significant difference between the two groups. At a patient level, a smaller amount of MBL [MD -0.55 mm, 95%CI (-0.86; -0.24), p = 0.0006] was noted around PS implants. Subgroup analyses performed at implant level suggested less MBL when platform switching showed a larger mismatching. CONCLUSION PS technique appeared to be useful in limiting bone resorption. Nevertheless, these data should be interpreted cautiously as significant heterogeneity and possible publication bias were noted. Further research is needed to identify the factors most associated with successful outcomes.
The Health Benefits of Controlling Carbon Emissions in China 1

Air pollution from rapid industrialization and the use of energy has been recognized to be a cause of serious health problems in urban China. For example, the World Bank (1997) estimated that air pollution caused 178,000 premature deaths in urban China in 1995 and valued health damages at nearly 5% of GDP. The same study estimated that hospital admissions due to pollution-related respiratory illness were 346,000 higher than if China had met its own air pollution standards, there were 6.8 million additional emergency room visits, and 4.5 million additional person-years were lost because of illnesses associated with pollution levels that exceeded standards. Much of this damage has been attributed to emissions of particulates and sulfur dioxide. Furthermore, this problem is expected to grow in the near future as rapid growth outpaces efforts to reduce emissions.
A Neuropsychological Test of Belief and Doubt: Damage to Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex Increases Credulity for Misleading Advertising

We have proposed the False Tagging Theory (FTT) as a neurobiological model of belief and doubt processes. The theory posits that the prefrontal cortex is critical for normative doubt toward properly comprehended ideas or cognitions. Such doubt is important for advantageous decisions, for example in the financial and consumer purchasing realms. Here, using a neuropsychological approach, we put the FTT to an empirical test, hypothesizing that focal damage to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) would cause a “doubt deficit” that would result in higher credulity and purchase intention for consumer products featured in misleading advertisements. We presented 8 consumer ads to 18 patients with focal brain damage to the vmPFC, 21 patients with focal brain damage outside the prefrontal cortex, and 10 demographically similar healthy comparison participants. Patients with vmPFC damage were (1) more credulous to misleading ads; and (2) showed the highest intention to purchase the products in the misleading advertisements, relative to patients with brain damage outside the prefrontal cortex and healthy comparison participants. The pattern of findings was obtained even for ads in which the misleading bent was “corrected” by a disclaimer. The evidence is consistent with our proposal that damage to the vmPFC disrupts a “false tagging mechanism” which normally produces doubt and skepticism for cognitive representations. We suggest that the disruption increases credulity for misleading information, even when the misleading information is corrected for by a disclaimer. This mechanism could help explain poor financial decision-making when persons with ventromedial prefrontal dysfunction (e.g., caused by neurological injury or aging) are exposed to persuasive information.
Changes in soleus H‐reflex during walking in middle‐aged, healthy subjects

Introduction: To assess the effect of aging on stretch reflex modulation during walking, soleus H‐reflexes obtained in 15 middle‐aged (mean age 56.4 ± 6.9 years) and 15 young (mean age 23.7 ± 3.9 years) subjects were compared. Methods: The H‐reflex amplitude, muscle activity (EMG) of the soleus and tibialis anterior muscles, and EMG/H‐reflex gain were measured during 4‐km/h treadmill walking. Results: The normalized H‐reflex amplitude was lower in the swing phase for the middle‐aged group, and there was no difference in muscle activity. EMG/H‐reflex gain did not differ between groups. Conclusions: H‐reflex amplitude during walking was affected by aging, and changes during the swing phase could be seen in the middle‐aged subjects. Subdividing the 2 age groups into groups of facilitated or suppressed swing‐phase H‐reflex revealed that the H‐reflex amplitude modulation pattern in the group with facilitated swing‐phase H‐reflex may be influenced by aging. Muscle Nerve 51: 419–425, 2015
Medication safety program reduces adverse drug events in a community hospital

Background: There is widespread interest in improving medication safety, particularly in the hospital setting. Numerous suggestions have been made as to how this should be done, but there is a paucity of data demonstrating the effectiveness of any of the interventions that have been proposed. Objectives: To assess the impact of a wide ranging, community hospital based patient safety program on patient harm as measured by the rate of adverse drug events. Design: An audit of discharged hospital patients was conducted from January 2001 to December 2003. Baseline data were collected for the first 6 months and multiple drug protocols and other interventions were instituted on the nursing units and in the pharmacy department over the subsequent 9 months (transition period). These interventions were largely based on information about medication risks acquired from internal medication event reporting. Each month of the study adverse drug events (ADE) were sought from a random sample of inpatient charts. A trigger tool was used to detect clues to ADEs, the presence of which was confirmed or excluded by detailed manual chart review. The severity of these events was categorized using the classification system of the National Coordinating Council for Medication Error and Reporting and Prevention. Main outcome measures and results: Median ADEs per 1000 doses of medication dispensed declined significantly from 2.04 to 0.65 (p<0.001). Median ADEs per 100 patient days declined significantly from 5.07 to 1.30 (p<0.001). The proportion of inpatients with one or more ADE in the baseline period was 31% and declined threefold (p<0.001). The severity of reported medication events also declined. The number of ADEs associated conclusively with patient harm was 1.67 per total doses delivered in the baseline period and declined eightfold (p<0.001). Conclusion: The implementation of a carefully planned series of low cost interventions focused on high risk medications, driven by information largely from internal event reporting, and designed to improve a hospital’s medication safety leads to a significant decrease in patient harm.
The influence of sea ice, wind speed and marine mammals on Southern Ocean ambient sound

This paper describes the natural variability of ambient sound in the Southern Ocean, an acoustically pristine marine mammal habitat. Over a 3-year period, two autonomous recorders were moored along the Greenwich meridian to collect underwater passive acoustic data. Ambient sound levels were strongly affected by the annual variation of the sea-ice cover, which decouples local wind speed and sound levels during austral winter. With increasing sea-ice concentration, area and thickness, sound levels decreased while the contribution of distant sources increased. Marine mammal sounds formed a substantial part of the overall acoustic environment, comprising calls produced by Antarctic blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus intermedia), fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus), Antarctic minke whales (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) and leopard seals (Hydrurga leptonyx). The combined sound energy of a group or population vocalizing during extended periods contributed species-specific peaks to the ambient sound spectra. The temporal and spatial variation in the contribution of marine mammals to ambient sound suggests annual patterns in migration and behaviour. The Antarctic blue and fin whale contributions were loudest in austral autumn, whereas the Antarctic minke whale contribution was loudest during austral winter and repeatedly showed a diel pattern that coincided with the diel vertical migration of zooplankton.
PREVALENCE OF OVERHANG INTERPROXIMAL AMALGAM RESTORATIONS

Periodontal structures are vital tissues that could be affected by the surrounding environment. Dental materials and/or restorations may trigger negative response such as gingival inflammation and bone loss from periodontal tissues. The objective of this study was to report the prevalence of overhang interproximal amalgam restorations by undergraduate students at College of Dentistry, King Saud University. Thirty five (35) male patients aged between 18 43 years were randomly selected for the study. Posterior bitewing radiographs were taken, and 966 proximal surfaces were examined. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used for data analysis. Chi square test was utilized to assess the relationship between the location and the surface of the overhang. It was found that out of 206 surfaces restored with amalgam, 34% were over-hanged. Among the overhanging amalgam restorations, 72.9% were in maxillary posterior teeth and 27.1% in mandibular posterior teeth. Out of the overhanging amalgam surfaces, 57.1% were mesial and 42.9% distal surfaces. There was no significant (P>0.05) difference in the prevalence of overhanging amalgam restorations between molars (52.9%) and premolars (47.1%). This study has clearly identified a high prevalence of overhanging interproximal margins in amalgam restorations.
Towards realistic artificial benchmark for community detection algorithms evaluation

Many algorithms have been proposed for revealing the community structure in complex networks. Tests under a wide range of realistic conditions must be performed in order to select the most appropriate for a particular application. Artificially generated networks are often used for this purpose. The most realistic generative method to date has been proposed by Lancichinetti, Fortunato and Radicchi LFR. However, it does not produce networks with some typical features of real-world networks. To overcome this drawback, we investigate two alternative modifications of this algorithm. Experimental results show that in both cases, centralisation and degree correlation values of generated networks are closer to those encountered in real-world networks. The three benchmarks have been used on a wide set of prominent community detection algorithms in order to reveal the limits and the robustness of the algorithms. Results show that the detection of meaningful communities gets harder with more realistic networks, and particularly when the proportion of inter-community links increases.
Influence of parental attitudes in the development of children eating behaviour

The present paper is a review of available data on effects of parental feeding attitudes and styles on child nutritional behaviour. Food preferences develop from genetically determined predispositions to like sweet and salty flavours and to dislike bitter and sour tastes. There is evidence for existence of some innate, automatic mechanism that regulate appetite. However, from birth genetic predispositions are modified by experience. There are mechanisms of taste development: mere exposure, medicine effect, flavour learning, flavour nutrient learning. Parents play a pivotal role in the development of their child's food preferences and energy intake, with research indicating that certain child feeding practices, such as exerting excessive control over what and how much children eat, may contribute to childhood overweight. Mothers are of particular interest on children's eating behaviour, as they have been shown to spend significantly more time than fathers in direct interactions with their children across several familial situations. A recent paper describes two primary aspects of control: restriction, which involves restricting children's access to junk foods and restricting the total amount of food, and pressure, which involves pressuring children to eat healthy foods (usually fruits and vegetables) and pressuring to eat more in general. The results showed significant correlations between parent and child for reported nutritional behaviour like food intake, eating motivations, and body dis- and satisfaction. Parents create environments for children that may foster the development of healthy eating behaviours and weight, or that may promote overweight and aspects of disordered eating. In conclusion positive parental role model may be a better method for improving a child's diet than attempts at dietary control.
Preparation of Polyester-Based Metal-Cross Linked Polymeric Composites as Novel Materials Resistant to Bacterial Adhesion and Biofilm Formation

Bacterial biofilms constitute an extremely resistant form of bacterial colonization with dire health and economical implications. Towards achieving polymeric composites capable of resisting bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation, we prepared five 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylate-based polyesters employing five different diol monomers. The resulting polyesters were complexed with copper (II) or silver (I). The new polymers were characterized by proton and carbon nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, inherent viscosity, infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. The corresponding metal complexes were characterized by differential scanning calorimery and infrared spectroscopy. The amounts of complexed copper and silver were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Finally, the resulting composites were tested for their antibacterial potential and were found to effectively resist bacterial attachment and growth.