Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Class II subdivision treatment with the Forsus Fatigue Resistant Device vs intermaxillary elastics.

OBJECTIVE To compare the effectiveness of comprehensive fixed appliance treatments implemented in combination with Forsus or intermaxillary elastics in Class II subdivision subjects. MATERIALS AND METHODS Twenty-eight Class II subdivision patients were allocated to two groups using matched randomization: Forsus group (mean age, 14.19 ± 1.02 years) and elastics group (mean age, 13.75 ± 1.16 years). Patients received fixed appliance therapy in combination with either Forsus or intermaxillary elastics. The study was conducted on lateral cephalograms and digital models acquired before orthodontic treatment and 10-12 weeks after the fixed appliances were removed. RESULTS The treatment phase comprising the use of Forsus (4.53 ± 0.91 months) was significantly shorter compared with elastics application (6.85 ± 1.08 months). This was also true for comparing duration of overall comprehensive treatment in both groups. Extrusion and palatal tipping of maxillary incisors and clockwise rotation of the occlusal plane were greater in the elastics group (P < .05). The mandibular incisors were proclined in both groups (P < .001), but no significant difference was observed between groups (P > .05). The mandibular incisors showed intrusion in the Forsus group and extrusion in the elastics group; the difference between groups was significant (P < .05). Overbite was decreased in both groups (P < .001) in similar amounts. Improvement in overjet, mandibular midline deviation, and correction of molar relationship on the Class II side were greater in the Forsus group (P < .05). CONCLUSION Forsus is more effective for correcting Class II subdivision malocclusion in a shorter treatment period with minimal patient compliance required.
Design and Evaluation of a Wearable Haptic Device for Skin Stretch, Pressure, and Vibrotactile Stimuli

This letter presents a wearable haptic device for the forearm and its application in robotic teleoperation. The device is able to provide skin stretch, pressure, and vibrotactile stimuli. Two servo motors, housed in a 3D printed lightweight platform, actuate an elastic fabric belt, wrapped around the arm. When the two servo motors rotate in opposite directions, the belt is tightened (or loosened), thereby compressing (or decompressing) the arm. On the other hand, when the two motors rotate in the same direction, the belt applies a shear force to the arm skin. Moreover, the belt houses four vibrotactile motors, positioned evenly around the arm at 90 $^\circ$ from each other. The device weights 220 g for $\text{115}\times \text{122}\times \text{50}$ mm of dimensions, making it wearable and unobtrusive. We carried out a perceptual characterization of the device as well as two human-subjects teleoperation experiments in a virtual environment, employing a total of 34 subjects. In the first experiment, participants were asked to control the motion of a robotic manipulator for grasping an object; in the second experiment, participants were asked to teleoperate the motion of a quadrotor fleet along a given path. In both scenarios, the wearable haptic device provided feedback information about the status of the slave robot(s) and of the given task. Results showed the effectiveness of the proposed device. Performance on completion time, length trajectory, and perceived effectiveness when using the wearable device improved of 19.8%, 25.1%, and 149.1% than when wearing no device, respectively. Finally, all subjects but three preferred the conditions including wearable haptics.
Remote ischaemic conditioning decreases blood flow and improves oxygen extraction in patients with early complex regional pain syndrome

Remote ischaemic conditioning (RIC) is the cyclic application of non‐damaging ischaemia leading to an increased tissue perfusion, among others triggered by NO (monoxide). Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is known to have vascular alterations such as increased blood shunting and decreased NO blood‐levels, which in turn lead to decreased tissue perfusion. We therefore hypothesized that RIC could improve tissue perfusion in CRPS.
A Meaner, More Callous Digital World for Youth? The Relationship Between Violent Digital Games, Motivation, Bullying, and Civic Behavior Among Children

The relationship between violent digital games and youth behavior remains contested in the scholarly literature. To date considerable scholarship has focused on university students, with fewer studies of adolescents or children. The current study examines correlational relationships between violent game exposure and bullying behaviors, antisocial attitudes, civic attitudes, and civic behaviors in a sample of 304 children from the United Kingdom (Mean age = 12.81). The paper also considered motivational influences on use of violent digital games. Results indicated that violent game exposure did not correlate meaningfully with either antisocial or civic behaviors or attitudes. These results are discussed in a motivational and developmental context.
A Comparison of the Effect of Mobile Phone Use and Alcohol Consumption on Driving Simulation Performance

Objective: The present study compared the effects of a variety of mobile phone usage conditions to different levels of alcohol intoxication on simulated driving performance and psychomotor vigilance. Methods: Twelve healthy volunteers participated in a crossover design in which each participant completed a simulated driving task on 2 days, separated by a 1-week washout period. On the mobile phone day, participants performed the simulated driving task under each of 4 conditions: no phone usage, a hands-free naturalistic conversation, a hands-free cognitively demanding conversation, and texting. On the alcohol day, participants performed the simulated driving task at four different blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels: 0.00, 0.04, 0.07, and 0.10. Driving performance was assessed by variables including time within target speed range, time spent speeding, braking reaction time, speed deviation, and lateral lane position deviation. Results: In the BAC 0.07 and 0.10 alcohol conditions, participants spent less time in the target speed range and more time speeding and took longer to brake in the BAC 0.04, 0.07, and 0.10 than in the BAC 0.00 condition. In the mobile phone condition, participants took longer to brake in the natural hands-free conversation, cognitively demanding hands-free conversation and texting conditions and spent less time in the target speed range and more time speeding in the cognitively demanding, hands-free conversation, and texting conditions. When comparing the 2 conditions, the naturalistic conversation was comparable to the legally permissible BAC level (0.04), and the cognitively demanding and texting conversations were similar to the BAC 0.07 to 0.10 results. Conclusion: The findings of the current laboratory study suggest that very simple conversations on a mobile phone may not represent a significant driving risk (compared to legally permissible BAC levels), whereas cognitively demanding, hands-free conversation, and particularly texting represent significant risks to driving.
Targeted salivary biomarkers for discrimination of periodontal health and disease(s)

Generally, clinical parameters are used in dental practice for periodontal disease, yet several drawbacks exist with the clinical standards for addressing the needs of the public at large in determining the current status/progression of the disease, and requiring a significant amount of damage before these parameters can document disease. Therefore, a quick, easy and reliable method of assessing and monitoring periodontal disease should provide important diagnostic information that improves and speeds treatment decisions and moves the field closer to individualized point-of-care diagnostics. Objective: This report provides results for a saliva-based diagnostic approach for periodontal health and disease based upon the abundance of salivary analytes coincident with disease, and the significant progress already made in the identification of discriminatory salivary biomarkers of periodontitis. Methods: We evaluated biomarkers representing various phases of periodontitis initiation and progression (IL-1ß, IL-6, MMP-8, MIP-1α) in whole saliva from 209 subjects categorized with periodontal health, gingivitis, and periodontitis. Results: Evaluation of the salivary analytes demonstrated utility for individual biomarkers to differentiate periodontitis from health. Inclusion of gingivitis patients into the analyses provided a more robust basis to estimate the value of each of these analytes. Various clinical and statistical approaches showed that pairs or panels of the analytes were able to increase the sensitivity and specificity for the identification of disease. Conclusions: Salivary concentrations of IL-1ß, IL-6, MMP-8, MIP-1α alone and in combination are able to distinguish health from gingivitis and periodontitis. The data clearly demonstrated a heterogeneity in response profiles of these analytes that supports the need for refinement of the standard clinical classifications if we are to move toward precision/personalized dentistry for the twenty-first century.
A turning point: Head and neck cancer patients’ exercise preferences and barriers before and after participation in an exercise intervention

This study examined the exercise barriers and preferences of head and neck cancer (HNC) survivors in relation to exercise experience. Participants (n = 22; 46.8% response rate) completed retrospective self-report questionnaires on demographic and medical information, exercise barriers and preferences. A subset of participants then completed semi-structured interviews (n = 18). Participants had previously engaged in the ENHANCE trial during, or immediately following, radiation treatment, an average of 22.1 ± 5.8 months before. Retrospective questionnaires revealed that before ENHANCE participation, lack of interest and time were the primary exercise barriers. After participation, there was a significant decrease in typical barriers including lack of interest (p = .008), exercise not a priority (p = .039) and exercise not in routine (p = .004). Number of barriers experienced after ENHANCE participation was negatively correlated with age, quality of life and minutes of resistance exercise training per week. After ENHANCE participation, significant increases were found in preference for exercising at a cancer centre (p = .031) and with other cancer survivors (p = .016). Four higher order themes emerged inductively from interview data analysis pertaining to preferences (i.e., class format) and three higher order themes regarding barriers (physical, psychological and external). By investigating participants' perspectives after ENHANCE participation, key factors for effective HNC exercise programme design were identified.
Time trend analysis of long term outcome of patients with haematological malignancies admitted at dutch intensive care units

A few decades ago, the chances of survival for patients with a haematological malignancy needing Intensive Care Unit (ICU) support were minimal. As a consequence, ICU admission policy was cautious. We hypothesized that the long‐term outcome of patients with a haematological malignancy admitted to the ICU has improved in recent years. Furthermore, our objective was to evaluate the predictive value of the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score. A total of 1095 patients from 5 Dutch university hospitals were included from 2003 until 2015. We studied the prevalence of patients' characteristics over time. By using annual odds ratios, we analysed which patients' characteristics could have had influenced possible trends in time. A approximated mortality rate was compared with the ICU mortality rate, to study the predictive value of the APACHE II score. Overall one‐year mortality was 62%. The annual decrease in one‐year mortality was 7%, whereas the APACHE II score increased over time. Decreased mortality rates were particularly observed in high‐risk patients (acute myeloid leukaemia, old age, low platelet count, bleeding as admission reason and need for mechanical ventilation within 24 h of ICU admission). Furthermore, the APACHE II score overestimates mortality in this patient category.
Correlated evolution of thermal niches and functional physiology in tropical freshwater fishes

The role of ecology in phenotypic and species diversification is widely documented. Nonetheless, numerous nonadaptive processes can shape realized niches and phenotypic variation in natural populations, complicating inferences about adaptive evolution at macroevolutionary scales. We tested for evolved differences in thermal tolerances and their association with the realized thermal niche (including metrics describing diurnal and seasonal patterns of temperature extremes and variability) across a genus of tropical freshwater fishes reared in a standardized environment. There was limited evolution along the thermal niche axis associated with variation in maximum temperature and in upper thermal limits. In contrast, there was considerable diversification along the first major axis of the thermal niche associated with minimum temperatures and in lower thermal limits. Across our adaptive landscape analyses, 70% of species exhibited evidence of divergence in thermal niches. Most importantly, the first two major axes of thermal niche variation were significantly correlated with variation in lower thermal limits. Our results indicate adaptation to divergent thermal niches and adaptive evolution of related functional traits, and highlight the importance of divergence in lower thermal limits for the evolution of tropical biodiversity.
Impacts of Frequent Burning on Live Tree Carbon Biomass and Demography in Post-Harvest Regrowth Forest

The management of forest ecosystems to increase carbon storage is a global concern. Fire frequency has the potential to shift considerably in the future. These shifts may alter demographic processes and growth of tree species, and consequently carbon storage in forests. Examination of the sensitivity of forest carbon to the potential upper and lower extremes of fire frequency will provide crucial insight into the magnitude of possible change in carbon stocks associated with shifts in fire frequency. This study examines how tree biomass and demography of a eucalypt forest regenerating after harvest is affected by two experimentally manipulated extremes in fire frequency (i.e., ~3 year fire intervals vs. unburnt) sustained over a 23 year period. The rate of post-harvest biomass recovery of overstorey tree species, which constituted ~90% of total living tree biomass, was lower within frequently burnt plots than unburnt plots, resulting in approximately 20% lower biomass in frequently burnt plots by the end of the study. Significant differences in carbon biomass between the two extremes in frequency were only evident after >15–20 years of sustained treatment. Reduced growth rates and survivorship of smaller trees on the frequently burnt plots compared to unburnt plots appeared to be driving these patterns. The biomass of understorey trees, which constituted ~10% of total living tree biomass, was not affected by frequent burning. These findings suggest that future shifts toward more frequent fire will potentially result in considerable reductions in carbon sequestration across temperate forest ecosystems in Australia.
E-Cigarette Use Among Adolescents: An Overview of the Literature and Future Perspectives

Background Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are rapidly emerging into a new trend among adolescents, signaling a new époque, that of vapers. E-cigarettes are battery-powered nicotine delivery devices that heat a typically flavoring liquid solution into an aerosol mist that users inhale, allowing them to imitate the act of conventional smoking. There are concerns about the impact of e-cigarettes at both individual and public health level. Aim To discuss the characteristics of the most vulnerable, to become e-cigarette users, group of adolescents and to further highlight their behaviors and characteristics. Methods An electronic search in PubMed, EMBASE, and Google Scholar databases was conducted, using combinations of the following keywords: adolescents, teenagers, e-cigarettes, vaping. The search included all types of articles written in English until August 2017. A total of 100 articles were found, and 25 were finally included in the present review. Results Older age, male gender, conventional smokers, peer influence, daily smoking, and heavier smoking are the most common characteristics of adolescent e-cigarette users. Conclusion E-cigarette use is common, especially between certain subgroups in the adolescent population. Since e-cigarette use is increasing and considering that the long term health effects are still under investigation, targeted interventions towards more susceptible individuals may be an effective prevention strategy.
Sustainable Agricultural Practices and Its Determinants in South-East Nigeria

This study evaluated sustainable agricultural practices and its determinants in South-East Nigeria. Data were collected with structured questionnaire from 180 randomly selected cassava-based farmers. Data bothering on the farmers’ socioeconomic characteristics, the type, quantity, price and sources of inputs used and output produced were collected. These were analyzed with the use of descriptive statistical tools, sustainable agriculture practice index and multiple regression techniques. Results showed that farmers mean age, level of education, farming experience, farm size, and extension contact were 50.6 years, 9.4 years, 19.8 years, 0.83 hectare, and 0.78 visit respectively. The mean sustainable agriculture practice level of farmers was 0.43 indicating unsustainable agriculture practices among the farmers. There is need to improve on the sustainable agriculture practice level of farmers in SouthEast Nigeria through extension education so as to achieve food security and conserve the resource base.
Exploring the association between the Iowa Gambling Task and community functioning in people with schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND Decision making (DM) consists of a number of complex processes involving higher-order cognitive functions involved in outcome evaluation. Problems in DM may have significant negative repercussions on community functioning. We hypothesise in individuals with schizophrenia difficulties in community functioning will be associated with DM problems. SUBJECTS AND METHODS DM performance was assessed using the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) in 30 individuals with schizophrenia and 32 healthy controls. Participants' choices on the IGT were grouped as: Ambiguous Decisions, where the outcome is uncertain and cannot be predicted (i.e. IGT initial phase), and Risky Decisions, where the outcome can be predicted with an error margin (i.e. IGT final phase). People with schizophrenia were also assessed with measures of community functioning and symptoms. RESULTS Controls outperformed individuals with schizophrenia in risky decisions. In patients, levels of community functioning positively correlated with DM performance. Symptomatology was not associated with DM proficiency or functioning. CONCLUSIONS DM impairment may represent an important contributor to poor functional outcomes in people with schizophrenia. Interventions targeting decision making and higher order cognitive problems in people with schizophrenia may have a greater impact on functional difficulties.
A Novel Whole-Cell Biocatalyst with NAD+ Regeneration for Production of Chiral Chemicals

Background The high costs of pyridine nucleotide cofactors have limited the applications of NAD(P)-dependent oxidoreductases on an industrial scale. Although NAD(P)H regeneration systems have been widely studied, NAD(P)+ regeneration, which is required in reactions where the oxidized form of the cofactor is used, has been less well explored, particularly in whole-cell biocatalytic processes. Methodology/Principal Findings Simultaneous overexpression of an NAD+ dependent enzyme and an NAD+ regenerating enzyme (H2O producing NADH oxidase from Lactobacillus brevis) in a whole-cell biocatalyst was studied for application in the NAD+-dependent oxidation system. The whole-cell biocatalyst with (2R,3R)-2,3-butanediol dehydrogenase as the catalyzing enzyme was used to produce (3R)-acetoin, (3S)-acetoin and (2S,3S)-2,3-butanediol. Conclusions/Significance A recombinant strain, in which an NAD+ regeneration enzyme was coexpressed, displayed significantly higher biocatalytic efficiency in terms of the production of chiral acetoin and (2S,3S)-2,3-butanediol. The application of this coexpression system to the production of other chiral chemicals could be extended by using different NAD(P)-dependent dehydrogenases that require NAD(P)+ for catalysis.
3D Point Cloud Descriptor for Posture Recognition

This paper introduces a simple yet powerful algorithm for global human posture description based on 3D Point Cloud data. The proposed algorithm preserves spatial contextual information about a 3D object in a video sequence and can be used as an intermediate step in human-motion related Computer Vision applications such as action recognition, gait analysis, human-computer interaction. The proposed descriptor captures a point cloud structure by means of a modified 3D regular grid and a corresponding cells space occupancy information. The performance of our method was evaluated on the task of posture recognition and automatic action segmentation.
Human Activity Recognition Process Using 3-D Posture Data

In this paper, we present a method for recognizing human activities using information sensed by an RGB-D camera, namely the Microsoft Kinect. Our approach is based on the estimation of some relevant joints of the human body by means of the Kinect; three different machine learning techniques, i.e., K-means clustering, support vector machines, and hidden Markov models, are combined to detect the postures involved while performing an activity, to classify them, and to model each activity as a spatiotemporal evolution of known postures. Experiments were performed on Kinect Activity Recognition Dataset, a new dataset, and on CAD-60, a public dataset. Experimental results show that our solution outperforms four relevant works based on RGB-D image fusion, hierarchical Maximum Entropy Markov Model, Markov Random Fields, and Eigenjoints, respectively. The performance we achieved, i.e., precision/recall of 77.3% and 76.7%, and the ability to recognize the activities in real time show promise for applied use.
Model Analysis of Digital Models in Moderate to Severe Crowding: In Vivo Validation and Clinical Application

Objective We investigated the suitability of intraoral-scan models for measuring tooth dimensions and the amount of crowding in patients with severe tooth crowding. Materials and Methods Fifty-eight patients who had undergone intraoral scans for diagnosis were included. Cast models were divided into two groups depending on the amount of crowding, as determined by initial caliper-based measurements (mild crowding [MC] group: <3.0 mm; severe crowding [SC] group: >4.5 mm). Twenty maxillary models and 20 mandibular models were used in this study. For the three types of models (i.e., IS digital model, C cast model, and CS digital model), the reproducibility and the precision of linear measurements were evaluated. Results We found that linear measurements made using digital calipers on a plaster model and on the relevant software were reproducible. There was no significant difference in most linear measurements between digital models and the C model. There were differences in the amount of crowding (p < .05), although these were not clinically significant. There was no relationship between the precision of crowding in the three types of models and the severity of crowding. Conclusions Digital models can be used for measuring crowding in both mild and severe crowding cases. However, crowding measured by digital models tends to be lesser than that measured by cast models, and this should be considered during clinical application.