Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multiple Gingival Recession Coverage Treated with Vestibular Incision Subperiosteal Tunnel Access Approach with or without Platelet-Rich Fibrin - A Case Series

Background: Gingival recession involves both soft tissue and hard tissue loss. In this evolutionary era of dentistry, newer techniques have evolved for complete coverage of isolated recession defects. Since 2012, vestibular incision subperiosteal tunnel access (VISTA) technique was used with various regenerative membranes to treat multiple recession defects (MRDs). Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) membrane, a pool of growth factors but have any added advantage to recession coverage techniques is controversial. Thus, in this case series, we compare the effect of VISTA with or without PRF-membrane for the treatment of Classes I and III MRDs. Subjects and Methods: Four patients between of age 30 and 40 years (two patients having bilateral Class I and another two having bilateral Class III MRDs) were selected from the Department of Periodontics, ITS Dental College, Greater Noida and designated as Case I–IV simultaneously. Recession defects at antagonist sites in each patient were corrected by VISTA approach with or without PRF-membrane. Recorded clinical parameters included recession depth, recession width, pocket probing depth, and clinical attachment level (CAL) at baseline and 6 months postoperatively. Results: Patients having Class I recession defects showed almost complete root coverage with VISTA technique alone and reflected no added advantage of PRF-membrane. However, patients with Class III recession defects treated with VISTA + PRF-membrane showed more reduction in recession depth and gain in CAL as compared to sites treated with VISTA only. Conclusion: VISTA alone is a convenient technique for treatment of Class I MRDs. Addition of PRF-membrane for Class III recession defects give better outcome in term of reduction of recession depth and gain in CAL 6 month postoperatively.
Fuzzy-Based Information Decomposition for Incomplete and Imbalanced Data Learning

Class imbalance and missing values are two critical problems in pattern classification. Researchers have proposed a number of techniques to address each of the problems. However, no single technique can solve the two problems. Moreover, the simple combination approach cannot accurately classify the imbalanced data with missing values. This paper develops a fuzzy-based information decomposition (FID) method to simultaneously address these two problems. In the new FID method, the two different problems are treated as the same missing data estimation problem. In particular, FID rebalances the training data by creating synthetic samples for the minority class. The proposed scheme has two steps: weighting and recovery. In the weighting step, the weights produced by the fuzzy membership functions are used to quantify the contribution of the observed data to the missing estimation. In the recovery step, missing values will be estimated by taking into account different contribution of the observed data. To evaluate the performance of the new FID method, a large number of classification experiments have been carried out on 27 well-known datasets. The results show that the FID method significantly outperforms other ten state-of-the-art individual methods and eight combination methods when missing values and imbalanced data present at the same time.
Nocturnal Hypertension and Altered Night–Day BP Profile and Atherosclerosis in Renal Transplant Patients

Background The clinical relevance of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) for risk stratification in renal transplant patients still remains poorly defined. Methods We investigated the association between clinic and ABPM with an established biomarker of atherosclerosis (intima-media thickness [IMT] by echo-color Doppler) in a large, inclusive survey (n = 172) in renal transplant patients at a single institution. Results Forty-two patients (24%) were classified as hypertensive by ABPM criteria and 29 (17%) by clinic blood pressure (BP) criteria. Average daytime and nighttime BP was 126 ± 12/78 ± 9 mm Hg and 123 ± 13/74 ± 10 mm Hg, respectively. Forty-five patients (26%) were classified as hypertensive by the daytime criterion (>135/85 mm Hg) and a much higher proportion (n = 119, 69%) by the nighttime criterion (>120/70 mm Hg). Sixty-two patients (36%) had a night–day ratio of 1 or greater, indicating clear-cut nondipping. The average nighttime systolic BP (r = 0.24, P = 0.001) and the night–day systolic BP ratio (r = 0.23, P = 0.002) were directly related to IMT, and these associations were much more robust than the 24-hour systolic BP-IMT relationship (r = 0.16, P = 0.04). Average daytime BP and clinic B were unrelated to IMT. In a multiple regression analysis adjusting for confounders, the night–day systolic BP ratio maintained an independent association with IMT (&bgr; = 0.14, P = 0.04). Conclusions In renal transplant patients, the prevalence of nocturnal hypertension by far exceeds the prevalence of hypertension as assessed by clinic, daytime, and 24-hour ABPM. Nighttime systolic BP and the night–day ratio but no other BP metrics are independently associated with IMT. Blood pressure during nighttime may provide unique information for the assessment of cardiovascular risk attributable to BP burden in renal transplant patients.
Financial Integration and the New EU Member Countries: Challenges and Dilemmas

Real convergence is the key economic challenge for the new EU Member Countries. The main growth area today is the 'new' entrepreneurial economy of creativity and innovation. But such an economy needs a financial structure capable of coping with the higher risk inherent in the 'new' economy. To provide such a financial structure, the financial markets must be broad, deep and liquid, i.e. financial markets must be large enough to provide this financial structure. Hence, the financial integration became an imperative for the new Member Countries. But this integration process possesses both economic and political challenges and dilemmas. Answers to those challenges and dilemmas will then determine the degree of real convergence - and hence the degree of economic success - for each new Member State.
Halothane and the reperfusion injury in the intact animal model.

We studied the effect of halothane on regional myocardial function during acute ischemia and reperfusion in an open-chest pig model. Anesthesia was induced with thiopental and fentanyl and maintained with an intravenous (IV) infusion of pentobarbital and fentanyl. Regional myocardial function was studied with microsonometers placed in the subendocardium supplied by the left anterior descending coronary (LAD) and circumflex coronary artery (LX). Systolic function was evaluated with reference to the end-systolic pressure-length relationship (ESPLR) and regional systolic shortening. Diastolic dysfunction was studied with postsystolic shortening (PSS). Ischemia was induced with 15 min of total occlusion of the LAD artery, and thereafter reperfusion was allowed for 120 min. Five groups were studied: one group received only pentobarbital and fentanyl (n = 10); the other groups received halothane 0.2% (n = 5), 0.4% (n = 7), 0.6% (n = 5), and 0.8% (n = 5). The pentobarbital and fentanyl infusion was adjusted in the halothane groups in an effort to maintain arterial blood pressure and heart rate within specified limits (when possible). Results indicate that regional dysfunction during acute ischemia was equal among all the groups. However, on reperfusion, halothane significantly reduced the incidence of ventricular arrhythmias. Halothane (0.6% and 0.8%) was associated with less regional postischemic systolic dysfunction during reperfusion when compared to the other groups. Hearts subjected to 0.6% and 0.8% halothane also were less stiff at the end of systole (i.e., the extrapolated ventricular volume at zero ventricular pressure was less) after 120 min reperfusion compared to animals receiving less halothane. However, diastolic dysfunction was equal among the groups during reperfusion. We conclude that, in this model, administration of halothane is associated with improved recovery of regional systolic function and potentially beneficial pressure-length relations at the end of systole after acute severe myocardial ischemia and reperfusion. Furthermore, administration of halothane was associated with fewer reperfusion arrhythmias compared to animals not receiving halothane.
The leukocyte surface antigens CD11b and CD18 mediate the oxidative burst activation of human peritoneal macrophages induced by type 1 fimbriated Escherichia coli

Analysis by immunofluorescence‐activated cell sorting of human peritoneal macrophages from patients undergoing intermittent peritoneal dialysis revealed that they express the CD11/CD18 surface antigens, with CDllb and CD18 as the predominant ones. Sodium dodecyl sulfate‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of im‐ munoprecipitates obtained from lysates of 125I‐labeled macrophages with rabbit polyclonal antibodies against the CDlla‐c/CD18 complex or against CD18, revealed four radioactive bands corresponding to CDlla, CDllb, CDllc, and CD18. Monoclonal antibodies against CDllb and CD18 inhibited by 80 and 90%, respectively, the oxidative burst activation of the macrophages by type 1 fimbriated Escherichia coli, whereas monoclonal antibodies against CDlla, CDllc, and CD43 were without effect. Our results suggest that CDllb and CD18 (receptors for C3bi) serve also as receptors for mannose‐specific E. coli on human peritoneal macrophages and may be involved in the lectinophagocytosis of the bacteria by these cells.
Differences in the Prevalence of Non-Communicable Disease between Slum Dwellers and the General Population in a Large Urban Area in Brazil

Residents of urban slums are at greater risk for disease than their non-slum dwelling urban counterparts. We sought to contrast the prevalences of selected non-communicable diseases (NCDs) between Brazilian adults living in a slum and the general population of the same city, by comparing the age and sex-standardized prevalences of selected NCDs from a 2010 survey in Pau da Lima, Salvador Brazil, with a 2010 national population-based telephone survey. NCD prevalences in both populations were similar for hypertension (23.6% (95% CI 20.9–26.4) and 22.9% (21.2–24.6), respectively) and for dyslipidemia (22.7% (19.8–25.5) and 21.5% (19.7–23.4)). Slum residents had higher prevalences of diabetes mellitus (10.1% (7.9–12.3)) and of overweight/obesity (46.5% (43.1–49.9)), compared to 5.2% (4.2–6.1) and 40.6% (38.5–42.8) of the general population in Salvador. Fourteen percent (14.5% (12.1–17.0)) of slum residents smoked cigarettes compared to 8.3% (7.1–9.5) of the general population in Salvador. The national telephone survey underestimated the prevalence of diabetes mellitus, overweight/obesity, and smoking in the slum population, likely in part due to differential sampling inside and outside of slums. Further research and targeted policies are needed to mitigate these inequalities, which could have significant economic and social impacts on slum residents and their communities.
A novel comprehensive analysis method for Staphylococcus aureus pathogenicity islands

Staphylococcus aureus pathogenicity islands (SaPIs) form a growing family of mobile genetic elements (MGEs) in Staphylococci. Horizontal genetic transfer by MGEs plays an important role in the evolution of S. aureus. Several SaPIs carry staphylococcal enterotoxin and SE‐like toxin genes. To comprehensively investigate the diversity of SaPIs, a series of primers corresponding to sequences flanking six SaPI insertion sites in S. aureus genome were designed and a long and accurate (LA)‐PCR analysis method established. LA‐PCR products of 13–17 kbp were observed in strains with seb, selk or selq genes. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis showed that the products have different RFLP characteristics than do previously described SaPIs; they were therefore predicted to include new SaPIs. Nucleotide sequencing analysis revealed seven novel SaPIs: seb‐harboring SaPIivm10, SaPishikawa11, SaPIivm60, SaPIno10 and SaPIhirosaki4, selk and selq‐harboring SaPIj11 and non‐superantigen‐harboring SaPIhhms2. These SaPIs have mosaic structures containing components of known SaPIs and other unknown genes. Strains carrying different SaPIs were found to have significantly different production of superantigen toxins. The present results show that the LA‐PCR approach can comprehensively identify SaPI diversity and is useful for investigating the evolution of S. aureus pathogenicity.
Left-Handedness and Alcoholism

This note reports an incidental finding of a high incidence of left-handedness in a group of male alcoholics (mean age of 44 yr.). Among 47 Ss, patients in an alcoholic ward of a general hospital, there were 7 who wrote with the left hand, 2 who reported being switched from left-handedness in childhood, 2 who reported writing with the right hand but doing most other things with the left hand, and 1 who considered himself ambidextrous. Thus, 15% of this sample are left-handed by the most stringent criterion, i.e., presently writing with the left hand. The group of 12 who are either left-handed or ambilateral constirute 25% of the sample. The best estimate of reported left-handedness in the U. S. population for a male group approximating the present sample in age is 8.6% (Karpinos & Grossman, 1953). An increased frequency of left-handedness and ambilateraliry has been found associated with a variety of neuropathological syndromes such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy, mental retardation, and language problems. These conditions, in turn, are associated with pregnancy and birth complications (Montagu, 1962 ) , and left-handedness and ambilateraliry have also been associated with pregnancy and birth complications (Bakan, 1971). l The present finding of a high incidence of left-handedness in a sample of alcoholics suggests the hypothesis that brain pathology resulting from anoxia associated with most pregnancy and birth complications, may be a precursor of alcoholism.
Frequencies of circulating IL-17-producing CD4+CD161+ T cells and CD4+CD161+ T cells correlate with disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis

ObjectiveRheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common autoimmune disease that is primarily driven by effector T cells, particularly Th17 cells, which are mainly contained within CD4+CD161+ T cells. Thus, we aimed to explore whether the frequencies of circulating IL-17-producing CD4+CD161+ T cells and CD4+CD161+ T cells were correlated with RA disease activity.MethodsThe surface phenotype and cytokine production of blood were analyzed by flow cytometry in 52 RA patients and 17 healthy controls. The disease activity was evaluated by the 28-joint disease activity score.ResultsThe frequencies of circulating IL-17-producing CD4+CD161+ T cells and CD4+CD161+ T cells were increased in RA patients, and they were elevated in patients with active disease status compared to patients with low disease status. Furthermore, their frequencies were positively correlated with disease activity parameters. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that IL-17-producing CD4+CD161+ T cell levels were able to distinguish disease activity with 60.7 % sensitivity and 87.5 % specificity, while CD4+CD161+ T cell levels showed 92.9 % sensitivity and 66.7 % specificity.ConclusionThese results support the hypothesis that Th17 cells are involved in the pathogenesis of RA and suggest that circulating CD4+CD161+ T cells are a potential biomarker of RA disease activity.
The Inviscid Limit to a Contact Discontinuity for the Compressible Navier-Stokes-Fourier System Using the Relative Entropy Method

We consider the zero heat conductivity limit to a contact discontinuity for the mono-dimensional full compressible Navier-Stokes-Fourier system. The method is based on the relative entropy method, and do not assume any smallness conditions on the discontinuity, nor on the $BV$ norm of the initial data. It is proved that for any viscosity $\nu\geq0$, the solution of the compressible Navier-Stokes-Fourier system (with well prepared initial value) converges, when the heat conductivity $\kappa$ tends to zero, to the contact discontinuity solution to the corresponding Euler system. We obtain the decay rate $\kappa^{\frac12}$. It implies that the heat conductivity dominates the dissipation in the regime of the limit to a contact discontinuity. This is the first result, based on the relative entropy, of an asymptotic limit to a discontinuous solutions for a system.
Fertility after discontinuation of intrauterine and oral contraception.

This statistical evaluation of human fertility following the discontinuance of intrauterine contraception uses as its main source of data the Cooperative Statistical Program. On January 1, 1968, files contained 746 reported women who had IUDs removed because the couple wanted a child. Of these 611 were followed for at least 3 months after removal. 527 or 86% were known to have conceived. Younger women conceived at higher rates than older ones. Longer use of the IUD decreased conception rates. Fertility rates following discontinuation of oral contraceptives is less available and reported statistics are thought to be inadequate. Clinical observations indicate a high percentage of women conceive promptly after discontinuance of oral contraceptives.
Self-Compassion Promotes Personal Improvement From Regret Experiences via Acceptance

Why do some people report more personal improvement from their regret experiences than others? Three studies examined whether self-compassion promotes personal improvement derived from recalled regret experiences. In Study 1, we coded anonymous regret descriptions posted on a blog website. People who spontaneously described their regret with greater self-compassion were also judged as having expressed more personal improvement. In Study 2, higher trait self-compassion predicted greater self-reported and observer-rated personal improvement derived from recalled regret experiences. In Study 3, people induced to take a self-compassionate perspective toward a recalled regret experience reported greater acceptance, forgiveness, and personal improvement. A multiple mediation analysis comparing acceptance and forgiveness showed self-compassion led to greater personal improvement, in part, through heightened acceptance. Furthermore, self-compassion’s effects on personal improvement were distinct from self-esteem and were not explained by adaptive emotional responses. Overall, the results suggest that self-compassion spurs positive adjustment in the face of regrets.
Mortality and smoking prevalence: An empirical investigation in ten developed countries

Abstract We investigate the link between death rates and smoking prevalence in ten developed countries with the aim of using smoking prevalence data to explain differences in country-specific death rates. A particular problem in building a stochastic mortality model based on smoking prevalence is that there are in general no separate mortality data for smokers and non-smokers available. We show how we can estimate mortality rates for smokers and non-smokers using information about the smoking prevalence in a number of developed countries, and making an additional assumption about the death rates of smokers. We consider this empirical investigation to be the first step towards a consistent mortality model for multiple populations, which will require modelling of country specific differences in mortality, as well as non-smokers’ and smokers’ mortality rates.
Considering Roads Taken and Not Taken: How Psychological Distance Influences the Framing of Choice Events

After people make choices, they can frame the choice event in terms of what they chose, or in terms of what they did not choose. The current research proposes psychological distance as one factor influencing this framing and suggests implications. Three experiments manipulated dimensions of distance to demonstrate people’s greater tendency to frame choice events in terms of chosen options at greater psychological distances. Additional findings demonstrate that these effects occur regardless of whether the decision turned out well or poorly. In a final experiment, framing a decision in terms of choosing (versus not choosing) a task made people more likely to believe their choice reflected their liking for the chosen task, which led to more favorable expectations for it. The discussion focuses on possible implications of these findings for understanding prior work on self–other differences in decision making, motivations for past decisions, reactions to decision outcomes, and counterfactual thinking.
PET in the clinical work-up of patients with spondylodiscitis: a new tool for the clinician?

AIM The role of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron-emission tomography (FDG-PET) in the clinical management of patients with inflammatory diseases (e.g., chronic inflammatory diseases, fever of unknown origin, ostemyelitis, prosthesis infections) is still under investigation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the usefulness of PET in the diagnostic work-up of patients with spondylodiscitis and to compare it with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). METHODS This retrospective study included 33 patients with suspected/confirmed spondylodiscitis. Two groups were created: 1) disease definition (n=24); and 2) treatment assessment (N.=16, 21 exams). Disease status was defined on the basis of data collected for symptoms, hematological parameters, imaging studies and histological findings, when available. Qualitative and semiquantitative analysis of the PET images was performed. The minimum duration of follow-up was 6 months. RESULTS For the Disease Definition group, FDG-PET showed a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of 92.9%, 50%, 72.2%, 83.3%, and 75%, respectively, and MRI showed a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of 100%, 50%, 76.9%, 100%, and 81.3%, respectively. For the Treatment Assessment group, FDG-PET showed a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of 90%, 81.8%, 81.8%, 90%, and 85.7%, respectively, and MRI showed a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of 100%, 16.7%, 58.3%, 100% and 61.5%, respectively. No significant differences were observed between qualitative and semiquantitative evaluation of PET scans. CONCLUSION PET and MRI showed similar accuracy in the diagnosis of spondylodiscitis, indicating that PET can be used when MRI is doubtful or unavailable. PET was more accurate and more specific than MRI in treatment assessment, suggesting that PET should be preferred over MRI for determining when treatment can be safely discontinued.
Channel model for on body communication along and around the human torso at 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz

A new trend in developing wireless sensors consists in using wearable wireless sensors to monitor human vital parameters, activities and movements. Characterizing the radio channel is an important issue to design a suitable communication system, especially when the propagating medium is the human body. To address this problem, on body measurements along and around the torso were performed. Two path loss models were analyzed considering the propagation channel characterization between two wearable devices placed on a human body, and operating at 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz. Wearable wireless low-cost commercial modules and low profile annular ring slot antennas were used as transceivers Measurement results were compared with CST Microwave Studio simulations using simplified body models like spherical and ellipsoidal geometries.