Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Accuracy of impressions for internal-connection implant prostheses with various divergent angles.

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to determine the accuracies of implant-level impressions for internal-connection dental implants with various angles of divergence. MATERIALS AND METHODS Five groups were created according to the angles of divergence (0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 degrees) between two implant analogs in a master model. A master stone model for each group was fabricated. The divergent angle in each master model was verified with a profilometer. Study models (n = 10) from each master model were constructed through the implant-level impression technique. The divergent angle in each study model was verified with the profilometer. The splinted metal framework with passive fit was cast with base metal and cast-on abutments in each master model. The metal framework was tried in the study models and the fit of each framework was evaluated. One-way analysis of variance and the Tukey Honestly Significant Difference test were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS Statistically significant deformations of the impressions were found in the study models with divergently placed implant analogs. A larger divergence angle resulted in a larger gap between the framework and the implant analogs. The gap in the 20-degree divergence group differed significantly from that measured in the master model (P < .01). CONCLUSIONS Internal-connection implants were accurate when the divergence angle was less than 15 degrees. Inaccuracy of impressions increased as the divergence angle increased. The inaccuracy was significantly greater for the 20-degree-divergent implants than the other groups.
Endodontic Irrigation Protocols: Effects on Bonding of Adhesive Systems to Coronal Enamel and Dentin

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the influence of endodontic irrigation protocols on bond strength of total-etch and self-etch adhesive systems to coronal enamel and dentin. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 66 coronal slices from 11 permanent molars were assigned to six groups (n = 11): endodontic irrigation protocols (5% sodium hypochlorite + 17% EDTA; 2% chlorhexidine gel + saline solution + 17% EDTA or no solution - control) and adhesive systems (Adper Single Bond 2 or Clearfil SE Bond). Dental slices were exposed to endodontic irrigation protocols for 30-minute prior to the application of the adhesive systems. Starch tubes were placed over the enamel and the dentin surfaces of each slice (2-4 tubes in each substrate) and filled with Filtek Z350 XT (3M ESPE) to build the microshear bond strength (µSBS) specimens (0.72 mm2 sectional area). After 24 hours of water storage (37°C), µSBS test was performed. Bond strength data (MPa) were analyzed by two-way ANOVA, separately for enamel and dentin (α = 0.05). RESULTS µSBS means were not influenced by endodontic irrigation protocols in enamel (p = 0.12) nor dentin (p = 0.49). Clearfil SE Bond system presented higher µSBS values than Adper Single Bond 2 both on enamel (p = 0.024) and dentin (p = 0.005). CONCLUSION Endodontic irrigation protocols (5% sodium hypochlorite or 2% chlorhexidine gel + saline solution combined with 17% EDTA) do not jeopardize the bond strength of adhesive systems to coronal enamel and dentin. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE The results of this in vitro study suggest that endodontic irrigation protocols do not impair on bonding effectiveness of adhesive systems to coronal enamel and dentin. (J Esthet Restor Dent 29:222-228, 2017).
Employment Institutions Under Liberalization Pressures: Analysing the Effects of Regulatory Change on Collective Bargaining in Spain

This article discusses the effects of regulatory change in employees’ working conditions and the dynamics of collective bargaining in Spain, a model affected by a drastic regulatory change, and draws a comparison with the UK, the more deregulated and single‐employer bargaining model in Europe. The comparison is carried out using EU‐SILC panel data to identify commonalities and differences in the patterns of change in salaries and working hours. Second, national data from Spain are used to analyse the impacts of reforms on the characteristics and outputs of collective bargaining. The findings show that regulatory changes provoked a drastic adjustment in wages in Spain, following patterns similar to the British model. However, the results lead us to highlight the need to enhance knowledge about the dynamics of bargaining processes as they crucially reveal that these trends are happening in mostly unchanged institutional characteristics.
Modular Control of Limb Movements during Human Locomotion

The idea that the CNS may control complex interactions by modular decomposition has received considerable attention. We explored this idea for human locomotion by examining limb kinematics. The coordination of limb segments during human locomotion has been shown to follow a planar law for walking at different speeds, directions, and levels of body unloading. We compared the coordination for different gaits. Eight subjects were asked to walk and run on a treadmill at different speeds or to walk, run, and hop over ground at a preferred speed. To explore various constraints on limb movements, we also recorded stepping over an obstacle, walking with the knees flexed, and air-stepping with body weight support. We found little difference among covariance planes that depended on speed, but there were differences that depended on gait. In each case, we could fit the planar trajectories with a weighted sum of the limb length and orientation trajectories. This suggested that limb length and orientation might provide independent predictors of limb coordination. We tested this further by having the subjects step, run, and hop in place, thereby varying only limb length and maintaining limb orientation fixed, and also by marching with knees locked to maintain limb length constant while varying orientation. The results were consistent with a modular control of limb kinematics where limb movements result from a superposition of separate length- and orientation-related angular covariance. The hypothesis finds support in the animal findings that limb proprioception may also be encoded in terms of these global limb parameters.
What Really Happened to British Inequality in the Early 20th Century? Evidence from National Household Expenditure Surveys 1890–1961

We estimate income/expenditure inequality in Britain, exploiting five household surveys, spanning the years 1890 to 1961, some of which we recovered and digitised. After adjusting for differences in scope and sampling, we find little change in inequality among worker households over the period and that the three decades after World War 2 were probably the low point of survey-based inequality measures in the eight decades since the late 1930s. Our findings are consistent with the evidence from wage censuses on the overall variance of earnings, which only falls marginally over the period. We argue this relative steadiness was the result of opposing proximate forces, one being the decline in manual skill differentials due largely to changing wage-setting institutions. On the other side was growth in the employment share of non-manuals, with their higher skill and wage variance. We also argue that two demographic factors also played their parts. The sharp decline in fertility in the early part of the century reduced inequality, while the emergence of pensioner households in the 1950s tended to increase inequality in the lower end of the distribution. Lastly, our work suggests a substantial downward revision in the estimated size of the fall in inequality through World War Two. We find a fall of between one and two Gini percentage points between 1937/8 and 1953/4, compared with the often-quoted Blue Book estimate of almost seven Gini percentage points.
Vaccinia Virus D4 Mutants Defective in Processive DNA Synthesis Retain Binding to A20 and DNA

ABSTRACT Genome replication is inefficient without processivity factors, which tether DNA polymerases to their templates. The vaccinia virus DNA polymerase E9 requires two viral proteins, A20 and D4, for processive DNA synthesis, yet the mechanism of how this tricomplex functions is unknown. This study confirms that these three proteins are necessary and sufficient for processivity, and it focuses on the role of D4, which also functions as a uracil DNA glycosylase (UDG) repair enzyme. A series of D4 mutants was generated to discover which sites are important for processivity. Three point mutants (K126V, K160V, and R187V) which did not function in processive DNA synthesis, though they retained UDG catalytic activity, were identified. The mutants were able to compete with wild-type D4 in processivity assays and retained binding to both A20 and DNA. The crystal structure of R187V was resolved and revealed that the local charge distribution around the substituted residue is altered. However, the mutant protein was shown to have no major structural distortions. This suggests that the positive charges of residues 126, 160, and 187 are required for D4 to function in processive DNA synthesis. Consistent with this is the ability of the conserved mutant K126R to function in processivity. These mutants may help unlock the mechanism by which D4 contributes to processive DNA synthesis.
Fluktuationsmodelle. Ereignisanalysen mit dem Sozio-oekonomischen Panel

dig bestätigt werden konnten, wurden die theoretischen Vorüberlegungen hinsichtlich der anderen Motive nur teilweise gestützt. Insgesamt kann aus den Ergebnissen geschlossen werden, dass die motivspezifische Wirksamkeit von Anreizen umso höher ist, je klarer und offensichtlicher die jeweiligen Anreizbedeutungen vermittelt werden. Darüber hinaus konnte gezeigt werden, dass Karriereperspektiven und leistungsabhängige Gehaltsspreizungen allgemein – also unabhängig von der Ausprägung der Motive – als sehr wirksame Anreize einzuschätzen sind.
Identification, Coassembly, and Activity of γ-Aminobutyric Acid Receptor Subunits in Renal Proximal Tubular Cells

Although the properties and functions of GABAA receptors in the mammalian central nervous system have been well studied, the presence and significance of GABAA receptors in non-neural tissues are less clear. The goal of this study was to examine the expression of GABAA receptor α1, α2, α4, α5, β1, γ1, γ2, and δ subunits in the kidney and to determine whether these subunits coassemble to form an active renal epithelial cell GABAA receptor. Using reverse transcriptase products from RNA isolated from rat and rabbit kidney cortex and brain or cerebellum through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing of the PCR products, we revealed that rat kidney cortex contained the α1, α5, β1, γ1, and γ2 subunits and that they were similar to the neuronal subunits. Sequencing of the PCR products revealed that the rabbit kidney cortex contained the α1 and γ2 subunits and that they were similar to their neuronal counterparts. Immunoprecipitation and immunoblot studies using GABAA receptor subunit-specific antibodies and detergent-solubilized rat kidney cortex membranes identified a GABAA receptor complex containing α5, β1, and γ1. Isolated rat renal proximal tubular cells exhibited GABA-mediated, picrotoxin-sensitive 36Cl- uptake. These studies demonstrate the presence of numerous GABAA receptor subunits in the kidneys of two species, the assembly of the subunits into at least one novel receptor complex, and an active GABAA receptor in renal proximal tubular cells.
99mTc-sestamibi brain SPECT after chemoradiotherapy is prognostic of survival in patients with high-grade glioma.

UNLABELLED This prospective clinical study used (99m)Tc-sestamibi (MIBI) brain SPECT to assess residual tumor volume and determine whether it would be prognostic of survival at the end of cranial irradiation in patients with malignant glioma. METHODS Fifty-seven patients with supratentorial malignant glioma were included in this clinical trial. Tomoscintigraphy was performed 4 h after an intravenous injection of MIBI (1,110 MBq). The images were obtained from a dual-head gamma-camera using fanbeam collimators. Transverse, coronal, and sagittal views were reconstructed. Metabolic tumor volume (MTV), using an ellipsoid model, was calculated from the 3 slices. The first posttherapeutic neuroradiologic evaluation was performed at the end of each patient's radiation therapy. RESULTS (99m)Tc-MIBI brain SPECT performed at the end of cranial irradiation provided data that allowed the identification of residual tumor and could be used to accurately predict survival of malignant glioma patients, taking into account the established prognostic factors. Patients with an MTV < 32 cm(3) had a median survival of 358 d, as opposed to 238 d in patients with an MTV >or= 32 cm(3) (P = 0.05). Moreover, half of CT scans performed at the same time were considered to show doubtful or only suggestive findings. No diagnosis of tumor progression or inflammatory changes was possible. CONCLUSION (99m)Tc-MIBI brain SPECT may help in establishing the prognosis of glioma patients at the end of radiation therapy. Consequently, the management of patients can be adapted. These new data should be considered in the design of future clinical studies of malignant glioma patients as a way to quickly assess the efficiency of therapies.
Government borrowing cost and budget deficits: is investment spending different?

Abstract The reasons for and underlying composition of government budget deficits are often disregarded both by the academic literature about the links between fiscal policy and interest rates and by the policy debate about fiscal sustainability. However, we show that, from the perspective of financial markets, not all budget deficits are created equal: bond markets do discriminate between deficits that are the result of higher government current spending and those that stem from higher government investment, penalising the former significantly more than the latter. To do so, we apply a reduced-form regression approach to a panel of 31 OECD economies from 1960 to 2014 with data from the European Commission on the decomposition of the government budget deficit into its current spending, investment spending and revenue components. Quantitatively, based on our preferred specifications, a higher deficit solely due to higher government investment would in fact decrease long-term government bond yields. These findings suggest that austerity policies should focus more on current spending than investment spending and that fiscal rules in individual countries and monetary unions should distinguish budget deficits that are the result of investment from those that are not.
Outsourcing Creativity: An Abductive Study of Open Innovation Using Corporate Accelerators

Corporate accelerators are organizational devices designed to bring together innovative new ventures and startups with specialist knowledge and creativity with the experience and funding of established companies. The main goal for the use of an accelerator program by an established corporation is to open up the innovation process and actively profit from the innovative capacity of new ventures. However, until now there has been little empirical investigation of the characteristics of this particular model of &#8220;open innovation&#8221;. This paper outlines the key features of corporate accelerator programs and presents empirical data on their characteristics. The existing literature generally reflects positive results from this form of innovation but displays a lack of empirically and theoretically grounded research of how accelerator programs work. Using a standard, holistic taxonomy for programs, covering such components as strategy, resources, roles and structure, we analyzed and assessed data from stakeholders engaged in this approach to innovation in order to understand the expectations and reasoning behind these programs.
Effect of a 15-Day Pragmatic Hamstring Stretching Program on Hamstring Flexibility and Single Hop for Distance Test Performance

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a 15-day pragmatic hamstring stretching program on lower extremity performance as measured by the single hop for distance test (SHDT) in subjects with limited hamstring flexibility. Thirteen cadets enrolled at a military academy participated in the study. Subjects randomly were assigned to stretch the hamstrings of one lower extremity for 15 consecutive days (experimental lower extremity group) and not stretch the other (control lower extremity group). Pre- and post-test measurements showed significant improvements in the hamstring flexibility and SHDT scores for the experimental lower extremities. No significant change occurred for the control lower extremity group for the AKET and SHDT scores. The results suggest that in addition to a routine 15-day stretching program, a brief purposeful delay between stretching and performance testing may negate the detrimental effect on performance that may be caused by the acute effects of stretching. Because subjects also stretched on the day of the SHDT posttest, but with a purposeful delay of 10 minutes between stretching and testing, it is believed the design of this study more closely mimics stretching activities as commonly performed by athletes.
The persistence of profits in banking: an international comparison

ABSTRACT This article examines the dynamics of bank profitability in the USA, Germany, Great Britain, France, Italy and Switzerland over the period 1993–2014. We find long-run bank profit persistence in all six countries in the period before the financial crisis in 2008. Banks with large capital ratios are persistently more profitable, and there is little evidence of a link between bank size and the persistence of bank profits. Commercial (saving) banks are persistently more (less) profitable in four of the six countries. The effects of the financial crisis in 2008 differed dramatically across countries as well as across ownership types. While US banks experienced dramatic declines in the immediate aftermath of the crisis, they recovered much faster than their European counterparts and essentially retain their long run profit potential by the year 2014.
Computer analysis of 24-h esophageal impedance signals

Abstract Objective. To assess the accuracy of newly developed software for detection of gastro-esophageal reflux episodes in ambulatory 24-h impedance tracings. Material and methods. 24-h esophageal impedance recordings obtained from 60 consecutive patients with reflux symptoms were used in this study. The impedance tracings of the first 10 consecutive patients were analyzed manually by three investigators. Liquid-containing reflux episodes and their proximal extent were scored. A consensus between the three investigators was used as a gold standard. Computer analysis using dedicated software was performed, and the results were compared with the results of the consensus agreement. In addition, in order to assess the accuracy of symptom association analysis 24-h impedance tracings of all 60 patients were analyzed both manually by one investigator and using computer software. The number of reflux episodes and the results of symptom association analysis obtained by the human and computer analysis software were compared. Results. The consensus meeting resulted in a total of 625 reflux episodes. The mean sensitivity and the percentage of true-positives of analysis by individual investigators was 89 ± 1% and 94 ± 1%, respectively. Automated analysis had a sensitivity of 73 ± 4% and a proportion of true-positive reflux episodes of 62 ± 8%. Symptom association analysis performed by the computer and a human observer showed concordant results in 83% of the patients. Conclusions. Although not as good as manual analysis by experts, computer analysis can be a helpful tool to identify reflux episodes and to assess the relationship between reflux episodes and symptoms.
Exercise Performance Is a Prognostic Indicator in Elderly Patients With Chronic Heart Failure--Application of Metabolic Exercise Cardiac Kidney Indexes Score.

BACKGROUND In patients with chronic heart failure (HF) the Metabolic Exercise Cardiac Kidney Indexes (MECKI) score, is a predictor of cardiovascular death and urgent heart transplantation. We investigated the relationship between age, exercise tolerance and the prognostic value of the MECKI score. METHODSANDRESULTS We analyzed data from 3,794 patients with chronic systolic HF. The primary endpoint was a composite of cardiovascular death and urgent heart transplantation. Older patients had higher prevalence of comorbidities and lower exercise performance compared with younger subjects (peak V̇O2, 925 vs. 1,351 L/min; P<0.0001; V̇E/V̇CO2slope, 33.2 vs. 28.3; P>0.0001). The rate of the primary endpoint was 19% in the highest age quartile and 14% in the lowest quartile. At multivariable analysis, the independent predictors of the primary endpoint were left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), eGFR, peak V̇O2, serum Na(+)and the use of β-blockers in patients aged ≥70 years, and LVEF, eGFR and peak V̇O2in younger subjects. The MECKI risk score increased across age subgroups, but on receiver operating characteristic curve analysis its prognostic power was similar in both patients aged ≥70 and <70 years. CONCLUSIONS Older patients with HF are a high-risk population with lower exercise performance. The MECKI score increased according to age and maintained its prognostic value also in older patients.
AgNOR analysis of atypical ductal hyperplasia and intraductal carcinoma of the breast.

OBJECTIVE To determine the diagnostic and prognostic value of argyrophilic nucleolar organizer regions (AgNORs) in atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH), ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and microinvasive ductal carcinoma (MDCA) of the breast. STUDY DESIGN Image analysis of histologic sections from biopsies of 46 breast ADH and DCIS and 18 cases of MDCA. Determination of morphometric features of cell nuclei and nucleolar organizer regions by using AMBA software system. Data were compared with the estrogen receptor/progesterone receptor (ER/PR) content as well as with the growth fraction, determined immunohistochemically. RESULTS AgNOR number and total AgNOR area increased from ADH to DCIS. The highest values were recorded in cases of DCIS with microinvasion. Differences between ADH and intraductal or microinvasive ductal carcinoma were statistically significant. Within the group of intraductal carcinomas, the lowest values were measured in the solid type and highest values in the comedo type. A correlation was found between AgNOR features and growth fraction but not between these features and ER/PR status. CONCLUSION Selected AgNOR features are relevant for differentiation between ADH and DCIS as well as between low and high grade DCIS and microinvasive ductal carcinoma. Therefore, objective and reproducible data obtained by AgNOR analysis may allow better evaluation of the prognostic significance of these lesions.