Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Periodontal Disease and Adverse Neonatal Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between maternal periodontal disease (PD) and three main adverse neonatal outcomes, namely, preterm birth (PTB), low birth weight (LBW), and small for gestational age (SGA). Methods The Ovid Medline, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched up to 6 December 2020 for relevant observational studies on an association between PD and risk of PTB, LBW, and SGA. Eligibility criteria included observational studies which compared the prevalence of PTB and/or LBW and/or SGA between PD women and periodontal health controls. The exclusion criteria included incomplete data, animal research, and mixing up various pregnancy outcomes, such as “preterm low birth weight” and languages other than Chinese and English. Data were extracted and analyzed independently by two authors. The meta-analysis was performed using Stata Statistical Software, Release 12 (StataCorp LP, College Station, TX, USA). Odds ratio (OR), confidence intervals (CIs), and heterogeneity (I2) were computed. Results Fourteen case-control studies and 10 prospective cohort studies, involving 15,278 participants, were identified. Based on fixed effect meta-analysis, PTB showed a significant association with PD (OR = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.39–1.77, P < 0.00001) and LBW also showed a significant association with PD (OR = 2.43, 95% CI: 1.75–3.37, P < 0.00001) in a random effect meta-analysis. However, a random effect meta-analysis showed no relationship between PD and SGA (OR = 1.62, 95% CI: 0.86–3.07, P = 0.136). Conclusion Our findings indicate that pregnant women with PD have a significantly higher risk of PTB and LBW. However, large prospective, blinded cohort studies with standardized diagnostic criteria of PD and adequate control of confounding factors are still required to confirm the relationship between PD and adverse neonatal outcomes.
Processing of Harmonics and Interharmonics Using an Adaptive Notch Filter

A method for real-time detection and extraction of individual harmonic and interharmonic components in a power signal with potentially time-varying characteristics is presented. The proposed method, which is based on the concept of adaptive notch filter (ANF), adaptively decomposes the measured power signal into its constituting components independent of where their frequencies are located. The algorithm provides instantaneous values of the various estimated frequency components in addition to the values of their frequencies, amplitudes, and phase angles. The structure and mathematical formulation of the proposed technique, including guidelines for its parameter tuning, are presented and its performance is studied in a variety of scenarios where the power signal attributes, such as fundamental frequency and amplitude, undergo variations over time. This study confirms the desirable transient and steady-state performances of the proposed method. Compared with its recently proposed counterpart, the proposed method of this paper obviates the need for using a phase-locked loop (PLL), and hence, offers a more simplified structure which makes it more attractive from an implementation point of view.
Caloric profile of pasteurized milk in the human milk bank at a university hospital.

OBJECTIVE To verify the caloric and sanitary profile of human milk stored at the Human Milk Bank at Londrina University Hospital. METHODS Cross-sectional study. Data were obtained from the Human Milk Bank registry regarding the source, the amount collected in liters, the amount of calories by liter assessed by crematocrit, and the acidity of human milk determined by titration in degrees Dornic. RESULTS Between 2006 and 2009, 30,846 samples of human milk were collected from donors coming from different locations and analyzed. A total of 5,869L of milk were collected and distributed. From the total human pasteurized milk, 53,5% was classified as hypocaloric (<580kcal/L); 36.4% as caloric, and 8.3% as hypercaloric (>711kcal/L). Regarding the several locations where the milk was collected, the Human Milk Bank at Londrina University Hospital was the location in which a larger number of donations were observed in the three classifications. The result of the Dornic test for acidity of the collected milk revealed that 60.8% had 4. 1º to 8. 0º Dornic. CONCLUSIONS A large volume of the collected human milk is hypocaloric and appropriate for human consumption. There is the need to intensify collection procedures in order to meet the demand for hypercaloric milk for preterm newborn infants.
Levels-of-processing effects on recollection and familiarity during transient global amnesia and after recovery.

OBJECTIVE The aim of the present study was to investigate the pattern of recollection and familiarity deficits and the modulation of recognition memory performance by the depth of encoding (deep vs. shallow) in transient global amnesia (TGA). METHOD Ten patients with TGA and 11 control subjects were assessed during the acute stage and after recovery 7 to 19 days later. RESULTS Both recollection and familiarity were impaired in the acute stage and showed significant, albeit not complete, recovery by the time of the postacute assessment. The patients did, however, show a significant levels-of-processing effect, which was significantly reduced in acute TGA, but not at follow-up. CONCLUSION The significant levels-of-processing effect during acute TGA might be linked to recruitment of the prefrontal cortex.
A new method for fast chitin extraction from shells of crab, crayfish and shrimp

A new method for quick chitin isolation from the shells of crab, crayfish and shrimp is described. The main difference between the new method and the conventional method is two sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) treatments for 10 min each before the processes of demineralisation and deproteinisation. After the NaClO treatment, only 15 min is adequate for the demineralisation and 20 min for the deproteinisation processes. Newly extracted chitin from crab, crayfish and shrimp shells and commercial chitin were characterised using FT-IR, TGA, X-ray diffractometry and elemental analysis. From the results, it was observed that the chitins isolated with the new method and the commercial chitin had almost the same physicochemical properties. The advantage of the new method compared to traditional methods is the relatively rapid chitin extraction. When compared to the traditional chitin extraction method, the proposed method appears to be promising regarding its time and energy saving nature.
An Internal Mechanism for Detecting Parasite Attractors in a Hopfield Network

This paper presents a built-in mechanism for automatic detection of prototypes (as opposed to parasite attractors) in a Hopfield network. It has a good statistical performance and avoids host computer overhead for this purpose. This mechanism is based on an internal coding of the prototypes during learning, using cyclic redundancy codes, and leads to an efficient implementation in VLSI. The immediate separation of prototypes from parasite attractors can be used to enhance the autonomy of the networks, aiming at hierarchical multinetwork structures. As an example, the use of such an architecture for the classification of handwritten digits is described.
SYNTHETIC MECHANISMS IN THE AXON—IV. IN VITRO INCORPORATION OF [3H]PRECURSORS INTO AXONAL PROTEIN AND RNA *

PREVIOUS studies (KOENIG and KOELLE, 1961; KOENIG, 1965~; KOENIG, 1967) provided evidence of a local, autochthonous synthesis of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the axon. In addition, it was observed that actinomycin-D, an inhibitor of DNAdependent synthesis (see REICH, 1964), when applied directly to peripheral nerve, produced an increased AChE activity, limited to the nerve segment treated (KOENIG, 1967). The actinomycin-D-induced increase was antagonized by puromycin and by 5-fluororotic acid, and therefore, indicated de novo enzyme synthesis. This finding suggested that the synthesis of protein in the axon might be regulated by a local DNA mediated mechanism. Since RNA was demonstrated in the mammalian axon (KOENIG, 1965b), the necessary protein synthesizing machinery appeared to be available. Hence, it seemed unlikely that AChE might be just an isolated example of protein synthesis, and likely that a significant protein synthesis could be demonstrated in uitro by measuring the incorporation of [3H]leucine into axonal protein. In addition, the in uitro incorporation of labelled precursors into axonal RNA and its inhibition by actinomycin-D would constitute a presumptive basis for a local DNA-dependent mechanism. This report is concerned, therefore, with: (1) the in vitro incorporation of [3H]leucine into axonal protein and the effects of actinomycin-D and chloramphenicol upon it; and (2) the in vitro incorporation of [3H]orotic acid and [3H]adenine into axonal RNA and the effects of actinomycin-D upon it.
Real-time stereo object tracking system using the block-based window mask and optical BPEJTC

In this paper, we proposed a stereo object tracking system that can control the convergence angle and pan/tilt of cameras by using optical binary phase extraction joint transform correlator (BPEJTC) and can extract the tracking object from a complex background and foreground noises by using the block matching-based window mask. It is used to perceive and extract the tracking object from the foreground and complex background by using window mask of the block matching-based SAD(sum of absolute difference), and by using the optical BPEJTC of the phase type, which has improved the correlating properties of the conventional optical JTC(joint transform correlator) with the adaptive object tracking ability, the position values of moving target on the left and right images can be calculated. And, we can be controlling the convergence angle and pan/tilt of cameras by using this values. Therefore, real time stereo object tracking system, which could adapt to the changes in surrounding, can be implemented. From the experimental results, the proposed stereo tracking system is found to track the object adaptively under the complex circumstances and changing background noises and the possibility of real-time implementation of the proposed system by using the optical system is also suggested.
Acute Hepatitis E. virus infection in Egypt

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is largely responsible for water borne epidemics in many developing countries. The principle mode of HEV transmission is the fecal oral route in epidemic and sporadic forms with a high case fatality ratio in pregnant women. Serum samples from 50 healthy subjects and from 435 acute viral hepatitis patients, 4-75 years old, were screened for markers of acute viral hepatitis. These included (HBsAg, anti-HBc (IgM), anti- HDV (IgM), HAV (IgM), anti-HCV (IgG), and anti-HEV (IgG), and (IgM) tests by enzyme- linked immunoassays (EIA). Furthermore isolation of HEV from peripheral blood lymphocytes and from stools belonging to anti-HEV IgG-positive patients was attempted by inoculation of HepG2 and Vero cell line cultures. The inoculated cell cultures were examined after immunoperoxidase staining for the detection of HEV antigen. Plasma, lymphocytes and stool samples from anti-HEV IgM positive patients were examined for HEV RNA by PCR. Anti-HEV IgG was found in 144/435 (33%) of these acute hepatitis patients. Anti-HEV (IgM) was detected in 8/52 (15.4%) out of 52 chosen from the 144 sera that were anti-HEV IgG positive cases. HEV was isolated in HepG2 from 32.6% of lymphocyte and from 34.9% of stools from patients positive for anti-HEV (IgG). While it was isolated from 71.4% of lymphocytes and from 100% of stools from patients positive for anti-HEV (IgM). In Vero cell cultures there was no HEV isolation from stools but HEV was isolated from 50% of lymphocytes. HEV RNA was detected by PCR in 85.7% of stools, 62.5% of plasma, and in 37.5% of lymphocyte samples belonging to anti-HEV IgM positive cases. Analysis of these diagnostic tests indicated that virus isolation from peripheral blood lymphocytes and stools by inoculation of HepG2 cell cultures is more sensitive than virus-RNA detection by PCR
PPARalpha, but not PPARgamma, activators decrease macrophage-laden atherosclerotic lesions in a nondiabetic mouse model of mixed dyslipidemia.

OBJECTIVE Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) alpha and gamma are nuclear receptors that may modulate atherogenesis, not only by correcting metabolic disorders predisposing to atherosclerosis but also by directly acting at the level of the vascular wall. The accumulation of lipid-laden macrophages in the arterial wall is an early pivotal event participating in the initiation and promotion of atherosclerotic lesion formation. Because PPARalpha and gamma modulate macrophage gene expression and cellular function, it has been suggested that their ligands may modulate atherosclerosis development via direct effects on macrophages. In this report, we investigated the effect of a PPARalpha ligand (fenofibrate) and 2 PPARgamma ligands (rosiglitazone and pioglitazone) on atherogenesis in a dyslipidemic nondiabetic murine model that develops essentially macrophage-laden lesions. METHODS AND RESULTS Mice were fed a Western diet supplemented or not with fenofibrate (100 mpk), rosiglitazone (10 mpk), or pioglitazone (40 mpk) for 10 weeks. Atherosclerotic lesions together with metabolic parameters were measured after treatment. Fenofibrate treatment significantly improved lipoprotein metabolism toward a less atherogenic phenotype but did not affect insulin sensitivity. Contrarily, rosiglitazone and pioglitazone improved glucose homeostasis, whereas they did not improve lipoprotein metabolism. Fenofibrate treatment significantly decreased the accumulation of lipids and macrophages in the aortic sinus. However, surprisingly, neither rosiglitazone nor pioglitazone had an effect on lesion lipid accumulation or macrophage content. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that in a dyslipidemic nondiabetic murine model, PPARalpha, but not PPARgamma, activators protect against macrophage foam cell formation.
Declining Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate and Its Association with Mortality and Comorbidity Over 10 Years in Elderly Women

Background/Aims: Renal function deteriorates with age, but a few studies have addressed this longitudinally in elderly women. Our objective was, using 5 estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFR)-equations, to evaluate changes in renal function and association with adverse outcomes for a decade in 75-year-old women. Methods: Plasma creatinine was measured at ages 75 (n = 1,011), 78 (n = 827), 80 (n = 689) and 85 (n = 363). Glomerular filtration rates were estimated using the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI); Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD); revised Lund-Malmö (LM-rev); Berlin Initiative Study 1 (BIS1) and Cockcroft-Gault/body surface area (CG/BSA) equations. Mortality and comorbidity were investigated in women with chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 3A and 3B-5. Results: Approximately, 95% of women had eGFR indicating CKD stage 2-3 and progression towards stage 3 was continuous. The women lost 22% of their eGFR during follow-up and loss accelerated between 80 and 85. Mean loss per decade was 16.6 ml/min/1.73 m2. Women in CKD stage 3B-5 had an adjusted hazard ratio for death of 3.5 (95% CI 2.1-5.8) compared to stage 1-2 during follow-up and increased risk of diabetes, heart failure and hypertension. The CG/BSA, BIS1 and LM-rev equations continuously predicted lower eGFR than the MDRD and CKD-EPI equations. Conclusion: eGFR in women aged 75-85 ranges from 30 to 89 ml/min/1.73 m2 (stage 2-3). Decline was 16.6 ml/min/1.73 m2 per decade; accelerated with age and appeared nonlinear. Women with CKD 3B-5 demonstrate an over 3-fold risk of death. eGFR <45 ml/min/1.73 m2 was associated with mortality, confirming the new KDIGO classification 3A and 3B, as clinically applicable in the elderly.
Nonlinear Characteristic Output Spectrum for Nonlinear Analysis and Design

A systematic method for nonlinear analysis, design, and estimation in the frequency domain is proposed in this study using a new concept-nonlinear characteristic output spectrum (nCOS). The nCOS function is an analytical and explicit expression for the relationship between nonlinear output spectrum and system characteristic parameters of interest (including frequency, nonlinear parameters, and excitation magnitude), and can provide a significant insight into nonlinear analysis and design in the frequency domain. Given some simulation or experimental output data of a nonlinear system, the nCOS function of the system can be accurately determined up to any high nonlinear orders with less simulation trials and computation cost compared with a pure simulation-based study or traditional theoretical computations. Moreover, the method can also be used to accurately determine the linear and nonlinear components in the nonlinear output frequency response (or an output spectrum) of a nonlinear system. These results are definitely of significance to nonlinear analysis and design, nonlinear signal processing, system identification, fault detection, etc., in practice. Examples and case studies including analysis of a nonlinear vehicle suspension system are given to illustrate the results.
Effect of caecectomy on growth, moisture in excreta, gastrointestinal passage time and uric acid excretion in growing chicks

1. The effect of caecectomy on nitrogen utilisation and excretion was examined in growing chicks fed on a commercial diet. 2. Caecectomy had no significant effect on food intake or body weight gain. 3. Caecectomy caused significantly higher moisture content in excreta (P <0.01). 4. Gastrointestinal passage time of digesta was significantly shorter in caecectomised chicks than in control chicks (P <0.05). 5. Caecectomy tended to improve nitrogen utilisation rate in growing chicks. 6. The treatment significantly decreased uric acid excretion (P <0.01) and excretory uric acid-N/total nitrogen excretion (P <0.01). 7. It is concluded that the effects of caecectomy on nitrogen metabolism in growing chicks are similar to those in adult chickens.
Managing construction and demolition (C&D) waste - a European perspective.

In many countries, levels of Construction and demolition (C&D) waste generation have risen due to the rapid growth of towns and cities. Although now the activity has entered in a phase of decline, due to the change of the economic cycle, we don't have to forget all the problems caused by such waste, or rather, by their management. In this sense, important developments have been incorporated into European and International laws which aim to promote recycling and recovering. Therefore, the main objective of this research is to give an overview of the current situation of C&D waste in Europe, as well as the different measures that have been applied to solve this situation. Results show that countries with a high percentage of recycling rate of C&D waste take into account the recycling of soil, which correspond to a large part of the waste recycled. In this sense, soil is excluded in the new recycling target for C&D waste. Therefore, we can conclude that the management chosen for the C&D waste in Europe is still far from achieving the target for recycling, which demands an overall target of 70% for C&D waste should be recycled by 2020.
Exploring the Potential of GeoPass: A Geographic Location-Password Scheme

Password schemes based on online map locations are an emerging topic in authentication research. GeoPass is a promising such scheme, as it provides satisfactory resilience against online guessing and showed high memorability (97%) in a single-password laboratory study. In this article, we investigate more deeply into the potential of GeoPass through four separate studies. First, in a 2-month-long field study, we found that users in a real-world setting remembered their location passwords 96.1% of the time and showed improvement with more login sessions. Then, in a study of interference effects in Geopass, in which each participant had to remember four separate location passwords, we found that memorability was <70%, with 41.5% of login failures due to interference. Based on these findings, we propose to address interference issues in GeoPass with mental stories, where users are asked to create a meaningful association between their location password and the corresponding account. We tested the efficacy of this approach through a second interference study, where the memorability rate for GeoPass was >97%, with only 3.4% of login attempts failing due to interference. We also conducted a shouldersurfing study to examine the resilience of GeoPass against this attack. Based on our results, we identify the promising aspects of location passwords that should be further studied in future research.
Physical issues in device modeling: Length-scale, disorder, and phase interference

The physical issues of device modeling associated with randomly doped impurities in nanoscale devices are discussed. We investigate the length-scale associated with the discrete impurities in the Drift-Diffusion simulation scheme and point out the importance of the self-consistency of the length-scales between the Poisson and transport equations. The physics behind the discrete impurity models is then discussed. The impurity-limited resistance of nanowires under various spatial configurations of impurities is also studied under the framework of the Lippmann-Schwinger theory. We show that there are two different and independent mechanisms leading to the variability in impurity-limited resistances; coherent and incoherent randomization processes. The physical origin of “self-averaging” under nanowire structures is then clarified.
Ingestion of Colloidal Gold by Mast Cells

Summary Rat peritoneal fluid mast cells can phagocytize colloidal gold. This foreign participate rapidly becomes localized within the specific cytoplasmic granules of the cell. With the previously demonstrated uptake of zymosan and of Thorotrast particles by mast cells, the demonstrated phagocytosis of a third particulate substance by mast cells suggests that uptake of substances from the tissue environment may be a process with broad significance with respect to mast cell function.