Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Primary gingival tuberculosis diagnosis: a difficult endeavor.

AIM To highlight the importance of considering tuberculosis in the differential diagnosis even in the absence of confirmation from several investigations and diagnostic aides. BACKGROUND Tuberculosis is a common infectious granulomatous disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria. An oral lesion when seen in association with tuberculosis is very rare and in most cases is noticed secondary to pulmonary forms. CASE REPORT We report a case of primary gingival tuberculosis in 20-year-old female patient who presented with treatment resistant gingivitis. Patient had no evidence of disease elsewhere in the body and several diagnostic tests also failed to reveal the presence of the causative organism. Resolution of gingivitis was noted following a therapeutic trial of antitubercular drugs. CONCLUSION Therefore the importance of including tuberculosis in the differential diagnosis of inflammatory disorder of the gingiva is very essential in order to avoid one of the most lethal forms of infections often overlooked. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE It is essential to consider tuberculosis as one of the differential diagnosis in India even when several diagnostic tests are negative for tuberculosis.
Preparation and characteristics of conducting polymer-coated multiwalled carbon nanotubes for a gas sensor

Conducting polymer-coated multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were prepared by template polymerization in order to enhance their gas sensitivity. This investigation of the conducting polymer phases that formed on the surface of the MWCNTs is based on field-emission scanning electron microscopy images. The thermal stability of the conduct - ing polymer-coated MWCNTs was significantly improved by the high thermal stability of MWCNTs. The synergistic effects of the conducting polymer-coated MWCNTs improve the gas-sensing properties. MWCNTs coated with polyaniline uniformly show outstanding improvement in gas sensitivity to NH3 due to the synergistic combination of efficient adsorp - tion of NH3 gas and variation in the conduction of electrons.
Dionysius: A Framework for Modeling Hierarchical User Interactions in Recommender Systems

We address the following problem: How do we incorporate user item interaction signals as part of the relevance model in a large-scale personalized recommendation system such that, (1) the ability to interpret the model and explain recommendations is retained, and (2) the existing infrastructure designed for the (user profile) content-based model can be leveraged? We propose Dionysius, a hierarchical graphical model based framework and system for incorporating user interactions into recommender systems, with minimal change to the underlying infrastructure. We learn a hidden fields vector for each user by considering the hierarchy of interaction signals, and replace the user profile-based vector with this learned vector, thereby not expanding the feature space at all. Thus, our framework allows the use of existing recommendation infrastructure that supports content based features. We implemented and deployed this system as part of the recommendation platform at LinkedIn for more than one year. We validated the efficacy of our approach through extensive offline experiments with different model choices, as well as online A/B testing experiments. Our deployment of this system as part of the job recommendation engine resulted in significant improvement in the quality of retrieved results, thereby generating improved user experience and positive impact for millions of users.
Use of optically transparent lead lanthanum zirconate titanate as actuators and sensors

The photo-induced strain in transparent lead lanthanum zirconate titanate (PLZT) materials is due to a process of superposition of photovoltaic and converse piezoelectric effects. The photovoltaic effect in PLZT materials is observed only in the direction of spontaneous polarization of ferroelectric materials. In this paper, electrical and mechanical performance of PLZT ceramics polarized in 0-1 or 0-3 direction are investigated, and PLZT actuators and sensors with the 0-3 polarization are studied. For multilayer PLZT actuators, presented also are the formulas for the calculation of energy release rates due to debonding.
Film Thickness Gradient-Induced Magnetic Anisotropy and Ferromagnetic Resonance in Fe56Co24B20 Amorphous Films Prepared by Pulse Laser Deposition

Fe56Co24B20 amorphous films with a large thickness gradient were prepared by pulse laser deposition via moving the sample shutter. The film thickness is varied from 274 to 28.7 nm for a sample with 25 mm in length. The thickness gradient gives rise to a well-defined uniaxial magnetic anisotropy (UMA) with the hard-axis along the direction of thickness gradient. A gradually increased UMA field HK was induced from 110 to 245 Oe along the thickness gradient direction by the interface stress. As a result, the ferromagnetic resonance frequencies fFMR increase from 3.79 to 5.76 GHz with the film thinning.
Psychometric Properties of the 20-Item Toronto Alexithymia Scale in a Group of Italian Younger Adolescents

Objective Alexithymia is a personality construct that inhibits and interferes with normal affect regulating abilities. The purpose of our study was to assess psychometric properties of TAS-20 in younger adolescents. Methods Data were collected from 508 younger adolescents (48.8% male and 51.2% female) with a mean age of 12.56 years (DS=0.50, range: 12-13 years). We administered the following scales: 20-Item-Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Results The confirmatory factor analysis performed on the second random subsample showed reasonable goodness-of-fit for the oblique bi-factorial model: [chi]2 (32, n=254)=54.22; p=0.008; χ2/df=1.69; NNFI=0.92; CFI=0.95; SRMR=0.05; RMSEA=0.05; 90% confidence interval=0.027-0.078. Conclusion Based on the outcomes of our research we support the idea of evaluating adolescents for alexithymia.
Performance evaluation and enhancement of scheduled and polled block ACK multicast protocols

IEEE 802.11aa amendment introduces several protocols to increase the robustness of multimedia traffic delivery for multicast destinations. According to the recent investigations Block ACK protocol is the most efficient among them. However, it requires polling to each of the multicast group member which may cause significant overhead in the scenarios with large group size. Compared to the polling based Block ACK protocol the scheduled Block ACK protocol does not require individual polling to each group member. In this paper we compare two protocols in terms of scalability, achievable throughput, and delay in various scenarios. In addition, we introduce a frame error based RTS/CTS protection scheme which improves the performance of both schemes in hidden node scenarios. Performance evaluations show that the proposed protection scheme significantly alleviates the hidden node problem in scheduled Block ACK protocol.
The increased risk of predation enhances cooperation

Theory predicts that animals in adverse conditions can decrease individual risks and increase long-term benefits by cooperating with neighbours. However, some empirical studies suggest that animals often focus on short-term benefits, which can reduce the likelihood that they will cooperate with others. In this experimental study, we tested between these two alternatives by evaluating whether increased predation risk (as a correlate of environmental adversity) enhances or diminishes the occurrence of cooperation in mobbing, a common anti-predator behaviour, among breeding pied flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca. We tested whether birds would join their mobbing neighbours more often and harass a stuffed predator placed near their neighbours' nests more intensely in areas with a higher perceived risk of predation. Our results show that birds attended mobs initiated by their neighbours more often, approached the stuffed predator significantly more closely, and mobbed it at a higher intensity in areas where the perceived risk of predation was experimentally increased. In such high-risk areas, birds also were more often involved in between-pair cooperation. This study demonstrates the positive impact of predation risk on cooperation in breeding songbirds, which might help in explaining the emergence and evolution of cooperation.
Dynamic skyline queries in metric spaces

Skyline query is of great importance in many applications, such as multi-criteria decision making and business planning. In particular, a skyline point is a data object in the database whose attribute vector is not dominated by that of any other objects. Previous methods to retrieve skyline points usually assume static data objects in the database (i.e. their attribute vectors are fixed), whereas several recent work focus on skyline queries with dynamic attributes. In this paper, we propose a novel variant of skyline queries, namely metric skyline, whose dynamic attributes are defined in the metric space (i.e. not limited to the Euclidean space). We illustrate an efficient and effective pruning mechanism to answer metric skyline queries through a metric index. Extensive experiments have demonstrated the efficiency and effectiveness of our proposed pruning techniques over the metric index in answering metric skyline queries.
The Damping Analysis of the Laminated Composite Plate Considering Geometric Nonlinearity

Considering geometric linearity and nonlinearity deformation form, the MSE and damping coefficient of the laminated composite cantilever plate were obtained with the elasticity theory based on the modal strain energy (MSE) method. The validity of the theory compute program was validated by the FEM program with the all layers 0° layup case. The longitudinal MSE of the plate at various lengths were investigated under the deformation form above. The damping coefficient of the laminated composite cantilever plate at various fiber orientations. The results are significant for sample fabricate of the laminated composite damping experiment.
Excimer laser-induced incubation of poly(L-lactide)

The irradiation of polylactide by KrF excimer laser with subthreshold fluence results in modification of its properties via photochemical reactions. A common approach is to modify chemical composition of polymer surface by UV irradiation, for example, in order to improve their wetting properties. In this paper, authors present a possibility of bulk modification of poly(L-lactide) which is related to photofragmentation and creation of new terminal groups. The irradiation results in decrease of molecular weight and increase of polydispersity. The appearance of new terminal groups is responsible for enhancement of absorption in UV-C range. The intensity of chemical composition changes introduced by UV irradiation can be precisely dosed thanks to a pulse character of laser source. Modifications can be controlled during the process by the analysis of energy transmitted through a polymer sheet. The distribution of absorption coefficient changes along with the depth of irradiated polymer and its correlation with polydispersity was discussed. Presented technique can be used for selective and controllable modification of hydrolytic degradation time of biodegradable polyesters utilized in biomedical applications.
TiO2 Nanotube Sensor for Online Chemical Oxygen Demand Determination in Conjunction with Flow Injection Technique

A simple, rapid and environmental friendly online chemical oxygen demand (COD) analytical method based on TiO2 nanotube sensor in conjunction with the flow injection technique was proposed to determine the COD of aqueous samples, especially for refractory organics, low‐concentration wastewater, and surface water. The new method can overcome the drawbacks of the conventional COD determination methods. The results show that with the new method, each analysis takes only about 1 to 3 min, the linear range is up to 1 to 500 mg·L−1 of the compound of interest, and the detection limit is 1 mg·L−1. The COD values obtained by the proposed method are more accurate than those obtained by the conventional method.
Some Properties of Concrete Containing Aluminum Roofing Sheet Waste (ARSW) as Partial Replacement of Cement

This paper presents the results of investigation conducted to evaluate the properties of concrete containing aluminum Roofing Sheet Waste as partial replacement of cement by weight. The properties investigated included the setting times of cement-ARSW paste, workability, density, compressive strength using 168 numbers of 150 x 150 x 150 mm cube specimens. The chemical compositions and pozzolanic properties were also investigated. The results showed that: (I.) the chemical composition of aluminum Roofing Sheet Waste (ARSW) is suitable for concrete production, (ii.) ARSW has pozzolanic characteristic, (iii.) the concrete produced with ARSW resulted in concrete whose densities are within the range for normal weight concrete, and (iv.) using ARSW to replace cement up to 10% will not affect the compressive strength of the concrete significantly. From these results, it can be concluded that Roofing Sheet Waste is suitable for concrete production, and thus can be used as a mean to remove the potentially harmful waste that ARSW constitutes.
Novel method for studying myelination in vivo reveals that EDTA is a potent inhibitor of myelin protein and mRNA expression during development of the rat sciatic nerve

To probe the effects of possible inhibitors or enhancers of in vivo myelination, we have modified a technique widely used in studies of the developing neuromuscular system that involves incorporation of test compounds into a silicon rubber solution, which solidifies on contact with air. U‐shaped rubber implants are inserted around the sciatic nerve of 1‐day‐old rats and left in place for 24–48 h. Sections from the region of the nerve lying within the implant, with or without the test compound, are then immunolabeled, examined with in situ hybridization or electron microscopy. Application of EDTA (440 μg/implant) in this way strongly suppressed the levels of the myelin‐associated molecules protein P0, myelin basic protein (MBP), and galactocerebroside (Galc). mRNA levels for P0 and the myelin‐related transcription factor Krox‐20 were also reduced, further supporting association of the EDTA‐induced effect with the myelinating Schwann cells. In contrast, no obvious differences were observed in either neurofilament (NF) protein or glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression, suggesting absence of influence on axons or nonmyelinating Schwann cells. Despite the severely altered molecular composition of myelin in the presence of EDTA, examination in the electron microscope did not reveal any apparent ultrastructural changes in the myelin sheaths or nerve development. This work introduces a novel method for studying nerve development and shows that EDTA, which chelates divalent cations such as Ca2+ and Mg2+, strongly and selectively reduces levels of molecules, which, on postnatal days 1–4, are expressed in myelinating cells at much higher levels than in cells not engaged in myelination. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Bonding of SU-8 to glass for gastight picoliter reactors allowing in situ optical observation

Experimental tasks in chemistry and biology require large experiment statistics, small solution volumes, and no gas or vapor exchange with the environment. Microfluidics devices built of the epoxy-based polymer SU-8 comply with these requirements. However, the additional constraints of reactor thickness of several micrometers, localized temperature control, and optical access for high-resolution observation provide a challenge. We developed a device consisting of top and bottom glass plates separated by a layer of cross-linked SU-8, with a resistive microheater deposited at the bottom. Picoliter reactor volumes are achieved by suspending aqueous solution droplets in silicone oil held in a channel with cross-section 5 × 40 µm2. The narrow channels lead to large capillary resistance and, in turn, high injection pressures. To achieve bonding of SU-8 to glass capable of withstanding such pressures, we optimized the oxygen plasma treatment of the polymer surface by monitoring the evolution of the treated surface with atomic force microscopy. We found that the plasma effect was fully determined by its power. The hydrophilicity of the treated surfaces was characterized by their contact angles with water. The treated surfaces were bonded to glass bottoms using a torque-controlled clamp with a 3 µm smoothness of the holding plates. The bonding pressure and temperature were chosen in the gap between those for the glass transition of the SU-8 layer and fracture of the glass bottom.
Associations between markers of respiratory morbidity in European children

School-aged children often experience acute respiratory symptoms. In a multicentre European study, the association between chronic respiratory symptoms (reported in a questionnaire), skin-prick test results, and lung function, and the occurrence of acute respiratory morbidity, was examined among children aged 6–12 yrs with chronic respiratory symptoms. Children with chronic respiratory symptoms, living in 10 European countries, were selected from a parent-completed questionnaire (n=4,307). Atopy was measured with skin-prick tests, and lung function with spirometry. A total of 1,854 (86% of those in the initial cohort) children kept a successful daily diary regarding their respiratory symptoms for 2–3 months. In multivariate logistic regression analyses, children with asthmatic symptoms, particularly those with doctor-diagnosed asthma, had a greater risk of occurrence of lower respiratory symptoms (odds ratio (OR): 6.12; 95% confidence interval (CI): 4.99–8.35) than children with a dry nocturnal cough as their only symptom. Atopy, particularly a positive reaction to indoor allergens, was significantly associated with occurrence of lower respiratory symptoms. For atopy the OR was 1.62 (95% CI: 1.34–1.96). A reduced level of maximal mid-expiratory flow was associated with an increased risk of lower respiratory symptoms, cough and phlegm. The associations were similar in Scandinavia, Central Eastern, Western and Southern Europe. To conclude, asthmatic symptoms reported in a questionnaire, atopic status and a reduced level of maximal mid-expiratory flow were associated with the occurrence of acute respiratory symptoms, especially those of lower respiratory symptoms.
Privacy for targeted advertising

In the past two decades, targeted online advertising has led to massive data collection, aggregation, and exchange. This infrastructure raises significant privacy concerns. While several prominent theories of data privacy have been proposed over the same period of time, these notions have limited application to advertising ecosystems. Differential privacy, the most robust of them, is inherently inapplicable to queries about particular individuals in the dataset. We therefore formulate a new definition of privacy for accessing private information about unknown individuals identified by some random token. Unlike most current privacy definitions, our's takes probabilistic prior information into account and is intended to reflect the use of aggregated web information for targeted advertising. We explain how our theory captures the natural expectation of privacy in the advertising setting and avoids the limitations of existing alternatives. However, although we can construct artificial databases which satisfy our notion of privacy together with reasonable utility, we do not have evidence that real world databases can be sanitized to preserve reasonable utility. In fact we offer real world evidence that adherence to our notion of privacy almost completely destroys utility. Our results suggest that a significant theoretical advance or a change in infrastructure is needed in order to obtain rigorous privacy guarantees in the digital advertising ecosystem.
Autoregressive Modeling for Tropical Cyclone Intensity Climatology

AbstractAn autoregressive model is developed to simulate the climatological distribution of global tropical cyclone (TC) intensity. The model consists of two components: a regression-based deterministic component that advances the TC intensity in time and depends on the storm state and surrounding large-scale environment and a stochastic forcing. Potential intensity, deep-layer mean vertical shear, and midlevel relative humidity are the environmental variables included in the deterministic component. Given a storm track and its environment, the model is initialized and then iterated along the track. Model performance is evaluated by its ability to represent the observed global and basin distributions of TC intensity as well as lifetime maximum intensity (LMI). The deterministic model alone captures the spatial features of the climatological TC intensity distribution but with intensities that remain below 100 kt (1 kt ≈ 0.51 m s−1). Addition of white (uncorrelated in time) stochastic forcing reduces this b.
Fuzzing : the Past , the Present and the Future

Résumé Standards in communication enable new test automation techniques for verification of reliability and security. Fuzzing is a negative software testing method that feeds a program, device or system with malformed and unexpected input data in order to find critical crash-level defects. The tests are targeted at remote interfaces, and will focus on finding issues with invalid data elements, broken syntax of messages, but also unexpected message sequences. This talk will focus on the most recent advancements in model-based fuzzers, including the challenges in XML fuzzing. XML is a structure that is today used everywhere, from web applications to mission critical systems in SCADA and telecommunications. And unfortunately, based on research conducted at CodeLabs, XML is extremely error-prone due to its complexity.
Ask Your Doctor? Direct-to-Consumer Advertising of Pharmaceuticals

We measure the impact of direct-to-consumer television advertising (DTCA) by drug manufacturers. Our identification strategy exploits shocks to local advertising markets generated by idiosyncrasies of the political advertising cycle as well as a regulatory intervention affecting a single product. We find that a 10% increase in the number of a firm's ads leads to a 0.76% increase in revenue, while the same increase in rival advertising leads to a 0.55% decrease in firm revenue. Results also indicate that a 10% increase in category advertising produces a 0.2% revenue increase for non-advertised drugs. Both the business-stealing and spillover effects would not be detected through OLS. Decomposition using micro data confirms that the effect is due mostly to new customers as opposed to switching among current customers. Simulations show that an outright ban on DTCA would have modest effects on the sales of advertised drugs as well as on non-advertised drugs.