Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Smart materials-making pediatric dentistry bio-smart

As of now, there has been no single material in dentistry that fulfills all the requirements of an ideal material. While the search for an “ideal material” continues, a newer generation of materials has been introduced. The adjective “smart” implies that these materials are able to sense changes in their environments and then respond to these changes in predetermined manners – traits that are also found in living organisms. These materials may be altered in a controlled fashion by stimulus such as stress, temperature, moisture, pH, and electric or magnetic field. Some of these are “bio-mimetic” in nature while others are “bio-responsive. ” These materials would potentially allow new and groundbreaking dental therapies with a significantly enhanced clinical outcome of the treatment procedures. This paper attempts to highlight some of the currently available “smart materials” in pediatric dentistry which may over the course of years help us move toward a new era of bio-smart dentistry.
Analyzing the Drivers of Advanced Sustainable Manufacturing System Using AHP Approach

A number of current manufacturing sectors are striving hard to introduce innovative long-term strategies into their operations. As a result, many scholarly studies have found it fruitful to investigate advanced manufacturing strategies such as agile, computer-integrated, and cellular manufacturing. Through the example of downstream cases, manufacturing sectors have learned that financial benefits garnered through automated technologies cannot be counted on as a sole measure to ensure their success in today’s competitive and fluctuating marketplaces. The objective of this study is to integrate those advanced techniques with sustainable operations, to promote advanced sustainable manufacturing so those manufacturing sectors can thrive even in uncertain markets. To establish this connection, this study analyzes the drivers of advanced sustainable manufacturing through a proposed framework validated through a case study in India. Common drivers are collected from the literature, calibrated with opinions from experts, and analyzed through an analytical hierarchy process (AHP), which is a multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) approach. This study reveals that quality is the primary driver that pressures manufacturing sectors to adopt advanced sustainable manufacturing. Manufacturers can easily note the top ranked driver and adopt it to soundly implement advanced sustainable manufacturing. In addition, some key future scopes are explored along with possible recommendations for effective implementation of advanced sustainable manufacturing systems.
Distributed optimal dispatch of multiple networked generators

This paper considers the distributed optimal dispatch problem for a group of power generators. The goal is to allocate the total power generations among the distributed generators, while minimizing the total cost and ensuring operation within individual generator capacity limit. By utilizing the consensus-based techniques, we propose a new distributed solution to the traditional economical dispatch problem. In contrast to the existing economic dispatch solutions, the proposed algorithm achieves the finite-time convergence property. To realize the fast and distributed economic dispatch is essential for the future power systems with the high penetration of renewable energy. The simulation results based on a standard IEEE test system demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
Examination of Anomalous Self-Experience: Initial Study of the Structure of Self-Disorders in Schizophrenia Spectrum

Abstract A growing body of evidence points to the clinical and heuristic value of anomalous subjective experiences (ASEs) for the characterization of schizophrenia spectrum vulnerability and early detection purposes. In particular, a subgroup of ASEs, entailing basic disorders of self-awareness (self-disorders [SDs]), has been shown to constitute a core feature of both clinically overt and latent (schizotaxic) spectrum phenotypes. However, a major limitation for the translational implementation of this research evidence has been a lack of assessment tools capable of encompassing the clinical richness of SDs. Here, we present the initial normative data and psychometric properties of a newly developed instrument (Examination of Anomalous Self-experience [EASE]), specifically designed to support the psychopathological exploration of SDs in both research and “real world” clinical settings. Our results support the clinical validity of the EASE as a tool for assessing anomalies of self-awareness (SDs) and lend credit to the translational potential of a phenomenological exploration of the subjective experience of vulnerability to schizophrenia.
A Comprehensive Analysis of the MAC Unreliability Problem in IEEE 802.15.4 Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) represent a very promising solution in the field of wireless technologies for industrial applications. However, for a credible deployment of WSNs in an industrial environment, four main properties need to be fulfilled, i.e., energy efficiency, scalability, reliability, and timeliness. In this paper, we focus on IEEE 802.15. 4 WSNs and show that they can suffer from a serious unreliability problem. This problem arises whenever the power management mechanism is enabled for energy efficiency, and results in a very low packet delivery ratio, also when the number of sensor nodes in the network is very low (e.g., 5). We carried out an extensive analysis-based on both simulation and experiments on a real WSN-to investigate the fundamental reasons of this problem, and we found that it is caused by the contention-based Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol used for channel access and its default parameter values. We also found that, with a more appropriate MAC parameters setting, it is possible to mitigate the problem and achieve a delivery ratio up to 100%, at least in the scenarios considered in this paper. However, this improvement in communication reliability is achieved at the cost of an increased latency, which may not be acceptable for industrial applications with stringent timing requirements. In addition, in some cases this is possible only by choosing MAC parameter values formally not allowed by the standard.
Molecular cloning of a novel chemokine receptor‐like gene from early stage chick embryos

Proliferation, differentiation and regulated trafficking of cells are the hallmarks of development and embryogenesis. This led us to speculate a role for chemokines and their receptors in this process. Here, we report the molecular cloning of AvCRL1, a novel member of the G‐protein coupled receptor family from early stage 3 days old chick embryos. While the function and ligand for this receptor remain unknown, its sequence and gene structure indicates that it is most related to the family of chemokine receptors, with highest homology to the virally induced human BLR‐1 and the CXCR3 or γIP‐10/Mig‐1 receptors.
Predicting Severe Postoperative Respiratory Complications following Abdominal Wall Reconstruction

Background: Patients undergoing abdominal wall reconstruction are at risk of developing major postoperative respiratory complications. The authors attempted to identify factors predictive of respiratory complications following abdominal wall reconstruction. Methods: All patients who underwent complex abdominal wall reconstruction over a 2-year period were reviewed. The primary endpoint studied was severe respiratory complication, defined as respiratory insufficiency requiring intubation or transfer to a higher level of care. Results: Sixty patients underwent complex abdominal wall reconstruction during the study period. The incidence of respiratory complications was 20 percent. Factors predictive of postoperative respiratory complication included age (p = 0.05), American Society of Anesthesiologists score (p = 0.04), and hernia defect size (p = 0.01). In addition, patients who developed respiratory complications were more likely to have had a greater change in plateau pressure (5.8 versus 2.3 cmH2O; p = 0.01). The greater the change in plateau pressure, the greater the risk of developing a respiratory complication: for a change in plateau pressure greater than or equal to 6 cmH2O, the odds ratio was 8.67; for a change in plateau pressure greater than or equal to 9 cmH2O, the odds ratio was 11.5. Conclusions: Respiratory complications following abdominal wall reconstruction can be serious and are associated with prolonged hospitalizations. Patients with an increase in their plateau pressure of greater than 6 cmH2O are at an increased risk of severe postoperative respiratory complications. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Risk, II.
Dispersive estimates for Schrödinger operators in the presence of a resonance and/or an eigenvalue at zero energy in dimension three: II

AbstractWe investigate boundedness of the evolutioneitH in the sense ofL2(ℝ3→L2(ℝ3) as well asL1(ℝ3→L∞(ℝ3) for the non-selfadjoint operator $$\mathcal{H} = \left[ \begin{gathered} - \Delta + \mu - V_1 \\ V_2 \\ \end{gathered} \right. \left. \begin{gathered} V_2 \\ \Delta - \mu + V_1 \\ \end{gathered} \right],$$ where μ>0 andV1, V2 are real-valued decaying potentials. Such operators arise when linearizing a focusing NLS equation around a standing wave, and the aforementioned bounds are needed in the study of nonlinear asymptotic stability of such standing waves. We derive our results under some natural spectral assumptions (corresponding to a ground state soliton of NLS), see A1)–A4) below, but without imposing any restrictions on the edges±μ of the essential spectrum. Our goal is to develop an “axiomatic approach,” which frees the linear theory from any nonlinear context in which it may have arisen.
Parkinson's disease detection using olfactory loss and REM sleep disorder features

In Parkinson's disease, there exists a prodromal or a premotor phase characterized by symptoms like olfactory loss and sleep disorders, which may last for years or even decades before the onset of motor clinical symptoms. Diagnostic tools based on machine learning using these features can be very useful as they have the potential in early diagnosis of the disease. In the paper, we use olfactory loss feature from 40-item University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT) and Sleep behavior disorder feature from Rapid eye movement sleep Behavior Disorder Screening Questionnaire (RBDSQ), obtained from the Parkinson's Progression Marker's Initiative (PPMI) database, to develop automated diagnostic models using Support Vector Machine (SVM) and classification tree methods. The advantage of using UPSIT and RBDSQ is that they are quick, cheap, and can be self-administered. Results show that the models performed with high accuracy and sensitivity, and that they have the potential to aid in early diagnosis of Parkinson's disease.
Hip arthroscopy for intra-articular pathology: a systematic review of outcomes with and without femoral osteoplasty

Background Arthroscopy is increasingly used to improve pain and function in athletes with hip joint pathology. Surgical techniques have evolved to utilise arthroscopic femoral osteoplasty to address potential morphological contributors to pathology. Purpose Investigate pain and function outcomes following hip arthroscopy with and without femoral osteoplasty in individuals with intra-articular hip pathology. Study design Systematic review. Methods A comprehensive search strategy identified studies that evaluated the outcome over at least 3 months following arthroscopy for intra-articular hip pathology, using patient-reported outcomes of pain and/or function. Methodological quality was evaluated (Downs and Black scale), and effect sizes calculated when sufficient data were available. Results Twenty-nine studies of moderate methodological quality were included. Of 16 studies investigating arthroscopy alone, two studies showed large effects (3.12–5.46) at 1–2 years. Pain reduction and functional improvement (median 47%) were consistently reported by the remaining 14 studies up to 10 years postsurgery. Of 15 studies investigating arthroscopy with osteoplasty, nine papers showed mostly large effects (0.78–2.93) over 6–28 months. Adverse events were minimal (7% of participants, 12 studies, predominantly transient neuropraxia (83%)). Conclusion Current evidence indicates that hip arthroscopy can significantly reduce pain and improve function in patients with intra-articular hip pathology. While benefits of arthroscopy alone can persist up to 10 years postsurgery, effects of osteoplasty beyond 3 years need to be established. Future studies should investigate rehabilitation in this population, and the impact of surgery on development of osteoarthritis.
Derivation of Moving Distance Distribution to Enhance Sequential Paging in Distance-Based Mobility Management for PCS Networks

The total signaling cost of distance-based location management scheme, which is the lowest among dynamic location management schemes for PCS networks, can be further reduced by a sequential paging strategy that pages first the cells in which the mobile is most likely located. To enable this strategy, we derive the probability distribution of a mobile's moving distances between the last location update and the next call arrival. An efficient and effective sequential paging scheme is presented, which guarantees that a mobile can be located during the first paging step with a probability equal to or better than a predefined value. The features of the proposed model include flexible cell topologies, general cell residence time, and full use of mobile's moving pattern
Modified Differential Absolute Contrast using Thermal Quadrupoles for the Nondestructive Testing of Finite Thickness Specimens by Infrared Thermography

Infrared thermography is a nondestructive evaluation technique in which the specimen surface is thermally stimulated to produce a temperature difference between "sound" (free of defects) areas and eventual defective regions. It is well known that the thermographic methods based on the thermal contrast are strongly affected by non-uniform heating at the surface. Hence, thermal contrast-based results considerably depend on the chosen reference point. The differential absolute contrast (DAC) method was developed to eliminate the need of determining a reference point by defining the thermal contrast with respect to an "ideal" sound area. The DAC technique is based on the 1D solution of the Fourier diffusion equation for homogeneous and semi-infinite materials stimulated with a Dirac heat pulse. Although very useful at early times, this assumption considerably decreases DAC accuracy when the heat front approaches the sample rear face. We propose a modified DAC version by explicitly introducing the sample thickness using the thermal quadrupoles theory. We demonstrate that taking into account the sample thickness, the DAC validity range considerably extends for long times after excitation while preserving its performance for short times
Security issues and vulnerabilities in connected car systems

The Connected Revolution has reached the automotive industry and the Internet penetrates into the modern vehicles. Formerly acquiring data from a vehicle was the tool of Fleet Management Systems handling commercial vehicles. In the recent years connectivity began to appear in the passenger vehicles also. The first features were infotainment and navigation, having low security needs remaining far from the vehicular networks. Then telematics and remote control, such as keyless entry appeared and created a new security threat in the vehicle. The paper shows how the connected feature changes the vehicle and also presents vulnerabilities of each element to show the importance of cautious system security design.
Central systolic augmentation indexes and urinary sodium in a white population.

BACKGROUND The association between cardiovascular health and salt intake remains controversial. The objective of our study was to assess the association between arterial stiffness and urinary sodium, both cross-sectionally and prospectively. METHODS In 630 participants (mean age 40.6 years; 51% women), randomly recruited from a Flemish population, we measured sodium and creatinine in 24-hour urine samples at baseline and follow-up (median, 9.7 years) and the carotid and aortic augmentation indexes (AIs) standardized to heart rate at follow-up only. RESULTS From baseline to follow-up, the urinary sodium concentration decreased (117.1 vs. 105.2 mmol/L; P < 0.0001), whereas 24-hour urinary sodium did not change significantly (166.5 vs. 171.5 mmol/L; P = 0.12). In multivariable-adjusted longitudinal analyses, a 40 mmol/L (~1 SD) increase in the urinary sodium concentration was independently and inversely associated with the carotid AI (effect size, -1.38 ± 0.66%; P = 0.04) and aortic AI (-1.54 ± 0.72%; P = 0.02). In cross-sectional analyses of follow-up data, these estimates were -1.26 ± 0.70% (P = 0.07) and -1.52 ± 0.76% (P = 0.04), respectively. In the longitudinal and cross-sectional analyses, the carotid and aortic AIs were unrelated to the 24-hour urinary excretion of sodium. CONCLUSIONS Our study showed an inverse association between the central arterial AIs and the urinary sodium concentration. Further research is required to consolidate our findings, to unravel the underlying mechanism, and to establish the role of renal vasodilatation in the maintenance of sodium balance.
Multimodality and the Competitive Metagame: Exploring Issues of Balance in Multimodal Game Environments

The ecology of gaming is vast and diverse, comprised of individuals who engage with the medium through markedly different modes. The aim of this paper is to explore the interface between the multimodal play afforded by games (specifically, multiplayer games) and the balance of gameplay in the competitive arena (or metagame). Framed through competition, play and digital games theory, and driven by a case study analysis of gameplay (and ancillary media surrounding gameplay), this paper offers preliminary findings indicating that multimodality has the potential to palpably influence the production and consumption of games. Based on this outcome, this paper makes both conceptual and practical suggestions on which future research and design can elaborate.
Approaches to study yeast cell aging and death.

For millennia, yeast has been exploited to obtain fermentation products, such as foods and beverages. For c. 50 years, yeast has been an established model organism for basic and applied research, and more specifically, for c. 15 years, this unicellular organism has been applied to dissect molecular mechanisms of cell aging and programmed cell death. In this review, we present an overview of approaches to study cell aging and death in yeast, including lifespan assessments, calorie restriction, cell viability, survival, and death markers.
Engrailed homeoprotein acts as a signaling molecule in the developing fly

Homeodomain transcription factors classically exert their morphogenetic activities through the cell-autonomous regulation of developmental programs. In vertebrates, several homeoproteins have also been shown to have direct non-cell-autonomous activities in the developing nervous system. We present the first in vivo evidence for homeoprotein signaling in Drosophila. Focusing on wing development as a model, we first demonstrate that the homeoprotein Engrailed (En) is secreted. Using single-chain anti-En antibodies expressed under the control of a variety of promoters, we delineate the wing territories in which secreted En acts. We show that En is a short-range signaling molecule that participates in anterior crossvein development, interacting with the Dpp signaling pathway. This report thus suggests that direct signaling with homeoproteins is an evolutionarily conserved phenomenon that is not restricted to neural tissues and involves interactions with bona fide signal transduction pathways.
Effects of beta‐glucans ingestion (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) on metabolism of rats receiving high‐fat diet

We investigated the effects of beta-glucans (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) ingestion on metabolic parameters of Wistar rats receiving high-fat diet. The experimental period was divided into two stages: in the first one, the animals were divided into two groups containing 12 animals each. The first group received commercial feed and the second received high-fat diet containing 20% of pork fat during 60 days. At the end of this period, body weight, blood glucose and Lee index were assessed. In the second stage, those 24 animals were redivided into four groups: (C) - control diet; (CB) - control diet and treated with Beta-glucan (BG); (O) - obese animals and (OB) - obese animals treated with BG. Animals from groups CB and OB received 30 mg/kg of BG dissolved in saline solution by gavage. Animals from groups C and O received only saline solution for 28 days. The design used was totally randomized in 2 × 2 factorial scheme. Data were submitted to analysis of variance (anova). Animals from OB group showed inferior levels (p < 0.05) of total cholesterol (13.33%), triacylglycerols (16.77%) and blood glucose (23.97%) when compared to the animals from group O. The use of BG has provided smaller increase in Lee index (p < 0.05), without promoting alteration in feed and water consumption, organs weight, HDL-C, LDL+VLDL-C, carcass composition, villus/crypt ratio, and pancreas, kidney and stomach histology. BG from S. cerevisiae promoted beneficial metabolic effects in rats receiving high-fat diet.
Physical inactivity is a strong risk factor for stroke in the oldest old: Findings from a multi-ethnic population (the Northern Manhattan Study)

Background The fastest growing segment of the population is those age ≥80 who have the highest stroke incidence. Risk factor management is complicated by polypharmacy-related adverse events. Aims To characterize the impact of physical inactivity for stroke by age in a multi-ethnic prospective cohort study (NOMAS, n = 3298). Methods Leisure time physical activity was assessed by a validated questionnaire and our primary exposure was physical inactivity (PI). Participants were followed annually for incident stroke. We fit Cox-proportional hazard models to calculate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals (HR 95% CI) for the association of PI and other risk factors with risk of stroke including two-way interaction terms between the primary exposures and age (<80 vs. ≥80). Results The mean age was 69 ± 10.3 years and 562 (17%) were ≥80 at enrolment. PI was common in the cohort (40.8%). Over a median of 14 years, we found 391 strokes. We found a significant interaction of age ≥80 on the risk of stroke with PI (p = 0.03). In stratified models, PI versus any activity (adjusted HR 1.60, 95%CI 1.05–2.42) was associated with an increased risk of stroke among those ≥80. Conclusion Physical inactivity is a treatable risk factor for stroke among those older than age 80. Improving activity may reduce the risk of stroke in this segment of the population.
Hashtag Processing for Enhanced Clustering of Tweets

Rich data provided by tweets have beenanalyzed, clustered, and explored in a variety of studies. Typically those studies focus on named entity recognition, entity linking, and entity disambiguation or clustering. Tweets and hashtags are generally analyzed on sentential or word level but not on a compositional level of concatenated words. We propose an approach for a closer analysis of compounds in hashtags, and in the long run also of other types of text sequences in tweets, in order to enhance the clustering of such text documents. Hashtags have been used before as primary topic indicators to cluster tweets, however, their segmentation and its effect on clustering results have not been investigated to the best of our knowledge. Our results with a standard dataset from the Text REtrieval Conference (TREC) show that segmented and harmonized hashtags positively impact effective clustering.