Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessment of Dental Patients’ Awareness of the Correlation Between Systemic and Periodontal Diseases: A Questionnaire-Based Study

Aim: The correlation between periodontal diseases and systemic diseases has been proven. Considering the high prevalence of periodontitis, as well as the high prevalence of systemic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and anemia, in Saudi Arabia, patients visiting dental clinics need to be educated about this correlation. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and awareness levels of dental patients on the correlation between periodontal and systemic diseases and compare the awareness levels of the population based on their gender, educational level, and age group specifications. Methodology: The awareness level of patients was assessed using a questionnaire consisting of 18 questions about the correlation between periodontal and systemic health, along with demographic data (gender, age, and educational level). The questionnaire was distributed to randomly chosen patients who were attending Qassim University dental clinics. Patients could select their responses from three options: “yes,” “no,” and “no idea. ” The awareness level of patients was categorized based on their educational qualifications, age, and gender. Results: A total of 252 patients participated in the study. Out of the 252 patients, 116 (46%) were male, and the remaining 136 (54%) were female. Females were found to be more aware of the correlation between pregnancy and anemia, independently, and periodontal diseases. Additionally, younger age groups were found to be more aware of the interaction between periodontal diseases and hyperparathyroidism. However, the awareness level based on educational qualification was almost equivalent between high school and college graduates. Conclusion: The general public of the Qassim region of Saudi Arabia needs to be educated further on the correlation between systemic and periodontal disease. Being part of the community, we wish to contribute to improving the level of awareness about the relationship between periodontal and systemic diseases, as our study has concluded that more efforts are required to achieve higher health standards.
Slide-Detect: An Accurate Deep Learning Diagnosis of Lung Infiltration

ABSTRACT Lung infiltration is a non-communicable condition where materials with higher density than air exist in the parenchyma tissue of the lungs. Lung infiltration can be hard to be detected in an X-ray scan even for a radiologist, especially at the early stages making it a leading cause of death. In response, several deep learning approaches have been evolved to address this problem. This paper proposes the Slide-Detect technique which is a Deep Neural Networks (DNN) model based on Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) that is trained to diagnose lung infiltration with Area Under Curve (AUC) up to 91.47%, accuracy of 93.85% and relatively low computational resources.
Dopamine-Coated Carbon Nanodots: A Supramolecular Approach to Polydopamine Composite

The development of biocompatible composites constituted by polydopamine and fluorescent carbon dots represents a promising way of exploiting the extraordinary adhesive properties of polydopamine for multi-purpose technologies. Here, a supramolecular complex is realized by the assembly of dopamine on the carbon dots surface, and the optical and structural properties are investigated by means of different spectroscopic techniques, from time-resolved fluorescence to Raman and NMR spectroscopies. The results suggest that the catechol unit of dopamine plays the main role in the formation of the supramolecular complex, in which carbon nanodot fluorescence emission is quenched by a photoinduced electron transfer process. The interaction with the nanodots’ basic surface sites promotes the oxidation of dopamine and drives to its oligomerization/polymerization on the nanodot surface.
Evaluating Nontechnical Skills and Leadership Skills During Simulated Critical Care Scenarios

Nontechnical skills (NTS) of healthcare teams are fundamental to successful and safe surgeries. This study aims to identify the communication measures associated with overall NTS and leadership skills. Ten medical students assuming the roles of attending physicians completed two simulated critical care scenarios containing five disruptive integrated events. Half of the students received standardized NTS leadership training between scenarios, while the other half served as an active control. The group of participants that received the leadership training had a statistically higher difference in NTS score by 0.77 than the control group (p = 0.05). When investigating which communication metrics best predicted NTS scores, strong negative correlations corresponding to Call-outs from Nurses to Physicians (ρ = -0.59) during scenarios and Requests from Nurses to physicians (ρ = -0.52) during events were found. Overall, decomposing communication from participants to team members can provide insight into leadership measurement and training for care providers.
Beyond the Screen: An In-Depth Examination of Social Media Habits Among University Students

The purpose of this study is to examine the level of social media addiction among university students. The research was conducted during the spring semester of the 2022-2023 academic year with 386 students from both public and private/foundation universities. In this descriptive research, the "Social Media Addiction Scale" developed by Tutgun-Ünal and Deniz (2015) and the "Personal Information Form" developed by the researcher were utilized. Participants voluntarily joined the study, and data was collected online. Data was analyzed using the SPSS software, employing statistical methods (frequency, t-test, and ANOVA) appropriate for the research objectives. The findings suggest that students generally exhibit a low level of addiction to social media (slightly addicted), but demonstrate a moderate level of addiction in terms of engagement and mood regulation dimensions. The study found that gender does not affect social media addiction, but age and type of university do influence addiction levels. Notably, students from private or foundational universities showed higher addiction levels compared to those from public universities. Moreover, an increase in time spent on social media correlates with an increase in addiction level. These findings contribute to a better understanding of university students' social media usage habits.
Postmastectomy Pain Syndrome: A Narrative Review

Postmastectomy pain syndrome is a very common disorder in breast cancer survivors. The impact on the quality of patients’ lives is significantly adverse. The precise pathophysiology has not been determined as yet though various risk factors have been identified that make the patient vulnerable. Required preoperative work includes the identification and possible elimination of risk factors. Treatment is multidisciplinary involving surgical and non-surgical modalities. There is a great scope of research in this field.
GEOGRAPHY OF POPULATION CHANGE AND REDISTRIBUTION WITHIN THE POST ·FRONTIER GREAT PLAINS

The popular vision of the Great Plains as a region of ongoing population decline is only partly appropriate. In a fundamental transformation of the population geography previously set in the late 19th century, there is an emerging divide between growing metropolitan centers concentrated along the region's periphery and a vast interior struggling to hold its traditional rural population. The size and geo­ graphical distribution of population within the Great Plains region is examined over time with the aid of cartographic and Geographic Infor­ mation Systems (GIS) techniques. Intercensal net migration rates esti­ mated using the vital statistics-based residual method are mapped by county for several decades since 1890 and are tabulated for metropoli­ tan-nonmetropolitan setting and other relevant geographical character­ istics. Several subregions within the Great Plains are identified as becoming more culturally diverse due to net immigration or faster natu­ ral increase among Hispanic, black, Native American, or Asian culture groups.
Study on N_2O Emission in the Farmland Ecosystem of Arid Areas

The effects of such factors as soil water and ventilation,soil texture,soil pH value,soil temperature and edaphon on N2O emission from farmland were summarized.It was pointed out that it would be the research emphases to study deeply the integrated effects of such factors on N2O emission from farmland and its mechanism and quantitative relationship with the emission amount of N2O.
How Accurately Do Children Indicate Their Smartphone Social Media Use?

Abstract: Empirical research revealed that subjective time estimates of social media use show rather low accuracy as compared to objective log measures of use. The present work examined a different subjective measure, that is, intensity of use indicated on a 5-point scale and tested its congruence with an objective measure. A daily diary study with 200 children (103 female; Mage = 11.71, SDage = 1.02) was conducted, with children reporting their daily subjective and objective smartphone use of Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. On the between-person and within-person level, subjective and objective use of the three social media platforms were positively associated with each other, with explained variance (based on pseudo- R2) ranging from 77% to 95% on between-person levels and from 36% to 58% on within-person levels. Furthermore, we identified person-level variables and daily characteristics of social media use that were linked to higher or lower congruence of subjective and objective measures.
Peters anomaly: An overview

Peters anomaly (PA) is a rare, often bilateral, congenital corneal opacity, usually with a sporadic inheritance pattern, characterized by corneal opacities and irido-corneal or lenticular-corneal adhesions with a defect in the Descemet's membrane, occurring due to anterior segment dysgenesis during fetal development. Due to other ocular and systemic comorbidities, a team comprising pediatric cornea, glaucoma, and strabismus specialists in addition to a pediatrician and geneticist is necessary for the appropriate management of these children. Since the outcome of pediatric penetrating keratoplasty is variable and has a higher chance of failure when accompanied by additional procedures, such as lensectomy and vitrectomy, minimally invasive alternatives are increasingly being offered to these patients. Of note is the recently reported novel procedure: selective endothelialectomy for PA, which avoids the need for a corneal transplant and results in gradual clearing of the corneal opacity over time. In this overview, we aimed to describe the etiology, classification, pathophysiology, histopathology, clinical features, and management of PA.
Isotopic Evidence for Long‐Distance Mammal Procurement, Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, USA

Previous research on the prehistoric communities of Chaco Canyon, New Mexico (ca. A.D. 800–1250) provides evidence of an extensive procurement system of nonlocal food and economic goods. In this paper, we use oxygen and strontium isotope analyses to establish whether animal protein followed a similar pattern. We contextualized our isotopic analyses of the archaeofaunas from recent excavations at Pueblo Bonito with data on modern faunas across an area of approximately 100,000 km2 around the site. Our results show that most archaeological deer, rabbits, and prairie dogs were obtained from >40 km away from Pueblo Bonito with the latter two likely being garden hunted. The Chuska Mountains west of Chaco Canyon and more distant San Juan Mountains to the north were the main source areas. These results closely align with previous results on architectural wood, corn, and other key resources. The importation of small game animals suggests that the local supplies could not meet the needs of the community. Long‐distance meat procurement may have been embedded within a more complex network of ritual‐goods exchange or tribute that helped to offset the transport costs. Resource depletion may have contributed to the eventual abandonment of the region during the Medieval Warm Period.
AUDIO STEGANOGRAPHY METHOD USING LEAST SIGNIFICANT BIT (LSB) ENCODING TECHNIQUE

MP3 is one of the most widely used file formats for encoding and representing audio data. One of the reasons for this popularity is their significant ability to reduce audio file sizes in comparison to other encoding techniques. Additionally, other reasons also include ease of implementation, its availability and good technical support. Steganography is the art of shielding the communication between two parties from the eyes of attackers. In steganography, a secret message in the form of a copyright mark, concealed communication, or serial number can be embedded in an innocuous file (e.g., computer code, video film, or audio recording), making it impossible for the wrong party to access the hidden message during the exchange of data. This paper describes a new steganography algorithm for encoding secret messages in MP3 audio files using an improved least significant bit (LSB) technique with high embedding capacity. Test results obtained shows that the efficiency of this technique is higher compared to other LSB techniques. The aims to add effectiveness and performance for hide message in MP3 file and explains all detail in steganography process in MP3 files, and The new proposed method was able to increase the capacity and robustness, while improving imperceptibility.
Rational probe design for efficient rRNA depletion and improved metatranscriptomic analysis of human microbiomes

Background The microbiota that colonize the human gut and other tissues are dynamic, varying both in composition and functional state between individuals and over time. In studying the function of the human microbiome and the mechanisms of microbiota-mediated phenotypes, gene expression measurements provide additional insights to DNA-based measurements of microbiome composition. However, efficient and unbiased removal of microbial ribosomal RNA (rRNA) presents a barrier to acquiring metatranscriptomic data, as rRNA typically accounts >90% of total RNA in microbial cells. Results Here we describe a probe set that achieves efficient enzymatic rRNA removal of complex human-associated microbial communities. We demonstrate that the custom probe set can be further refined through an iterative design process to efficiently deplete rRNA from a range of human microbiome samples, including adult and infant gut, as well as oral and vaginal communities. Using synthetic nucleic acid spike-ins, we show that the rRNA depletion process does not introduce substantial quantitative error in the resulting gene expression profiles. Successful rRNA depletion allows for efficient characterization of taxonomic and functional profiles, including during the development of the human gut microbiome. Conclusions The pan-human microbiome enzymatic rRNA depletion probes described here provide a powerful tool for studying the transcriptional dynamics and function of the human microbiome.
Energy analysis of crop irrigation: Role of water reclamation and water exportation

Author(s): Nguyen, Trung Derek | Advisor(s): Rosso, Diego | Abstract: Freshwater availability is the major constraint to agriculture in arid and semi-arid regions. Worldwide, agricultural irrigation is the leading sector in the overall water consumption. As the largest agricultural region in the United States and the leading exporter of many commodities, California was chosen as a spatial domain to model the carbon footprint reduction and resource savings (water and energy) when applying reclaimed water to crop irrigation. An extensive compilation of the most recent publicly available datasets was used to calculate the energy intensity for each water supply source, associated carbon footprint reduction and monetary savings for employing reclaimed water versus traditional groundwater application. Furthermore, a quantification of water exported through agricultural trades was performed. Exported water is defined as the physical water content contained in crops plus the associated induced evapotranspiration due to their irrigation. Exported water differs from virtual water in that the former is the physical water exported outside of a geographical boundary and the latter is cumulative water footprint required to reach the final product. Therefore, the exported water is permanently lost and is no longer available for the natural hydrologic cycle from its origin. Our calculations indicate that on an average basis for the time domain 1998-2010, the fractional water use for agriculture, and urbanized consumption in California was 0.81 and 0.19 respectively. Annually, crop irrigation consumed an average of 4.2 x 1010 m3 of fresh water, of which 1%, 46.8% and 52.2% came from reclaimed water, groundwater, and surface water, respectively. Each of these three main water sources is associated with a range of energy intensity (in kWh m-3), depending on the process and environmental characteristics of the end-use location. The analysis of multiple process and environmental configurations produced a detailed energy intensity database, with the associated carbon intensities (in kgCO2,eq kWh-1). The overall exported water (i.e., contained in and evaporated/transpired from crops) in California's agricultural commodities was 2.88 x 1010 m3 yr-1, equivalent to 68.3% of the total water used in irrigation. The majority of the exported water was in the form of induced evapotranspiration, amounting to 67.7% of the irrigation water use, whereas approximately 2.32 x 108 m3 yr-1 or 0.6% of the water used for irrigation leaves the agricultural spatial domain as content of the crops. Our results show that the physical water content contained in crops is minor relative to the associated evapotranspiration of the irrigated crops, confirming the hypothesis that for each unit of water exported, the loss of water via evapotranspiration induced by each crop far outweighs the crop water content.
The Endothelial Centrosome: Specific Features and Functional Significance for Endothelial Cell Activity and Barrier Maintenance

This review summarizes information about the specific features that are characteristic of the centrosome and its relationship with the cell function of highly specialized cells, such as endotheliocytes. It is based on data from other researchers and our own long-term experience. The participation of the centrosome in the functional activity of these cells, including its involvement in the performance of the main barrier function of the endothelium, is discussed. According to modern concepts, the centrosome is a multifunctional complex and an integral element of a living cell; the functions of which are not limited only to the ability to polymerize microtubules. The location of the centrosome near the center of the interphase cell, the concentration of various regulatory proteins in it, the organization of the centrosome radial system of microtubules through which intracellular transport is carried out by motor proteins and the involvement of the centrosome in the process of the perception of the external signals and their transmission make this cellular structure a universal regulatory and distribution center, controlling the entire dynamic morphology of an animal cell. Drawing from modern data on the tissue-specific features of the centrosome’s structure, we discuss the direct involvement of the centrosome in the performance of functions by specialized cells.
Acute and long-term costs of 268 peripheral nerve injuries in the upper extremity

Background Peripheral nerve injury in the upper extremity is linked to high socioeconomic burden, yet cost-analyses are rare and from small cohorts. The objective of this study was to determine the costs and long-term socioeconomic effects of peripheral nerve injuries in the upper extremity in Germany. Methods We analyzed data of 250 patients with 268 work-related upper extremity nerve injuries from acute treatment to long-term follow-up on rehabilitation, sick-leave and disability-pension. Results Patients were on average 39.9±14.2 years old, male (85%) and mean inpatient treatment was 7±6 days. Location of nerve was 8% (N = 19) proximal to the wrist, 26% (N = 65) at the wrist and metacarpus, and 66% (N = 166) at phalangeal level. Acute in-patient treatment for (single) median nerve injury accounted for 66% with hospital reimbursement of 3.570€, ulnar nerve injury for 24% and 2.650€ and radial nerve injury for 10% and 3.166€, all including finger nerve injuries. The remaining were combined nerve injuries, with significantly higher costs, especially if combined with tendon 5.086€ or vascular injury 4.886€. Based on location, nerve injuries proximal to the wrist averaged 5.360±6.429€, at the wrist and metacarpus 3.534±2.710€ and at the phalangeal level 3.418±3.330€. 16% required rehabilitation with average costs of 5.842€ and stay of 41±21 days. Sick leave was between 11–1109 days with an average of 147 days with socioeconomic costs of 197€/day, equaling on average 17.640€. 30% received a mean yearly disability pension of 3.187€, that would account to 102.167€ per lifetime. Conclusion This large German patient sample indicates that nerve injury has a major impact on function and employment, resulting in significant health care costs. Both proximal and distal nerve injuries led to long-term disability, subsequent sick-leave and in 30% to permanent disability pension. These data are determined to support future studies and health economical work on prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of these often small injuries with great consequences.
A multilevel analysis model for dental caries determinants in independently-living elderly

To evaluate the prevalence of untreated caries and its association with biological, individual, and environmental variables in independently-living elderly people. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 72 elderly (≥60 years) patients of a university dental clinic in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Sociodemographic data, systemic diseases, medications, and free sugar intake were collected. Visible plaque, Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth (DMFT), and Decayed and Filled Root (DFR) indexes were assessed through clinical examination. Unstimulated saliva was collected to determine salivary flow, pH, and buffering capacity. Descriptive analysis and multilevel logistic regression analysis were performed following a dental caries theoretical model (p <0.05, 95% CI). Results: The mean DMFT and DFR were 24.44 (SD=4.59) and 3.21 (SD=2.93), respectively. The prevalence of untreated caries was 61.11%. In the adjusted multilevel regression model involving 1639 teeth, untreated dental caries was significantly associated with the presence of biofilm (OR = 1.84; 95% CI: 1.24–2.74), salivary buffering capacity (OR = 0.87; 95% CI: 0.77–0.99) and per capita income (OR = 0.06; 95% CI: 0.004–0.74). Conclusion: The experience of dental caries was widespread among independently-living elderly patients, and its variability was best explained by the presence of biofilm, reduced salivary buffering capacity, and low per capita income. A comprehensive assessment is needed of the biological, individual, and environmental factors related to the presence of dental caries in independently-living elderly people.