This study aimed to identify predictors for successful post-treatment outcomes in early orthopedic class III malocclusion treatment with a facemask and hyrax expander appliance. The study was ...performed on lateral cephalograms from 37 patients at the start of treatment (T0), post-treatment (T1), and a minimum of three years after treatment (T2). The patients were grouped as stable or unstable according to the existence of a 2-mm overjet at T2. For statistical analysis, independent t-tests were used to compare the baseline characteristics and measurements of the two groups, considering a significance level of < 0.05. Thirty variables of pretreatment cephalograms were considered during logistic regression analysis to identify predictors. A discriminant equation was established using a stepwise method. The success rate and area under the curve were calculated, with AB to the mandibular plane, ANB, ODI, APDI, and A-B plane angles as predictors. The A-B plane angle was the most significantly different between the stable and unstable groups. In terms of the A-B plane angle, the success rate of early class III treatment with a facemask and hyrax expander appliance was 70.3%, and the area under the curve indicated a fair grade.
It has been suggested that manipulation of gut microbiota using antibiotics can inhibit colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC) in a mouse model. We investigated whether timing of gut microbial ...manipulation using antibiotics affects colon tumorigenesis in the azoxymethane (AOM)/dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced CAC model. CAC was induced in C57BL/6 mice by injection of 12.5 mg/kg AOM followed by three rounds of 1.7% DSS exposure. There were six groups based on timing of antibiotic administration. Colonic inflammation, proliferation, and tumorigenesis were evaluated after animal sacrifice. High-throughput sequencing of the mice feces was performed to characterize changes in gut microbiota. Full-time antibiotic treatment significantly decreased the number and size of tumors, histological scores, and expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines compared to the AOM/DSS group without antibiotic treatment. The early and late antibiotic groups, antibiotic administration from the first and second rounds of DSS to the end of the study, showed significantly lower histological scores and tumor burden. In contrast, the pretreatment antibiotic group, antibiotic administration from 3 weeks prior to AOM to the first round of DSS, did not exhibit decreased tumorigenesis. Principal coordinate analysis showed similar gut microbial community structures among the full-time, early, and late antibiotic groups, whereas other groups showed distinct gut microbial profiles. There was a positive correlation between number of tumors and number of operational taxonomic units. Colonic tumorigenesis was attenuated by antibiotic administration, except for that only prior to DSS administration, suggesting that gut microbial changes should be maintained throughout the entire period of inflammation to suppress tumorigenesis.
A low-profile high efficiency transmitarray antenna (TA) using an optimized phase compensation surface (PCS) and PEC sidewalls is proposed in this paper. Generally, TAs are composed of a source ...antenna and a planar PCS, and the PCS makes the phase of transmitted wave through the PCS be in-phase, resulting in a highly directive beam. The unit cells of a PCS cannot have a 100% transmittance at all transmission phases. Since there may be combinations of PCS that make various in-phases, the transmit efficiency of the TA can be improved. Also, the four PEC sidewalls are employed to maximize the amount of power reaching the PCS from the source antenna. As a result, the 100% spillover efficiency is achieved without diminishing taper efficiency. To verify its feasibility, the square TA was designed and measured at 5.8 GHz and a high aperture efficiency of 54% was obtained through the above design methodology.
When multi-view video sequences are encoded, the efficient motion vector prediction (MVP) is one of the most important techniques to increase the coding performance. The predictive MV should be ...highly correlated with the actual MV of the current block to be encoded. In this paper, we explain the inefficiency of the MVP algorithm in the multi-view high efficiency video codec (MV-HEVC) standard. In order to solve the inefficiency problem, we propose an enhanced advanced motion vector prediction algorithm in which the geometry interrelation between two neighboring views is derived based on epipolar geometry, similarity transform, and affine transform, and then predicted motion vectors (PMVs) for efficient MV coding are generated using obtained geometry relation. The experiment results show that the proposed scheme outperforms conventional MV-HEVC with a 1.32%-1.19% coding gain because it provides more efficient PMVs than conventional algorithms.
The MPEG Immersive Video (MIV) standard for immersive video coding provides users with an immersive sense of 6 degrees of freedom (6DoF) of view position and orientation by efficiently compressing ...multiview video acquired from different positions in a limited 3D space. In the MIV reference software called Test Model for Immersive Video (TMIV), the number of pixels to be compressed and transmitted is reduced by removing inter-view redundancy. Therefore, the occupancy information that indicates whether each pixel is valid or invalid must also be transmitted to the decoder for viewport rendering. The occupancy information is embedded in a geometry atlas and transmitted to the decoder side. At this time, to prevent occupancy errors that may occur during the compression of the geometry atlas, a guard band is set in the depth dynamic range. Reducing this guard band can improve the rendering quality by allowing a wider dynamic range for depth representation. Therefore, in this paper, based on the analysis of occupancy error of the current TMIV, two methods of occupancy error correction which allow depth dynamic range extension in the case of computer-generated (CG) sequences are presented. The experimental results show that the proposed method gives an average 2.2% BD-rate bit saving for CG compared to the existing TMIV.
Although several studies have evaluated the inhibitory effect of probiotics on halitosis, findings are inconsistent. This systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials (RCT) was ...conducted to summarize the evidence on the effect of probiotics on halitosis. RCT on any type of probiotic treatment with at least 2-week duration were identified through electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) and hand searched between 1946 and January 17, 2017. Primary outcomes were organoleptic (OLT) scores and volatile sulfur compounds (VSC). Standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. Meta-analysis was conducted to synthesize the evidence. Of the 153 articles identified, three met the inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis revealed that OLT scores (SMD = − 1.93, 95% CI − 2.85 to − 1.02,
P
< 0.0001) were significantly lower in subjects who received probiotics than in placebo groups, but no significant difference was observed at the VSC concentration (SMD = − 0.02, 95% CI − 2.12 to 2.07,
P
= 0.98). Current evidence is supportive of recommending probiotics for the management of halitosis. Based on this review, transient (average of 2 weeks) dosing with probiotics (mainly
Lactobacillus
strains) has a moderate effect on halitosis regarding OLT scores, but we could not confirm the effects of probiotics on the VSC reduction. The available evidence is quantitatively and qualitatively insufficient for further recommendations, especially with regard to administration strategies and pretreatment. Future studies should aim for longer follow-up and standardized administration methods to prove or refute the effect of probiotics on halitosis.
In this paper, the novel design methodology of 2-D beam focusing control based on passive frequency selective surface (FSS) is proposed and described. The beam focusing antenna is composed of 1-D ...array source and 2-D FSS having a good transmittance and a full transmission phase variation of 360°. The 2-D FSS is designed to make the phase of wave radiated by one source be in-phase, so the transmission phase of the 2-D FSS is concave in itself. Then, the designed 2-D FSS is integrated to the 1-D array source and the longitudinal and the transverse beam focusing controls can be achieved by changing the phase shape of the array source. The relation between the focusing point and the phase combination of the sources is analyzed by a parabolic formula, and the performance of the beam focusing control system is confirmed by both simulation and measurement. From both results, it is concluded that the focusing spot can be tuned longitudinally and transversely by the proposed methodology at 5.8 GHz. In addition, the electric field intensity of 1-D array source with 2-D FSS increases by about 35% compared to that of only 1-D array source.
Previous studies have suggested that mouth breathing has harmful effects on atopic dermatitis (AD) and oral health in children, but the evidence has been insufficient. To investigate the association ...of mouth breathing with AD and oral health in Korean schoolchildren aged 8–11 years.
Cross-sectional data were obtained from March to April 2016. A questionnaire was used to investigate children's mouth breathing habits and personal/family histories related to allergic disease. Oral health status was determined through a clinical oral examination. Data were analyzed with multivariable logistic regression.
In total, 1507 children were included. A moderate relationship was observed between mouth breathing and AD (adjusted odds ratio, 1.05; 95% confidence interval, 1.00–1.10; p-value, 0.035), whereas no association was found between mouth breathing and dental caries in children. Mouth breathing during sleep (MBS) was closely related to allergic diseases and other respiratory diseases. Furthermore, mouth breathing was associated with child's tonsillitis and was identified as a possible risk factor for class II dental malocclusion.
We confirmed the positive association between mouth breathing (especially during sleep) and allergic diseases, including the AD in school-aged children. The influence of mouth breathing on dental caries remains uncertain. An intervention trial is required to evaluate whether the prevention of mouth breathing can reduce the risk of allergic diseases.
The gut microbiota has been implicated in the development of colitis-associated cancer (CAC). We investigated how the gut microbiota affects the development of CAC when the composition of the ...microbial community is altered by the administration of various antibiotics in a murine model. C57BL/6 mice were given intraperitoneal injection of 12.5 mg/kg azoxymethane (AOM), followed by two rounds of 2.0 % dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) exposure. Antibiotics, including ampicillin, neomycin, metronidazole, and/or vancomycin, were administered 14 days prior to AOM injection until the end of the experiment. High-throughput sequencing of mice feces was conducted to evaluate alterations of the gut microbiota. Tumorigenesis and inflammation were most markedly suppressed in the mice treated with an antibiotic cocktail therapy consisting of ampicillin, neomycin, metronidazole, and vancomycin. Individual antibiotic treatments had different effects on tumorigenesis and inflammation. Metronidazole attenuated both tumorigenesis and inflammation. Neomycin suppressed tumorigenesis but did not alleviate inflammation. Ampicillin and vancomycin did not significantly attenuate either tumorigenesis or inflammation. Antimicrobial therapy differentially altered the diversity and composition of the gut microbiota depending on antibiotic type. The phyla Proteobacteria and Tenericutes were positively correlated with tumor burden. Colon tumorigenesis was attenuated through various antibiotics in the AOM/DSS-induced CAC model. Individual antibiotics differentially altered the gut microbial composition and showed different effects on tumor suppression; however, the degree of tumor suppression was less pronounced than that relative to the antibiotic cocktail therapy, suggesting that the global gut microbial community plays an important role in the development of CAC.
There are two types of maintenance policies for equipment: breakdown maintenance and preventive maintenance. In the case of applying preventive maintenance, the maintenance is carried out based on ...time or the condition of the equipment. However, with the development of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) and the Internet of Things (IoT) technology, the data collected from equipment has rapidly increased and the use of Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM) to perform appropriate maintenance based on the condition of the equipment is increasing. In this study, based on gathered sensor data, we introduce an approach to diagnosing the condition of the equipment by extracting specific data features related to the types of failures that occur with equipment. To this end, we used the K-means clustering method, support vector machine (SVM) classifier, and Pattern Frequency–Inverse Failure mode Frequency (PF–IFF) method with the Term Frequency–Inverse Document Frequency (TF–IDF) method. As a case study, we applied the proposed approach to a centrifugal pump and carried out computational experiments for assessing the performance and validity of the proposed approach.
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