Efficacy of a sonic toothbrush on plaque removal—A video-controlled explorative clinical trial

Clinical studies on the efficacy of sonic toothbrushes show inconsistent results, most studies have been conducted without sufficient supervision of appropriate toothbrush usage. Aims of the explorative clinical trial were therefore to investigate whether the usage of an activated sonic toothbrush reduces plaque more effectively than an inactivated one used as a manual toothbrush, and to which extent the correct use of such toothbrush plays a role in its efficacy. The clinical trial was designed as a video-controlled interventional study. Thirty participants (mean (±SD) age 22.9 (±2.5) years) were included, areas of interest were the buccal surfaces of the upper premolars and the first molar (partial mouth recording). Toothbrushing was performed without toothpaste in a single brushing exercise under four different conditions: switched off, habitually used as manual toothbrush, no instruction; switched on, habitually used as powered toothbrush, no instruction; switched off, used as manual toothbrush, instruction in the Modified Bass Technique; switched on, used as powered toothbrush, instruction in a specific technique for sonic toothbrushes. Brushing performance was controlled by videotaping, plaque was assessed at baseline (after 4 days without toothbrushing) using the Rustogi modified Navy-Plaque-Index and planimetry. Main study results were that plaque decreased distinctly after habitual brushing regardless of using the sonic brush in ON or OFF mode (p for all comparisons < 0.001). After instruction, participants were able to use the sonic brush in ON mode as intended, with only minor impact on efficacy. Using the toothbrush in OFF mode with the Modified Bass Technique was significantly less effective than all other conditions (p for all comparisons < 0.001). Under the conditions used, the sonic toothbrush was not more effective when switched on than when switched off, and there was no evidence that the correct use of the toothbrush was more effective than the habitual use.

Berio’s Duetti per due violini: An introduction

This article is the summary of a workshop on the violin duets of Béla Bartók and Luciano Berio, and the pedagogical implications of the works. Bartók’s Forty-Four Duos are based on folk melodies, and in this workshop, we explored how the text of certain melodies are recreated using tone-painting in the music. Luciano Berio’s 34 Duetti were inspired by the Duos of Bartók, and each duet focuses on a specific technique or concept in twentieth-century music. Like Bartók did with his Duos, Berio also intended his pieces to be performed by children as well as professionals. In addition, Berio’s duets are each inspired by a person, story, or event. All duets refer to a person with their surname, including Béla [Bartók] (no. 1), Pierre [Boulez] (no. 14), Edoardo [Sanguinetti] (no. 20), Vinko [Globokar] (no. 22), Igor [Stravinky] (no. 28) or Lorin [Maazel] (no. 33). In this workshop we explored how Berio recreates these inspirations in his music.

Detection of Manipulated Face Videos over Social Networks: A Large-Scale Study

The detection of manipulated videos represents a highly relevant problem in multimedia forensics, which has been widely investigated in the last years. However, a common trait of published studies is the fact that the forensic analysis is typically applied on data prior to their potential dissemination over the web. This work addresses the challenging scenario where manipulated videos are first shared through social media platforms and then are subject to the forensic analysis. In this context, a large scale performance evaluation has been carried out involving general purpose deep networks and state-of-the-art manipulated data, and studying different effects. Results confirm that a performance drop is observed in every case when unseen shared data are tested by networks trained on non-shared data; however, fine-tuning operations can mitigate this problem. Also, we show that the output of differently trained networks can carry useful forensic information for the identification of the specific technique used for visual manipulation, both for shared and non-shared data.

A comparative review of the main techniques for electromagnetic characterization of materials / Uma revisão comparativa das principais técnicas de caracterização eletromagnética de materiais

This paper presents the main techniques of electromagnetic characterization electromagnetic at microwave frequency. A detailed analysis of these is performed, indicating which materials under test (MUT) can be measured with the specific technique. Additionally, for the dielectric characterization, measurement results are presented with the best technique that suits this case.

Proposing a Typology of Ludification as a Translation Technique for PC, Console, Mobile and Online Games

Translation technique typology indicates a lack of specific technique to evoke playful nuance – ludification. We argue that ludification might also serve as a translation technique in video game translation context. This research attempts to prove the presence of ludification translation technique. To do so, we analyzed nine PC, console, mobile, and online games from various genres and developers under the umbrella of qualitative design. The theories of lability and merrines by Huizinga, ludification of digital media by de Lange et al, and skopos by Reiss and Vermeer were applied in the analysis. The findings reveal that ludification as a translation technique is existent. This type of translation technique is made possible due to the carte blanche of video game translators. The findings also indicate that ludification as a translation technique has a distinctive typology, making it different from the other translation techniques. First, it breaks translation rules and standards to generate contextual merriness. Second, it has explanative and expressive functions. Third, it has subtypes, namely emojization, referencing, and para-localization. This study implies that the scholars of translation studies might apply this typology not only on game translation context but also audiovisual context like subtitling especially fansub, where carte blanche and creativity are required to deal with the space restriction.

Printing Paradigms

This chapter introduces the invention of 3D printing in the mid-1980s and discusses how bioprinting emerged from that technology some 15 years later, the significantly more formidable requirements that bioprinting presents compared to 3D printing, and the scientists who were the trailblazers of bioprinting. Mention is made of several medical successes of 3D printing prior to the advent of bioprinting. The chapter describes three of the principal bioprinting techniques and the steps that comprise the fundamental process regardless of the specific technique employed. It provides an introduction to some of the basic lexicon of bioprinting—words such as bioinks, bioreactors, extracellular matrices, rheology, and scaffolds. The chapter acquaints the reader with new and novel developments such as the Kenzan method style of bioprinting as well as the innovation of rotational 3D printing and its possible use in bioprinting.

Proctorship in Minimally Invasive Colorectal Surgery

Teaching an established surgeon in a novel technique by a colleague who has acquired a level of expertise is often referred to as “proctoring” or “precepting.” Surgical preceptorships can be defined as supervised teaching programs, whereby individual or groups of surgeons (proctors) experienced in a certain technique support a colleague who wants to adopt this technique (sometimes referred to as “delegates” or “preceptees”). Preceptorship programs really focus on a specific technique, technology, or skill which is required to broaden, complement, or transform an established surgeon's practice.Within colorectal surgery, in the past 30 years, there is been an evolution of interventional options including open, laparoscopic, robotic, and endoscopic procedures. With each new emerging technology and technique, safe and effective uptake by established surgeons is best been attained by a period of proctorship by an experienced colleague. Formalizing this has been facilitated largely through industry support. There, however, remains a considerable chasm when it comes to standardization, quality control, and jurisprudence.This article aims to describe the requirements for a contemporary proctorship program, to examine instruments of quality control, and how to improve effectiveness.

Decoding Tableaux Vivants: the Metareferential Potential of Painterly References in Cinema

The article focuses on the intermedial relationship between cinema and painting, viewed as a self-referential process, and tries to determine various ways in which this type of signifying process can be used to “encode” various messages (within the work itself), or become an integral part of this (meta)communicative operation. Starting from a broad definition of intermedial references and continuing with a brief recontextualized detour through Gérard Genette’s taxonomy of transtextual instances, the author narrows down a specific technique that exemplifies this type of “codifying” procedure, namely the tableau vivant. In accordance with Werner Wolf’s proposed terminology, he attempts to determine the metareferential potential of this extra-compositional self-referential technique. The case studies focus on films by Peter Greenaway and Lars von Trier.

Integrated natural sciences approaches to the protection of medieval ruins

The aim of this paper is to present the Report of innovative restoration techniques, technologies and materials used in conservation in the context of natural sciences and heritage science of the RUINS Project. First, the specifics of preservation and maintenance of ruins are briefly described. Subsequently, the context of natural sciences and the new scientific discipline of heritage science, including the link to innovation, are indicated. The paper then presents the structure of the report and an example of one record representing one specific technique. Record structure is ready to be transferred to versatile data set so it could be converted into an updatable online database in the future.

The Contamination Effects and Toxicological Characterization of o-Chlorobenzylidene Manolonitrile

Toxicological characterization and global assessment of the toxicity of some chemicals used in the specific technique of the defense and public order system (e.g. o-chlorobenzylidene manolonitrile which enters the composition of the CS gas) is especially useful for environmental protection. Based on the results obtained, the toxicological characterization (acute lethal toxicity) and the harmful potential of some toxic substances, individual or in mixture, against euythermal sweet fish are established. The tests performed aim to change the behavior of the species studied in the presence of chlorobenzylidene manolonitrile, a substance used in the technique of defense and public order system. The tests established the toxicity values of acute lethal concentration LC50 and serve to further determine the maximum allowable concentration that inhibits the development of normal fish fauna in contaminated waters. The test results allow the toxicological characterization and measurement of the acute lethal toxicity of an inhibitor, in order to make more efficient its elimination from the contaminated environment.