Foreign direct investments and the real convergence. An approach for Romania and Bulgaria

This paper outlines the need for an analysis of the extent to which foreign direct investments (FDIs) affects real convergence expressed using the following selected macroeconomic indicators: Gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, the unemployment rate (UR), labour productivity (LP) per person employed and the minimum wage (MW). The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) on real convergence in Romania’s and Bulgaria’s economy for the period from 2004-2014. The main results for both Romania and Bulgaria show that FDI can be considered important sources of growth for real convergence that have contributed to economic growth, increased labour productivity and increased the minimum wage except for the unemployment rate. The results confirmed our expectations because be logically, foreign firms bring their own technology, appropriate for the work of the employees, in order for their employees to produce as much as possible and pay salaries relatively higher compared to companies with local capital, but they demand instead a higher productivity. &nbsp

The Prevalence of Oral Leukoplakia: Results From a Romanian Medical Center

The aim of our study is to measure the prevalence of oral leukoplakia in a selected population group in association with variables as gender, age, smoking and alcohol intake. The mucosal lesions were diagnosed and classified according to internationally accepted criteria. Results showed that the majority of oral leukoplakia belonged to homogenous type and only o few were non-homogenous, with a prevalence of 3.32% 1.10% respectively, a difference that was statistically significant. The most frequent location of oral leukoplakia was the oral mucosa of the cheek, lower lip, tongue and floor of the oral cavity. Our conclusion was that oral leukoplakia occurred more frequently in men over the age of 45 and smoking and alcohol abuse were positive correlated factors

Cone Beam Computed Tomography Used in the Assessment of the Alveolar Bone in Periodontitis

Objectives: The aim of our study was to highlight the advantages of using Cone Beam Computed Tomography in the study of the extent of the alveolar bone loss, compared to the conventional intraoral radiography and to prove the boon of the CBCT scans for establishing the correct periodontal diagnosis. Material and methods: A total of 16 patients with age between 35-55 years old, and a minimum of 8 teeth per dental arcade, presenting peridontal clinical symptomatology were selected. We used a custom periodontal chart that included the measuring of the gingival recession and the pocket depth in 6 points for 16 teeth, 8 maxillary teeth and 8 mandibulary teeth in all cases. For the radiographic evaluation we used CBCT imaging and intraoral radiography. Results: CBCT scans offers the possibilities of measuring with accuracy the alveolar bone loss on mesial, distal vestibular and oral sides. It provides images with the exact position of the bone and also the expediency to assess the correct diagnosis. Retroalveolar radiography offers just a hint of the possible position of the alveaolar bone in all cases the anatomical details were offered by CBCT. Conclusions: A correct periodontal diagnosis using conventional radiography is not possible because of the superimposition of the anatomical structures. The importance of CBCT imaging is no longer disputed, at the present time it is the best radiographic investigation available

Computational models for inferring biochemical networks

Biochemical networks are of great practical importance. The interaction of biological compounds in cells has been enforced to a proper understanding by the numerous bioinformatics projects, which contributed to a vast amount of biological information. The construction of biochemical systems (systems of chemical reactions), which include both topology and kinetic constants of the chemical reactions, is NP-hard and is a well-studied system biology problem. In this paper, we propose a hybrid architecture, which combines genetic programming and simulated annealing in order to generate and optimize both the topology (the network) and the reaction rates of a biochemical system. Simulations and analysis of an artificial model and three real models (two models and the noisy version of one of them) show promising results for the proposed method.The Romanian National Authority for Scientific Research, CNDI–UEFISCDI, Project No. PN-II-PT-PCCA-2011-3.2-0917

The Correlation between Oral Self-Harm and Ethnicity in Institutionalized Children

Oral self-harm was described in institutionalized children who share a lack of emotional attention; frequently these children experience feelings such as neglect, loneliness, isolation or lack of connection with the world. The aim of our paper was to conduct a cross-sectional study in order to assess the prevalence of this behavior and its correlation with ethnicity among children from three institutions located in the central part of Romania. We examined 116 children from three ethnic groups, Romanians, Hungarians and local Roma population aged between 10–14 years old. The oral soft tissues were evaluated by one dentist who recorded the lesions of lips, buccal mucosa, commissures and tongue; data were statistically analyzed at a level of significance of p < 0.05. We found oral self-harm lesions in 18.1% participants, with statistically significant higher odds in girls (p = 0.03). The results showed an association between ethnicity and the development of these lesions (Chi-square p = 0.04). The most frequent lesions were located at oral commissures (35.48%), buccal mucosa (29.03%) and upper lip (19.36%). Oral self-harm lesions have a high incidence among institutionalized children in Romania. Identification of these cases in early stages is important, as these conditions are known to be aggravated during adolescence and adulthood

Original Research. The Influence of Desquamative Gingivitis on Periodontal Health

Background: Desquamative gingivitis (DG) is a non-plaque-induced, blistering and painful condition occurring most frequently on the labial aspect of the attached gingiva of anterior teeth. The incidence of DG is highest around 50 years of age, and usually indicates the presence of oral or systemic diseases. The purpose of our study was to determine the impact of DG on periodontal health by recording the plaque index, gingival index and gingival bleeding index in a group of patients with DG, compared to healthy controls. Materials and methods: Recordings of specific indices were performed in a group of 26 patients with DG and compared with 24 healthy individuals. These were followed by radiographic examinations in order to assess the loss of marginal alveolar bone. Results: The results showed that patients with DG had a statistically significant increase in periodontal indices, with more gingival inflammation and plaque retention compared to the control group (p <0.05). The highest scores for gingival inflammation were recorded in patients with DG, but on radiographic evaluation the difference was related only to gender, men being more affected by alveolar bone loss in both groups (p <0.05). Conclusions: The incidence and severity of gingival inflammation proved to be higher in patients with DG, which calls for better preventive and maintenance treatment protocols in this group of patients. Early diagnosis and initial-phase periodontal treatment are very important in preventing further tissue breakdown

Attainment of K-Means Algorithm using Hellinger distance

In this article in the first part I will begin with an introduction to unsupervised learning methods, focusing on the K-Means clustering algorithm, which is achieved with the help of the Euclidian distance. In the second part we modified the K-Means algorithm, that is, it was achieved with the help of the Hellinger distance, after which the clustering time was compared and a parallel was made between the two algorithms (the K-Means algorithm achieved with the Euclidean distance and the K-Means algorithm achieved with Hellinger distance). As a result of the two algorithms I found that the number of groups is the same, and the number of iterations is different

Do different dental conditions influence the static plantar pressure and stabilometry in young adults?

BACKGROUND:Posture is influenced by many factors and dental occlusion seems to have its role on postural stabilization. Our rationale to perform the study was to find out if there are differences of static plantar pressure and stabilometric parameters depending on different dental conditions. METHODS:The observational study consisted in plantar pressure assessment and stabilometric analysis of 95 right-handed healthy volunteer subjects (mean age 22.94 ± 2.52 years) by using the PoData system. Each subject followed four measurements with open eyes: mandibular postural position, maximum intercuspation, biting on cotton rolls and maximum mouth opening. Plantar pressure was recorded on 1st and 5th metatarsal heads and heel, and was expressed as percentage of weight distribution on each foot. The recorded centre of pressure (CoP) parameters were: CoP path length, 90%confidence ellipse area and maximum CoP speed. Statistical analysis used repeated-measures ANOVA with Bonferroni posthoc analysis and Friedman test. RESULTS:Loading on the left 5th metatarsal head was significantly higher in maximum mouth opening condition when compared to maximum intercuspation and to biting on cotton rolls. The left heel loading was significantly lower in the maximum mouth opening in comparison to maximum intercuspation. The CoP path length and maximum CoP speed were significantly higher in maximum mouth opening compared to the other three conditions. Confidence ellipse area had significantly lower values in maximum intercuspation and in the biting on cotton rolls conditions compared to the mandibular postural position, and in maximum intercuspation compared to maximum mouth opening. CONCLUSION:In young adults with an optimum functional occlusion the static plantar pressure is influenced by the maximum mouth opening. An improved postural stability was recorded in maximum intercuspation (a condition used during swallowing) in comparison to mandibular postural position (a condition that allows relaxation of the masticatory muscles after functional moments)